I don't care what the world throws at me.....It's gonna be okay

So Summer officially ends for me in a few weeks when school starts(even though it already feels like it has ended) It's been a great summer. Probobly the best summer I've had in the past few years. I got to spend three weeks at Lakeside, a week in Nashville for an urban mission trip, Kings Island with my youth group, a Red's game, the fair, and a Hillsong United concert.  I've also gotten to spend time with friends I hadn't seen in a while.

I can honestly say that I have grown so much within the last 90 days or so.  It's safe to say that I am not the same Courtney I was at the beginning of summer.Looking back at some of my pictures from the beginning of the summer I don't recognize the girl staring back at me... that is me.  I've grown up a lot(even if some of you can't see it).  I questioned my faith a lot at the beginning of the summer, but I've pushed through all that.  I know who I am as a person and as a Christian, I am a daughter of the Most High, Jesus Christ!!  Although I'm a Christian I do make mistakes....lot's of them, and I'm not perfect!  However, the only person I have to answer to is God.

I feel like lately I've been under "attack" again for being a Christian.  Never will I be ashamed of my Savior.  My Savior loved me enough to go to the cross and die for me! So the least I can do is live for HIM!

In Sunday School last week we talked about loving our enemies.  I suppose that's something I'm struggling with right now.  I mean c'mon how do you be nice to someone who talks bad about you and drags your name through the mud? Being nice to that person is easier said than done when you're faced with that situation.  But the thing is we are called to love everyone.  It's hard to wanna be nice to someone who isn't nice to you.

Here's what the Bible has to say about being persecuted....
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…. If they persecuted Me they will persecute you… for they do not know the One who sent Me.” John 15:19-21

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11″Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. 12″Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you


Yeah the last one is hard to do! At times it's really hard to pray for someone who has either talked bad about you, or hurt you in some way, but as Christians we (myself included) need to remember that we need to pray for those people.  Prayer really does have the ability to change a person's heart.  And a lot of the time, there is something going on in that person's life that has caused them to behave in that manor towards you. 

While talking about "love" during Sunday School over the last few weeks, it's easy for me to say that "I love everyone" but I just don't always "like" some people.  After reading 1Corinthians13, my opinion of me saying that "I love everyone" has changed.

1 Corinthians 13

¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


Now re-read vs 4-7 inserting your name
Courtney is patient, Courtney is kind.  Courtney does not envy, Courtney does not boast, Courtney is not proud.  Courtney does not dishonor others, Courtney is not self-seeking, Courtney is not easily angered, Courtney keeps no record of wrongs.  Courtney does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  Courtney always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Ok wow!! That was an eye opener because I know do not always display these charectoristics of LOVE

Father God, I pray that you would make me a more loving person.  Allow me to see people the way that you see them.  Lord help me to forgive others and to be slow to anger. Help me to be a light that shines for you, even in the darkest of places.  Father God I pray that you would continue to guide my footsteps and show me what's next.In Jesus' name I pray, Amen