Quality of Friends

What's the quality of your friends?
Who are the people you hang around with?

We all love to have a bunch of friends, but have we ever thought about the people we are hanging around with? Sure most our friends aren't druggies or anything bad like that, but have we ever thought about their character deep down?

I'm pretty blessed to have a group of amazing friends. However, as I look at some of their hearts I see that they aren't truly following God and aren't actually "walking the walk". I know none of us are perfect, but as we look into our friend's lives we need to see a general fruit producing. Are they kind to their siblings? Do they gossip behind people's backs? Do they talk to you only when they want to? Do they honor their parents? These questions really make you look at your friends hearts. I'm not saying you should judge them, but I am saying you shouldn't hang around them as much and make them your close friends. You are who you hang around with.

The Bible says,
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

When choosing our close friends we need to choose people whose hearts are pleasing to God. Sure they may not be the coolest kids on the block, but they are sure cool to God. The kids who are building up treasure in heaven is who you want to rub off on you.

I hope this post has encouraged you to hang around the right kinds of friends...they are hard to find, but are such a blessing to have. Remember: Jesus is the best friend you will EVER have! :)

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

Do you love Him?

Do you love to give?
...love to serve?
...love to sacrifice?
...love to pray?
...love to read the Bible?

Good; but there is a more important question: Do you love Jesus? He should be the reason you love those things.
Loving Jesus will overflow and pour over into all other areas of your life. If you love Him with abandon and make your life all about your relationship with Him, you will love the things you should love more than you could on your own.

Praying for Friends

Ever had a friend that's slipped away from God?
One of my best friends came for a visit and she has changed so much. I honestly didn't know what to do because she acting so strange. It broke my heart to see her being rebellious against God and doing things she shouldn't. When we talked about more serious topics, I tried to be a good influence on her, but don't really know if she took it to heart.

I realize that the only two things we can do is for our friends is pray for them and be a good influence on them. We don't know where they will end up, but we do know we have a big God and he can do anything in her life.
We can make it a habit to pray for our lost friends whenever we think about them. It can give us peace to know God has their lives in his control and he will do his will.

Keeping God first in our lives, our friends will see what an difference our lives make. We can't make them become followers of Christ, but we can help them along the way.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

What's your Mood?

Ever had one of those days? Where everything seems to be going wrong? You feel horrible because it's that time of the month and you have to make dinner all by yourself, while your lazy brothers sit and play video games. Your hair looks horrible, you didn't even care to put a stitch of make-up on, and you just want to curl up under your covers and ignore life. When life stinks and nothing seems fair, it's easy to let our moods get the better of us. Especially as girls, we tend to blame the fact that we are crabby or irritable on PMS. Okay, let's just be serious. Yeah, we may not feel that fabulous, but that's no excuse for us to sin by being in a bad mood. Yep, I just said it. Being in a bad mood is SINNING. And let me tell you, I am so guilty of letting my moods control me.

Proverbs 25:28 (NIRV)
A man who can't control himself
is like a city whose walls are broken down.

When we don't have control over our emotions, we are completely defenseless. Satan likes nothing more than to get a foothold in our life when our wall of protection is broken down. When we choose to be in a bad mood, it affects our whole day. We think only of ourselves and are doing the exact opposite of what God wants us to do. He wants us to be focused on serving Christ and other people. When all we are focused on is how horrible our day is, we can't think beyond ourselves and see God's big picture. As believers, it's detrimental to our spiritual lives when we don't stay focused and concentrated on the Lord.
And so I ask.

What mood are YOU in?


In His Love,
Jessica

No Other God

Isaiah 43:10-13
¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
¹¹ I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
¹³ Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”

As I read through the book of Isaiah, there are multiple verses which talk about Israel's ignorance to the Lord in serving others gods. Throughout the Old Testament, it seems the trend was to constantly turn from the Lord because the grass seemed greener somewhere else. Over and over, God's holy, chosen people turned to man-made idols that did them no good.

Even now, there is a huge majority of people that serve false gods. People are so deceived by the devil, and have such a desire for some kind of leadership and reason for this world, that they turn to whatever they can find. It's sad to see people more devoted to someone that's been dead for hundreds of years than to the eternal, everlasting Savior, Jesus Christ. When I see our broken, searching world, it spurs me on and encourages me to take a stand for the Lord. It's easy for me to just get caught up in all the trivial business of everyday life, and put my real purpose and mission aside. I have to remind myself daily that I am not on this earth for no reason. I am here to share God's goodness with every single person I encounter. I have to ask the Lord to fill me with love for the lost people around me that overcomes any fear I have of sharing my faith. Perfect love drives out fear. And if we really love our God, and really desire to share the incredible news of Christ, that fear will disappear and be replaced with a fiery passion to be living messenger to the lost, hopeless people in this world.


In His Love,
Jessica

What's Your Shape: Heart (Part Two)

Your heart, your passions, your dreams, your ambitions; the desires of your heart. Your heart plays a huge role in your life; it motivates and shapes who you are as a person. Each of us are unique and have certain things that interest us more than another. God wants to use you through your passions and interests. In fact, when God created you, He knew what you would love and enjoy doing most and considered those factors when making your shape. He was aware of all those passions and created you to enjoy doing those things while serving Him. When serving God, He wants us to serve Him with enthusiasm and passion; not begrudgingly, just because you have to.

1 Samuel 12:24 (New International Version)
But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

When our heart isn't into serving God, we lose enthusiasm and get discouraged much easier. Think of the things your love to do; things you are passionate about, and look for ways to serve the Lord with those passions. Find out what kind of ministries there are at your church that involve doing something you love. Do you enjoy music and singing? Join the choir. Do you love to minister to children? See if you can help with a childrens' Sunday School class. There are so many ways that we can serve God with our heart. If you can't find a particular ministry that you love, maybe pray and ask God about starting a ministry of your own! Don't limit yourself just because it seems like there is no way for you to do something. Prayerfully consider how you can use your heart to serve the Lord!

In His Love,
Jessica


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What's Your Shape: Spiritual Gifts (Part One)

Just Today

Although it is still a ways off, my high school graduation gets closer every day, and every day I wonder more what I am going to do after that. I pray about my future most every day, trying to find out what God's will and plans for me are. It often stresses me out, but I recently read a verse that changed my outlook.

1John 2:6 (NIV, © 1984)
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

My life (and yours, too!) is not defined by one thing God has for me to do, but by walking in Christ's footsteps every single day. The Father has a plan for each of His children, but those plans are not found by sitting around. Begin the search for His plans today by walking as Jesus did.

What's Your Shape: Spiritual Gifts (Part One)

Your shape is YOU; the intricate, unique design of your body. In order for us to live out God's will for our lives, we have to know and understand our shape so that we can recognize where Christ wants to use us. SHAPE is an acronym that stands for 5 things: spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. When you know your shape, you can better fulfill God's plan.
When God created us, He shaped and molded us to serve Him. That is our ultimate purpose on this earth. God has carefully thought out exactly what He wants you and I to do, and He created us with the ability to accomplish those things.

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The first factor for us to understand is our spiritual gifts. When you accepted Christ as your Savior, you were given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit. Not all of us have the same gifts, which is why God tells us that we should work together for the edification of the church. In the same way, our gifts our not for our personal benefit, but for the benefit of others.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

When each of us in the body of Christ understands what our spiritual gifts are, we are all encouraged and benefited by them. That is how a church and ministry thrives. Even in our small ministry, I can see how God uses certain people to do certain things. For example, Becky is a super cool html wiz and made our template. I have tried before, and pretty much fail at all thing html and css. If I was the only person involved in iheart, then we may have a good picture every once in awhile, but we would be lacking in many other areas. :)
God wants us to open and discover our gifts so that we can find ways to use them for His glory and to ultimately bring others to Him. Maybe take some time this week to think and pray that God will reveal to you what gifts you have. It's also very helpful to ask your parents and family members what they think your spiritual gifts might be. Those are the people who see you in action! They may notice something about you that you've never thought of before.
Spiritual gifts are important for us to consider when figuring out our shape, but they are not the only factors for us to consider. Next up, I'll be talking about your heart!

In His Love,
Jessica

Valentines! :)

Happy Valentines Day girls!

I hope y'all are having a great day- wearing lots of pink and eating lots of chocolate. :) When some of us think of Valentines Day, we think of two people happily in love and living happily ever after... Unfortunately, this can cause us to feel discontent and have us start thinking wishful thoughts. Having these feelings can be quite dangerous and cause us to want a boyfriend more and more. So what's a girl to do on Valentines? Well, I know the perfect date for you today. His name is Jesus Christ and he's definitely the guy you want to hook up with! He loves you unconditionally and wants you to spend today with him so much! Even if you have a boyfriend, this day deserves to be spent honoring and loving Jesus more than any other boy in your life. Honoring him also includes guarding you heart and keeping him first. This starts with purity. When a girl chooses Jesus as her "valentine" for her life, that means she should keep pure in both body and mind. I know a lot of girls who think they are being pure because, "Oh we haven't kissed or had sex yet", but they are being deceived. t\The thing about deception is, well, it's deceiving! Most times they are more impure than the girls who aren't pure in body! Calling us to a higher standard of keeping our emotions also pure, Jesus will give us strength and courage to press on. Everything comes into place when we keep Christ as our #1 priority. He is honestly the best Valentine in the whole world and he loves you so!

Psalm 33:22
May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Psalm 108:4
For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

I hope this post encouraged you to keep pure, not feel discouraged, and accept Jesus as your Valentine!

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

He is Holy!!!!

He is so faithful. He is indescribable. He is so worthy. Without him, none of us would be here. He is the creator of all. He picks me up off the ground when I'm broken. He gives me a hope that will never die. He pushes me to be more like him. He cares about me. He loves me- a sinner! When I pray he answers, even if not in the way I hoped. He picked my family up in his arms when my aunt died. He picks us up even now. He will always be here, cheering me on. Never giving up on me.

Through the past few years I've learned to trust God with my heart. I've given him the pen to the story of my life. Wherever he wants me to be- I will follow. If he needs me to give up something- so be it. I f he wants me to become a missionary- so be it. If his plan is that I never get married- so be it. If he needs me to lay my life down for him- so be it. He deserves everything I have. Because he is HOLY, BEAUTIFUL, and my SAVIOR!!

He deserves EVERYTHING you are girls!

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

my life travels

The year was 2001. I was six years old. Having been in church all my life, I dutifully did what I was taught everyone needed to do. I "accepted Jesus". When I kneeled by my bed that night with my parents, I truly meant what I said. I knew I had sinned, I knew that I needed to be saved from that sin. I was saved with my head; but over the years, through His graciousness, the Lord has connected that head knowledge with heart knowledge. As I grew up, I was blessed with amazing mentors in my life whom I could look up to. As I watched them and saw the passion that they had for the Lord, I knew something was missing from my life. I thought of Jesus as a buddy, a pal, but I didn't love Him. I read my Bible just because. It was not something I disliked to do, but it surely didn't excite me. Thankfully, the Father did not stop with examples for me. He also showed me how I could grow to love Him and how I could have that passion that I saw in my role models. I began growing closer and closer to my Savior, but I occasionally doubted that I was really saved. He showed me through Romans 10:13 that if I called on Him, He would save me! He opened my eyes to see the evil of my sin and selfishness, and that He alone could restore me. Today I am still growing in intimacy with my Savior. He has truly become my best friend and I love Him so much. When I think over my testimony, His grace is what stands out to me. If it weren't for His unfailing love and mercy, I would be missing my relationship with Him, the best thing that every happened to me. I am thankful especially for role models and mentors that He put in my life that showed me how to live set-apart for my Savior. I have a passion to tell other girls about the great love that my Father holds. I know so many Christians that miss out on what they could be experiencing by truly giving up their lives for the Lord. I have not arrived yet, and I never will, but my King continues to sanctify me and helps me to see life through His eyes. If you have any questions about your relationship with Christ, please find someone you trust to talk to. If you don't know of anyone, email me! I would love to pray with you and share with you how the Lord is working in my life and how He could work in yours too.

iheartministy{at}yahoo{dot}com
Through Him,
Becky

Pass the test?

I've noticed a difference in how I live when I look at life differently. You live differently when you are consciously aware of something. Recently I have been looking at my life as a test, and considering what kind of grade I would really get.

There are so many opportunities and tests that God is waiting and watching to see how we will react to. And along with God is Satan, who is deciphering our every move and looking for ways to make us stumble. The devil does not want us to be aware of how we live. He wants us to continue living a mediocre life without realizing that we have a chance to live in a way that pleases God or a way that pleases him. Quite frankly, if you aren't making a serious, concerted effort to live for Christ, it is very likely you are living in a way that satisfies Satan. Our fleshly, human desires are sinful in the first place! So if we don't strive daily to be a living example of Jesus Christ, we revert back to our old sinful ways.

Satan wants nothing more than for us to be unaware! But girls, we have to pass this test. We have to examine our lives and look for all those times that we are challenged to do the right thing. It's definitely hard, but God tells us that every time we do the right thing and pass the test, He remembers and plans to reward us in Heaven!

James 1:12 (Contemporary English Version)
God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as He rewards everyone who loves Him.

Even though it is difficult to pass the test, God give us grace and helps us ace any test that is given to us.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.

All we have to remember is that God is there to help us. When we call on Him and ask Him to help us pass the test and be more aware of the tests in our life, He is faithful!

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (New International Version)
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.


In His Love,
Jessica

GO

"The 'Go ye' part of the call had been crystal clear. Autumn of 1892 seemed to be the right time. She would sail then. But where? That was the vague part. Africa? China? She had often thought of both. Perhaps it was the solidity of her confidence in the Great Shepherd that prevented her worrying much over the geography. He would get her where she belonged, wouldn't He?..."

--A Chance to Die, the Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
by Elisabeth Elliot

The Father has put a call on each of our lives. He has said "Go ye". The when, where, even who and what do not matter. God has such a perfect plan and He wants to include you, right where He knows you will fit. Amy Carmichael chose to obey Him before she knew all the logistics of what He was asking. She laid down her life for the Lord, in the same way we are called to do today.

Will you go?

My Story

July 23, 2000 I accepted Christ as my Savior. Just recently I was thrilled to find that date in one of my old baby books. I now have another birthday to celebrate! :) I remember sitting in our itty, bitty old house on our wooden bar stools in our kitchen asking my parents how to become a Christian. I was quite young, but I have no doubt that I made a real decision that day. A few months later, I was baptized by my old pastor and my daddy. I definitely remember that day too! :) It's a pretty thrilling experience to openly declare your choice for Christ in front of your church, and hearing people clap with joy because of your decision. If you haven't been
baptized, you are missing out on quite a blessing and I would strongly encourage you to!

Lots of years and experiences have gone by since then. I've become a sister to a few more kiddos, made best friends, spent months without my dad while he was in Iraq, bonded with friends in the same situation, and moved hundreds of miles from everything I had ever known in California to where I am now. All those things have shaped me and had an effect on who I am today. In 2004 we moved to the Midwest to be closer to family. We found a new church family and I went to a Christian school for the first time. I met Becky for the first time at church, where we figured out we both also went to the same school. :)

From the time I was about 8 years old to 11 I just remember being really involved in church activities and school. I was quite a stubborn little fireball of a child and often had long talks with my parents on controlling myself and being "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." I can tell you that without Christ, controlling my temper and my attitude would have been impossible. It wasn't until I was about 11 years old that I started really thinking about God and my relationship with Him. Yes, I knew all the right answers in Sunday School, but there was definitely something more than that. I began (trying) to read my Bible every day and really making an effort to heed His Word. At that point, I saw the distinct difference between having Jesus in your heart, and having Jesus in your heart and making Christ LORD of your life. You can be saved and not really let God control your life. I made a decision to allow God to change my heart to be more like Him and guide me in my life. That's when all of this Jesus stuff really had an impact on my life. My mom always says that she saw such a difference in my life when I started reading God's Word and allowing God to work in my life. The key was daily being in God's Word and having that personal relationship with Him.

Since then, I have been striving to do the right thing and honor God with my life in all things. I am not perfect and I will never be. But that doesn't stop me from striving for perfection and constantly asking God to change my heart to become more like Him. It's a constant, continual process. I have grown so much these past few years, yet I'm not even close to where I can be.

2 years ago, Becky told me that we were going to start writing for a website called "iheart." And I was all, "Seriously?! You have GOT to be kidding me. I cannot do that." But lo and behold, I did, and it's become a huge part of my life. We have lost a few members of our little group, but Madi, Becky and I are such good, close friends and serving with them in this ministry has been such a fun, blessed adventure. :) We started this blog in summer 2009 and began trying to post everyday. That has been something that has stretched and grown me a lot, and I have high hopes to see this blog touch hundreds of hearts, and encourage girls like you to have a stronger relationship with your Savior.

As of right now, I am continuing to strive after Christ and a set-apart life. I don't know exactly what God has in store for my future, but I do know that He has it all planned out. I am excited for what is to come, and for an even closer relationship with my God.

And that is my story.

What's yours?

In His Love,
Jessica

Book Review- In His Steps

I grew up during the "What would Jesus do?" craze of the '90's. I'm sure I had at least 20 WWJD bracelets by the time I was five. That question was actually sparked by the book In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. Considered a Christian classic, this fictional book shows the struggles and triumphs of the town of Raymond as churchgoers make every decision based on the question "What would Jesus do?" The men and women give up comforts, careers, and public opinion to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Far from boring, In His Steps includes suspense and romance. The book stretched me and helped me to grow in Christ. I would highly recommend it!
(You can purchase it online here.)

Whatever...

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Our mind was created to remember. We remember our favorite food, making cookies as a little kid, movies that we love, songs that get stuck in our head; there are some things that we will never forget.
That's why it is so important to only place before our eyes and ears what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. I have friends that frequently watch R rated movies, but never take time to consider what kind of effect that really has on them. Why is that movie R? Because you are watching people have sex? Because the actors are cussing every other word? The more we see and hear sin, the more sin becomes acceptable and okay in our eyes.

Proverbs 4:20-27
My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

What fills our mind determines our actions and words. What about when your parents tell you that you can't go to that party that you really wanted to go to? What will your response be? Well, what have you filled your mind with lately? Secular music, movies, and books that promote sin and rebellion? Or God's Word that tells us to honor our parents and hold them in the highest respect?

Just because we think we are strong and can be around evil things and not let them affect us doesn't mean we are. You are lying to yourself if you think that those things have no impact on your life. Even the strongest Christian has to be careful what they place before their eyes and put into their mind. That's what makes them strong! When you guard yourself against evil, you allow God to cultivate a holy and pure heart within you.
Search your heart; what's in there? Articles from Seventeen? Images of sin in the making? Or whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable? That is what should consume our thoughts and our mind. Things of excellence, that are worthy of praise. Things that have eternal value; those are worth our attention.

In His Love,
Jessica