31 Days of October

For the past few days, I’ve felt God calling me to read the book of Isaiah. I didn’t have a clue as to why, and I still don’t know why, but I’ve learned that when God calls you to do something, it’s best to be obedient. I’ve spent a lot of my faith thinking that I’m hearing what God speaks to me, but much of the time, they are my own selfish desires. Either that, or I’m disobedient to what God wants for me. So what I’ve planned out, is reading the book of Isaiah over the month of October.

Quick Facts:

1. Isaiah contains 66 chapters
2. Each day of October, I will be reading 2 or 3 chapters (one day, I will be reading 1 chapter)
3. I will write down my observations
4. I will reflect on what God wants me to understand within the passage

Through this, I encourage you to come alongside me, learn with me, experience the passages with me. Reading God’s Word is one of the ways that we can truly come to know who God is and the divine plan that He has for each one of us.

I have always been intrigued by Isaiah, especially Isaiah 53 (the suffering Servant). I feel that I am finally at a point in my life where I am seeking to hear God and am more able to understand the things within His Word.

Prayers during this time of seeking God through His Word:

• Understanding of the passages
• Discernment; filtering out the lies of the world and focusing in on God’s truth and reality
• Openness to learning new things
• Entering His Word with a fresh, child-like faith

I am excited for what God has in store for the next month.

I will be praying that you will use this month to draw closer to God as well. He is a stable, unchanging God, but there is always more that we can learn about Him. I will also pray that you would consider joining me on this journey.

If you decide to, let me know, so that we can walk through it together – aysha.gerald@live.com

If you get behind, don’t worry about it.

In His service, I wish you blessings.

Hope Renewed

Psalm 130:5 — I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

It’s been an intense few days.

I came to Cornerstone University, this fall, thinking that everything would be great, because it’s a Christian college with a desire to see God in the lives of their students. Boy was I wrong! That’s not to say that this isn’t a great academic school, because it is. But there are so many different opposing views, ideas, worldviews, and such.

On Thursday of this past week, everything kind of fell through. I suddenly became depressed and didn’t know why. It wasn’t until Saturday that I finally figured things out.

My life has always been under the shadow of God…I grew up in church, had great mentors, etc. but as I got older, this wasn’t enough. I know that we all come to a point when we choose what we believe, and then use that belief to determine how we will live our lives, but that is much harder said than done. Coming to Cornerstone, I found that not only are my views challenged, but they are also refuted. Some people here came from an Atheistic worldview…others came from well-supported Christian homes. My realization has been that although none of us are perfect, many of the people are under the assumption that because they are at a Christian school, that their views are superior to others.

My heart became broken.

I didn’t know what I believed anymore. Learning different worldviews in Philosophy and discovering what other people believe, made me question my own beliefs.

• If God is who He says He is, and can do all things, then why let His world suffer the way that He has?
• How much longer are we going to be left to suffer?
• What if God and the Bible are created ideas by humanity, that help us to explain the reality that we live in?

All these questions, and more, have been swirling through my head. I have never had a time in my life, when my faith became so real for me. My mother, had to defend the religion that I once pressed on her. This was very odd to me, but eye-opening at the same time.

I’m so quick to believe. But why? Why do I believe what I do? Is it because I was once taught to believe that way? Or is it because I truly feel God working in my life?

I’ve heard that we finally come face-to-face with our faith when we are under trials, persecution, tribulation, etc. and that is so very true. My faith was under attack. But not by an outside force. It was under attack by my own mind. I was actually going to talk myself into why it’s easier and more logical not to believe that a God created all of this, and somehow has a hand in all of it.

Weird, right?

I’m writing a book, based on my faith. I talk about God and Christ more than anything else. I blog about why it’s important to receive salvation and I try to fix other people’s problems, but I never really evaluated my own life. I took what I had, and left it at that.

But not anymore.

I believe in God because there is no other rational explanation for the ways of the world.

I believe that Christ came and endured this mundane human existence, so that I could one day walk in white beside Him.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is alive and working within me, no matter how abstract the idea may seem.

I have come to terms with the idea of suffering. Although I have yet to experience much of it, my heart has endured a great deal.

I believe that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit exist, as one, just as I believe in the wind, in gravity, in love, etc. Just because things can’t be seen, doesn’t negate the fact that they exist. We believe in these kinds of things because we experience them, and that is the way that I feel with God. When certain things have happened in my life, I have felt an actual tightening of my heart, tears have been brought to my eyes, for no other reason, than I feel God working in my heart.

This revelation has refreshed me and allowed me to look at life with a new perspective. I know that I have a long, tiring way to go, but I also know that God is with me, and that He will never allow me to take on more than I can handle.

After this experience these past few days, and knowing how lost and alone I felt, I can only imagine how those people feel without God in their lives. I may go through uncertain times, but I have a certainty to put my hope in. I may feel weary and burdened, but I have a Savior that says, “My child, I will take your burdens upon myself; I will carry you.”

Matthew 11:28-30 — Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

My hope shall ever remain in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

A.

I am the Thorn in Your Crown

So many times in our lives, we try pointing the blame at someone else. We refuse to accept responsibility for the actions that we engage in, and we think of every possible lie to keep ourselves from being found out. We do everything from slandering the name and reputation of someone, to bearing false witness. All in the name of making ourselves look better. We sin both consciously and subconsciously. We sin without thinking about the consequences. We are promiscuous. We seek revenge. Our hearts are filled with rage, malice and hatred. This world has become about “I” and what “I” can do to advance myself.

Because of this, we put God into a corner, with only one solution to save the creation that He so dearly loves; redemption. At the Fall, we became chained and burdened by this world, subject to the effects of sin, but God had already devised a plan. He would become human, as are we, and ultimately sacrifice Himself, on our behalf, so that the separation that existed could be closed and mended. The blood of an animal was shed to hide the nakedness of Adam and Eve, and in the end, the blood of Christ, our God, was needed to atone for the sin that we had committed, do commit and will commit.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, punishment, judgment and wrath was poured out. Earth and all of God’s perfect creation was put under a curse; something that we brought upon ourselves.

Genesis 3:16-19:

To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.” 

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”

Read this part again, carefully.

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

Placed on the head of our Savior, was a crown. A crown of thorns.

Matthew 27:28,29 — They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.

In the act of atoning for our sins, Christ wore the very curse that God had commanded upon humanity. And for what? To release us of the curse. So many of us live our lives as if we were still bound by sin, subject to punishment and waiting for our day of judgment.

Hear these words: The punishment and judgment reserved for you and I, a punishment that we rightly deserve, was placed on Christ at the cross.

We are free. By the blood of Christ, because of the sacrifice that He made, you and I stand right before God.

And now, it is time that we start behaving according to the standards that God has set before us. Get rid of the lies, the anger, the malice. Do away with foul and abusive language. Love, and I mean really love everyone that you encounter; those who love you in return, and those who persecute you. Honor the temple that God has given you; be pure in body, mind and spirit. Take on the burdens of those who can’t carry their own. Pray, and never stop praying. Seek God in all that you do, for the glory of His name.

It’s never been said that following Christ would be easy, but the promise has been made that it is worth it. Because God is so worthy. He wore the thorns for us, out of a love that our hearts can’t even begin to imagine.

Bring your life to the foot of the cross and surrender all that you were, for the person that God says you are.

THE CHILD OF A LOVING FATHER.

THE SERVANT OF A HUMBLE KING.

THE HEIR OF A RIGHTEOUS LORD.

THE FRIEND OF A FORGIVING SAVIOR.

Isaiah 43:1 — Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 Blessings,

A.

Making A Difference

Two days ago, on the 24th, it was my 21st birthday. While most people would be concerned with getting their new license at the DMV or trying to decide what their first legal alcoholic beverage was going to be, I spent my day making the conscious decision to be appreciative and thankful to my family members. Throughout the years, they have put up with a lot from me. I’ve been the cause of anger and tears, sometimes intentional, some just bad programming within myself. I was always the person that knew how to push buttons, and boy did I. Most of the things that I have, came at a price to my mother, but she never complained. My grandmother taps into reserved money so that she can see the way her money is spent, on things that I am passionate about. My grandfather spends the small amounts of money that he has, wishing and hoping for a better life on my sister and I.

I’ve taken so much of my life for granted. I haven’t been appreciative, when all they hoped for was a thank you. Most of the time, I felt that I was owed something, when the opposite was true. I was given anything that I asked for, but it still wasn’t enough. And on top of that, I treated them cruelly.

But yesterday was different. I woke up with a new sense of life. I felt like God was telling me, ‘Everything is going to be different from now on.’

This year, it’s not going to be about me, because it never has been, no matter how much I believed that at one time. My life has always been part of God’s greater plan, and although I didn’t always understand what that meant, I now realize something: I’ve done a lot of talking the talk, but I wasn’t very good at walking the walk. I talked about how important it was to be saved by Christ so that we could have a relationship with God, but my actions never really mirrored that. I talked about how love was the greatest thing we could do, and that we should be kind and compassionate, but in that same breath, I could tear someone down. Looking back on the person that I was, I’m ashamed. I know that I can’t do anything to change the past, but I can make a difference in the lives of people from here on out. Whether that is being kind and showing mercy to the people in my family, or hearing out a friend who had a bad day, things can be different. It’s not always about the big things that we do; sometimes it’s the small, seemingly inconsequential things that mean the most. It’s not always about saying something to someone, sometimes it’s the things that we don’t say; it’s our actions that speak out.

Francis of Assisi said:

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

For years, I never knew what that meant, but I finally understand. Everything that we do should be testifying the name of Christ and it’s not always about the words that we use. Anyone can stand up in front of a crowd and tell them about Jesus, but not many people preach the gospel within their daily lives. If nothing else, I think this is one of the most important things that we need to understand. Jesus didn’t preach and command everywhere He went. It was through His actions that He proved the love of His Father in heaven. This is what we should mirror. Using words, only when they are necessary.

Every day this year, I’m setting a challenge for myself. Each day on the sidebar (to the right), I will post what I’m challenging myself to do, whether it be a word of encouragement to someone, or giving a hug when it’s needed. If you’re interested in seeing what I’m up to, check it out. Everything that I do, I pray will be guided by the hand of God, so that people will see His light shining through me.

It’s important for me to make a difference in someone’s life, not only to discipline myself to be like Christ, but also for the benefit of those around me. Everyone needs a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, and in being that person, the door is opened for Christ to enter in. We are called to be His hands and feet, and I want nothing more than to be His humbled servant.

As I make this commitment to live completely in the light of the Lord, I pray that my family will understand how much I love them. All those years of anger and hatred have now come to me at a price; I can’t take them back. I pray that through my actions, they will know that I appreciate them, more than they know. I know that everyone’s life has rough patches, but I’m blessed more than I could ever make known. I thank God for my family, and for the opportunity to be a part of their lives and stories. They have sacrificed so much for my sister and I, and it hurts me to know how badly I’ve hurt them in the past. They are such beautiful people, and I love them more than words can ever say; so now I will show them.

Jesus Christ made the biggest difference this world has ever, or will ever know; I want to make a difference, for Him.

Blessings,

A.