Deceptive Distractions (A Spiritual Slide)

Originally posted here

(To be) Convicted.

The thing about conviction is that it can happen in strange ways - and right when you are least expecting it.

Maybe even through words you hear all the time.

Convictions - there's no stopping them, there's just ignoring them. And I've found that if you need to hear something - you will hear it.

In life, we all have, to some degree, a glimpse of what we should do, a taste of what our purpose and calling is.

Some of us have blocked it out, and some of us have a hard time seeing it, but over all, we each have a goal, a destiny.

But sometimes we loose sight of what our purpose is

Last couple weeks I have been experiencing this. I was starting to lack passion and even sight of my goal.

The worst thing is I wasn't paying attention, and to such an extent that I didn't realize I was no longer focused on what I should have been.

I first came to this realization the other morning when an older man was speaking to me.

Now, it is not uncommon for him to speak to me or the other kids around here, and what he spoke on wasn't even that uncommon for him to be saying, but the way he worded it made me think.

And maybe it had a lot to do with I just needed to hear these specific words again.

"Keturah," he said. "Remember to keep seeking God And follow His calling for your life. Don't let distractions stop you from doing His work."

I did as I normally do when he speaks, nod and agree. For all he says is always good, but I don't always dwell on it much afterwards. But this time I was still thinking (deeply) about it even after he had left.

Calling.......Distractions.

Distractions.

They are so easy to allow.

When I should be praying, reading, studying, being with someone, or doing something there might be that time when I'm giving into the common distractions:

Facebook.

Other social reading.

Food.

Daydreaming.

Excess reading.

Excess social activities.

But it is so easy to know that these are distractions and to stop doing them, to turn back to what I should be doing.

Self-control in these areas can be a lot easier then one realizes.

Thinking more, I began to realize that there are other distractions out there that hinder me from doing what I am called to do. More deceptive distractions. Things that keep me from focusing on anything that is worthy and productive and constructive.

These distractions have a way of taking over your thought life so that you are now devoting all your energy to what is worthless. You are no longer focused on what is important.

Distraction, once again, has taken over.

Anger.

Hatred.

Bitterness.

Fear.

Worry.

Jealousy.

Selfishness.

And the list can go on and on 

These sort of distractions creep on you too easily, so that you give them all your thoughts, feed them all your emotions, yet never realize you have been distracted from what is truly right.

Wow.

Sometimes they can even keep you from experiencing great things. Seeing new things. Even coming t new revelations. These sort of distractions clog up one's mind so that there purpose is now forgotten.

Can I just clarify this?: I felt very convicted, and I told my roommate all these thoughts right away.

She was like, "Wow, that is good."

Just think about it? Yes, some of those other things in that first list do keep us from our work, but it is also these latter things, these emotions that we give room to, that take over our thought and spiritual life.

They can break our purpose down more than some of the physical distractions to such a point that anything we try to do becomes useless and of no account.

And so, I decided, I would not allow my mind-activity to go to waste thinking on useless distractions designed only to keep me from my true calling.

So, joking, but also serious, I told my roommate, "If I get distracted by silly, deceptive things, make sure to tell me that I'm getting off track."

Though now I almost wish I didn't say that - for she is probably going to do just as I asked and say, "Dear Keturah, watch out, you are distracted" when I am in the midst of a heated rant.

Oh, my what shall I do?

Does life seem to be only going downhill for you? Could the reason possibly have something to do with you have become distracted from what you should be doing? Look into what you are giving all your thoughts to. What do you rant about? What have you been passionate about? Distraction. It can creep up - but we can still kick it out - choose to refocus on what God has for us in this life. Choose His destiny over any silly distractions that we may be feeding.

Totally Untalented

Originally posted here.

A while back some friends and I were laughing and talking. 

I can't remember exactly how we got on the subject (it seems we were throwing out crazy plot twists), but however it happened I said something like "What if you wrote this story and the main character had no talents whatsoever and..." 

 One of the guys said, "That isn't right. When God created us he gave us all gifts and talents and places in life. No-one is created with out a purpose." 

Normally I defend what I say, but this time what he said hit me as true. What I had said was VERY unbiblical. When I write I try to make all my stories at least follow certain biblical principles even if my stories aren't necessarily "Christian" genre. 

 Needless to say, that story idea was trashed :). Yet what I had said many would consider true. Just look about you. There are many, many people that appear to have nothing, do nothing, know nothing. They are "ugly", "untalented" and no fun to be around. 

Normally their dress style doesn't help, nor half of the weird things they say or do or the way they act. These people we class as "untalented" (a word that shouldn't even exist).

Maybe you are one of those "untalented" people. You can't find anything special about yourself, you are good at nothing. 

 Well, let me tell you now that your idea about yourself is false. 

 Yes, there are many seemingly untalented people, because like it or not, no one is born perfect. Even those of us who were lucky enough to have someone help us develop our talents would be nothing if it weren't for trying. 

 And practice. Lots of it. In order to have talents I have learned you must CHOOSE to DEVELOP them. But how do you discover YOUR true talents and destiny in life? How can you be YOU and have others like you at the same time? 

  Sad Fact: First off you need to accept that everyone won't like you. You need to be happy anyways and just be you. Living to please others will only bring many disappointments in your life, because you will ALWAYS displease someone. (Not saying you should live carelessly or purposely displease others. Just don't make it your priority to be someone else's puppet.) 

  I believe the very first step to finding true happiness with ourselves is found in this verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" 

 In order to believe and really accept that we ARE created for a purpose and DO have talents and gifts we first must accept the One that made us and gave us those gifts in the first place. Believe in Yeshua (Jesus), accept him as your savior, and let your old ways be no more than the past - over. 

Including the thoughts that you have no talents. 

 For now you are a new creation in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 

 After that here are some suggestions for discovering your own talents. 

  1. Believe that you were created for a reason - that you aren't some freak accident. This is one of the Devil's biggest lies. If he can make you not feel special then you will automatically believe that no one cares for you which then leads you to believing that Yeshua ( Jesus ) did NOT die for YOU. To believe this is thinking that you are worse than EVERYONE. Which is not true. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"

2. Accept that God made you special and that you have a purpose in life. Self-worth and self-dignity are important as long as we don't let them turn into self-righteousness or self-pride. 

  3. What do you most enjoy doing? These are the natural desires given to us by God. Make a list of what you like doing. Remember these may only be desires. You may have already wasted much time by thinking you were untalented that you never spent much time cultivating your gifts.

 Just because you have a gift for something doesn't mean you'll be just awesome at it. God only gave you the desire and the gift. You must make it grow by using it and working with it. 

Perfect it with practice. 

And talents can be anything from big stuff to little stuff. Singing, acting and other things that make you famous aren't the only talents out there. :)

 In fact these things can distract us from our real talents by making us think that those are the only talents out there. 

 True talent isn't becoming popular, but being passionate about what you do because you love it and letting that gift make you a better person.

  4. You don't know what you like doing? Or what your natural gifts are? Most likely somebody (that is a good influence in your life) will have noticed your talents peeking through. Take advice from others to see what you are good at. 

  5. Apply your talents to practical every day things. And be unique, be you. Just because your talent may be working with kids doesn't mean you have to become a teacher or social worker or children's missionary. Look at ALL the options and pick the one that best suits your unique personality. Don't go for the norm or what everyone else does. Don't do things to please others. Do all for the glory of Yahweh. 

 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." and Colossians 3:17 

  6. Let your talents and personality intertwine. 

Be unique. 

Be respectful. 

Use dignity.  

Just as there isn't a truly untalented person there is not an ugly nor undesirable person. It's all in how you act and dress and talk and be you. Embrace what God wants for you, and your attitude (and yes, even style) will change to make you a greater person for Yahweh.

So, what are your talents? Share in the comments :).

The Perfect Storm - Guest Post by Chard Phebe

 

You could say I’m a sailor of sorts.

Now before you get the image of me in a parka on a dinky old boat yelling “Ahoy mateys!”, hear me out.

Why do sailors sail? Some do it for fish, others for the adventurous feeling it gives, still others do it because they want to explore the world. Every sailor sails for a reason.

God calls everyone out upon the waters of life at its fullest, yet most of us fear leaving the shore.

We’re like Veggie-tale Jonah.

One of the saddest things about that is one of the reasons God calls us out, one of the reasons He designed us the way He did, is to co-labor with Him in solving the world’s problems. (1 Cor. 3:9)

Did you ever wonder why you felt so strongly about a problem in the world few people, even your closest Christian friends felt the same passion for? Maybe it’s because that’s not their problem.

I believe God will show us two or three problems in the world that we are to make our passions. (1 Cor 12:4-6)

(Now just a disclaimer, I don’t really know if the number is two or three, I’ve just never met anyone with only one passion, and having four or more seems like you’d start to slack in one of them.)

I believe God shows us these in a variety of ways, through hard times (2 Cor. 2:4), visions and dreams (Isa. 6:1-8), prayer and meditation (James 1:5-8), and also having seen/experienced things that move your heart for the things that move the heart of God (Matt 9:36-38).

Now, thinking back on your life, I’m sure you can probably name at least a couple things that had truly weighed on your heart. Don’t tell yourself what you felt was superficial, the person say who feels saddened at there not being any entertaining Christian movies to watch, may be the next filmmaker for a wholesome blockbuster.

I also want you to get a weight for the importance of you pursuing the thing you feel God pulling you toward. Not only the world, but the Church needs you.

If you haven’t found out yet, the Church is full of sinners.

We’re all broken in some way, and you living out God’s call for your life might just be a blessing to dozens, hundreds, thousands, even millions of other believers...and God only knows how many countless unbelievers.

You can’t believe the lie that you aren’t important, and you don’t matter (Ps. 8:5). That’s from the pit of Hell and it’s just what the Enemy would want you to believe.

Which brings me to what may be my most critical point: spiritual warfare.

As I said before, I am like a sailor. I’ve begun to answer God’s call and it’s taken me out from shore so far I’m not really sure where home is anymore. Out here on the water, there are waves, big ones that take you high and low. There’s pouring rain, lightning, and fear.

So much and so often I want to quit, give into temptations, start believing the lies and settling for an alright life knowing Christ.

But I can’t, the call is too strong, you can’t the world needs you too much.

I would love to tell you that as you begin to pursue the callings God has on your life, things will nice, fun, and safe. I would love to...but I can’t.

Fact is the few years I’ve now spent looking for ways to pursue God’s call on my life, interacting with people the way He’s told me to, and trying to conform with who He’s making me to be have been some of the hardest years of my life.

And most the joyful, rich, and fulfilling as well.

We need to be ready to keep our eyes on heaven even when the waves are 50 feet tall and we think we’re going to capsize, God is bigger than the problems, the need is bigger than our fear.

The Bible says when we resist the Devil he flees from us (James 4:7), we have no need to fear the world for greater is the one is us (1 John 4:4), and our flesh is exactly that ours and we can discipline it by God’s grace into obeying us (1 Cor. 9:27).

See what I just named there? The Enemy, the world, and our flesh? Those are our biggest opponents with chasing our dreams. They’re what would feed us lies, what would cause us to stumble, what would make us want to quit. They are the waves, rain, and lightning in this Perfect Storm...and by the Holy Spirit, you've already gotten the victory over them!

So what’s stopping you?

Remember, having the victory doesn't mean these things won’t still rear their ugly heads, it just means when they do you can fight if off with God’s power.

Start small and move on to bigger goals as you complete the smaller ones. Pray to God for guidance and for comfort when you fail. Remember failure is a learning experience, and you really can’t get success until you've failed a few times. Constantly refocus yourself so you can keep the main thing the main thing.

Remember, your Creator is proud of you and your world thanks you.

So go, and I hope to see you out there on these waters very soon.

 

-Chard Phebe

 

 

God's Amazing Plans

I struggled to decide on what to post today. I want everything I post to be helpful and uplifting to all of you girls, but sometimes it's hard to know just what to say.

 Today, I decided to take you into a little trip into the past.

 About four years ago I started my own website, Precious Jewels. The origin of Precious Jewels was a magazine I had tried to make before that. The website felt easier, and that I would reach a broader audience of girls. Not long after, I changed my website to God's Precious Jewels. It was my desire that this website could be used to help girls draw closer to God. I was hoping it could be my outreach.

 The site went pretty well, for a while. I had girls volunteer to help with different aspects of the site, but slowly, almost all of them stopped helping, or were unable to. Running a website is a hard endeavor on your own. I've tried to keep it up, but recently, in the last year or so especially, I've been very busy, and the site fell into disuse. But once in a while, a girl will pop up on the chatbox, wondering just what's going on. I feel bad when I see this, but until I get some more help, the website will probably sit there for a while more.

 But that's not the point of this post. It was while I was moderating and working on GPJ, that I met Leah. Or sort of met her. I found her website somehow, and followed it, and she left a comment in my guest book.

 I always had it on my heart to reach out to girls in some way. God works in so many amazing and mysterious ways. Who knew, long ago, that Leah and I, who didn't even know a thing about the other besides what our sites said, would someday be working on the same blog, and that it would be inspiration for young ladies? God truly blows my mind sometimes. He is magnificent. Leah and I met up again on the Go Teen Writer's facebook page, another hobby God gave to both of us, and that's when I figured out who she was.

 I don't know what all of you think of this story, but I just think about the way God works. How something that happens in your life, can be part of God's plan for your future, before you ever know it. So even though GPJ might not be going strong, God was able to use it to help me be a part of this blog, three years later.

 Think of what God can do in your life.

 

 

Royal + Classy: A Purple Dress {ClassyGarb}

So, I figured today I would do an outfit post, because I got a lovely new outfit about a week ago. :-) Anyways, I had won a $60 gift card to Mod Cloth, so I bought the "Rebecca to Basics" dress, and the "Winding My Way" heel.

I do love to wear jeans for my general, everyday wear, but I love the feeling of skirts and dresses when I wear them. In heels, I feel kind of stately and classy. :-D

The dress and shoes are actually different shades of purple, so this "photoshoot" is probably the only time I'll ever wear them together. :-)

Love love love the silver stripe on the heels!!! They are a suede plum material, and so far fit pretty comfortably.

 

I added another shirt underneath because the V opening dips pretty low. All in all though, it's a fantastic dress that I feel great in!

Now, I usually don't spend large amounts of money on new clothing, but I do enjoy making my own dresses when I can find a good deal on fabric, or have an especially strong inspiration for a particular dress. The second is what I am currently working on... It will end up being a pretty expensive dress, all told, but incredibly worth it!

A little peek at my inspiration:

Do you ever make your own clothes? What is your favorite type of clothing to make?