Hi everyone! I know I haven't posted in about half a year (yikes!), but I hope you all can forgive me :-) as a high school student, I am soo busy with studying for finals and all, that I'm cramming everything in, and this has been the first time I've been able to sit and actually write to y'all! I really want to start blogging again, and I also want to try and post about once a week for you guys, and for myself as well. Writing about God strengthens my relationship with Him, and I hope that my posts inspire you. But before I can inspire you, I need some inspiration myself! What do you all want to hear about?
Also, if anyone has advice about owning up to our actions, I could use some right now. I made a driving error yesterday, and I'm not sure how to go about handling it. I'm pretty sure I didn't get reported, but do you guys think I should tell my parents? I feel very guilty, and I've been praying about it for hours (I was up all last night praying about it, and it helped calm me down, and I feel like God is telling me everyone around me saw I knew I made a HUGE mistake, so no one reported me, but the more "earthly" part of me is telling me that there are those people in the world who aren't so forgiving and did try to report me.) What would you do? Comment below and let me know, it would be so helpful.
I hope you all have a marvelous day! Love you all!
Kayla
P.S. Here's a little fun fact I found out the other day-- it's written on my whiteboard next to my desk so I see it every day! "The phrase 'Do not be afraid' is in the Bible 365 times. That's a daily reminder from God to live every day being fearless."
~*~ Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34) ~*~
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Reaching out
I get emails every time someone new follows Mission: Faith on Twitter, and I like to read about the person in their info box to see who God has reached. But sometimes (and I get this on my personal Twitter as well) there are people who are following me just for the sake of having more people to follow, and by their description, I can tell they don't know Christ. On my personal account, I block those people, but I decided with Mission: Faith, because my goal is to send Christ's message to the world, I will evangelize to them. I sent them the typical message I send eveyone who follows me, but I will do more as well.
As everyone in good faith knows, prayer is most powerful when numerous people pray, so I ask you to join me in prayer on this little mission to get Christ to reach a few girls who need to understand that the hole they feel in their lives which they are currently filling with immoral behaviors can be filled with the love of Jesus! And if you are one of those people reading this, know that I am not judging you, because that is only for our Father in Heaven to do, but I do want bad, immoral behaviors to change. Our Father loves you more than you can imagine! I encourage you to read a Bible and get involved with a church and see the change in your life!
Have a great night everyone.
Love,
Kayla
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just got home from a wonderful Thanksgiving service at church! Congregation was really small (8 people), but it was great to hear the word of God, and all verses of giving thanks. I wanted to share them with you.
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good he has given you. Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today.
--Deuteronomy 8:7-11
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When Iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with our bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. --Psalm 65:1-13
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he was them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And then he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." --Luke 17:11-19
These verses were so inspiring to me! And our priest gave us a very interesting idea for Thanksgiving: try and notice all the little things people do for you tomorrow, even the guy in the car who lets you cross the street before he keeps driving! And give thanks to God, of course, for all the blessings you have. I am blessed to have a very good church, wonderful and supportive family members, encouraging friends who are devoted to Christ like I am, great teachers and an excellent education, for so many opportunities for me to experience the world (dance, swimming, speech, music, and church), and to be blessed with little things I quite often take for granted, like a phone, computer, electricity, heat (I take that for granted a lot, especially being from a place where I wear a snow jacket more than I wear a sundress!), a bed, clothing, food, clean water, and even the pencils I use to underline important Bible verses! What are you thankful for? Tell me about it!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Love,
Kayla
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good he has given you. Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today.
--Deuteronomy 8:7-11
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When Iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with our bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. --Psalm 65:1-13
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he was them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And then he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." --Luke 17:11-19
These verses were so inspiring to me! And our priest gave us a very interesting idea for Thanksgiving: try and notice all the little things people do for you tomorrow, even the guy in the car who lets you cross the street before he keeps driving! And give thanks to God, of course, for all the blessings you have. I am blessed to have a very good church, wonderful and supportive family members, encouraging friends who are devoted to Christ like I am, great teachers and an excellent education, for so many opportunities for me to experience the world (dance, swimming, speech, music, and church), and to be blessed with little things I quite often take for granted, like a phone, computer, electricity, heat (I take that for granted a lot, especially being from a place where I wear a snow jacket more than I wear a sundress!), a bed, clothing, food, clean water, and even the pencils I use to underline important Bible verses! What are you thankful for? Tell me about it!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Love,
Kayla
Sunday, November 13, 2011
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
I'll share something with all of you: I sometimes wonder why God made me with high blood sugar and low Vitamin D. It may sound weird, but I get really sick pretty easily. The other day when my levels were acting up, I had to go to the doctor. I knew it would involve shots and needles (which I hate) so I was praying and reading my Bible to calm down, and I read the verses I needed.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talk about how God made us perfectly and put us in the exact spot we need to be to fulfill His plans for the world. (It's a long verse, so look it up in your Bible at home and read it, then read my post to know what I'm talking about :)) Imagine if our nose was on our arms and our hands on our face. It would not go well at all! We would probably all have broken noses from whacking our arms (if you're anything like me and can trip over a cordless telephone sitting on a table) and our eyes would be poked out from trying to grab things with our face! Or what if our entire body was just an eye? We couldn't enjoy the sounds, tastes, and feeling of the world around us! Or if something really small went away, like our toes. They seem meaningless, but without them we couldn't walk!
Every part of our body is placed where it is for a purpose and function important to the rest of the body. How is that any different than God placing us in a certain state, family, or whatever other situation you can think of? So God gave me the trials of dealing with crazy blood to be able to testify to working hard and pushing through trials to get to a great point in life where you feel great for 1) doing something amazing and 2) knowing you kept faith through trials and tribulations, then getting to give all the glory to Christ! How cool is that?
Do you have a cool story or testimony related to this? Send it to me at missionfaithblog@gmail.com!
And don't forget to like the Mission: Faith Facebook page and follow @Mission_Faith on Twitter!
Love y'all!
Kayla
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talk about how God made us perfectly and put us in the exact spot we need to be to fulfill His plans for the world. (It's a long verse, so look it up in your Bible at home and read it, then read my post to know what I'm talking about :)) Imagine if our nose was on our arms and our hands on our face. It would not go well at all! We would probably all have broken noses from whacking our arms (if you're anything like me and can trip over a cordless telephone sitting on a table) and our eyes would be poked out from trying to grab things with our face! Or what if our entire body was just an eye? We couldn't enjoy the sounds, tastes, and feeling of the world around us! Or if something really small went away, like our toes. They seem meaningless, but without them we couldn't walk!
Every part of our body is placed where it is for a purpose and function important to the rest of the body. How is that any different than God placing us in a certain state, family, or whatever other situation you can think of? So God gave me the trials of dealing with crazy blood to be able to testify to working hard and pushing through trials to get to a great point in life where you feel great for 1) doing something amazing and 2) knowing you kept faith through trials and tribulations, then getting to give all the glory to Christ! How cool is that?
Do you have a cool story or testimony related to this? Send it to me at missionfaithblog@gmail.com!
And don't forget to like the Mission: Faith Facebook page and follow @Mission_Faith on Twitter!
Love y'all!
Kayla
Thursday, November 10, 2011
I promise!
Okay, so I haven't been able to write in a long time, but I PROMISE I am working on a really great article on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. If you want to read it so you know what I'm working on, go ahead and you can give me ideas on what to write! I love you guys so much, and thanks for passing this on, sharing testimonies and stories, and everything! You're always welcome to contact me at missionfaithblog@gmail.com for a prayer request, testimony, question, or anything else. Like our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter!
God bless!
Kayla
God bless!
Kayla
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Why I'm a Christian
This is a little bit like a testimony, but not quite. A lot of people ask me why I am such a strong believer, why I chose Christianity, and why I want to go into ministry and be a youth pastor. They also ask why I love church and how can I stand to be there, and it's "fun"??!? Yes, it's fun! I love it!
It's said often that Christianity is a not a religion, but a relationship. It's completely true. Jesus is not just "some guy" we say our prayers to. He's so much more than that! He's:
--A best friend
--Alpha
--Omega
--The salt of the Earth
--The way to the Father
See? And there's way more than that as well!!! That's why I am not part of another religion, but in a wonderful, awesome, glorious relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I believe because when I pray, talk to Jesus, or talk about all the wonderful things he has given me now that I'm reborn in Christ, I feel uplifted, like light is pouring out of me. I don't know why I chose it, it just always seemed right. But church is so wonderful because you go and learn so much every week. You get to go and praise Jesus. Why wouldn't that be the best place on earth? And as for me going into ministry, it's because I want to go out and show the world who Jesus is to me. I try every day to get up and make my day devoted to Christ. I want to be the best I can be. I know sometimes I fall short, but He still loves me anyways.
Why are you a Christian? Why do you believe? Send me your story at missionfaithblog@gmail.com, and I'll post it on here! Have a great weekend everyone! Love you all!
It's said often that Christianity is a not a religion, but a relationship. It's completely true. Jesus is not just "some guy" we say our prayers to. He's so much more than that! He's:
--A best friend
--Alpha
--Omega
--The salt of the Earth
--The way to the Father
See? And there's way more than that as well!!! That's why I am not part of another religion, but in a wonderful, awesome, glorious relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I believe because when I pray, talk to Jesus, or talk about all the wonderful things he has given me now that I'm reborn in Christ, I feel uplifted, like light is pouring out of me. I don't know why I chose it, it just always seemed right. But church is so wonderful because you go and learn so much every week. You get to go and praise Jesus. Why wouldn't that be the best place on earth? And as for me going into ministry, it's because I want to go out and show the world who Jesus is to me. I try every day to get up and make my day devoted to Christ. I want to be the best I can be. I know sometimes I fall short, but He still loves me anyways.
Why are you a Christian? Why do you believe? Send me your story at missionfaithblog@gmail.com, and I'll post it on here! Have a great weekend everyone! Love you all!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Nicole's Testimony
Here is a great testimony from a model, Nicole! She also has a website I've mentioned on here a few times.
I always wanted to be famous.
I had been modeling and acting since I was 5 years old. I had been with the same agency in Portland, Oregon for about 8 years, and had appeared in numerous publications, ads, magazines, television commercials. I had my own checking account by the age of 12, and saw billboards with my face on them as I was being driven to junior high dances. But I was a ”big fish in a small pond”. I was ready for the big time, and wanted to make it in Hollywood.
I moved to Hollywood at the age of 16 and plunged headfirst into the task of becoming an “it” girl. Although I was still in high school, I partied with well-known actors, had an all-access pass to the hottest clubs, and mingled with the see-and-be-seen celebrities. But because I was young and naïve, I neglected the most basic things that actually would help me achieve my goal of fame: getting a headshot and a resume, taking advanced acting classes, making sure I got enough sleep at night.
I signed with a small agency and began modeling to pay the bills while making my way through the cutthroat industry that is the devil’s playground. Meanwhile, I witnessed many people compromise their dignity to be accepted amongst the superficial Hollywood standards. From up close, I saw the ‘famous’ people ruining their lives with drugs and excessive partying. I even knew some who sadly died as a result of their extreme lifestyles.
The glamour, glitz and the lights had a dark side that terrified me. Although I was running around with the cool kids and living the life of a starlet, I was still a small town girl in my heart. Not only that, but something never felt quite right when it came time to actually audition. Each time a camera was focused on me, I didn’t feel prepared enough, pretty enough, or completely ready to be scrutinized by the people who make it all “happen”.
I now believe that the fear that prevented me from achieving Hollywood stardom was actually God’s way of protecting me from an industry that chews up and destroys young women like me. But at the time, I was just heartbroken.
At 23, I fell into a deep depression. I felt helpless and foolish that had I allowed myself to get into this position. With no college degree and no alternate plan for my life, I knew I had made a huge mistake. I didn’t know where to go.
I turned to every self-help book available: The Law of Attraction, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, all the Anthony Robbins books – but nothing helped me.
Then everything changed.
Every single night I would look up into the stars and pray for a miracle. I completely gave my life to God. I asked for guidance to lift me out of the horrible situation I was in. I saw what “making it” did to others in this industry and knew I didn’t want that for my life. It was at that point that I realized my great truth:
Everything I went through – all I experienced in that dark city – was for a bigger purpose.
I now see the kind of hold that Hollywood’s harmful message had on me since the time I was a young girl. This influence led me to make decisions in my late teens that I now regret. I now see that the body truly is a temple and young girls and women for instance shouldn’t have sex so easily. Girls often look to sex to feel loved but in the hands of the wrong guy it can destroy self-esteem.
It was Hollywood that made me want to be an actress. I was so infatuated with the fame game – it all looked so glamorous – but in the end it was quite the opposite. I’m not saying everyone in Hollywood is bad. In fact, the Hollywood experience helped me to look at what I really wanted for myself. My mistakes were part of my journey and my value system has completely changed as a result of it. I found Christianity and it turned my life around.
My bigger purpose is this: I want to help other young women avoid some of the same mistakes I’ve made.
Using my experience as a platform, I’d like to be a voice that’s out there to help others – especially young women – be their best selves. By questioning cultural norms, exposing the truth of media exploitation and finding and sharing inspiration from scripture and my own life, I can show those who seek it what it means to be a person of value and confidence.
Christianity needs to be redefined for young girls. There is a certain stereotype of how a Christian girl should look, dress and act. I want to show young women that you can be a good Christian and still embrace many parts of the popular culture.
God listened to my prayers. His power helped deliver me through the depression I was in, financially and spiritually. Every single thing I am now blessed with – material and emotional – is because God knew that once I received these great blessings, I would give myself over to Him and in turn show others the power of God to make anything happen. I just hope through my story – and through God’s will – that I can inspire you to lead a more meaningful life.
I always wanted to be famous.
I had been modeling and acting since I was 5 years old. I had been with the same agency in Portland, Oregon for about 8 years, and had appeared in numerous publications, ads, magazines, television commercials. I had my own checking account by the age of 12, and saw billboards with my face on them as I was being driven to junior high dances. But I was a ”big fish in a small pond”. I was ready for the big time, and wanted to make it in Hollywood.
I moved to Hollywood at the age of 16 and plunged headfirst into the task of becoming an “it” girl. Although I was still in high school, I partied with well-known actors, had an all-access pass to the hottest clubs, and mingled with the see-and-be-seen celebrities. But because I was young and naïve, I neglected the most basic things that actually would help me achieve my goal of fame: getting a headshot and a resume, taking advanced acting classes, making sure I got enough sleep at night.
I signed with a small agency and began modeling to pay the bills while making my way through the cutthroat industry that is the devil’s playground. Meanwhile, I witnessed many people compromise their dignity to be accepted amongst the superficial Hollywood standards. From up close, I saw the ‘famous’ people ruining their lives with drugs and excessive partying. I even knew some who sadly died as a result of their extreme lifestyles.
The glamour, glitz and the lights had a dark side that terrified me. Although I was running around with the cool kids and living the life of a starlet, I was still a small town girl in my heart. Not only that, but something never felt quite right when it came time to actually audition. Each time a camera was focused on me, I didn’t feel prepared enough, pretty enough, or completely ready to be scrutinized by the people who make it all “happen”.
I now believe that the fear that prevented me from achieving Hollywood stardom was actually God’s way of protecting me from an industry that chews up and destroys young women like me. But at the time, I was just heartbroken.
At 23, I fell into a deep depression. I felt helpless and foolish that had I allowed myself to get into this position. With no college degree and no alternate plan for my life, I knew I had made a huge mistake. I didn’t know where to go.
I turned to every self-help book available: The Law of Attraction, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, all the Anthony Robbins books – but nothing helped me.
Then everything changed.
Every single night I would look up into the stars and pray for a miracle. I completely gave my life to God. I asked for guidance to lift me out of the horrible situation I was in. I saw what “making it” did to others in this industry and knew I didn’t want that for my life. It was at that point that I realized my great truth:
Everything I went through – all I experienced in that dark city – was for a bigger purpose.
I now see the kind of hold that Hollywood’s harmful message had on me since the time I was a young girl. This influence led me to make decisions in my late teens that I now regret. I now see that the body truly is a temple and young girls and women for instance shouldn’t have sex so easily. Girls often look to sex to feel loved but in the hands of the wrong guy it can destroy self-esteem.
It was Hollywood that made me want to be an actress. I was so infatuated with the fame game – it all looked so glamorous – but in the end it was quite the opposite. I’m not saying everyone in Hollywood is bad. In fact, the Hollywood experience helped me to look at what I really wanted for myself. My mistakes were part of my journey and my value system has completely changed as a result of it. I found Christianity and it turned my life around.
My bigger purpose is this: I want to help other young women avoid some of the same mistakes I’ve made.
Using my experience as a platform, I’d like to be a voice that’s out there to help others – especially young women – be their best selves. By questioning cultural norms, exposing the truth of media exploitation and finding and sharing inspiration from scripture and my own life, I can show those who seek it what it means to be a person of value and confidence.
Christianity needs to be redefined for young girls. There is a certain stereotype of how a Christian girl should look, dress and act. I want to show young women that you can be a good Christian and still embrace many parts of the popular culture.
God listened to my prayers. His power helped deliver me through the depression I was in, financially and spiritually. Every single thing I am now blessed with – material and emotional – is because God knew that once I received these great blessings, I would give myself over to Him and in turn show others the power of God to make anything happen. I just hope through my story – and through God’s will – that I can inspire you to lead a more meaningful life.
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