His Way or the Highway

God often calls us to do things out of our comfort zones. For some it may be inviting the new student at school to your church on a Wednesday night or it may be letting go of something in your life that you love (which is where my story comes in.) I feel that when God calls us to do things like this He is wanting to test our faith, and to see how much we really trust in Him and the plan that He has for us. 

Let's take a look at God calling out to Moses in Exodus 3:1-15.

1 One day while Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, he led the flock across the desert and came to Sinai, the holy mountain. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a flame coming from the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but that it was not burning up. 3 “This is strange,” he thought. “Why isn't the bush burning up? I will go closer and see.”

4 When the Lord saw that Moses was coming closer, he called to him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses! Moses!”

He answered, “Yes, here I am.”

5 God said, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have seen how cruelly my people are being treated in Egypt; I have heard them cry out to be rescued from their slave drivers. I know all about their sufferings, 8 and so I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of Egypt to a spacious land, one which is rich and fertile and in which the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites now live. 9 I have indeed heard the cry of my people, and I see how the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Now I am sending you to the king of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country.”

11 But Moses said to God, “I am nobody. How can I go to the king and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you, and when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will worship me on this mountain. That will be the proof that I have sent you.”

13 But Moses replied, “When I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ So what can I tell them?”

14 God said, “I am who I am. You must tell them: ‘The one who is called I Am has sent me to you.’15 Tell the Israelites that I, the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is what all future generations are to call me.

I can only imagine what was running through Moses' head. I would be feeling afraid, or nervous. I would even probably question "Why me? Why has God chosen ME to do a task such as this?"

At the beginning of last summer, after a lot of praying and searching for what to do God told me to put something in my life that I really cared about on hold. I was not sure why, but I took a giant leap of faith and did it anyways. The first few days, I was pretty sad and still a little confused. But as the summer came and went I saw how this decision was really working for my good. I trusted God and was relying on Him and only Him. I was finding my happiness in Him which I should have been doing all along. My relationship with God grew so much over that summer. Throughout that summer I asked why more than I should have until one day I was reading in the Jesus Calling book and it had basically said that the more we question God and asked why the more we were proving to Him how little we trusted in Him. Once I finally stopped questioning why, that is when I saw all the changes. 

Let's look at the story of Abraham when God told him to sacrifice his son.

Genesis 22:1-13

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lordcalled to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

I am 100% sure that Abraham did not really want to sacrifice his own son, but he was going to anyways because God called him to. Abraham showed God how much he really trusted in Him and His plan. 

Next time God is calling you out of your comfort zone, be like Nike and JUST DO IT! :) Why? I'll tell ya why. Do it because God will never tell you to do something that will hurt you. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

Taming the Tongue

I have heard before that our tongue is the most power weapon we have. Do you agree? 

I bet you have also heard the saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt!" 

Let me just say, I surely beg to differ!

 We've all been there before in the heat of the moment when we say something out of anger that we really don't mean only to later regret. Proverbs 13:3 (NLT) says "Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything." 

I know what you are thinking. How on earth am I suppose to tame my tongue? What if I just say it in my head so the other person doesn't technically hear it? Let me stop you right there. Maybe you didn't say it out loud, but you still thought it and that is still just as hurtful believe it or not. There are plenty ways to tame your tongue that doesn't involve having to literally bite your tongue to keep you from saying it although that can help. When in the heat of the moment, just stop. Take a deep breath. Exhale in. Exhale out. Feeling better yet? If not, that's okay. Not every person is the same so that technique might not work for you, but everyone does have one thing that can calm them and help them relax. Perhaps a sport such as baseball, or basketball. It may even be running. *Fun fact* Running has actually been proven help release stress.Next time, you're frustrated with someone or just anything in general lace up those shoes and go for a jog! Others may take hot showers to relax. Some even plug in their iPod and start a major jam session. Find what is best for YOU. 

If music is what helps you relax, then be careful what you listen to. I remember talking to one my youth leaders and we started talking about the things we hear day to day begin to be things we think about. For example, the more we are around people who curse, the more we think about it making it easier for it to slip out of your own mouth or even THINK it. 

Do you like music? Of course you do! Who doesn't? :) Do you listen to rap or country? How about worship songs? In today's world, it is hard to find good music with positive and uplifting words. Some of my favorite christian artist are Christy Nockels, Lecrae, Britt Nicole, Phillips Craig & Dean, Chris Tomlin, and the list could go on and on! Fill your ears with more artist like these to help prevent secular words or thoughts from slipping out when in the heat of the moment or just in general.  

Did you know that the band Building 429 actually got their band name from the verse below? How cool is that? :)

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

I absolutely LOVE this verse! 

Do me a favor and listen to the song Words by Hawk Nelson. :) The link is below!
http://youtu.be/anVweXDcxhA

My goal for you over the next few days is to start taming your tongue and see what a difference that makes in your relationships with your family, and friends. 

Psalm 141:3 (NLT) "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips."

P.S.

Be sure to follow the twitter account @NotABasicGirl_ and send in prayer requests or other topics you have. Or you can email me @ annamarie1521@gmail.com :)

First For Everything

Never thought I would have ever made a blog, but hey, there is a first for everything. :)

Although I feel like I am talking to myself, let me introduce myself.

My name is Anna Marie. I am a senior, c/o '14. (ALMOST DONE!!) I play basketball, but baseball is my favorite sport. Atlanta Braves all the way. ;) I am into graphic design and photography. Singing is something I enjoy. Starbucks and Chickfila is where it is at. And blah blah. Enough about me.  

 I started this blog because I wanted a way to spread The Word. I don't know everything there is to know, but I know that I want to share with others what I know and believe and help in any way that I can. 

In this post I will share my life verse and what it means to me. 

1 Timothy 4:12 "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for other believers in speech, faith, love, and purity."

I found this verse a few years back and it has stuck with me ever since. Basically it is saying just cause we are young, and not adults does not mean that's a reason we can't do something big and bold like share our faith with others. I want to set a example for other teenage girls struggling with issues such as insecurities, failing friendships, gossiping. We all go through it. Growing up in our world today is not an easy thing. We are faced by temptation everyday. We see it at school, on tv, in the music we listen to. It's everywhere, but that is why I am here to help. 

Each blog will have a few verses and a short message with it too. 

So help me out and share this blog with others.

Guess I will leave yall with that for now, adios! 

P.S. Be sure to follow the twitter account @NotABasicGirl_