God's Will

Life can get totally crazy and make us feel overwhelmed...truth is God is in control and everything is His will being done. Whether good or bad - it's meant to happen and there's nothing we can do about it...so why sweat it?

Psalm 37:4-8

4 Then you will delight yourself in ADONAI, and he will give you your heart's desire. 5 Commit your way to ADONAI; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will make your vindication shine forth like light, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before ADONAI; wait patiently till he comes. Don't be upset by those whose way succeeds because of their wicked plans. 8 Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don't be upset - it leads to evil.

Guess who's back?

Yeah, I promise for reals this time, you guys!
Thinking of doing more video blogging, but I'll post them on here :]
I need everyones support and feedback! So please, gimme some love and check out my first video blog and let me know what you think.

My Genesis

It's been a very long time since I've written. I know what your all saying, "Why Michaela!? You said you'd never leave us!" I promised this blog wouldn't be an abandoned one, and though I went through a lot of stuff, I'm keeping my promise. So I'm sorry for my long absence. But I'm back.

It feels good writing again...I missed it.

So let's get to business:

While I've been away, I went through a lot. First it was good! Met a boy, fell in love, got engaged...but it wasn't all that it seemed. With lies and deceitfulness, sugar coated with love - it came to a complete halt. We broke up, just about a month ago and I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. I cried myself to sleep every night for awhile, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - which I'm finding is true.

He took me away from everything that was important to me, I haven't been myself, nor happy for the year we were together. I was extremely discouraged, hate to admit, I still get like that on occasion but I'm healing. It was a weight off my chest to not feel his control, I cried myself with laughter and happiness the first day we broke up, but of course you have the mind vs. heart dilemma - so slowly the sadness crept in.

I'm calling this my genesis because I'm starting all over. I recently deactivated my facebook account (which is a big deal to me!) and going in to a kind of silence, save for my family, my blog, and God. I'm taking this time to humble myself and focus on HaShem. Hopefully get back on my feet and on the right path.

So expect more blog posts and hopefully the old me back.

1 By David: Bless ADONAI, my soul! Everything in me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless ADONAI, my soul, and forget none of his benefits! 3 He forgives all your offenses, he heals all your diseases, 4 he redeems your life from the pit, he surrounds you with grace and compassion, 5 he contents you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle's.

Beauty

1 Samuel 16:7

But ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Don't pay attention to how he looks or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. ADONAI doesn't see the way humans see - humans look at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks at the heart."

I came across this in my InterPersonal Communications class and I know its an issue that everyone deals with in one area or the other so I thought I'd share it.

We were discussing our culture and the image that it gives us at such a young age.

This one is more about race, but nevertheless, the beauty and to what extent people will go to gain an image that they see as "beautiful" based on our society. Towards the end they show how even little kids have been taught the same image, the last girl in the doll test was just so sad :(

http://www.understandingrace.org/lived/video/index.html

Ah, this one makes me laugh. I used to think that it was normal to look like Barbie and that women who didn't were messed up and that men just HAD to look like GI Joe's.

http://www.johnriviello.com/bodyimage/dolls.html

And last but not least, where do these images of beauty come from? Mostly in advertisement. Here's one by dove . . . I used to say "Why don't I look like that?" well, because no one does - not even the model you're looking at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

I'm not the type that usually posts stuff like this, but it made me a little sad how our culture is. For so much of my life I went through the I'm-not-pretty stage and was simply never happy with myself. I eventually realized that beauty is shallow and that I had better things to worry about - I stopped wearing makeup completely, stopped curling and straightening my hair and just let it fall into my natural wave. I still continue that for the most part and I'm happy and content knowing that I'm beautiful on the outside (here comes the cheesy part) and because of HaShem - my spirit is beautiful too.

Proverbs 31:30

Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears ADONAI should be praised.

Salvation

How do we define being "saved"? Is it asking "jesus" into our hearts? Is it by works? Is it a guarantee one-pass ticket to heaven? How do we know who is saved? Or if we're saved, for that matter?!

This used to bother me so much! When I was a little girl I thought that if you were a good person then you would be going to heaven, you were indeed saved. I remember looking at people and saying "They seem really nice, I'm sure they're going to heaven", as cute/funny as that seems it was bad! Not that I knew any better at that age, but I was doing that because I was wondering if I was a good enough person - if I was going to heaven or not. I believed that movie "All Dogs Go to Heaven" for the first few years of my life. "See theres even good dogs, just like they'res good people!" . . . no. Not so much. Obviously I found out that animals dont have souls, it was crushing. Where would my Mr. Barky Buns Schnauzer go after that UPS incident?!

But back to the real issue - salvation. I've heard a lot about how Jews aren't saved if they don't believe in Yeshua. When I hear this, my mind goes mad - how can a Jew not be saved?! It doesn't seem right to me. Jews are so serious about their beliefs, I realize not every Jewish person is religious, but most who are - its awesome what they do! Jews drastically change their lives to live according to Torah. We don't see this drastic change in christianity, well, not very often at least - and when we do, it seems to fade away.

I believe full-heartedly that many Jews are saved! Because what are we saved by? Faith! If we look at a Torah observant Jew - they have so much faith, a lot more than your average John Wayne from Riding With Jesus Cowboy Church! (Yeah, its real.) So by following Torah, something that most christians don't do, I think a Jew can be saved - not because of works, but because they walk in their faith, and also they are following Yeshua if they realize it or not.

I would like to add that only HaShem knows who is saved, because it really is all about the heart of the person.

Romans 3:27-31

27 So what room is left for boasting? None at all! What kind of Torah excludes it? One that has to do with legalistic observance of rules? No, rather, a Torah that has to do with trusting. 28 Therefore, we hold the view that a person comes to be considered righteous by God on the ground of trusting, which has nothing to do with legalistic observance of Torah commands. 29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is indeed the God of the Gentiles; 30because, as you will admit, God is one. Therefore, he will consider righteous the circumcised on the ground of trusting and the uncircumcised through that same trusting. 31 Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah.

Guide to Shalom

I stumbled over a page in my Philosophy notebook that read "Guide to Shalom". I knew it couldn't be notes from that class - no way! Looking closer I realized it was something I had jotted down for myself. I hardly remember writing this . . . it was quite a long time ago, but I remembered why I wrote it - the fear of losing myself and losing sight of God while getting caught up in the meaningless stress of life.

Just reading it gave me shalom - now I want to frame and hang it up so I'll always see it! Anyway, I won't share all of it, but I will share most to you guys, hope it brings you some peace and reality of what really matters.

Guide to Shalom

Breathe - at least once a day. Be in awe of life and thank Him for it all, worship, pray, meditate on Him - He is the bringer of shalom!

Let go - completely of the world. In the end, it means nothing.

Get back - who are YOU and what do YOU want to do - what makes YOU happy?

Happiness - go out and get it! No matter what it is.

Strength - call on Him, always.

Ask - and you will receive.

Live - like you're dying. Don't waste away the days given to you.

Hope - don't you ever give up

Psalm 16:7-11

7 I bless ADONAI, my counselor; at night my inmost being instructs me. 8 I always set ADONAI before me; with him at my right hand, I can never be moved; 9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my body too rests in safety; 10 for you will not abandon me to Sh'ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss. 11 You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.

Religion

Where do I begin? I honestly am at a loss for words with this subject. Why? Because this is something that tares me apart. It tares my heart in half, it tares my spirit from my body, it tares families, friends and relationships into tiny little pieces.

I feel as though I'm in this calm, simple world while everyone else is in their own complex universe, that when they collide it's a huge earth quake. I'm just sitting here, listening to so-and-so tell me why what they believe is right, then so-and-so's best friend over hears us and steps in with his opinion. Pretty soon it's just a big complex argument that I honestly am in awe of. I'm in awe that a human can take something so simple and turn it into something so complex. I'm in awe that we're even arguing about this.

There are so many different views from every single religion out there. All the different sects of each branch, each belief, each reason for this and that. It's complex . . . why can't our belief be simple? That question kills me every time I ask myself that. I ask my neighbor that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my friend that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my family that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my mind that and it gives me a complex answer. I ask my heart that and it sinks in the sea of complexity. I ask God this and His answer is simple. His answer is always simple, I don't think He meant it to be hard for us to understand. We rely too much on what man says. Man makes things complex and that bothers the heck out of me! I can't stand it. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "So, Michaela, what makes you so different?" I previously wrote about trust. Go back to that post and you will find your answer. I don't trust anyone. I trust only in HaShem and I don't follow man - I follow Yeshua Hamashiach. How simple is that?

There is no man on this earth who can separate me from Yeshua - my salvation. There is no man on this earth who can separate me from HaShem - my creator, my God. Not even death can separate us. It's like a marriage, you love God so you WANT to follow His Torah which is like wedding vows! Its beautiful! These two are the only I will fully trust and follow. I cannot even trust myself with myself! I know I can trust the one who made me, with me. I know I can trust the one who died so I could live, with me. Anyone else? No. Absolutely not. Now some will call me a Jew - I follow Torah, oh no! Some will call me a christian - I'm one of those "jesus" people. Some will call me a Messianic - I'm in the middle.

I'm a Hebrew, an Israelite. I'm a follower of Yeshua and I don't know how to make that anymore clear. Any more simple.

I hope everyone who reads this sees the simplicity of God's love. That's what I see. I see that God loves me, so He gave me His Torah so that I might live a justly life knowing right and wrong. And by blessing me as I follow in His ways. I see that Yeshua died for my sins (Torahlessness) because we all screw up. No one can follow Torah to a T all the time. One is incomplete without the other.

Here's what I want anyone reading this to get out of my post:

religion is

1) complex

2) dead

3) man made - man trusting

faith & love is

1) simple

2) ALIVE!

3) trusting in God alone

Ephesians 3:16 - 19

I pray that from the treasures of his glory he will empower you with inner strength by his Spirit, so that the Messiah may live in your hearts through your trusting. Also I pray that you will be rooted and founded in love, so that you, with all God's people, will be given strength to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of the Messiah's love,yes, to know it, even though it is beyond all knowing, so that you will be filled with all the fullness of God.