WHY GOD!?!?

The "why" questions always plagued my mind when it came to choosing to believe in God and making the decision to walk out my faith.

Especially now days...with so many controversial topics on the table and so much pain in the world.

People who follow Christ can sometimes come across very judgmental, uncaring, close-minded and self-righteous. Right?!

I know we have all seen it...and maybe you have even experienced it first-hand...I know I have...many times...and I follow Jesus. I can't imagine how hurtful that would be to someone who doesn't believe.

(by the way...if you have ever felt this from me...I am deeply and unbelievably sorry and ask that you would forgive me...it would be very unintentional if it happened!)

Because of this...many people who don't know Jesus choose to stay away from a relationship with Him.

My prayer each day is that as I represent the love of Jesus...that people will not feel judged by what I say (because judgment is not my job anyways) but that they would feel Jesus' love through my actions.

It breaks my heart and causes me to constantly look at my own life and pray that I don't come across that way to ANYONE!

If I share anything about Him...it does not come from a heart of judgment...but from a deep place of love...because I want others to know and experience the amazing grace and love that I know.

The difficult part is that following Jesus can sometimes make people who don't follow Him feel uncomfortable to be around you. They know how you believe and they instantly feel like they can't be themselves...and it breaks my heart. I do TRY to live my life by the teachings and standards that God has set in His Word...BUT I in NO WAY think any less of someone who does not think like me! In fact, I love  people more who don't believe like me! Does that mean I agree with everything others do? Nope. But in the same way...people who don't believe like me don't have to agree with everything I do!

The way I believe is that God is our ONLY judge. I was not put on this earth to judge others...I was put here for the soul purpose of LOVING others and sharing what I believe!

If you don't choose to experience His love...that doesn't make me think ANY less of you! And I pray that you don't think any less of me for how I believe.

It is possible to show others respect even if they don't have the same belief system as you. 

Choosing to believe in God despite all the questions the world throws at you comes down to one simple thing.

Faith.

There are many times in my life when I have questioned God...actually, even more so after I made the decision to follow Him.

Here are some of my "why" questions...maybe you have some just like these!

Why did He allow my friend, who was a young girl, to die?

Why did He allow the man I loved to walk out on our engagement...?

Why are men and women being killed by police officers?

Why are police officers being killed?

Why are so many people stuck in sex trafficking?

Why so much abuse and loneliness in the world?!?!?!

WHY???

WHY?!?!!?!?!?

The questions can come at me like a raging storm!!!! Especially when you are crawling through a valley and the pain is threatening to overtake you!

BUT...

God never said that we would live in a world free from pain!!

In John 16:33 He says, "In this world you WILL have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world."

He tells us very clearly that we WILL have trouble...but that He will overcome!

I will NEVER have all the answers to life's problems.

AND if I live in the "WHY" I will never experience life the way God intended me to live!

I don't know why bad things happen...

I don't know the "why" behind so many things in the Bible...

But I do know that once I CHOSE to put my trust in Him and made the decision to really seek Him...His power, love, mercy and grace were undeniable!

What "whys" do you have?

Seek Him with an open heart and mind

...and watch how He will give you the faith you need to navigate through all the questions life throws your way!


There is NOTHING that can compare to Jesus!


He is LOVE.




Oh how He loves you and me!

Doubt...

First of all...I am not writing this blog because I am walking through a painful season right now.
In fact, my heart is joyful and my hope is new! I am excited about life and the future!


I am writing this blog...because like so many people out there...I find myself questioning God at times...and I think it is important  that I am open and honest about my doubts! Faith isn't all peaches and cream! (trust me...it is hard at times to believe in something and stick to your convictions when the world pushes you)


When I say questioning...I don't mean just the kind when we are walking through pain (you know the kind where you are on the floor crying out...asking if He is even there listening to you...yikes! Those seasons are hard...)


I am talking about questions like...
 Are the stories in the Bible really true...
How could the Bible be translated this many times over the years and people not change it up a little...
If God is loving then why would only some go to heaven...
How on earth could there be a Creator...
If Christianity is true then that means a lot of other religions are wrong...so what does that mean for other people?
Why would God create cake and then not allow us to eat as much as we want and stay skinny!?!?! :)


You know...the kinds of questions that a lot of times keep people from seeking out a relationship with God.
I mean...I can't imagine not coming from a background in faith and then as an adult trying to understand all the Christian beliefs!
I was raised in a home where my dad was a Muslim and my mom was a Christian.
As hard as that was sometimes...I am so glad that my dad forced me to challenge my faith. I am also glad that my mom pushed me to deepen my faith.


This caused me to think deep about my faith...
This caused me to question what I believe...
This created doubt...which in turn created curiosity...


The doubt and curiosity took me to a point in life where I knew that I was going to either have to really seek out the answers...or I was going to live a life saying that I believed in God...but really not having any idea what that meant and not having a  relationship with who I claimed was my Creator.


I didn't know how to search for answers.
I didn't think that as I searched for God that I would actually get an answer...
Because...there is not a single person out there that has an answer to prove God!


The amazing that happened during that search...and what God wants to do in each of us is show Himself to us through His Word.
That sounds like a fluffy answer right. Like a church answer I know...blah, blah, blah...right?


All I can tell you is that if you are really wanting to understand God...
If you are searching for peace...
If you have an empty void inside of you that nothing seems to fill...
 Seeking Him out is the only way you are going to find those things!


I can promise you that you will not get all the answers to your questions.
I can promise you that you will still doubt things at times...
But I can also promise you that if you are really seeking Him out...if you are really trying to go deeper and understand God...and have an open heart...He will reveal Himself to you and give you the faith needed to fight your doubt!


Listen...even people who claim not to believe in anything...are choosing to have faith that there is nothing there! Choosing to believe that we came from nothing. I have so much respect for that though because I can't imagine not having the hope in God when my life falls apart! That takes faith too!


But for me...
Believing in God means peace in the middle of a storm...
Believing in God means I have hope no matter what happens..
It means that I have a purpose and it gives me passion to share Him with others! (Note: I said share Him with others...not judge others! I can't stand judgmental, self-righteous people)


Trust me...there will be times in life when you will need to cry out to God...if you haven't walked through a season like that yet...you will!
You will lose someone...
You will lose your job...
Someone will get sick...
Life is full of crazy things!


Don't wait for a painful experience to come your way to cry out to God.
Call out to Him now :)


 Seek the answers to your questions, doubts and fears...and He will reveal exactly what you need and the faith required to trust Him!




His love is peace.
His ways bring life.
His path leads to hope!


Oh how He loves you and me!

Moving Forward

  " Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10


Over the last year I have gone through some amazing highs and what felt like earth shattering lows in my life :)


During some of the really low seasons I have been blessed beyond measure by some pretty amazing friends and family that have carried me!


I have also been blessed by other friends who reached out to me...even though they were going through an even darker season than I was experiencing...and offered their care, support and encouragement! I have learned so much and gained so much perspective from people who are in the midst of suffering and still live their lives with joy, perspective and hope! (it makes me cry thinking about some of these amazing people)


I have truly seen what God means when He says we are to be His hands and feet and to care for others.


As time has gone on...and God has healed my heart...He has gently shown me that He does in fact use all things for His good. (of course we can't see that right away when the cloud of destruction makes our view foggy)


Each time God brings us through a trial...each time we overcome something that we think is sure to break us...we are able to look back at that trial...take a deep sigh...and praise God that He helped us make it through.
Does that mean we are thankful for the painful situation?
HECK NO!
But...if we choose to look at it with God's perspective...and cling to hope...then we can take that deep breath and praise God for getting us through and choose to grow from any pain we have walked through.


I know this amazing man and he was telling me the other day that has walked through some unbelievable things in his life. As we talked face to face and he shared his experiences with me...his eyes still held hope! He spoke with joy in the midst of pain...he laughed at times about making the best out of hard times...and he offered up a words of encouragement to me...even though his circumstances were far more than I could ever imagine walking through!
As he spoke he shared the pain...but also how the hope of a better day was sure to come! I have never met a man, or person for that matter, with such hope and optimism!


I realized through talking to him that this is where God can use our painful situations for His good.
Each trial you walk through...you can rest assured someone you know has or is walking through something similar and needs encouragement.
Your journey, although painful at times, can be the very thing that provides another human being with just enough hope to make it another day!


I am not happy about the painful circumstances I have walked through...but now that I have finally moved forward, closed the door and made the decision to accept God's will for my life...I can see hope for the first time!


My friend told me that you can be sad for a season...but don't live there!
Make the choice to seek out hope, perspective and ways to encourage others!


I am so blessed to have some amazing friends and family...and I am excited to move forward with hope and see what God has in store!