Friendship

Friendship can be tough, especially in high school where everything and everyone

changes. Your middle school friends aren’t even recognizable, they have each gone

their own way and you are left to hurriedly find your new crowd, your new best

friends, the people that will make you survive high school. It’s a tough time really

and I certainly struggled the first year because everything was so new and fitting in

was definitely tempting.

While you are on your search, to find yourself, to find your friends, to find where

you belong, it’s important you stay true to yourself. I know you might be thinking,

“How can I stay true to myself and fit in?”. High school is all about trends, and doing

what everyone else is doing but most of the time, what everyone else is doing, isn’t

the right thing at all. It can be hard to willingly not fit in, but you will grow true

friendships from it. You will find people that understand you and that have the same

interests and that like you for who you are.

In Corinthians chapter 1, verse 15:33 it states, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company

ruins good morals” You are righteous for you are a woman of God, you are blessed with good morals and changing that just to “fit in” is not worth it, I can guarantee it. So do not change for anyone! Do not become someone you are not, so you can fit in with people that do not care about you. Instead focus on God and his ways and He will lead you to

similar minds, similar people, people of God and together, you will survive high

school and develop your newest friends in Christ.

A Soldier’s Gear: The Importance of Bible Study

I want you to take a minute to imagine this: A war has started, soldiers have been recruited from all over the place to fight in what could be the most difficult war of their lives. As some of you might know, soldiers spend an extensive amount of time in training. Training their endurance, their skill, and getting prepared for when the war breaks loose. Now, imagine if war had broken loose and all those soldiers hadn’t spent their time in training. Getting to know the ins and outs of war, strengthening their bodies for what’s to come. Imagine they didn’t have the necessary tools to work with and imagine they didn’t have the protection they needed, what would happen? I cannot predict the future, but one thing is for sure: That battle would have been lost. Just like anything else you dive into without being prepared. 

In Ephesians 6:13-17 the bible states: “Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, hold your ground…… In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. 

Now, I’ll be one to admit, bible studying definitely took time to grow on me. I would sit, and read, and not understand and simply close the bible. Not one bit of motivation to go back and read some more. Time was always an excuse; exhaustion after a long day was one as well. Until one day, where it all changed.  You see, I couldn’t take it anymore. 

People would ask me about my faith and I wasn’t able to give concrete proof or even answers for that matter. People would ask me for advice and I could not refer to one bible passage to soothe their crying hearts. I was loosing the battle. That was the day I DECIDED I wanted more of God, more of his word, more of his Spirit flowing through me, strengthening me for when I was weak, loving me for when I was unloved, forgiving me for when I could not forgive myself, and with his word I became stronger. I became prepared for battle. 

I am here to tell you to put on your armor of God. You have to make the choice. Dive into what is the most love-filled experience. May you ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding so you may fully dive into the words God has prepared for you. We find time for so many unimportant things in our lives, find time for what actually matters. 

May God continue to bless you and your journey, and may your battle be fought with love and compassion. Put on your armor, darling! You have been chosen!