Good

I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I also hope that you found the verse encouraging. I am going to be honest. I didn't do such a good job of learning the last part of Ephesians 6:12. So this week, I am going to do a better job of learning that part of the scripture. 

What I want to talk about tonight and what I have been thinking a lot about lately is "being good". God has blessed me with an amazing Sunday School class. I have made some everlasting friendships this past year and am so thankful that God placed each person in my life. If you are reading this, thank you for encouraging me, caring for me, and building me to become more like Christ each day. We meet every Thursday night for Bible study. Currently, we are reading "The Good and Beautiful God" by James Bryant Smith. His entire book compares false narratives that we have about God to the true narratives that Jesus has about God. I am being completely honest when I say that this book gave me an entire different look on Jesus and who God is. Ultimately, we grow to know and love God through his word, but this book really helped me with misconceptions (false narratives) that I had and helped me fall in love with the God that Jesus knows. In one of the chapters, James Bryant Smith hit on the topic of how we live in a "performance based world". The false narrative in this particular chapter was about how, as humans, we are accustomed to viewing life this way and that if we do "good" we get rewarded. If we make good grades, we get rewarded. If we clean our room, we get rewarded. If we perform well at work, we get a promotion. Jesus' narrative was that we do not have to work hard or do "good" with God. We have to accept his free gift of salvation. The reward we get is to know God deeper and form an intimate relationship with him. Now that's a good reward. 

I am also currently reading a book titled, "Anything" by Jennie Allen. It is my first time reading one of her books and I can already tell that I am going to enjoy her. The entire book is about how we place everything above God. I haven't really gotten too far into the book, but she is talking about how she and her husband were tired of "going through the motions" and so they told God they would do anything to serve him. Hince, how the title of the book came to be. She also hit on the "performance based" society we live in. As I was reading, I kept thinking about how we think we are "good". We try to be "good". We go to church, we make good grades, we say thank you, yes ma'am, and no sir, we pray before we eat and before we go to sleep. All these things that we think make us "good".  It dawned on me that really, I am not "good" at all. None of us are. We are actually born with evil hearts. What makes us "good" is Jesus Christ. I think of the song Forever Reign by Hillsong UNITED. The beginning of the song goes like this:

You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me.

Forever Reign-Hillsong

Jesus makes us good. We do nothing good on our on. I am so thankful that I have a Savior that makes me good. Apart from him I can do nothing-John 15:5.

My prayer this week for each of you is that you feel loved by Jesus. I also pray that you put on the full armor of God this week to fight off satan's schemes. 

Stay Salty,

Annie

Armor Continued

Good afternoon! I hope you enjoyed this beautiful Sunday afternoon outside! It was such a pretty day! Thankful that God allowed us to remember what warm weather was like! I got to spend it with some of my peeps and we had a good time. We played, rather attempted, to play volleyball. After that, a few of us attempted disc golf--epic fail. It was fun though. I don't think the trees whose bark I chipped off would agree though! ;)  Needless to say, it was a good time with some pretty awesome people. 

I hope you were able to learn the first part of Ephesians 6:10,11. I also hope that this week when the devil put bad images in your mind that you clung to this verse. Be strong in the Lord and his MIGHTY power. I don't know about you but my flesh sure battled with me this week. Here are a few things my flesh desired this week: a nice new house, new bedding, new clothes, a house at the beach, a long trip to the beach, and the list goes on and on. None of these things will make me happy or satisfy me. The devil and his schemes…He's good at what he does. When I caught myself desiring these things, I would repeat the verse for the week. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes. See, I wasn't being thankful for what I did have. I have a nice house, bedding, clothes, a house on the beach--just kidding about that one, and many more materials. That is something the devil is good at too. Make us want more when we already have enough. Like I said, he's good at what he does and that is why Paul instructs us to put on the armor of God so that we will be ready when he strikes. 

For this next week, we will be learning verse 12. Hopefully by the end of the week, you will be able to recite both parts of Ephesians 6:10-12. It will be another verse hidden in your heart! Here is the part you and I will be learning:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:12

Until next time,

Stay Salty,

Annie

Armor

Have you ever wondered why you doubt and question God? I know I wonder all the time. Let's get this straight. God does not plant doubt, satan does. Satan is the master of deceiving and planting doubt and question. Here lately, I have been doubting and questioning. It's in these times where I call upon Jesus's name and a peace transcends all understanding. During Sunday night service our pastor referenced the scripture Ephesians 6:11. In this scripture, Paul is telling us to put on the full armor of God to help fight against satan's schemes. Let me tell you, satan is good at scheming. He is in the world because in 1 John 4:4 it tells us that the one in us (Holy Spirit) is greater than the one who is in the world. I find that so comforting because, if you haven't noticed, our world is pretty dark right now and only getting darker. It's our duty as Christians to be the salt in the world. We need to preserve what's good in the world. We do that by hiding the word of God in our hearts and putting on the armor to get us ready for the fight.

Remember the challenge I presented to you last week? I hope you enjoyed the scripture reference Galatians 4:7. I also hope that you took the time to really reflect on what those words truly mean. If you have admitted to God that you are a sinner and you need Jesus as your Savior, you are no longer a slave to sin! Jesus bore your sins on the cross!!!! You, my friend, are an heir! Is that not awesome? Me or you or anyone did NOTHING to deserve such a position. It is because God loves us and Jesus knew that we needed him. Man, that's some good stuff and good loving! I hope you feel loved after reflecting and memorizing that scripture last week. 

Sooo are you ready for the next verse to place in your heart? This has become one of my favorite verses. I haven't memorized it yet either but here lately have read it several times. (When I post a verse, I am memorizing it also)--just to let you know! ;) Here is the entire verse but I am going to break it down so that you can take the time to reflect on each word.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:10-12

The part that I have highlighted is the part that you and myself are going to be memorizing this week. If you want to memorize the whole thing, please feel free to. I just like to break it down so that I can focus on what the verse is saying. Here is the part of the verse that I am going to memorize this week:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Ephesians 6:10-11

Stay Salty,

Annie

Challenge

Lately, I have been trying to memorize scripture. I do not know enough scripture and that is something I want to challenge myself to be better at this year. It really is good to have scripture embedded into your heart. It helps you in so many different aspects of life. I have been blessed with godly family members. There is one that I always go to when I am down and out. Even though she lives in a different state and has to take care of a family, she ALWAYS has good advice to give. It is godly, straight from the Bible, advice. She advised me to pray scripture and when she prays for me over the phone she prays scripture. Not all the time, but most of the time. 
At first, I would try to memorize 3 or 4 scriptures a week. Obviously, that is a lot and I noticed that I wasn't' really applying what I was memorizing to my life. Like a test in high school or college, I would learn the material for the test and as soon as I answered the last question the information was gone never to be used again. I noticed that I was just memorizing and I wasn't enjoying what the verses meant. To fix that problem, I challenged myself to learn a new verse each week. Just one verse so I could really take in what the verse was saying and apply it to my life. 
I am challenging you too. Try to set a goal for yourself to memorize a verse each week. Really sit back and during your quiet time reflect on what that verse means to you. You might be asking yourself where you are supposed to start. Well, to help you out, I am going to post the verse that I am memorizing for the week. If you want, feel free to memorize the same verse as me. If not, you can choose one when you are reading during your quiet time. If there is a verse that really speaks to you, memorize that one. Try to memorize the reference so when the opportunity arrises--and it will--you can encourage someone by saying the verse or telling them where to find it in the Bible. You will be surprised at how many opportunities the Lord allows you to use his word to help encourage, motivate, and love his people with the verses you memorize. 
Scripture for the week:

"So you are no longer a slave, but God's child, and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."

Galatians 4:7

Stay Salty,

Annie

True Love

As you know, Valentine's Day is coming up. I was reading the other night and came across this quote. It was one of those quotes, where after you read it, you do a fist pump into the air. It is so true of our God and so good that I had to share it with you. Here goes:

"The ultimate love you will ever experience will be between yourself and the One who created you and loves you most."

Michelle McKinney Hammond

I forget how much I am loved at times. Then, I am reminded that I have been bought with a price. If you are single and spending another Valentine's Day alone, remember that you are not alone. Jesus is with you and loves you. Those who aren't single and are currently dating someone or married, don't ever put your man above God. Like my girl Michelle said, the ultimate love you will EVER experience will be between you and your maker. No man will ever fill that spot that God intends for Jesus to fill. When you expect your man to meet the kind of love only Jesus can give you, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Humans always fail. God's love always prevails. 

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Psalms 4:23

Stay Salty,

Annie

God's Word

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever!"

Isaiah 40:8

Stay Salty,

Annie

Doors

For some odd reason, doors have really been on my mind. I am a sucker for antique furniture and these doors are gorgeous. Thanks, Google! ;) 

I have had many doors open and close in my life. The doors I am speaking of are the ones that God has allowed to open and close. I don't know about you, but I struggle with figuring out which door he is closing and which door he is opening.  I think of the story in Genesis 19. When God spared Abraham's nephew life from His wrath on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God opened the door for Lot and his family to leave the city before he destroyed it, but it was very hard for Lot to leave the door in which God was closing, closed. Before he was literally dragged out by the angels (Genesis 19:16), Lot hesitated because he didn't want to leave behind the life he and his family established there. How many times have I hesitated before I finally let the door close? When Lot and his family finally leave, the angels instructed them not to look back. Well, Lot's wife just couldn't obey God's command to not look back at the city and she turned into a pillar of salt. She didn't obey. God is a fair and just God, but he does punish sin. Obviously, if you look back at your past, you will not turn into a pillar of salt, but this is a good reminder for us to trust that when God closes a door in our lives, he opens another one. We just have to be ready to walk through it when he reveals to us which doors are opening and which ones are closing.  

I really struggle with letting doors shut lately. My "type A" personality likes to take over and think that I have control on which ones should be opened and which ones should be closed. I pray daily and ask God to help me leave the doors he shuts closed, and to give me the courage and strength to walk through the ones he opens. Thankful that God knows exactly what he is doing when he does open and close doors in my life. :)

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."

Alexander Graham Bell

Stay Salty,

Annie