Pursued

(Hosea 11:10)
They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 

Even when we turn from the Lord, He is still always pursuing us and will not stop until He gets our attention. What does He seriously have to do to get your attention? God is jealous for YOU! He is not willing to share His children with anyone or anything.

I think too many times we have reduced God down to being just our friend, or almost like a genie that we pull out whenever we need something. We've forgotten that Christ is the Lord of the universe! He is the Almighty God and supreme over all things! We will never add to His glory, but yet He still wants to use ordinary people like you and me to do amazing things for Him. If we take God out of the picture, we are nothing. Without God our lives are a waste.

I've been thinking a lot lately about Heaven, and eternity, and how I want to spend my life on this earth. Truly, only what is done for Christ will last. Nothing else matters.

You see, being a "normal" Christian is just not enough. What Jesus did on the cross for us was not normal. There is a battle between REAL forces of good and evil going on here, and I want to do whatever it takes to point people to Jesus, who is the Savior of the world! He is my hope and redeemer, the only one worth living for.

The Love Of Christ,
Michal

New Mexico Mission Trip!

Last week our church went to do some work at Aspendale, a Christian camp in the mountains of Cloudcroft, NM. It's beautiful there, and I had so much fun! I don't usually like being outdoors, but it was really good to just get away for a week and serve God with my family. 

(Me and my sister at the front sign. I'm in the black jacket.)

During our trip we also got the chance to go to White Sands, a desert and National Park that is only thirty minutes away from Cloudcroft. It was pretty cool sliding down the sand dunes! I have to admit that at first I didn't want to go to White Sands because I thought it would be really hot and boring, but that wasn't the case! The weather was actually nice and I enjoyed it.

(My family and I with some friends of ours.)

On our last night at Aspendale we had a bonfire, which was a great way to end the week. We had a good time talking and roasting marshmallows. James and Jacob, two of the staff workers that I've been helping almost everyday, showed us the new swords that they just bought. And yes, they are actual swords. I've got no idea what they'll do with them...

(This is James. He's always talking in an accent or singing a song or trying to make you laugh. So yeah, he's kinda crazy. :) 

And so is Jacob...)

(Me, holding a sword.)

(Finally, this is most of our church group before we left the camp. I'm in the pink shirt on the right.)

I'm so thankful that God allowed my family and I to go on this trip. All the work we did at Aspendale is for Him, and I pray that it would somehow further His Kingdom. Hopefully we'll go again next year!

The Love Of Christ,
Michal

Reflections

Hey everyone! I would have posted about Super Summer earlier, but this week I was at a choir camp and next week my family will be in New Mexico for a short mission trip.

Anyway, Super Summer was great! I think I just came to understand the greatness of God even more, and how I need to give Him glory in ALL that I do. The worship service was the best part, especially when the band led everyone in singing. It is the most beautiful thing to see hundreds of other teens raising their hands and praising the Lord with all their might. It's a time when people will break down crying, and it's a time when God's Holy Spirit really moves. You can truly sense His presence.

This year I fell in love with two of the songs the band played, With Everything and You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham. (You can listen to You're Beautiful in the youtube video above.) I am filled with awe of how BEAUTIFUl Jesus is!

Please pray for me right now, as I've been feeling since the beginning of summer that God is calling me to be more involved in missions. I don't know exactly what that looks like, but I am considering an international mission trip in the near future. Please pray that the Lord would make His will known to me and show me how I can best serve Him.

The Love Of Christ,
Michal

" Missionaries and ministers of mercy don't come from nowhere. They come from people like you, stunned by the glory of God and stopped in your tracks."
- John Piper

"People often ask if I think my life is dangerous, if I am afraid. I am much more afraid of remaining comfortable."
- Katie Davis

Prayer Request and a Song Of Hope

Many of you know that in 2010 I spent three months in the hospital due to eating issues. Most of the time I was there, I stayed at an eating disorder unit and had the chance to meet so many amazing girls. The sad thing was they didn't know just how beautiful they were!

Today I'm asking for your prayers for one of my good friends who is also experiencing an eating disorder. Please pray that God would  give her and her whole family strength and comfort. Pray that she would have a breakthrough and that her eyes would be opened to just how much God loves her and how He wants to use her life for His glory. I believe that the Lord does have the power to heal her, and that there is hope.

1 Peter 2:9 says: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Once you have been saved, you truly are a princess made righteous through the blood of Christ. Satan has no power over you. You are royalty and belong to the Almighty God! Remember that and strive to live that out. God's got a plan for your life, so surrender everything to Him. He will give you the strength.

- Michal

Twilight: The Hidden Messages

Alright, this is something I've been wanting to talk about for a long time. I've always been against Twilight, but at one point I was really tempted to try watching it.... that is, until I did a little research of my own. (Most of the information I found came from this source.)

I believe that Twilight is a whole lot darker than it is cracked out to be. What is it about this franchise that is drawing in so many young girls? And if it's only a book, what's the harm in reading it? To answer that question, we have to start from the beginning.

The idea for Twilight came to Stephenie Meyer in the form of a dream. On her website, she says," I woke up (on that June 2nd) from a very vivid dream. In my dream, two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent to the facts that (A) they were falling in love with each other while (B) the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining to himself to killing her immediately."

When Stephanie Meyer awoke, she quickly began to write down everything she had seen in the dream. She described Bella and Edward as "quite literally, voices in my head. They simply wouldn't shut up." Now, here's where it gets strange: Shortly after the writing of Twilight was finished, Meyer had another dream, where Edward appeared to her saying that she had gotten it all wrong and that he DID drink human blood. (In the books, Edward and his family are "vegetarians.")

I don't know about you, but something about those two dreams sound a little strange to me. Did they really just come from her mind? They didn't come from God. 


Another thing I found interesting was that on Breaking Dawn's screen writer's facebook, she writes that she would "ensure plenty of blood and sex in both films." Do you honestly want to be filling your mind with that junk? Philippians 4:8 says: "Finally, my brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything if excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Is Twilight really any of those things? Ask yourself that.

There is also the issue of Edward and his family being "good" vampires. Have you considered what vampires actually are? Either something is pleasing to God or it is not. There's no compromising.  (See Isaiah 5:20.)

The last thing I'd like to point out is the cover of Twilight and what is stands for. As you've probably noticed, on the front of the book is a picture of two hands holding out an apple. Inside the book, you've probably also noticed the Bible verse at the beginning, Genesis 2:17: "But you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Edward represents the forbidden fruit. How? Well, there's one point in the series when Edward leaves Bella for a time, because obviously, he's a vampire and she is a mortal. It's dangerous for them to be together. During that period Bella is completely depressed. She eventually tells Edward that she doesn't care about her soul and just wants to be with him. Later on in the books Bella does end up marrying Edward and transforms into a vampire, which results in her human soul "dying."

That right there is a very harmful message to be sending to readers. We should absolutely care about our soul! Not only that, but we should also care about focusing on God a whole lot more than focusing on boys! Throughout Twilight, Bella is pretty much obsessed with Edward. Girls today need to know that you do NOT need a guy to make you happy! If God wants you to marry, then He will send you the right guy at the right time.

I know I've come on pretty strong in this post, but I felt like it's something that had to be done. Please know that I have nothing against any of you ladies who do choose to read/watch Twilight, as that decision is between you and the Lord. However, the bottom line is this: It's not about what you do or don't do; it's about your relationship with Christ. If you are faced with a decision that makes you question whether this is right or wrong, ask yourself this: Is it holy? Am I being entertained by the things that put my precious Jesus on the cross? If God were right here beside me (which He is), what would He do? I think you'll have your answer

The Love Of Christ,
Michal

P.S. I will not be posting next week because I'm off to youth camp... so excited!! God will do great things!

The Answer Is Jesus

This has got to be one of the most inspirational videos I've ever seen! Everyday we hear so many corrupt lies that our culture tries to feed us. They have come close to convincing us that God is not enough, and that instead we must chase after things like beauty, boys, sex, drugs, or maybe even the latest new Apple product. America has come to the point where we worship all those things. We are completely obsessed with materialism. Our generation is screaming for an answer, for something worth living for. And the answer is JESUS! Christians today our failing to proclaim the gospel. We are in a desperate need of revival!

God has called ALL of us to be missionaries, to take his name to the nations, whether that is here in the U.S. or maybe even some other country. Hudson Taylor once said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed."
The Lord COMMANDS us to share the gospel, but we've got to be 100% sold out to Him. Once you've surrendered your life to God, living an ordinary life isn't an option. Get out of your comfort zone! What are you truly willing to sacrifice to further the Kingdom Of God?

(Philippians 3:7-8)
But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

- Michal

From My Heart

Did you know that...
Each year, 14,505,000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen?

Did you know that...
25,000 children under age five die of preventable deaths every day?

Did you know that...
HIV/AIDS has killed more than 8 million African farmworkers, increasing the risk of famine and leaving 4.2. million children orphaned?


All over the world, people are hurting. But they are not just statistics.... they are God's precious children whom He loved enough to die for. I want to also do whatever it takes to love them.

Over the past month, I've really come to realize just how much need there is all around us. Why aren't Christians doing anything about it? What am I doing about it? Why do I have so much? Just like the Lord commands us to carry out the Great Commission, He also commands to care for the hurting. It is not an option. It's a requirement. If Christians are not involved in at least some type of form of ministry, how are we really making a difference for the Lord? How are we supposed to share the gospel?

While I agree that everyone could always be doing more, does God really only want us to be doing "enough?" I am determined that I do not do enough. I am determined to go anywhere, at anytime, at any cost, to do anything to testify to the gospel of God's grace. (Acts 20:24.)  That is the only reason why I'm alive.

I am not saying that we should spend so much time on loving others that we don't even have time for our own family. But just start somewhere, even if it's doing something small. Don't wait until you are older to live a legacy; start now. God can use you to do great things for Him right where you are. Take time to pray about it and ask what He wants you to do.

God did not put us here to change the whole world. HE will do that; we are merely a small part of His plan. If you were to think about just how many bad things happen everyday, it will literally overwhelm you, but our job is not to fix all those things. Our job is to trust that Jesus has a plan. Our job is to listen for Him, to be obedient to Him, to say yes when He tells us to do something. Our job is to point as many people to Him, so that when the day comes that we stand before the Lord, He will say, "Well done good and faithful servant."

We Are Never Alone,
Michal