How Great?

I find Jesus himself just so amazing. I love reading the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) because you see how Jesus acted, who he is, how he treats people, his morals. Jesus says that you can't see God, but he is exactly like him. How privileged, how blessed are we that we get to see right into the Father's heart? That we, as humans, got to experience his tangible love? And compassion? And grace? And forgiveness? We got to see our Lord with our own eyes! I often imagine seeing Jesus in the distance, and running at full speed towards him, and hugging him. That is truly the greatest thing that I want, is to hug him. I can't wait until the day that I do.
I love reading in John 8...these religious nuts want to stone a woman to death for committing adultery. You know what Jesus says? "Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her." [John 8:8] Wow. Like a punch in the gut, eh? It just shows you how compassionate he is. Jesus is the only person in that group of people who had never sinned, and even he did not throw a stone at her. We serve such a compassionate, loving God. He protects us.
How many of us have wondered why God's put us in the circumstances he puts us in? I've wondered that countless times. Or rather, not why he puts me in it, but why he allows it to happen. This verse shook my world: "Jesus answered, 'It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him.'" [John 9:3] God's power can and will be shown in my circumstances. I believe that full well! I'm comforted by the fact that all things work out for the good of those who love Him [Romans 8:8]. God can take your crappiest situation and turn it completely around, using it for the greatness of his kingdom! I love that! Jesus does not take joy in our trouble, though. I want to get that across very clearly. "When Jesus saw Mary crying and the Jews who came with her also crying, he was upset and was deeply troubled.....Jesus cried." [John 11:33&35] This was after Lazarus died. Jesus knew that he was going to use this for his good. He knew that he would raise Lazarus from the dead and many people would be saved through this miracle. But did that take away the pain and sadness? No. The emotions that we feel, God feels them ten times more strongly. When you cry, God cries. When you're laughing, he's laughing. When you're filled with joy, so is he. When you're angry, God is too. He's our father. What father wants their child to hurt? So even though he knows his plan, he knows how he's going to use these horrible things that happen to us, he still feels pain, he's sad for us, he's angry for us, he feels our hurt. I love him.
I read this verse last night: "I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it." [John 14:12-14] We have the power to do miracles. By Jesus saying that we will do the same, and even greater than he did, he's saying that we have the power to make the blind see, make the deaf hear, raise the dead, speak with authority! He has given us power!! This is just incredible to me. To think that I, this 16 year old in a small town, have been given the authority to perform miracles? Wow. Wow! I am just blown away by God's goodness. I love him so much!!!

I found this video today, and I could not stop smiling!!! How great is our God?! Oh! He is so, so, so good. Words can't even describe. I feel like I've fallen in love all over again. Listen to those people sing. Look at their faces. See them raising their hands in ultimate surrender to God! I just love this. This was the absolute best way to start my day. Her prayer is my prayer.
Have a blessed day!
Ariel

Imagine That

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This song just gets me so pumped up. Every word of it is true for me. I know that God has so much more planned for me than what I'm seeing right now! I will say this, though: God, you are absolutely crazy, but I love you for it. Ha, I have no clue what he's got up his sleeve for me. I think he's going in one direction and then he 180's it and veers the other way. It's interesting, I must say. Even now, at 16, I'm starting to get a little taste of his plans, and the fact that what he has planned for me is so much greater than anything I could ever plan or imagine for myself.
I never would have guessed that I would organize bake sales. I never would have guessed that I would begin to organize a concert and have phone calls from booking agents in Tennessee! I never would have guessed that I would help teach a kindergarten class. I never would have guessed that a bunch of youth leaders in town would know my name and say that I'm going to go so far in life. I never guessed that I would be apart of a fashion group. I never ever ever would have guessed that I would have the life I have. How many 16 year olds can say that they've done all these things?? Not many. God is doing big things. I know it, because Satan has tried with the hardest stones he can throw to knock me down because he knows that God is going to use me for huge things! How dare he try to stop God's plan for my life?! You know what? Game on, buddy. God has fought for me time and time again, and I love him to death. He literally fought for me, he told me. And I can feel him protecting me when Satan wants to attack. Psalm 91:4. I love him, so much.
I cannot wait to see how my life plays out and how God will use me. Am I excited? Yes! Am I scared? Oooh, yes! But I trust. He's protecting me. He's guiding me. He loves me, and that's all I need in my life.
God bless,
Ariel

Alien

"Fashion Fairytale" or nightmare?
It is not even humanly possible to achieve this look.

What the heck is that?! I'm sorry, but to me, this looks like an alien, not a "Fashion Fairytale" as the people working and creating at the Barbie company would put it. I wish I could go work there just so I could give them a good, solid smack upside the head. This is the most unrealistic thing I have ever seen (well, maybe not ever, that's a slight exaggeration). Is this what we want to teach the little girls who are playing with this? I've already slammed Barbie in the past, and I sure am not afraid to do it again! Why are there grown adults sitting around a table thinking up new ideas, saying that it would be great to give little girls unrealistic expectations that they're going to look exactly like Barbie, and if you don't, then you're a piece of crap. Yet Barbie advertises that you need to be yourself, that you should love yourself. Yeah, Barbie? Well then create something normal, forget normal, just create something humanly possible! For crying out loud!
I definitely grew up thinking that Barbie was perfect and that I would look like her when I grew up. With the perfect makeup, wearing heels all the time, charismatic, the perfect body. Did any of that happen? Ha! Nope.
Let's dissect this "Barbie's Fashion Fairytale" for a second. First off, do you really think that sparkly pink skin is attractive? 'Cause it's not, not even maybe. Well, I guess if you want to be an alien when you grow up you would have a different mindset. I was looking at this Barbie during work today, and thinking, where do her freakin' legs end?! No one person on this planet has that long of legs. It's just not natural, by far. Oh, and no one's that skinny. You wanna teach your children to be anorexic, then buying them that Barbie is step one. Why do you think so many girls today have so many issues? They have to be skinny because that's what all of society says. And the sick thing is, no one's denying it! Why do we give girls these false beliefs? I don't understand. And now, my favorite part, (I really hope you heard me roll my eyes at this point...) her clothing. *Cough* Slut! *Cough* ...Yeah, 'nough said. Ew. Ew, ew, ew! Any guy, and I mean any guy, Christian or not, seeing this girl walking around would automatically have his eyes boggling and mind racing. Her butt is hardly being covered by that short skirt! And really? I don't think I've ever seen any girl wearing that short of a shirt in public. It's pretty much a sports bra.
This disgusts me. I honestly hope that Barbie somehow gets destroyed, because it is doing no child any favors. Please hear me, girls, when I say this. Modesty is beautiful. You will attract the kind of guy you dress for. And if your boobs are hanging out of your shirt and you have to keep having to pull your shorts down to cover your butt, then you are going to attract a guy who only wants you for your body, and I guarantee it, he will shatter your heart. Any boy who is worth your time will tell you that you look absolutely beautiful when you've just rolled out of bed because he woke you up to surprise you. He'll love you for you, and not for your body. And he'll be looking for a relationship that will last the rest of your lives, instead of a one night stand. These boys are rare, yes, but they are worth it, and you will never regret it. They are out there. God has the perfect one picked out for you, you just have to let him take the drivers seat and lead you to him.
God bless,
Ariel

Craaazy

I don't understand anyone who can be a Christian and not be crazy. Seriously!!! I am absolutely insane. But I kind of think that you have to be crazy to follow God. I mean, how crazy is the Holy Spirit? "I want you to send a verse to this person you've talked to once because he needs it right now." Umm...that was random. Alright God! Ha, totally happened, and was such a God thing.
I'm 16. I love being 16. I love the fact that I have so much fire, so much energy, so many ideas, so many opportunities, so much time! When those little God moments happen, no matter how small, that's fuel to my fire. Oh man, I'm so pumped right now! When people tell me that they see God in me and they can see he has a calling for my life, dude!!! How can that not fuel my fire?!?! One of my friends told me to "start a forest fire". Ha, I love that! And that's exactly what I'm going to do.
If I'm not encouraging people, if I'm not showing people the love of Jesus, if I'm not living for him, then what am I doing here? I was made for him. I was made to worship him and glorify him and be a "Lion of God"! I love my name, because it totally fits. I believe 100% that God himself chose that name for me.
I've noticed a lot of stuff these past couple of weeks, the big one being that I am not perfect. I get angry. I get really, really angry...and that's been shining through this past week. I've had to make my apologies, I've had to reevaluate my life and my actions. But this is the thing that I want to stress so much: Just because I'm a Christian does not mean I'm perfect. I'm a work in progress!
Quite honestly, I don't know if I would ever want to be perfect, because that would mean that I would stop learning, I would already know everything I need to know, I would never make mistakes, and I really wouldn't have a testimony.
God has some big things going on in me. I have no idea what he's doing, but I like it!!


Humm...I'm just in such a it-has-to-be-a-God-thing joyful mood right now...:)

Blessings,
Ariel