Shine On Paradise

GRACE undeserved, unmerited, unearned. Unmerited Undeserved favor of God in providing salvation for those deserving condemnation. Gods ultimate form of grace was manifested in the gift of His son to die in the place of sinners. Grace is why we are able to wake up to see another day. It's not just a second chance, it's a third, a fourth, a fifth. It's a human illogical act of love that keeps on giving regardless of our past. But he said to me, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians - 12:9 "Grace" is difficult for us to understand because it's illogical. It does not follow nor appeal to our human nature and it goes against the way the world works. Ex: The Merit System- If  you work hard, study, and get an education you'll end up in a great college ;thus, have a successful life. Its Based on having all the right qualifications and the many list of achievements. Its a ...

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Salomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. -Luke 12:27   Wild-flow-er : noun A flower of an uncultivated variety or a flower growing freely without human intervention. Consider how they grow: Wildflowers grow naturally without much pampering. They grow in the wild, not intentionally seeded or planted. The grow in areas where other plants would not grow there naturally. They just grow wherever the wind takes the seed and as it falls to the ground it grows no matter the place, the harsh conditions, or lack of sunlight.  As a article I read put it " They do not grow in carefully tended rows on manicured lawns; they each sway to the wind of God's will." They grow and they die beautiful and carefree. Each one swaying differently than the rest. Wherever they land they accept the conditions weather much sunlight or non they just grow accepting wherever the Lord has pla...

I wrote a little hymn not to long ago, it goes "In your weaknesses I am glorified, in the wilderness: I'll give you your vines." That verse is my favorite and its its inspired by Hosea 2:14-15 and 2 Corinthians 12:9 "Therefore, behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards." & But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  In the first verse the Lord is talking about Israel but I can also see it in my own life. When He says I will allure her in to the wilderness the word WILDERNESS means- what is little inhabited, little light, little life. The wilderness can be a scary place and my best guess is that everyone experiences it differently. But, what most graved my attention is the verse after " an...

Are you thirsty? While washing dishes a while ago I was contemplating something. About how all the money, the fame prestige, and success how none of it really matters because it just simply isn't enough. I didn't know what exactly I hungered for and craved but none of those options never pleased me, it always leaves me empty. I was looking at my phone , I have Samsung Galaxy S5 and I got a notification on how I'm due for an upgrade. My first thought was "about freaking time!" probably what any other teenager my age would say. But then quickly, my thoughts shifted to how easily I folded to want the next best thing, how easily I invited the idea that the more newer materialistic things I had the better off I was in societies eyes, and I began to feel sick. Sick because when did I get this far enthralled in the world that I know feared what they say of me, what they think of me its all a never ending cycle and it never leads ...

"Be quiet, Be still!" Those where the words Jesus muttered after He was awakened in a hurried manner to find his disciples in distress over a storm. You see, He was on a boat. A storm was coming and everyone with the exception of Him was afraid. I was on that boat. In fact, I am on that boat. I feel like the weight of the World is crushing down upon me. Storms and waves keep crashing, they just take different forms. Waves of doubt, heavy rains of judgment and criticism, thunder of rejection and storms of them all put  together to make one intimidating hurricane. These waves of doubt look like a lot of looking left and right only to see everyone around me doing so well at whatever they are doing when I dont even seem to have a clue what im doing, what im called to, or even what will become of me. I have no answers to any of those things, all I know is that this is a place where I have been lead and doubt has crept into my mind and it has stolen my peace, my hope, my faith....

Lately here in the United States of America we have seen such violence outbreaks. One of the most common is police officers taking advantage of there authority. There has also been mass shootings across the states ;furthermore, innocent people dying. If your anything like me your probably wondering "God where are you when these things happen?" I immediately shake that off because God is watching He is very aware of everything that is happening. Just like He was aware of our nation defying him and his commandments. "A nation that defies Him, he plans judgment. And no one, not even his chosen messengers, will escape suffering but His presence will make them strong enough to face it". We have all seen how our nation has forgotten the Faith in Christ it was built upon. Our nation now allows sin as the norm. But do not conform to the patterns of this world as it so states in the scriptures. It is a time for prayer because sin will not go unpunished He is a God o...

" I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me ." (Jesus speaking)   John 14:6 This is one of my favorite verses from the bible. This clearly states that no one comes to know God if its not through Jesus. You have to know Jesus. Have an encounter with him. "For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. When beginning your walk with God it is very important to fix your eyes on Jesus and not on the works of man. See it is not mans job to reveal Jesus to you it is Jesus himself who reveals himself to you. It is only mans job to communicate the truth about the gospel. Some of us might say "no I'm to young to follow all these set of rules and really to young to not have fun". That's where many of us have failed to portray the real Jesus we make him seem unloving to controlling, and cruel but really he is the one that die...