Fix Your Eyes

     Well, this  week has been exhausting to say the least.   My Dad started a new  work shift,  so he now has to be up at 5am every morning.  Since then,  we kids get up at 5:30am every morning.  It gives us time to say goodbye to Dad before he heads off to work, then we start our day.  Mom  asked me to create  a schedule for the week  and the first event I chose was Bible reading from 5:45am - 6:30am.  This week has been a hard  adjustment, since I have a hard time getting to sleep, but it’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you get up at 5:30 every day.  I love it, by the way.   So, on the plus side, seeing the sunrise every morning is worth rolling out of bed before the crack of dawn.

Anyway, God’s been teaching me a lesson throughout my walk with Him, and will probably continue till the day I die.  But, it seems  He’s been trying to teach it more so this week.  I’m learning to fix my eyes on Jesus, especially when I’m tired and don’t feel like reading my Bible in the morning.  It’s what I need to do!   When my flesh is screaming at me, “Just go back to bed!” for the first 30 minutes after I get up, Jesus is softly calling me to  His word.  He’s asking  me to walk a little closer with  Him today.   He’s saying, “Fix your eyes.”

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  (2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  (3)  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  (4)  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4


What is “losing a little sleep” compared to walking with the One who knit you together in your mother’s womb?  This world is full of evil of every kind and we can’t fight against it by ourselves.  We have to start every day with our eyes fixed on Jesus.  We have to stop making excuses such as, “I don’t have time to read my Bible,”  or “I’m too tired.”   I’ve made these same excuses,  I’m not going to lie,  but these excuses are a bunch of hot air.  Don’t have time to read our Bible?   Do we watch TV?   Do we read other books?   How about eating?   Are any of these more important than reading  God’s  word?

“For it pleased the Father that in Him should  all fullness dwell;”
Colossians 1:19

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and     increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Colossians 1:10

How are we supposed to “increase in the knowledge of God” if we’re not in His word?   Each of us should be a vessel, empty of ourselves and ready to be filled with Him;  dying to self  daily and giving up all youthful lusts.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart form iniquity.”
2 Timothy 2:19

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 
2 Timothy 2:21-22

Let’s start our day off with fixing our eyes on Jesus in His word.   Don’t start backsliding and getting away from God.  For me, it’s missing a day of reading my Bible, and the next thing I know I’ve missed another and another.  It messes up my daily  walk when my eyes aren’t  fixed on Christ.   My preacher always says, “The best cure for backsliding is a good dose of  repentance.”  Are  we daily  in God’s  word,  reading and praying?  We can usually tell if we’re getting away from God, because the Holy Spirit will start convicting our  hearts.  When that happens, there’s no peace within.  Peace is restored after repentance, and that starts with prayer.

Recently, I was having a couple of doubts about prayer and the way God answers our prayers.  I was wondering if our prayers actually made a difference.  I mean, I believed they did, and I could think of times in my life where God answered my prayers in a really big way.  Also, there are many instances in the Bible where people prayed and it changed things.  But, I was asking myself  “Does it really do anything when I pray for someone’s salvation or a church member who’s sick?   What about a friend who knows Christ, but has chosen the wrong path?”  It may have been Satan trying to put doubts in my mind.  I was feeling like I needed some reassurance from God.  So, I started  praying.   Go figure,  right?  God answered.

  “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.  (14)  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  (15)  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  (16)  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  (17)  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  (18)  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.  (19)  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  (20)  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James 5:13-20

     **Elias, in verse 17, is very similar to my last name Eliason.   Pretty cool.  Random fact for the day.


It was like God was saying, “Here you go.”  Right there  He tells us, if any among us are afflicted, pray.  Afflicted means  to distress with continued suffering.  Those who are suffering around you, whether by persecution, finances, marriage, etc.,  pray.  “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”   Effectual has an interesting meaning which is, “Possessing or exercising adequate power to produce a designed effect; completely efficient.”  Prayer  works; it accomplishes a lot.  I still stand in awe over the fact that God does hear our prayers and cares enough to answer them.  He’s calling us to be prayer  warriors.   Verse 17-20 talks about a man named  Elias, who was “a man subject to like passions as we are.”  He was tempted to sin like us, and made of flesh just like you and me.  But, he was also a man of prayer.   He prayed earnestly about the rain and God answered his prayer.   Our prayers availeth much, so as we go throughout our day, let’s remember to keep our eyes fixed and prayers fervent.   God is teaching me to keep my priorities in the right order.   Are your priorities in the right order?  Who comes first in your life,  God or self?

  “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  (21)  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22)  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.  (23)  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”
Philippians 1:20-23

~Beautifully Created 4 Christ~
~Philippians 1:6~

What's Your Reflection

How much time do you spend in front of a mirror?  How many times a day do you do a “mirror check“?  As a young lady, I know, for me at least, it’s a lot, although maybe not as much as other girls, but more than enough.  The amount of time in front of a mirror isn’t exactly what I’m focusing on; it’s more the time spent trying to improve our outer beauty, apposed to time given improving our spiritual beauty.  God’s not looking for hair that is straighter, curlier, most hair sprayed, or most glamorous.  He’s looking for a humble heart, and a beauty that only comes from knowing Him. There’s a beauty in holiness.

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the

beauty of holiness.”  

          Psalms 29:2  

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7  

If God doesn’t look at the outward appearance, why on Earth do we focus on looking the very best?  We spend so much time in front of a mirror, making sure our make up is done just right or making sure our hair is gelled and spiked just enough.  I’m including myself in this.  I’m not saying it’s wrong to look nice, I’m not saying that at all.  What we need to focus on isn’t the outward beauty this world strives for, but the spiritual beauty that is on the inside.  Spiritual beauty is gauged by the Word of God. The Bible is our spiritual mirror.  So, what mirror are you using more??  Or, an even better question would be, what is it reflecting?  When we read God’s Word,  what is God trying to tell us?  Read verses in Matthew about being the salt and the light, then ask  yourselves, “Are we being that light for Christ that can’t be hid?”

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” 

Matthew 5:13-14  

What about chapter 6 of Matthew, where do we put our hearts?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  

Matthew 6:19-21  

We can’t forget about a very convicting verse in Mark either.  It makes us ask, “Do we really love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?”  Do we really?

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”  

Mark 12:30  

Can we really love Him with every inch of our being? Can we love Him like He loves us? The answer is no.  We’re not perfect.  But, He does want our all, though we may be small and have little to give.   He wants us to give our all, no matter how small, everything we have and holding nothing back. One of my favorite examples of only having little to give, but giving it all, is when Jesus fed the multitude. There are 4 accounts of this event, but the one that God used to impact me was the account that mentions the boy.

“After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 

And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 

And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” 

John 6:1-11  

He was just a boy, but he gave all he had to Jesus.  It‘s a lot more than we can say we‘ve done sometimes.  Just like the boy, I don’t have much to offer Jesus, but He doesn’t need much.  He took the five loaves and two fish and used the boys small offering to do amazing things.  You may be saying something like Simon Peter said.  What is one Christian against this world? It’s just a drop in the ocean, right?  Well, look what God did with one boy giving his all.  Have you given your all?  What does your reflection look like?

~Beautifully Created 4 Christ~

~Proverbs 4:23~

A Little About My Weekend Teaching at Inner Princess

This weekend was amazing!  I was able to work with some of the most amazing Christian young ladies, at the home school conference,  while teaching the Inner Princess program.  We had somewhere around 70 girls in the program, ages 10 - 13, and were able to disciple and get to know these girls.  In the lessons that were taught, the goal was to teach these girls, that if they have Christ in their hearts, they are princesses.  They’re daughters of the King.  We covered a lot of topics, such as God’s design, staying pure, guarding your heart, beauty that comes from within, God’s purpose in everything that happens, how important it is to stay under your parents authority (even after age 18), forgiveness, and more.  Most of the time, I felt like God was teaching me, more than the girls.   God really reminded me this weekend of His purpose in everything that happens to me.   One of the main verses the girls learned this weekend was Romans 8:28, which says,

“And we know that all things work together for good to them
 that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”  

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget that God works all things together for good.  We taught 10 examples of things that we can’t change, that God uses for a purpose.

1. We are one of a kind
2. Our parents
3. Brothers and sisters
4. Nationality
5. How smart you are
6. The time in history you were born
7. Gender
8. The order you were born in your family
9. How you age
10. When we die

A few of these definitely stuck out to me.  God was really reminding me to be thankful for the unchangeable.  God brought one point to light that I too often forget, my parents, whom He gave for a purpose.  I was born into this family; God didn’t make a mistake.  God knew exactly what He was doing and has a plan in everything that happens.  I’m very blessed to have Christian parents who love God with all their hearts.  I have friends who don’t have Christian parents, their parents are divorced, or they only have one parent who knows Christ.  Well, it would probably be easy to ask God why, or think God made a mistake.  But, we know that’s not true.  God doesn’t make mistakes, remember?

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Even the things that seem to be really bad, all work together for good to them that love God.  There was NO MISTAKE.  God is in control.  No matter what happens, God will use it.  What Satan means for evil, God will work together for good.

This is kind of short, but I wanted to share my weekend of helping teach at Inner Princess.

Have a blessed week.

~Beautifully Created 4 Christ~
~Philippians 1:6~