What's your dream?

In light of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday today, I wanted to share one of the most special things I've ever seen. My little 9-year old sister (I'm not kidding when I say she's truly an angel) had an assignment in class last week where her teacher asked the class for their "I Have a Dream" Speech.

While other kids dreamed to fly or be a superhero (completely normal of a 9-year old), this is what my little sister wrote...

I Have a Dream

That I can follow God's Word

That my family will always believe in God and have faith

That my friends will understand me

O, I have a dream

That children will have mommies and daddies

That grownups will be an example to children

That people will start trusting in Jesus

O, I have a dream

That people will find God's Word

That people will learn more about Jesus

That there will be no giving up on God

O, I have a dream...

Camillerose Aguirre 

My prayer is when I have children, that they love and desire God's Word like my little sister. My mom is clearly an amazing mom, but this little one tops us all.

Encouragement.

Encouragement is something I've really needed the past few weeks. It's been really hard with career changes, stuff, and life just happening so fast. I'm so incredibly thankful for the blessing of my husband. He has really been my main source of encouragement and motivation.

Sometimes, I just feel like my prayers have been going into oblivion. I think many can agree to have felt that at one point or another. While my entire walk with Jesus, I've always heard him speak to me clearly, this year has been different. I know my faith has been challenged and stretched, but the past few weeks took the cake.

  I've been pleading and praying for certain things for a few years, but now is when it really seemed to matter. Then last night, I resolved to fully give it over to Him. Why? Because when there's nothing I can do myself, there's only faith holding me together. This mornings' quiet time was reading Psalm 86 which really felt like my cry to the Lord. Then, something happened....my day turned completely around. Blessings poured down all day! I have been literally in shock of how quick He works.

Just when I feel I couldn't take it anymore, I feel like today He wanted to give me a break =)

Tonight my husband and I attended a mid-week service that ironically, or not, was about: encouragement. I felt it was only appropriate given my prayer only last night and this morning.

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:12-13 (my emphasis)

Did you notice what can happen when you're not encouraged? Your heart can become hard making it more difficult to encourage and making it more difficult to move forward in life with a believing heart and full-fledged faith in God.

Be encouraged!

I dare you to "be still"

Today while in prayer at work, someone quoted Psalm 46:10,"Be still, and know that I am God". He asked that we just take a minute to be still.

Odd how that one minute felt like 1 hour. I tried to "be still" but thoughts of what I had to do today kept intersecting my meditative spirit. I didn't realize how hard it was to simply be still. Everytime I tried clearing my head of my thoughts and focus on who God is, I found myself fighting thoughts of busyness.

So, by the time the minute was over, I noticed I had spent that entire time fighting thoughts and trying to focus on others.

Why can't I just be still???

Even when I pray, I realize I'm thinking of everything else I need to pray for as I pray for something else. This is the madness in my head!

In this over saturated viral, networking, media infused world, it's hard to just stop it all and try to focus on nothing...except God. So I dare you, try to stop everything and simply "be still" and know that God is God.

Not of This World

My sister, Michelle, began studying at New World this fall with her major in Musical Theater. She's loved performing since she was young and is great at it, which is why it was no shocker to us when she was accepted.

Since the first week of school, she was immediately confronted about her faith in Jesus Christ. A teacher decided to have the students introduce themselves and what they believe in...odd...but I think it was just a great opportunity for Michelle to begin sharing her faith. Michelle's stance allowed other Christian students to feel confident in professing the same.

Last week, in a different class, each student was cast into a different play; Michelle was casted as a lesbian with another student as her lover. After class, she came up to the Professor and asked that she be given a different role. He said this has never happened before and that he'd have to discuss it with the Dean. There still has been no decision about what's going to happen, but Michelle is standing firm not because of "religion" but because playing that role goes against her faith in Jesus Christ. This isn't about being anti-gay, it's about not compromising to the world's standard of what they believe to be right.

As believers in Christ, we are not of this world.

Colossians 2:8-10 says "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

Needless to say, she's been confronted with several spiritual encounters that have been difficult. But, I'm proud of my little sister and the strength the Lord has given her to be bold and a light in the midst of darkness. Please keep her in your prayers. I know the Lord has placed her in this place because of her love and passion for the arts as well as people.