Choose Glorifying Dreams

Whether your dream is to be the next big music artist, actress, lawyer, stay at home mom, etc, you must choose to be willing to evaluate it according to God's Word and will. Does your dream keep you in line with being like Christ? Does it reflect Christ or the world? Can your dream be fulfilled by making a few changes?

While these answers are between you and God, I can give you guidance.
1. Does your dream glorify God? How can it glorify God? If your dream is to be an actress, you cannot ask God to bless that dream if you are willing to take roles that go against His will. If you want to be a lawyer, will you be willing to answer God's calling to help the less fortunate? There are ways to use the gifts God has given you to glorify Him. Make your dream about glorifying God not yourself.

2. Does your dream bring people to God or to the world? Can you fulfill your dream and still reach the lost? As I think back at the friends I did not lead to Christ, my heart breaks. I want you to understand the importance of you desiring to bring people to Christ. Make sure living your dream does not cause others to stumble and fall.


3. Do you have to justify why it is okay? If you have to justify and make excuses on why it is okay to have a dream that goes against God, then let's find a new dream.

Before you ask God to make your dreams come true, really look at the three things in the above list. You may have to just do some small adjusting before God will answer. If you are blessed with a voice, maybe He wants you to use it for Him. If he has blessed you with beauty, maybe He wants you to use it to show others the importance of inner beauty. The simplest way to say it is to choose to make sure your dreams glorify God and bring others to Christ.

Spend time really listening to God. You may have some tweaking of dreams. Tomorrow we will look at the possibility of giving up our own dream so we can fulfill God's will.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Let It Go

Before you can even know if your dreams are God's will, you first must choose to give your life to God. Once you are willing to give your life to Christ then He can begin to reveal His plans for you. So before we get into the next three posts on this subject, I want you to really evaluate if you have given your life to Christ. Play the song below. (lyrics are below also)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdBQrr7fIw


Let It Go by Tenth Avenue North
I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles
They've gone white
I'm fighting for who I wanna be
I'm just trying to find security

But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go.

Well it's hard enough to hear
Harder still, to move beyond this fear
We know there's nothing I can bring,
So tell me what do you want from me?

But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say You will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go, You say let it go

What do I love?
What do I hate?
What will I lose?
What will I gain?
How do I save my soul?
What if I bend?
What if I break?
What will it cost?
What will it take?
For you to save my soul.

You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say You will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul

You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go, You say let it go

Are you willing to let it go? Letting go does not mean every dream ends. It just means you are willing to give up anything He asks so you can fulfill His will. Whether the dream ends, changes or is just tweaked a little, you first must choose to give it all to God.

And if you have never accepted Christ and given your life to him. Please contact me. I would love to talk to you, answer questions and help you understand the importance of following Christ.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choosing my dreams or His will

My life, I choose...

A simple statement seems to be an innocent statement, right?? It's your life. Every day you make choices that impact your life in one way or another. But some of you are starting to make choices on your future. But what choice will you make when God shuts doors to your dreams? Will you try to keep pushing the door open or will you choose to look for the open door?

Since your generation has been raised as the “ME” generation, it is easy for you to feel you have a right to get what you want. And with reality TV shows, a lot of girls are hoping to be the next big thing. And while none of that is wrong, it can make you and I lose focus. So how do your dreams and God’s will come together? And what do you do if they are not the same? Do you trust God enough to choose His will over your dreams if needed?

This week we are going to look at your dreams and God’s will. Some of you may see them come together. Others may see God take your dreams and make them fit His will. While others may have to give up their dreams in order to follow God’s will. And we will see how choosing the path God has chosen is so important.

For today, I just want you to lift up your dreams to God. It is important to share them with Him. But also ask God to stat showing you the gifts He has given and His plans for you. And if trusting God with your future and dreams is a little hard then tell Him. Ask God to strengthen your faith.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose to Stand and Believe

Today, all I ask is

"Do You Believe?"

"Will You Stand?"

Listen to "Nothing Is Impossible" by Planetshakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPRQR-5E9gg&feature=related

Your age does not matter. You may feel you are standing alone at times. You may be scared to stand for what you believe. But with God all things are possible. You can do anything. You can do all things through Christ.

Now this time sing the words until you believe them.

You can choose to stand for Christ today. Now go do it!

To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Stand When You Are Young

"12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, "

1 Timothy 4:12-14a

Yesterday we discussed standing up for Christ. How many times have you thought or said, "I will when I am older." Do you keep making choices to wait?

Paul is very clear to Timothy that even the young can do great things for Christ. I agree with Paul and even believe your generation can do great things for the Kingdom of Christ. Your generation is very passionate about their beliefs and feelings.

Imagine for a moment if you shared your passion for Christ. How would it impact those around you? Your school? Your family? Your friends? If God can create the world, you and I, can that same powerful God use you and I to impact the world?

Waiting until you are an adult may be too late. God has plans for you today. God needs you to reach out to someone. Will you, like Timothy, let God use you while you are young? Remember, it is your choice, choose carefully.

To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Stand

First, I hope you chose to attend See You At The Pole. It is always an encouragement when you come together with other believers. If you didn't I hope you do next year. On that note, let me ask you, "Are you ready to choose to stand up for Christ?"

You would think that standing up for something so great as God would be easy. But when you feel you are standing all alone, it can be difficult. If you have to be different and go against your friends, it can be extremely difficult. But what if there are others wanting to stand up and you just do not know it.

All over the country, teens gathered around flag poles to pray. Some may have been alone, but most had someone stand with them. Today, you were not alone. Why not stand up together everyday for Christ? You do not have to stand alone. Join hands and stand together today, tomorrow and for the rest of the year.

You have two choices. One, you can choose to make the excuse that you are alone and cannot stand up for Christ. Or you can choose to find others to stand up with you. Which will you choose?

My prayer for you is that you choose everyday to stand up for Christ like you did today.


To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Delight

To be honest, my Monday morning is already starting off kind of yucky. It is hard to find motivation to write when by 6:30 am you're already having a bad day. At this moment I can choose to be in a bad mood or I can choose to find joy in the Lord.

So, this morning I am going to choose to find joy in the Lord by thinking how he feels about me not how others may feel.

Psalm 149:3-5 (New International Version)
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.


Zephaniah 3:17

17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing

While my Monday has started on a bad note and others seem to already be irritated with me, I am going to remember God delights in me. My prayer for you in that no matter what kind of day you are having, you choose to remember that God delights in you. (And so do I)

*To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for letting others determine my attitude.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to let others know he delights in them.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who need encouraging today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose God To Open Your Mouth

Psalm 51:15
"O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise."

Do you have days when it is hard to find anything nice to say? Do the words out of your mouth just complain and gripe? As we let those words come out of our mouth, our attitudes start to go down hill with it. So what do you do?

It is very simple. You pray the words above and choose to obey them. Read the verse above a couple of times. Have you ever thought about asking God to open you lips to declare his praise?

Today, I want you to choose to keep asking God to open your lips so you can declare his praise (speak the things you are thankful for today). No matter what mood you are in right now, no matter who may have upset you, no matter what happens, can you choose to find things to still praise and thank God for at that moment? I think you can.

*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Choose To Be An Alien in Harmony

"11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:11-12

Last blog, we discussed living in harmony with others. But that does not mean we live in harmony by choosing what others in the world choose. It means by our actions, the words we speak, and the way we treat others always reflects God.

But, if you also look closely at the verse, it tells us that others may still accuse us of doing wrong no matter how we may act. Yet, we are still to choose to live in harmony and live to please God so they may see it. So, what does this all mean?

It is pretty simple if you think about it. You and I need to choose to live a life of harmony with others by being like Christ and responding in love no matter how others may act. So if someone continues to be ugly to you or say hurtful things, you must choose to still show love and respect to them. As you make those choices, they will see the difference and you will make an impact in their lives.

So let's choose to be a Harmony Alien!!!

*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Harmony

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
1 Peter 3:8-11

"Live in harmony" sounds like it would be simple, but you and I both have people in our lives that make it difficult to live in harmony. He/she likes to push our buttons until they set us off. You may never hear a nice thing come out of his/her mouth about you. But you and I are suppose to choose to live in harmony. Can I get a "say what???"

How do you live in harmony with someone who is like an out of tune piano? Is it possible to choose to live in harmony with an out of tune piano (the person)? Look at scripture again.

"9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult"

You cannot choose what someone else is going to say or do, but you can choose your response. And God tells us directly not to repay evil with evil or insult with insult. Remember, do not spark a fire with your tongue. It will not be easy, but you have to choose not to act like an out of tune piano yourself. Instead, let a beautiful tune always come from your mouth. Unfortunately, others will still be off key, but if you keep going with harmony eventually the next person will too. And even if they do not change their tune, someone else might because they heard your beautiful tune.

So today, choose to live in harmony :)

My life, I choose...


*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Not To Start A Fire

5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. "

James 3:5-6

The tongue can do so much damage, but the typing tongue, ouch, it burns others and keeps burning others. As we talked on the last blog about our tongue, we need to remember that the scripture not only applies to the words we speak but also the words we type.

It breaks my heart to see some of the things said on facebook and myspace. For those of you who have been hurt by words online, I am sorry you have been burned. But I also have to ask if you have chosen to hurt others with the words you type?

Once hurtful and ugly words are typed, they are out there for all to see and stay on that page. Think about it this way, typing hurtful words on someones page is like standing in front of them yelling the same thing again and again at them in front of a large crowd. The pain from your words continues to grow and cause damage to the person. And the damage has led to the suicide of high school students. So, I ask, actually beg you to never choose to type anything hurtful, rude or demeaning. Please do not start a massive fire with words online. The words will cause a raging fire that you will not be able to control once it is started.

And if you are a victim of online words, please make sure you keep your settings to private. And save yourself from the hurt by not being online friends with someone who is going to hurt you or mock you online. Also, if you have been beaten down by words, please talk to someone or message me. Don't let other's words tear you down.

My life, I choose...

*To write on my mirror: Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.


*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for the fires I have started with my tongue.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God and claim Psalm 19:14.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see how my words would burn someone before I speak them.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose The Sting Not The Fire

"Dear Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth" is listed as a statement you can like on fb. And while it does make us giggle, it would probably not hurt us to use it as a prayer. We are great at asking God to protect us or make things better, but do we ask him or give him control of our mouth??

"5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. " James 3:5-6

How many times has your tongue started a fire? Out of those fires how many times did you or others get burned? How easy is it to put out those fires? They are like a California forest fire, easy to start but difficult to put out.

Here is a thought, "is it more painful to bite your tongue or to get burned by the fire from your tongue?" Think about it for a minute. Hmmm...

While biting the tongue may cause a little sting, the burns from the fires take a lot longer to heal. Maybe it would be the wise choice if we learn to bite our tongues and not spark a fire. Are you willing to choose to control your tongue, bite it when necessary?

Memorize the following verse this week and quote it every time you need to control your tongue. Remember, God's word is your sword. Why not choose to use it in the battle with your tongue??

My life, I choose...

*To write on my mirror: Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for the fires I have started with my tongue.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God and claim Psalm 19:14.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see how my words would burn someone before I speak them.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Sometimes Just Choose To Pray

I had been debating on what to write today and I feel you do not need to hear anything. Instead, I feel you need someone to pray for you. So that is what I am going to do for you today.


My dear and Heavenly Father, our provider, our friend, I come now before you to lift my special friends to you. Lord, you created each one of them with your hands. You love each one them so much you know the number of hairs on their head. I thank you for sending each one of these precious girls into my life, even the ones I have not met yet.
And Lord since you are Mighty, Loving and filled with forgiveness, I come to ask for your protection over each one of them. The world is such a mean place so may they find a place of refuge in your arms. When the world speaks hate may they remember how much you love them. When the world attacks, may they come to you so you can fight the battle for them. When they feel alone, may they sense your presence and know you are with them. When they cry, may you wipe their tears and turn them into joy. When they mess up, Lord may they remember you forgive and still love them.
Lord, we know you have a special plan for each one of these girls. May you guide them and send people into their lives to help them follow that path. May they find strength in you to turn from temptation when it comes their way. May they choose to honor and follow you in every decision they make.
Thank you Lord that they are not alone. Thank you that they rest in the shadow of your wings.
Lord. Use each one of these girls to change the world for you. Amen



My life, I choose to call out to God (write these verses on your mirror)

6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 17:6-8

Choose to Say Thanks

It's Friday!!!! Can I get a woohoo?!?!?

Today, I am going to make it simple. Name three things you can thank God for this week. How has God blessed you? We seem to have time to give God our needs, but how about taking time to acknowledge how God has blessed us.

Here is my list:

1. Celebrating and thanking God for cool mornings and rain so I can open my windows and feel the cool breeze.
2. His constant provision for my needs.
3. After a week of some hurts from others, God sent encouragement last night through others.

What's you list? Feel free to share it with us on here or the fb page.

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

My life, I choose:

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me.

*as I brush my teeth, praise God with my lips.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, praise God for what I see around me.

*as I get dressed, thank God for his armor of protection.

Choose Your Response

(We are going to go totally off subject today, but I know that some of you have had a really rough start to school and this is needed.)

Unfortunately in life, you and I will face the ridicule of others. It may be from fellow peers, teachers or even our loved ones. While the words, the laughs, the looks may hurt our feelings, only you can choose how you will respond to it.

First you need to look at the source. Now a mom would say that they are just jealous and while that may be true it is not always the reason. You may feel it is just because he/she is a jerk. But in the words of one of my teen friends, "(Insert name) is not a jerk, he/she just needs Jesus." Someone who ridicules others may or may not believe in Jesus, but they probably don't have a close personal relationship with him.

After you really look at your source, you must decide how their words or actions are going to effect you. If it is from fellow peers, you almost have to smile and say Jesus loves you. (It would totally take them off guard). If it is from an adult, please let another adult know what is being said. But please do not let their words bring you down or ruin your entire day. You are precious and worth more to God than they understand. (If the words are inappropriate or truly offensive, immediately go to another adult.) And finally if it is from a parent/guardian, please talk to a counselor or trusted teacher at school. Please let someone help you deal with the hurt correctly.

Most importantly, please remember who you are in Christ. (see last week's blogs) You have a Heavenly Father who loves you and you are precious in his sight. Nothing can separate you from his love my friend, especially someone trying to bring you down. You are worth so much more to God.

So my friend, do not get angry or even frustrated, just remember,

Matthew 10:29 (The Message) "What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries."

This is my life, I choose:

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for responding with anger.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who I am to Him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my mouth to encourage not ridicule.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Listen...Cry Out

Today, I am not going to write to much. I am going to speak to you through your language...music. Listen to the words of each song. Some are a letter from God, others a prayer for you to cry out.

He is there, the one who loves you. He is reaching out, calling you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjP4goR49cA

What worries, struggles are you holding on to right now? Will you let go...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66njprg_fq8&feature=related

He made the stars. He cares for the birds and lilies. He cares for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsEgU1Ph_jk&feature=related

Do you feel like your calling out and no one hears, use this song to call out to God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALh7NOEbBT0&feature=related

God is speaking to you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNoXM0KzVO8&NR=1