Is it okay to be a Directioner??

Here's the question a lot of Christian girls ask. And the funny thing is, they don't usually directly say it. But I'm going to talk about the question constantly on people's minds. "IS it okay to be a Directioner??" My answer is simple. That really isn't a fair question. It depends entirely on the person and to what extent you're taking the "directioner" term. Some of the things they stand for (confidence in girls, anti-bullying ect.) I completely agree with!! Some of their songs are really catchy and a couple of them I actually like a lot. But that does not excuse the fact that they still have a worldly mindset (which, quite frankly, breaks this fan girl's heart). One Direction HAS changed lives and they DO promote some positive concepts...but they're STILL a secular band!! :( :( My personal opinion is this - If you're a Directioner, I have no problem with that. But I personally think that, just like any other secular band, you need to be careful. Choose the songs you listen to wisely. Don't make One Direction your life. Don't try and agree with EVERYTHING they say. Though they promote some positive things, they're still of the world, therefore, they won't hit all the points a Christian is looking for. Besides, even though they have some good quotes, they are NOT focused on that. They're musicians. There's a lot more than meets the eye in the secular music industry. Do I think it's okay to crush on the boys? Yes. Niall, Zayn, Liam, Louis and  Harry are absolutely adorable. And i'm not judging if you love them. Just, be careful as you fan over this band. Have fun but be careful. ;) ~KJ

Living Confident

I have a question. Do you conciser yourself insecure? No, really. Think about it. Let me ask a more thought provoking question. Do you truly know what insecurity is? Quite frankly, a lot of people think they know what it is....Some of them are correct (at least to an extent). But how many people truly know the depth of insecurity? Further more, How many people suffer from insecurity without even realizing that's what they're experiencing? Bottom line - Insecurity is the lack of confidence...and often times, the absence of it all together. People handle it differently. But in the end, it's still insecurity. And in the end, there's still only one right way to overcome it. People try and cover up their appearances with makeup or try and  get attention by wearing revealing clothing. Not the right way to approach it. Trust me. I've actually experienced insecurity and let me tell you, this article by Caleb Grimm was super encouraging and changed my entire view on how I was living. So...yup! You guessed it. I'm going to let you read it. :)

What a Christian Guy Is (and Isn’t) Looking For In a Girl ~by Caleb Grimm

 "It would be foolish of me to speak for the entire male gender, so I’m not gonna try. I AM gonna go ahead and speak for myself and other good, stand-up, Christian fellas out there though… Because I’m fairly certain they’ll agree with or at least relate to the following thoughts. I’m also going to assume that most of you reading this are female, because…let’s be honest…if you’re here, you clicked on a blog about “what a guy is looking for.” There could just as well be a blog post about what girls are looking for, but I’m not the person to write that one (maybe YOU are). That said, here are some things that go through our often-oblivious, but occasionally-observant male minds.

    What we’re not looking for… 

Essentially, everything that a guy finds unattractive in a girl is rooted in one thing…

Insecurity.

When a girl is self-involved, speaks highly of herself, and puts others down to make herself feel better… It’s probably because she’s insecure. 

When a girl is constantly putting herself down, making self-deprecating comments, and lacking self-confidence… It’s probably because she’s insecure. 

When a girl acts provocatively, says things to get attention and dresses to turn heads… It’s probably because she’s insecure.

When a girl is clingy, needy, desperate, and assumes the worst… It’s probably because she’sinsecure. 

When a girl has poor self-image, doesn’t think she’s pretty, and the way she presents herself doesn’t reflect how God views her… It’s probably because she’s insecure.

See a pattern? Of course, no one will ever be perfect, and we all have struggles (us guys have our fair share of insecurity issues, trust me). Regardless of male or female, nearly every word and action can be traced back to the way we view ourselves.

    What we’re looking for…

A girl who knows who she is. 

The only way a girl (or person, for that matter) can know who she is, is to understand howGod sees her… 

How does God see you?

He created you.

"For we are God’s masterpiece." (Eph. 2:10a NLT)

He knows you.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." (Jer. 1:5a)

He loves you.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9)

He thinks you’re beautiful.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." (1 Pet 3:3-4)

No seriously, He thinks you’re really beautiful.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14)

He gave His life for you.

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8b)

He’s there for you. 

"The Lord is near to all who call on him." (Psalm 145:18a ESV)

He has plans for you.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11)

    This is how God sees you. He sees a heart that He created and longs to have divine relationship with through Jesus. A person who has embraced that relationship and can grasp how valuable the heavenly Father says they are, is a person who can share in a healthy, earthly relationship…and that’s what the good guys are looking for.

    A girl who understands how she’s viewed in the Lord’s eyes, can be irresistible to a guy whose eyes are on the Lord."

A lot of girls try to find security in relationships. More specifically; in relationships with guys. You CAN'T define yourself by your relationship...or by your appearance OR by your mistakes. You need to be able to define yourself in Christ. Further more, on the subject of guys, STOP chasing them! Allow them to pursue you! Here's a bit of advice from Alan Powell I full-heartedly agree with. Even if you aren't dating yet or aren't  quite old enough to date, this advice is something to keep in mind. : "Stop focusing on chasing boys. Just Chase Go. Keep your eyes on Him and keep chasing Him. Then, After awhile, stop and look around to see whose chasing Him with you. THAT'S the guy you want to be with."

That quote was super encouraging and super true. Anyway, I don't wan't to overload you guys. So, I'll leave you with this last video, pertaining to the topic we're discussing. It was super impactful for me, so just take two minutes of your time to watch it.

 This post was for sooo many people who requested me do it so, it would bless me if you left your comments below, telling me what you think. :) I love you all! God bless. <3 ~KJ

Change the World

Caleb Grimm once said, "It's one thing to have good intentions.... It's another to be intentional." I completely agree. We have two choices
 1. Think of all the things we could do to change this world, musing over it and waiting for a sign telling you to do it
OR....
2. Change the world right now.
I know, a lot of you are in different situations in your life. Maybe you're too busy. Maybe your schedule won't allow you to get out there and do as much ministry as you'd like. Maybe you can't afford to attend that mission trip your youth group is is going on. But did you ever think about the fact that you are able to impact this world...just by sitting at home? Yup. That's right. All you really have to do is put things into perspective. When you get on Facebook, you can choose to post another selfie OR you can spread the love and post a scripture. It's such a beautiful thing when Christians across the world, make changes and minister just by the simplest things. A song that encouraged me to do this was by the Newsboys. I heard it last year at the Winter Jam concert and loved it. I listen to it a lot now so I think I'll share it with you. It brings my exact point across.

   

 

Remember,  James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." This scripture is extremely relevant and extremely encouraging. Look at your life right now and find out how you can be a light in the darkness. I"m going to leave you with a super encouraging video from Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky.

 

Love you guys! Be a Light and change the world! <3 ~KJ

My Vision

Hey guys! This is my very first blog post on "Fervent Love." I'd just like to say thank you all sooo much
for all your prayers and support. It's truly a blessing to have the opportunity to do this.  I just wanted to give you my vision on what I want this blog to become. First of all, this blog is a complete act of faith. I don't know how it's going to turn out but, I feel called to do it so...I guess I'm doing it! :) Secondly, this blog is for the purpose of influencing girls. Teenage girls in specific but, it's for any age really. I'm going to be hitting topics that teenage girls need encouragement and advice on. My  goal is to uplift and inspire, all while honoring Christ. As the next generation, we're called to spread the word of God, and to love people. That's my purpose here and it also leads to my title "Fervent Love." Hearts have always sort of been my symbol. Christ is love. His love is all you need. It's more love than any human being could ever give. It's more love than you could feel in ANY type of relationship. It's just so impact to think of that, but even more so, to think we are supposed to love likie Christ. So, after I felt called to write this blog, naturally, I wanted to start right away. But I didn't have a title. I laid awake trying to figure one out when finally, I realized it. If God was calling me to write this, maybe the title of it lies within the Bible, His own word. So, I pulled it out and turned to 1 Peter, which is the book I'm currently memorizing for "The Challenge." I read up to the section in chapter 4 titled "Keep your love Fervent." Verse 8 through 11 was what hit me hard.
"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received aspecial gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Fervent Love. THAT was my title. So, I used it! That's the whole story behind the title! Anyway, we're going to be talking about insecurity and growing closer to God, staying modest, making God your number one priority and so much more. I'm super excited. Thank you guys again for all the support. Love You! ~KJ