The Desert Series: Perseverance

Hello everyone! I want to start writing a series of posts talking about personal trials, or as I like to call them... My deserts. I've gone through a series of things and I would like to share them.

Honestly I have never shared it with so many people but I figure that if I share and I can help at least one person who might be going through the same or something similar then it would be worth it. 

To start off this series, I would like to talk about perseverance. I've been reading the book of James and I've learn so much about this specific theme. PERSEVERANCE. It's so important to fight and use our faith when we go through hard times. Although painful... deserts make us bloom... you learn and you became a completely different person.

"... because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:3-4

So 3 years ago, I faced my biggest desert yet and quite honestly I wasn't prepared for it and many times I felt like I wouldn't make it through. 

Being 16 years old, I was quite immature in my faith. I was very dependent on the faith my family shared. Like I've written here, I grew up in church therefore I always had my parents as a point of reference. However as I converted, I remained very much dependent on what they thought and believed. So when the desert came I wasn't my own person before God... I was what my parents were. Their prayer was mine and that was it. Like we say in Portuguese "the umbilical cord" was still there. 

So when I went through this difficult time, I was alone. My parents didn't get it, my friend stayed away and I had only God to keep me walking. I could've easily given up in my faith all together and stay mad at God for allowing such thing to happen. I had all the reasons to simply turn my back on God but I didn't. This dark time only brought me closer to Him. He was the only person I talked to... I shared what I truly felt and I pleaded for help. 

I stayed fighting this desert for a long time... I will slowly write about it here... but it was months where either I had to persevere or just give up. I had to fight against my own pride, my ego, my emotions, my thoughts and everything that simply told me to stop. But I persisted because I knew God would change this. He would bring justice. 

So I fought... was it easy? Oh my... NO!!! It was one of those situations where you simply have to humble yourself to the max and let God so His work. So as I read this verse, and everything came back in my head like a movie... I noticed that now looking back... after that desert... I became spiritually independent. I no longer depended on what people said or believed. I matured... and that's the whole purpose of deserts. God allows them so we can learn, grow and become the person He wants us to be. 

So if you are going through a desert right now...keep your eyes in Jesus and persevere. Don't give up because God has not given up on YOU! 

More about deserts this week... Stay tuned :)

God bless,

Bianca

19

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father..." James 1:17

I've recently turned 19 and it got me thinking... 

We usually stop to think about the blessings we've received either on our birthday or thanksgiving... how ungrateful of us, right?

Good things happen all the time. Sometimes they came unexpectedly like meeting someone that ends up leaving a mark in your life. Other times can be something you are sure is to happen... sometimes blessings come through hard times.. but they happen. 

So as I spent my 19th birthday surrounded by the people I love and doing what gives me the most pleasure which is serving God, I thought to myself... so many great things have happen already in my life. Around the same time 3 years ago, I was going through the biggest desert I have yet encountered. I didn't quite understand at the time but now I know that I had to go through it so I could receive all the great things that I've received today. 

To write everything that God has done in my life would be practically impossible but to some it up... God never gave up on me. It's been 19 years of blessings... hardships... lessons...but I can totally say that after that dark valley, I was able to reach the top of the mountain.

In these past 3 years, I've grown and realize what is God's plan for my life. I've met people who made an impact in my life. I've learn things that I never imagined I would. I became someone I never thought i could be. Why? How? For the simple fact that when I lost everything... I never lost one thing: My faith in God. So no matter how hard things got, He kept me walking and every day I am forever thankful for His mercy. It's like I made my recovery... and it doesn't stop here.

God always knows what is best for us even when we think our world is upside down. So never doubt of the good things that happen in your life. Thank God everyday because even in the deserts you can bloom.

God bless, 

Bianca 

Pretty Girls with Bad Attitudes...

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

I always found quite fascinating how some girls have the ability to mix and match their wardrobes to perfection. It's like a talent to wear the right colors to the right prints. They look beautiful... every detail... from their hairstyles to the color of their shoes. Pretty girls who often charm many with their ability to dress so well but then there in one problem... they have an awful attitude!

With a simple word or rude action, all their charm and beauty simply fades away. What  do you mean, Bianca? Well let's think this way... think of the reddest, prettiest apple you've ever seen. I bet as you saw that apple you thought "WOW! I am sure this apple tastes as delicious as it looks" but as you took a bite, you see that the apple was rotten inside. Ah... disappointing huh? Same concept applies to these pretty girls... many so concern with their looks, their outside appearance.. don't get me wrong... we must take care of ourselves. However most importantly is how we are inside. Many girls are beautiful on the outside but simply broken, empty, and rotten on the inside.

Their hearts are full of hatred, envy, jealousy, insecurities... some are always involved in gossip... others are simply rude to those around them. No matter how beautiful a girl is if her attitude is bad, it only reflects the ugliness she carries inside. Those who take care of their hearts by being vigilant, being courteous, being respectful, fearing God will always have an extra spark to them. They will always be the prettiest girls because even a simple smile reflects the goodness of her heart.

So dear reader, examine yourself and work on anything you might have to change about your attitude. You'll need to act differently and work on your  internal beauty by seeking the Creator of all beautiful things. 

After all you don't want to be the pretty girl with the bad attitude, right? 

God bless, 

Bianca 

Are you bold?

"For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die." Philippians 1:20

Bold... What do you think it is to be bold? 

According to the dictionary, the word bold means to not be fearful, face of actual or possible danger; courageous and daring.

We often call people like firefighters, policemen, doctors bold men and women because their jobs often enough are surrounded by danger where they must face in order to save and protect people.

Now let's bring "BEING BOLD" into our Christian lives shall we?

Think back to the time where you still lived your life as you pleased. Perhaps some of you were bold enough to drink until you could not stand anymore... or bold enough to party until the next morning.. or maybe bold enough to smoke until you thought you could fly.. but think about it.. you didn't care. You were alive.. You were daring. You lived as you pleased and that was it. If people criticized you? too bad.. It was your life right?

Now let's fast forward to the moment you decided to give your life to God. Sadly many people lose their boldness. Their light becomes dull instead of shining even brighter. Back in the world, they gave their best to serve whatever they pleased... but once they came to church, they became too comfortable. Let's think.. are you bold enough to evangelize or simply to shy to say a word? Are you bold enough to tell others what God did in your life or simply don't have time? Are you bold enough to assume your faith or too embarrassed of what others might think?

Remember Paul? Before converting, he was known as Saul.. the one who murdered Christians cold blooded... He didn't care. He thought he was doing the right thing and he gave his best. After Paul converted and was filled with God's Spirit, he became one of the greatest apostles. He became bolder, facing persecution, imprisonment and even death in order to spread the Good News. After Paul really had an encounter with God, he didn't become dull and shy... he became bolder and his light shone brighter.

So dear reader, think about your own life. Are you glorifying God by being bold or simply just being one more in the crowd?

God bless

Bianca

Back to new beginnings...

Achooo... I think there are spider webs here... Hello everyone

It's been over a year since I've written anything else here. Honestly it's been a mix of lack of time and things to say. However in this past year, so much have passed, changed and simply made me learn about me, about others and about God.

I started this blog back in 2009 with the purpose of helping others. By sharing my ideas, experiences, thoughts, songs and even cooking tips.. I simply wanted to share and help. Throughout the years I got less practical with it... I had so much to do but I kept writing till July 2013.. after that life got much more busier.. last year of high school, church, job.. and this blog gathered dust and spider webs.

However as I was thinking to myself this past week on what can I do to help people... How could I reach people I hadn't reached... God made me remember of my personal blog. Therefore I made the decision to write again, I've been through a lot these past months and I believe is worth sharing. Moments of faith... moments of hardship..moments with God. I hope you all enjoy it and most importantly that each post may help you in whatever you might be going through.

So back to new beginnings.... shall we?

God Bless,

Bianca

Strangely Dim

Today is Song of the Week day! Enjoy this great song from Francesca Battistelli :)

"Strangely Dim"

I've had all these plans piled up sky high
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don't know why,
I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can't see
Past the things I pray
Today

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

Sometimes where I stand
On this narrow road
Is in a raging storm
Or a valley low
But oh

When I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

I don't know, I don't know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You're holding it all
So no matter what may come

I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
'Til every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade
And fall to the ground
I'm gonna seek Your face
And not look around
Til the place I'm in
Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim.

Why I hate Religion but love Jesus