Welcome to todayβs video called, βπ€Psalm 103:1-6 (NIV) π€β! β¨
On my blogβs official Instagram account, I posted a reel of me sharing with you all the Scripture verses, Psalm 103:1-6 (NIV), because it really reminded me of Godβs goodness, and all that He does for us, His beloved children. β¨
You can watch the video down below! π I hope that it encourages you the same way it did me. ππ€
Thank you so much for reading and watching! π€β¨ I hope that you found this post to be valuable and encouraging, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. π€ Feel free to also share this with a friend or a family member who may need to hear it as well. β¨
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content, in the future! π€β¨
You can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts listed down below: π
Welcome to todayβs video just in time for spring break season called, “Clean Fun – Part 2”! β¨
On my blogβs official Instagram account, I posted a video of me re-emphasizing a message to you all that I covered in my older blog post, called, “Clean Funβ, that I wrote a few years ago for spring break. πΈ
I hope that you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. You can also share this post with a friend or a family member who may need to hear it as well. π€π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content in the future! β¨
You can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts:
Welcome to today’s video called, “A Word For Those Of You Who Are Feeling Overwhelmed”! π
On my blogβs official Instagram account, I posted a video of me sharing with all of you an interesting dream that I had a few days ago, as well as a specific Scripture verse in the Bible that God led me to after having the dream, in which it is one that I believe will encourage those of you as well who may be feeling a bit overwhelmed in life right now. π
In addition, I share with you a list of beautiful songs in the videoβs caption that I recommend you listen to, as their words are powerful, and they will only serve to encourage you even further and help deliver you from any pit that you could be in. πΆ
You can watch the video down below! I hope that it encourages you and uplifts you.π
I hope that you found this post to be valuable and encouraging, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. You can also share this post with a friend or family member who may need to hear it as well. Thank you so much for reading and watching! π€π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content in the future! β¨
For more content, you can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts listed down below: π
It was a great experience, and I loved it! However, rather than talk about my experience performing in the Nutcracker, instead, I am going to talk about another personal experience that occurred during the time leading up to my first Nutcracker ballet performances. So without further ado, letβs begin! π
For the Nutcracker production, I was selected for the role of the maid. The maid was a featured role, and given that this was my first Nutcracker production, I was rather pleased to be selected for it. It also meant that I could be a part of the party scene in the Nutcracker, which is one of the scenes that I always loved watching growing up. However, before I could get too comfortable in my role, a problem arose specifically related to what I would have to do in a few of my scenes. In the party scene of the Nutcracker, I was told that I would have to pretend to serve alcoholic beverages to the adult guests, and later pretend that I was drinking a bottle of alcohol myself.
Such actions were typical for the role of the maid and served to add a little comedy to the show and stir up amusement within the audience. Despite such positives, I very much did not want to pretend to serve alcohol or, even worse, pretend to drink alcohol myself. This is because I do not drink alcohol myself, and because I believe that alcohol is something that should be avoided. This belief is based on Biblical scriptures that warn against the dangers (the main danger being the sin of drunkenness and its effects) of alcohol, which are described to be a mocker, a brawler, and are as dangerous as a serpentβs bite or an adderβs sting (Ephesians 5:18; Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:29-35).
Because I hold this belief, I felt like I would be compromising my beliefs and values if I were to perform those actions for my role, even if I was just pretending. My conscience simply was not comfortable with it. Some people who know my beliefs regarding alcohol were also attending the show, and I was concerned that they would see me pretending to serve and drink alcohol and consider my actions as a compromise too.
Additionally, I heard that there was already controversy regarding the alcohol-related scenes in my dance schoolβs Nutcracker. In previous years, before my appearance, my dance school had received a lot of criticism from parents who were concerned that the alcohol scenes in the show were promoting alcoholism in front of their children. Specifically, parents would complain about someone who is under the legal age of drinking alcohol playing the maid in the Nutcracker, and pretending to serve and drink alcohol. With me, a young adult at the appropriate age to drink alcohol, now playing the role of the maid, controversy regarding that issue seemed to be alleviated. However, I still felt concerned that I would still be promoting alcoholism, despite being of the age to drink alcohol, due to my beliefs regarding alcohol. π
Given all of my concerns regarding my role as the maid, I started to contemplate whether I should express my concerns to my ballet instructor. However, I unexpectedly found that the decision was much harder to make than I thought. This is because I had a fear that if I expressed my discomfort and concerns about promoting alcoholism in the Nutcracker, as well as my unwillingness to do such actions as the maid due to my beliefs that are based on Biblical scriptures regarding alcohol, I would lose the role of the maid and be taken out of the party scene in the Nutcracker, which I loved, and perhaps be taken out of the Nutcracker production entirely.
Ultimately, I found myself in a dilemma. Considering that I always dreamed of being in the Nutcracker, I became concerned about losing this opportunity if I expressed my concerns centered around my beliefs and values. However, if I did not express my concerns and chose to still pretend to serve and drink alcohol in the Nutcracker, I would only then be going against my beliefs regarding alcohol. And because I am thoroughly convinced within my own conscience to avoid alcohol, and I believe that it would be wrong for me to drink and/or promote alcohol because of how the Bible describes it, I would only then be going against my conscience and therefore condemn myself, which is a sin according to the end of Romans 14(NIV) in the Bible, where Paul talks about not going against our conscience if we are thoroughly convinced that something is sinful or not.
And so, reader, this dilemma that I found myself in is what I wanted to share with you because it represents a truth about life. In this life, many opportunities will present themselves before us that can relate to our deepest dreams, desires, and goals. While these opportunities may be greatly appealing, many of them could seemingly be grasped at the cost of your core beliefs, values, and principles. Specifically, for Christians, there are many opportunities that the world may offer us that may be greatly appealing and rewarding but would require us to do things that are unbiblical and would cause us to compromise our relationship with God. In these types of situations, it can be very tempting to compromise our principles and values, so that we can take advantage of such opportunities, especially if such opportunities are βonce in a lifetimeβ and could be lost if we choose to stick to our beliefs.
So, when faced with these kinds of dilemmas, where we struggle to choose between our beliefs or a βwonderfulβ opportunity, what do we do? Well, for us as Christians, the first thing we ought to do is seek Godβs guidance regarding the situation. However, reader, based on my experience, do not be surprised if God is seemingly silent when you are in these types of situations. When faced with such difficult decisions, we often ask God to reveal to us the outcome of our decisions, or even pray for Him to guarantee us a particular outcome.
For example, in my case, I would have liked for God to guarantee that I could still perform as the maid in the Nutcracker, even if I expressed my unwillingness to pretend to serve and drink alcohol. However, God did not guarantee anything, but He was by no means silent. Through my family, God instead encouraged me to stick to my beliefs, express my concerns to my ballet instructor, and trust in Him to help me stand my ground no matter what the outcome would be. And just to be clear, I am saying that God encouraged me to trust in Him despite the outcome, NOT trust in Him to give me the outcome that I want. Even if I should lose the role of the maid and be removed from the party scene in the Nutcracker or the Nutcracker production entirely, I should still trust in God and not let this lost opportunity cause me to turn away from God. Additionally, considering that God is the one who gave me the desire to dance ballet in the first place, I should trust that He has a plan that is even better than my plans. After all, as Psalm 25:10 (NIV) in the Bible states, βAll the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of His covenantβ.
After being encouraged by God through my family, I decided to express my concerns to my ballet instructor and was prepared to lose out on being a part of the Nutcracker for the sake of not compromising my more important beliefs. And so, with an anxious heart, I communicated that I was not comfortable with pretending to serve and drink alcohol based on my beliefs.
And to my relief and delight, reader, I was not removed from the Nutcracker! Instead, to my surprise, my ballet instructor and the other organizers altered my role so that I did not have to pretend to drink alcohol, and instead of serving alcohol, I would instead be serving a well-prepared tray full of fruits, cheeses, and bread. And so, come showtime, I was able to comfortably perform my role as the maid as I was no longer concerned with compromising my values and promoting alcoholism. The fact that I was still able to perform in the Nutcracker is something that I consider to be a blessing from God and I am ultimately thankful to Him for allowing me to still perform. Ultimately, however, the greater feeling of satisfaction resulted from standing my ground and choosing not to compromise my principles, beliefs, and values, even if it meant losing it all. β¨
Therefore, reader, as you can see, thanks to Godβs encouragement, I was able to stand by my beliefs despite my fears. And though I was prepared to lose a wonderful opportunity and trust that Godβs ways are better than my own or the worldβs, by His grace and mercy, I was still able to perform. Let this be an encouragement to you, reader, to always commit your ways to the Lord and to trust in Him always. God always knows whatβs best for us, so when we choose to do things our way instead, we could fail to reap the benefits of following the will of God.
For instance, take for example the real-life story of Jesus Christ praying in the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) in the Bible. In the story, Jesus Christ was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, talking with God to see if there was some way He did not have to suffer and be crucified on the cross. The Word of God says that Jesusβs soul was overwhelmed with sorrow and that He was stressing to the point of death over what He knew was coming. Ultimately, after each prayer to God, Jesus still expressed that He would not commit to His will, but to Godβs will. This is easily understood when we remember that Jesus being fully God, was also fully human. As a human, Jesus, throughout His life, was faced with many of the temptations we experience in our lives. One of these temptations includes selfishly preserving our own well-being over the well-being of others. In the garden, Jesus Christ denied this temptation, just as He did all other temptations, and instead chose to go through with allowing Himself to be arrested, tortured, and crucified. And it is thanks to His decision that we, as sinners, have been forgiven of our sins due to Jesus Christβs sacrifice and can receive Godβs gift of salvation and have a personal relationship with Him.
Think about this for a moment, reader: What if Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, decided not to do Godβs will? What if He decided to not allow Himself to suffer and die for our sake? Sure, if He chose not to do Godβs will, He could have spared Himself from the suffering He experienced, preserving His well-being, but as a result we would not have been saved and freed from the bondage of sin and death, and all of us would be eternally separated from God once we die. But because Jesus instead trusted and obeyed Godβs will, we now have salvation from sin and can spend eternal life in heaven with God if we put our trust in God the Son, Jesus Christ, and accept Him into our hearts and our lives as our personal Lord and Savior. β€οΈ
From Jesusβs experience, we learn what to do when it comes to deciding between Godβs will or another option. We may be at times reluctant to do Godβs will, especially if doing so may bring about suffering or great costs, such as in the case of Jesus. However, also in the case of Jesus, we see that following Godβs will, no matter what suffering or costs that may bring, is ultimately better than following any other path. By choosing to do Godβs will, Jesus did suffer greatly and died on behalf of all sinners, despite being completely sinless Himself and innocent of any crimes. However, in the end, Jesus resurrected with a new body and freed us from the bondage of sin. Now, Jesus is in heaven, alive and well, and will soon return to earth to bring to heaven all those who have put their faith in Him!ππβ¨
In conclusion, reader, when you find yourself in situations where you have to choose between a βgoodβ opportunity or doing Godβs will, you should always choose to do Godβs will. Even if you find that the opportunity is βonce in a lifetimeβ, something that you longed for, and something that you could lose if you choose to stick to God and your values, you should still choose God and your values. Even in cases where God does not guarantee your desired outcome and the only thing that is seemingly guaranteed is suffering or loss, you should still trust in God and believe that He knows whatβs best for you. This is easier said than done because there are many wonderful opportunities out there that even the enemy, Satan, will try to offer you and convince you to not follow Godβs ways. Do not fall for this, for as Mark 8:36 (NIV) says βWhat good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit (or lose) their soul?β.
Do not be afraid to stand up for God and what you believe in. Ask God for the courage to choose Him when faced with another option that may be extremely tempting. As Jesus told His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane when He found them sleeping instead of praying like He requested, βWatch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weakβ (Matthew 26:41 (NIV)). Even when following Godβs will seems to come at a great loss, have faith and know that when you follow God, your Father in Heaven will seize your stance and bless you with far greater than what you lost! β¨
Thank you so much, reader, for taking the time to read this post! I hope that it has served to encourage you when you are faced with shiny opportunities, events, or situations that could cause you to compromise your principles and values. My experience has served to strengthen my resolve to always be a light for Christ, even in the ballet world, and never be afraid to speak up, not compromise my principles and stance, and most importantly, trust in God, no matter what happens.
I wanted to do this post right around the beginning of the new year because I thought that it would be good for those of you who are starting to make New Yearβs resolutions. I encourage those of you who are making resolutions to align them with Godβs will and to not compromise your principles, values, and/or convictions when trying to accomplish your goals for this year (and all other years). Additionally, though this post is not about alcohol, I hope expressing my own convictions regarding alcohol will encourage you to maybe think twice before you pop a bottle of alcohol in celebration of the New Year. π
Furthermore, I want to thank those who supported my first ballet performances in the Nutcracker, and I thank God most of all for giving me the opportunity to perform and the strength and courage to perform at my best in front of people once again.
As I finally close, reader, I want to thank you again for reading and I wanted to leave you with this Scripture verse to encourage you in times when you may have to choose between God or anything else:
βJoyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His pathsβ (Psalm 119:1-3 (NLT)).
I hope that you found this post to be valuable and encouraging, reader, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. You can also share this post with a friend or family member who may need to read it as well. π€π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content, in the future! β¨
For more content, you can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts listed down below by clicking their links:
Thank you, P.I.M PALS, for all of your love and support on my blog, P.I.M & PINK, in 2023 and all of the years prior. π«ΆπΌπ
May God bless you and protect you, and I pray that all of us have a safe and healthy New Year (and all of the years to come) filled with joy and peace, and we will in Jesus name! ππ€
Lay any burdens you have at Godβs feet, and look forward to the beautiful plans that God has in store for you and everyone in 2024 and so forth! β¨
I am so happy and excited to start ballet dancing on pointe for the Lord, for it is a desire of my heart from God and a childhood dream come true. β¨
With this gift of pointe shoes, I am also reminded of the Scripture verse, Psalm 37:4 (NIV) which says, “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. π
And with that being said, it is true that if and when your desire aligns with Godβs Will for you and your life, the Christ in Christmas will give you the desires of your heart in His right timing, whether that be on Christmas Day or any other day. πβ¨
Lastly,βas I embark on this journey and continue studying the art of classical ballet, I want to remind myself and you, reader, of the Scripture verse, Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), which says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me”. πͺβ¨
For you, reader, it may be something completely different that you are passionate about and are interested in doing, but the Scripture verse still applies to you and your God-given desire. β¨
With all of that being said, I hope that you found this post to be valuable and encouraging, reader, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. π€π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content, in the future! β¨
For more content, you can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts:
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time when we celebrate the people and things we are thankful for and embrace those of whom we are most grateful. While Thanksgiving typically brings about great joy, it can also be a time of great sorrow and grief for those who have lost loved ones. For those who have lost people close to them, Thanksgiving can be a painful reminder of what they once had instead of a celebration of what they are grateful for. If you are one of these people currently grieving the loss of a loved one or loved ones this Thanksgiving, then here is what I want to tell you:
Run to Jesus. His arms are wide open and are filled with a deep love that only He can give you. If you feel lonely this Thanksgiving Day (or any day for that matter), remember that Jesus sincerely loves you and that He wants you to live in His love. Know that Jesus’s love will bring you the ultimate comfort in the midst of your pain and sorrow.
There are several Bible verses that speak of Jesus’s care towards those in sorrow, a few of which I have listed to remind you of the love and comfort He gives to those who are brokenhearted or crushed in spirit.
π Matthew 5:4 (ESV) π
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
π Psalm 147:3 (ESV) π
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
π 1 Peter 5:7(NIV) π
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
π Psalm 34:18 (NIV) π
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
π Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) π
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
π Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) π
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Therefore, reader, by running towards God, your Father in Heaven, and crying out to Him about the loss of your loved one or loved ones, you will receive His comfort and peace that surpasses your own human understanding, and God will turn your wailing into dancing, as it says in the Bible verse, Psalm 30:11-12 (NIV) which says, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.” πΌβ¨
With that being said, Happy Thanksgiving, P.I.M PALS. β‘
I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day today filled with joy and peace! For there is so much to be thankful for even in this life that is filled with many hardships. β¨π π¦
π
I hope that you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you. Thank you so much for reading! π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content in the future. β¨
For more content and updates, you can also follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the following social media accounts listed down below:
You and I have the freedom to choose how we want to live our lives, and based on that, I choose to live a life of purity.
Purity is the quality or state of being pure. To be pure means to be perfectly free from sin and corruption. π€
Nowadays, purity is not popular because it is seen as a βrestrictiveβ lifestyle. For those of you who think that, you are right, it is. However, purity is only restrictive if you are trying to live opposite of it.
If you are doing things that you think are enjoyable, but those same things are actually sinful and against God Who calls us to live pure lives, then naturally you will be opposed to purity because it condemns the things that you think are okay.
In short, if the things you enjoy doing that you think are βgoodβ, βnaturalβ, or even βrightβ are actually sinful, and therefore impure, then like many people in this world, you will view purity as βtoxicβ and βboringβ and those who promote and encourage purity as βcontrollingβ, including God.
Furthermore, not only is purity seen as restrictive but it is also seen as a difficult lifestyle to maintain. This is also true as such a lifestyle requires purity in all aspects of our lives. In order to be truly pure, our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits, words, actions, and character must all be pure, amongst other things. And considering that we are all plagued with sinful desires, maintaining a pure lifestyle is impossible, but that is only if we try to do it alone.
The only way we can hope to live a life of purity is by trusting in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who sacrificed Himself so that all of us can be freed from the bondage of sin and impurity and receive eternal life in heaven with God. By trusting in Jesus, He will guide us to live a life free from sin and the pain and suffering that accompanies sin. Jesus makes a pure life possible. β¨
In this way, you can see how a life of purity actually gives you the ultimate freedom: freedom from sin. And not only is it freeing, but it also brings true joy. When you start living a pure life, you will find yourself starting to desire the things of God and rejecting sinful things, including those sinful things that you enjoyed doing before. Once that happens, you will see that purity is anything but βboringβ or βunfulfillingβ.
Purity is fulfilling and freeing! And it is possible when you have Jesus guiding you. π€
You have the freedom to choose purity. Like everyone else who says, “I do what I want”, you can also say that when it comes to purity. The difference between you and everyone else, however, is that you will be choosing purity, not just because you are free to choose how you want to live, but also because you know it is the right way to live. β¨
I encourage you to choose purity, and to be just as strong in your choice as everyone else who is strong in theirs. You may be mocked and criticized for your choice, but do not be discouraged, because God is by your side.
God will help you to stand firm in your choice to live purely, and He will help you to respond to those mockers, not with mockery of your own, but with encouragement to make the same choice.
β¨ Ezekiel 3:8-9 (NIV) β¨ in the Bible says, βBut I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.β
Therefore, know that God will make you just as stone-faced as anyone else with a strong stance, and He will strengthen you and embolden you in your choice to live a pure life that is free from sin and sinful desires. πͺπ€β¨
π€
I hope that you found this post to be valuable and encouraging, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below. I would love to hear from you! You can also share this post with a friend who may need to read it as well. π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content, in the future. β¨
For more content, follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the social media accounts listed down below:
Two years ago, I wrote a blog post called, “To My Late Bloomers“. In that blog post, I encouraged late bloomers to have the courage to still pursue their dreams, even if they are pursuing them much later in life.
As a late bloomer myself, I shared my own experience of taking ballet lessons at the age of sixteen, which I consider to be a late start in the ballet world.
Furthermore, in that blog post, I covered my experience at the dance school and how I was being received by the other ballerinas.
In that blog post, I expressed how happy I was to finally see myself have the courage to live my ballet dream, even if it meant feeling like a “giraffe in the room”π¦. Eventually, however, I did leave that dance school for a variety of reasons, primarily due to not receiving the feedback that I was looking for from the ballet teacher and being mistreated by some of the other dancers there.
Though I was still fine with leaving that particular dance school, I still desired to do ballet, which made leaving that dance school a bittersweet experience. After leaving, I stopped going to in-person ballet classes for a long time, and instead, I focused on my studies, finishing high school, and preparing for college. πβπΌπ«
However, even after I left that dance school, I still continued to teach myself ballet at home with the intent to one day return to in-person classes for ballet.
Little did I know, in 2023, for my 21st birthday, my parents had a special present for me. Along with a trip to Washington D.C. to see the Japanese cherry blossoms in the spring (which you can read more about in my “Begin to Blossom” blog post), my parents also surprised me with a private ballet lesson from the owner of a professional dance school that I always dreamed of being enrolled to.
Upon hearing the news, I cried tears of joy and excitement as I felt like this was the start of a new chapter in my life. However, I also felt very nervous because I heard that the owner of the dance school was a very strict ballet instructor, and I feared that my current level of ballet would not impress her. Thankfully though, my parents alleviated my concerns by constantly reminding me throughout the week that this private ballet lesson was to help me grow in my ballet skills and capabilities and that I did not have to be perfect or try to impress the ballet instructor. π
Throughout the private ballet lesson, the owner was impressed with me. For one, she said that I was very smart and that I follow along fast. She even addressed my insecurity about my age (I was twenty years old at the time) by telling and reassuring me that my age was an advantage because, in her words, “The older you are, the faster you learn.” And therefore, she said that I will advance very quickly in ballet. Overall, the owner gave me very helpful feedback throughout the entire private ballet lesson, which I needed and appreciated so much. ππ€
After the private ballet lesson was over, the ownerβs husband pointed out to me several beautiful black and white photos of professional ballet dancers who graduated from their dance school. For one, he pointed out to me a photo of a successful male ballet dancer who started dancing at nineteen years old. He also pointed out to me photos of professional ballet dancers who are also professional figure skaters and even hockey players, which further inspired me as someone who has also been taking figure skating lessons and aspires to perform on ice one day (which you can read more about in my “Introducing New Seriesβ¦Prove it to Yourself” blog post). βΈοΈβοΈ
The point of me sharing with you my ballet journey so far though, reader, is to further reinforce the message to not let your age stop you from pursuing your dreams like it did mine for so long, especially when your dreams come from God. Did you know that some of your dreams come from God, reader? If you have a desire or desires gifted to you from God and it aligns with Godβs will, have the courage to start working towards it, because it will manifest one day. β¨
Therefore, reader, if you have God-given desires, but you are holding yourself back because you think you are too old or too young or you missed your opportunity, go to God and trust Him with a plan to help manifest your desires and work towards them and He will guide you. As the Scripture verse, Psalm 37:4-5 (ESV) says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”
Psalm 145:16 (ESV) says, “You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 (NIV) says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I hope that you found this post to be valuable and inspiring, reader, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. I would love to hear from you. Thank you so much for reading! π€
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.I.M & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content in the future. β¨
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May God grant you your heartβs desire and fulfill all your plans, reader, as it says in Psalm 20:4 (ESV). May God bless you and protect you always, and I pray that you are safe and healthy always. ππ€
Welcome to todayβs blog post about the narrow path of purity.
We are in spring, a season known for its new beginnings.
For one, students across the world are in the season of graduation and getting ready to move on to the next new chapter in their lives. π
If you are a student reading this, maybe you are about to graduate soon or you have already graduated. Or perhaps, you are just transitioning from one grade to another.
I want to encourage you, reader, not to let the new chapter in your life, whether you are starting middle school, high school, college, or pursuing a new career, take you down the wide path of impurity.
As it says in Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV), βEnter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.β
Therefore, reader, do not be influenced by people or things that can take you down the path of impurity.
Many temptations can come your way but always remember who is your strength to help you resist those temptations. You can still maintain the path of purity.
For example, if you are a student entering junior high, you might face many students in your grade level who are somewhat immature but some who are mature.
Kids love to impress others and can be easily influenced by one another. And sometimes, to get attention or appear mature, kids will say or do inappropriate things.
I encourage you not to compromise your values to impress someone, or as a true friend, make sure you stop others from compromising.
Let me give you some other examples of some temptations that might come your way as you begin the new chapter in your life:
Engaging in lying and gossiping, which can cause division.
Taking drugs and drinking alcohol. All it takes is for someone to introduce it to you, and you have to decide whether you are going to open that door or walk away because any drug or alcohol use can become an addiction and lead to death.
Worshipping other gods or engaging in certain cults or organizations that are demonically influenced and can stir you away from worshipping the true, living God, which is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Involving yourself with gangs, bullies, etc.
Feeling pressured to date someone just because everybody else is doing it. Oftentimes, we move too fast in a relationship before we actually get to know the person. This leads to potential regrets or being left heartbroken.
Watching inappropriate tv shows or listening to music that will make you become desensitized to violence, dirty jokes, profanity, etc.
All these things and more can affect both your heart and your mind.
We tend to allow Satan, friends, associates, and even family members to make us feel like we are missing out. When you choose not to participate in any of these impure activities, they will now label you as old-fashioned or unpopular.
Don’t fall into that mindset and be fooled by these temptations that others are trying to encourage you to do. These temptations will reveal how much of an immature follower you are and not a leader.
The path of purity is not wide, but it’s right. Purity is not popular nor is it easy, but a life of purity leads to joy and freedom in God’s presence. π€
So, reader, are you walking the path of purity? If so, how will you remain pure?
Psalm 119:9(NIV) says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your Word.”
Therefore, reader, that’s your answer! Let Godβs Word be your guiding light while walking the path of purity. It will be your strength in times of temptation.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below.
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Oftentimes, when we think of positive emotions we often think of the following:
Happiness, which is great and positive, but short-lived, depending on what is happening. π
Joy, which is a deeper state of mind and happiness, no matter what is going on. π
Bliss,which occurs when something overly spectacular is happening at the moment that it is making you feel extremely elated. However, as powerful and quick as the word bliss sounds, it is not a constant state. π
But serenity is a calm, peaceful, resolute even, made-up mind, and tranquil feeling. It is the quality or state of being serene. For me, just saying the word serenity is like singing a song. πΆ
The key to reaching serenity and knowing how to get there is by being happy and joyful for the most part during the period of your life when you are young.
Sometimes, when we are young, we can get very anxious, worried, scared, or feel pain about difficult, troubling situations, and as a result, our joy and peace can be robbed as a child if we let those emotional states dominate our spirit.
Therefore, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite scripture verses that I believe would help a person to reach serenity starting from young.
“You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.β
β¨ Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 (NIV) β¨
As a young person, I believe that you can carry this scripture verse with you as you age. The scripture verse sets the foundation for reaching serenity and helps you to keep things in perspective and maintain serenity.
Κβ‘βΙ
I hope you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and content in the future. β¨
P.I.M & PINK 