Insecurities in Christ.

I hate my hair.

My face is too round.

My thighs are too big.

My stomach isn't flat.

My body is so awkward.

My teeth aren't super white.

I'm too pale.

I have big feet.
My arms are too chubby.

Let's face it. We all have insecurities. And if you look to others and say, "I wish I looked like them"...I can promise you, they have the same insecurities as you do. Let's take a look at the facts...

Britney Spears. Shaved her head.

Demi Lovato. Anorexic.

Justin Bieber. Works out every single hour.

Miley Cyrus. Cut her hair off and parties all the time.

Amanda Bynes. Now into drugs and crazy.

See? These people demonstrate their insecurities through the lifestyles that they are living. If they thought they were perfect, they wouldn't feel the need to act in such a way. Demi Lovato has confessed to feeling weird due to the fact she is in the Maxim's Hottest list.

If only we could all realize the fact we are made PERFECT in His image. Isn't that crazy to think about? He has made us exactly the way He wanted. If this is true, why do we so often focus on what is wrong with us and not focusing on the good? I know this is not an easy thing to do, but if we let those thoughts fill our minds daily, we are never going to be content in the image of Christ. If we constantly focus on the negative, we will start to feel like we are never good enough. YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. If you start to say, "Well, no one likes me..." These are lies from the devil and we can't dwell in these thoughts. Remember that God has perfect timing and perfect ways. So from now on, I challenge you to look in the mirror and start pointing out the positive attributes that God has blessed you with.

I have pretty eyes.
I am loving.
I have the ability to listen and be slow to speak.
I have a nice smile.
I am kind hearted.
I am easy to be around.
I can fit in almost anywhere.
But most importantly, my identity is found in Christ.

He says She says.

She says,
"I'm not good enough for anyone."
He says,
"You are good enough for me."

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. -2 Corinthians 12:9

She says,
"I'm so ugly."
He says,
"In My eyes, you are beautiful inside and out."

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7

She says,
"They're all skinnier than me."
He says,
"I created you perfectly."

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. -Genesis 1:27

She says,
"My heart has been broken so many times."
He says,
"It was then that I was closest to you."

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. -Psalm 34:18

She says,
"I am so weak, I feel like giving up."
He says,
"I am here to be your strength. I have already won."

For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. -Deuteronomy 20:4

She says,
"I'm so scared."
He says,
"I would never leave you."

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
-Deuteronomy 3:16

She says,
"I fail constantly and can't resist temptation."
He says,
"You can do anything through Me."

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:13

She says,
"I've been trying so hard, but I keep losing this battle towards addiction."
He says,
"I have all the power needed to overcome during trials."

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. -James 1:12-14

She says,
"I can't forgive myself."
He says,
"I have already forgiven you."

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9

She says,
"No one loves me."
He says,
"I love you."

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8



In all circumstances, remember God's promises. Because He is bigger than whatever circumstance you may be going through. Look at the cross of Christ. So often we blame God for our circumstances. It's time to stop blaming and start seeking.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6

"Dear Friend, I'm sorry I haven't written in awhile, but I've been trying hard to not be a loser."

I've been thinking a lot lately on the journey I've had in my walk with Christ. Next month will mark 4 years that I have been saved. March 13th, 2009. It's crazy to think of where I've come since then. It's also made me think of the ups and downs I've had in my walk. But even when I had my low moments and had my doubts, He was still there...giving me the strength to stand firm in my faith, even if it seemed like I had no faith left. 

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” -Matthew 17:20

All it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed. Faith as small as a mustard seed to realize that I can do it. Everyone has their doubts occasionally, but God loves us anyways. Our failures can destroy us if we let them, but He chooses to love us unconditionally. Our God is merciful, gracious, and patient with us. Having faith as small as a mustard seed helped me through so many situations. 

Some situations that I have been put in require one word. Compromise. Compromising my beliefs to do what others say is okay. One of the hardest things was to see some of the people that I considered to be the strongest Christians I knew to give into this one word. Seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ compromise for things we once stood so firm in our faith. Things like sex before marriage or underage drinking. Even the simple things like smoking and swearing. Choosing to not smoke or swear were just things we chose not to do simply to gain more respect from others...not even because "it's in the Bible." 

I found myself being put in situations where the temptation has been strong, but God's strength is overwhelming. He gives me the ability to stand firm in what I believe in no matter what others may think of me. Call me lame all you want, my God is worth it all. I'm living for You, Jesus.

Restless.

I'm tired. I'm tired of focusing on myself and not looking to the One who matters. This is my confession. I complain so much about college and how much I hate it. I lose focus on remembering that GOD HAS ME HERE FOR A PURPOSE. I'm restless trying to search for peace in my life. I'm restless because He is wanting me to lay it all at the cross...but for some reason, I haven't been able to yet. My prayer is that I am able to lay everything aside, forget about my selfishness, and remember that it isn't my life or MY desires. I am here for a reason and I keep forgetting that. On tour, it was so easy for me to see God at work. In between meals with the homeless and shows seeing thousands of kids give their lives to Christ, I was able to see God work...and I could see it so clearly. Then, I went to college. Not just any college, but a Bible college. Here, it has been so much more difficult for me to clearly see God at work and moving. But that's because I have had blinders on. I've been for focused on comparing everything about college to tour life, that I haven't been able to see God at work. Then I remembered this. God doesn't move; you do. While God has never left and never stopped working, I've been too blinded by my own personal desires, I haven't been able to see the bigger picture. The picture that God has me here. Instead of responding to people when they ask, "How's college?" I'm going to work on saying, "It is exactly where God has called me." I pray that I am able to lay everything down at the cross. Here I am LORD, Your will, NOT MINE.

Jesus, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for letting my personal desires get in the way of what You have for me. Take me, I'm Yours. Forever<3 div="div">

Mixed Emotions.

Well, the day I never thought would be here is less than 4 days away. That's right...no one ever thought they'd see the day Savannah goes to college. I have so many mixed emotions that I want to share. So here it goes.

I'm scared.
Going to a new place with new people scares me. It's normal. I was so scared when I first went on the road with Silver Ring Thing because I didn't know what to expect. Same thing. I don't know what to expect...and I'm super scared in making new friends. I've never felt like I've fit in anywhere...so I'm nervous that I will feel like I won't belong.

I'm excited.
I'm excited to decorate my dorm room. I'm excited to live on my own and staying in one place. I'm excited to learn more about the Bible and ministry. I'm excited to explore and go on new adventures. I'm excited to room with Christine. I'm excited to see how God uses me and where He is going to lead me.

I'm not excited.
I'm not excited to do homework and to take tests. I'm not excited to read and do school work. I'm not excited to go to college. I'm not excited to live in the dorms or to even live on campus. I'm not excited to leave home yet and for summer to be over. I'm not excited that tour is over.

As you can see, the negatives are definitely stronger than the positives. But I hope I will learn to like it. All I know is I am confident in knowing God is in this and He is going to see that I am honoring my parents and going to college. All I can hope for is to hear those words one day...Well done my good and faithful servant. God, I am trusting in You. Thank You Jesus for giving me strength.

Wanted.

Wanted. Beautiful. Loved. Treasured. Precious. Kind. Important. Missed. Valued. This is a list of words that have been running through my mind lately. Words that you long to hear from someone. Anyone. Looking back at my prior unhealthy relationships, I realize how much I turned to guys to tell me some of those things. Only wanting confidence and to feel important. Girls long to just feel wanted. We want to hear we are beautiful. It's beautiful to us to hear someone loves us. We love to feel treasured and adored by someone. It's a treasure to us when someone tells us we are precious. When we hear we are precious, we choose to be kind. When we are kind, we feel important since others seem to enjoy our presence. We don't feel important until we hear we are missed. When we are missed, we feel valued. You get my point. All of them go hand in hand and feed off of each other. Of course, let's get down to who. Yeah, some hear that stuff from their parents everyday. But it's not the same as having the guys say it to you. Comment on your pictures on Facebook saying you're pretty. Wanting to see how many people you can get to like it. We all do it.
Well this led me to thinking about how much we already have all of these characteristics. We don't need anyone to tell us. Tonight in worship, we sang a song that just hit home for me.


When I lose my way,
And I forget my name,
Remind me who I am.
In the mirror all I see,
Is who I don't wanna be,
Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places,
When I can't remember what grace is.

Tell me once again who I am to You,
Who I am to You.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You,
That I belong to You.
To You.

When my heart is like a stone,
And I'm running far from home,
Remind me who I am.
When I can't receive Your love,
Afraid I'll never be enough,
Remind me who I am.
If I'm Your beloved,
Can You help me believe it.

Tell me once again who I am to You,
Who I am to You, whoa.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You.
That I belong to You.
To You.

I'm the one you love,
I'm the one you love,
That will be enough,
I'm the one you love.

Tell me once again who I am to You.
Who I am to You.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You,
That I belong to You, oh.

Tell me once again who I am to You.
Who I am to You.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You,
That I belong to You.
To You.


God sees you as so much more than what you see yourself or how others see you. You have to believe it for yourself before you let anyone else tell you. You are so much more in His eyes than what man has to offer. Sure we love hearing those comments, but have confidence in yourself knowing that God already sees you as all of those things. And when it feels like its never enough, remember of the love He has for you. Sending His one and only Son to die on the cross for you. That is the ultimate sacrifice. More than any man has to offer. That is the ultimate love. So turn to Jesus today as you look in the mirror. Your beauty comes from God and God alone.

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7.

A letter to Heaven.

Hi Pappy. I decided to write you a letter every year... I wrote you a letter and put it in your casket, so I figured I'd keep writing to you. I can't believe you've been gone a year. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and miss you. They say it gets easier, but that doesn't seem to be true. Every time I would come home from tour and walk down the driveway, I would sit in your chair and do a word search like I used to do sitting on your lap when I was little. When I would go back home, I secretly cry every time. I try so hard to be strong for daddy and Grammy, but sometimes I can't. I try and numb myself to the pain and not think about it. Because anytime I do, I break down. I wish you could be here especially now that I'm home. I hope I made you proud on tour. I know you are watching over me. Grammy still cries often. I pray one day God blesses me with a marriage like you two had. 57 years later and you two still loved each other. So much has happened this year and so often, I would want to pick up the phone and call you to tell you about it. When I would call gram, she would sound so excited to talk to me. I still listen to a recording of your voice telling me I'm the bestest baby in the world. A year later and things still aren't normal without you. We all miss you pappy. I love you with all my heart and I miss you more than ever...I'm still not ready to let go of you. Continue to watch over us. You will always be my best friend. I love and miss you pappy.

Love always,
Boots/Punchin' Judy Cookin' Dinner