Help Me Be Unshaken

I pray that this poem would encourage you!

Help me be Unshaken
by Ana, 15, Kiefer, Oklahoma

One, two, three, four.
There I still lie on the floor, 
bruised and shaken from blow after blow.
I will soon hear the rejoicing of foes.
 
How long, O Lord, will this last?
Things keep coming back from my past.
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? 
There's sorrow in my heart from battles I've fought. 

How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Answer, Lord, help my eyes to see,
Give them light, when it gets tough,
for I trust in Your unfailing love.

My heart rejoices in Your salvation,
You, The Almighty God of creation.
You are so good to me, still,
I want to always do Your will.

Help me to be blameless,
and do what is righteous,
To speak the truth from my heart,
and not to let lies start.

Help me, to my neighbor, do no wrong, 
and cast no insults at anyone.
Help me to keep promises even if its hard, 
and honor those who fear the Lord.

I will not stop until I go Home, 
but until then, I can't do this alone. 
So five, six, I'm up again. 
with your help, i will be unshaken.

A Prayer about bubblegum

Lord, thank you for giving me friends and people in my life. You know, sometimes I'm not the nicest to them; forgive me of that. Help me to think wwjd.

Sometimes I get discouraged because others don't treat me the way I'd like to be treated... I'm sure You know what that feels like! In these times, I feel as if I am a piece of bubblegum that someone is chewing up and spitting out. It seems as though they chew me all up, and stick me underneath some obscure bench, forgetting about me. And then I don't know what to do. I guess I can feed the flies.

Feeding the flies, at least I'm doing something. At least I'm serving my purpose right where I am put, huh? But, seriously, at least I'm not choking the birds like some pieces of gum.

Anyways, it's kinda hard to forgive that person that probably had good intentions, but left me under this bench to rot. Help me forgive them, even when they're not sorry. I know You know how to do this, 'cuz You did! On the cross, You forgave those people who were literally spitting on You! Ya, You know more than anybody what being hurt is. Hurt isn't even the word for what You went through!

So, Lord, help me forgive them. It's what You would do. And help me serve my purpose even when people shove me under the bench. 'Cuz even then, I can focus on the positive~ feeding the flies, not choking the birds. :)

Thanks! Thy will be done.

<3 In Jesus' precious name,
Amen!

Footprints

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. "Footsteps of Jesus"
4. 
   
5. Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
   Come, follow Me!
   And we see where Thy footprints falling
   Lead us to Thee.
   • Refrain:
     Footprints of Jesus,
     That make the pathway glow;
     We will follow the steps of Jesus
     Where’er they go.
6. Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,
   Seeking His sheep;
   Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
   Helping the weak.
7. If they lead through the temple holy,
   Preaching the Word;
   Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
   Serving the Lord.
8. Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
   We follow Thee;
   Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
   Gethsemane!
9. If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
   We go again,
   Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
   Our cross of pain.
10. By and by, through the shining portals,
    Turning our feet,
    We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
    Heav’n’s golden street.
11. Then, at last, when on high He sees us,
    Our journey done,
    We will rest where the steps of JesusEnd at His throne.
12. ~Asa b. Everett

"Footprints"

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

Are you a Horse???

I've never been a big horse lover. But I do love a good comparison.

In youth group the other night, a great comparison was revealed to me. We were talking about Ephesians 4:6~

One God is and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

At this point in the lesson, we were discussing God's authority (the first part of this verse) . Our teacher used the illustration of a horse and its trainer. At first, a horse is naive and does not trust its trainer. If the trainer prompts the horse to trod through a puddle, the horse may act as if the puddle is a black hole; but the trainer knows that the puddle is harmless. Eventually, the horse learns that his trainer knows much, much more than he does. A fully trained horse listens to his trainer very carefully, because he trusts the trainer. All it takes is a slight tap of the trainer's heel on the side of the horse to persuade the horse to take a sharp turn; an inconspicuous tug of the ring finger on the horse's bridle will convince it to take a complete 360.

James 3:3~

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

So, what does this all have to do with us and our relationship to God? Well, apply all these facts about horses and trainers to you and God. When you are first saved, yo may not trust God very much, and there still may be doubts in your mind. Maybe when God first prompted you to do something, you saw it the end of the world; but God knows that it is harmless and will probably be good for you. As you grow in your walk with God, however, you learn that God really does know what He's doing! When your relationship with God matures, it should only take a slight tap or tug at your heart to obey God.

But Eph. 4:6 doesn't just talk about God's authority; it also mentions God's work through us and in us. God does not just want us to view him as a tall judge robed in white up in the sky somewhere. He desires a personal relationship with us, and that relationship includes His working through us and His Spirit dwelling in us. God works through us in our words and actions, and when we obey and yield to His Word, magnificent events occur. His Spirit dwells in us to guide us and shine through us, as long as we surrender to Him.

For more about surrender, visit these posts:

God's will, God's way

Have Thine Own Way

Dive In

The Path under my Feet (prt. 2)

The path under my feet... In the last post we talked about How God guides us moment by moment, and we must trust Him because He knows the way.

Well, God showed me another thruth about where I am right now. Ecclesiastes 3:1~

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

So, God doesn't make mistakes with plopping us right where we are.We can be assured of this; for me, it's quite comforting :)

But that's not all! Ecclesiastes 3:11~

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from beginning to the end.

(Emphasis mine)

When my Pastor pointed this out this afternoon, I certainly felt the piercing of the double-edged Sword of the Lord. I have been going through some things that just don't seem right, but it is all in God's plan of molding and making me. It is an amazing experience when the Creator the universe ~not to mention, yourself~ is shaping your soul to prepare for the future of your life on earth, and, ultimately, eternity. And it is even more amazing when you realize that the Potter knows exactly what your future as a vessel holds, and knows that the stage you are in now is the stage that He meant for you. And you make not think that the fiery testing you are going through now is very pretty, but God says it's beautiful. And, being the Creator of beauty, HE knows!

Remember that God's timing is perfect, and that it is beautiful. And remember that the path under your feet is the spot that God has plopped you on :)

The path under my feet

I believe that God wants me to share this with you. Many resources have fallen into my lap in the last 24 hours, I don't think I can resist writing this lesson here. :)

First off, I'd like to share the first item I read on this topic: Psalm 119:105.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

I know that it's a commonly said verse, but read it again and really think about it.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

So, what is the point I am trying to get across? Well, as odd as it may be, imagine driving through some really thick fog. All you can capture with your eye is the road a few feet in front of you and under you.

In both of the pictures above, you can't really see far ahead of you, but you can see what you are standing on. This is what the Bible means in Psalm 119:105. In those times, a "light" didn't mean a flourescent light bulb. No, it meant a lamp such as the lamp pictured above. God's Word, while It does prophesy, doesn't exactly say, "Cosette, you will take Physics and Geometry in eleventh grade, and by then you will have met so and so, who you will develop a friendship with and court when you turn 20, and then you will go to ______ College together, and have eight kids...." Have you read that in there? (If so, let me know... jk ;) See, God usually doesn't reveal to us twenty years in the future, and He sometimes He doesn't tell us how He will take us through till tomorrow! But He does guide us moment by moment, and, when we follow His guidance, WOW! The results are amazing!

About following guidance... Is it that surprising that the results of following God's leading are incredible? 

Picture this: you are driving through this thick fog; you can't see anything but what is in front of you: a car that has a GPS. This car knows where he's going;  he knows what twists and turns are coming up on the road. God is that car. He knows what lies ahead, even when you can't see five feet in front of you. And that's what's important. That you follow God and the guidance He gives you through His Word.

This post was inspired by Abigail Rogers' post on "a girl with wings." Read it here.

Again, this video spoke to my heart and it applies to this post...

Something to share...

If we look around, like Moses,

We will be afraid.

If we look down, like Peter, 

We will sink.

If we look to others, like Miriam, 

We will be envious, 

If we look up to Jesus, 

We will be transformed.

~Author Unknown

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus!

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace."

~Helen H. Lemmel

Who (or what) are you looking at???

New Page! :)

I have made a new page called "A Recent Radiant Perspective." This page will further explain radiance in some of my posts that aren't necessarily about radiance.

The current post on this page is on the post "The Wow Factor." I pray that this page will speak to your heart!

Inspiring song

Here's a music video of one of my favorite hymns!

This video was on a post that I read recently on Meditations of His Love. The lady who wrote the post shared her experiences this past year of God's faithfulness. The song and video go along with the the lessons that I have been learning and posting about in the series New Every Morning, so I thought I'd share this!

p.s.~I highly suggest you read Miss Rachel's post :)

Wow Factor

You know when you walk through the dollar tree? Ever notice the neon signs they have that say "Wow Factor"? Of course, It's pretty silly, but it does attract your eye, doesn't it?

As Christian girls, we sometimes lose the "wow factor" when it comes to the things of God. We gawk in awe when we read about the Shunnamite woman in 2 Kings 4 and 8, or when we hear about a lady who was saved miraculously from her cancer, but does it seem that "awe"-some when the new girl prayed and received the blessing of a membership at the nearby "good-will"? Or is it so amazing when the preacher shares a verse that helped him in his walk with God?

Imagine with me for a moment. You are on your way to see the famous Grand Canyon of Arizona. You love taking pictures, because you love to keep the memories of the beauty of the world God has given us. As you approach, you forget about the camera. THIS is BEAUTIFUL. But as you walk further, it only gets better. Finally, your eyes reach over the edge and...

*your breath is drifts away...

This is so beautiful, so unique, so... what's the word?

Now, compare that with your daily reaction to God's love letter to you. Think about it for a second. The all-mighty, all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the billions upon billions of stars and galaxies has reached down to YOU; He wants to YOU to have a personal relationship with HIM...

*your breath drifts away...

This is so beautiful, so unique, so... what's the word?

New Every Morning (prt. 3)

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

~Lamentations 23:3-4

I named this series "New every morning" inspired by this verse. God's mercies and compassions are faithful. We can count on waking up every morning to His love and mercy. This post has songs and hymns that praise God for His faithful love and mercies, which may sometimes be disguised to our human eyes.

"Blessings"

"We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?"

~by Laura Story

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
     Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

~by Thomas Chilsolm

Note: This song was inspired by Lamentations 23:3-4, the verse at the top of this post.

New Every Morning (prt. 2)

Honestly, I didn't think there would be a "part two" to this post, but God laid it on my heart.

In Part one, we talked about trusting God because He commands it and He abundantly provides for us. The center of our story was the Shunnamite woman in 2 Kings 4. Well, she makes a reappearing in chapter 8!

Read 2 Kings 8:1-6. Remember that God provided for this woman and brought her son that he promised to her in her old age back to life. (Mouthful! :) Now, God tells her to go to the land of the Philistines, because there would be a famine in her land. After seven years, she brings her family back, trusting God to give her the provisions, such as her home and land, that she gave up when she left. She confronts the king, at the same time that Gehazi, Elisha's servant, is telling the king about her son coming back to life! Once again, God's timing is perfect! The king makes sure all her previous possessions are restored.

Here we see that God not only provides, but He has purpose in His provision. And sometimes, God's provision doesn't seem like much of a blessing at the moment. I am sure this woman, at the time of her son's death, did not see the death as a blessing. But God brought her son back, and she rejoiced. Even then, I doubt she realized exactly how God would use this in her future.

You may not realize it now, but God will use your current trials and blessings in the future. What He is providing now has a purpose. He is preparing you now, and He will be preparing you for other things throughout your life.

4 steps for an open heart to God's provision and purpose:

     ~Recognize that submission is necessary:
       "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will
        come after me, let him deny himself,and take up his cross,and follow me."
        ~Mark 8:34

     ~Recognize that God is faithful in His work:
       "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that
        seek thee."
        ~Psalm 9:10
       "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the
        day of Jesus Christ."
        ~Philippians 1:6

     ~Recognize that God's way is much better than your way:
       "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
        than your thoughts."
        ~Isaiah 55:9
    
     ~Recognize that God has a purpose for you and what He is doing in your life-He knows what He's
       doing!:
       "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I 
        sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
        ~Jeremiah 1:5

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

I named this series "New every morning" inspired by this verse. God's mercies and compassions are faithful. We can count on waking up every morning to His love and mercy.

God's will, God's way

I can't count how many times this saying has popped up in God's lessons for me! It started appearing the summer after I got saved, and it has reappeared every year at Bible camp, in my personal devotions, and in sermons that I've listened to. So, what does it mean? Well, It's certainly not something we have to go into an enormous philosophical explanation on what each little word means. No, it's as simple as it appears:

DO GOD'S WILL GOD'S WAY.

Simple meaning, but maybe a not-so-simple action process. Maybe even a painful process of learning through experience.

YOUR WILL YOUR WAY

DOESN'T WORK!!!

*GASP*

It really is a simple concept. But we tend to complicate things due to our sinful nature. For example, take Eve. She was tempted to do things in her will, her way. We all know the story. Did things work out too well? Did she succeed in receiving the best results by doing it her will, her way? Nope. But I think she learned her lesson by the time Cain and Abel were born. An example of this mistake today may go like this: ignoring God's calling and purpose for your life and doing what you think is best instead. I can assure you it won't even be comparable to what God has in store for you, doing His will, His way.

Another method we often attempt is doing things God's will, our way. Look back at the story of Jeroboam. It was God's will for people to worship Him, but God's way was through the priests of the tribe of Levi.

However, Jeroboam's way was through whoever wanted to do it. Jeroboam's sin is mentioned so many times throughout the Old Testament, reminding us of the importance of doing things God's way.

(In case you're wondering, I don't think there's a loophole for your will, God's way. God's way is only through His will.)

I think you'll agree with me that it is quite hard to fight against the Holy Spirit. At least, the bitter taste of fighting Him is much worse compared to the bliss of surrender. When we take our way, we fight God's way; but when we take God's way, we surrender our way.

Take the phrase "God's will, God's way" with you, but I have another simple concept phrase for you to grasp:

JUST GIVE UP!

In other words, SURRENDER! Really, it's the second most important decision of your life. (Next only to salvation.) And it's simple, but not-so-simple to do. DO IT ANYWAY. Because it pleases God. Because He commands it. Because it's also worth it.

New every morning

     I suppose I have difficulty learning quickly. Our towering oak tree has a branch that reaches down to about five feet above the ground, eye level with me. You guessed it; I get a slap on the face from that branch every morning! Every morning it startles me, whacking me into action of reproaching myself for not paying attention AGAIN!

     I think I found a woman in the Bible who probably didn't have an oak tree in her front yard, but had a similar experience, with much more spiritual meaning: the Shunnamite woman in 2 Kings 4. Go ahead and read it. It'll be worth the time.

     Again, I think my walking into my majestic oak tree parallels with the experience this hospitable lady encountered every morning. Maybe God's new compassions every morning startled her as she woke up each morning to the remembrance of God's provision. I know that God's love slaps me into perspective.

     Ya know what you used to do in sixth grade to your best friend, when you would slap 'em on the forehead and tease, "Shoulda had a v8!" Well, I have had to do that to myself saying, "Shoulda trusted God!" or "Shoulda kept your mouth shut!" (Just thought I'd put that in there:) See, we can trust God because He loves us and He cares for us and therefore provides for us. And, oh man, God sure knows how to provide for us!

     "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

~Matt. 29-31

Google+ Page

     Be Radiant now as a Google+ page! the page will cover news of Be Radiant girls' group, post exclusive perspectives on my blog's posts, post exclusive challenges of growth in your walk with God, and present you with some neat tools to help you grow. I have made this page since I can't post every thing here, so I encourage you to check it out! :) Be Radiant g+ page

My Love Story

      I wasn't a princess yet, but I pretended to be one. Being a princess would have made me look pretty, and I figured people would like me better. I really never thought I would become an authentic princess, but it was fun to put on the big gowns and pretend that one day Prince Charming would come fall in love with me. However, I would soon be surprised at the upcoming reality of my pretending.

     While I was pretending, I found myself alone in despair; I had longings from my heart that nothing seemed to fill. I longed for one to talk to who would not be annoyed with me and would truly understand me, and I longed for somebody to treat me special. Of course, I tried to find “happiness,” but it was temporary and false. To find happiness, I attempted to be a “great” person that everybody loved, and I attempted to impress people to receive praise and feel special. Although my parents and friends loved me, I still had a hole in my heart that their love did not fill.

     One day while I was pretending, I received a letter inviting me to stay at the King's palace, and become one of His adopted daughters! I almost took it as a joke played by my friends until I realized that the messenger who brought the letter was one of the King's renowned messengers. Shocked, I accepted the invitation to become a princess, and began daydreaming of a future prince that would fall in love with me. Again, my playful wish turned into serious reality. The Prince offered for me to take His hand; I excitedly accepted the offer, and I fell in love with Him immediately. Also, I understood that He had already demonstrated His love for me a while ago. He did not need to learn more about me, for He already knew everything about me, but as I started to know Him more, everything seemed to change. Despair turned into hope, and my Prince fulfilled all my previous longings: He always listened to me, understood me, treated me with special love, and was never annoyed with me (however, He didn't like some of my actions.).

     Now, I am overwhelmed with true joy and I am deeply, sincerely “in love” with my Prince. The highlights of my days are the times I talk to Him, and He talks to me. I do not have to feel insecure saying “I love you” to Him, because He says “I love you” right back. Also, my Love has written a love letter to me, and it is my prized possession. I read it everyday, and every page tells me He loves me. He demonstrates His love for me every day by forgiving me of things I have done that hurt him. His demonstration of dying for me two thousand years ago still reminds me of His love, and His resurrection proves to me that He is exactly who I have been longing for.

     If there were one thing or person I appreciate most in my life, He is my Prince. He has chosen me, and He loves me eternally. There is nothing I can do to pay Him back, but I get to spend an eternity with Him! Honestly, this is the best love story, because I can truly say that my Love and I will live “happily ever after.”

~Cosette <3

Is the whale half full, or empty?

"And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured..."

Exodus 16:2

          While this text is referring to the Israelites, it also applies to all God's children at times. We tend to get so caught up in what we don't have, rather than what we do have. Quoting Dori from Finding Nemo, "Look on the bright side-the whale half empty!" (Of course, in her case, this was the bright side :)

           We are to be grateful to God for all He has done for us, down to the simple moments of life. We should have a single mind of optimism, to have stableness in all our ways.

"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways."

James 1:8

That also means the opposite: a single-minded man is stable in all his ways.

           Anyway, I've been learning an important lesson about gratitude... through a really neat tool, called a gratitude journal... My mom took the dare in One Thousand Gifts, and this school year she has been encouraging Mark and I to do the same. The dare is to write down 1000 things you are grateful for. It's transforming my attitude as each moment of my life is a wonderful new item to add to my growing list. Every item, however, does not make me prideful, but each item points to my Provider. You see, the dare is not about how much you think up, but how much you learn to thank God for; the moments that seemed useless before transform into those special moments that compose our earthly life. Remember, though, you must take the dare with the correct willing heart to be grateful.

           Another great tool is a blessings journal. Write down any answer God gives to your prayers, even if it wasn't the answer you wanted. Years from now, you will look back and be encouraged by the blessings of God in the past, and you will be able to see how He worked things out.

           I highly suggest that you use these tools in your daily life. Allow God to work through them and transform your heart! :)


~And don't forget, be RADIANTLY OPTIMISTIC AND GRATEFUL!!!