Recently I decided to pick up my Bible and start trying to read through the whole Bible again. I started with 1 John. I honestly chose 1 John, because I knew it was short. I hoped it would give me momentum to keep finishing the books of the Bible again. Little did I know how much conviction it would lead me in just the first three chapters.

What really struck home for me is when it says that we who hate our brother is still in the darkness. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean our biological brothers. Our brother or sisters are anyone who is in Christ. The reason that this passage struck home to me is that I have been recently complaining about a situation with one of my brothers in Christ. I realized that I am in the wrong with this situation.

Just today I have been complaining about this situation, and I have contemplating leaving the situation completely. This is running away from my problems, but I realized that I need to face my problems in this situation. It might not be easy or something I want to do. Especially since I am not one who easily faces confrontation. Though I am starting to see that this might be necessary to face.

It is constantly a struggle to not hate your brother, but it is something we should work on. We should strive to not talk bad about our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have realized that when we talk bad about our brothers to other people, then as a result they might start to not like the person as well. Instead we should only try to have positive and encouraging things to say about our brothers. You don’t know what battles they are facing, and we should not let ourselves add to their struggles.

Another thing I realized is that sometimes we will be hated by the world. God doesn’t call us to an easy life, and we might be hated for it. I know the problems I face are minimal compared to the opposition that other Christians face. I know in America I currently have the freedom to express and show my religious beliefs and love of Christ.

If you are following Christ and running towards him then you will face opposition. I know this is not easy for many of us. I want to give you hope that the opposition you face is worth it. Don’t give up on your relationship with Christ just because you face opposition.

Scripture References:

• “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness” ~ 1 John 2:9 ESV
• “But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” ~ Matthew 12:48-50 ESV
• Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you” ~ 1 John 3:13 ESV

I would Love to hear from you!

Feel free to Comment below, or email me at:  matthew712girl@gmail.com

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Destination: Fort Mill, SC

The destination of this trip was to the town I lived in for almost 10 years. It’s where I lived from when I was in 5th grade to before I entered my sophomore year of college. The reason for our weekend trip to Fort Mill, SC was for a graduation party of a friend I had since high school. We started being friends when she was still in middle school, and her family has become very close to my family. This family was one of the families that we would sometimes celebrate holidays with.

Going to my hometown was a destination very familiar to me. I have made a few trips there since I have moved away. If I am not careful it could become almost a routine to go to this place. Though I am still going to be conscious of where I saw God each time I go there.

For this vacation, I saw God in the people I connected with while I was there. It gave me a glimpse of memory lane for me. For a moment, it would take me back to when I lived in this town. I absolutely loved seeing my old friends. It was one of those trips where I saw a lot of the people I would have wanted to see while I am in town. There were people I wanted to see that I did not have the opportunity to see, but for the most part I saw a lot of the people I cared about. I was also able to see how God has worked in these people’s lives. I could remember meeting many of these people a while ago. One of my friends that I reconnected with was someone I have been friends with since I was in 6th grade, and many of the people I saw I met while I was in high school.

Going on this trip gave me hope for the future as well. It was cool to see how time has gone on in the lives of these people, but it’s also great to see how far I have come since this time. Some of these places brought back memories that were not the best, but I was able to look at these places and surprisingly be happy. I was happy to see I am not the girl that I was during the times at these places. I would say I am a better version of myself than I was when I lived there.

Scripture Reference

1. “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” ~Proverbs 18:24 ESV
2. “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” ~Psalms 34:3 ESV
3. “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

I would Love to hear from you!

Feel free to Comment below, or email me at:  matthew712girl@gmail.com

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I am someone who enjoys traveling and exploring new places. I also think other people would like to hear about exciting places they could go to in the future. I decided that every now and then I am going to do a blog post about where I have traveled recently. For me a trip could be an hour away, another state, or maybe another country! I believe a trip or adventure could be any place where you don’t typically go to on a regular basis.

I know for many of us it can be easy to travel and not think about why you are going on these trips. I believe it’s important to see where God is shown throughout a trip you go on. I think that everyone is meant to be at the places that they go to. I’m hoping to blog about where and how I saw God on each trip or adventure I go on. God can be shown in many places. This might include a conversation with someone, something I see, or wherever else I notice God on a trip or vacation. 

I hope you decide to join me on these journeys, and that you read along! I also hope that my blog posts will partially take you to these destinations in your mind! Also, if you have any cool places or connections of where I should go to next, then let me know as well! I am open to a numerous amount of possibilities for these adventures! I’m excited to where the journey of life will take me!

I would Love to hear from you!

Feel free to Comment below, or email me at:  matthew712girl@gmail.com

Want to know when a new blog is posted? Email me at: matthew712girl@gmail.com, or if you have a WordPress account, follow!

Lastly, feel free to Share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Use the hashtag: #matthew712girl to let me know you are viewing it!