Lions, Idol, and Crowns...OH MY!!!

It's been almost a year since I told y'all the reason for this blog. Here's a refresher.

January 30, 2015

 

Lions, Idol, and Crowns...OH MY!!!

So in my bio I mentioned God told me to start this blog over a year ago. Why the wait?? Let’s take a look back into summer 2013.

I was an editorial intern at The Gadsden County Times in Quincy, Florida. Just completed my sophomore year at FAMU. Devin Taylor and Brandon Hepburn were both drafted by the Detroit Lions and Candice Glover won American Idol.

What does that have to do with me? Well, Devin and Candice are classmates and we all graduated from Beaufort High School in Beaufort, SC. And Brandon graduated from FAMU. His wife was actually my life group leader for Every Nation Campus Ministries lol.

Where does that leave me? Just a girl trying to support other people.

Release the Dancing Machine: Isac Gaitan

Everyone meet Isac. He's like a little itty bitty brother to me. Haha he's a young adult. Recently, Isac has choreographed a dance routine and asked me to promote his video on my Instagram page. I wanted to do more than just post on IG. People will always need a reference without scrolling through weeks of videos and photographs. So I eagerly asked if we could collab his video with my blog. Thankfully he replied, "Of course!"

Use to Develop not Develop to Use

Hey y'all!!! Today's topic is using your gifts. Many times as Christians we tell non-believers they do not have to "get right" before turning their lives over to God. Turning to God will get you right. It's the same with our gifts God has given us. We don't have to master and sandpaper our gift before using it for God. Using it for God will cause it to be mastered and sandpapered.

I received this revelation attending Bible Study at Engage Church. The topic was stewardship and Dave Plettl did a great job speaking. He came out of 1 Peter 4:10-11.

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

~1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)

He pointed how the scripture said use and not develop. You do not have to perfect your gift before you use it. Just use it. As a journalism student I have been told several times the only way to get better at writing is to write. As hard as using your gift may seem it's just that simple use it. Ask God to direct you and He will show you how to use your gift. If you don't know your gift. Ask God to reveal your gift to you.

Another thing about your gift. Use your gift before it is taken away from you. After Plettl spoke we broke up into small groups focusing on the Parable of the Three Servants in Matthew 25:14-30. Many people know it as The Parable of the Talents.

One servant received five bags of silver, another two bags, and the third received one bag of silver. The servants with five bags and two bags of silver both doubled their bags. The other was afraid to lose his bag and buried it in the ground. No matter how big or small you think your gift is; use it.

We don't let our cars, appliances, or food sit without use 24/7 365. Once that happens they become no good and we have to throw them out. Think about what happened to the servant who did nothing but bury his bag of silver. He was thrown out.