"...You will not be afraid of the terror by night..."

     ISIS. Ebola. Shootings. Terrorism.
    
    Men, women and children are being murdered daily. 


    Our world is going crazy. 

   I don't know about you but sometimes I get scared. I don't know where to go to feel safe. I don't know what I can do to help and I don't know if it will ever end. These are normal human feelings.  

     But I for one do NOT want to live my life in fear. God doesn't want that and I know that even in this madness,  I want to live my life to the fullest and ENJOY every day. 

     So if you're like me and you need a word of encouragement or just want something to hold on to in these dark days, I want to share this with you. 

     I encourage you to read it, meditate on it, speak it, pray it, share it and hold on to it. Let it bring you comfort today. 


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Psalm 91 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

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Let not your heart be troubled. It will all be ok in the end.

Until next time...

<3 Brooke

Suicide - the other side of the story.

Suicide.

     It represents a lot of things. Not just the act of one taking their own life, but also anger, depression, numbness, loneliness, hurt, and the desperation of feeling like you have no other option.

A little voice inside your head saying things like "You don't matter", "The world would be so much better without you in it", "Everyone would be happier", "You're worthless."

IT'S. A. LIE.

I have been through a lot of things in my life. I have seen very dark days and been so low that I didn't know if I would ever see the light again. I contemplated ending it all and not burdening people with my problems. But along with my relationship with Christ and Him pulling me out of such a dark pit, there was one other reason I never went that far.

In 2009, a family member of mine took their own life. They let their light burn out too early and it shook me to my core. So this is the other side of suicide. A look at the family's perspective. The story you don't get to hear.

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     Yesterday, a well known celebrity passed away. Everyone is saying it was suicide and a lot of people have totally different opinions on the subject. Some people are sad, some have compassion and some are calling it a selfish act. That really bothers me. While it IS a selfish act, I can guarantee you that when you're in that dark place, you're not thinking clearly. You actually believe it's the most selfless thing you could do for the people around you.

It's not.

When I first heard the story, my heart and mind immediately went to the actor's family. My heart broke instantly for them. I knew their lives were now changed forever.

     I remember the day like it was yesterday. When I first heard the news that a family member of mine had taken their own life, I didn't know what to do. There were no words. I didn't even cry for the first twenty minutes because I was in shock and felt like I needed to be strong for my family. I remember going into my bedroom, sitting on my bed and rocking back and forth just trying to tell myself that I was ok and it would all be ok. It was a kind of panic attack I had never had before and a pain I don't wish on anyone.

It wasn't ok.

     That was one of the most devastating, heartbreaking, surreal times for my family to go through. Everyone hurried around trying to get things in order and get things done, yet it felt like we were all living in slow motion and that it was just a horrible dream. Surely this wasn't real. Surely the memories, the laughs, the hugs, the sarcasm, the encouragement, the love and everything else about this person that made them so amazing, wasn't gone forever. But they were.


---------------------------------

     It has been years now since that family member passed, but the space in all of our hearts is still empty and hurting. There's a piece gone that we can never get back.

 I know that this person believed that this would be the best decision for everyone. They wouldn't be a burden to anyone and we would all be fine. It couldn't be further from the truth.

     Families of suicide victims are left hurting, broken, guilt ridden, dazed... wondering what they could have said or done to help. "If we would have only known..."


     So before you judge someone who has done this horrible thing, call them selfish or say they've sinned, think about the families of these people and say a prayer for them. They need it more than you could ever know.

Also, be a friend. Reach out, take the time to care, check in with people, be available and just listen. You never know what people are going through.

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     I know that I would not have been able to get through that time and tragedy if it hadn't been for my family and Jesus. He was there. Always. Comforting and healing my world and heart. He'll be there for you too.

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If you have ever thought about ending your life and that the world would be better without you, PLEASE know that that is a lie straight from the devil's mouth. Don't do it. Don't let your fire go out. Don't do that to your family. Don't do that to yourself.

YOU are precious. YOU are valuable. YOU have a purpose. YOU have a calling. YOU are a world changer. Don't let anyone or anything make you feel otherwise. Also, talk to someone. I know it is hard to open up, be vulnerable and let your guard down, but it is worth it. This world needs you. Talk to a family member, a friend, a teacher, a co-worker, a pastor, or the suicide prevention hotline (http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org).  People WILL listen.


Also, if you are someone that has ever had a friend or family member commit suicide, I am so, so sorry. My heart goes out to you and I completely understand. I will be praying for you. Just remember, it's not your fault.

If you're reading this, YOU are loved.

Until next time...

<3 Brooke

Is there a double standard?

double standard

 noun

: a situation in which two people, groups, etc., are treated very differently from each other in a way that is unfair to one of them

2

:  a set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances than to another - (Merriam-Webster.com)

Double standards. 

This is something that I have always known about. Something I've always seen. Something I've never agreed with but didn't think too much about.

Lately, however, I've been seeing it too often and it really got me thinking - why do we all, if we're honest with ourselves, have double standards? 

Before I go forward, I want to make sure that I am being perfectly clear when I say this is NOT a post to "call people out" or make anyone feel bad. It's not supposed to be depressing or condemning. This is just something that I've observed and my thoughts on the issue!

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I've heard so many times "You shouldn't do ..." or "I can't believe they did..." - "I could never do..." or "How could you ever support..."

Here are a few examples: 

*Someone judges someone who decides to drink a beer while they watch a game, because it's "not Holy", but THAT person has serious road rage and anger issues.

*A performer on an award show (who is a Christian) can have a dark, demonic performance, but because people like that person, they still support and encourage that person no matter what. While at the same time, another artist (who is also a Christian), can do something stupid and land themselves in jail, and the SAME people who supported the first artist, bash the second artist up and down, left and right - just because they don't like them. 

*Phil Robertson vs. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. - They BOTH stood up for what they believe in. But only one of them did it with grace. Both of them have influence, but only ONE of them is classified as "intolerant" to others' beliefs. They both stated their PERSONAL beliefs - only one of them was torn down for having them.

- I'm sorry, but that is just wrong. All of it.

We need to stop having these double standards    - and Christians, we have to   

STOP. RANKING. SIN.

A friend of mine asked me one time "what sin is the biggest?" 

My answer was this: None of them. God doesn't rank sin. Sin is sin. If you rob a bank or tell a little white lie, it's all a sin. But sins DO have a ranking of consequences. There will be a much bigger consequence if you rob a bank, versus telling your friend you didn't take her last piece of gum.

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Mark 6:!4a

34 As Jesus landed, He saw a great crowd waiting, and He was moved with compassion for them...

Mark 2:17

17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Compassion. Love. Forgiveness.

THAT is what Jesus is. When Jesus was on the earth, people RAN to Him. Tax collectors and prostitutes sat at His feet just to be around Him. He ate dinner with them. He LOVED them. They wanted what HE had. He didn't pick and choose who to love or support. He didn't judge the prostitute and condone the drunk. 

These double standards are doing the one thing that I know we don't want - making Christians look like hypocrites. 

You can't judge someone for one thing and not judge someone else just because you think what that person did was "worse" - we all have things that we struggle with. Where is the love? Judging is exhausting, if you ask me. :)

I am NOT perfect by any means, and I have been and am a guilty party in this whole thing as well. It's human nature. But here's the thing that God has been really showing me lately:

It is not our job to change people. That's His job. If we stopped pointing fingers at what other people are doing wrong and kept our eyes on Jesus - letting Him transform us into His image and allowing Him to teach us how to love others with HIS love, then HE'LL take care of everyone else. It's not our job. 

If we keep our eyes on Jesus, HE'LL change us. He'll change them. Those double standards will vanish and this world will be a better place.

Until next time...

<3 Brooke