Revelation

Earlier tonight as my pastor discussed over Mark 11:20-26, I had a HUGE revelation. Athough I am naturally an emotional being, lately it seems to just be worse. After a family spat in April, I was reveling in seeing God move through my life and relationships. Let me tell you...when you pray for something or when your friends pray for you about certain things, GOD WILL HEAR YOU AND HE WILL ACT. He will act whether it be now or in the furture. For me, this was aproximately two weeks later when he answered me and my sisters in Christ. God knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it.
Tonight he gave me another piece of information and this is what I prayed after: "Father, since I cannot forgive the ones who have hurt me, I cannot ask you to forgive me of my sins. Father, I am bitter towards those around me because it is what my flesh knows."
Visiting my mother last weekend, I also realized just how powerful God is. Years ago, I knew I was supposed to move back to the town I live now. I did not know, as my sister is graduating, how hard the emotional toll would be to leave my "nonnie", as I used to call her, at her new apartment, with family and friends celebrating and having a great time. God knew about that. God knew the turmoil I would be in right now, in this very day, and he is there with open arms.
Don't harden your hearts and keep it all in, embrace your Father and let it all out. (There is no real purpose for this blog, but I hope it speaks to you.)

Jessica :)

PURPOSE

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. -Romans 8:28

This past week, God has been screaming to get my attention. Amidst trying to continue my walk with Him, and trying to deal with just "life", I couldn't hear what he was trying to tell me. I was so caught up in day-to-day drama that I'd lost his voice. Some of my church family came to visit this past week, Micah and Will Rayburn. I remember Micah from my years of visiting the church and her teaching one of my cousins piano. (They now have their own ministry you can check out at www.willrayburn.org.) Sunday and Wednesday, we got to enjoy services with them and it was just amazing! Sunday, they sang some songs and then they let the preacher speak, but the songs they were singing were just at taste of Wednesday night. 

Wednesday night, before we started, I asked God to open my heart to receive whatever he wanted to tell me that night. The first thing, Will said was "Each of us has a purpose, and there is a reason you all are here tonight. There is someone that needs to let Jesus in." I have been struggling with the fact that I felt I couldn't hear God and that I didn't have a purpose, but it was like He was speaking directly to me! Later on Will said "God's love light will shatter any darkness you have inside of you," and I was done for. If anyone has heard Taylor Swift's song "Back To December", I'll let you know that this has become my December 2010. Although, I'm not the one asking for forgiveness (or singing the song), I've been on the receiving end. After the relationship ended, I put up a wall around my heart and ended up shutting some of God out too. But He knew my heart, inside and out, and He shattered that wall. Through Will's words, he shattered that wall between me and him. I told Micah later on that I needed a copy of that service on CD so I could refer back to it. They don't tape them, so I'm coping this now. 

God has a purpose for each of us. God has a purpose for us to work for his good and we are going to effect others around us. What you do today, will effect everyone around you. Like my teacher in Sunday School said the other day, if she chose to (for instance,) start drinking alcohol, it would effect our class, her 6 (beautiful) children and everyone in their lives, her husband and everyone in his life, and everyone else in her life. Now, that's a lot of people! Start asking God to reveal his purpose for you, today. Start praying for your children, your spouse, your children's spouses, your family, and your friends, today! We are not promised tomorrow, so start living for God today!

Much Love & God Bless,
Jessica 

Needle In A Haystack

From August to September, I have turned 21, rededicated my life to Christ, been humbled by Christ, began a relationship, been incredibly busy, grown closer to friends, been through some hard times, and realized my walk with Christ is stuck in  a rut. If I were to write you a post now, it would be filled with too much craziness and not enough CHRISTness. Just remember why December 25th is CHRISTmas anyway. :)

Much love & God Bless!
Jessica

Hi, My Name Is Jessica

Hi, My name is Jessica. I am a sinner.

I don't know the date. I don't know when or how it happened. I don't know where I learned everything I know about Him. I don't know why my mom didn't take me to church. I don't know why everything is changing. I can't tell you how He has helped me. I can't tell you how something relates to my story. I can't say "this is a time when He taught me this" or "I remember how He brought me through this". I don't have any scripture to inspire you. I can only recite two by heart. I did not go in front of a congregation to be saved and I have only been a true follower since November. Although I was baptized in April of 2006, I am just now learning all about Christ.

My parents did not attend church hardly at all during my life. My mom's sister and my grandmother would take me, though, when we visited them in my hometown. I grew up with my mom and stepdad and halfsister, and from the time I was 12 years old all I wanted was to go "home". Home for me is Ellaville, GA and the church I love is Ebenezer Baptist. I can remember Bro. Jerry and Bro. Robert best (and of course my many family members that used to attend). All I knew was that this was the place I was meant to be. Situations and circumstance lead me to have psychological problems. (I thank God for them for I would not be the person I am today without them.) I've only ever had one "boyfriend" and he was a dear friend, but I realize today that that's all he will ever be to me. That's all he was meant to be. I don't drink and I haven't been kissed. I turn 21 next month and I would just be happy spending the day with my sisters. But my dear Ebenezer held revival this week, and my heart was meant to be changed.

On the last night, August 11, 2010, I went to the alter for the first time in my life. A few months ago, I was in a "rut" for about 4 days. I would cry without warning and I just let everything get to me. A special sister prayed with me and for me and I was out of my "rut" shortly. However, about a month ago, I noticed I would get emotional during invitaion. I would feel my heart strings pull and the tears coming, but coming from my family, I put on my happy face quickly and didn't let the tears fall. I had to work the first night of revival and the second I was in the nursry. Sunday morning, the first day, I noticed the pull was stronger. The tears were harder to keep back. Monday night, I happened to be calming an upset baby right at the time for invitation to come over the speakers. Tuesday night felt much like Sunday morning. But last night, Wednesday, the tears became so much I had to walk outside. Little did I know that God had put an angel outside to wait for me. I couldn't hold the tears back any longer and eventually that angel walked to the alter with me. She may never know how greatly she touched me, but I am so blessed just by her and her prayer. I would not have been able to put together the words God gave her, but I realized I have to fully submit to Christ for him to work in my life. Afterwords, my other sisters came to check on me and remind me how truly blessed I am to have them.

God has amazing things planned for me, although I have no clue what they will be. He also has things planned for you. If you aren't saved, I encourage you to go to church just one Sunday, or even just attened a Sunday School class. Just one. Take a no thank you "bite" of Christ. He will help you through anything He brings you too.

Thank You Father for the person reading this post. I pray that you will work in their life and encourage them. God, I thank you for the blessings you have brought me and the "ruts" you put me in, so that I may grow closer with you. God I pray that your will will continue to be done. In your wonderful name, Amen.

Love From My Father

There is a song that came out on country radio when I was 14 by Jimmy Wayne. The song told the story of a boy that just wanted to tell his father how much he loved him when the father didn't show the son the same love. I understood this song, what I thought then to be, completely. I wanted to show my father that I loved him and I wanted love in return. Last year, a friend said that she was reading The Shack and loved it and that I should read it. In this story, the wife of the main character calls her Father, "Papa". I received a daily devotional by email the other day and the title was "Can I call you 'Daddy'?" Since I'd heard the Jimmy Wayne song (posted at the bottom of the blog for you to hear), I realized that I did have another Father that I could look up to for love and comfort. Reading the book reassured me. Seeing the devotional was like learning this lesson again.

1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavashed upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

In churches today, we (should) strive for a relationship with our Father and not just repeating meaningless duties. God is love and our Father loves us, however, we cannot let our worldly ideas cloud our knowledge of this. We must spend time with Christ each day to have an awesome relationship like a father and child do here on Earth!

Recently, two amazing people from my church were married and like every girl, I have thought about my own someday. Over the past few months my idea of what my husband should be like has changed and that is an awesome thing. I still am not sure when or who God will place in my life but I know he has been made just for me and I am perfectly ok with waiting. The only thing I know is God will be there with me the entire time and my mama will (probably) walk me down the aisle.

Prayer List: God Bless America! Troops at home and overseas, Families traveling for summer vacation, Shelbee, John & Jordan Sorrell, Tom Grubel, Cheslie & Stephen Fripp, Chelsea & Ed, Carrie & Mike, Cassie & Kathy, Priscilla & Charlie Brown, My family and church family and for Revival!

Much Love & God Bless,
Jessica

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoLFISIdH8g Go here to watch video!

Let’s Talk About Love

Love. A four-letter word that can mean so much or so little at any given time. Love comes in all shapes and forms and is as tangible as it is intangible. Where does love come from though? And who allows us to love at all? When God created us, He gave us the ability to love and He allows us to love freely.

Feeling A Need

All of my life I have been the type of person where, either, I love with my whole heart or a tiny fraction of it. There is not a person I truly dislike, or only love when I feel like it. However, lately, I’ve been feeling like someone is missing from my life. Don’t get me wrong, there have been a lot of people “missing”, but this one is in an entirely different way. Picture this, you’re lying in your bed at night, it’s around one a.m. and you can’t get to sleep. You figure, if I have someone to talk to, maybe about what you’d name your future children or your dreams, you would be able to sleep soundly and dream about those dreams. So, you close your eyes and dream up this person, but when you open your eyes, or feel on the other pillow, you realize you’re still all alone. I believe that God has someone out there for me, but what happens (if in God’s will I’m supposed to be married) after the vows are said and everyone goes home?

I believe that, in a marriage there should be two people, a man and a woman. They should both be Christians, so that they will always have a common ground. Those two people should imitate Christ and the church through their marriage by forming a strong covenant with each other and with Christ. When they should marry, they are to become one flesh as if they act as one of their children, together. As in, they are to be presented as one person of the same flesh and blood. Why do I believe this? In Genesis 2, we are told that God created Eve by using one of Adam’s ribs. In Malachi 2, we are shown that God does not agree with D-I-V-O-R-C-E. In Matthew 19, we are told that a marriage is a LIFELONG COMMITMENT/COVENANT. When two people marry, they are to support, be honest to, respect, care for, and live with each other for the rest of their days.

Another Kind Of Love

Now, Christ did not create us all to have marriage partners. For those without a husband or wife, Christ has given us other ways to receive the fellowship that we so desperately need. First, Christ gave us Himself. You can ALWAYS speak to Christ! Anytime of day or night, you can talk to Him. Secondly, He gave us His word to seek him through and find help through the good and bad. Lastly, He gave us the Church. Christ gave us the church so that we can have fellowship with other Christians. So that we may find that need to talk to someone fulfilled. I have been blessed with an amazing friend, an amazing Sunday School class, and an amazing church! I really do hate missing church, especially Sunday school. Lol. Who would have ever thought that I, the lazy, love to sleep in young woman, would love to get up early to go to church!?! God did and he has blessed me the past 6 months!

This weeks prayer list is short, but just as important. Keyton Reid, Kelsey Bishop, Rick Bishop, Shelbee, John, and Jordan Sorrell, Brother Bryan, Cheslie and Steven (soon-to-be both) Fripp, Mackenzie, Justin, Jennifer & Family, Tonya & Family, and the good people of the awesome city of Nashville, TN who were hit with floods last week, and last but certainly NOT ever least, all of the AMAZING mother’s and grandmother’s of this world!

Much Love & God Bless,

Jessica

Blessed By God's Grace

Happy Sunday Everyone! I am truly sorry for my extended absence; I really was planning to write sooner! God has shown me so much over this past month about myself and the one's around me that it's somewhat overwhelming. I'll dive in for now and share with you what's been blessing me.

As you probably know by now, I'm a HUGE Carrie Underwood fan! God had plans for me to hear her first, well I guess second, single in the summer of 2005 and He had plans to change my life. I was reading a verse earlier today, Genesis 12:2 and I thought of Carrie. It states I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. Although this message was for Abraham, I believe it was for Carrie too. I cannot tell you what a blessing her music and her relationship with God have been for me. Have you ever said "I want a relationship with God like your relationship with God?" This was what it was like for me. I wanted to be a better Christian, person, and child of God just like her and my friend Shelbee are. I posted this verse on Carrie's Fan Club and said "This is Carrie Nation," because it is, "and you have been blessed by God and we have been blessed by you." Carrie also let us fan club members in on what book she was reading one time and it was The Shack by Paul Young. If you have not read this book, you really should! This book is a blessing in itself and will give you a million other reasons to love God.

While waiting on my grandma after church, I was going around talking to everyone before they left, and as I was talking to Mrs. Tonya I thought "I am so glad it was her!" I'll tell you I thought this about Mrs. Jennifer, Mrs. Shelbee, and Miss Carrie as well. I am SO glad I have some AMAZING women who can guide me into becoming the person Christ wants and needs me to be! I love them all so very much and I am very proud of each of them.

This post I want to introduce something new... a prayer list. If you would, will you say a prayer for these people in my life. Ricky-had a stroke Friday, Mackenzie Jackson-She is getting better and out of the hospital, Mallory Hernandez-She is walking again! I got to see her walk!, Shelbee, John and Jordan-Pray that God shows him where he needs them for His will to be completed, Frankie-Pray that he turns his life around, Maelyn and Keyton-Pray that Keyton will be born healthy and SOON!!, Jennifer and Isaac & Becca and Lane-Thank God for these blessings, Tonya-Pray that she will continue to grow with Christ and be a blessing to us all! As Brother Bryan says...Be in constant prayer for the people around you.

Much Love & God Bless,
Jessica