Being a female in today's world stinks, to be honest. You are constantly bombarded with unrealistic expectations on how to look, how to dress, what to say, what to do... the list goes on. You see magazines with women who are probably not even close to your size all glammed up, and headlines screaming, "This is how you're supposed to look!!". Articles are splashed all over with talking points on how to win over that cute guy you like, or how to talk properly in an interview. I'll admit that I even fall victim to what the world says is the right thing to do as a woman, every one does.

What I sometimes forget to acknowledge is that what the world is telling you is not what you should be focusing on. God has so much more planned for you than you could ever imagine. He doesn't care that you spent 3 hours on your hair and makeup for church, or that you're still single in a pool of people your age already getting hitched and having kids. He doesn't care that you're not as thin as the women in magazines. He cares about you for who you are. He loves you in a way that you can't find in someone or something. In church this past Sunday, our pastor was listing things that we find ourselves filling that void where the Lord should be: money, cars, relationships, etc. We should never forget the wonder and beauty and overwhelming love that God has in our lives.

I was doing my devotional today, and this verse really made all of this clear to me. Ephesians 2:10 says that,

In my devotions, I read that workmanship in Greek is poiema, and that's where we get the word poem. When you think about a poem, you think about how carefully crafted each word is before it is put together into one perfect sonnet. That's how God has our lives planned. He created you in His image, carefully and full of love, and it all blends together beautifully. Whenever you read a regular poem, sometimes you can appreciate its beauty, sometimes not. God wants us to show others what great things He can do for them, for us to show them the poem He has written for us. There will be naysayers, but there will be people who will appreciate that poem and will want what you have. 

However, before you can go and show others the poem God has written for you, it is important that you love the poem first. God has so much in store for your life, and whenever you aren't appreciating what He has in store for you, it most likely upsets Him. If you let the things of this world, the things that Satan whispers in your ear about you not being good enough for anything, take over your life, you'll forget about what a wonderful, graceful Savior and Lord you have. 

That's just Satan's trick: for you to forget about Him and get yourself lost in the desires of this world. Don't let that happen! Whenever you start to feel that way, read through Psalms 139. Don't lose sight on the poem God has written for you. Don't ever forget that no matter what this world may tell you, the only true way to find happiness is through Christ. And when you find it, let others know, so that way they, too, will find that peace and love and grace that everyone else is still searching for.

Yours truly,

Leighan

If you haven't already noticed, our world is slowly pulling closer and closer to the "dark side", to the end times. There are hostile groups out there that existed since the 20th century, crime, immorality... the list goes on. What I have been seeing nowadays in this world is a lot of people that are taking lives out of pure hatred. We see so much of it on the news: Columbine, Virginia Tech, what went down in Charleston, and so much more. When you think about it, it is insane how much shootings you see in our nation.

Now, I never thought about writing about this, but what recently sparked my interest is what happened in Oregon this week. A gunman opened fire at a community college, killing several people in his wake. What really shocked me was the fact that he reportedly asked people if they believed in God, and shot them on the spot if they said yes. I know that this has happened before, such as it was rumored to be in Columbine. It just pains me to see not just innocent lives being taken from a lost, dark individual, but a Christ follower losing his/her life for not denying his love for the Lord in the face of death.

I was reading the last chapter in 1 Peter today, and it inspired me to write about this. I was just doing my daily reading, when I stumbled upon this verse, which says,

This verse really stood out to me because we as Christ followers have the tendency to think that everything is fine and dandy, that everything is perfect. Yes, Christ provides a head of protection over us, but, just as he tested Peter, he will test you to see how deep your love is for him. What actually is coming to mind as I write this is Pastor Saeed. He is a missionary who was arrested by the Iranian government for "charges of undermining national security gatherings in Christian homes in Iran"(1). He is just a follower of His word, doing the great work, and was arrested for it. Right now, he is sitting in prison for trying to help bring more people to Christ, trying to show how wonderful our Lord and Savior is. He is just an example of how Christ followers all over the world are being slandered. We see countries slaughtering people who convert over to Christianity, imprisoning them like Pastor Saeed, and they show no mercy. 

In regards to the Oregon shooting, those victims were just standing firm in the midst of trial, standing firm in their faith, just as it talks about in 1 Peter 5. I feel as though we Christians say that we will never deny him, but we need to really stand firm in our relationship with Christ. Peter said he would never deny Jesus, and when he was bombarded with questions asking him if he was one of Jesus' disciples, he denied Jesus three times. We as Christ followers should never forget what Jesus did for us on that cross, and that he paid the ultimate price for us. 

No one said that being a follower of Christ was going to be a walk in the park. It is going to be a tough journey, with people everyday slandering the name of Jesus, with all of the temptations and peer pressures we face in life. Remember, the devil is only here for three things: to kill, steal, and destroy. He is using these lost people's lives for his work. There will come a day that we have to answer to those people, to answer the question, "Do you believe in God". What will you say when that day comes, the day that your faith is tested? My prayer is that we stand firm in our faith, and answer that question with the boldest "yes" we will ever say. Don't forget the ultimate price that was paid for us, and always remember that, 

Yours truly,

Leighan