More than a Hiking Trip

Who knew that hiking could be so symbolic and be so synonymous with the life trials and victories we experience…..?

A very good friend/sister of mine and I decided to go hiking today. We both are unique in the fact that we HATEEEEEEE, ABHHORRRRRR, DESPISEEEEE exercising the old fashion way; by going to the gym. Thinking about going to the gym actually makes my skin break out in hives….but I digress..

We decided to go hiking and enjoy nature and reflect on this beautiful world that God had created. Little did I know that our little hiking trip would turn into a journey , one that I will never forget. I believe God truly taught us a lesson and about who He is. He showed us today a different side of His character that became alive in my life.

So we met up early around 8am and got the day started! We were pumped and ready for the adventure before us and BOY WAS IT AN ADVENTURE..to say the least. We arrived at Greenbrier State Park and selected the hiking trail that led straight to the top of the mountains. We were going to make it at all cost!

We started off and everything was great! Beauty was all around and my friend and I were having interesting conversations pertaining to life and God as we hiked up the mountain. We were surrounded by huge boulders, beautiful brightly lit paths and the sounds of nature. After about two hours of hiking, we got lost. We were traveling in the completely wrong direction for miles and we were LOST.

Lets stop right here. The narrative above has substantial significance. When one first encounters the King of Kings/Jesus they are super excited and pumped ready to conquer the world, much like how we felt. People feel ready to go and start walking on this new journey that they have embarked on with Jesus. It is great …and then things start happening… all of sudden you may feel like you are stuck or lost. You may have lost you’re way and have stepped away from living a life for Him for a bit to do your own thing. Then when you finally realize that you are lost, you search to get back on the right path and God helps you get back on track, with the journey you are on with Him.

Eventually we found ourselves back on the correct path. We decided to take a break and take some pictures.

This is important. Even when we are lost and are getting back on the right path, it is important for us to not forget to find the beauty in everything we come in contact with. We all go through stuff and its important to not focus on the problem but to be joyful in everything. Find the beauty in you’re ugly situation.

 When we finally found our way back on the correct path, sickness immediately hit me. Like MASSSIVVEEE cramps I have never had in my life. They literally came from no wherrrreeeeee. I began to feel super light headed and dizzy. I felt nauseous and eventually threw up. My legs were shaking  and my cramps kept attacking me in waves. I had to sit down every 30 seconds to rest because I literally could not move. At this point, we were about 3 hours from the car so the only option was to get to the top of the mountain. We had to continue.

My very good friend embodied the verse, Proverbs 18:24. It says, “There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

She did not leave me throughout this difficult time that I was experiencing. She was there by my side and let me rest in her lap for over an hour because I literally I had no energy. Not once did she let me give up and exhibited such patience with me. She encouraged me and said we WILL make it to the top of the mountain. She said we had come too far to turn around and give up. It was a very vulnerable moment for me and she saw I literally had no strength. She could have easily left and discouraged me but she decided to be a true friend and sister and stuck by my side.  She asked me if I prayed and she knew that when I was experiencing severe pain. I knew she was praying for me.

I kept apologizing to her because I knew I was holding up the process of us getting to the top.  She said “when you hurt, I hurt. I am not going anywhere without you”. Those words immediately gave me strength to continue. I am incredibly blessed and grateful for her friendship. This is something I will never forget.

Everyone needs Godly and loyal friends. Friends that will have you’re back in tough times, especially in this Christian walk.  She had my back and in life we need people like this, to help us when we are down and vulnerable. She would not let me give up. We need to surround ourselves with people who will not let us give up on this walk with Christ. It gets EXTREMELY tough sometimes and surrounding yourself with people who will walk with you is what you need. They hurt when you hurt, they laugh when you laugh, they cry when you cry, they rejoice when you rejoice.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We are all running this race together. We need to not let one another stop because a trial is thrown in their path, but rather encourage and lift them up when they are on their knees.

After many water breaks and sitting down, we finally made it!!!!!!!!! We made it the top of the mountain! I have never been so happy in my life! In my struggle, I made it and with the help of my friend, I made it! All that pain that I was going through, was totally worth it once we reached the top. I overlooked all of God’s creation and was in awe. I forgot about the pain for a second and just marveled.

Everyone, after trials and tribulations, finally get to the top of the mountain. We make it to victory and freedom. James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

God uses our trials to make us more like Him. We become stronger and develop more faith in Him and trust. God brings victories to our lives to show us that He is in control that He has heard our prayers and that His perfect will, will always be accomplished.

Did not realize that this hiking trip would turn into God teaching me something. Then again God is always speaking and teaching us, whether or not we listen or respond is another question….

I am grateful for this experience and I will forever remember it and the lessons I learned from it. Today was really hard for me but I truly  can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

Besos,

Kay Godd <3

Why fear?

You ever feel afraid about the future? Or been afraid of taking the next big step in life? If so, that's how I'm feeling right about now.

I am afraid of the future and I am afraid of what will happen in the situation that I am currently facing. So many unanswered questions. But why am I truly afraid? What is the root issue.....?

Being afraid stems from a place of fear, which then tells me that I am lacking faith. So to put it in layman's terms: Being afraid= fearful of something= lack of faith.

But since I am a Believer, I am called to a live a life of no fear because God is love and He loves me. And because God is love, there is no fear in love, so therefore I should and can't live in fear. Perfect love (love found in God) drives out fear.

1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Fear cripples. It stops us from experiencing all that God has planned for us. The faster I realize this, the faster I can activate my faith and stop being fearful and afraid of things to come.

My favorite verse is Psalms 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust You". So simple yet means the world to me. I am currently afraid=fearful of something, yet I am deciding to trust You ( activating my faith). Faith is a decision. It's not just this lofty term people throw around to sound spiritual, but it's truly a conscious effort as well as a heart decision we must make. We are declaring that whatever is going on, I am going to put my trust in God despite the situation. Without faith, its impossible to please God.

I've been reading Ecclesiastes as of late and there truly is a time and season for everything. A time to laugh, cry, dance, study, work, etc. and I am going through a season of trusting God. Not that we should not be trusting God all of the time, but particularly for me, I am going through a season of trusting God with everything I have.

I was thinking the other day and I was wondering why people are so afraid of the future and why I am as well. Why do we all have that gut wrenching feeling about something that has yet to happen? Why do some people feel queasy or nauseous just thinking about what has not even come to past yet?

Is not God with us right here in the present? Is He not watching over us day and night? Is He not right here with us guiding and directing our every footstep each and every day?.....

Then why would He not be there with us in the future? Why would God leave us then? He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

So that same God that is here for you today, will be there and have your back 10 years from now. He will fight you're battles today, tomorrow, and next week. 

Because You're with me, I will not fear.

Besos,
Kay Godd <3

Forest Fires

What thing is small and makes grand speeches? It's also a tiny spark that can set a great forest on fire. It can set your whole life on fire, as well as setting fire by hell itself. It cannot be tamed. Both curses and blessings come pouring out of this same thing. Any guesses?! 

If you guessed the tongue...you were right :)

 

The tongue, but more specifically your words carry so much more weight than you could possibly imagine. They carry HEAVYYY weight spiritually believe it or not. What you say not only affects you and your future, but also those around you and the people you come in contact with in the future.

 

I believe my generation is super negative and we don't think twice about what comes out of our mouths. As I walk to class, I casually overhear people saying how much their life sucks or how they are dumb or how much they hate so and so and I can't help but wonder if they realize what they are saying?? Do they not realize that life and death is in the power of the tongue? You keep speaking negativity into your life, you will reap negativity and those around you will begin to pick up on that spirit of negativity and it may begin to affect them. 

Proverbs 18:21 says,

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."

 

Our words and how we use them towards people, either to build them up or tear them down (either subconsciously or intentionally) are synonymous to the boomerang effect. Whatever you give out is what you will get back. Galatians 6:7-8 states,

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit."

 

Let me tell you a story...I was in church one day and a guest preacher came and shared a story with us. She told us that she knew a women who had great trouble of conceiving a child, specifically a son and the woman could not figure out why in the world she could not have a son because now she desired to have one. Come to find out, when she was younger she had family issues, dealing with her father and when she was little, she swore to herself over and over that she HATED MEN and that she would never have a son. Basically, she cursed her womb and spoke into her future, which affected her future unborn children. She repented and asked God for forgiveness for the unbearable careless words she used as a child. God does not play any games when it comes to our words. For Pete sake, God SPOKKEEEE the world into existence! Since we are made in His likeness, our words as well hold power and Satan realizes this. This is the very reason why Satan wants us to curse our futures and ourselves and he THRIVES in us speaking negatively because he realizes how much power we have in them!!!! 

In Matthew 21:21, Jesus told those who were listening,

 

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."

 

See its all about activating our faith and speaking life! There is nothing we can't do when we trust God and speak LIFEEEE! If God is for us, who can be against us?

 

One last story. In the book of Judges, there was a man by the name of Samson. He had strength like no other, which was a gift from God. Long story short, God raised him up to deliver his people, but he got entangled with a woman who betrayed him in the end. His enemies captured him and ended up gouging his eyes out. God took his super strength back because Samson disobeyed Him. In the end, Samson was tied up in chains in between two pillars. Samson asked God to give him strength one last time to kill his enemies. Samson prayed,

“O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” [...]And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” 

 

You see how Samson asked God to allow him one last time to have his strength back? And how he added "let me die with Philistines"?....I’m convinced that if Samson just asked God for his strength back without saying "just one last time", God would have granted him what he asked and maybe would have given him his strength completely back. I believe if Samson did not include the "Let me die with the Philistines" he may not have died and God may have spared his life, but the fact that he spoke those words and activated this death wish upon himself, God said ok. 

 

All that to say, speak LIFE into your LIFE. I speak life into my family, my relationships, my academics, my decisions, etc. I pray that negative and careless talk is cut off from your life and that you begin to cultivate speech that is speech from above that involves love, peace, uplifting others, etc. If you must, cut off those who are not walking with you on this journey of speaking positively. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them." Its hard to be around people who are constantly negative so in order to move forward into all God has called you to be, you must move ahead without them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve declared God’s promises and spoke His scriptures into my life and they happened! You long for a good life, a life blessed by God? Do this -->

 

"For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;" (1 Peter 3:10) 

 

Let's not set anymore forest fires with our tongues. Instead let's plant gardens. Please and thank you :)

 

Besos,

Kay Godd <3

 

One Night with the King

All little girls believe and dream that they are princesses and that one day they will become Queen. Their prince charming will come whisk them away in the dark of the night and save them from the evil dragon that was threatening their life. After a drama filled escape, the princess and prince finally arrive at his big castle and they live happily ever after! The end.


I have always loved  the story of Queen Esther, ever since I was young. I probably loved this story more than any Disney princess movie because the story of Hadassah, Esther's Jewish name, is an inspiring one that can really happen to anyone of us. We will all face those "fork in the road" situations where we either trust God to save our lives (literally) or we turn to other things to save us. This story really is no fairytale, but rather a story of  Big Faith.

You see, God always chooses the unlikely to carry out his grandiose plans. He chooses those people that everyone would have overlooked to become King/Queen/or the leader. Take King David for example. He was just a shepherd boy that had family problems, but He had the favor of God over his life, allowing him to do mighty things for God in his lifetime. The same applies for Esther. She was an orphan girl, just living with her uncle, Mordecai. An ORPHAN?! God would make an orphan, Queen?!!! Well, yes He would. God uses all types of people to carry out His will as I mentioned before. In the Bible, He used a prostitute named Rahab to help keep God's people safe, thus becoming an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus Christ! God does not look at our physical condition and what we have done, but rather he looks at our heart and if it is willing to serve Him despite how our current condition is looking.

Back to the story! So as I mentioned that Esther was an orphan who found favor with the King and soon became the Queen of Susa. There is a twist in the plot, the King did not know that Esther was Jewish and one of the King's noblemen, Haman, was plotting to obliterate the whole Jewish race. Esther now had two options. She could approach the king unsummoned or let her people die.

The problem was that Esther had not been summoned by the King in thirty days and to approach his throne unsommoned meant immediate DEATH. Off to the gallows you go! Do you now see Esther's dilemma? Do you know see why it was so imperative that she trusted God with her life and the lives of her people?!!

I believe we all have those surreal moments in our lives where we hypothetically speaking, have to approach the king unsommoned. This is a decision that could affect your life and maybe generations to come in your family. Just like Esther, we have to throw out our logic and reason and follow God in this very pivotal moment. These moments could involve: what career path we should take, should you marry this person, should you move to this place, should you step out on faith and launch that organization you have been dreaming of? The list goes on, but the point is, we must have faith as BIG as Queen Esther's despite everyone looking at us like were crazy. I image that once Esther entered the court room unsommoned, all of the officials were screaming in disbelief and in anger at what this disrespectful woman was doing. HOW DARE SHE?! However, they did not know that she had God on her side. ;) SIDENOTE: [You can not let everyone know the dreams and desires that God has placed in your heart because some people simply will not understand. And because they do not understand, they may try to deter you from fulfilling the call on your life. They are not doing it because they don't like you (some do not like you however) but because they do not understand. Watch who you tell your dreams to.]

Esther won favor in the eyes of her king and he extended his scepter to her. God was with her and she was able to make her request known to the king. She in the end was able to save her people and her life as well all because she believed that there was NOTHING to hard for God. She believed in the impossible. Esther had BIG FAITH. Can you image being in her shoes?! Sometimes, I don't think Esther gets enough credit for what she had to do! That was a big weight to carry! Just for a second, imagine how she felt before she went into the throne room. She probably had sweaty palms, her heart was racing fast, pulse on 10million! But the difference was, despite what she was feeling, she took those steps of faith into the throne room and did what she was called to do.

We are all called to have big faith in our lives, like Esther. You will know when those moments come because they usually involve us trusting God or trusting ourselves. If Esther just said "Welppp, good luck to the Jews, I'm good, I'm the Queen", who knows what would have happened! God would have raised another deliverer up to save His people but, Esther's life may not have been saved, even if she was Queen! Mordecai, her uncle, even said:
 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

God always has plan B,C,D,E,F,G,H all the way to Z and then some more, if you refuse to be obedient and have faith in Him. So the next time you face a reallllyy difficult decision that seems impossible to the human mind, trust God. It's really simple. There is no point in worrying about it. What does worrying do for yourself? NOTHING! Worrying makes you sick and actually worrying is sin. Worrying is the result of the lack of faith you have in God. You don't really believe what God says He is capable of doing... #whoops #heartcheck

I am deciding to have BIG FAITH in all areas of my life from here on out and it won't be easy but all things are possible with God. I want to be able to have the same faith that Esther had as she entered that throne room and approached the king unsommoned. God only knows, but who's to say you were not chosen for such a time as this?

Besos,

Kay Godd <3

 

Drawer Two: Promises

There is a story in the Bible about a man named Abraham. He was a man after God's own heart and God promised to make him the father of many nations. There was one problem, his wife, Sarah was barren, meaning she could have no children.

One would think, how will Abraham become the father of many nations if his wife can't even have children?! Sounds ludicrous to me! However, God promised ! Abraham was even confused saying, " You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir". And God said,

"This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir". He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars- if indeed you can count them." Then He said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Abraham believed God and trusted in His promise. When God promises something He means it! Remember that!

God has promised to us ladies that if we are seeking Him first in every aspect of our lives, including our love lives, He will bless us. Having the desire of wanting a husband one day is a praise-worthy desire, but we must WAITTT till God brings HIM to US. Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord". Keyword here ladies, is HE, not us, as in us going to search him out, but HE! Just like Abraham, God has promised us something special and we have to be more than willing to wait and be patient.

Back to the story! Time passes and Sarah, Abraham's wife, reminds him that she can not have children, so she suggest to Abraham to sleep with her servant Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant. He agreed and slept with Hagar. Hagar soon was with child and gave him the name, Ishmael. Sarah began to despise Hagar because of what was done.

However, Ishmael was not the child that God had promised Abraham. God's covenant with Abraham would not be fulfilled through his son Ishmael. God soon opened Sarah's womb and she gave birth to Isaac, whom the promise would manifest through.

As Isaac grew, things between Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael were becoming shaky. Sarah was over this living arrangement and wanted Hagar and Ishmael gone pronto and this broke Abraham's heart because Ishmael was his son as well. However being obedient to God, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away into the wilderness.

You see the promise from God was going to be fulfilled through Isaac and not Ishmael. If Ishmael would have stayed, who knows what drama would have started because of that!

We all have our Ishmaels ladies. What do I mean by this? Ishmaels are those guys we date thinking they are our Isaac. We date them for various reasons (including me) like, to fill voids, to feel accepted, to feel loved/cherished/appreciated,etc but the wholetime we know we should not be with them. We would rather listen to our flesh as opposed to what God wants. Ishmael was born out of the flesh and Isaac was born out of the spirit.

Sometimes our Ishmaels look like they could turn into our Isaac's eventually if we just give it time. Did that work for Abraham? I think not! God said the promise would not be fulfilled through Ishmael, but rather Isaac! So stop dating these randoms; they only add drama to your life. Abraham witnessed this drama within his own household and he suffered the consequences of having to force his own son to leave his house. The same applies to us when we have to break up with the random. It only leaves us with pain. But just like Abraham, we have to be willing to be obedient by cutting off those Ishmaels and trusting that God will bring our Isaac to us in the future.

So why don't we just wait, instead of doing what Abraham did and trying to pull a fast one on God? Why don't we just wait for our Isaac and stop dating these counterfeit Ishmaels? I'd rather wait for my promise from God, instead of creating my own promise. So what I have decided to do is chill, seek God and rest in the promises of Him. Care to join me?

Besos,

Kay Godd <3

"God Can Only Judge Me"

*Disclaimer*: Do not read if you are easily offended by God's truth. You should just leave now if you are. No hard feelings, only love.

Our culture is in the age of not "judging people" and frankly I am annoyed by this whole movement if I am being quite honest. Why am I annoyed? Well, because people really do not understand what the word "judge" means. Let me start by clarifying some definitions for you.

To judge: To form an opinion or conclusion about. To infer, think, or hold as an opinion; conclude about or assess.

My question is, when did the meaning of to judge someone, change to someone being condemned? I am looking at the definition again trying to understand where we got condemning someone from to forming an opinion about another. 0____o Am I the only one confused about this or am I missing something?

Going by the culture's definition of judging, seems to me that everyone is breaking your rules of "not to judge people" EVERYDAY! Seems to me that when someone says, "Oh that person looks very nice today" does that count as judging someone? Or if they say, " My teacher is the best person ever"; that is a judgmental statement, just a positive one. Let's flip the script now. If I say, "OMG this food is sooo disgusting", I have just made a negative judmental statement, correct?

Ok, so where in there did I condemn? Wasn't I just forming an opinion, based on my circumstances? PHEWWW! Now that we are clear on the definition of "judge", let's proceed to the whole point of this post !

The whole movement of our culture saying, "Only God can judge me" displays a lack of reverence and respect for God. It is used in a way that basically is saying "you can't judge me, but God can, but secretly He really won't judge me". I have heard this statement usually when someone is doing something they know to be wrong and using it as an excuse for you to condone their bad behavior. Let's look at some song lyrics now, shall we?

Miley Cyrus

To my home girls here with the big butt

Shaking it like we at a strip club

Remember only God can judge ya

Forget the haters cause somebody loves ya

Tupac

Only God can judge me, is that right?

[synth voice] Only God can judge me now

Only God baby, nobody else, nobody else

All you other motherf* get out my business

This stuff is all in our culture! So no wonder people say and think nothing twice about it! It is engrained in us. I am here to tell you they are wrong, oh so WRONGGG!

What people fail to realize is that just because God does not judge you right now in this particular moment, does not mean the judgement is not coming eventually. People say this phrase almost jokingly because they truly believe that the judgment we receive from people will be harsher than God's judgement....whooppss so false ! #fail

Delayed judgement is not denied judgement. Our generation does not honor or reverence God, we do not fear Him and we think we can do what we want!

We also have a perverted perception of grace. We view God's grace as an excuse to do wrong "that God will forgive me because He loves me ..ladidididida" We need to start viewing grace not as an excuse to sin, but more like empowerment. We are given grace to not keep sinning, but to live a life of holiness and obedience to the authority of God! Also, there is no swift judgement in these days beacuse the Glory of the Lord is not strong in it's presence. When the glory of the Lord is strong, there is swift judgement because the light destroys and exposes all darkness (sin)..but since the light is pretty much just flickering these days, Gods glorious presence is limited/rare.

So all that to say this, as Christians , yes God says to not judge or therefore you will be judged. What

people love to do is take those "judging scriptures" out of context to make their sinful life seem more acceptable to others, so people automatically back off when someone says that "don't judge me" nonsense. God instructs us in the book of John, to judge each other in righteousness. So for example, if your friend is doing something that you know is contrary to the Word of God, as Christians, God instructs us to correct them in righteousness according to His Word.

So, Yes, God in a sense is the only who can judge you and He sure will on judgement day (minus the stipulation God gave us above), however, to think that your rightful judgement won't come since "God can only judge you" is simply ignorance.

Besos,

Kay Godd <3

The College Student: New Semester = New Me and New Opportunities

As each new semester draws near, we tend to approach it how we approach the New Year. Statements like "New Year, New Me" or "I'm ready to make some changes in this New Near" fill the mouths of hopeful people that this year will be better than the last. We look to create healthier lifestyles for ourselves which includes going to the gym more and cutting back on oily, saturated foods. We long for more opportunities in this New Year.

......Fast forward to March and we are already back to our old habits. What happened to cutting off those relationships that only stunted our growth and held us back? What happened to putting down those cheeseburgers and choosing healthier entrees so that we could live long, meaningful lives? We promised ourselves that we would cut back on spending money frivolously and start investing in our future.


These same tendencies we seem to do and say when the New Year begins, happens for us college students. In the beginning of a new semester, everyone is filled with excitement, vigor, and hope. Declarations fill my Twitter and Facebook timeline including statements like: "I am going to get a 4.0 this semester!" ,"I am going to create relationships with people who have goals", or "I'm going to seize every opportunity and expand my network". BUT just like our New Years resolutions, reality kicks in and March rolls around....and things start getting hard. Midterms are in full swing, projects are due left and right, organizations and extra-curricular activities are consuming your time and by the time you know it, it is May and you are looking back wondering where time went because you barely accomplished what you set out to accomplish in the beginning of the semester. Let's face it, school can be verrrryyy overwhelming and stressful!

However do not fret! There is hope! Let's look at some things we can do to help us maximize our semester and with God's help, see our dreams and goals come to past this semester and the semesters to come! (Not in any order of importance).

1. Humble yourself- What do I mean by this? One might say "I am humble, I am the most humble person I know". Are you? By that statement alone it does not sound like it. Humble yourself, in the sense of humbling yourself to Jesus. Submit and humble yourself to God's authority. Do not think to highly of yourself. 1 Peter 5:6 says, "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." God says he opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up in His perfect timing. So when your waiting for that internship/full time job offer, continue to humble yourself and seek God asking for HIS favor. Seek for HIS elevation, not elevation from man.
2. Become a servant- I always see on my timeline people saying "I just want to be great" and that is a great statement because God has put that innate desire within us to be great. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and to have DOMINION over the Earth. So that desire in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when we try to be great in our own strength and without Jesus. God said if you want to be great, Become a servant.  Mark 10:43 states, "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant". In Matthew 23:11 it says, "The greatest among you must be a servant". So you want to be great? Learn to serve. Community service is a great start!
3. Seek first the Kingdom of God- Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." We gotta be seeking God, day and night; seeking God on what classes we should take, seeking Him on what professors we should chose, and what sections. Our eyes have got to be focused on God and God alone, nothing else matters! Once we do this, God will do His part. It's a promise!
   
4. Speak life- Words are very powerful. It says in Genesis that God created the heavens and the earth by SPEAKING it into existence. Since we are made in His image and likeness, our words have power! Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." You want that 4.0? Speak it and believe it! You can't expect to get a 4.0 if you are always saying "I'm dumb or I can't do this". NO! YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU!
5. Pray- Ask God to help you in every area of your life, whether that area be something as small as helping you lose weight. No prayer is every too stupid for Him. He cares and wants to know every last detail of how you are feeling (even though He already knows ;) )
6. Watch your company-You say you want to be around better people and have more positive friends, yet you continue to associate with those who continually speak negatively, have bad attitudes, and pretty much do things that are not advancing their life in any way. How are you guys friends again? You must have something in common. In the book of Amos it poses the question of how can two walk together unless they agree? How can you walk with these people unless you agree with their bad habits?.....In some way, shape, and form you do. Remember the saying, one bad apple spoils the bunch? 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."" It may be time to cut those off who are not adding nothing but baggage and a whole lot of regret to your life. Easier said than done, but not impossible.
   
7. Don't stress!- Be anxious for nothing, but with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving make your request known to God! (Philippians 4:6) Don't stress! I know it's easier said than done, but if you think about it, what does stress really do for you? Doesn't it just make you feel worse about the situation? Instead, why not pray about that exam  and presentation that is coming up and trust that God has your back! Why not rest in the fact that God wants you to have peace in every situation, including academic situations?
   
8. Sow good things- To think that we could trick God! HA! Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."  So I have good news and bad news for you. If we are sowing good seeds, like helping others and putting others before ourselves and forgiving others, God will do just the same to us. He will return to us what we have planted, our harvest should be plentiful! However, if you sow bad things, do not expect a good harvest.
9. Be happy- For Pete's sake! Be happy! Don't walk around with a chip on your shoulder every day. Enjoy this wonderful life. Don't let school consume you, that you forget to take advantage of the little things in life. Decide to participate in extra-curricular activities that you may not have chosen before. Take advantage of the array of programs and clubs while you are on campus. Encourage others as your walking on campus throughout the day. You never know what someone else is going through, so one smile may change their whole day! 
   
10. LIVE - Our worth in life does not amount to how many books we cram down our throats in order to prepare for a test the night before or the project that we have been working on for about three weeks. Our worth is in God and He longs to give us a life of freedom that is not bound by the things of this world. Yes, it's important to get our work done, however when your "work" becomes your idol in a sense, God is not pleased. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Jesus came that we might have life and have it more ABUNDANTLY !  Abundant means: existing or available in large quantities; plentiful. God wants us to enjoy this life, so enjoy it! 

Some of you may be saying to yourself "uhhhhgg, why is she using so much scripture". Well, the Bible is thee book of life. It's a book that shows us how to live the most best possible life ever! The Bible is a way of life; a lifestyle. That being said, in order for you and I to maximize each new year and new semester, we MUST read this book (along with other things, like praying, etc) and meditate on it daily! We say we want all these blessings and to live a life that is pleasing to God, yet never read at least one scripture per day? THATS WEAKKKK!

I did not create this list to exhaust you and make you feel like omg I have to do all these things to please God! MMMM yes and no. These things do honor God, however God does not have a checklist in His hand thinking to himself Sally didn't complete #5, therefore she ain't getting blessed today! That is farrrr from the truth. This list is simply a guide to show you all that God longs to do for your life and how you can access that wonderful life that He has already planned for you! That 4.0 you long for, that healthier body you strive for, and that internship that you crave are all great things and God wants to do that for you, but He can't do that if some things in your life aren't in check.

So what can we do? A good start is to read just one verse a night and by getting to know God, you will start to develop a relationship with Him. By having a relationship with God, you will begin to understand what God wants to do for you in this new semester and the many doors HE will open for you in order for HIS perfect will to be accomplished, not your will.

So let's make a vow to ourselves that this semester will not be business as usual, but that we will seek change and opportunities and that once the semester is over, we will look back in wonder at all of things God did for us.  When the end of the semester approaches, let us hope that we all can  say that this semester's mantra was truly New Semester = New Me and New Opportunities! Care to join me?




Besos,

Kay Godd <3