Monday, February 25, 2013

The Local Church And The Neighborhood Bar

Have you ever thought of the similarities of the local church and the neighborhood bar?

In both places:

...people come looking for fellowship;
...people want to go where others know their name;
...people want to go where they are accepted;
...people want to go where their spirits will be lifted;
...people are united around one theme;
...people go where they like the music.

Like a priest, the bartender serves by listening to people's troubles. But the differences are profound. The bar is centered on booze and the church is centered on Jesus Christ. The bar offers a way to escape problems. The church offers a way to face them, get through them, and overcome them.The spirit inside the bar lowers one's guard when it comes to temptation and sin. The spirit of the true church encourages people to turn from sin and turn to God.

The bar may be a substitute for the environment of the church, but it never comes close to providing the meaning and purpose found in a Christ-centered church.

30 Day Photography Challenge ~ A Bad Habit

I eat these WAY too much!!!!!

Crazy Blizzard

Lubbock Blizzard 2013

Sit by the fireplace with Daisy kinda day....! Hellooooo blizzard!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Saturday Night Date Night

I love him.

Character Traits To Live By ~ Faith

 
 
 
2 Peter 1:5-7 tells us we should live by exemplifying faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, patience, service for God, kindness, and love.  In order to fully live out any of these things, we must have faith in each of them.  We must have faith in God.  I know that without God, I cannot possibly be all of these things.  On my own, I am nothing.  Each day, I must have Faith that God uses everything in my life to transform my character into His image and into who He designed me to be. 
 
Sometimes we will never know if a decision is right or wrong unless we step out and try something.  We must have faith that God will catch us if we fall and trust that if we totally miss what He was guiding us to do, that with the right intentions, He will take us and place us right back in His perfect will.  It is so easy to step out of that will.  We get sidetracked by life around us, the enemy tempts us to go a different direction and we take it, or we simply misread what He was telling us.  However, we should never allow fear of any of these things keep us from always stepping out in faith! 
 
"Be strong and courageous.  The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9
 
When I moved back home to Lubbock, I was so unsure of a lot.  I had no idea what I would really be doing here.  Questions of going on a long-term missions trip, finding a job, going back to school...."what would I be doing" totally clouded my head.  It wasn't until I sat still, spent some time with God, and just prayed that I received the answers to the questions I had.  Even after I felt Him answer me, I still felt uneasy.  This was going to be a move that I would have NO control of.  Everything would be relying on God, everything!  However, I knew that if I truly felt He was guiding me, then I had NO choice than to obey Him and have faith.  I knew that even if for some small reason, I was wrong and the move was  not in His will for me, that He would still take care of me.  Faith was what moved me to make the big decision that was in front of me and God has not let me down once, not even a hair in this decision.  He has shown me so much favor over the last few months that taking this giant step back into His perfect will for my life has totally changed me.  I have seen Him in ways, I cannot even explain.  His love for me has exuded all of my expectations!!
 
Faith!
 
Faith, is where it starts! 
 
"I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
 
 
We must remember that when we seek His will in everything we do, He will never lead us to do something without fully equipping us for the task at hand.  Have Faith in this and life will be AMAZING!
 
xoxo,
Crystal
 


Thursday, February 21, 2013

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Low Angle


It's Ok Thursdays ~ This Working Girl Does Not Have A Date To The Ball



It's ok that I'm totally exhausted from being back to work but I TOTALLY love it!!!! Being a working girl again ROCKS!!!!

It's ok that I'm stressed out over some decisions I need to make.....GREAT decisions but none-the-less.....stressful! Thank God, I have an amazing God who will guide me....juuuussstttt as soon as I let it go to Him! ;)

It's ok that I do not have a date for the ball on Saturday because now that I don't have a date for the actual ball, I get to have a stay at home date with one amazing man....


That's right folks, I will be babysitting a sweet Andrew while his mommy and daddy go to the ball! See, being single has it's privileges!

It's ok that I'm totally over American Idol..... bored with it and this makes me very sad!

Thursday Morning Quick Update

Started my new job this week and it has been great! Meeting lots of amazing people!!! Loving life!!!