Be Still

When was the last time you took the time to be still? Unfortunately, most of us are going to have to think pretty hard to answer that question. With our busy schedules, commitments, and daily responsibilities, we find that what we’re dealing with is practically more than we can handle.

Maybe you don’t have an overwhelmingly busy schedule, but nevertheless, you find yourself asking, When WAS the last time I took to be still? I’ve found that sometimes it doesn’t take a chaotic schedule to keep us from taking moments of rest. Sometimes, the constant distractions during the day are enough to keep us from finding rest in God.

By definition, being distracted is “being unable to concentrate because one’s mind is preoccupied.”

If I’m honest with myself, I’ve been feeling pretty distracted recently. And I don’t have to think very hard to figure out some of the main reasons WHY I’m distracted. From school, to dance and countless rehearsals, to spending time with family, to going to church and to church functions, to the little things like watching a TV show with my family, or playing a game with my siblings, or reading a good book, I find that I’m distracted most of the time. Are these distractions necessarily bad? No! But they keep me preoccupied for much of the day. And honestly, I try my best to keep myself preoccupied by them.

Because I know that if I’m preoccupied, I won’t have to face my doubts, questions, fears, insecurities, and pride. If I’m busy doing other things, I won’t have time to address those tough issues, right?

I’ve found out the hard way that distracting myself doesn’t let me avoid those tough issues.

In fact, embracing distractions only leaves me incredibly vulnerable to even more of the enemy’s schemes. Because when I’m distracted, when I’m preoccupied by worldly thoughts, I am unable to concentrate on God’s goodness and truth.

This is a dangerous place. I’ve only just recently noticed that I’ve found myself in this situation more often than I would like to admit. Whenever I start to feel empty, whenever I start shutting down, I tend to turn to things like obsessively checking my phone, or switching on the TV, or ANYTHING to keep me preoccupied!

And I’m going to tell you, filling your mind and heart with that kind of stuff doesn’t work. It doesn’t silence the fear. It doesn’t answer your questions. It doesn’t make you feel any more secure than you felt before. It only makes you more desperate. Believe me. I’ve been there.

But that’s not the end of the story. That emptiness you feel after you’ve checked your phone or finished watching a TV show doesn’t have to stay with you.

Jesus can take it. He wants you to lay it all down at His feet, trusting Him to fill that emptiness in your heart, trusting Him to fulfill your deepest longings and desires. He’s there, longing for you to stop clinging desperately to those distractions. He’s there, with arms open wide, with no judgment and no condemnation standing in the way of His love.

He’s there, waiting for you to find rest in Him.

The definition of rest is to “cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” True rest is only found in Jesus. When you cease striving and preoccupying yourself with other things and intentionally seek Jesus, the pressures of the world fall away, you get a new perspective on a certain situation, and you find strength that only comes from God.

In this world, with its heavy expectations and countless distractions, letting ourselves rest is sometimes the hardest thing to do. But it’s often what we need the most.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:10 which says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Being still means finding rest in Jesus. Being still means giving Him everything that’s occupying your mind, the good and the bad. Being still means letting Him quiet your distracted heart and fill all that emptiness with His joy and strength and love.

We must know that He is God. He who created the heavens and the earth in all their majestic glory, He is God. He who spoke into being the mountains and seas and stars and planets, He is God. Amazingly, this very same God loves each of us individually. He cares about every single detail in our lives. He knows each distraction that vies for our attention, each distraction that we embrace -- and He loves us through it all.

This world throws distractions in our faces 24/7. But we don’t have to let them preoccupy our hearts. We can win the battle against distractions by taking the time to be still and trust that God is everything He says He is.  

           

         

Remember the Cross this Easter

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. And that price was exorbitant- My very Life! I went through excruciating pain and humiliation as I sacrificed Myself for your sins. This was a gift of infinite value- an act of indescribable Love. However, only those who recognize their sinfulness, their need for a Savior, can receive this astonishing gift of Love. Hear my invitation calling out: ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ Sin is a terrible, crushing burden, but I have paid the price in full to remove it from you forever.
When you awaken each morning, say to yourself: ‘I am not my own. I belong to Jesus.’ Then keep in your mind Whose you are as you make your way through the day, especially as you make plans and decisions. Knowing that you belong to Me helps you keep your feet on the path of Peace. This knowledge meets deep-seated needs. you can find find spiritual and emotional security by remembering that you are Mine- My beloved.”
~ Sarah Young (“Jesus Always” devotional)

     With yesterday being Good Friday, this quick devotional really impacted me when I read it... Jesus paid the ultimate price- He gave it ALL for me- so that I might have life to the fullest on this earth, and then one day, have life everlasting with Him in heaven! 

     My family and I all watched “The Passion of the Christ” film together last night for the first time, and boy- did it really grab my heart! 

     It’s so easy for us as Christians, to make light of what Jesus did for us. “Jesus loves you” and “He died on the cross for you” almost becomes like this slogan type of thing we use... But Jesus Christ was a real person- a real man. Everything written about him in the Word of God really did happen. He came down from heaven to be born in a stable. He lived as a man and walked on the earth for 33 years. He died on the cross and was buried in the grave for three days. He rose again, defeated hell and descended into heaven to be with the Father until the time comes for Him to return again someday. He gives us the power to reign victoriously over death forever in His Name! And He did it all because He loves us... :)

He bought us with His very LIFE! We belong to Him, and He invites us into a life lived in His Love. 

He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6).
The Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).
The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
The Son of God (John 10:36).
The Great I AM (Exodus 3:14).
He is all we’ll ever need and more! He is our EVERYTHING! He is Jesus Christ the Lord! And he deserves it all- all of our love, all of our devotion, all of our worship, all of our focus, all of our energy, all of our giftings... all of our LIVES!
So give Jesus your ALL this Easter- He is so worthy, so good, and He loves you more than you will ever know!- and never forget the true meaning of the cross. 

Side Note: I know I’m always including songs in my blog posts (it’s kind of almost become like my signature thing I guess!)... so I’m sure it won’t be surprising that I have a song to go along with this post as well! :) It’s called “Death Was Arrested” and it’s been one of my favorite songs to listen to this Easter season...
https://youtu.be/fZ5k5X0YmLI



 

Silence

   I’ve always told myself that I’m the type of person who could simply be sitting in silence with the people I love the most, and yet still feel totally comfortable and secure. But over the past couple of weeks, I’ve realized that though that mindset of mine may be true with the people I’m closest to, it certainly didn’t seem to be true between me and God.

     Over spring break, I honestly went though a time of panic in my relationship with God. Not panic because I felt like He was drawing away from me, but panic because I felt like I was letting my thoughts draw me away from Him.

     For lots of different reasons I was sad... I felt like I was missing out on things... I was jealous of the BIG experiences God was allowing the others around me to have with Him... and I felt angry because I wanted to do certain things so bad and God was obviously saying that it was not the time for me to do them yet.  

    I had lots of unanswered questions and anxious thoughts whirling around in my head-
When, God, will you answer me? When will you tell me what I’m supposed to do? Why can I not feel you like I usually do? Why am I having all these awful feelings of sadness and jealousy and frustration?

     It was hard- really hard. And as I continued to panic, God remained silent. And I have to admit, I was very uncomfortable.

     You’d think that I would be totally at peace in the hands of my all-knowing Savior, but during that time I was not. I hated feeling so sad and so jealous of others and so confused... I didn’t understand why God had me in the place that he did, and I wished I could just go back and re-live all the special memories and incredible moments I’d had with God in the past!

     But slowly and surely, God began to entangle my emotions and give me peace even amidst all my questions.

     First, He opened my eyes to see that sometimes the feelings I experience are all just going to be a part of living in the fallen, sinful world that I do. I’m only human, and as a result I won’t always be able to help feeling sad or jealous about some things. However, I must always be sure to run to God whenever I am having those feelings and allow Him to replace them with His truth and love.

     Secondly, God showed me that I cannot live my life looking back into the past. Even though I may have been dwelling on very GOOD things I’d experienced- special memories, life-changing moments, and God-sized miracles- I was still dwelling on things... I was thinking so MUCH on the past things God had done in my life and wishing I could go back and relive those moments again, that I started loosing sight of the incredible things God is doing in my life RIGHT NOW! I was trying to get back up and pretend I was living life on this great, super spiritual mountain with God, when I should have been buckling myself down and preparing to fight in the trenches for the things God’s called me to.

     And then one morning, during all that uncertainty and discomfort, I finally clearly heard God speak to me through these verses I had read in my quiet time that morning...

“YOU HAVE STAYED LONG ENOUGH ON THIS MOUNTAIN.
Break camp and advance into the hill country...
See I have given you this land.”
~ Deuteronomy 1:6-7

It was like God was literally telling me-
McKenna, you have stayed long enough at this mountain. I have given you so many good things in the past, but now is not the time to turn back in pursuit of those old good things. Now is the time to turn towards ME and pursue MY perfect plan for you! Now is the time to plant yourself in the valley and fight for the things I’ve called you to. Now is the time to believe in the miracles forming right before your very eyes! And to know that I am standing beside you. And I love you. And I believe in you. And I have called you to greatness!... If you’ll only trust in me.

“Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them.
The Lord your God, who is going before you,
will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt,
before your very eyes, and in the wilderness.
There you saw how the Lord your God carried you,
as a Father carries his son, all the way you went
until you reached this place.”
~ Deuteronomy 1:29-31

     Just because God may have been silent for a time, didn’t mean that He wasn’t still Sovereign. God had never stopped being my Savior, and I know He never will! He is still seated on the throne, ruling as King of my heart, and no matter how hard my walk with Him may get, He never lets go of my hand and He never ceases to hold my whole word in His hands! If He has carried me this far in my life, I know that He can surely carry me on into the future, too! And I trust Him. He is such a good God; such a good, good Father- MY good, good Father. And though I still may not have all the answers, I know that HE does, and that’s enough.

     And so... I’d like to end this post with a song God immediately brought to my mind JUST the other night as I was thinking about all of this...

https://youtu.be/BGvGsApcnWA

To Whom It May Concern...

"I'm fine" or "I'm good" is an expression that is an automatic reply for most people.We don't want to tell people what we are actually going through or what's actually going on in our lives. To be real for a second, is anyone actually being honest when they answer the question, "How are you?". Being a human being means there is going to be change, hurt, fear, loss, anxiety, etc. 

In students and adults alike, it is common to see them "shut down" emotionally when they are going through something hard and hurtful. They aren't completely honest with the people around them and they begin to "disappear". I'm not judging anyone when I say this because...I do it too. Really this post is something I struggle with as well.

I've been going through a situation recently that's life-changing and difficult. And I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. After a few weeks, months even, I began to see myself transition into this melancholy and quiet person. I wasn't depressed, I just was more solemn and anxious. I noticed this interesting change in my character and decided to find out what it was. With the Lord's (and my dad's) help, it hit me. I was suppressing my feelings, tucking them away, not talking to anyone about how I was feeling. Honestly, I wasn't even talking to the Lord about my situation! #fail

Sometimes when we are going through the storms of life we don't want to talk about because we are afraid to cry or we are angry. Or... we don't know WHO to talk to. Maybe we even think we have no one.

The point is, there is always somebody. The Lord wants us to talk to him about everything. Your struggles, your fears, your dreams, your joys. You can't see him there, but for me, I can feel him with me. 

I recently got prophesied over, and in this prophesy the Pastor told me that the Lord is saying to me, "My hand is on you." This was exactly what I needed at the time. I pictured myself, my problems and fears in front of me and Jesus putting his hand on my shoulder saying, "I have you." 

No matter what you're going through, the Lord already knows and he is for you. He is always by our side through every good situation and bad one. 

Now, whenever I begin to feel worried or sad, I immediately journal it down in my Prayer Journal, pray, or talk to my parents about it. Expressing your feelings is one of the best medicines out there. The relief of getting your emotions and thoughts out in the open can help you heal and give you peace.

"For I the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not; I will help you." - Isaiah 43:13

Everlasting Love

         

With Valentine’s Day being just two days ago, I thought this would be an opportune time to write about love and about what God has shown me as a fifteen-year-old girl this Valentine’s season.

I don’t know about you, but there are still visions of pink and red hearts and boxes of chocolate and bouquets of flowers dancing around in my head!

Unfortunately, with it being two days after Valentine’s Day, those flowers don’t look as lively and beautiful as they did the moment someone handed them to you and all that’s left of the candy you were given is a bunch of wrappers.

Does this depress anyone besides me? Can love represent more than the wilting flowers on our desks and the fading feeling in our hearts?

As a fifteen-year-old girl who doesn’t have a boyfriend or have any plans to start seriously thinking about dating, Valentine’s Day can be one of those days when I shrug my shoulders, receive the gifts my friends give me, and move on. After all, what’s the point of celebrating when you haven’t found true love yet?

That’s when I have to catch myself. The truth is, I have found true love. It’s just not in the form of roses, or a sweet note, or a giant red heart. It’s in the form of a wooden cross, crudely fashioned, with blood staining its bark. It’s found in the knowledge that God the Father looked specifically at me and thought, I love her and I want to spend eternity with her.

So He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die a horrible death in my place as a punishment for my sin. When He died, He made a way for me to be cleansed of my sin and have a relationship with a holy God. When He rose from the dead, He proclaimed to the world that He was greater than death and that He won the ultimate battle against the devil.

God did all this…because He loved me. Just like He loves you.

But what if I’d rather have the gifts and the roses? What if I want to know I’m loved right in this moment and not just two thousand years ago when Jesus died for me?

The great news is, God’s love doesn’t stop with the cross. He loved you before you even breathed your first breath and He will not stop loving you for eternity. His love for you right in this moment is as strong as it was when He carried that cross up the hill of Calvary. He sees you in this moment, He knows you and all your desires and fears, and He cherishes you for who you are.

God’s love does not compare you to other people. It does not criticize or condemn. Rather, instead of comparing you, He specifically chooses you as His own. Instead of criticizing you, He thinks the best of you and calls you special. Instead of condemning you, He defeated sin so that He could welcome you with open arms despite your past mistakes.

God’s love remains forever. It lasts so much longer than the wilting flowers or the fading ink of a pen on a note or the slight warming of your heart. Although these earthly things we cherish aren’t bad, they can hurt you and disappoint you when you base your entire identity on them. God has an identity for you, one rooted in true love, one based on the fact that He has redeemed you and calls you His beloved child.

So maybe today, you’re starting to feel let down because the love you felt on Valentine’s Day is slowly fading away. Maybe you’re scrambling desperately around trying to feel loved again, trying so hard to get someone to tell you that they care about you.

I’m here to tell you that God cares. He has always loved you and will always love you. You can trust His love, cling to His love, and find your true identity in His everlasting love for it will NEVER leave you or disappoint you.  

Alone

    Recently, I've been watching this show called, "Alone". It's about ten men, dropped off in some of the most dangerous places on the Earth, all by themselves, no one around, and they have to see how long they can survive, just them, a few supplies, a camera, and nature. The man that lasts the longest wins a ton of money.

    Honestly, it's a pretty awesome show. I love seeing these guys build fires, shelters, catch food, and document their adventures with the camera they were given. It's interesting to see how humans react to being alone with no distractions like smartphones and other people. These ten guys started dropping out of the competition like flies after being by themselves for a while in the wilderness. They began to tell the camera how frightening it was to be alone with just you and your thoughts.

    One guy confessed that his past failures began to creep up on him the longer he stayed in the wilderness. He told the camera that it was so different to have no distractions around you, erasing your problems temporarily. He felt vulnerable and afraid and he didn't like just sitting there in the woods having to face his problems.

    My point is, you don't always have to be in the wilderness by yourself to suddenly recognize that creeping feeling inside your soul where all your problems, failures, and relationships come into your brain. It happens to humans on a daily basis. 

   The main reason why people have addictions is because they are trying to "not feel" or avoid problems in their life. When those distractions are taken away, there's silence. And people can't stand silence.

   When I was in middle school, I became addicted to hardcore rap music. The explicit, really gross kind. I was struggling in middle school to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be and the devil took that opportunity to fill that hurting gap in my soul with sin. Those were the worst few years of my life. I BECAME those rappers in a way. I was angry like they were, I was confused like they were, and I was filling my soul with sin instead of Jesus… just like they were. I thank God that he intervened and my parents took iTunes off my phone. 

  A person without Jesus in the same situation, listening to rap music and getting busted by their parents, would feel ashamed of their mistake. And I definitely was humiliated at the time. What I didn't realize was that God was going to use my story for good. Without that dumb music, my personality began to change. I was happier, my relationship with my parents and friends was better, and I filled that hole that had been filled with rap music, with Jesus instead.

  I understood that he FORGAVE me. God wasn't ashamed of me for listening to bad music. He wasn't angry with me. He knew I was better than that and THAT'S why he intervened in the situation. He loves me so much and wanted me to fill that gap with him instead. I wasn't fulfilling my purpose in life and God helped me do just that.

  Since then, I've shared my music testimony all over my city. I've shared it at schools, teen conferences, and summer intensives for spiritual growth for kids. I'm not ashamed of my story anymore. I actually am proud of sharing what God did in my life to change me and bring me where I am today.

   Therefore, I'm okay with silence. Because I know God is bigger than all my problems and I don't need to be ashamed of my failures. When I'm by myself, there is a peace in my soul because God lives inside of me and I know how much he loves me. 

  Your problems are temporary, but God is eternal.

 

"Live It Well"

    One of the things I like to do every year (from the first day of school till the last), is think of a theme song for myself. I usually try to pick something that really goes along with whatever God's working with me on that year, one that really stands out. The kind of song that when you hear it you just go "Oh my gosh, God! That is so me!" or "That's just what I needed to hear". In the past, finding my theme song for the year hasn't been too much of a challenge. God will often give them too me pretty early on in the year. For example...

     In 8th grade, my song was "Oceans" by Hillsong United. 8th grade was a very challenging year for me, when God gave me PLENTY of opportunities to grow, calling me to step out in faith even when I didn't know what the end result might be or where He might take me! But I trusted Him, and I got to really taste and experience God's goodness for myself. So even though 8th grade was one of my toughest years (academically, spiritually, emotionally), it also ended up being one of my BEST years, too!
     
     In 9th grade, my theme song was "My Lighthouse" by Rend Collective. 9th grade is usually a HUGE transition year for most people, as it was for me, going into high school and everything. I was already kind of on the edge about it, and then I ended up spending my entire first semester in this gross, depressed, unhappy kind of mood. I was living as what I like to call, a "zombie teen", which so many high schoolers are caught up in nowadays. And though it took that whole first semester of my high school years to break out of the funk I was in, God finally "woke me up from my slumber" and called me back into being His lighthouse for all the other kids around me. 

     In 10th grade, God actually gave me my theme song before school even started! It was "Sinking Deep" by Hillsong Young & Free, and it's still one of my all time favorites! The message of that song really encouraged me to never forget how much God loves me and will take care of me no matter what kind of situations I'm facing. It helped me remember to stay focused on God and who He was calling me to be, despite who the people around me were choosing to be. It gave me a new confidence in Him that enabled me to stay strong and secure, living my life grounded in a firm foundation of His love.

     So... that's a brief history of "McKenna's theme songs"! But this year, it just seemed like it took forever for me to find that perfect song! Maybe it's because I haven't been through anything super "huge" in my life this year, or maybe it's just because I haven't really been putting much thought into what God's song for me was... But about a week ago, I finally found that perfect song! And I just thought I'd share a little bit about it and about the theme God's been working with me on for this year. 

"Live It Well"

Take the burden from my arms

Take the anchors off my lungs

Take me broken and make me one

Take the silence and make it a song

Life is short, I wanna live it well

One life, one story to tell

Life is short, I wanna life it well

And You're the One I'm livin for!

Awaken all my soul

Every breath that I take is a miracle

Life is short, I wanna live it well

I wanna sing with all my heart this lifelong song

Even if some notes come out right, and some come out wrong

Cause I can't take none of that through the door

Yeah, I'm livin for more than just a funeral

I wanna burn brighter than the sun

I got one life and one love

I got one voice, and maybe that's enough

Cause with one heartbeat and two hands

I got one shot

And one life to live

One life to live!

*Here's a link to the song if you wanna listen ;)

https://youtu.be/Ov_lnXy7tkQ

     So, as you can tell, the song God gave me for this year is "Live it Well" by Switchfoot. All this year, God has just really been working with me on living every day in an attitude of JOY! I want to enjoy every moment of my life, feeling so thankful and so blessed for all the things God's given me! Because living in an attitude of joy really does make life so much more special and fun and exciting and adventurous... It makes me love every single moment God's given me and experience the blessing in everything! Whether it's a super intense Pre-Calculus class, or a fun-filled hour of teaching little girls ballet, I've learned to be JOYFUL in all things, and seek out those new "God-Sightings" and special treasures that God's hides for me to find. :)

     I know this was a bit of a more casual post, but this is something I've definitely been wanting to share. I mean, even just listening to that song makes me feel happier! It makes me want to live BIG and BOLD and on fire for Christ! It makes me want to seek out the good in everything! It makes me want to laugh more, smile often, be my own wild self and love everyone... And I hope it does the same for you, too!

Nehemiah 8:10

"Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and 

sweet drinks, and share the gift of food with 

people who have nothing prepared. 

This is a sacred day before our Lord. 

Don't be dejected and sad,

for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"

P.S. I know I mention songs and song lyrics a lot in my posts... One of the things I love to do, is write down the lyrics in my journal of certain songs that really speak to me. We sing all these popular worship songs that we hear in church or on the radio all the time, but do we really know what we're singing about? I used to always just hear the lyrics and sing along, but I realized I wasn't really hearing the lyrics, if you know what I mean. I would just hear them and sing them from memory, without giving any thought to what those lyrics really meant. So now, I love to write the lyrics of my favorite songs out in my journal, then I can really think about them and understand what those words I sing all the time really mean. Not only does it give the song so much more significance and meaning to me, but it helps me know God and the character of God on a deeper lever as well. You should try it sometime :)