Friends

Recently I have been thinking about my friendships all the time. As i look back at my past I remember people that i used to be really good friends with. And now i look at where I am now. What happened to all thos friends? Sure, I deffinately hated to loose my relationship with those people but with some of them I know that they could have possibly held me back from getting to the point where I am today. And I know that God brings certain people into my life to test, try, and strengthen me. And it is His decision to keep them there and to take them away.
I also look at how the people that i grow closer to has changed. The people that I develop close relationships today will affect my future. So I must carefully associate myself with the right group of friends.
God wants me to have friends that will encourage me to always seek Him first in every situation. He removes and replaces the people in my life for specific reasons and I have to realize that.
Recently, as well, I have found myself making sure that I am not getting into too close of a relationship with guys. As a 14 year-old the last thing I need to have on my mind is a relationship. I dont need to be in a relationship with somebody when i know that nothing can come of it this early on. I always have to remind myself that if it's God's will He will work it out.
Through all of this I try to think of the bigger picture. I can't see what's around every turn in my life, but God can. Not one single sparrow falls to the ground without Him noticing. So no matter how trying and difficult my relationships may become I just remember that God has a bigger plan for me than i could ever imagine. And that is exactly the same for you.

God Bless! :)

I'm Special

I used to struggle with depression a lot. I used to feel like nobody loved me, that nobody cared, and that what I did didn't matter. Hardly anybody noticed that I was depressed. I guess I would just cover it up with a fake smile through my hardest times. Only a few people noticed a change in me. I wish I could say it was some of my closest friends but it wasn't. They were friends that didn't know me very well. They would always ask me if anything was wrong. If I was doing alright. I would lie, of course, and just shrug it off and say I was fine and that nothing was the matter. I knew they didn't believe me.
I was so stupid. I allowed Satan to convince me that nobody cared. All the time friends were asking about me. That alone meant that they cared. But of course I couldn't see that. Finally, I don't know how it happened, but i realized that no matter what happens God will always care about me. He will always love me. He always has a plan for me. No matter how crazy my life gets. And even when I don't feel like my friends or family love me, He's always going to be here for me. It's just a matter of me acknowledging Him and allowing Him to console me. I just have to run to Him and everything will be OK no matter what the circumstance is. So now, whenever I feel down on myself and when I feel very alone I pray, and remember this song-
"Jesus laid down His life to die for me, When I was lost in sins dark night. Though I did not deserve this gift so free, each child is special in His sight.
I'm special to Jesus, there's no one else like me. I wouldn't trade places with anyone else, I'm special you see. God has prepared a task, He wants me to do. I'm special, I'm special to my Lord.
I may be rich, I may be very poor, still I am special just the same. Christ hears each knock I make on Heavens door. He hears each time I call his name.
I'm special to Jesus, there's no one else like me. I wouldn't trade places with anyone else, I'm special you see. God has prepared a task, He wants me to do. I'm special, I'm special to my Lord. I'm special, I'm special to my Lord."
It is always a wonderful help to me, because it reminds me that no matter how many times I fall, and no matter how many times I may stumble off of the path that God wants me to be on He always cares.

Hebrews 13:5- Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as yea have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

If you have any personal questions or comments feel free to email me at
alife4christ.sarah@gmail.com

God Bless! :)

How Much Time Do We Give to God?

*In these modern times we have so much technology available to us. We have computers, cell-phones, telephones, TVs, i-pods, mp3 players, radios, and more. Every single day most of us spend a lot of time using one of these things. Maybe on the Internet, texting, watching TV, listening to music, or just playing basically pointless games. I myself spend a lot of time on the computer. I could be editing random pictures, updating my facebook, or replying to emails. No matter what it is i spend way to much time on the computer.
*Recently I've been thinking about much time i spend on the computer or on my other forms of technology and then comparing that to how much time I actually spend just reading God's Word and meditating on it. Every day i read the Bible for 30 minutes. Its really not that long. And then when i compare that short time to how much time i spend doing other things it just gets smaller and smaller in comparison. I don't even realize it most times but i might spend 2-3 hours on the computer. And most of the time I'm not doing anything important. I'm definitely not saying that technology is bad. I'm just saying that everybody needs to watch how much time we spend on it. And definitely me.
*After realizing that i spend so much time in the computer and not very much time in the Word, I need to do something about it. So I'm going to see how much time i spend on the computer and spent that same amount of time just reading the Bible. You can do it too. Just take whichever form of technology that you spend the most time on, without really benefiting from that, and then add up the time and read the Bible for that same amount of time.
*It's very good to have someone you can be accountable to. Make sure it is somebody that is also willing to be accountable to you. Whether its your spouse, mom, dad, brother, sister, or friend. Just find someone that can ask you if you've been staying on track. But most importantly don't think of this as a chore. Think of it as a way that God is drawing you closer to Him, because He is.
*I would love to be accountable to you as well. And would love to hear feedback on what's going on. So here's my email- sarahbeans.shortstuff@gmail.com
*Keep strong in your commitments and beliefs. God Bless.

Ephesians 5:16- Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Tortured For Christ

*Recently I started reading a book called "Tortured For Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand. He grew up as an atheist in Romania in the early 1900's. He was confused about his faith and came to Christ after he was married and his wife soon followed. He was a pastor and he preached the Truth no matter what. Communist's began persecuting the church. He was arrested after a while and the torture in the prison was horrible. In his book he said that some of the ways they were tortured were so incredibly horrible that he can't even bear to think about them, much less write about them. He saw so many die for Christ in his lifetime.
-As an American believer I can't even begin to imagine how horrible all of this was. Seriously! Thankfully here in America right now we can worship freely and the government cant tell us not to. We complain about the smallest things. So many people have starved because their spouses or parents weren't there to supply food. Many were beaten to death and tortured mercilessly, and all for God. They didn't complain. They went through it all with joy in their hearts and many times smiles on their faces because they knew God's love. They knew that on the other side of all this torture, suffering, and pain that there was a loving God waiting for them to come home.
*The first time he was imprisoned he was there for 8 1/2 years. He saw so many of his dear friends die. Even though they knew they would be beaten severely, he and many others preached to the other prisoners. There was one man there who was preaching one day. He was in the middle of his sermon when guards rushed in, drug him out, beat him horribly, then threw him back in the cell. He was terribly bloody, bruised, and in terrible pain but he just said "now brethren, where was I?" and continued his sermon.
One girl was discovered one day. She had been witnessing to little children. The secret police waited for a little while until the day of her wedding. As the ceremony was going on the secret police burst in. She reached out her arms to be handcuffed. She looked at her groom, kissed the shackles and said "I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank him that i am worthy to suffer for Him." She was then drug out and taken to prison. She was released 5 years later, a broken, destroyed woman, looking at least 30 years older.
Some of the most horrible things happened to the women and girls of the prison. Unspeakable things went on in this area of the world for some time. But God used it all for his glory and He had a purpose for it all.
-These people, just like me and you, they did so much for Christ. Just like them we can do so much for the Cause. It doesn't matter where you live, how old you are, or how shy or outgoing you are. God has placed us on this beautiful earth for a purpose. He has a plan for me, and he has a plan for YOU! You don't have to be tortured or go through many great challenges to be used by Him. God can use us in the simplest ways. Take time to ask God about what He wants you to do for him.

Colossians 3:16&17- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Accepting God's plan

In the past couple of years I've gone through the toughest times in my life. Mostly just this past year. Several people that i knew or knew who they were died. I lost many good friends. Friends that i was really close to changed from being on fire for God, just diminished. Tough things going on with my family members. Just so many things that have been so trying in my life. There's really not words that can describe what I've felt. In hard times i would feel sorry for myself. Just start thinking, "this trial is so hard. I'm never going to get through it. Nobody can help me. Nobody cares." I would just let these thoughts swallow me up and make me feel so bad for myself.
-But one day i heard a sermon. It was on just accepting God's plan for me. the way it is. Because if I don't accept his will for my life and I go a totally different way, or just feel sorry for myself i could miss a very important opportunity. If i took the different way I could get into wrong relationships, become just basically dead for God, and It could end up in something very bad. If i chose to just feel sorry for myself the whole time I could become bitter. I could ignore my friends, and if they were going through a time when they really needed someone to be there I could miss that. And i wouldn't be able to lead them back to Christ. I would be so caught up in my problems that i would build up unnecessary walls in my life. Or the final option, I could choose to accept what God has planned for me.
-By accepting God's will i would grow a stronger relationship with God. And I could just learn from everything that was going on. These past years by just learning to accept God's will in my life has strengthened me so much. I realize every day how blessed I am. I look back on the times when i felt bad for myself and just think. I know so many people who have been through so much more than i have. And then i think about the many many more people that go through unimaginable loss and pain. And then i think. You know. A lot of these people are without God. They don't have someone that loves them unconditionally. They have nobody to turn to.
-I just have to keep going to God over and over and keep asking him to help me accept his plan for my life. Things seem to be easier almost when i do that. So my prayer for YOU today is that you will learn to accept God's plan for your life.

~This verse has meant so much to me this past year. Its been one of the many verses i turn to.
Romans 8:28-
And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, To them that are the called according to His purpose.

-Rich or poor, old or young, strong or week, God loves and wants the best for you. Turn to Him.

~God Bless