Our world today

Lately, I have been drawn back to the idea that we do not need new truths. We need to go back to the basics. This will be a series on my Instagram but I wanted to make sure all of the thoughts were in one central location.

What is a Christian? When I really think about it and examine it biblically I thought this:

• A Christian is someone who believes in Jesus. At the most basic level that is all, it is to believe in Jesus. If you believe that Jesus is who he says then you are a Christian.

I have found that different churches can hurt a lot of people so much that they say  “I use to go to church” or “I use to be a Christian”. If you believe in Jesus but do not agree with a past denomination (or church) I invite you to wrestle with this. Humans are broken and can hurt others. But God is not human. He is so much more. I hope that this can encourage someone who has been hurt by people to reconsider their relationship with God. 

One of the most well-known verses in Christianity is John 3:16-17. It says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”.

God didn’t wait for the world to notice or want him, he moved first. He sacrificed for us in a way that only he could so that we might have the opportunity to be with him one day. He loved us so much that he wanted to give us a profound hope that only comes through salvation. 

In verse 17 John goes on to write that God did not come to condemn the world but to save it. At this time the Jews believed that they were God’s chosen people. While that is true it also meant they believed that God’s favor only rested on them. However, this newfound promise of Jesus meant that anyone who choose to believe in him would be saved. 

Takeaways:

1. God loves you so much that he would give anything to be with you

2. God didn’t want to be limited to one people group. Your Christian friends aren’t the only people God cares about. His heart is for more. It is great to have a solid group of Christian friends. I would even go as far as to say it is NECESSARY, however, we are called to more. We can not simply stay in the group that makes us feel the most comfortable. (This may look different for different people. My main point is that God didn’t create us to judge others but rather God delights in us when we love others)
3. There should be no guilt when it comes to Jesus. We as humans mess up but God knew that. He loves you so much that he does not want you to live in sin but wants you to live life to the fullest.  

John 8: 12 – When Jesus spoke again to the people he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

A lot of times people will say that they dont feel the “light” that is Jesus. One thing I have found is that many times when this is the case the person may not have had much time to actually hang out with Jesus. Without relationship and fellowship with God, how will we have his light? With that in mind here are some ideas on how to start your week 🙂 

-Start every morning with worship music 

-listen to a new podcast/sermon 

• -the porch 
• -bridgetown 
• -VOUS church 
• -WHOA thats good 
• -red church 
• -midtown church 
• -southside community church 

-Have a bible study with a friend

– Read a passage in the bible and go deeper(look up commentary or journal about it) 

-John is always a good place to start 🙂

-Start a new bible plan on the bible app

-Plan out what you want to do for the sabbath this week 

-Memorize a new piece of scripture

-Go on a walk and meditate on a piece of scripture 

( These are all spiritual disciplines that help us stay intune with Jesus! If you want more information lmk and i will make another post about these) 

This will be added to weekly 🙂 If you don’t follow me on Instagram check back here! Much love and God bless ~ Isabel (:

I’ve collected a list of podcasts that can help you find Jesus again if you need to. Maybe you have been through a hard time recently and your pastor said something insensitive about it. Maybe your grandma just died out of nowhere and it has left you broken. Maybe you walked away from God years ago for so many many reasons. This is a starting point for healing. I hope it helps – Isabel

You can start here or go to the topic you need

Unanswered prayers

Justice …or lack thereof

finally

I am hoping to add to this as I find more resources 🙂

As we roll into the new year, I wanted to share some of the books I read this year! I hope there is one you can pick up a book that can bring you some more wisdom this new year 🙂 Toward the end of this post, I will also spit fire some of the books I want to read in 2022! Let’s get started!

1. The Women of the Bible Speak

I had never heard of the author until I read this book. I wasn’t expecting much of it however, I was pleasantly surprised when I actually found some great wisdom in the pages. This book covers well known and overlooked women in the bible. I appreciate that because in modern day America we overlook some real rock stars of biblical times. At the beginning of each of the 16 chapters the books of the bible they are located in. That makes this book is great for a new believer or if you want to get into reading more of the bible in general.

2. Crazy love by Francis Chan

I think Francis Chan and I would be friends. Haha anyway, this is my second time reading Crazy love and I adored it even more! In America we tend to get really comfortable in our faith. The sad part is that Jesus loves us with a radical love. Chan calls out all of the normal comfort and calls us to be more in love with Jesus. It is great if you are a new believer in Jesus or if you have been walking with him for a while. I 100% think that everyone should read it at some point.

3.Enjoy the silence by Maggie and Duffy Robbins

This one is a devoritonal and is so good. I am kind of obsessed with finding Jesus in everything. As an extrovert it has always been hardest to meet with him in the silence. I have been learning this for two years now that Jesus shows up in the silence. There is something really beautiful about just hanging out with him. There are some ‘meditation’ type devotions in this which I really enjoyed. I think Christians tend to think all meditation is bad. However, it can be deeply rewarding to meditate on meeting with Jesus. This book could be harder for newer believers to enoy initially. None the less I think it is beautiful. It could be really rewarding if you wanted to try something new with you personal time with Jesus.

4.Plan B: Further thoughts on faith

I started to read this from another book that mentioned it. It was super interesting! There are so many life lessons that you can take from this book. However, I would not suggest reading it if you are new to knowing Jesus. Anne Lamott is super comfotorable and secure in her faith. With that she ends up bringing other religions into the book that might make it confusing to follow if you are new.

5. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Last but NOT least! John Mark Comer is my favorite pastor. In this book he addresses how our world today will encourage us to be busy all the time. Maybe even to busy for God. Comer gives lots of information in an easy to read way and always gives you something to apply to your life. If Im honest, I might end up reading this one again in 2022. This is also a great book to read with others. I read it with my friend and it was a lot of fun! If you are new to your faith or if you have been walking with Jesus for a while you can find this book helpful.

Books I want to read

The first two books are apologetics type books. I have always found apologetics fascinating. I am really excited to start to dive into apologetics more. ..

This one is something I was given randomly over a year ago. I found it again and realized we could all grow in grace. If anyone wants to read it with me let me know :))

I have several of these types of books and I adore them. I read half of the one on John and half on the one on Matthew! They are great if you want to focus on one book and really get to know it. I cant wait to read another (or finished one of the previous ones)

Finally, I am reading this book for a class soon and I can not wait to start!

I hope you found at least one new book to read in 2022! As always much love and God bless! :)) dms are open for prayer requests

-Isabel

What to say to the girl whose life is falling apart

I don’t know if anyone has been long awaiting this but, I have been waiting to write it. As someone who has a roller coaster testimony, I can safely say that people don’t talk to me. All of my friends who read my blog are confused by that statement but let me explain further. When someone goes through hard times, most people tend to distance themselves. I don’t know if people do this consciously or unconsciously, but it is definitely a trend. While I do not fault anyone for it, I don’t think it’s necessary. Fun fact: when no one talks to you about their problems, it makes it seem impossible to ever talk about yours. At least, that’s how I think.

I am writing this because I took away all of the go-to Christian phrases if you read the last post on this subject. I mean, how dare I say those things, right? Hahaha, so here are new things that may help you talk to the person who is falling apart.

Number one: I have never been through anything like that but that sounds really hard.

I am here if you need to unpack that.

Number two: You are so strong and are handling this with grace. But if you ever need anything I am here.

These two might sound really weird to some people. However, it can be so helpful. When you have a lot of crazy things happen to you, there are a lot fewer people who can relate to you. Eventually, you end up with confidants that have legit never been through whatever you are describing. That’s ok! The main thing is saying that you are there for the person. To talk, to laugh, to cry, all the things!

Few people can execute this one genuinely. However, I had to include these as my top suggestions because of how healing it is to know you have people. They might not understand the hardships, but they are there to help you figure out your emotions.

Number three: Be ok not talkig at all.

At the end of the day, we all need different things, which sometimes means not talking. Sometimes that means talking about what is going on and coming up with distractions from grief. Sometimes that means being a confidant that they can text every other day “Can you pray for ……” but not asking for more.

Number four: Your feelings are valid.

Now some people will stop reading after this one because they think this is dumb. However, stick with me, and you will see there is an excellent point to be made.

I once read that “not all of your feelings are true.” I thought that was very interesting and kept reading. Someone whose husband just left might feel all alone in the world. They might feel like nothing will ever be ok again. They might think their husband never loved them. Those feeling are valid. However, are they true? I would venture to say no.

At the very least, everyone has Jesus, and if they have Jesus, Christ-followers should support them. So in Jesus name, I am hoping even if someone doesn’t feel they have community at that moment, they will. By the grace of God alone, I believe they will get through it one step at a time. As for their husband, I am sure he loved them but, the world is a dark place. He was led astray by some other idea that this world gave him. However, that doesn’t mean he never loved her.

Any person going through hard times will question if God loves them. It does not mean that He does not love them, but rather that is how they feel. How many people have felt invalidated by the church when they are struggling and are now unbelievers? Please do me a favor and validate the person. If they slander God, by all means, correct them, but if they say, “I am angry at God. I am so confused by what He could possibly want from me in this situation,”. Meet them with “That’s ok. Your feelings are valid. I am sure when you’re ready, God would love for you to talk to him about it.”

Number Five: It’s ok to be mad at God right now

This relates to the last one. While I am well aware the evil in this world isn’t God’s fault; I know he is big enough to take it. There is something healthy about coming to God angry. The anger that says, ” I don’t know why you let this happen, God, but I know you have more. I don’t see it yet, and I’m angry that you let me get hurt”. The best part about it is He sees you and feels your pain too. God can take it, and trying to hide that is silly. Nothing is hidden from God.

Not everyone was raised to believe that it is ok to be angry at God. However, I pray that you would search out why that is. God is the king of kings, but He is also supposed to be your best friend. Stop tip-toeing around your best friends and be honest with them.

Number six: Message them things that remind you of them

This one is just fun! Maybe it’s a bible verse about peace, or maybe it’s your inside joke. Memes, art, quotes, pictures of dogs, anything! The little things go a long way! This doesn’t have to be an everyday thing, but a check-in shows you care. When a son just lost his dad, or someone just got diagnosed with a chronic illness, sometimes they don’t want everything to be sad. Sometimes they want to feel normal and feel like it’s ok to be themselves still.

Number seven: you can always just ask them what they need

This seems obvious, but sometimes it isn’t. People get so nervous about saying the wrong thing they say nothing. Knowing someone wants to be there is a lot less isolating than debating on who you should talk to about grief. While the person in grief might not know what they need at that moment to follow up with them. Either way, you showed you care, and that’s the best way to show Jesus’s love

Overall, it is important to give the person room to feel sad or mad. Many times sadness and anger aren’t welcomed in life or the church. However, it can be hard to handle all of the emotions that come with hardship by yourself. Biblically, we are NOT supposed to do life alone. Come alongside your friends that are hurting with humility and love.

I hope this can help someone connect better with their friend who is hurting :)Always feel free to message me if you need any clarification, and look out for the video form of this post on Instagram soon !!! Much love and God bless! -Isabel 🙂

We are halfway through 2021! Wild right?? While you could just let the year go by and let all of your resolutions disappear, I think you can do better. Maybe you started some of your 2021 resolutions, but they didn’t pan out. Perhaps you didn’t even get to start working on those goals you set. Whatever the case may be, what if you began to now?

I always have believed there is no time like the present to start something. However, maybe you dont know where to start. My suggestion is to start small! Try a SMART goal or write down the baby steps you need to get to your goal. Plan out what it would look like if you had a successful rest of 2021. You have six months left of this year; what are you going to do with it? Are you going to start reading your Bible every day? Do you want to learn a language or save more money? Maybe you want to try more new things or want to be more organized. Or perhaps it is giving up something. The things that don’t help you grow don’t serve you any longer. Dont waste your time.

Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to push yourself to become better. We all have places to grow, and if you aren’t intentional about it, it won’t happen. It is a hard truth but a truth nonetheless.

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Do your best becasue Jesus has called you higher. Do your best because Jesus has called you worthy.

As always, feel free to message me if you have any prayer requests. If you need help planning out your goals, that is probably one of my most favorite things to do so; please feel free to message me about that too, haha. Also, if you are looking to grow personally, my last post was about growing as well. After AAPI Month covers these questions: Are you considerate of others and their feelings? Are you aware of other cultures and honor them as much as your own? Do you have a diverse friend group, or do all your friends look like you? If you feel you need to work on any of those, I give small tips on them.

Along with that, the following videos/podcasts have helped encourage me to stay on task with my goals going into the second half of the year. I hope they may inspire you to choose something new to add to your year.

https://www.facebook.com/midtownchurch.sac/videos/finding-our-identity-in-christ-i-am-called-wk05-bob-balian/953742298813558/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yJqK1XmbXp4

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5seLsqQtMEERHNWftXDj2q?si=bz-BFeeMQlOAcNmXH0la2w&dl_branch=1

Anyways 🙂 Much love and God bless -Isabel

May was Asian and Pacific Islander month. I love the fact that there are whole months dedicated to appreciating different groups! Black history month, Hispanic heritage month, Asian and Pacific Islander month, and more! However, I feel like we miss the point sometimes. Those months are to spread awareness and to understand different groups better. Do we take the time to do that, though?

Do you know any more about Asian history or culture? What about Pacific Islander history or culture? Maybe you know a lot, or perhaps you know nothing. My point, though, isn’t directly about history or culture. My desire in this post is for you to look at how you are living your life. Are you considerate of others and their feelings? Are you aware of other cultures and honor them as much as your own? Do you have a diverse friend group, or do all your friends look like you?

Personally, I don’t think any one considers these questions enough. Take a moment and consider them.

Not asking these hard questions has been ok for far too long, but I dare you to do better! I will be discussing each of these questions in further detail so that you can take steps to become more aware of the world around you. For this post, I encourage my Christian friends to go through each question and consider the next steps they can take. As Christians, we have a responsibility to love people no matter their race, ability, or anything about them. We are called to fill the gap. But if you are not a Christian, it doesn’t matter! This post is about becoming a better human.

(If you don’t have a lot of time, scroll to the question you need to work on the most.)

1.Are you considerate of others and their feelings?

I think this is a straightforward question; however, I find that many people struggle with it. The first thing I would suggest if you aren’t sure if this is calling you out is, check your words. Are your words kind? No one can be kind 100% of the time. However, if 99% of them aren’t, then you might need to check yourself. How about your patience? Are you the first person to become angry? If someone doesn’t share your political views, are you the first one to call them stupid?

As humans, we face plenty of challenges regularly. No one needs to be extra put down. Life takes care of that all on its own. Action: This week, try to make sure that everything that comes out of your mouth is kind. Even if you have to correct someone’s actions, you can do it graciously and with kindness.

2.Are you aware of other cultures and honor them as much as your own?

Knowing about other cultures and honoring them is something many people disagree about. While it is fantastic to honor and appreciate your culture, it is rewarding to learn about others. I am not saying you disregard your culture or country, but instead, you add to your knowledge—ignorance isn’t bliss. Ignorance leads to misconceptions and miscommunications.

Think about some of the misconceptions that people may have about you. If someone heard a rumor you were rude and believed it, you would be irritated, right? What if that person had never even met you! Yet choose to hold to the belief you were awful. You would think that was absurd, right? I would. Yet, so many people have the exact same perception of whole people groups!! Dont be the person who believes the rumors; most of the time, they have no truth. Action: Watch something that exposes you to other countries or cultures. Netflix has some wack shows about AAPI but some good ones too. For example, the show Asian street food and Latin American street food are fantastic! You could easily watch all of them in a week, haha! Maybe take a class about another country, culture, or group next semester. Almost every degree requires you to take some culture/sociology class.

3.Do you have a diverse friend group, or do all your friends look like you?

This can be a hard question to ask but an important one nonetheless. It is essential to ask this question because if you are the most intelligent person in the room, you will never grow. You will never grow if everyone you are around thinks the same way you do. I dont know about you, but I want to grow. Growing is hard and uncomfortable but so worth it. I have learned so much from having a diverse friend group. I have friends of different races, socioeconomic statuses, political parties, and walks of life. We can have hard conversations that challenge us to do better. We help each other see the world more fully.

Action: Be picky about your core people but not about others. My core people who hear about my joys and sorrows are Christians. They are loyal and compassionate people. However, they are of different races and from other places. Try to make some friends who have a different education than you, who are of a different race, who grew up somewhere different. Your core people won’t change overnight, but making new friends wouldn’t hurt. Putting yourself in situations to make these new friends may be uncomfortable initially; however, it will be worth it! While you remain open to new friends who don’t think like you, be sensitive to others. If Republicans hear you saying, “all republicans are trash,” they won’t be your friend or vice versa. This goes for assumptions about race or status as well.

Before I wrap this up, I need to say one more thing because this is a reflection on AAPI month. Over the last several years, especially in the last year, I have seen the discrimination towards Asians, and Pacific Islanders grow astronomically. This has broken my heart time and time again. In my high school, there were many Asian students. Some of them were international students. The international students weren’t treated very well by other students. Many students made fun of them due to how they spoke. I would always try to stand up for them, but I honestly felt ashamed of how these “Christian” teenagers acted. My family ended up hosting two girls who have now become like my sisters. Then a couple of years later, Covid happened. Covid quickly became a way to discriminate against ALL Asian people. People would start fights only because a person wore a mask on a college campus. That wasn’t the worst part to me. The worst part is that no one even seemed to care! Christian or non-Christian, if it didn’t affect them, they did not care. DO BETTER. Christian or non-Christian be against the hate. Stand up for justice and fight for change.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

MICAH 6:8

May is mental health awareness month! 🥳 Funnn times! As a Christian I just wanted to check in and see if everyone knows:

Its ok to be wildly in love with Jesus & have a therapist too!

In fact, I don’t think that it is encouraged enough! Until a couple of years ago, I heard of so much stigma around therapy, in the church, and outside of the church. I feel like lately, it is a lot more widely excepted. However, I don’t think it is encouraged. It should be… Life is hard! Jesus is my greatest comfort but, sometimes he wants us to challenge ourselves. Therapy is growing.

Along with that, we are living in a sinful world. People can hurt us easily without even thinking about it. Jesus wants us to forgive people so that we don’t become trapped in anger. Sometimes forgiving can be more complicated than we think. Sometimes we need someone to coach us through how to do that. Therapy is healing. Hurt people hurt people. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be walking around so hurt that I accidentally hurt someone else. I usually put it like this; if we are all working around with sharp edges, we are going to scratch someone. Don’t get me started if a person has similar rough edges to yours. Haha, and that is all the opposite of what we are supposed to do as Christ-followers.

As Christ-followers, we are called to love on people. We are called to help others heal and grow. How can we do that if we are not healed and willing to grow? If you have been debating on going to therapy and can go… Go!

That said, mental health isn’t just about therapy. It is about so much more than that. It is about checking in on yourself and asking yourself hard questions sometimes. I hope that this encourages you to take time to consider what does it mean to you? 

If you are doing great mentally and spiritually, you should find out more about having good conversations about mental health. There are excellent resources out there and knowing how to meet people right where they are is such an amazing skill. Here are some links to learn more about being sensitive to others needs :

https://seizetheawkward.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkZiFBhD9ARIsAGxFX8AVZfn3kHr6_33M_d_3WQzOy9pSVE7j5cSRQVhy5cU2HGGMjlr-d4gaAsZfEALw_wcB

If you aren’t in a great spot, maybe taking the step of courage to talk to someone about how you have been feeling. Maybe it means going to therapy. 

Either way, I hope you know that there is a God who loves you infinitely. Whether you think you have it all together or know that you don’t ✌️, Jesus loves you! Much love and God bless 🙂

-Isabel:

The country is in total chaos right now. We are in the middle of a pandemic, which has changed everyone’s lives. We are also aware of injustices that are just now being talked about on a national level. I am not saying it wasn’t there before. I am saying it is now getting more attention. While everything I am going to say may be considered “controversial,” I personally believe that’s the wrong label. I think the label “controversial” needs to be switched to “uncomfortable ” or “needs to be looked at more closely.” Most controversial topics don’t get talked about enough when really, they need the most attention.

I grew up in a super racially diverse place. I had friends of every color, but a majority of my friends were and still are African American. I have always felt so close to the community and culture. With that said it will help you to understand that I am deeply troubled right now. I have been disgusted by the amount of injustice I have seen in my county in the last several months. Things that I cannot even imagine happening and in fact are happening all the time. I have felt the deep pain of the losses we have had in our country.

While I feel so connected to this culture, I will never know what it is like to be an African American in America. It breaks my heart that I cannot truely share in this burden with my family. However, I am committed to be the best ally I can be and to spread awareness about the injustice that so many are experiencing in America RIGHT NOW. With that said the first thing I want to encourage everyone to do is to get educated. I don’t think you can truly start to help or advocate for a change if you don’t know what you are advocating for. I want to give some resources so that anyone who reads this can become more educated after reading this post then when they started. (I really hope you can copy and paste this URL. I will also try to share it on social media.)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic

 AFTER you are educated: speak up. Live out what you learn. Do not let another day go by without actively reaching for change. This goes out especially to anyone reading this that is a Christian. As Christians we are called to a higher standard. We are called to share in each other’s burdens. We are called to love each other. We are called to consider others above ourselves. For a long time we have not taken into consideration the struggle of many of our sisters and brothers in Christ. Here some verses we can all use to be better ally’s, or just better people.

Galatians 6:2– “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

Romans 12:10– “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves

Proverbs 31:8-9. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

 John13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

1 John 3:17 -But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Isaiah 58:6-7 -“Is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

1 John 4:8 – “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Isaiah 1:17 -“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

While some may argue that these verses do not directly apply to the topic of racial injustice, I believe the verses couldn’t be more relevant.. Think of the person you love the most in the world. If they were treated the way that so  many black men and women are being  treated, would you allow it? That is the only way we should be viewing this as Christians. We are all made in the image of God and I refuse to not speak out when God’s children are hurting. This will look different for each individual. Please pray about what you share and be aware. The country is going crazy and the last thing anyone needs to hear is that this isn’t real. Before posting consider how your post could be viewed. Consider if it can be encouraging. Consider if it can help educate. Our country has been a mess for a long time. The last thing anyone needs to do is spread more hate. Do your best to advocate for change. I am holding on to the hope and praying we as a country can unify to make real change happen.