While listening to a good friend of mine preach the other night he gave a demonstration on how a relationship to God is us clinging to him and never letting go. The question "What are you clinging to?" popped into my head. In this world there is things the devil tries to use to distract us from clinging to God. For example: Money, Fame, Relationships, Work, Drugs, Lust...and those are just to name a few. Don't get me wrong God wants us to have money to eat, a job to pay the bills, and healthy relationships but is that what our main focus is on? Are you and I more focused on the attractive person on the t,v, rather then reading our Bibles? Are we talking to our significant other rather than talking to God? In Hebrews 11:6 it says "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Look at what the verse says. If we are to focused on the things of this world then how can we seek God and get the rewards? If we are to busy clinging to something that is not of God how can we draw near to him? What are YOU clinging to today?
Have you ever taken something or someone for granted? Have you ever realized it but when you did it was to late? Sometimes in life we don't realize what we have till we mess up and isn't the same anymore or it's gone. I am guilty of this myself. Sometimes I find myself with blessings of friendships and things that I don't deserve but that's the beauty of God. He gives us things sometimes maybe we deserve and don't realize or sometimes we don't deserve but he gives it to us anyways. So don't take what he gives you for granted
The past 10 days I have been to a small town in New Mexico called Newcomb. My 10 other team members (or family I should say) set out on this mission's trip for nothing but high expectations. This trip exceeded anything I could have ever imagined. WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE. After two days of riding we arrived in Newcomb late Friday night. Saturday we jumped back in the van to travel to The Grand Canyon. WOW it was AMAZINGLY INDESCRIBABLE!!!!! It was huge and colorful and fun to climb on. I wish I could have stayed there forever. When we went there I set on the edge of one of the cliffs at some pointing just thinking about how crazy it is that God had given me the opportunity to be on that trip. Sunday we led both services at Newcomb Assembly of God. The morning service was the most amazing and Holy Spirit filled service I have ever been in. The ladies of the church sang in the native reservation language (Navajo) and although I didn't know what they were saying it was ABSOLUTELY touching. The night service was also great. Monday was our first day with the native kids. We had a blast knocking on doors, playing games and doing devotions with the children. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had a blast with the natives before and after service we just discussed life and everything really. I met so many children that just touched my heart and I hope we touched there. These people have a huge place in my heart now. I will be returning there sometime in the future. Thank you to my team for making this trip so much fun with tons of laughs and memories. Also, thank you to the Navajo people for being so sweet and welcoming and all the gifts and memories you provided us with. And also thanks most of all to God for allowing me to go on this trip and making this trip so amazing!
Have questions about my trip?! DM me on twitter(@ErinnnMikala) find me on facebook and PM me (Erin Mikala) or comment below! (:
Well i leave in less than 12 hours....the nerves are defiantly beginning to set in. For those of you who don't know I am going to Newcomb, NM for 10 days. I have never been on a missions trip so this is all new to me. I am so ready to see what God is going to do. I hope his will is done among these people. I ask that yall be praying got me while im gone. THANK YA AND GOD BLESSS❤❤❤
In the Bible it speaks numerous times about unity in the church and the strength in having unity in the church. Sunday night youth service really showed me that. In life there will be people you may have NOTHING in common with other then the fact then you were both created by the Lord. In Romans 12:3-8 it says "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." When I read this I began to think in each body of Christ we all have our position. Some of us are the lovers, the preachers, the worship leaders, the prayer warriors, and so many more. Sometimes we all forget what our position is though because we are to focused on our differences. But the moment we ALL begin to put those differences aside and just begin to love and worship God his spirit can move in crazy ways. God puts us in our youth groups and churches for a reason. What's your position? Are you focusing on him or the differences? To my u-turn family- Any of you who may be reading this... We have an issue of diversity in our group and we all know this. I think it is time for us to begin to put a side all the differences we have and just join together and worship our amazing creator. That's what it's all about anyways right? We can't live up to Pastor Rob's "You come, You see, You turn." If half of us can't get along with each other. It's time for change.
As I was headed to Sunday school this morning the song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller came on. I began to pay close attention to the lyrics and they began to speak to my heart. Have you ever prayed really hard for something and it feels like no matter how long or how hard you pray about it there is no change in the situation? Maybe you just begin to lose hope in that situation.....The chorus of the song says "While I'm waiting I will serve You/While I'm waiting I will worship/While I'm waiting I will not faint/I'll be running the race even while I wait" I began to think to myself as i first heard these words "What do I do while I'm waiting on God?" I began to realize that sometimes if God isn't going my speed or doing what I think he should be doing in a situation I just begin to lose hope in it or ignore the situation all-together. But what I SHOULD be doing is like the song says, I should be praising him, I should be worshiping him, I shouldn't grow discouraged or be try to control it. I should just let go and let God. I need to remember that He knows more then I do, HE sees the whole puzzle and I just see a small piece.
Tonight as I was thinking about what to blog about I thought back to a lesson that was taught to me about a year ago. Have you ever felt like the man in the picture above? Like past regrets, failures or fears may be dragging you down until you are just emotionally weak? I think at some point we all have. There are 3 main types of baggage 1.Fear-attacks the mind 2.Failure 3.Fractures-weight on the heart What are you scared of? are you scared of growing up? are you scared of change? are you scared of love or trust? God knows all your fears...but so does Satan. You see like God, Satan also has a plan. The thing is Satan's is just like a hamster wheel....he just tries the same thing over and over and over. He will throw your fears in your mind over and over. He will remind you of the times you failed over and over. But the thing to do when Satan tires his wimpy game is just pray: God, Cast out these fears, these doubts. God has a blessing waiting for you when you overcome this baggage that is holding you down. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Satan also likes to bluff. You know those time where you start to have negative thoughts about things? That's just Satan saying oh no! Im losing them, So ignore those negative thoughts and remember in Jeremiah 29:11 God says he has great plans for you, So let go of the past. God has great things in store for your future
I have been speaking with a dear friend of mine about her walk with God and she speaks of feeling as though she is hitting a brick wall in her walk. God has a funny way of putting people in your life. I used to feel the same way. There is a song by Matthew West called "The Motions". Part of the chorus of the song is as follows "I don"t wanna go through the motions/ I don't wanna go one more day/Without your all consuming passion inside of me/ I don't wanna spend my whole life asking/ What if I had given everything/Instead of going through the motions." This song used to be my cry. Sometimes in your spiritual walk it can feel as though we wake up, go to church, come home, and repeat. We don't feel these God encounters people are talking about and we just feel as though maybe we aren't suppose to get any farther. But God has a different idea. God wants a personal relationship with EACH and EVERY one of his children. Deuteronomy 4:29 says "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." I believe if we do as this verse says and devote all of ourselves to learning more about him then we will be so on fire for God people won't know what to do with us! Actually the Bible states just that in Matthew 6:33 (But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.). Over the time that I feel as though I am less "spiritually stuck" I have learned the following things help you keep your eyes on God. 1.Friends who are seeking God 2.Setting time apart just for you and God 3.Pray, Pray, Pray 4.When in worship time do as you feel, imagine yourself just you and God in a room together, forget everything else and just give him praise 5.Find a church where you are growing, whether it is where your family goes there or not, God has a church for you God wants you to be completely and utterly on fire and in love with him. I pray that any of you that can relate to this little post that you will not be discourage but you will just begin to pray and ask God for more of him in your life.
The verse above really strikes what I have been struggling with. I have never really been comfortable in my own skin. I don't have the "model body" and i'm not always the easiest to get along with. But I am beginning to realize that God doesn't care about how pretty people think I am or how the world may view my outward appearance. He cares about my soul and my heart and if i am striving to be like him and this is what I also need to start to focusing on also. I need to stop asking God to help me lose body weight but instead lose the way the opinions of the world effect me. I want to begin to only focus on God's opinion on me because at the end of the day people will fail you and hurt you time and time again but God is the same yesterday, today and forever and ever. So from this day on I am going to stop letting people's words affect how I feel about myself and instead I will ask in prayer "God what is your view of me? What part of my life do i need to change?" Today marks the day I begin to love myself as God loves me. Take that Satan you will no longer have this part of me because I have chosen to view myself as God does and not as you do Satan. Today starts change and I thank God for giving me the strength to begin that change.
Psalm 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble.” No matter how big of a trial you face, no matter how lost or helpless you feel God is always there. He is the only one who can truly help you in your time of need.
Ecclesiastes 7:17 states “Do not be over wicked and do not be a fool- why die before your time?” This verse speaks life into me. I feel as though God is saying in a somewhat harsh way: I took all this time and hard work to create you, to plan out every step you will ever take every word you will ever say. EVERYTHING. Why are you trying to end that? Why are you trying to cheat yourself of the great unthinkable plans he has for your life.
Psalm 34:17-19 says “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all” The nights you sit in your room all alone when you are crying or just pondering in hopeless thoughts..God hears you. He hears your cries and he is there to help you. He will comfort you in ways you never thought. But you have to give the problem to him fully. You have to lean on faith and not the flesh. And that is something that I still struggle with today but you just have to remember God sees the whole puzzle, you just see a piece.
Psalm 139:16 says “Your eyes saw my unformed body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them come to be." To me that is just absolutely unbelievable. The fact that God had every element of my life planned out before I was even born or even fully made for that matter. This just once again shows God is all-knowing and has a plan for us.
My name is Erin Mikala Dickerson. I am 17 years old and I am a child of God. It has been a rocky road but my God is everything. I still have my battles but i pray God will handle them. This is just my thoughts and inspirations, Hope you enjoy!