Rain

So its no secret that Texas needs rain! Actually every week in church our prayer ends with a pray for rain. For the past two days our answers have Been answered!

This is the park in my local town. It was flooded and had to be evacuated. Our down town had to be evacuated as well because the river over flowed and was headed to the town. I went to bed last night to rain and woke up to more <3 its a blessing!!

He draws up the drops of water, which is distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.

Job 36:27-28



This is just proof that God does answer prayers. We needed this rain and we got it. (: God is amazing and continues to bless our lives.

                                                               God bless <3

                                                                      Love,

                                                                            Heaven April 

God's Promises Day 2

So I know I did not update yesterday and today should be day 3. Since I missed yesterday I will go back to day 2. (:

God's Promises Day 2

1 John 2:24-25

As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, if it does, you also will remain in the son and in the father. And this is what he promised us- Eternal Life.

   One of God's greatest promises is that, Eternal Life. If we believe in him, and live for him we will live forever. Not here on earth. On earth our days are numbered. With God in Heaven we will life when our earthly life is over. That is an amazing gift! To live with God forever all we have to do right now is life for him. We trust in him, praise him, worship him, and pray to him. Tell others of his unfailing love and live by what the bible tells us. Life here on earth my get hard. Life with God will be amazing. It will be worth enduring pain here on earth.

We will remain in the son and in the father. We will remain in Jesus and in God. We will have Eternal Life if what we have heard from the beginning remains in us. That is a promise given to us by the Father himself. Trust in him, believe, live for him always.

                                                              God Bless<3

                                                                     Love,

                                                                        Heaven April

Gods Promises day 1

So I was very unsure of what to talk about next on here. I got to looking on this website that has alot of bible plans. I found one that I really wanted to do, and thought I'd share with all of you. So here it is.

God's Promises Day 1

2 Timothy 4:16-18

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. And I  was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

       Take a moment to really read that verse and reflect on what it is saying.

What is the promise given in this verse? It speaks of how no one came to his support, but instead they turned their backs on them. Has that ever happened to you? How do you cope? Here is how he did. He gave it to God. The promise given is that he will be given strength. We are meant to share God's word. Sometimes people will look down on you for that. God will give you the strength you need to carry out his plan if you just ask.

Another promise given is the Lord will rescue you from every evil attack. There is evil in the world. Evil situations and evil people. If we trust in God he promises to bring us safely out of that evil. He will give us strength and rescue us when evil comes our way.

So what are the two promises God gives us in 2 TTimothy?

1. Strength so that the message might be fully proclaimed
2. Rescue and bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom.   

Remember these promises when evil comes your way. You will gain strength and safety. All you have to do is pray and ask God. Let him take you into his loving arms.

(If you would like to check out any of these bible plans yourself go to Youversion.com )

                                                                God bless <3

                                                                        Love,

                                                                            Heaven April 

Never to young

Today's lesson is youth group was Leadership. This was a great message and one that I think really needs to be taught. I know that I needed to hear it. (:

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over then, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave to all.

                                        Mark 10: 42-44

We can all be leaders. We all have the opportunity, as servants of God, to lead others to him. Like I said we are Servants. In order to be a leader we must be servants as well. We are all servants of God. We cant lead others to God when we don't have God ourselves. We must be a slave to God. As a leader we must also be a servant.

What makes a leader? That is a good question and we can find the answer in Titus 1:5-9.

        The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what is left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the change of being wild and disobedient. Since and overseer manages God's house hold, he must be blameless not overbearing, not quick- tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute to those who oppose it.

Yes that is alot to take in at once. Basically to be a leader you need to know the bible. You need to use the bible as a way to encourage others. You cant tell someone something and have no proof. A leader must love what is good not what is bad. A leader needs to have the values mentioned in Titus.

How can we expect to lead others when we don't live as we preach? We cant. Every decision we make in life should be led by God. Acts 6:1-7 is another great scripture to refer to when talking about leading. Like I said earlier to be a leader we must also be a servant. As a leader you want it to be God who is leading you. Let him direct your life, live as he tells you to.

So I used part of this next scripture I will quote in my last post. It can also tie in with leading.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set and example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

Just as I used this verse in purity it is also good for leadership. As young people, we are often looked down on and feel like we cant lead others. People will tell you your not mature enough, or you don't have what it takes to lead. That is untrue! You are never to young to do great things! Be an example to those who look down on you. Let your love for God be shown. Do not ever think you are to young to lead others to Christ. Do not ever think you are to young to lead in general. Live up to who God sis calling you to be and who he wants you to be. Live your life enjoying God, and lead others to that same Joy.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your live and doctrine closely. Persevere in then, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.            1 Timothy 4:13-16

If your gift is leading others and telling the good news of God, do not hide that. No matter how old you are if you devote yourself to reading and living by the bible you can do amazing things! Let it be known to others that you devote your life to God. Let them see the progress and the changes made in your life. Making it public to others, is one way of being a leader. If you do not only will you be saved, but those who listen to you will also be saved.

Be a leader. Be a servant. Never hide from what you are called to do because you believe you are to young. Read the scripture. Live as God wants you to. Let it known to others that you have faith. You are never to young to do remarkable things!

                                                  God bless <3

                                                         Love,
                                                             Heaven April

Purity

So for those that know me, know I wear a purity ring. I'm not afraid to let others know. I believe in remaining abstinent until marriage. Even before I had a relationship with God I believed this. I took the pledge to abstain from sex my seventh grade year at the end of a week long sex-ed class. I'm not ashamed of that.

I do get tormented from "friends" for my belief. The thing is, its not just my belief. Its what God tells us to do. Its in the bible. Sex is something that should be shared between two who are married and love each other. That is my belief. I have never tried to shove my belief down others throats. I share the word of God but I wont force someone to believe what I believe.

Lately, people have basically called me stupid because I wear a purity ring. They have been pressuring me trying to say that Its fun. Trust me I could find a million more things that I find fun. Sex does not have to be one of them. To me sharing Gods word is fun.

I cant just tell others what I believe I have to back it up so that Is what I am here to do.

So the most common verse for remaining pure is found in 1 Timothy 4:12. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set and example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

This verse is on my purity ring. Yes we are young. I am a 17 year old teenager, most kids I know are having sex. I want to be that example. I want to tell them that just because we are young and think we are in love doesn't mean we have to have sex. That is not what our lives are about.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do now know God.

I live for God. I'm not perfect. I sin, I'm human. I believe in abstinence until marriage. I know many do not share this view. No one should have to be afraid to wear their purity ring and tell others their beliefs. I know from first hand how bad it feels to have others torment you because you follow what the bible says.

Don't be afraid to share your love for God. Don't be afraid to live as the bible says to. We all have different beliefs. That's life, we all share different views. Share yours, don't hide from it. Don't let other pressure you into doing anything that you don't believe in. Be that example that others need.

                                                           God bless <3

                                                                   Love,
                                                                       Heaven April

Stronger

So.. I haven't really posted in a few days. Its been a hard few days to be completely honest. Earlier, I was in the car and feeling a little down. This song came on, and it made me realize that God works everything out in his own time. That what I'm going through is going to make me stronger. I wanted to share that song with all of you. <3

Just listen to the lyrics. Really focus on them. Times get hard. Trust me, I know. The pain wont last forever though. Things will get better. Fall into the arms of Jesus and this will make you stronger.

God has his own time for everything. I am learning that. Just remember he knows our pain. He will never give us more then we can handle. Hang in there just a little bit longer. God has a plan <3

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind and God is faithful; he will not yet be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

                                                  God bless <3

                                                         Love,
                                                             Heaven April

Give it all

Give it all to the one who made us. The one who gave his own son's life to die for you! God can free us from ourselves. Give t all to Him!

                                                         God bless <3

                                                                 Love,
                                                                      Heaven April

Forgiveness

It's the hardest thing to give away/ and the last thing on your mind today/ It always goes to those that don't deserve/ Its the opposite of how you feel/ When the pain they caused is just to real/ It takes everything you have just to say the word/ Forgiveness.
                             Forgiveness- Matthew West

Those are lyrics from a song that Matthew West sings. They speak the truth, at least for me they do. Forgiveness is something I often struggle with, to be completely honest, I struggled with it very recently.

I left the first high school I went to due to the lies, rumors, bullying  from students becoming to much. I nearly left the school I'm at for the very same reason. Only It wasn't the students, but the faculty. Forgiveness has been one of the toughest lessons I have had to learn. I forgive those kids freshman year, four years is way to long to hold a grudge. The hard one to forgive was the more recent one. Sometimes I still look at the man who hurt me and my family and the pain and anger come back. Its a constant battle, but God asks me to forgive. So that's what I did.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Did you know that God forgave you? We are sinner. No one is perfect. In fact it states in Romans 3:23 "That all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." So none of us living today, can say that we never sin. We do. God forgives us, if we ask for it. I know how hard it is. Like I said I struggle daily to forgive the one that put me and the ones I love through pain, but if God can forgive me for all my sins, if he can give his only son to die for me, Then I can forgive those people.

Love for Enemies

" You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you. love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:43-44

Did you catch that? Even if that person that hurt you is your greatest enemy you should pray for them. Love them even. I know that's tough. Like Matthew said Its hard to forgive and pray for those that don't deserve it. Just think of how God forgave you and made you his child when he owed us nothing. We didn't deserve any of it! He did it because he loves us!

I know we all struggle with Forgiveness. I cried myself to sleep most nights for about a month this past school year. Looking from the outside, people don't understand why it affect me so much. Why it tore me up so much what was done to us, but on the inside, we understood. I watched my family feel pain, anger, hate, over the situation. I don't like when people hurt my family and friends. I didn't even care that I was being hurt, I cared that they were. I had hate in my heart.

I was broken inside. I didn't like to feel that way. I didn't like to be angry like that. For months I felt that anger, and honestly sometimes it still tries to come back. It really came back the first week of this school year. God is helping me so much though. He helped me find forgiveness, peace, happiness. on July 5th when I finally asked God to take that hate away and give me forgiveness, a weight was lifted off.

We all struggle with forgiveness. We all struggle with anger, with pain, hatred, sadness. God can take that all away from us. He did for me. Like I said those feeling still come back. When they do, take a moment to pray and ask God for peace.

Things do get easier. They will settle down and peace will come. Its a tough road, and a hard lesson to learn. It took me months to learn this lesson. The lesson of forgiving. Just remember God can save you. He can ease the pain, take the anger and hatred. Just let him in, let him take you for all that you are and make you new. You never have to fight that battle alone.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. - Exodus 14:14-

God Bless <3

                                                              

                                                                               Love,

                                                                                   Heaven April 

Reset

So today was.... Well basically, it left me speechless! I want to take a moment, tho, to focus on the music that was played throughout the week. Don't worry though I will get to the message. (:

Micah Mariano

So i was first introduced to Micah's preaching at Seek Week church camp this past summer. During that week I was never exposed to his music. So this was a first for me...... It was amazing! Music is where God speaks to me most. Honestly I really felt God the whole time Micah was on stage. He played alot of amazing songs, that I can not recall at the moment, and they all spoke to me. I could tell that he was really singing for God. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize Micah and his work he is doing for the Lord. 

Revival Day 4

So we always hear someone saying, I believe in Jesus, then someone else chimes in and says "Then you are saved." Sorry to burst your bubble but believing in Jesus does not mean you are saved. Even the devil believes in Jesus. In order to be truly saved we need to be born again.  In John 2:23-25, it talks about how many people, at the passover festival in Jerusalem, saw the signes of Jesus and believed in his name. They saw what he does and they believe in his name! This does not mean that they believe in him.

To truly be saved we need to be born again. Do you need me to back that statement up? Well I can do that for you! In John 3:3 Jesus replied, "very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." We must accept God and let him rule our lives. We must be born again, made new. We can not be saved and be the same person we were. We must be new! We must wash away our old sins and live for God and him alone!

Do you understand now why I called this post a reset? Most believe they are saved just because they believe in Jesus. That's not enough. We need to believe in all that he does, all that he is. We need to believe in the bible and all that it says. We cant pick and choose what to believe in and what not to believe in. That's not our place. We cant make God who we want. He is who he is, not who we make him. God's pleasure with us is not in what we do its if we have that relationship with Christ. That relationship does not just come from saying we believe. It comes from practicing our belief and glorifying Jesus.

We have to understand that God doesn't just hand out party favors, He is a God that demands fear, honor,worship, and more. We have to follow Jesus for who he is, not just what he does. We cant just follow him when he brings joy to our lives then turn from him when pain enters our lives. Praise him ALWAYS. Believe in him ALWAYS. Worship him ALWAYS. Do you get my point? Don't just say you believe, believe.

Ill leave with the question I was left with. Do you really know Jesus or have you just heard of him?

Here is some scripture from tonight! (:

Acts 4:12

John 14:6

John 6

John 10

John 17

John 2:23, 3:1

John 8:30

1 John 2:19-23

Romans 8:16-17

Matthew 7:21-23

Philippians 3:9

2 Corinthians 5:21

John 6:2

Mark 5

2 Corinthians 5:17

Matthew 13

John 10:10

2 Corinthians 13:5

Philippians 2:6

Hebrews 1:3

Okay so that was the message for today, and the last message of this revival.

I just want to take a moment to talk about Ryan, the speaker.

Ryan

I had never heard of him. To be honest I was drawn to this revival because of Micah. I just want y'all to know how much this man spoke to me. I could see God just shining through him. He didn't sugar coat anything, he spoke the truth and backed it up with scripture. He challenged us and overwhelmed me. But I loved every moment of it! If any of you reading this get the change to see this man, do so! God out and hear him preach! He is amazing!

God spoke through this revival. Few people showed up to the first day. From my church it was just me and my best friend Stephanie. Today we took 18 kids and had 1 more meet us there. I don't know how many of those kids were saved, or got saved, but I heard of at least one who Gave her life to Christ. That's amazing! God is good! I am so glad that I got the opportunity to participate in this revival this week. 

                                                        God bless <3

                                                                Love,

                                                                   Heaven April

Revival day 3

So there are two different things I want to adress in today's blog. 1. is the message from today. It was a really good one. 2. Worship in music. Actually, I want to adress different worship styles.

Worship In music

Okay, so we all have different ways we worship. Some lift their hands to God, some sing as loud as they can, some bow down on the ground with their hands lifted. For me, its standing up, eyes closed, mouth moving. Sometimes I will lift my arms, but not always. We all have our own style, the thing that matters is that we are worshiping God.

Today at the revival there was a man that clapped, and sang louder then even the singer. In my eyes it was amazing! I loved his style of worship! I thought it was great that he wasn't afraid to worship in his own way. God deserves that kind of praise!

Sitting in front of me, i will not name names, there were a few younger boys mocking the way this guy was worshiping. This really bothered me. I asked them many times to stop, as well did one of the boys older sister. They kept out it the whole time Micah was singing. So this is what I have to say,

We all have our own way of worship. Its our style, and we should not judge anyone else for their style. We are not the ones who can judge, only God can. Bullying, in any form, is unacceptable. That's what these boys were doing to this man, the worst was they were doing it behind his back. Don't be afraid to worship how you worship! Don't let what others say affect you. No matter what anyone thinks, Worship God! He deserves it, remember he is the only judge that matters. (:

That's all on that subject (: Now on to the message of today!

Revival day 3

God. That one word should strike fear in you. It should bring a smile to your face, and tears to your eyes. Warmth in your heart, and goosebumps on your arms. That's how powerful God is!

Some people try to put characteristics on God that are not him. They read something in the bible and say, oh I don't worship a God who does that? Really? Then sorry to tell you, but you don't worship God. We don't chose what characteristics we want in God. He decides that for hisselft. Did you know that in 1 Samuel 16, God sent an evil spirit to torment Saul. Sometimes we forget that God doesn't always bring joy at first, sometimes he brings pain that eventually leads to joy. Remember that. Some will praise God to the highest when their life is going good, then as soon as God puts a little struggle in their lives they turn from him.

Yes, God brings joy, love, but also remember God brings fear. We should fear him. He is more powerful then anything we can imagine. That does not mean that God is bad, though. He is better then we can ever hope to be. He puts those struggles and at the end something amazing comes out of them!

In John 11, Jesus brings a man names Lazarus back to life. That's the happy ending part. it says that Jesus loved Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary so much. Yet when he found out that Lazarus was sick, instead of going straight to Bethany, he waited where he was for two more days. By the time he reached Bethany , Lazarus was already dead. When Jesus got there he brought this man back to life. Those that saw this happen, then went to tell others, and soon Jews starting coming to Christ. They said they wanted to be like him. So yes, one man died and it seemed horrible at the time, but in the end he was alive and many more were saved. There was alot more to the story. If you get time go read John 11! (:

That's how God works. He gives bad, to bring amazing! Don't ever question what God is doing. God always does what is right! No matter how hard, or painful it may be, it is always the right thing. Our life is meant to give glory to God, and that means during the bad times to.

Here is some scripture from tonight. Check it out!! (:

Psalm 115:3

Exodus 4:11

Ephesians 1:3

1 Samuel 14

1 Kings 22

Genesis 18

Ezekiel 16

John 9

John 11

Isaiah 52

Ryan also told us to google Murder of Polycarp. I'm not sure what it is, I have yet to google it. If you get the chance to go for it! (:

                                                            God Bless <3

                                                        

                                                                     Love,

                                                                         Heaven April

The Necessity of the Word of God.

So today at revival we had a new speaker names Ryan. His message was amazing, I took as many notes as possible, and remembered as much as I can. This blog may not make sense, to be completely honest some of the things didn't make sense to me completely. But here is Revival day 2 (:

Revival day 2

Ryan used many verses which is fitting considering how he spoke about the word of God. So to begin I will list all the verses below and please take time to look them up! (:

Ephesians 2:8-10

Matthew 5:13-16

1 peter 2:12

Proverbs 5:4

Hebrews 4:12

2 Timothy 3:16,17

1 Peter 2:2

John 8:30,31

Psalm 119:9-11

Joshuah 1:89

Joshuah 1:1-7

2 Corinthians 5:1-7

Jeremiah 29:11

(I know its alot but its worth looking up)

How many of us have read the bible at least once? How many of us can quote at least 10 scriptures by heart? To be completely honest I have not done any of that. If we memorize the book of proverbs we will still know less then half of one percent of the bible. How crazy is that! I know that I don't know as much as I should but hearing that motivated me to read more. I believe he said that if we read 3 1/2 chapters out of the bible a day we will be able to completely read the bible all the way through in a year.

Do you want to know how to beat sin? Read the bible! Get into His word! It says in Proverbs 5:4 that sin is as sharp as a double edged sword. Yes that intimidating but guess what? In Hebrews 4:12 its says that the Word of God is sharper then any double edged sword. So that means read his word. Meditate on what you read. Use it in your everyday lives. Defeat sin and Satan with Gods words!

I hope that what I am writing is not to confusing. Like I said some of it went above my head. I am still learning myself and all of this is new to me.

There was one verse that Ryan really taught on today. That was 2 Corinthians 5:7. For we live by faith, not by sight. The way he put it was most say live by faith not by sight. Like it is a command. When really that is completely wrong the text says WE LIVE by faith not by sight. WE LIVE! Its not a command to live by faith not by sight. It is saying that we already live like that. Ryan said this is where most people misinterpret the Word of God. They say Live by faith, not by sight, as if its a command to do so. Sometimes we need to slowdown and read Gods word for what it really says. For we live by faith not by sight.

Another neat things I learned tonight was that When we go to Heaven we will no longer live by faith. Instead we will live by sight. We will be new bodies,sinless bodies. We will no longer have the need to live by faith. We will already be with God. So we will live by what we see.

I know that there was alot more that Ryan spoke. Like I said his message was amazing. I hope this is not to difficult for others to understand. If so I am truly sorry.

That message really did change my mind setting though. I will now strive to get more into the Word of God.

                               God bless <3

                                             Love,

                                                  Heaven April

Revival day 1- Recognize your pink batons

So for the next 4 days the 7th street baptist church is holding a revival with worship leader Micah Mariano! (: Micah was at the church camp i attended this past summer. I love his teachings and they really speak to me.

Part 1 of 4

God has already revealed himself, but have you opened your eyes to see him? Have you truly looked around and seen God? Seen his love, his glory, his freedom? When you sing your songs of praise are you really worshiping God or are you just singing a familiar song?

God created us to be a reflection of his character. God wants us to strive everyday to be more like him. He takes that "good guy" and makes him a great guy! He wants to take the girl who sometimes speaks of his word, and make her a girl who lives to spread his word. Do you truly understand that God took the one thing he loved most in this world, and turned his back on him, so that person could die for our sins? Can you truly grasp how amazing that is!? God gave his only son to pay for our sins so that we may become pure again.

This brings me to the next thing I learned tonight. We need to recognize our pink batons. Yes, you probably have no clue what that means. Micah gave this story about one of his sons. Basically pink batons stands as our sins. We need to recognize that we have sinned and most times live in constant sin. God wants to take that sin and make us new again. We all sin. I know I do. God forgives. He wants us to live for him. He wants us to curl up in his lap and take our problems away. When times are good and when times are bad, God is still on his throne. He still rules over earth!

In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah says "Woe to me!" Woe to me is like saying death to me. He stood in Gods majesty and said death to me. He died before God and became new. He became a man who lived to spread Gods word. When God asked " Whom shall i send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah jumped up and down like a teenager who just got asked to prom and said "Here am I, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

God wants us to be like Isaiah. He wants us to lay our life's down before him and say "Here I am, take all of me, God, I give you my life." He wants us to say "Woe to me!," Just as Isaiah did. He wants us to jump for joy when he asks who should spread my word. God wants us to become more like him and share of his Glory. If we don't strive to be more God- like, then why are we here? God deserves our all, he gave his all for us. We should do the same.

Dont be afraid to proclaim Gods love. Are you afraid to tell your friends about your new boyfriend? NO! So why should you be afraid to tell your friends God's love and mercy. Scream to everyone what God has done for you. Encourage them to be more God - like. Encourage yourself to be more God like. Let your friends see the change that God has put in you.

I was left with this question at the end of Day 1.

Will you follow?

So will you follow God? Will you strive to be more like him?

                                                God Bless <3

       

                                                         Love,

                                                             Heaven April 

Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

-Ephesians 6:10-11-

The devil is going to attack us. That's life. Its hard, its a struggle and we are often let down and torn apart. I don't even have enough fingers or toes to count how many times the devil has deceived me. He uses our weaknesses against us and thrives on our fears.

We can defeat him. We have the one weapon that he can never surpass. We have the full armor of God. When you let God into your life, you let him fight your downhill battles for you. God is the one person that the devil can not defeat or overpower. He tried that as Lucifer the angel and he was cast out of Heaven for thinking he could defeat God. ( Isaiah 14:12)

We have God inside of us. We have is everlasting love and protection. Who can hurt us? NO ONE! At times the devil might get inside your head and make you believe that your life is falling to pieces. That's not true. You have the armor of God. He will never let you completely fall.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes form the gospel of peace. In addition to this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

            -Ephesians 6: 14-17-

We have all we need to defeat the devil. God is all we need to stand against all his evil games. We have is word, his message, his faith, his hope. Most importantly we have his Love <3 Life is a battle. Sometimes it feels as if we cant win. We never have to fight this battle alone. (Exodus 14:14)  God will never leave us. He gives us all we need to stand courageous!

God is amazing and he deserves all of our praise. Always wear your full armor of God and nothing can hurt you! God protects the weak. I and weak everyday but I'm still here. God is my strength.

                                            God bless <3

                                                       Love,

                                                            Heaven April.

I am Second

Today at school, I was stopped by one of the cafeteria/custodian workers. She pulled out three bracelets that had the simple saying "I am Second." She handed three to me and told me to give on to my two friends Stephanie and Bethany. She told me her church was handing them out and if I needed more then to let her know.

About an hour later I was sitting in physics with my friend Cameron and he asked me where I had gotten the bracelet. I told him, then asked if he knew what it ment. I thought it was just a saying, because compared to God we will always come second. He is first above all. Turns out that I am second is a YouTube channel. Its celebrities, proclaiming their faith and sharing their testimonies.

http://www.youtube.com/user/IamSecondVIDEOS?feature=watch

I was watching a few of the videos and they are really inspiring. I think its amazing when celebrities proclaim their faith. So many people admire these people and so many kids try to be just like them. So them showing us that they had a hard life and accepted Christ might make others seek his kingdom.

I am Second, is a great concept. Before we accept God we live in a world where we are the main focus. We are number one and that's not the way it should be. God should come first! He is the only reason why we are here. He gave his only son  to die for us. Before school this text was sent to me, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made, isn't that great.. Have a great day." Its true God wonderfully made each and every one of us. That is why he should always be first. I AM SECOND!! (:

These are very inspiring videos, and please check out the link  above or go to YouTube and type in I am second. God wants to be first. We have to let him take our lives and make us second.

 God bless <3



                                Love,

                                   Heaven April

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the  Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought a t a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
                                             - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -

I think most believers have that certain verse that holds a special place in their heart. That one verse that every time they hear it, instantly makes the situation better. I know this one is a little random if you don't know the story behind it, but this is my verse.

Most people who knows me, knows that I'm not who I once was. Not even close. I struggled with an addiction, that often separated me from God. Before I got saved, a friend of mine was doing a 7 day cutting bible study with me. Each day she would send me a new verse to read, and talk about. This helped me so much, but the addiction didn't go away instantly. It took about a year to completely stop.

I believe it was the first day of the study that she gave me this verse to look up. Tears instantly filled my eyes as soon as I read it. I knew that I was not honoring God, and I wanted to. My body is not mine, it is God's, I should do all I can for him. At that moment I realized that I was not. I was dishonoring God.

Ever since that moment, This has been my go to verse. Even though I don't struggle with my addiction any longer, I still hold this verse close to my heart. When times get tough, I reflect on this verse, and tell myself " I don't want to be that girl any more, I want to Honor God in all that I do! "

It may not make sense to anyone else, but your special verse is yours. I have friends whose special verses seem so random to me, but I know that there is a reason they hold that so dearly. The same reason I hold this one with a tight grip. I believe God put this verse in my hands, and in my heart for a reason.

                                         God bless <3

                                                Love,
                                                   Heaven April

The light

So I just got back from youth group and it was breathtaking! Stormi said something that really stuck out to me.

"You will never see how bright the light is until you put it up to the darkness."

That's so true! You never truly see how bright Gods light shines for you, until you put it up next to the darkness you once were.

We all have dark times. I still fear my darkest days, but I know that that's not who I am anymore. God has given me his light! He shine through me and I will praise him. It wasn't until recently that I reflected on my past and my darkness that I really realized how much God has changed me. In just a little over a year my life has been transformed.

The other day I was reading old conversations from before I accepted Christ and in my mind i thought "Wow was that really me?" Even though it wasn't that long ago. Its still weird to imagine that darkness. That is a place I don't ever want to live in again. I want to live in Gods light!

I believe that at one point in all of our lives we have lived in darkness. God wants to take that darkness from you. He wants to shine his light bright! He can only do that if you let him. Think of how amazing it could be if even during dark times a light was still shining! That's what God can do.

"You will never see how bright the light is until you put it up to the darkness"

                          God bless <3

                                 Love,
                                     Heaven April

Battlefield of the mind- Joyce Meyer

So recently, at my Wednesday night youth group, our youth pastor has started teaching us using Joyce Meyers Battlefield of the Mind. One day, randomly, I was in Hastings and I happened to stumble across Battlefield of the Mind for teens.

I read this book and my eyes were open! There is so many great things that Joyce discusses. I advise any teen  who is going through a hard time, or anyone for that matter, to grab a copy of this book.

She is real good about relating the topics to her personal life. As teens, I think that is what helps us most. When someone is preaching to us, that they have been through the same things we have. I know it helps me that when I have a problem and i turn to someone else to help, that they can relate it to their life.

Throughout this book, Joyce, discusses questions we all ask during our lives. Reading this I felt she knew what I was going through. Like she wrote it for me, but she didn't. She wrote it for everyone. We all go through basically the same things. She talks about Satan attacking your mind, which for me happens often. She talks about not feeling worth, or feeling alone. She also relates these issues to scripture.

This is a great book! If you are going through something, and you feel no one else out there can ever possibly go through this, read this book! Were not so different after all. We all go through hard times, we all battle with our mind.

                    God bless <3

                             Love,
                                 Heaven April

Never Alone

" No one cares about me, no one loves me, no one would even notice if i was gone." Have you ever had that thought? Have you ever had that feeling like you are alone trying to figure out this broken world? I have. At one point in my life I didn't value my life at all. Living was just where i was and honestly if i wasn't anymore i wouldn't care. That was probably the lowest point in my life. I felt so alone. Like there was no one out there that cared for me. I cried myself to sleep every night, and turned to destruction to try and ease the pain.

One day someone walked into my life and showed me that someone did care. I was going through a hard time. I had just had a horrible fight with my best friend, family was falling apart, and much more. I posted something and Stormi called me and asked me okay. From that night on I knew someone cared. She started taking me to Church on Sundays with her. At first it was just an escape from the world i called life. Soon it became my life. I lived to go to Church each Sunday and be filled with his word, and be surrounded by people who cared. I longed during the week for that feeling that people cared about me.

One day Stormi asked me if i would like to go to summer camp with her. This was new to me. I had never been to church camp, or any church event for that matter. I said yes though, something drew me into it. Little did i know that was God drawing me near.

That week on July 20, 2011, I gained the greatest love. I accepted God into my heart. My walls were torn down, my scares opened, and God came in. He took my life and made it his. I knew one thing that night. That I no longer wanted to live in sin and feel the way I did. I no longer wanted to feel like I was alone. I had been preached that God never leaves us alone. Up until that moment i never really believed it. I thought I would be alone forever. Since that moment there has not been one day that goes by that I've been alone. God is always right by my side.

God says in Hebrews 13:5 " Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you." He means it. When you feel like your all alone in this world, turn to God. He wants to take the pain away. He wants you to feel his presence and know that in your darkest times he is with you. Have you ever heard the footprints poem? The man always saw two sets of footprints, and knew God was with him always. During his hardest time, he only saw one set of footprints. He then questioned God asking why when he needed him the most was he not there? God replied " When you see only one set of footprints, that's when I was carrying you." God will carry us through those hard times. We just have to let him in, let him knock down our walls.

Anytime you are feeling alone, Pray to God. Never will you be alone. He is by your side through it all. You are never alone <3

                     God bless <3
                  
                              Love,
                                  Heaven April

Glory To God

So I just wanted to share this song <3 On July 17, 2011 at Alto Frio Masters camp the band branch sang this song. It was the first time I had ever truly felt God. 3 days later I was saved <3 This song has had a huge impact on my life and it still brings tears to my eyes every time that I hear it <3

Is there a song that has changed any of your lives? If so i would really like to hear about it (:

Take my life and let it be all for you and for your glory, take my life and let it be yours <3
           
                       God bless <3
 
                               Love,
                                  Heaven April

P.S. if you would like to hear any of Branch's music you can get it at
branchmusic.org

Great band!

Missing You.

We all have those people that we miss. Right now I'm talking to my best friend and she is missing her dad. It makes me think about my grandma. When I was nine she lost the battle to cancer. I grew up that year, but the pain never really left and i guess it still hasn't. I spent everyday with my grandma, she was my best friend, i was her pussycat. I loved her so much and when she was gone, i didn't know what to do. I was nine but i never had a childhood after that. Her death left my family broken.

I was the last person she talked to before she took that final breath. Her last word was water. The memory of her final moments are ones that will never leave me. Every day I think about her and it leaves me in tears most times. Back then I didn't understand how God could take her life. Now I understand that she was suffering. She was fighting a battle she couldn't win. So God took her to a place where she no longer suffered. A place where she was reunited with her daughter and her mother. Sometimes i still feel her presence. I know shes looking down on me making sure I'm okay.

We all have those that we miss. A parent, sibling, aunt, grandma, friend. The list goes on and on. Just remember that God is with them. That he has greater plans for them up there in Heaven. They are always looking down on you. If they could talk to us, I'm sure they would not want us to mourn over their death. I know that hard to do. When you lose someone you care about, mourning is just a step of healing. Do we ever really heal though? Sometimes the pain of losing my grandma is to much to bear. I break down then I pray.

Dear God,

 Take this pain. Show me that she is with you and that she is happy. I don't want to mourn I want the assurance that she is smiling and well. God, I know that you are watching over me and that you wont give me more then I can handle. So please take the pain. In Jesus name.

     Amen.

I pray this pray, and yes the pain and memories are still there but I can handle them. God takes that away and gives me peace.

When your missing that person who left you, turn to God. Let him be the strength that you need. That person you are missing is smiling down on you everyday making sure you are okay. I pray for everyone who is missing someone. That they get that peace and assurance that that person is in Heaven looking down on them.

If you have someone in your life who is mourning and missing someone else. Its hard to find the right words to say to them to make them feel better. I guess there is really nothing we can say. Be there for them. Let them know that they have God and you on their side. That you will be their no matter what. Sometimes all we can do for someone is pray. Pray for their healing, for their pain, pray that they are strong enough. God will give them that strength.

                      God bless <3

                            

                           Love,

                               Heaven April.

Three Minute Story

I was in family Christian a few weeks ago, I was asking the clerk if he had a lot of these little bible that they carried, i was asking because we hand them out to kids who don't have one. From there I proceeded to tell him that I was saved at church camp the summer before. As I was doing this, there was this man in the store listing. A few moments later, he stopped me and told me he herd what I had told the clerk. He told me that he was proud of me and that God would take care of me. This meant a lot to me. Then he gave me this website to check out and to tell others to refer to. On this website you can hear other people testimony and you can get information on becoming more Christ like. It is a great website for those who have not accepted God into their lives, as well as those who have.

I am now passing this website along to anyone who reads this blog. Please check it out and tell me what you think. It will only take three minutes. When you watch another persons testimony you can also enter a chance to win a prize. $1,000. To me that is not the ultimate prize. The ultimate prize is hearing the word of God. Share his word! <3

http://www.threeminutestory.com/TMS_home.php

Like I said it wont take to much of your time. Its a great website for unbelievers to come to Christ. Share this with your friends, family, community, church. Share this with the world!

Feel free to comment and let me know how your visit to threeminutestory.com goes (:

                                    God bless <3

                  

                                        Love,

                                            Heaven April

Inspiration

Here is a great inspirational video <3 

Don't go by what the world tells you. Go by what God tells you. <3 

Spread his word! 

                         God Bless <3
                 
                              Love,
                                  Heaven April

The bigger picture.

So have you ever had that feeling like nothing was going right? That every corner you turn there is another disaster waiting for you? We all have had those times. When your so close to the edge its really hard to see things clearly. When times get hard, its tough sometimes to focus on the Bigger Picture.

When times of trouble arise, we need to focus on God. Put it all in his hands! Sometimes Its hard to do that. I know how it is when you feel the world is against you. You just want to curl up in a ball and shut the world out. That is when the devil starts to attack. When you turn your back from God, and live as the world does, the devil uses that against you.

"For I know the plans i have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." 

                           -Jeremiah 29:11-

When it seems like my life is crumbling around me, I read this verse in my head. There is a reason why everything is happening. God has a greater plan for us. One only he can see. It took me a while to realize this. For years I lived in self pity. Instead of turning to God, i turned to myself. That was a place I should have never turned. In the end God showed me that he does have a plan for me. 

God is never going to give us more then we can handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13). When he does give us a lot to handle he always provides a way out. Hes not looking to break us down, that's the devils job. God is strengthening us. He knows us better then we know ourselves. He knows just how much we can take. When you go through a hard time, you come out stronger then before. When you feel you can no longer be strong enough, God will be then strength you need. He has a plan. He will prosper you not harm you. He will give you hope and a future. God is the bigger picture. 

So when you have those times of doubt. Refer to Jeremiah 29:11 and 1 Corinthians 10:13. Turn to God to give you strength. Through him nothing is to much. He is our strength and our refuge. Ever present in times of trouble .(psalm 46:1)

 
  God Bless <3

                              

                       Love, 

                              Heaven April