Hey, friends, followers, and readers of this blog!
It's been a few months since I last posted on here (like, eight to be exact), but I wanted to share with y'all something new that God's laid on my heart that I felt was significant enough to write and post about.
NOTE: Before we jump too far into things, please know and understand that there was and is no passive aggressiveness in this blog. This post is solely based on what I have seen and felt convicted of, and am not trying to throw one party or the other under the bus.
Now, onward!
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Don't you hate being told that you're wrong? I know for me, being proven or told this can be a total feeling of defeat. I mean, It's not something that I'm gonna exactly go home and cry about, but c'mon, no one likes to be told they're wrong. If I am wrong--which is quite often--I don't mind being told so, but the way in which I am informed that I'm incorrect is what makes the difference between resent and reasoning.
Some time ago, I was scrolling through YouTube, and came across some videos that, at the time didn't seem like a big deal. But now looking back and thinking about them, actually kind of bother me. I can't refer back to the specific videos I saw due to lack of memory, but just search them on YouTube and you'll instantly get many results. What videos am I referring to? I'm talking about videos demonstrating "How to disprove/prove atheists wrong."
Now, hear me out, guys. I'm not saying that these people in the videos are doing something wrong, and I'm not saying that I'm doing something right. But imagine if you were in their shoes. You're a firm believer in something, and people from the opposite belief are making hundreds of videos showing the world how to disprove you--think about how you would feel. As far as religion goes, Christians know the truth and want the world to know it too. But the truth is that we aren't told, called, instructed, demanded, required or mandated to prove anything; but simply, called to share and show God's love.
I'm gonna step off my soapbox now. I don't want y'all to base how you feel about this topic solely from what I think, so let's see what the Bible has to say about this topic.
In 1 Peter 3:15-16 it says this:
"But sanctify The Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed."
Alright, so we see here that it's completely okay to be prepared for when people ask you about your faith; and that's a good thing. We need to know why we believe what we do, and be ready to share the truth. But notice it says "with meekness and fear", not arrogance and pride. But, here's something else the Bible also says about this:
"Have nothing to do with foolish controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:23-26
Have nothing to do with foolish controversies! As Christians, Christ is supposed to be our example and the One we should to strive to imitate. If you look back at Jesus and His ministry, He didn't have to prove the answers, He simply just provided them. He was a teacher, kind, patient, and gentle; and that's how we're supposed to be. Paul tells us in Romans that "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. God proved the truth and power of His love by demonstrating it to us; fully knowing and accepting that some still wouldn't believe. After the death and resurrection, there's absolutely nothing more to prove. Now, it's up to us to choose what we want to believe and how we want to live.
I guess what I'm trying to figure out, is why we are trying so hard to prove what has already been proven. God performed the ultimate demonstration of pure truth, love, and grace; there's nothing left for Him or us to prove. Once we've shared and provided everything we know about God and Who He is, it's up to everyone else to make their own choice.
We aren't called to prove Jesus and His love; we're called to provide Him and His love.
Well, that's all I have. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope God has spoken to you through it, and has shown you His words of truth, not mine.
In Christ,
-Abby-Lynn
Friday, October 14, 2016
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Prayer Unspoken
Hey guys. So I know I just posted a new update on here yesterday, but I wanted to share with y'all something The Lord has really laid on my heart several times recently.
So there's no doubt about it - prayer is a big deal.
I'm a strong believer in prayer, and I believe that through prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do awesome things. With it, we get to talk directly to our Heavenly Father, and bring our requests, praises, burdens, blessings, and everything else we humans have to deal with directly to Him, and lay them down at His feet.
As Christians, prayer requests are a normal thing, especially in group settings with our close friends and family. I know that anytime my friends have prayer requests, I'm eager to lift them up to the Lord, and continually pray for them during their time of struggles.
But ever since a few weeks ago, The Lord has really been working on my heart regarding prayer, and has shown me something that I've really been overlooking. Like I said, anytime my friends or family request prayer, I'm eager to jump on it and add them to my daily/weekly prayer list. But last night I realized something: what about the unspoken requests? And no, I'm not referring to the kind of prayer requests where people say they have a request by it being unspoken, I'm talking about the people who don't even bring theirs to the table--the one's that are literally unspoken.
We all have that one person--you know, that one human being that may not have particularly said or done anything specific to you to make you not like them, but they just don't appeal to you? (if this doesn't apply, yay for you). I know for me, they're the last person I think of or want to pray for.
But then God stopped me in my tracks, and that's the exact thing He told me, "Pray for those that you don't want to pray for."
I have an acquaintance that I've known for probably over a year now, who goes to Christian events I go to, but we just haven't made a good connection with each other. I mean we've made small talk, and I see them a couple times a week, but we've never laid a foundation for a good friendship. I mean, they seemed reserved and came off prideful, so they probably aren't too worried about being a close friend with me anyway, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Because I just found out that they just recently - and I mean reeecently - accepted Christ as their personal Savior, and are now teaching their family about Christ.
And then, I completely deflated.
For this past a-little-over-a-year that I've known them, I've also been going to my church, talking about prayer, talking about spreading the Word, talking about witnessing to the lost and all the things Christians talk about...yeah, talked about. I've learned that I need to stop talking about showing Christ, and need to start portraying Christ and His love. All this time I just assumed that this acquaintance was just 'one of those people' who is a Christian, but just not the friendly, social or outgoing type. When really--they were just a lost kid who needed Christ's love and needed a friend.
I cannot express the disappointment and frustration I felt when I discovered this. All this time this person probably just needed a friend and someone to talk to, and I've missed the opportunity time after time again to be just that. And that's when God told me again, "Pray for those you don't want to pray for."
While praying for good grades, dogs that just passed away, and the silly new iPhone that someone wants aren't bad things, I've learned that, sometimes the people who need praying for the most, are the people who seem to request the least. I pray that God will continue to allow this person to stay in my life, and that I might be able to make up for all the time and opportunities I've missed to be their friend.
I encourage you to join me in beginning to pray for those who you don't want to pray for, and next time we meet someone who just doesn't seem to connect with us, taking the extra effort to dig a little deeper to get to know the person that they really are, not just the person they seem to be.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day, and may God's love and grace abound.
Abby-Lynn
So there's no doubt about it - prayer is a big deal.
I'm a strong believer in prayer, and I believe that through prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do awesome things. With it, we get to talk directly to our Heavenly Father, and bring our requests, praises, burdens, blessings, and everything else we humans have to deal with directly to Him, and lay them down at His feet.
As Christians, prayer requests are a normal thing, especially in group settings with our close friends and family. I know that anytime my friends have prayer requests, I'm eager to lift them up to the Lord, and continually pray for them during their time of struggles.
But ever since a few weeks ago, The Lord has really been working on my heart regarding prayer, and has shown me something that I've really been overlooking. Like I said, anytime my friends or family request prayer, I'm eager to jump on it and add them to my daily/weekly prayer list. But last night I realized something: what about the unspoken requests? And no, I'm not referring to the kind of prayer requests where people say they have a request by it being unspoken, I'm talking about the people who don't even bring theirs to the table--the one's that are literally unspoken.
We all have that one person--you know, that one human being that may not have particularly said or done anything specific to you to make you not like them, but they just don't appeal to you? (if this doesn't apply, yay for you). I know for me, they're the last person I think of or want to pray for.
But then God stopped me in my tracks, and that's the exact thing He told me, "Pray for those that you don't want to pray for."
I have an acquaintance that I've known for probably over a year now, who goes to Christian events I go to, but we just haven't made a good connection with each other. I mean we've made small talk, and I see them a couple times a week, but we've never laid a foundation for a good friendship. I mean, they seemed reserved and came off prideful, so they probably aren't too worried about being a close friend with me anyway, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Because I just found out that they just recently - and I mean reeecently - accepted Christ as their personal Savior, and are now teaching their family about Christ.
And then, I completely deflated.
For this past a-little-over-a-year that I've known them, I've also been going to my church, talking about prayer, talking about spreading the Word, talking about witnessing to the lost and all the things Christians talk about...yeah, talked about. I've learned that I need to stop talking about showing Christ, and need to start portraying Christ and His love. All this time I just assumed that this acquaintance was just 'one of those people' who is a Christian, but just not the friendly, social or outgoing type. When really--they were just a lost kid who needed Christ's love and needed a friend.
I cannot express the disappointment and frustration I felt when I discovered this. All this time this person probably just needed a friend and someone to talk to, and I've missed the opportunity time after time again to be just that. And that's when God told me again, "Pray for those you don't want to pray for."
While praying for good grades, dogs that just passed away, and the silly new iPhone that someone wants aren't bad things, I've learned that, sometimes the people who need praying for the most, are the people who seem to request the least. I pray that God will continue to allow this person to stay in my life, and that I might be able to make up for all the time and opportunities I've missed to be their friend.
I encourage you to join me in beginning to pray for those who you don't want to pray for, and next time we meet someone who just doesn't seem to connect with us, taking the extra effort to dig a little deeper to get to know the person that they really are, not just the person they seem to be.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day, and may God's love and grace abound.
Abby-Lynn
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Our Heavenly Father
Ever since last week, when I was requested by a friend to babysit her nieces for the evening, I have really been thinking about my relationship with God, and how He sees me and my relationship with Him through His eyes, versus my own.
Being a sophomore, I use babysitting as my way to earn a little money on the side here and there, versus of getting a 'real' job (but I'm not complaining). I started babysitting a couple of years ago when I was 13 or 14, but never imagined it would grow and develop into the positive thing that it has become. I imagined that babysitting would grow to be tedious, and nothing more than "just trying to get through it," but even time after time, and hour after hour, for some reason it never seems to get old. Even through the messy meals, dirty diapers, endless episodes of kids' Netflix shows (sometimes a movie and popcorn if we're really getting fancy), and the cleaning up of lots of toys, there's something through the act of babysitting that gives me a joyful fulfillment that I haven't been able to find through anything else yet.
I think the most joyful thing I get to experience through babysitting, are the relationships I get to develop over time with the kids I get to watch. It's gotten to the point where babysitting doesn't really feel like a job anymore, and I look forward to seeing my little friends. Something that has surprised me through babysitting is just how attached kids can get to you. I've learned and discovered over time just how vulnerable kids will become, and how they begin to trust you - a lot. The majority of kids I watch are usually the ages between 2 through 5, and I've come to realize that they are at the age where they want to tell you everything. Like literally - everything. From the general common things, like the new activity they're in, or the brand new toy they got as a birthday present, or the more personal things, like how they're learning to use the potty and now they're in big girl/boy underwear (because diapers and pull-ups are for babies/little kids, Abby-Lynn - duh). They're eager to share, eager to tell, and want you to be excited with and for them.
But in the end, above all else, I think the thing I treasure and find most precious, is when the kids want to be with me. From, snuggling on the couch while watching a movie, to me hugging and holding them because they fell down and got an owie, or just wanting to lay down on my lap or shoulder because they're tired, these are the things that come with babysitting that can't be beaten. I mean, I guess even if it weren't me, they'd naturally do the same with whoever is watching them, but regardless, it still gives me joy when I can be there with them to share those little moments.
And that, friends, is where The Lord comes in.
God is the exact same way with us. God is our Father and He loves us! Even in the middle of our messes, having to get us through our stinky situations, and picking us up when we fall down, He doesn't grow tired of us, and His love most definitely does not run dry. Like I said, I treasure the moments when the kids come to me, wanting me to hold them, asking me for help, and trusting me to take care of whatever is wrong. What makes us think that God doesn't want the same from us? God wants us to want Him; He wants us to feel vulnerable and to be able to go to Him when we need help. He wants to be there to pick us up when we fall down, and He wants to share every single moment with us - whether big, or small - because God not only wants us, He desires us.
But the thing is, do we want the same?
Do we want to share with God everything that's going on in our lives? Do we desire Him?
Are we going to Him when we fall down, wanting Him to pick us back up? Are we asking Him for help when we don't know what to do? Do we ask Him to heal our hurt when we get wounded, or rely on Him for our rest? If you're like me, the answer may be no. Which then leads me to ask another question - why? I know personally, sometimes I find myself running to my parents or other Christians when I'm in need, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but why am I running to other sources other than The Lord? Why do I do that? Sometimes I feel like I might 'bother' God if I come to Him with ALL my burdens, and I catch myself thinking "why would God want to deal with my problems?" when really, God has shown me that He doesn't deal with us in our problems, He disciples and directs us through them, because that's how we learn and grow
Matthew 11:28 says: Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
I realized that kids don't hesitate going to their parents when their toys get broken, or when they need help because they got themselves into some sort of predicament. They don't hesitate because they know that their parents want to help them; they know that's what mommies and daddies are for - to help them and teach them. Anytime they're hurt, they're in need, or maybe they just need to a big hug and an occasional cry (girls will understand this) they always run to their parents.
Just like our parents, God wants us to run to Him when we're in need, and He wants us to allow Him to hold us when we need comfort and security.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Feel free to comment or let me know any thoughts you might have.
May God's grace and love abound,
-Abby Lynn
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Finding thankfulness in the tedious & blessings in the boring
Good day, friends!
So, it's Tuesday morning. It's 6:29 a.m., and I'm happily asleep in my nice, warm and cozy bed. Then, it happens - the clock turns to 6:30 and Boom! my alarm goes off and it's time to start another day.
What does that mean? It means another day of finding a, b, c and x, y, z in my homework. It means unloading and reloading, then re-unloading and re-reloading the dishwasher. It means more clothes need to be washed, beds need to be remade, house needs to be cleaned, events need to be attended to, and etc. etc. And after a full day of going, doing, resting, cleaning, learning, talking, eating and breathing, I go to sleep, and in the next 7 hours I'll wake up and do it all over again. I'm not sure about you, but after doing this everyday, I begin to get tired, and life can tend to feel boring, tiresome, mundane, tedious, repetitive, and a whole bunch of other adjectives that I'm sure would fit perfectly in the text.
In the midst of all of my doing, going, resting, cleaning, and etc., I find myself getting busy, and in my busyness, I tend to easily over look all my precious and gracious blessings that are continually given to me on a daily, weekly, and regular basis. Life can sometimes feels mundane and often, I get bored with loading the same dishes in the same place in the dishwasher, folding the same towels that go on the same shelf, and finding the same Y and the same X.
But God, Who is rich in mercy, uses the exact things I find myself complaining about to help grow me in appreciation and gratitude. It's through the tedious and the boring that I've been able to discover thankfulness and blessings, and through my busy and crazy that I've been able to find stillness and peace.
He has shown me that, the dishes that I have to load and unload, means that there was food on the dishes that my family and I got to eat.
That the towels I have to fold - means that there was clean running water we got wash ourselves with.
The bed I have to remake - means I had something warm and soft to sleep on last night.
The house I have to help clean - means I have other people I get to live in it with.
The ABCs, and XYZs I have to find - means I'm learning new things and getting an education.
I'm not saying chores and our daily doings are always exciting, but it's through my boring, tedious chores that The Lord has shown me how many blessings I have and how much more thankful I should be. He's also shown me that those 10 minutes I'm folding laundry, I can spend talking to Him. The 20 minutes I'm doing dishes, I could listen to 20 minutes of the Bible. And in that alone, that's already 30 minutes of spending time with Him right there, and all I did was perform a couple of my daily tasks. By making a conscious effort to talk to God while doing chores, I've also found that I've slowly began to break the excuse of "not having enough time for God" during my daily routine. Because I do have time for God, it's just a matter of how I choose to use it.
Before I end this post, I wanted to share a Bible verse that has really made an impact in my daily routine, and helps me be more aware and conscious about my blessings. I try to recite it to myself when I wake up in the mornings, as it makes getting up a little less difficult.
So, it's Tuesday morning. It's 6:29 a.m., and I'm happily asleep in my nice, warm and cozy bed. Then, it happens - the clock turns to 6:30 and Boom! my alarm goes off and it's time to start another day.
What does that mean? It means another day of finding a, b, c and x, y, z in my homework. It means unloading and reloading, then re-unloading and re-reloading the dishwasher. It means more clothes need to be washed, beds need to be remade, house needs to be cleaned, events need to be attended to, and etc. etc. And after a full day of going, doing, resting, cleaning, learning, talking, eating and breathing, I go to sleep, and in the next 7 hours I'll wake up and do it all over again. I'm not sure about you, but after doing this everyday, I begin to get tired, and life can tend to feel boring, tiresome, mundane, tedious, repetitive, and a whole bunch of other adjectives that I'm sure would fit perfectly in the text.
In the midst of all of my doing, going, resting, cleaning, and etc., I find myself getting busy, and in my busyness, I tend to easily over look all my precious and gracious blessings that are continually given to me on a daily, weekly, and regular basis. Life can sometimes feels mundane and often, I get bored with loading the same dishes in the same place in the dishwasher, folding the same towels that go on the same shelf, and finding the same Y and the same X.
But God, Who is rich in mercy, uses the exact things I find myself complaining about to help grow me in appreciation and gratitude. It's through the tedious and the boring that I've been able to discover thankfulness and blessings, and through my busy and crazy that I've been able to find stillness and peace.
He has shown me that, the dishes that I have to load and unload, means that there was food on the dishes that my family and I got to eat.
That the towels I have to fold - means that there was clean running water we got wash ourselves with.
The bed I have to remake - means I had something warm and soft to sleep on last night.
The house I have to help clean - means I have other people I get to live in it with.
The ABCs, and XYZs I have to find - means I'm learning new things and getting an education.
I'm not saying chores and our daily doings are always exciting, but it's through my boring, tedious chores that The Lord has shown me how many blessings I have and how much more thankful I should be. He's also shown me that those 10 minutes I'm folding laundry, I can spend talking to Him. The 20 minutes I'm doing dishes, I could listen to 20 minutes of the Bible. And in that alone, that's already 30 minutes of spending time with Him right there, and all I did was perform a couple of my daily tasks. By making a conscious effort to talk to God while doing chores, I've also found that I've slowly began to break the excuse of "not having enough time for God" during my daily routine. Because I do have time for God, it's just a matter of how I choose to use it.
Before I end this post, I wanted to share a Bible verse that has really made an impact in my daily routine, and helps me be more aware and conscious about my blessings. I try to recite it to myself when I wake up in the mornings, as it makes getting up a little less difficult.
"Through The Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23
"They are new every morning" and goodness, have I not discovered that to be evidently true. I have to constantly remind myself that I don't deserve anything that I wake up to each day, but it's through the Lord's grace and faithfulness I have the blessings that I do. I remember once reading a quote that said: "What if you woke up today, with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"
Wow. I'm pretty sure I'd wake up with less than a fraction of the blessings I have if that were the case. But again, we have a merciful loving God who does not shift or change, and it's from Him that every good and perfect gift is given to us (James 1:17).
I hope y'all have a great rest of your day, and a great week. I pray that you are able to break out of the mundane feeling the week can put on us, and you are able to discover the blessings in your daily routine. Take care, y'all, and may the love and mercy of God abound.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Here's to new things!
Hi, everyone!
So, I've decided to create a blog for those times when I want to share and talk about topics that are a little long in length, and be able to do so without clogging up everyone's Instagram and/or Facebook news feed.
Since this is my first blog post, and some of y'all may not know much (or anything) about me, I figure it'd be nice to let you, the readers, know a little bit of who I am! So, here we go!
My name is Abigail, but I go by Abby-Lynn, and some people call me by just Abby. I will respond to any of the above, so just choose whatever floats you're boat and we can be good friends either way :) Others might also refer to me as Abs, Abby-loo, or even just "Hey, You!" Living in a family of 6, and being called different names by different groups of friends, family, etc., you learn to recognize when someone is requesting your attention one way, or another.
I'm a believer and follower of Christ - the one, only, true and flawless Son of The Living God, homeschooled, a sophomore in high school and proudly stand not very tall at 4'11" (yes, really, it's true). I have 5 siblings, no pets, and am the middle/oldest child. I enjoy singing on the praise band in church on Wednesday nights, and take Taekwondo. I do enjoy an occasional cup of coffee every now and then, although, I should really refer to it as a cup of cream and sugar with a splash of coffee thrown in. Chick-fil-a is very important to me, and I strongly urge anybody and everybody to always eat mor chikin. I enjoy reading a good book when I can find the time to do so (which is rare), and am always singing, dancing, or listening to music. Music--yes, music plays a big role in my life, as well.
So, there is a little bit about me! I hope y'all enjoyed this first post, got to know a little bit about me, and will continue reading my future posts. I am hoping to get a new post up within the next week or so, but we'll have to see what time permits.
Thanks again, y'all! Take care, and may the love and grace of God abound.
So, I've decided to create a blog for those times when I want to share and talk about topics that are a little long in length, and be able to do so without clogging up everyone's Instagram and/or Facebook news feed.
Since this is my first blog post, and some of y'all may not know much (or anything) about me, I figure it'd be nice to let you, the readers, know a little bit of who I am! So, here we go!
My name is Abigail, but I go by Abby-Lynn, and some people call me by just Abby. I will respond to any of the above, so just choose whatever floats you're boat and we can be good friends either way :) Others might also refer to me as Abs, Abby-loo, or even just "Hey, You!" Living in a family of 6, and being called different names by different groups of friends, family, etc., you learn to recognize when someone is requesting your attention one way, or another.
I'm a believer and follower of Christ - the one, only, true and flawless Son of The Living God, homeschooled, a sophomore in high school and proudly stand not very tall at 4'11" (yes, really, it's true). I have 5 siblings, no pets, and am the middle/oldest child. I enjoy singing on the praise band in church on Wednesday nights, and take Taekwondo. I do enjoy an occasional cup of coffee every now and then, although, I should really refer to it as a cup of cream and sugar with a splash of coffee thrown in. Chick-fil-a is very important to me, and I strongly urge anybody and everybody to always eat mor chikin. I enjoy reading a good book when I can find the time to do so (which is rare), and am always singing, dancing, or listening to music. Music--yes, music plays a big role in my life, as well.
So, there is a little bit about me! I hope y'all enjoyed this first post, got to know a little bit about me, and will continue reading my future posts. I am hoping to get a new post up within the next week or so, but we'll have to see what time permits.
Thanks again, y'all! Take care, and may the love and grace of God abound.
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