Why Esther?

So, I know you are like, "Why did she choose Esther to name her blog after?" Esther has, as of the last 3 years, intrigued me. She embodies everything I believe a queen should in this modern day. She was wise, obedient, strong, submitted, smart, and full of faith, among other character traits. I know I will continue to use the term queen rather loosely; as, in my mind, it is not a word that implies superiority in the sense of socioeconomic status. I really believe that being a queen is much work that begins inwardly and overflows into one's actions.

I must admit that I have been influenced by One Night With the King in formulating what I believe it means to be a queen. Although this depiction of Esther is partly fictional, I think the producers, directors and actors did a great job of relaying a pertinent message to our generation.

Esther is an excellent example of how we as young women, and young men, should rise above conformity; unless it is conformity to the word and will of God. I challenge you to read the entire book of Esther because it proves that non-conformity is the way in which we will lead others to salvation. It is the way in which we will stand out as Q.U.E.E.N.S. And to all the males who happen to read this, you are to embody this acronym as well. It is simply a challenge that I am issuing out for us (male and female), the children of God to be bold and stand out!

Last thing (because I cannot forget that I am a college student with tons of reading to due. Aaaah!...So, I must be retiring soon (omg, that was so reminiscent of old-english lol. I digress...). I said that I would expound upon the acronym.

"Q" is for Quintessential. This means, "the pure and concentrated essence of a substance; the most perfect embodiment of something." Um, wake up call people! lol. We are to be the embodiment of Christ because he dwells in us and gives us purpose. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God should be CONCENTRATED in us. Like, we should be giving off the strong, unmistakable odor, the sweet smelling savor of the anointing which attracts the WORLD! (Notice I did not say the church. Selah.)

"U" is for Unblemished. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, HOLY and acceptable to God because we are servants of the kingdom. We are not to be spotted and stained by the world. But God calls for a spotless sacrifice. Not to say that we are perfect, but we are to strive daily for perfection because we do not lust after the flesh. We hunger after righteousness!

"E" is for Examples. 2 Corinthians 3:2 says that our lives are to be epistles, letters, written on the hearts of men. In other words, our actions should testify DAILY to the truth the we speak about and sing about in church on Sundays. We are to be examples who make lasting impressions on those we come in contact with.

"E" is for Exellence. Colossians 3:23 tells us that we should do everything with excellence because we are living our lives as unto God. Seriously, do you think anyone is going to want to serve the Lord with gladness if you are sleeping on the job, flunking every class, treating your family like anything, or dibbling and dabbling in the world and the church? Like, duuuuh! Definitely not! N-O spells NO! Okay, you get the picture. Let's be excellent. And if you can't do all things as unto the Lord, perhaps you shouldn't be doing some of them anyway. Next!

"N" is short for AND I totally couldn't find a word to go there. It just lets you know that something is coming up next, I presume lol. Sooo, waait for it...patience is a virtue people! lol

"S" is for Success There are so many scriptures that speak of success in the Bible. However, my fav is found in Proverbs 3:3-4. It tells us that as we obey God and keep his commandments near and dear to our hearts, we will find favor in the sight of God and man. God-favor is not like anyone elses favor because he owns the place (Earth) and he can do, like, whatever he wants. So, the key to success is obedience. Simple as that. As we seek God's kingdom (his reigning principles, his purpose) success will be added to us in all kinds of ways!!!!


If no one's told you today, I love you and so does Jesus!

Be Blessed!

Ashley

Snow Days & North Carolina

Hey there everyone! First let me apologize for taking this long to write a new post. I am really going to do better. I will blog at least once a week. You have my word :)

Anywho, a lot has transpired in the last 10 days, which just reminds me that time flies and I should make the most of every second. I have been praying and focusing on making the most of the short time I have here on earth. Think about it. The average person has, maybe, seven-and-a-half decades of life on earth. Now, compare that to an eternity. Those 70 years pale in comparison to an eternity of life in heaven or hell. I am making heaven my home, but I want to do everything I can to make God proud of me before I see him. Seriously, I want to love more sincerely, give more freely, be a better, friend, daughter, sister, and witness! I want to be driven and reach for the dreams I know God has given me. Soooo much to do and sooooo little time! Matthew chapter 6 puts this all in perspective for us. It tells us not to worry about what tomorrow will bring, but to put God and his agenda first. When we do this, He will take care of everyting else we need.

Believe it, or not, I did not even mean to write that lol. Back to the topic at hand. It has been snowing like crazy in Maryland since the Friday before last. Boy, has this last week-and-a-half been a time of character building! Like, I hate shoveling snow. It is my least favorite thing to do during the winter months. However, we got about 3 feet of snow, total, and I had no choice but to join the fam and shovel our very long driveway. Ugh!!! Although I did not want to do it, it is important to note that I chose not to complain about it. I simply wanted to get the job done and be diligent. I learned a lot about myself that I would not have learned if it had not been for the snow. Unexpected experiences in our life really show us what we are made of. If we could predict everything that would happen to us, we would be prepared and know what it would take to muster up a brave face, patience, kind words, whatever we would need to make it through a situation. But because we do not run our lives, we don't know it all. Thus, life experiences, essentially, are a test of character; letting us know how far we come and how far we have to go.

Being snowed in the house for such a long time reminded me of how great my family is, albeit trying at times, and how much I want the best for each of them. :) It reminded me of how important it is to maintain my prayer, word, and worship life even if I have a busy schedule. The snow challenged me to not be lazy and to finish my homework, email musicians, research new praise and worship music, and so on, before the last minute. I learned a lot about myself in the quiet moments of being home and not doing anything at all. I think all of us should take time, regularly, to do some "introspective inventory." Basically, get to know yourself. Your strengths, weaknesses, habits, emotional tendencies, spiritual stability ect...It is important for us to know who we are so that we can look into God's word and see if it measures up. And if at any time we see that we are lacking, then the "introspective inventory" has helped us. It is at this time we can move forward; letting go of all that baggage I talked about in the first post. I also appreciated the snow because it gave me a much needed break from school. I have been in school since August, guys! Non-stop!!! Can you believe it?! lol.

After the snow passed this Thursday, I went to North Carolina with one of the worship groups I sing with. Rotoya Williams and The True Worship Experience Movement. (Check us out on Facebook or Youtube. I will post videos of us from time to time.) We are on tour and we traveled to Greensboro this weekend for a Christian confernce for college students. It was truly a blessing! I don't have very much to say about this except that, it is important for us to be involved on our campuses or schools or churches with our youth groups. When we are around people who are going in the same direction we are, whether it be academically, spiritually, athletically, whatever, it eliminates a lot of distractions and creates a support system with accountability. So, if you are one of those people who like to sit on the sidelines and not get involved because of shyness or fear, don't be! Being active in a group of believers can tranform your life and cause you to be a light to others. It was amazing to be in a church full of Christian people my age. There is something empowering about unity. If you don't know of any youth groups find a local church you feel lead to attend that has a youth group. Do some research about on-campus Christian organizations at your school. Do whatever it takes! Get involved!

The Bottom Line:
-Remember to do some introspective inventory.
-When we know who we are at the moment, we can properly prepare to become someone better in the future...like Q.U.E.E.N.S.(will elaborate soon)!
-Get involved in a youth group! You don't have to walk this out alone! Get a support system of Christian brothers and sisters.
-Remember, unexpected experiences occur so that we will know what we are made of. When something unexpected and inconvenient happens think, W.W.J.D.? Seriously, it works and you will be proud of your reaction :)

If no one told you today, Jesus loves you, and so do I!

Have an introspective day!

AshleyMarie



If you want to ask me questions or you want to discuss something I have written that you don't understand. Feel free to post a comment. Yes, you have to make an account. But the right answer to the question you have been asking all your life could save your life.




Here is a promotional clip for Rotoya Williams and the True Worship Experience. Just so you'll know who I am, I am singing a solo part in one of the clips. Enjoy :)

Brooke Fraser: My All-Time Favorite Artist

I really enjoy Brooke Fraser. I've never been as enthralled with an artist as I am with her. I love what she stands for, her ability to turn words into pictures that have global impact. She is very talented and I learn so much by listening and watching her. Enjoy! This song is called Shadowfeet.

Let the Light In!

Hey everybody. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm so excited that I have finally started because I have wanted to do this for a while. So one night, at like midnight, I just stopped what I was doing and made an account. I got tired of saying, "I'm going to do it. I'll get to it when I can. Okaaay, next week on Wednesday the 15th at 8 p.m. I'm going to set it up." Ugh! It just got old lol. Word to the wise, procrastination is a thief of time! Just do it!

Anyway, I'm glad that I chose to finally start blogging because I really think that we, as people, are more similar than we are different. Yes, we have different personalities and ways and methods of doing things, etc... However, I have found that when we are open and honest and share our struggles (the good, the bad, and the ugly)we can help each other. The same goes for our triumphs. Those stories help others too.

So, speaking of sharing...I was thinking the other day, after a conversation with my dad, how I beat myself up after I make a mistake. I hate it! I mean, there have been times when I go on for days thinking about that mistake and saying, "man, if only I had done this differently, that wouldn't have happened." Everyone else could have forgotten about the mistake, and is going on living their lives not thinking about me lol. But really, most of the time, no else knows about the mistake. Just me, myself, and God. And even He had forgotten about it too. In the end, it was just me replaying the mistake over and over in my mind. Have you ever done this? Isn't it tiring? Yes! I know it is. Guilt, shame, and feelings of failure are burdens!!!

We all make mistakes. We all have (or at least have had) struggles in an area or two. And whether we are young or old, there is a God who is willing to forget about our downfalls as long as we repent and sincerely make an effort to walk in His way. There was a woman in the Bible (John 8:1-11) who was caught in the act of adultery. The people who caught her in the act of idolatry were anxious to stone her to death. However, Jesus challenged these individuals by saying (and I paraphrase), "If you have never sinned, feel free to stone her." One by one, these people walked away, knowing that they had no right to stone this woman.

This passage let's me know that when I fall Jesus is right there to pick me up, dust me off, and help me walk in the way I know I should. The way I actually wanted to walk before I stumbled. Jesus is merciful and he loves and accepts us. All we have to do is come. There is grace (help, hope, healing) for the person who sincerly wants to change and be rid of guilt, shame,defeat,emptiness, and unfulfillment because of struggles and behaviors, whatever the case may be. I am telling this to you who know Christ and you who don't know Jesus Christ. Don't beat yourself up. Jesus died so you wouldn't have to feel like you are dying on earth. He came to give us life more abundantly.

The bottom line is this. If you fall, don't stay down. That's no way to live. Rise up and let the light in! It's not too late. Ever.

If no one told you today, Jesus loves you, and so do I!

Have a great day!

AshleyMarie

Go to http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=John+8&passage2=&passage3=&passage4=&passage5=&version1=65&version2=0&version3=0&version4=0&version5=0&Submit.x=41&Submit.y=9 to view the story of the woman people wanted to stone. John 8:1-11 (The Message Bible is excellent for understanding this scripture)


If you want to ask me questions or you want to discuss something I have written that you don't understand. Feel free to post a comment. Yes, you have to make an account. But the right answer to the question you have been asking all your life could save your life.