We Believe

"We believe in God the Father, we believe in Jesus Christ, we believe in the Holy Spirit, and He's giving us new life. We believe in the crucifixtion, we believe that He conquered death. We believe in the resurrection, and He's coming back again." As the Newsboys have wisely said. I think they have summed it up pretty nicely. The next time you are wondering what it means to be a Christian and have a relationship with God, just think of these lyrics. This is all you have to believe in to call yourself "a Christian". Following Jesus doesn't entail a million details that must be satisfied. Nowhere is there a checklist that you must finish and sign in order for God to talk to you. These things that the "We Believe" song set up are the only things that you must fufill. Of course, there are other things that Christians must work on; or feel it necessary to complete. For example: remaining pure until marraige, not cheating or stealing, being respectful, going to church, praying, being able to forgive, remaining modest, etc. But these things come with the territorry of course. As far as "believing" is concerned, those lyrics pretty much sum up everything that you should believe to have a relationship with The Father. 

                                     ~Hailey

Living for Our Savior

The age old question.... what does it mean to be a Christian? Is there some different lifestyle? What are things that I have to do daily? Urgggg, these questions can be frustrating, and we all have struggled with them. Personally for me, I thought that being a Christian meant that you had to preach all the time and everywhere and you have to tell people about Jesus all the time. You had to carry your Bible at all times and read verse after verse to drill these ideas into people's heads. This is not necessary at all. Of course, preach all you want, but that isn't all that we are called to do. Let's RESPECT our Savior. The one thing that we can do is demonstrate Christ's heart by practicing his love and respect for others. So any time you are about to say something rude, or something that could hurt someone, think again. Now come on, this should be obvious right? Just common sense, be nice. But think about it in terms of Christ okay? He is a ROLE MODEL!!!!! We are supposed to do great things because HE DID GREAT THINGS. So next time, before you do something good, think about what Christ did for you. It has a lot more meaning. 

                                         ~Hailey

Struggling with Satan

We surely all know what this feels like. And I've been struggling a lot with Satan myself. When he gets in, it seems impossible to get him out. "I can do all things through Christ who stregthens me." Philippians 4:13. This verse really applies to this circumstance. In our everyday lives, we are tempted by Satan to do things that God doesn't want us to. But God can't stop us because He gave us free will. He left it up to us to make our own decisions. So, whenever you are tempted, use that Christlike strength to your advantage and say "NO" to Satan. It may not be easy at first, but once you have gotten used to the temptations around you, it might seem really easy to ignore Satan and focus on Jesus. The same thing applies not only to temptation, but to defending your faith. Atleasst once in my life I have come across an argument where one side was against God. The first thing in my mind was to not say anything, maybe agree, because it would be easier. But remember, Christ died for you, and in turn gave you the strength to defend and fight against Satan. So what to do in this situation? Kindly and appropriately discuss your side and defend God. USE THE STRENGTH! 

It's Such a Good Friday!

Good Friday is upon us, and I am sure we all know VERY well what this day is all about. Good Friday is all about recognizing Jesus's suffering for us, and being happy because we can attain eternal life. Of course we can feel sad and heartbroken for Jesus because of both his physical and emotional pains, but Good Friday is so good because we are FREE. So today, think about Jesus and his sacrifice, and think about what you can do for othersas Jesus did for us. Obviously not at the same extreme, but you get the point. Stay tuned for my Easter message, and God Bless everyone!

- Hailey

GOD'S NOT DEAD!

As the Newsboys have wisely said, "God's not dead, He's surely alive, He's living on the inside." This could not have expressed better. Have all of you seen the movie "God's Not Dead?" if you haven't, go see it NOW! I have seen it three times, and it was an amazing movie. You know what else was amazing? Every time, the theater was packed with people who loved God. It was AMAZING. It is seriously a Revolution guys.... seriously. And how can you spur this Revolution whwere you are? Just keep doing what you are doing, which is loving God. Tell people about Jesus, and what He did for all of us. Use social media to spread the word. Remember, we are ALL diciples, and we have a duty to help spread His love everywhere. You won't make a global impact, and that is okay. Jesus knows that you have a strong desire to know Him, and a passion for His own word. And for that, He is going to be so proud. There are so many people who need Jesus in their lives, so go help them out! 

- Hailey

Palm Sunday

Relationship with God Needs Proof?

Okay, so maybe in some paralell universe... The question today is: do I need to be able to prove my "religion" to someone? And if I can't, does it mean I am not a Christian? I am pretty sure each and every one of us asks ourselves this once in a while. And I'm sure that we all have had another person ask us to prove that God exists. Come on, admit it, this has happend. First of all, it's not religion... it's a RELATIONSHIP. I don't believe in God just because the Bible tells me to believe in God. I believe because I can feel God working though me. And how in the world can you prove that? If someone asks me, "Prove that God exists." What will you tell them? "I know God exists because.... um.... well He..... ummmm..." exactly. You can't right? It's like impossible. Pretend you are talking to someone who asked you that very question... exactly how would you respond? You obviously can't give a Biblical answer, so what is there to give? Nothing. You don't have to, and really can't prove your realtionship with God. That relationship is only what YOU feel, and no one else can fathom what it is or what it feels like. God isn't a person that you can bring to lunch and introduce to your friends. Lol. But you guys see what I'm saying.... Hopefully. 

- Hailey

Image of Love.... Is it the Heart?

People today tend to think the heart is the image of love. I question this belief... don't you? One of my favorite quotes tells us exactly why this doesn't make sense, "People have told me the image of unconditional love is a heart. And I say, the heart stops beating but the man on the cross never stops loving." This is TOTALLY true right? A heart, in the physical sense, is only temporary. However, Jesus's love for us is eternal. What could be more amazing and unconditional than that? I can't think of anything more awesome. So, the next time you are writing a message to a friend or whatever.... don't bother with a heart at all. Put a cross, it has so much more meaning and love than a heart ever will. 

Overcomer

Hey guys, so I have had a huge crisis in my family. My grandpa passed away on April 9 @ 3:20 pm. It will be a long process of healing and heartbreak, but eventually we will pull through. An overcomer is someone who can trudge through, no matter what the situation is. Some overcomes use different methods to get though a tough time, personally, I use my faith and relationship with God. If we trust Him, then why worry at all? If God knows what is right for us, then why ever be afraid? Am I right? If you find out that a family member is dying, what should your reaction be? Panic, selfishness, and anger? Those are the wrong answer. I know it may seem hard not to kick and scream when you hear bad news, but if YOU know that God will take care of things, then there is no reason to panic. As of this moment, my grandpa is in heaven, where he is happy and free from suffering. And you know what? Even though I will miss him so much…. I am happy that he is free from suffering, and despite human selfishness, I am happy. So again, what does it mean to overcome for me? I am an overcomer through Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 - Hailey

Can We Just Pray About It?

High school, annoying people, the entire universe seems to bother us sometimes. I recently had a situation where I was in a room, and I was the only Christian. This totally bothered me… partly because I wanted to hello to each and every person in that room, and tell them about Jesus. Secondly, I felt like if I began to pray, well, I would be the weirdest person in the room. You feel me? Say you're in the exact same situation, what would you do? Would you begin to pray, and then stop because everyone was looking at you awkwardly. OR, would you not do it all in fear of society attacking you. (not literally). Come on guys… we all know the answer to this question. It is not either of the responses I listed. The correct answer is: KEEP PRAYING AND WHO CARES WHAT SOCIETY THINKS!!!! This is a motto all of us Christians should follow. Jesus didn't' stop preaching because society didn't like Him. In fact, Jesus didn't stop preaching… like at all. So, when you are sitting in a room, surrounded by non believers, do what Christ did. Pray, and seriously… don't stop praying. If we stop, then aren't we giving into what society wants from us? Yes, yes we are. Is that what Jesus did? No, no He didn't. As Casting Crowns once said, "we are called to be courageous". This is SO true because that is why we are on this Earth right now. Jesus wants us to be brave, and follow His example He set for us. And if we don't do that, we ARE NOT fulfilling our duty as children of God. I will say no more. Just remember…. PRAY ABOUT IT.

Come All and Rise

Come all and rise for God is not dead. He loves us, and is testing us in His own Holy image. In the beginning, God created Adam. God had a duty towards Adam, as his creator. But Adam had a duty towards God as well. Every person on this Earth has a duty towards God, whether he or she recognizes it or not. I, myself as a Christian, know this duty that I have. I recognize that if I fulfill MY duty, I will have eternal life. Salvation is available for everyone, you just have to get rid of the barrier between yourself and Christ. It isn't easy, but practicing Christ's word is a beautiful thing. To give to others, and accept others is all you need to do to serve Christ and fulfill His wish for the world. Overcome temptation and Satan, and you CAN follow Christ. It will be a struggle, there will be pain and suffering. Because Christ gave His life for you, you can endure suffering as well. You are strong because of Him, whether you know it or not. You find your strength because you find it through Him. Thank you everyone for reading my blog. Please stay with me through my own journey, and keep posted for messages and verses. God bless you all.