MORE of you, LESS of me.

 So, I have come to the conclusion maybe I shouldn't have started this blog because I am terrible at keeping it up. I had so many ideas of what I would write about, but recently, I have not had time or just have not felt like it. Life is super crazy and very up and down, but I'm going to attempt this again. I make no promises.... Anyways, so, here are a few of my thoughts as of late...


 Casting Crowns has been one of my favorite Christian artists since forever. And in one of their songs it says this, "Lord, I pray, that they will see more of you and less of me..."  MORE of you and LESS of me. Seriously, just sit back and think of that for a second. I feel like so many times as Christians, me included, we get so caught up in what we are doing for Christ and how we are living for Christ, that we forget this isn't about us. The gospel and ministry is actully, the complete opposite of that...

 Our purpose is to point others to Christ, to show them the Love of God, and if what we are doing points more to ourselves than to Christ, we are doing something horribly wrong. I can do a million things for Jesus, but if all it does is bring attention and glory to myself instead of Him than it was all in vain. If you don't know me, you really aren't missing out on much, but if you don't know my Saviour, you are missing out on everything! 

 My greatest desire is to lead others to Jesus, and I pray that I don't allow MYSELF to get in the way of that. I hope that somehow God can use my life to direct others to Christ, if someone, through my witness comes to know Christ, My life will be complete. I want others to see Christ through me, but who am I? I don't deserve to know Jesus as a personal friend, let alone be able to introduce him to others. But 2000 years ago, hanging on a cross, he chose ME! He chose YOU! And now we can know him and we can share him with others. I feel so undeserving, so unworthy.

 We know the answer to all of life's problems, we hold the key to true happiness, there is nothing greater in this life than knowing Jesus Christ, so we MUST share this with others, and we cannot afford to let OURSELVES get in the way of that. Lord, help me to step aside, so that others can see you. I want my life to glorify Jesus in such a way, that when others see me they cannot help, but see HIM. Everyday, I pray that God will use me, somehow, some way, not for myself, but FOR HIM! My greatest goal is to glorify him in every possible way.

 I will probably never be rich or famous and I doubt I'll ever own a huge fancy home or drive the fastest car, I, also, will most likely never invent something great or find the cure for cancer, and that is all okay by me, as long as something I say or do can lead someone to Jesus, because in that case, I will have accomplished so much more than any of those things.

 "Lord, I pray that they will see MORE of you and LESS of me."

Relying on God

  How is 2018 treating you? I can hardly believe that there is only a week left in January. I hope y'all are doing great with your New Years Resolutions. New Year. New You. And all that jazz. I truly mean that, while I am not the biggest fan of New Years Resolutions because I feel like it's just something a lot of people do just to do or just to say they did it or whatever, I feel like that's all they are for most people, they aren't really taken seriously. So it just seems silly to me if that's the case, but I am all for setting goals. 

 The past couple of weeks, I haven't posted anything on my blog because I have had a lot on my mind. I just couldn't seem to clear my head, so I've just been distracted. Life can just be hard to figure out sometimes. We've all been there. And I am the type of person that needs to have it figured out... Uncertainty drives me insane, but these uncertain times, when life just isn't making sense and we aren't sure what to do next, these times can be scary and hard , but how we react and handle these situations play a big part in what defines us as individuals. So, I have set a goal...I want this to strengthen my relationship with Christ.

  I have been and I am going to continue to draw closer to God. In these times when life doesn't make sense to me, I want to rely on him. I don't want to allow the stress of life to drag me down, instead I want to trust in God and his plan. God knows what he's doing. In the last 2 weeks, God has shown himself to me in so many ways. There's something refreshing about his presence.. something indescribable. I am left in awe with no words, because Jesus Christ cares about me. No matter how big, how small, or how silly a problem I have may be... He cares. I find comfort in that fact alone...Jesus cares about me.

  I don't really know when or if I will ever have answers to some of life's problems, but God is helping me day by day to just let go and know that He's got it all under control and I don't always need to know the answers sometimes, I just need to trust Him and His plan. So if you're going through a rough time and life just isn't making any sense to you right now... He will be your comfort. You can Trust in Him, because He knows and He cares. So, if you haven't already, I hope you decide to try and make it a goal to allow the tough times in life to draw you closer to God. He will give you so much comfort and enough peace to make this lesson worthwhile

Snow much lies ahead...

  And just like that, the first week of 2018 has come and gone! It seems like January 1st was just yesterday and somehow a whole week has gone by... I am now one of those "old people" saying how much time flies.I never got that as a child and couldn't imagine thinking time went by fast especially during school, and here I am so many years later trying to figure out where time went. 

   I'm not sure when this started, if it was overnight or gradual, I'm leaning more towards gradual, but somewhere between the child who thought time just drug by til now as an adult who thinks time flies, I somehow just seem to go through life without taking the time to enjoy it like I should. I don't know if it's that I don't have the time or if I just don't take the time, but I feel like I never just enjoy the moments! And I think that is so important, because Time is fleeting. Who am I kidding? If 2017 has taught me anything, it is that not only time, but Life itself is fleeting. So, Although I am not one to make New Years Resolutions, (mainly, because, well, I have in the past, but let's be real, I never keep them!) I have decided that in 2018, I am going to try and live in the moment more often. It's the little things in life that matter the most, anyways. I did find it a little ironic that I am choosing to start living in the moment as a resolution for the upcoming year. 

 I named this post "Snow Much Lies Ahead..." because I am a cheesy person, but seriously, so much does lie ahead! I don't know what 2018 holds for me exactly. I'm hoping for a great year! Aren't we all? I'm sure there will be lots of laughs and lots of tears. I'm expecting Good times and Bad Times, hopefully more good than bad. I'm sure some days will be easy, while others will be hard, but I want to choose to take each moment as it comes. Enjoy the good ones and learn from the bad. That is my New Years Resolution. There are so many adventures to be had in 2018... 

"The Future lies before you, like a field of snow; Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show." -Author Unknown

 

  To end this post I wanted to share this quote because I thought it was perfect for what I planned to write about... When I first read this quote, I was thinking, what a great quote for the New Year! What a great quote about the future, but then I thought what a great quote about NOW.  Not the Future, not what lies ahead, but the Present. 2018 lies before us, like a pure blanket of snow, but we must pay attention to every step we are taking into 2018, because the steps you take right now, or maybe I should say the choices and decisions you make in this moment will have an impact on your future. We have to live in the present, that is what will shape our future. 

  The choices we make right now, are some of the most important choices we we will make, because if we make a bad choice right now there will be consequences in the future, so we really need to be sure to make good choices right now in this moment because just like every step shows in the snow, every decision we make now will show in our future. Yes, we need to plan ahead, but a lot of planning ahead is just making the right decisions at the present moment. It's making each second count! Although sometimes, well, a lot of times, I think the best choice we can make is to just stop and enjoy the moment, take in the here and now! Because time is something you can never get back! Here's to making good choices and enjoying every second of 2018... 

Let's Make it Count!

I am a Christian Millennial

 My first post is going to be simple and a little boring, I am just going to introduce myself and explain why I decided to start blogging. 

 My name is Briana, rhyming with Indiana and Banana. Hence, my lifelong nickname of Briana Banana. I also answer to "Bri" "Breezy" and "Bean". If you're wondering where "bean" came from, your guess is as good as mine. I am 22 and I am still figuring out what God wants for my life. I recently put college on hold because I felt like what I was going for was not what God wanted for me right now... I am at peace with my decision even though it was a very hard one to make. 

 When I was in my mid teens, I felt like God was calling me to Missions. I still feel like I have a calling and I am seeking God's will and trying to figure out what that means for me, but I do not feel like I should move to a foreign Mission field. Being a Missionary is so much more then that, anyways. And with the shape our Country is in today, we need as many Christians here to stand up for what is right and tell others about Jesus Christ just as much, if not more so than many other countries. So, for now I am just waiting on God. Meanwhile, I am reminding myself daily that His timing is perfect even though it tests my patience every now and again. 

 That's where I'm at in life right now...I know, I know. I lead a very interesting life. Who wouldn't want to read about it? 

 Actually, I do not plan to write to much about my personal life, although I am a Christian, my Faith means everything to me. My relationship with God is the most important part of my life, so you will probably hear about that more frequently, but my life just isn't exciting enough to be blog worthy most of the time, I live a pretty simple life and I love it.
 

 My reason for deciding to start blogging isn't that fantastic. I just really enjoy writing, I have since I was young and I am hoping that somewhere along the way I will say something that will encourage, inspire or leave a positive impact on someones life. 

Come back again soon!