Halloween: The emotion, the cover up, and the environment

Many of us at one point enjoyed Halloween but in your walk with Christ its time to learn and to grow from those days.Check your motives and how this holiday can possibly affect you.

1. FEAR

This is what halloween especially nowadays plays off of. This is probably the biggest one. It completely cancels out the whole affair all together. The bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV):  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

  This means that fear is not of God, said in another way fear is in no way Godly, God is not in it. Now if your claiming to be saved why would you put yourself in a situation to be OUT of the presence of God? If God is not there then anything you do in that moment he is not obligated to make sure that your ok when you willingly step away from you. Fear comes in this moment because you do get that emptiness/helplessness feeling inside of you. Your jumpy because your spirit man detects that it is somewhere that God is not. In my opinion thats a terrible place to be. 

2. The Costume

Where to begin. I think this is more focused towards us ladies but guys a lot of it applies to you too. For some the costume aspect really isn't that big of a deal. But for others it REALLY is. Personally in my opinion I believe that some costumes or chosen because of a self esteem level that has been failed to be obtained. Why is it that on this ONE day that ladies feel the need to find the outfits that cover the LEAST amount of skin? Why is it that you have to be seductive on this ONE specific night? What is it doing for you? We know you have that "banging body" but do you really think that it is acceptable to have it all exposed? How exactly are you representing God with your chest and your backside all out. Halloween is NOT a big 1 night stand. Not saying that, that is the intent but are you really helping to avoid the situation especially when drinks are added in for the "grown folks" population. (we will talk about the parties later). I always here how people say they are classy this and classy that....how is that classy?

1Peter 3:3-5" Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves...."

 

Does that mean dress in boring things? No definitely not but be considerate of the guys who are trying to live their lives the right way. Think about this 

matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^[a] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Ladies the reverse of that is true to. You may not be married but its still applies and its still wrong. Lust is a sin wether you want it to be or not. Those sexual thoughts are not good things to have about a woman or man that is not given to you by God. i.e. YOUR spouse.

3.PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!

Our generations BIGGEST hang up really. The environment for these can get way out of hand. Yes, you do have like parties for the little kids and the school parties. Then you have the "grown" parties that come with drinking and things that just probably shouldn't be done. I haven't been to these parties but I have heard enough stories about them to last me a life time. If you do go to these parties then you probably understand. For a night I know its all for fun but really it is not something that if your living saved that you should be entertained by. Your getting beyond drunk at these parties.1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.sleeping around with people Hebrews 13:4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Things just get way to out of hand and rowdy 

Ephesians 5:7-12 
Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.(NLT)

Dont let the "spirit" of the Holiday take you out of what you know is right in christ. I Promise if you don't go your not missing anything its the same ole same ole every year and it doesn't change. Dont you get tired of doing the same things over and over again? This halloween why not go out and do something you have never done before.. This year halloween in on a Wednesday.. why not try going to church instead? 

~Chelsee

God is on your side

^{Romans 8:28-39}

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified;those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I couldn't pick a good place to stop so I decided not to. I was listening to a song this morning and the artist stated "That all in all things God works for the good of those that love him. That just stuck with me I just felt so empowered to go out and just achieve! 

If your like me you might be going through a time where you have been sitting and wondering how are things going to go. How do I know that what Im doing is even going to work. Why is that there are certain things that I am going through that hurt me. well here is your answer. God has called you to a higher calling and a higher purpose. That day that you felt God move on your heart and you gave your life to him that was his calling for you. Dont worry if things will work out. Matthew 6:34 says 

^" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

 Dont spend so much time worrying. The very first scripture says that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God and as long as God loves us then he will always handle our needs when we let him.

God has already written your story so dont be afraid to act it! I know that times can get kind of hard right now especially for those of us who are in school but you know what Don't worry. God has plan! Your struggle is ONLY temporary. All of the challenges you face will resolve themselves for your good. Everything always goes back to keeping your eye on God though Matthew 6:33 says

"But seek you first the Kingdom of God and all its righteousness and these things shall be added unto you"

The more you focus on God and do his work the more he will do and give you the things you want and need.  

So dont give up keep pressing always keep your faith in action!

God wont let you fail in the things that he has written for your life.stay encouraged 

~Chelsee <3

Priorities

Its been a little while since I have posted anything on here but I was asked the other night to start up again so I figured that I would go ahead and do so. Some of you have been waiting on me and I have just been dragging my feet to do the things that I know that I need to do. Not only does it hurt me but it hurts you too. So first I would like to start off by apologizing for not having my priorities in check. Speaking of which I decided to make this quick post about priorities and how crucial it is to put what God has for you first.

Matthew 6:33 says " But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and these things shall be added unto you".

Now this scripture happens to be my favorite, yet its still one that I have to work on myself. I get focused on a day to day bases on trying to do things my way when God wants my focus on him so that way he can do what he needs to do with out my messy uncoordinated hands being in the way. So lets talk about what a priority is:

a priority is something given special attention. it is also a preferential rating. 
Lets do a little thinking. Sit and think of about 5 things that you place as priority in your life right now at this very moment. And be HONEST (no one knows but you and God what you place as your priorities) I hope that Jesus came in the #1 spot. If he didn't then that would be a great place to start. I can honestly and shamefully say that somedays I FAIL at putting Jesus at number one. (honest moment) I just like you have to be reminded that my earthly situations should NEVER come before God and his rightousness. Besides how much easier is it to think on God, serve God and just love God and have him handle your everyday toils and torments. Is education important? It sure is! Is it more important than God? It sure ISN'T with out God there would be no "education" so how dare any of us put it before him right? That goes with other things that we deal with daily. Colossians 1:16-17 says:

¹⁶ For by^[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

So you don't have to worry about if I take my focus off of my life then my life will fall apart well first the bible tells that we were bought with a price therefore we are to honor God with our bodies and in our spirit which are his. I paraphrased that but you can read it in 1 Corinthians 6:20. If you are Gods do you think he is gonna just leave you hanging? Of course not he ALWAYS has something planned for you. But if you don't put him first then your gonna be a confused mess because your plans make work temporarily but they eventually fall apart. Think of a time when you had a plan succeed when you finally just threw your hands up and said "Lord, you take it because I can't do it on my own any more." Things came together didn't they? So don't just think your gonna be hanging out there. :-)

(I said this would be short and it clearly keeps growing) Ok so back to priorites. Being a college student it is pretty easy to get caught up in the "campus life" that we tend to forget where our priorities lie. Since we know now that jesus should come first ALWAYS lets talk about some things under him.

For most of us EDUCATION( your job can be applied in its proper context) would be next on our lists. So im going to speak on that but I find one topic that should be truly be above education, that I will try mention next. Now I know that college is so much fun and what not but its more than that. Your schooling should be more important to you then always wanting to hang out and socialize. Am I saying not to socialize? No. But you should know when you need to stop and get serious about your work. Don't let that time come to late. Remember it doesn't matter what your friends are doing right now. If your life isn't together you will very well get left behind while your friends graduate and move on. Handle your business FIRST and then take breaks to socialize. know your limits. If you have to get a planner or in our technologically advanced days get your smart phone and plug in specific times for studying, socializing, "you-time", time to eat (if it takes that to get you on track), sports schedule if play sports, so on and so forth.Don't get left behind because your not putting your focus where it needs to be. trust me this is something that everyone needs to work on INCLUDING myself. It really does work though. Organization is KEY. I was able to get assignments completed on time, had time for friends and time to relax, which in my opinion are all necessary. Remember You ARENT going to be in college for the rest of your life and if your like me your already almost done with that. So get your stuff together now while your still young and can do so. There is a saying that says "youth is wasted on the young" If you work hard now while you have the faculties to do so, when your faculties ever being to stop working then you won't have to work so hard to enjoy life. 

Ok so i have kind of gone long so Im gonna stop at this point. FAMILY. Family is REALLY number TWO. It doesn't matter that your in school. They should always be a top priority no MATTER WHAT! so what if you have hard times with your family. So what if your mad that when you go home your parents expect you to care for the house as though you still live there everyday. DO IT. So what if your younger siblings get on your nerves. LOVE THEM ANYHOW Your family BY far will be the best things that has ever happened to you. I do realize that some families may not be perfect but everyone has a family SOME WHERE. You should never ever try to burn bridges with your family because they are going to love you the most. They are gonna help you make WISE decisions, and they are going to be there to support you through all that you go through. NEVER let school or anything out side of that get in the way of your relationship with them. If anything you should be constantly working on building that unit. God is obviously BIG on family. Because here we all are today. Children of a great and mighty king. our mother being the earth of which our fleshly bodies where formed. and our brother, friend, and bridegroom, a man that loves us like he loves the church and gave his LIFE for the eternal forgiveness of our sins JESUS CHRIST. Never EVER forsake your family. What ever family God has blessed you with. They should always come first. YOur time with them is so precious, and to lose it would be so terrible. 

Ok, I don't even know if I hit the Priority part good enough but for a "just getting started again" post I think its good enough. So to recall. Keep God First seek him, love him, learn him. And any problems with the the above stated will and can be fixed if you just keep seeking the father and putting him first. So now hopefully I will try to blog more but we will see how that goes. Your not the only one that has to make sure their priorities are straight! I hope that you are all doing well!

Chelsee <3