My Testimony

When I was younger, I would listen to people give their testimonies. Now, I firmly believe that every person has a testimony... But as I sat listening, it dawned on me that I did not know mine. 

What was my testimony? It was so amazing to listen to all the things people used to do, and how God pulled them out of those situations.  While I was thankful that I had not gone through any of that, I was a little disappointed that I had not found out my testimony yet. 

Fast forward a few years, and I was an emotion-filled teenager in middle school... still searching for my testimony. I started studying the bible and praying for God to help me figure out what I am supposed to tell people when they ask me to testify. I had never done a thing. I was about as innocent as they come. 

One weekend, I attended a Ladies Conference. God's spirit was so powerful. They had a separate service for just the teenage girls, and the speaker was talking about her testimony. 

It was at that moment that I realized mine.

My testimony is that God kept me from all of those things.  He kept me from drugs and alcohol. He steered me in a different direction when I was about to walk into an unsafe situation. He placed a conviction in my heart to stay pure until marriage. 

I am not saying that I'm better than any other person, by no means. However, I have realized how blessed I am after learning my testimony. 

Jesus provided for me such an encouraging family that is my support system in times of hardship. He blessed me with a wonderful boyfriend/future spouse who has a desire to dive deeper into God's love everyday. Jesus gave me a heritage that is unlike any other- a long line of preachers and saints that know the word of The Lord. 

I am not the most perfect person in the world. I make mistakes. I am impatient, and at times... I'm a little insecure. I know everyday in faith I can overcome those obstacles with Jesus.

I know God is constantly leading me down the right path, HIS path, that He has for me. I praise God for His mercy and His grace because I know without it, I would not be where I am today. 

Thank you Lord for your many blessings! 

That being said, what's your testimony? 

Is it the same as mine? Have you overcame obstacles because God was on your side? 

And I have a question for those of you that are struggling with any situation: Have you prayed about it as much as you've thought about it? 

Prayer solves all things!

Have a great day y'all! :)

---Kiley

 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah." Psalm 46:1-3,7

The Privilege of Holiness

Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a holy people, who belong to The Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure."

Deuteronomy 7:9 "Understand, therefore, that The Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love Him and obey His commands."

Deuteronomy 7:19 "... The Lord your God will use this same power against the people you fear."

Deuteronomy 7:21 "No, do not be afraid of those nations, for The Lord your God is among you, and He is a great and awesome God"

I've been studying in Deuteronomy lately, and these are the 4 verses that stood out to me the most in chapter 7. The title of the chapter in my Bible was "The Privilege of Holiness". That made chills go through me the first time I read it. 

First off, did you know that holiness is a privilege? It's an honor. Sometimes we take holiness for granted, and, as humans, we get the mindset of "Oh, God still loves me even though I'm doing this" or "I'm still saved even though I did that. It's not a Heaven or Hell issue!"

I've had those same thoughts come across my mind before, sadly. While those statements are true, we do NOT want to think those thoughts that the devil is throwing at us! Once we allow a little sin to come into our lives, we will think it is alright. Then a little more, and a little more... and suddenly, you are amazed by what, way back then you would have thought was terrible, is completely consuming your life!

God chose us specifically to be His holy people and to be examples for those who do not know Him. He counts on us... relies on us, to be His messengers and spread the gospel to others. I know what you may be thinking- "Hold up. I want to go to Heaven and everything... but I did not sign up for a life style change."

Actually, you are wrong. Sorry! But the moment you told Jesus to come into your life, you signed a covenant with Him. You promised God that you would dedicate your life to His kingdom. Being a Christian is a lifestyle. It is probably the biggest lifestyle change you can make. Christian literally means Christ-like, and that is what we should strive to be every day. 

The Bible says "Be ye Holy, for I am Holy" (1 Peter 1:16). Every minute of every hour, it is our responsibility to be holy.  Not holier-than-thou... But truly a servant of God and a friend to others. When we wake up in the mornings, we should clothe ourselves with holiness. People should know by the way we act, treat others, and dress that we are a part of God's chosen people. 

Thank God for choosing you specifically. Thank Him for sacrificing Himself so you could live eternally... and lastly, thank Him for the wonderful privilege that is holiness. 

Have a great day y'all! :) ---- Kiley  

Psalm 139:14

Purpose Driven

I, like many others, struggle with finding my purpose. This first post is long, but I really want to dive into our purpose with God and why He created us.
First off, God created us because He wanted to have a relationship with us. That is our biggest purpose in life… To have a relationship with Jesus!
Some scriptures really spoke to me today regarding my purpose in life and I thought I would share them and what they mean to me.

#1- “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 KJV)
- Each of us have a certain gift. We may be good at speaking, listening, or having a really caring heart. Whatever the case, God gave that gift specifically for you to use it for His kingdom!

#2- “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
-If we stay in His will, it will all work out. “For good”-Those who love God will win in the end!

#3- “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)
- We have a future with Jesus. He knows our situation’s outcome, what we will do with our lives, and what we are eating for dinner next week! We can’t even begin to comprehend the plan He has for us.

#4- “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:4, 5 KJV)
- This spoke to me because it made me realize one of the personal purposes God has for me: to be sober-minded (moderate, sensible, responsible), discreet (separate, distinct, individual), and chaste (morally pure and decent, clean).

#5- “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6 KJV)
- Acknowledge means to recognize. To me, this is saying verbally tell others about the goodness and grace of God. Testify to what He has done for you. We were MADE to be courageous.

#6- “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45 NKJV)
- Pray, and firmly believe that God will answer your prayers. Have faith in Him, and absolutely no doubt. But remember, God works in His timing, and not yours.

#7- “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” (Ephesians 1:11 NLT)
- From the beginning of time, God chose us! We are specifically chosen to work in His Kingdom. His plan is so much greater!

Many verses, but all speak to me about how God has His hand in everything that happens in our lives. Such a mighty God we serve!
—— Kiley