Standing Strong

My family and I have visited many churches over the years, so we have seen how several different denominations hold their services. Some of these churches have either been all for the prosperity gospel, or very much against it - that we should live as poor people like Jesus did.  In one particular church that we had been attending for quite some time, my family and I witnessed several situations that were very concerning to us. In the youth group, I remember everyone going around the room, saying what they were "believing" for. But the things they were believing for - every one of them was material possessions. When it got to my turn, I just kinda blurted out that I was believing for a piano. It was honestly the first thing I could think of at the moment, and I didn't want to look stupid in front of all these teens. Well, when you're afraid you're going to look stupid, oftentimes people pick up on that and decide to dig.  "Do you have a verse you...

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3  Whenever I read this scripture, I immediately dismiss it, thinking, "Got it. No problem with idolatry here." When I would read it, I would think of the gods in the Old Testament that people would worship. You know, like when the Hebrews worshipped the golden calf when Moses was trying to take them to the Promised Land? I used to think of idolatry as people who worshipped other fake gods instead of the one true God.  However, idolatry isn't just the worship of other gods, such as Buddha or Allah.   This is the definition of idolatry, according to Merriam-Webster:            1. the worship of a physical object as a god            2. immoderate attachment or devotion to something This means then, that anything we put before God, is an idol. Anything that we can't stop meditating on is an idol. The Bible makes it very clear that idolatry ...

Dear College Students, I know you are probably stressed out with homework, tests, and papers (and probably wondering why you are reading this blog post in the first place when you have so much to do). But I know you are more than likely also thinking about your future. You may be thinking about your future career. You may be thinking about how to land the perfect job that fits your major. You may be dreaming that one day, you will make a name for yourself in your job. Because after all, college is all about receiving that education to get that high-end 9-5, right? It's all about what you do to make yourself successful...right? ....What if we have it all wrong? For the longest time, I thought I had to have the same job that was in my field. I was convinced that I couldn't do anything else with my life. I thought I would be in sin if I decided to go another path. But then I realized...what if God wanted me to go down another path? What if instead...

Anxiety. It pulls at you. It pulls with all its strength. You feel like you are being pulled down, down, down, into a never ending dark pit, like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Anxiety.  The word itself makes my palms sweaty, and puts butterflies in my stomach. I get all jittery. I have come to realize that I deal with anxiety a lot. And instead of hiding it, I have decided to just come out with it, because hiding it makes me even more anxious. I become anxious over the big things and the small things. I get anxious about making decisions. I get anxious about buying things. I get anxious over money. I get anxious in certain social interactions, when I start believing the other person is thinking judgmental things about me. I get anxious about the future. I get anxious about almost everything. Anxiety is just fear. That's all it is. Well, I get tired of being anxious all the time. Letting anxiety take over is exhausting....