Ravven's Private Thoughts On What It Means To Serve The Lord

We've all heard it: As Christians, we must worship and serve the Lord. We've heard it in Sunday school, in church, in bible studies, and among friends and relatives. We are made to serve the Lord. We are made for the calling of His purpose, and we are to serve Him with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our might. We are meant to seek after Him and to find out what He made us for.

We also know this: We are precious beings in the arms of Christ. The Lord loves us and made each of us for a specific purpose. As an individual, we are designed for something that no one else can do. Think about how awesome that is. There is something in this world that only you can do; not your mother, your sibling, your neighbor, or your friend. You. You are made for greatness. How beautiful is that?

As growing Christians, we learn that to serve the Lord means to seek after His will. We are to follow His laws and commandments, love everyone around us, and follow in the ways of Christ. But what does it really mean to serve Him? To actually serve Him? We all lead busy lives. We all get caught up in the moment. Yes, we may pray and ask Him to show us the way we are meant to go. Sometimes He shows us right away and sometimes we must wait on Him. A lot of times things happen that get in the way or become distracting. They may upset us, make us laugh, bewilder us, or frustrate us. This brings me to my next point.

I believe that nothing happens by accident. All those things that you call accident or coincidence, I call meant to be. That song that was playing on the radio when you turned it on was there for a reason. That news that you just read about, you read for a reason. That person that was rude to you was put there for a reason. That man who didn't have money in his account to buy lunch was put there for a reason. Everything that goes on around you affects you, even if its just subconsciously. So why are all these things happening to us?

Think about what it means to serve the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your might. Next, think about what it means to be such a precious treasure to Christ. Now ponder all the 'accidents and coincidences' that happen in a day. Finally, I'd like you to squish all that together. Do you see what I'm getting at?

See, serving the Lord means a lot more than just praying and being Christlike. We have so much potential, so much love, and so much fire when we are in love with Christ. God doesn't just want to use us whenever it's handy. He thinks we are so divine, so amazing, so precious that He wants to use us 24/7. He wants to use all our potential, not just the obvious gifts we each have. He wants to use every single part of us. He doesn't want anything about us to go to waste because we are that amazing to Him. Digest that for a moment.

Serving the Lord means to be ready for Him at a moments notice. We don't know the next time and place that God plans on using us. That means we have to be mentally, emotionally, and even physically ready for Him all the time. That song on the radio may have lyrics that will uplift you for the day. The news, though sad and disturbing, may be just the right news for your gentle heart to pray for. That person who was rude to you may be there to remind you to always be kind and compassionate to others. The man who couldn't afford his lunch may need desperate prayer that God knows you are capable of giving. It may even be a chance to give back to the Lord by blessing that man with his lunch after all.

When you surround yourself with the Holy Spirit, he brings things into your life that will enrich you, break you, and mold you. However, you have to recognize them.

This semester at college has been one of the hardest so far, but one of the best I will ever have. The Lord has truly blessed me with rewards for my hard work. He brought amazing people into my life that have helped me grow spiritually and as a person. I realized that when I acknowledged Him for everything going on, He brought events into my life because He wanted to use me. I am so precious to Him that He gave me friends and hard classes so that I can be used better for Him. I have had so many opportunities to share His love and grace with people and to let them know Who He is and what He has done.Yeah, it's been a struggle. But I can honestly say that I am so in love with Him that it doesn't matter. He's totally worth it.

I believe that to serve the Lord truly and faithfully, we must always be ready. It doesn't just mean seeking after Him for the bigger picture. It means seeking after Him in all the small things, too. To answer with a gentle tongue, to love unconditionally, to pray for those around us. I ask you to please be aware of what goes on around you. You can't shut the world out because it may disturb you or make you feel uncomfortable! Pray for those broken faces! Take time to say a friendly word! Be kind to those who might grate on your nerves! Listen carefully to what you're being told and seek the Lord in all of these! You are meant to feel sad about that bad news on tv because God made your tender heart to pray for that! Think before you speak! You can't take those words back, nor can you give them out after being silent once the moment has passed. Look for how you can serve the Lord in all the aspects of your life! From the moment you wake up, to the moment you fall asleep, serve the Lord. In the end, it's all the small tings you do that count. Think about it.

I'm far from a perfect person, and I find these things hard to do myself. Sometimes it gets overwhelming to always be ready for Him at a moments notice. However, it is so worth it! I plan on truly serving the Lord in every little thing I do. I'm going to fail many, many times. That's why God brought these friends into my life - so I can have help getting back up.

I had to speak what was on my heart. I am so in love with Him. I hope that you are, too...


May the frets be with you.

Ravven's Private Thoughts On Love

What is love? Is it some inexplicable feeling that comes and goes as it pleases? Is it truly blind? And why must it cause so much pain? And is it worth the pain?

In the Merriam Webster Dictionary, there are several definitions of love. The first one covers almost everything:

'a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests love for his old schoolmates'

Love is among the top most things that the human species has ever been written about. Countless ballads, poems, fairytales and books are dedicated to showing what true love really is, whether the love is between God and human, husband and wife, parent and child, siblings, or lovers. In the old days, you read about the knight in shining armor who risked everything to be with his lady love. It was innocent and pure.

Unfortunately for us today, love has been taken and twisted from what it was originally meant to be. Magazines, books, tv shows, and movies convince us that sex equals love and many young people proclaim deep love for each other as soon as they enter a relationship. First of all, sex does not equal love. That is what is known as lust. It comes and goes and it can attract you to anything and anyone. When it's over, it's over and you have just given yourself way...again. And for what? When you have relations just because it feels good or looks good and there is no deep love, affection, or care, it's just lust. Secondly, I can't tell you how often I see the young people on my page get together and break up with in weeks and still call it love. That's not real love. That's what used to be called a crush, or puppy love.

I am not claiming to be an expert on love and what it is about. However, I can tell you this - love is something divine. It is the feeling of giving everything away for your object of affection. To be that all in all, to provide, to care for, to support, and to honor. In my own life, love is not just a feeling.

Love is a way of life.

The human creature was designed with the ability to love and be loved. The greatest thing a person can do is to love. It is not easy to do at times. I live with five brothers and do I feel the love everyday? Not by far. But if you want a love that stays, if you want something real to hold onto, then you have to give it out. Give it out even if you don't get it back, because you never know who you will touch. When you turn love into a way of life, you know that it's there, you know it exists and you know that someday, someone will love you.

They say you can't help who you love and maybe that is true. I believe you can choose to love a fellow man, but I don't believe you can choose to fall in love with one. I think it just happens. Many people say love is blind. I don't believe love is blind in the essence that it cannot see your faults. When you are dedicated to someone, you see their faults and love them despite that. You recognize that they are not perfect and love them anyway. You find an imperfect person, perfect simply because you accept them for who they are. That is true love. You stick with them despite the arguments, mistakes, and misunderstandings. You find a way to make it work because you can't imagine life without that person. They are worth the fight.

But sometimes love really bites. It can hurt so bad that you think you can't go on, when you lose someone dear to you, when someone you love walks away, or, and possibly the worst one, you love someone and they just don't feel the same way.

All things that bring joy, bring pain. It's just the way life is. Love is no different. I think the important thing to remember is that depsite the pain, there will be another chance. What's important is that you were able to feel those feelings. The real problem is when you become so jaded and hard that you can no longer give or receive love. While yes, you need to guard your heart and choose carefully what you do, it's important to recognize your feelings and face them rather than hide and pretend they aren't there. In the long run, hiding your feelings will cause more pain than laying them out on the table. Even if they aren't reciprocated, it's always better to know rather than to spend your life wondering 'what if'.

So is it worth it? Yes. Think about all the good memories you have. How could you ever regret that? Never regret loving someone whether they be lover, family member, or friend. We are meant to love.

I know what it's like to live without love and to hunger for it and never get it. I think we all do to some extent. That's why love is so precious to me. I want to give love to everyone because everyone deserves to feel it. You should never have to go without it. Love is not to be toyed with or flung around and misused, but neither is to be kept hidden and locked up. You must look inside yourself and find your own balancing point.

Choose wisely and act carefully, but never be afraid to love. Love is divine.

So are you.

'Beloved, let us also love one another, for love is of God....' 1John 4:7a


May the frets be with you.