Eagle's Wings

"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself."

Exodus 19:4

Have you ever watched an eagle? I mean really observed them. They are so amazing and unique. They're strong. Graceful. Wise. Have you ever watched them fly, soaring above everything surrounding them? Once an eagle has reached a certain altitude it can stop flapping it's wings and simply soar on the wind beneath it. Such a familiar situation to me. I remember a time when I felt as if I had fallen to the bottom of the pit. Life had become so hard to navigate, so tough to manage. It seemed as if I was flapping hard and barely moving. Then I realized that I was trying to do it all in my own strength. So i chose to lean hard on God for everything. That trust in God was the altitude I needed to reach the place where I could soar in Christ. I no longer needed to flap my wings. Christ became the wind lifting me higher. If you're wings are growing tired lean hard on God and soar.

Soaring in Him,

Shauna

Strong Waves... Dim Lights...

How Bright is Your Light? Sunday afternoon Abdias taught a message about living our faith as a lifestyle instead of just wearing it as a label. The message was great but the point that stuck out the most to me was his example of a lighthouse. He painted the picture of us as believers of Christ deeply rooted in our faith, standing firm and tall like magnificent lighthouses. Our lights should be shining bright to guide our loved ones and all those around us safely to the shore. If our lights are dimly lit we leave them prey to a dark sea of fierce tossing waves.

Matthew 5:15-16 tells us,

"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (The Message)

When lost souls see us the light of Christ should be so bright that it brings a sense of wonder and curiosity. Their hearts will be drawn to His light like a moth to a flame. I had to take a moment to evaluate my own lighthouse. Have I been hiding my light under a bowl? Leaving my unsaved loved ones shipwrecked and in the dark? Sometimes yes... Sometimes no... But starting today I'm going to "commit my ways to the Lord"!

(Check out Psalms 37:5)

"Commit your ways to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,..."

So I'm going to upgrade my light bulbs! I know as I continue to build healthy spiritual habits, spending time with God, having fellow believers as accountability partners... to help me stay in check :), studying scripture and sharing what I've learned with others, my lighthouse is going to shine much brighter than before... How about yours?

Amping my Light,

-Shauna P.

CHOSEN...

What does being "chosen" really mean? The dictionary defines the word chosen as "to be picked out from the rest". So the real question is what have we been picked out from? The WORLD! Society has a bad habit of bunching everyone together. Almost destroying any trace of individuality. But what if God's purpose for you is the very opposite of society's. Imagine knowing that you were definitely not created to be the same. In fact you were created to be totally different!

In Deuteronomy 7:6 the Bible tells us,

…the LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

John 15:1 reminds us,

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

(This scripture reminds me of one of my favorite clothing stores, C28- Not of this world, check it out @ www.c28.com , their graphic tees are the hotness!)

Okay, let's stay focused...So why did God choose me? What exactly am I supposed to be doing? I'm so glad you asked. The Bible tells us that we were created to worship God, to share his love with those around us, to be His hands and feet by serving those in need. When we spend time in His presence by studying His word, worshipping Him and seeking His face in prayer He begins to reveal His plan for our lives.

QUICK! -Take five seconds and think of one thing you’d love to do that would bring glory to God!

What's holding you back? Your busy schedule? Your Friends? Your age?

You're never to young or old for that matter! There is no age requirement in the kingdom of God!!!!!!

1 Timothy 4:12-14 encourages us to walk out our faith in spite of our age,

Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

You see, God has so many things for us to do, so many ways for us to impact this world.

To be in it but not of it!

Daring to Be Different,

Shauna Smith-Pierre :)

“Our faith is more than just an experience…

it’s an expectation;

that’s why we’re CHOSEN…”

Change of Heart

         Have you ever wanted something so much only to discover that what you thought you wanted isn’t at all what you thought it would be? The newest gaming system, a fresh new pair of kicks and our latest clique of friends all slowly lose their edge. After a couple of weeks have passed even the most explosive crush can start to lose its fizzle. It’s very common for our wants and desires to change with the seasons of time. We can’t help it we’re human! But sometimes a change of heart can be a good thing. 

      Take the Apostle Paul for example. His story of salvation is by far one of the most extreme cases of turning over a new leaf the Holy Bible has to offer. Here’s a young man named Saul who absolutely hates Christians and everything they stand for (Saul eventually gives his life to Christ and changes his name to Paul).

         Saul had such a beef with Christ followers that he devoted his life to hunting them down to be tortured and killed. (Acts 9:1-2) One day Saul was on his way to a city named Damascus to search for more Christians when he stumbled upon a little God sent intervention. (To learn more about Paul’s story check out the book of Acts chapter 9)

         God’s love for Saul was so strong and powerful that he had to be sure he was exposed to the truth. Saul on the other hand was totally unaware of the truth that had been hidden from his very own eyes. So Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Seeing Jesus for himself literally knocked him to the ground and blinded him. Jesus interrupted Saul’s self-driven journey, offered the truth, and sent him to a place called Straight Street! Isn’t it just like God to make even the most obvious messages crystal clear, i.e. Straight Street?

         Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that the path we’re traveling is the right one, but just because it’s a good path doesn’t mean it’s a God path. Sometimes running after our own desires requires God to interrupt our journey and set us on the right path to the road called Straight Street and all it takes is a change of heart.

 

       Today I invite you to take a little time to observe the path you’re traveling. Is it a good path or a God path? Is there something that you could do differently to please our heavenly Father? Is your journey leading you to Straight Street? Rest assured that my path is nowhere near perfect. Maybe it’s time we had a change of heart...

 

With a changing heart,

Shauna Smith-Pierre :)