Hard Work and Labor: Rewarding

There will continue to be and always be people who complain about how hard it is to achieve something they want most in their lives. Of course, if we didn't want to achieve it with such driving motion, or we're just too lazy and not used to working so hard, it will take more than just a determined mindset. For those where hard work and labor is a natural routine in their daily lives, well they might just be one step ahead. I, for certain, am not one of those people. Yet here we wonder, what do we receive from all the effort and dedication we put into our causes we pour so much of our life into?

You may be wondering, "All I get is a thanks; anything beyond that is just an added bonus." Truly I say to you, perhaps you don't realize the other good that your actions might have caused. There will be situations where people help others and while they feel nothing in return, they get praise and good feelings in return of their selflessness. It's okay to sometimes feel nothing. This doesn't mean that you're a heartless, soulless person. Some people would claim that they do all this hard work, and soon after they fail to realize the long term benefits of their actions, (guilty). I know I';m being ambiguous when making this statement, but I'm referring to all the ways of which hard work could be referred to in a situations that calls for it.

Hard work could go anywhere from promoting a new cause that has yet to be discovered by the mass news media to, in some teenagers' opinions, washing the dishes or doing laundry. It is all interpreted differently and depends on the mind of the individual who is doing the work. However, if you don't feel any satisfaction or notice any changes in your surroundings, you're probably not working hard enough. God will surely reward those who prove to be working hard for what they believe in. For those who are naturally hardworking and expect little in return, this does not pertain to your group.

But this does: "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."-Matthew 11:28. I must say I was inspired by this lesson when I heard this verse come up at last week's Sunday services. Often times, it is not the hard work that plagues us so much as the worry that controls our hearts. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, who can understand it?"-Jeremiah 17:9 I know I am guilty of this as well. I find myself worrying about every single thing in my life, and honestly that's one of the worst things to do when trusting God with your life's path. Worry, fear, depression, they all come from the same heart that produces contentment, compassion, and generosity. This is why I'm not too big a fan of the phrase, "trust in your heart" as sometimes it can't always lead to a great feeling. Trust in your heart sometimes, but trust in God more and let him take all your worry and tiredness so that you may be given rest.

You may not feel or notice the glorious effects of doing God's work, and if that's the case, you're probably not trusting in him enough. Furthermore, you perhaps put a smile on someone's face, and that is probably God's way of saying how happy He is to see you working hard to serve Him. God speaks to us in different ways and often the ways that would seem most familiar with us, so don't just try to ignore everything around you when you're not feeling so great from the laboring.

My close (but distant) friend had told me earlier today he had been working on yard work all of his Spring Break. You may be thinking, "Why do work? It's Spring Break!" But he said he enjoyed it and I would have to agree with him. I'd rather be working on something than just sitting at home all day doing absolutely nothing productive. Using my friend as an example though, he didn't complain like most people would either in their minds or out loud to others around them they trust. Be chary of your thoughts and the feelings of your heart, and maybe, just maybe, you'll start to see things through a different perspective for the better. Always trust in God with all of your heart for He will extinguish the evilness in our hearts and replace it with comfort and joy.

This post was kind of written in a half asleep stupor. If you read it all and like it, thanks.

Respecting Others

Short note this time, but only because I held it off until this late time. How foolish of me, but I couldn't find a topic to write about until now. First off though, some good news. My best bud and I got along perfectly today, and I felt the grace of God smiling upon us as we said our farewells after school. I prayed so hard and so did my other close friends, and I'm hoping it wasn't an act of hiding behind happiness, but just in case, I will keep praying for him. Now, on to the topic for today's post. Respecting others.

I have heard talk of this Rebecca Black girl even from about a week ago. People have claimed her hit single "Friday" is the 'worst song to have ever been made', so I decided to check it out. My first reaction was that of confusion and annoyance. But as I kept listening to it, (yes, I continued to listen to it), I found myself feeling sorry for this girl. She was making this song and well, she seemed like she was putting forth some really good effort. It was then that I watched the Good Morning America segment of Rebecca Black's song submitting her to tons of cyber bullying and horrible, inappropriate comments posted on her video. What people don't realize is that Rebecca Black, artist or not, is still a normal human being just like us and she was fortunate enough to become well known by many people. And for that reason, we should at least recognize that while we might not like her song, that does not mean we should slander her name or cast degrading remarks as we would behind the backs of those we also don't like.

This bringing me to this reference: "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same."-Luke 6:32-33  In a sense, have respect for those who you dislike. The Golden Rule applies here extensively well! Treat others as you would unto yourself. While we may never meet some people we dislike in person, be respectful of their efforts. Those we do meet in person who are our enemies, treat them with compassion. They might still treat you the same, but would you rather prefer to argue with your enemy or walk away knowing you probably confused them with your loving care? "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."-Luke 6:27-28. You will surely see the difference in your efforts to treat them with kindness you never believed you could exhibit.


I pray God forgives me for all the things I've ever said behind people's backs of those who I dislike. I too, have sinned and done this awful act of speaking out of anger or frustration with my evil tongue. I also pray God forgives everyone else who is repentant of talking with a loose mouth. People can seriously be affected by this and major damage can be done to their lives. You have no idea how much you can help someone by just a bit of kindness being given to them in their time of need. If not, pray for them. Yes, I know what I'm saying. Pray for them, as Jesus stated in Luke 6:28. A prayer can go a long way when you truly trust in God and His awesome power to perform miracles on others in our lives.


That is the end of my rant/ lesson of the day. Thank you for reading this note as sporadic as it seemed to be.

Selflessness and God's Everlasting Love

Today consisted of mustering up the courage to finally get to conversing with my best bud again today. I wrote him a note wishing him the best as I knew he had been going through a tough time beforehand. Church came, and I was instantly changed. I felt God telling me to do something different tonight and to not just do the same thing I do every Epic service. I did try something new, I worshiped him, and I enjoyed it. I listened to my youth pastor as he gave me new knowledge on how to truly worship God. How my mind's been changed by God!

But alas, soon after church, I learn one thing for the worst. When my best bud and I did our usual talk we do every Wednesday night, something was extremely different tonight. Most of the time, it's the only time we ever get to talk, and I try to make the most out of that time we share. But tonight when I looked into his eyes, this deep feeling like being stabbed in the heart by a steel blade tried to take hold of me, and my legs started shaking horribly. I could actually feel the hurt and suffering my best bud was experiencing, and I felt this overwhelming desire to help him and comfort and pray for him.

He denied my help again and again, but I kept trying every time he tried to shove me away and move on. He could've walked away to his car, but he listened and I was determined to keep trying. He insisted on toughing it out alone and having a strong tough resistance to help. I felt God pulling on my heart telling me, "Go. Embrace him right now. He needs comfort and I know how deeply you care for him and how much he means to you. Grab hold of his shoulders and I will help him." It kept growing stronger and stronger and I almost did, but I made the decision not to go through with it. How I regret it. We said our farewells and I felt the need to hold on just a little longer and not let go. But even as our farewell slowed more and more I felt my heart break and I started bawling as he drove off. I sat down in the grass and I cried out to God, tears coming to my eyes,  begging for Him to help my best bud because of how desperate I felt. I know God listened because I kept praying so hard and I knew He was listening. Even now as I write this, I still feel the hurt and suffering course through my body as if they were my own burden and feeling. Oh God, help him.

I recalled this verse when thinking of which verse to lead my day toward a better day; before this event occurred. "Trust in God with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding."-Proverbs 3:5. God's everlasting love for us is something we can never comprehend and He loves us too much to let us suffer for long. Sometimes we must be patient and trust in God with all our heart and every fiber of our being and our soul. This verse still applies to me as I still feel my desperate need to help my friend. While I still have the determination to help him, all I can do is trust in God and wait for Him to take care of my beloved best bud.

I realize this entire post is all about my best bud and how much I wish to help him through this suffering. It's the main thought on my mind right now, and to my understanding a blog is to help voice your thoughts. All I can think right now is God be with him and help him. My best bud needs him so badly, and no matter what I do, I can't help him like God does. I will continue trying. No matter what, I will never give up hope. I will not lose faith in God.

Thank You God.

Acceptance and Respect for Others' Beliefs

Today started horribly as I had woken up from a nightmare that surely my fear had attempted to use to worsen my day and mood. My best bud's family had turned their backs on me and they called me annoying and they disliked me. One of my worst fears being exhibited in a nightmare that was beyond my comprehension and left me in a mortified state that I couldn't sleep well the rest of the night. I shudder every time I remembered it today, but eventually I let go of it after a few encouraging words told me not to give into the fear that sin was plaguing me with to break me down. I didn't give in, and in turn, I received a reward from God later today that I will surely not forget.

On to the main topic for today's post. I was talking with my distant friend again, seeing as I was subsiding my conversations with my best bud for another time to give us both a break. Of course, I would talk to my distant friend in either situation. We had a somewhat philosophical discussion on the topic of others religious views in our lives and of the people around us in our society. It shocked me to hear how lonely my friend was in our faith where he lives! I felt great sorrow when he told me this bit of news, but upon hearing that he did not lack having any friends, it brought me back to my normal composure. I told him I was happy that he still found friends even if they didn't agree on the same things concerning their faith. He respected their beliefs though he may disagree, yet he didn't show he disagreed. That is one of the hardest challenges of a follower of Christ. To be able to respect other people's beliefs, while they may not be your beliefs, and still treat that person with the love and compassion that Jesus did to those who even rejected him and cast him out, that is one of the greatest qualities to have as a Christian.

I have to give credit to my friend for this next reference as well. As I'm still lacking familiarity with lesser known stories in the Bible, I had not known about the story of Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. This short story starts in John 4:4 and ends in John 4:42. The story starts off as Jesus and His disciples arriving in the town and Jesus arriving at the well while this one woman, who was a Samaritan, sat at the well as well. Jesus engaged in conversation with the woman asking her for a drink of water, and the woman's mind was offset. It had been known that Jews and Samaritans were not well known for conversing, let alone dealing with one another. As the story progresses Jesus teaches the woman and tells her of her mistakes she has made and she had yet to mention anything. Amazed by this realization, she spreads the word throughout town asking if Jesus was truly the Christ, the Messiah. At first the citizens did not believe her tale, but as they soon learned wisdom and truth from Jesus, a majority of them had truly believed that Jesus was indeed the Savior of the world.

Jesus, being a Jew, talked to the Samaritan woman regardless of her past actions or the lack of affiliation between both belief systems. He respected her being and her beliefs until the point which she believed in Jesus as Savior. How I wish I could do the same! When people come up to me during school and ask why I carry my Bible around, I simply state that I enjoy reading it when I'm done with my schoolwork. Why not bring it to school? The idea had been given to me by my youth pastor, but he did not address the idea to me directly as it was toward the mass student audience. I took it to heart, and since then I've brought my Bible to school for the past five or more months, (I can't exactly remember how long ago I started).

Another thought that occurred to me was that often I find others being rejected just because they're not Christian or aren't a part of the same sect or denomination. How wrong this is, and I've been guilty of chastising others when I was younger as well! Our beliefs shouldn't matter so long as we all respect each other and we believe in our own beliefs. If you believe in my same beliefs, cool your my best friend forever....No I'm joking. We are all one through Jesus Christ and we should respect others looking beyond their race, religion, attitude, and other qualities they possess just as Jesus had done before us. Perhaps then, we'd save a ton of strife and violence that the world experiences each and every day while we sleep, eat, and enjoy our lives.

My encouragement to myself and to everyone else is that they respect everyone else's beliefs while we attempt to coexist with each other. I feel God would smile upon our love for one another and our slight inclination toward fellowship.

Thanks be to God and to my friend and his family as well!

Malevolent Feelings and Conquering Friendships

I'll be straightforward, I fought with my best friend today, and it sure wasn't the best feeling in the world. I spent about the next three hours afterward almost practically feeling depressed and angry as well as ashamed and guilty. I apologized to him, but only to no reply. The ultimate decision I made was to give it a day or two to settle and on Wednesday just move on and forget it. Church always seemed to make me feel better about life and it's misfortunes. I know, best friends always argue, it comes at the cost of being so close with one another.

While discussing this situation with another close friend of mine, yes the physically distant by miles away friend, I found myself recalling the story of Johnathan and David. When I had first heard the story, it was during one of the series of my youth group at my church I usually attend. The topic referred to true friendship and it recalled the story. Johnathan was the son of Saul, the current ruler of Jerusalem. Now Saul, knowing that his throne was threatened by David, disliked him for this fact. However, Johnathan didn't care as he was David's best friend and practically, in the Christian sense, his faithful brother. Johnathan would be ready to lay down his life had the circumstances ever shown that such an act would be required to save David's life. David and Johnathan were so close they'd cry, they'd embrace, and they truly acted like they understood each other's thoughts and intentions. How I never thought such a friendship could be possible! I longed for one such as this, and how convenient the timing was indeed.

I had heard this story around the time of my best friend and I actually starting to get closer as buds. We hadn't quite reached that point of friendship where we considered each other brothers, but we so close that not even the toughest metal blade could sever our bond, or so I thought. With getting closer with your God-given friends, there also comes several tests that need to be passed collectively and individually. One hit us right after the other every single day. We argued, we got over it. We argued again, we got over it again. It was a constant process until we got to the point where we stopped arguing and finally settled at that moment of peace and enjoyment. We were no longer immature teenagers trying to win over our own opinion, we were best buds for life aiming to live an awesome life with us watching out for each other every step of the way. 

When applied to the story, I felt like I was Johnathan. The one friend who constantly laid his life on the line to ensure the protection of David, who showed compassion and loyalty throughout all situations, and who often listened to David's plights and problems in his life. I felt my best bud was David. The one friend who relied on God to help him through his path in life as well as being grateful for the best friend he had. The one friend who always had something else on his mind in times of sadness or depression, but always sought out someone to sit down and talk with. The one friend who showed courage and strength as the friendship grew for a benefactor of God's real intentions of true fellowship. 

How this applies to today is this: I made a big claim and basically called my bud out for not caring and  not listening to my words when he had just done an act of kindness and generosity toward me not too long beforehand. If he never cared, he would've never committed that good deed he showed to me. If he never cared, he wouldn't take time out of his night every Wednesday after church to make sure I was fine and if I needed to talk about anything that was bothering me in my life. If he never cared, he wouldn't have showed me the light of Jesus and saved my life from a life worse than death. If he never cared, he wouldn't be there for me and embrace me when I'm breaking down and losing control. I probably hurt him more than I thought I did.

I realized the big mistake I made. I feel guilty about it, and I know he will forgive me. I know God will forgive me. But it's the hardest thing to forgive myself. He's my best friend for life, and that person hardly comes around in many people's lifetimes. I aspire our friendship to become that of Johnathan and David's friendship. Surely they had their little arguments as well, but they got over them and lived a life with a great friendship until the kingdom was overrun and Johnathan was slain along with his father. How tragic! This I know, that God gave me my best friend for life for a reason. I would believe that reason to be to fulfill that feeling of loneliness and to get me closer to Him. So far, it's turned out to be working pretty well besides the supposed "lifelong bond" starting to wear down.

All I can do is pray and trust God helps us make the right decisions to living a life of a better friendship. A word of thanks though to his good deed, and to my distant friend as well. Had I no one to go to about this situation, I'd be in one horrible slump. If physical distance weren't a boundary I would gladly lay my life down for him as well because of how he has been there for me when my best bud couldn't. I owe my life to God for giving me these two awesome friends who have strongly influenced my life, and I hope he continues to keep them throughout my life. 

Lesson for today: An argument with your best friend may feel like one of the worst feelings in the world, but trust in God and surely enough it will all be better and stronger if you just trust in Him.

Thank you.

Friendship and Impacts

I went to my dad's church today and the topic of the service was to follow Jesus by doing the actions he did. In the case servants being the highest position in the Christian sense of the hierarchy of their environment. We discussed the setting of the Last Supper in which Jesus was in one of his most humiliating scenes in the Bible. When Jesus disrobes himself, ties a towel around his waist and gets down on his knees and washes the feet of His Disciples. Every time I picture this, my eyes almost start watering. Seeing Jesus acting as a lowly servant of the world washing the feet of his most beloved and closest friends. I think to myself, how humiliating and how I feel that way about myself sometimes. But of course, when Peter questions his actions, Jesus replies telling him that if He does not was the feet of His disciples they shall not have a part of him and that they should wash each others feet as well. This presenting to us that we're all servants of the world, but honestly, we should be servants of Christ.

What I gained from this was not just that lesson, but I was suddenly recalled to the words of love and this verse: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."-John 15:13 (My life verse). It sounds arrogant to say this but in a sense of the word humility I feel the humblest of all my friends. I often feel like the lowly servant who is there to give love and listen to the troubles of whoever comes to me. I offer an opinion, but I often feel like it's not taken to heart by most people. I feel I have the potential to really find someone who needs to hear a friendly greeting from somebody; anybody in the world just to make their day better before they do something as drastic as considering to take their life. Somebody once said, you have no idea what a single act of kindness, generosity, or befriending can do to ignite one's passion in their lives. For me, my passion is to show compassion those who need it and to lead them on the right path towards a greater life.

Then you ask me, "What's so great about life? Surely, you have a hard life too?" Of course I do. I struggle with temptation everyday, I make decisions that could definitely affect me in the long run either negatively or positively, and I often argue or find myself angered by somebody at least once a day. The life of a person is hard, but the life of a Christian is even harder. Yet in my eyes, I would think the one person who doesn't know Christ and is suffering often leads the way to a cursed, sinful life. We all know these people in our society, often the stereotypical bad boys, hoodlums, gangsters, drug and sex addicts, and compulsive liars and  constant swearers. There's many more to be listed, but I don't dare go that far. We all have our names for them, but you know these people. Yet how many would dare lend a helping hand to them when they needed it? Perhaps society has taught us to leave these people alone. Leave these rejects to suffer and wallow in their pathetic lives only to suffer worse and worse each and every single day. And yes, I'm speaking to myself as well. How wrong and sick I've been! I was at one time of my life, one of those people in society.

I made the wrong decisions. No, I didn't do drugs, I'm still a virgin and engaged in no sexual acts, but I was a reject of society and often was the target for those who would find it cool and get a fix out of bringing people lower than the possible low. It makes me happy to see how some of these people actually matured nowadays in some senses, but it saddens me to hear how many of them already have slept around or experimented with wrong substances. You may be wondering, "How did you become the way you are today?" I'll gladly tell you. His name is God, who answers the prayers of those who are patient and who are desperate for His saving grace and everlasting love. He answered my prayer for salvation with a friend. That's right, just one friend.

This wasn't just any friend, he was the friend I had prayed to have after years of praying after hurt and sorrow seemed to take over my life. When I met him, it seemed like the most impossible thing int he world to be friends with this guy. He contradicted "my way of living" in so many ways that I was almost convinced he couldn't be even an acquaintance. But something made me stop and think one day. He showed me a personality that seemed to change my way of thinking. I had never experienced so much understanding, so much wisdom and great advice, and so much love and compassion. But I was still stubborn and I couldn't trust him as I didn't know him too long and I was having "friend" troubles already at that point in my life. Life was horrible and he seemed like a shining light in the dark. Little did I know one day when he told me God has a better life for me and better plans for my life; it'd change my life forever.

This friend took me to church and I eventually connected to God and gave Him my life so that I could experience the everlasting love of God and His saving grace to end the sinful decisions that seemed to rule my life. This tying back with the original point, I was but a lowly humiliated person in my life and in a way, Jesus washed away my sin. This all because of the one friend who went out of his way to lend me a helping hand and turn my life around by showing me a new life to walk with Jesus Christ.

I'm now aspiring to become a pastor and help others just as I was helped in my life. That friend who showed me the light is now my best bud for life. And my youth pastor is my teacher in which I follow his ways of teaching so that I may one day too live a life of helping others. God has been gracious enough to bless me with more than just one friend nowadays. I've become closer with one of my acquaintances who lives states away. Both these amazing close friends of mine keep my faith going through words of compassion and encouragement. I'd gladly lay my life down for these friends. And it's true; you never know how much a little act of kindness, generosity, or befriending could ignite the passion of one's life. How awesome is Our God!

New To Blogging.

I was doing some thinking for a while. I realized I have a lot of thoughts I'm meant to get out of my head and out onto whatever I can do. I used to keep a journal of memories and notes so that I could go back to it whenever I was stumped on what to do. Now, I've heard great things about blogging. I look forward to posting things as they come to me and getting some planning done after learning how to develop what I write and using it in everyday settings and situations. Well, first post here we are. Cool!