Halloween.

It's always been a source of conflict and confusion for Christians. Should you take part in it? Or not? Most people know by now that Halloween has evil, pagan roots. Would you want to "celebrate" something evil? Dressing up in cute, fun costumes may seem harmless, but did you know that in the beginning days of Halloween people dressed up to blend in with the demons and spirits? Creepy, huh? Halloween is a great chance to witness to people. If your church hosts something or hands out tracts, take part in it! If you decide to do something else, really think about your choice. Are you reflecting Christ, or evil? Also, think about the people you will be with. Will they encourage you to make Christ-like choices?

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

I've recently been finding out how in control God is in my life. He puts me through certain things so that he can be glorfied and so I can learn to trust him. When he shuts a door I know he is opening another. Recently, my heart has been breaking because he has shut a door. At first I didn't take it well and was mad at God for taking away an important relationship. Now I realize that even though it's hard on me God has opened other doors. What do I know? He may open that certain door later on in my life. All I know is that I can trust him with my heart- I know he will take perfect care of it. I smile as I read my journal because I look at how much good has come out of my once hard times and difficult situations. I sit here amazed at his power and divine glory. Understand I can come to him when I am broken, I take heart an don't feel as heavy. This is all in God's plan, he is making me stronger. Even though I hate it he has done all this for a specific purpose. He will be here through this all with open arms. Though my heart may never let go of the sweet memories, with his help I can push past them.


Revelation 3:7-8 (New International Version)

To the Church in Philadelphia
7"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

On your knees

In the midst of all the business of life, sometimes it's easy to neglect God when it comes to our prayer life. At night as you fall into bed, you say a quick "thank you Jesus for so and so and such and such" and then crash and enjoy that much needed sleep. Or you take time to pray, but while you are praying you get distracted thinking about that essay that's due tomorrow and the music you need to practice before lessons. Honestly, I struggle with that so much. Sometimes life just feels like a whirlwind and you need 10 more hours everyday to get everything done.
Something that has really helped me is spending time on my knees in prayer. Literally getting down on my knees and coming before the throne of my Savior. It makes such a difference to talk to God in that position. There is nothing to distract you from Christ, and it is very humbling to come before the Lord on your knees. Maybe today as you are rushing to get everything done, you can take just 5 minutes to talk to your Creator and give him the time that He deserves.

Psalm 5:7
But I, by your great mercy,
will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
toward your holy temple.

Psalm 95:6
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.

Open Eyes

Open the eyes of my heart Lord, won't you open the eyes of my heart?

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

Lord,
I come in contact with so many people who are just in need of love. Some are your children, some are not. Please open my eyes to see the hurting people in front of me and show me how to reach out to them so that you may shine.
Your daughter,
Becky

This is my prayer today. Perhaps you could make it yours as well.

For 100 years?

Genesis 6:9-14
This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. ¹⁰ Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. ¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹³ So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. ¹⁴ So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

Noah was on a mission from the Lord to build an ark. Most of you know his story backwards and forwards, but I find it particularly compelling to picture yourself right there with Noah. Think about what it was really like for Noah to build this ark. He was ridiculed, excluded, and shunned for 100 years. Can you imagine what that was like? That would be so hard to persevere and endure through day by day. But with the help of God, he was able to complete the ark and save his family.
Have you ever thought that God has an ark for you to build? He does. God has a specific "hard thing" for each of us to go through. But here's the thing to really think about, would you persevere for 100 years? How would you react to being the odd guy out for that long?
Girls, no matter what God has chosen for you to do, you have to be ready and willing to hold fast to your duty. If you are going through something hard right now, even if it seems miniscule compared to what Noah went through, take heart! You have God on your side. He strengthens us to complete our tasks and maintain a willing heart to obey Him.

2 Samuel 22:33
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.


In His Love,
Jessica

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Revelation 4:8 (New International Version)
8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Make it a priority.

I had less than 5 minutes of free time this morning, and I choose to read the passage below. Although it was somewhat hurried, I was very convicted. Make time with God a priority when you are busy.

Colossians 3:1-15

		If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
		Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
		For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
		When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
		Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
		On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
		In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
		But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
		Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
		and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
		Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
		Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
		bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
		And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
		And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

World-Changer

What is your purpose for being here on this earth? Why has God put you here? maybe just to live life and have a good time? Or is there something deeper and better? God has created this world and everything in it for his glory. He has made you and me to fulfill his call and give him all honor. We are made to save lives and be missionaries. It's not our job to sit at home all day and do whatever WE please. Our job is to get our of our comfort zone and do whatever HE pleases. Anyone can live life normally and sit around and watch TV. It takes a world-changer to live out God's plan. We are missionaries called to train up "disciples of all nations". Maybe your a little skeptical about this. Maybe your not sure that being a missionary is God's plan for your life. NO, your wrong. We are all called to be missionaries- no matter where we are at. You could be a girl in a school with a million other kids, you could be a stay-at-home mom, or you could be a reporter giving local news. It doesn't matter where you are at in life, YOU are called to be a difference maker. You are a fighter and wherever you are at is your battlefield. Yes, God does has specific purposes for us. But there is one clear purpose for us all: to be missionaries and life changers. WE want our lifesong to be one He smiles at.

LORD, I give my life
A Living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
Lifesong- Casting Crowns


Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

Reap what you Sow

Galations 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Many of us have heard the verse above many times: a man reaps what he sows. Sow good things and you'll be fine, right? But we never really think about what happens when you sow bad things. You see, often times we leave out the first part of that verse: God cannot be mocked. And for a Christian, that should make a huge impact on how you live your life. Because you cannot live in continual sin, mock the Lord, and be okay. James 1:15 says, "sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." For a Christian, we have a very high standard to live up to in comparison to those who do not know Christ. Those unbelievers await a judgment at the end of time, and we are released from that judgment by the blood of Christ. However, we do have consequences for our sin right now, and sometimes it leads to literal death. If you are blatantly sinning over and over and over again, you will reap what you sow. Think about Lot's wife, when she looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah when God explicitly told her and her family not to. She was killed; turned into a pillar of salt. Saul, king of Israel, continually lived in jealous sin, and even went so far as to consult a witch. His life ended as well. God cannot be mocked.

This post isn't to scare you into thinking God is going to kill you for not cleaning your room when your mom told you to. But I want you to really think about your life. Are you living in sin? Is there something that you are repeatedly struggling with? You can overcome that! If you turn to the Lord, and come before Him with a contrite and repentant heart, He is not going to turn you away. There will always be something you can work on, because we will never reach perfection here on this earth and we will always face the temptation to sin. Ask God to make you more aware of your sin, and then make a real effort to combat it! Identify the sin, and then attack it- with scripture, prayer, accountability, abstinence; whatever you are struggling with, there is a way to defeat and conquer it.

So what do you sow? Are you sowing sin? Or are you sowing something that will lead to a bountiful harvest glorifying our King?

In His Love,
Jessica

Dreaming

I'm naturally a daydreamer. I concoct crazy scenarios in my head, and nothing every happens as I plan it, because it is just that--a crazy scenario. Daydreaming is something you need to watch for. It can make you very disillusioned with your life. When you come up with a plan that seems like the absolute best for you, it is hard to accept God's plan for you, the real best thing. However, we do need to look forward to eternity with Jesus. Focusing and dreaming about that will give us purpose and hope.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Always

Life is full of decisions and paths that every one of us have to make a some point. We all have different desires as to what we want to do with our life, and sometimes making those decisions is really difficult.

Psalm 121:7-8

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Knowing that God has promised to guard and watch over my life forever is so reassuring. I know that whatever I do and wherever I am, God will be always right there with me. His promises are so beautiful because I know that He will keep them. He is faithful to us until the very end.

Psalm 139:1-3

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

In His Love,

Jessica

Attitude of Christ

Ever just feel...moody? Maybe your happy one minute and really depressed another. Sometimes it's hard to keep a happy face when someone said something that annoyed you or your mom got mad at you. However, we have a choice to have a good attitude. We always have a choice to what our attitude will be when we will feel sad. Everyone has a bad day every once in awhile, but we have to choose top to a smile on our faces.

Philippians 2:5 (New International Version)

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:


This is the day the Lord has made and we need to be glad and rejoice in it! :)
Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Modesty

Modesty. What a tough issue in our society. It’s so often overlooked. Why is that? Why don’t we care anymore? Although I don’t have an answer, I do have a solution.

1 Timothy 2:9-10
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for woman who profess to worship God.

This verse not only means dress modestly, but also dress in the fullness of the Lord. Now, don’t understand me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t wear braided hair or pearls, I’m saying we are supposed to dress in a way pleasing to God. We want people to be able to see God through our hearts. He made each of us special in our own way. It's a shame to ruin his workmanship by dressing immodestly.

God really doesn’t care what you wear, as long as it’s pleasing to him. He probably isn’t up in heaven thinking, “Oh my that shirt looks adorable on her today! I wonder where she got it!?” It’s important to look cute and be well dressed, but there is no reason to go overboard.

Why do we deliberately try to show off our bodies in an unpleasing way? There are a number of reasons, but I’ll name a few.

1. Popularity

Sometimes we’re more popular if we dress immodestly. Often girls think that if they dress a certain way they will have more friends and be liked more. Honestly, our number one priority should be to be popular with God!

2. Insecurity


We sometimes feel insecure. It’s happened to me and I bet it’s happened to you. We dress immodestly because we feel that it’s the only way to gain friends and boyfriends. If we dress inappropriately than we feel better about ourselves. However, this good feeling only lasts a short time and we will soon realize our sin.

Have you ever thought about how guys see modesty? I know from experience that they really appreciate modesty. It helps them keep their thoughts pure and have a clean heart before God. Girls, one of the reasons we need to dress modestly is for the sake of guys! I do it to honor my future husband. http://therebelution.com/modestysurvey/browse

Don’t be drawn to dressing like the world because you think you will get more attention from guys. It may be true they notice you more, but I'm positive they aren't thinking pure thoughts when they see you dressed inappropriately. They definitely aren't thinking “That girl is so nice, kind, and sweet!” No! Instead they are drawn to your body. The guys you want around won't be the guys that appreciate you dressing immodestly.

I hope this has helped you in your journey towards seeking Christ!
Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

living sacrifice- but why?

Romans 12:1 (New International Version)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

I have read this verse so many times, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I really and truly understood exactly what it meant. Every time I read this I would think, "okay, offer my body as a living sacrifice to God. Got it." and keep on reading the next verses. But I had yet to ask the question why.
Why do I offer my body as a sacrifice? Why should I devote myself to the Lord?

If you read in the chapters previous to chapter 12, the apostle Paul writes about God's sovereign choice to even create us. The fact that He even took the time to decide what color eyes each of us have should make us fall on our face in worship.
God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the penalty for our sins. And with a simple plea to Him for forgiveness and faith that He is Lord, you can become His child.
Why should we keep ourselves pure for our future husbands? Why should we abstain from sinful desires? Why should we strive to live a holy life? Because in view of God's mercy, of what He has done for us, how could we not?

Romans 12:1 (New Living Translation)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

In His Love,
Jessica

Beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful

--Excerpt from MercyMe's "Beautiful"

This song just recently became my favorite. The world is really just a hard place to live in. We all have days when we feel like no one loves us, like we are nothing. In God's eyes, we are always beautiful. You are a treasured possession like no other!

In Him,
Becky

Restless

Psalm 62:1
My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

It is easy for us to lose our focus; to get so caught up in our own desires and thoughts that we completely lose sight of God.
This weekend, God has really revealed to me that the He truly is my everything and I am absolutely nothing without Him. He is my reason. He is my Hope. I can't express the right words that describe how indebted I am to my Savior. Colossians 1:17 says "in Him all things hold together." He holds my very life in His powerful hands.
I am so unworthy of any consideration from God, yet He has intricately designed and thought out my future.
My soul rests in Christ alone. In nothing else can I put my trust, except my Lord. When all else fails, I know that there is always my God.
These lyrics from the song Restless by Audrey Assad have brought me a lot of comfort these past couple days.

Restless

You dwell in the songs that we are singing
Rising to the Heavens, rising to Your heart, Your heart
Our praises filling up the spaces
In between and frailty and everything You are
You are the keeper of my heart

And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
Oh God, I wanna rest in You

Oh, speak now for my soul is listening
Say that You have saved me, whisper in the dark
'Cause I know You're more than my salvation
Without You I am hopeless, tell me who You are
You are the keeper of my heart
You are the keeper of my heart

And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I wanna rest in You

Still my heart hold me close
Let me hear a still small voice
Let it grow, let it rise
Into a shout, into a cry


Rest in the Lord today; in His grace, mercy, and love.

In His Love,
Jessica

An Abortion Survivor

Happy Birthday!

Jessica,
Happy Birthday compadre!
I pray you have a fabulous day and a great year.
I love you and your vigor for life and your love for Jesus that shows in everything you do.
And...all our pictures and inside jokes.
Keep striving for the Lord!

Love,
Becky :)

Miss someone?

Ever miss someone so much it hurts? As teenage girls, this happens to us a lot. I personally miss about five people in my life desperately. One person in particular I think about practically all the time. It's hard missing people, especially ones your close to. I don't know if y'all remember,but about a year about my best friend moved away and my heart pretty much broke. I kept asking why God? Why would you take a person who means the world to me away? Can't you see your child is hurting? Asking these questions, I found how mighty God is. Sometimes he takes away people in your life you to strengthen you or to bring a new chapter in your life. When I look back at Megan moving I now smile and realize what a greater plan God had. Sure I miss Megan, especially thinking about our amazing time together. However, God has brought a new stage in my life because of her leaving. And honestly? I've had even better times than I used to. Most the time we don't understand why people we love just can't be with us all the time. I know I don't. Throughout this battle of missing someone, I've grown to trust God in his purpose because he is the author of my life story.

Ephesians 1:11 (New International Version)

11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

Sick?

Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

There are so many people in our world who are sick. They have no hope, no purpose, and are going to be in Hell someday because they don't know the good news about Christ. We know the answer, the cure, for their sickness. We were all sick ourselves and have been healed by Jesus. So why don't we get out there and tell them the good news- there is hope! there is purpose in this life! Jesus has offered us the gift of everlasting life with Him in Heaven. Don't keep it in; shout it out until the whole world hears that Jesus is Lord!

In His Love,
Jessica

Complaints

Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing.

complain: –verb (used without object)

1.to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault: He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.

I don't know about you, but for me that hits pretty close to home. Complaining is expressing dissatisfaction or pain? And the Bible says do everything without complaining, in effect don't complain? Wow!

In everything Jesus faced, he never complained; because He knew what he was doing was God's will.

What we face is also God's will for our lives. It's tough, but know that it will work for the best! Face it without complaining!

His Very Words

1 Peter 4:10-11
¹⁰Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Our lives as Christians have such an impact on people. We are being observed and watched by lost people around us. The other day, one of my lost friends said to me, "It's interesting to hear about God from someone who is so passionate about Him, especially if they are your own age." Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I'd hear her say that. I just thought she would think I was weird for trying to share Christ with her. But the thing is, standing up for Christ and proclaiming His glory doesn't happen very often in society. There are people out there that are searching for the truth, but get too confused by all the different "religions" and "denominations" that they just give up on God entirely. That is why it is so important for us to live our lives like Christ Jesus. We may be the only Jesus someone might encounter. If you speak, you should speak the very words of God. His very words. Would God participate in your daily conversations? Would He say the things you say? Would God do the things you do?

1 Peter 4:1-2
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ²As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Jesus lived for the will of God, not for any desires He had. Jesus had every right to be honored and served while he was on this earth; but He was despised and rejected, a servant to all. When we are wholly focused on God and His will for our lives, we will be a walking reflection of the Lord. And that witness for Him will shine brighter than anything else we could ever do. Give up that sin. Give up those desires. Surrender all to your Savior; arm yourself with the attitude of Christ.

In His Love,
Jessica

Dear God

Dear God,
Obviously, you already know what is in my heart, so you know what is in this letter even before I have written it down. While I don’t often understand your ways, I’m trying. Through my few years of life I have learned much-maybe too much about the evils of this world. Abortion, a cruel heartless murder of innocent babies, is evil and yet happens every day. People in Africa are suffering and don’t even have fresh water to drink. Throughout America, kids are being taught evolution in schools, taking away all your credit and saying there isn’t even a God.

When a girl gets pregnant, usually when she fell into temptation, she doesn’t think twice about aborting her baby. Most people don’t even believe it’s wrong and use the weak argument that they aren’t even for sure if the baby is living. Why do they not stop and realize what they are doing? You know what happens to those babies, they didn’t even get a chance to live for you and make a difference. I know in heaven all will be perfect, but please convict those young mothers who are contemplating aborting their babies. Murder is wrong, and you just can’t kill a baby.

Throughout Africa, there are millions of beautiful people who die because they don’t have fresh water. They are forced to drink out of hand dug wells that are infected and have poisonous water. Sadly, young girls are forced into prostitution and other kids are kidnapped and made into slaves. The amazing thing is- these people are madly in love with you and worship you throughout all of their trials with a happy heart. I want to have this attitude. Learning about these people makes me sad and joyfully happy at the same time.

Evolution is a growing into the only answer to how the earth began. Creationists are called “crazy” and are laughed at for their beliefs. When Charles Darwin first thought up Darwinism he would’ve never guessed that it would become so popular among our culture. Observing this evil up in heaven must be saddening and angering. I can’t imagine. Unfortunately, atheists are rising up to be the norm in our new generation. I know that when that final day comes the people will eventually realize who actually made the heavens and the earth.

These evils that are displayed throughout our large world are saddening and heartbreaking. Sickeningly, infants are killed by heartless doctors and mothers. When millions of Africans die because of the lack of clean water, most people don’t even notice, much less care. Evolution is being taught everywhere, taking away all your credit, which is unthinkable. Please God, restore our nation and our land. I know justice will be served.

Your servant in Christ,
Madison

Romans 1:11-12

I long to see you so that I may impart on you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

I challenge you to really think about your Christian friends. After spending time with them, you should leave feeling encouraged in the Lord. If you aren't feeling that way, start with yourself. Look for opportunities to uplift and encourage others today!

Live Like Your DYING

Recently I attended a funeral of a man who has changed my life. I didn't know him that well and hadn't seen him in around six years. He was one of the pastor's of the church we used to go to before we moved. Anyway, his funeral wasn't anything like I expected. Actually, this funeral was quiet the opposite.

As soon as I walked through the church doors I was AMAZED. Over a thousand people had come. It was packed. As I mentioned, I didn't know this man well (because we left such a long time ago), but he was special to me and I remember him clearly from so many years ago. So as I sat down and looked at the hundreds of people around the room I thought to myself, "Wow this man meant so much to SO many people!"

Honestly, it was the most sad, but inspirational thing I've ever been to. I don't really know how to describe it, but Tim lived the most amazing life I have ever seen. He touched so many people's lives and hearts. The service was three hours long and it wasn't nearly enough time. There wasn't a dry eye in the building, including grown men.

Finding out he had in cancer early last year, Tim knew that he was dying. The strange thing is, he didn't have change his lifestyle to "live like he was dying" because that was how he already lived! Think about that for a moment! This is so powerful because most of us live our lives pretty normally. We don't really take risks and chances, we don't see beyond selfishness, and we certainly, don't put God as our number one priority. I could overload y'all with amazing stories about Tim's amazing life, but I won't(at least today!).

Matthew 25:13 (New International Version)

13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Tim has lived his life well and without a doubt will be told, "Well done good and faithful servant. " I thank the Lord for letting me be able to be touched and changed by this man of God. We can all learn for his story. How will YOU live YOUR life? My hero, role-model, and inspiration is Tim Wright.

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison