Questions...

As a young Christian, growing in the grace and faith of Jesus Christ, I oftentimes have so many questions. What is my purpose? God is all-knowing, so why did He create us, knowing that we would choose to disobey and bring sin (and with it suffering and death) into the world? Why does He allow young children to be violated and abused? Why does He allow women to be marginalized? Why does He allow my heart to be broken over and over again? How could He allow me, and so many like me, to struggle with depression - to spend years in the crippling battle against our own minds? Why is it that the harder I try, the worse I become? 

When God Calls

"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." - 1 Peter 5:10

Faith Makes a Difference

I've started to have a devotion prior to every study/homework session I do. I've realized that it helps me to retain information a lot better than if I skip out on it. And so, tonight, as I prepared to begin my studies, I said a prayer, and opened my Bible. I am currently reading the Gospel according to Mark; and tonight I read chapters 3-5. I'm going to share what really jumped out at me.

Testimony: An Answered Prayer

My Christian experience started before I was actually converted. If you've read my previous posts, you would be aware that I grew up in a Christian home. Although it was a bit inconsistent, we had family devotions in the mornings and we, my brothers and I, were encouraged to pray. The first memory I have of praying to God, like a real, gut wrenching, heartfelt prayer, was when I was 15 years old.

My Battle With Self-Esteem (Part 2)

Even though I hated myself for sleeping around, I didn't have the strength, nor the courage, to stop. At that point, it was no longer about proving a point. I wanted to feel loved; I wanted to be accepted. 

My Battle with Low Self-Esteem (Part 1)

This is a very personal story - or should  I call it a testimony. It's kind of crazy that I have never stood in a public forum and said these things, but here I am, posting it online, where thousands of people will have access to it. Still, I know more than a few people who are currently going through what I went through, and I think that maybe it's time for me to share how God is working in my own life. Maybe, just maybe, it will be the encouragement that someone else needs.

Why I Choose to be a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian

In my first post, I spoke about why I decided to be a Christian (or remain a Christian, depending on how you look at it). But, the thing about Christianity is that there are so many different denominations that often times, it seems as though they are religions of their own. Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Anglican - there are so many to choose from.