She’s A Fighter

It felt like any other normal day. I was in my bedroom trying to finish up some school assignment when I heard my parents calling my sister and me downstairs in the kitchen. For some reason, I could feel my stomach drop although I had no idea what my parents wanted. I knew that they were gone most of the morning since I woke up. My parents were sitting at the kitchen table, smiling nervously at us. I automatically felt chills run up my spine. I couldn’t decipher whether if it was excitement or nervousness at the time. Once my sister and I sat down at the table finally my father began to speak.

“Your mother and I just came from the doctor’s office…your mother has breast cancer.”

My heart stopped for a moment. I actually was waiting for my parents to just begin laughing and to tell us that they were kidding (but thinking back on it now, that would have been a very sick joke to play on us). However, I could tell from the way they looked at us that this was very serious.
I didn’t say anything at all. I mean, what words could you say after your parents just dropped this huge bombshell. I am not even sure if any emotions displayed on my face but my mind was whirling at a million miles an hour. I actually don’t remember the rest of the conversation because I was having my own conversation in my mind. I kept thinking how did this happen to us?

I am not a person who blames God when tragedy strikes. I’ve known Him practically all my life and He had always taken care of me no matter what. Even though I was not mad at God that my mother had breast cancer but I couldn’t stop asking Him why did this happen?

Everything seemed to pass like a blur. I remember the conversation with my parents that I immediately went upstairs to my room and changed into some workout clothes before going outside to jog. Jogging always seemed to calm me down when I was stressed about my classes or if I just wanted to blow off some steam, however, this time, it couldn’t calm me down. Instead, while I was jogging I felt like I wanted to scream. My mom had cancer and I felt as if I was in some sort of nightmare. I was completely helpless to do anything and I did not know what to think.

I just stopped jogging for a while and just began walking. While I was walking I was talking to God. “Lord, I have no idea what is going on. I don’t blame You that my mother has cancer but I just don’t understand why. I guess I am not supposed to understand the reasoning but I really need You right now. I can’t deal with this on my own.”

Suddenly, I felt this rush of peace filling me that I never experienced before. I could almost hear God saying “I got this, the daughter. Just trust me. Your mother is going to be ok.” It made me think of Psalm 34:17 when it says, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

It is during those rough times that forces you to see where you have your hope in. This time, it tested me to see whether I had my own faith or whether I was just holding on my parent’s and grandparent’s beliefs. I had to fight for my faith because that was all that I could cling to. I had to trust that God would make a way for us because if I didn’t lean on Him I did not have anything else to support me. But I am so glad that I am able to have my trust in Him because I know that despite whatever I go through that God will always be right there. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV 

My mother was (and still is) a fighter. Although it was my mom’s struggle, we all fought with her. She not only fought through cancer but fought for her faith. I never saw her waver in her love and dedication for God. Even when she had to go through chemotherapy, which practically took much of her physical strength, she still praised God in the middle of the storm. My mom is actually the praise and worship leader at my church and no one in our church knew she had breast cancer. The only ones who knew about it were my
immediate family and very close friends. We did not want others to feel sorry for us but to see how God was going to do something miraculous in our family’s life. So there were church services while she was still going through chemo and felt sick in her body, but she still sang her heart out to God. I could see how her praise and worship to Him literally gave her not only spiritual but physical strength as well.

Not only did God give her strength but He also completely healed her of breast cancer so quickly that the doctors were puzzled. They had never seen breast cancer just disappear like that. However, we all knew it was a miracle. God truly did have everything in His control.

So  I just want to encourage you that no matter what you’re going through, God will be with you in every storm like He did with my family. We may not understand the reasons behind why we have to go through certain situations, but throughout it, all God still can give us a peace that is beyond our understanding and in the end give us victory.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Reblog: How to Respond to People Who Criticize You for Waiting Until Marriage

I just read this post from Project Inspired, a great Christian website for young women, and I just had to share this post! Since I started this #TrueLoveWaitsPledge Campaign, I know many people will try to criticize your decision to wait. I was even told that waiting until marriage was unrealistic. However, I know so many people who are waiting and so can you! So be encouraged

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

Written by Kytia Lamour
Posted on July 8, 2015 at 12:00 pm
I waited until I was married to have sex. In fact, I wore a purity ring for years that was eventually replaced by my engagement ring because I was sure that decision was the right one for me. It’s important to make this choice for yourself and not judge other people who haven’t done the same. I definitely had the desire to be intimate, as any young woman with a pulse might, so I was constantly asked why I was saving my virginity for my future husband.

This subject is a very personal one, and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for whatever you choose to do. However, if you feel the need to respond, it’s best to do it with the spotlight on yourself and your personal convictions instead of simply saying “Everyone should do this because God wants us to.” Keeping God’s commands is very important, but it’s also good to know and share the benefits of abiding by His word.
The next time someone raises an eyebrow at your moral compass and offers these remarks, consider responding in the following ways.

“It’s not a big deal.” It most definitely is a big deal. There are plenty of people who will fall into one-night stands and follow their body’s desires, but not many of them will tell you that you are giving a piece of yourself to anyone you are intimate with. You might want to save those pieces for your future spouse so that he will have that prize for himself.
“You’re missing out on a lot of great guys you could be with.” This should be obvious, but most of us don’t think about it until it’s too late. Not everyone is honest or knowledgeable about possible STDs they are carrying. Having multiple partners increases your risks of contracting something you may end up suffering with for the rest of your life, and you could be putting your future spouse at risk without even knowing it.

“Don’t you think you’re being old-fashioned?” Times change, but God’s values never will. He has asked us to keep our marriage bed undefiled, and that request doesn’t come with an expiration date. Being “old-fashioned” isn’t always a bad thing, and there are reasons why generations before us held onto certain traditions and had long-lasting marriages because of it.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (Hebrews 13:4)

“You already know he’s the one you’re going to marry, so there’s no need to wait.” Whoever you decide to have a relationship with should respect your decision, and that includes “The One.” If a guy pursues you in hopes of getting you into his bed without marrying you, his motives are not in the right place and he is not worthy of your time.

“What if you get married and find out you’re terrible in bed?” I’ve always been from the school of thought that if God will bring you a husband, He will make sure that you are compatible in every way. Your sex life is something you both will have to work at whether or not you are a virgin, so there’s no need to worry unnecessarily about a lack of fulfillment in the bedroom.
It is possible to start a new life of abstinence if you’ve already had sex before marriage. God does not condemn those who have, and it’s never too late to start a clean slate and honor your body in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.
Do you think it’s important to wait for marriage? How do you face criticism for the choice that you’ve made?

So what do you think of this post?

Having a Cold Is So Not Fun!

Lately around campus it seems that EVERYONE is getting sick. I keep hearing the constant barking, sneezing, and sniffing all around me. It gets worse when I see someone coughing without even covering their mouths! Ugh! (I am sorry, I just had to rant about that. I am a germaphobe)

I remember becoming sick before the Christmas break and remembering all of the good times when I was able breathe out of both of my nostrils. Do you know what I mean? At first, being sick  was a good excuse to get out of my morning class (for the first day) but after having a headache and constantly blowing my nose almost every five minutes, I think I would have rather gone to my Latin class instead.

I did feel a little better once I took some medicine at night so that I could finally sleep in peace. During this whole ordeal I was constantly drinking orange juice, trying to rest, and taking  medicine so that my physical body could feel better. I mean who wouldn’t? Now that I look back on that I wonder do I go to the extra mile to make sure that my spirit is well?

Sometimes we are so distracted by school, work, and with our daily lives that we fail to really focus on our spiritual lives. I have to admit by the end of my last semester that I found myself praying less than I should have because I was so preoccupied with my school and work load. I was spending more time with other things instead of with my heavenly Father. I should have remembered Matthew 6:33. I really love the New Living Translation’s version when it says:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

We have to remember that we are a spirit living in an earthly suit. Our bodies will not live forever, but our spirits will. So instead of fretting about my to-do list, my spiritual life should be my main priority because that is what truly matters at the end of the day. God will have all that I need taken care of when I place my focus upon Him instead. I actually began to find out that when I begin my mornings with my Heavenly Father that my days feel less hectic and I feel more confident. I can testify that when I place my focus on God that He will take care of you no matter what situation it may be.

When we are physically sick we usually go to the doctor to find out what is wrong with us. However, I found out that when we begin to feel our spiritual lives going down, we don’t seem to go to our Doctor to find a remedy. I believe that sometimes we truly do not want to see how really sick we are spiritually or want to deal with some of our faults. Maybe we think that as Christians that we have to always be perfect. However, although we are striving towards perfection, we are not there yet. We have our faults, our misdemeanors, yet God is more than willing to help us get on the right track when we seem to walk so far from it.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV “Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.Behold, I will do a new thing,Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

How to Maintain Spiritual Health:

You may have already heard these things before, however, I realized that when I failed to do one of these that I saw myself losing depths in God than I have should if I stayed faithful. However, it does not matter where you are in your life, you can never be too far that God cannot bring you closer towards Him and make you well!

*1. Pray continuously

God truly knows what we need to be spiritually well. Most of the time when I am praying for one specific thing, God will show me what I need to work on within me. Yet, with His help and strength, we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. (Philippians 4:13 KJV). My pastor reminded me that if I don’t do anything else during the day that I should always pray!

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saint.” Ephesians 6:18

*2.  Keep your Head in the Word of God

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9 KJV

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 NIV

*3. Hang around with other STRONG believers

Hebrews 10:25 NIV “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

What helps you maintain your spiritual health? Have you ever found yourself in a spiritual slump? Please comment below! I love to hear from you, guys!

Relational Purity~Friendships

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 

Relational purity should sound pretty simple; it’s  just keeping our relationships with others pure unto God. However, what do I mean by that?  Relational purity doesn’t always have to be a dating relationship between a boy and girl, it can be a friendship , or your relationship with your parents and siblings, and etc. But right now I’m just going to briefly cover friendships in this post because I think we hear enough about romantic relationships and not enough about how to be a better friend.

In Proverbs 27:17, it says:

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

So what do I mean when I say we should keep our friendships pure? What I love about Proverbs 27:17 is that is describes what our friendships are suppose to be: encouraging and uplifting. If you have “friend” that constantly belittles you, talks about you behind your back, pressures you to do the wrong things then that is a clear indicator that you’re in an unhealthy relationship. Or if you are doing the same thing to your friend, then you need to reconsider your actions. Friends are there to build each other up, not break each other down. I love how the Message Bible further explains this verse,

“You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.” 

I think the one of the ways we can keep our friendships pure is to keep God in the center. Even if your friend is not a Christian, we still have to live that set apart life from the world and show our light so that our friend can see a difference in us. I’m not telling you to preach to your friend, but just live the life and walk that walk of faith. Also continue to pray for them as well.

I have been best friends with both these girls since second grade. What I love about them is that they are always encouraging and look at the bright side of situations. They also push me to be my best and they know how to make me laugh! What I love about our friendship is that even when we have different views, and various personalities, we still love each other unconditionally. And I believe that how God wants our friendships to be because He loves us despite of it all. And of course, He is the greatest friend that any girl could have.

“Best friends are people you know you don’t need to talk to every day. You don’t even need to talk to each other for weeks, but when you do, it’s like you never stopped talking.”― Anonymous

Read the rest of the PERMS in the following posts. Don’t worry, I am going to finish them.

• “The Wedding Day” (Introduction to PERMS)
• Emotional Purity
• Physical Purity