Oh My.

I'm in disbelief. I'm starting my 3rd year of college in a week and a half. This so unreal. It's seems like just yesterday I was graduating high school. Ay yi yi.

Without a home?

Meet Dan. Dan is homeless. Dan wasn't always a homeless man living on the streets. He used to be a VP for a major firm in New York. He had a wife, 3 kids, and a dog named Scruffy. Dan also had a huge house and several nice cars. One day, Dan's world came crashing down. The major firm he worked for went bankrupt and Dan was one of the first people to be laid off. Dan didn't lose everything he loved right away - it took several months for his house to be foreclosed on and his cars to be repossessed. After those were gone, so were his wife and kids. Dan was left to live a life out on the streets and receive disgusted looks from passer-by's in New York. How would you react to Dan if you saw him or someone like him? Would you roll your eyes and keep walking or stop and give him money not knowing if it was going to get him beer or food?
I think that question is something we'd all have a hard time truly answering because by the outward appearance of that man, he doesn't look trustworthy. But Dan was actually a devout member of a church in NYC and didn't wreck his life by using drugs or alcohol, he simply lost his job and all else followed.

"Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." - Hebrews 13:1-2

This passage really inspired me and got me to thinking. What if a homeless person is an angel? God tells us in this passage that someone we meet very well could be. Why not treat everyone we meet with respect and do our best to help them with whatever needed?
The man I spoke about was not a real man - I made all that up. However, there more than likely is someone like him out there.

What do you think?

-Cherish

You Can Pick Your Nose, You Can Pick Your Friends...but You Can't Pick Your Friend's Nose.

I like to feel like I have a wide variety of friends. I have been thinking about friends a lot lately. Now, I've made a few bad decisions in friends - but I've mainly made good decisions. According to the dictionary a friend is

a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. 

I have friends who I am so very lucky to have. I've been through troubling times with some of them where we haven't spoken and it took us a little while to earn trust back. I like to believe that I'm in a good place right now in my life with friends. 

Let's just put it this way - friends are the people who help to mold you. The people you hang out with are going to be the people whom you are like. So if you're hanging out with great Godly people - chances are it'll make you strive to be great and Godly as well. But, if you're hanging out with people who have no morals and have hideous souls, you WILL turn out like them!

"Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'" - 1 Corinthians 15:33
This scripture is so true. I've experienced it myself and I'm sure many of you have too. 

"And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:26
While this scripture is talking about the members of a church - it can also be used for friends. If your friend is suffering, you should suffer with her. Not necessarily the same kind of suffer - but still feel pain for her and be there for her. If she has had a triumph - you should be glad and help her celebrate.

Which brings me to my next thing ---
Some of you may know my very good friend, Alana. Alana's father Jeff was recently diagnosed with cancer. Alana and her family are very dear to my heart and I love them to death. I'm asking that you please pray for them and pray for Jeff's quick healing. Also, if you go to church, please put them on your church prayer list. It's greatly appreciated.

~Cherish

Childlike Innocence

So, I'm sure I've blogged about the innocence of a child before -- but childlike innocence is just something that I really love. I just love the idea of being so innocent to how this world is and how some things really are - that you are so carefree.

For instance, my home church's VBS was this week and I took my 3 year old cousin, Nataliee. This year I was a group leader and I had 3 year olds to Kindergarten kids. Let's just say that group is really hard to look after..especially when there are 18 of them!! Anyway, one night during class a very dear lady from our church was telling a Bible Story over Samuel and she dressed up in a robe to mimic the looks of Bible times. Well, at one point in the story, Nataliee look up at me and goes, "Is that God?" I absolutely loved that her mind isn't developed enough to realize that we can't see God and although He is here with us on earth, it's not the kind of way some of us would want Him to be here.

The 3rd night of VBS, a man from our church was telling a story over Joseph and he was wearing a robe as well. Again, Nataliee looked up at me with a questioned expression and said, "Is that Jesus?" Still with that same innocence. Of course, I couldn't explain to her right then and there that God & Jesus are up in Heaven -- but still here with us on earth.

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:3

So, readers, what do you think? Is a childlike innocence a good thing to have or is it not something that you desire?

Think about it,
Cherish

My inspiration to blog tonight comes from a few scriptures I read tonight. If some of you don't already know, I'm trying to read the whole Bible. While this goal is a big one - I WILL accomplish it. I've started with the New Testament but I started to get kinda lazy with it, so I mixed it up. I read the whole book of Psalm to take a little break. I finished Psalm tonight and now I'm working on Mark. If you're interested, here is what I've read so far:
Matthew, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Psalm.
So I have 6 books left in the New Testament. Not too shabby, eh?

Okay, so on to the scriptures:

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul." -Psalm 138:3
I just think it's so amazing how God can give us strength to go through anything. 'If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.'

"....Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." -Psalm 144:15
Christians have to truly be the most happiest people on earth because of the hope that is in our hearts. We know who our God is and we know He will always provide. We have a whole book to prove it!

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." -Psalm 147:3-5
My heart started beating a little bit faster when I read this verse. God has the ability to count EVERY star and name them all. Also, His understanding of everything never ends.

These are just a few of the many verses that I highlighted in my Bible tonight. (I'm kinda a highlight freak.)
Our God is sooo great! Praise be to Him.

-Cherish

About A B....er..uh. Nevermind.

Oh what to say what to say.
I know I want to blog right now but I just can't put all the words together easily enough.
So this blog will probably seem a little scrambled and weird. Oh well, I'm weird. What can I say?!

Okay -- so there is this thing I've been praying about for a month now probably. See, I've given God the pen to a certain aspect of my life. I mean he has the pen to my whole life story, but with this area I'm just like "Whatever God, you take this; I'm tired of messing with it." I've have prayed really hard about this situation and I think God is finally answering my "questions" but it feels off. I'm trying to be chill and everything about it, but something isn't right. What I think God's answer is shouldn't be swaying for yes to no with each passing day. I don't understand why I'm not able to hear God's exact answer and I don't understand what I can do to hear it. I read my Bible every night and I'm trying to follow closely to Him; not because I want the answer - I just do that because I want a better relationship with God. So, readers, how do you know when God is talking to you and what His answer is? Please share any advice/stories with me.

John 10:27 - My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I'm scared I'm not hearing God's voice. I should be able too. I should know His voice. Or could it be that I'm too stubborn to listen and take His answer to what He wants for me? I just wish it was Bible times and I could actually hear His voice.

Tell me what you think,
Cherish

Searching for God's Answer

Okay, so I've recently came across a situation where I'm being a "human" and wanting something to happen that may or may not be the best for me. I literally have no idea if it is good or if its going to happen. I've been praying pretty hard about it. Then came a bump in the road like there usually is and I became distraught and very upset. I started see a jealous side of myself that I absolutely hate. I don't like being a jealous person and not even 15 minutes ago, I just sat there and poured my heart out to God. So here I was sitting on Pinterest (my new favorite website, by the way) and a thought comes across my mind and suddenly I'm relieved of my jealousy. I'm reminded that what I'm thinking is happening really isn't because deep down in my heart I knew that what I was being jealous over was nothing to be, because more than likely it doesn't exist. It's amazing to me how God can answer a prayer so quickly and relieve me of this devilish emotion. While the major thing I've been praying for hasn't been answered, I'm still in a better state then what I was 15 minutes ago. Thank you God!

On a Mission for God,
Cherish