This whole thing called religion...

God has POUNDED something on my heart lately. This is something that is surrounding our churches and disturbing our spiritual walks... It's this little thing called RELIGION. Yea. It's kind of unexpected to be described like this. But the fact is God does not want us to have religion, He wants us to love and live for HIM!

Religion sets this standard of doing this thing at this time. Or it tells you to act this way and only this way. I find that sometimes when we just focus on religion and its rules we lose sight of what God is trying to tell us at that moment. It completely shuts our mind out. Often religion causes us to place ourselves higher than others. Feeling like we are more Holy. Ha.. For us to think we are more HOLY! God clearly spoke about humility and to place our selves among the 'Tax Collectors' and 'Prostitutes'. So why do we feel like we have the right to think we are more holy? I think this is what turns people off from Christianity the most. Sometimes we are just a bunch of stuck up religious people!! And most of the time we don't see anything wrong with it!!

I myself am trying to overcome this religion. Don't get me wrong. I love Jesus with such a strong and passionate love. But I want to have a relationship with Him. I mean thats what Christianity is. I want to love the people who don't know Jesus. And I don't want to feel like I have a greater right to His Kingdom.

Christians... Join me in trying to prevent religion from creeping up in our hearts. Join me in praying for a solid relationship with the one who ADORES us and wants us just to listen to Him. With open hearts and open minds. I will be praying for our churches may we hold fast to his love and not get caught up in this kind of religion. (:

With love,
Tessa.

My blind eyes are starting to see! (:

Lately God has been convicting my heart about something... So I'm guessing you would like to know what this is. Well the fact is that: THERE ARE LOST PEOPLE RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES E.V.E.R.D.A.Y!! I walk with them in the halls at Choudrant High School. I eat lunch with them. I talk to them on a daily basis. I even have a few in my CLOSE group of friends at school.

Why are my eyes so blind to these things most of the time? Lately I have just been looking at these people that I know dont know Jesus and their eyes... Just show hopelessness. Their eyes show searching. Wanting. Disappointed. Sadness.

How can I be so ignorant to the fact that the person sitting next to me in biology, or world geography, or anywhere might be going to a place called HELL! That just beats me up inside. Right now I'm BROKEN for these people.

I am making a decision not to hoard this gift of salvation. It is MY responsibility to make sure that my classmates know about this gift. Not just that Jesus loves them but that HE LOVES THEM WITH AN UNFAILING AND INCREDIBLE LOVE!! That he died on a cross for THEIR sins! This, is MY JOB!!

I love people & I want them to go to heaven with me...

Please Christians, Join me in this challenge. A challenge to share the gift of salvation.

With love, Tessa

The desert.

Recently it has been one of those 'seasons' to be quite honest. A season of dryness. Hunger of the spiritual kind. And wanting of fulfillment by God. The truth is... Its a hard and long time to go through. A time of not feeling like you are hearing much from God. A time of not having so much enthusiasm for his works! A time of crying and wondering. Even a time of doubting.

During these seasons I almost feel numb. Most of these days I don't want to get out of bed. There's no point in getting out of bed. Anyone who knows me knows this isnt normal for me. I generally am very positive and love getting up because I realize God has a plan for that day. But in these seasons I'm just there.

But! The great news is I am out of that season. All I had to do was pray for strength, and joy, and thirst! God answered that prayer! Thank you Jesus!

" Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6.

AMEN!

With love, Tessa

God's got a hold of me.

My dad doesn't have a job anymore. My mom isn't alive anymore. I've never stayed in one place for to long. I've lost many good friendships.

Something on my heart right now is simply just, Change. Honestly, change scares the mess out of me. I tend to grow attached to people and places. But when those things are ripped out of my life. It hurts. I want to cling to those people and things with all that I am. But when God says it's time to let go I must. Sometimes I just don't want to. This is where I fall short in my relationship with God. Why can't I just understand that God has everything under control and let Him have all of it!? This frustrates me so stinking much! I am constantly reminding myself that God has a plan and HE HAS GOT A HOLD OF ME!

So my prayer is that I will fully trust in God's plan and understand I am in His hands. No matter where He is taking me. No matter who He is removing me from. No matter what kind of hurricane life throws at me. He is here. With me.

**Please join me in prayer as my dad is searching for a job. Pray the He will go where God is guiding. (:**

Love much,
Tessa <3

Sitting here in tears...

How can this guy that I call God, Jesus, Messiah, Father, Comforter adore me?? That is my thought tonight as I sit here writing this blog in tears listening to the song "How He Loves Us." He has taking EVERY dirty mark in my heart away and filled it with his LOVEE!! I know I am not the only one amazed by this.

I think of the cross... I think of Him, The King of Kings, hanging there. I think of Blood and Water pouring from His side... as HE hung there... for me. How in the world do I think of that sometimes and not be heartbroken! Infact I am heartbroken for not being heartbroken everytime I think of my HEAVENLY FATHER hanging on a cross!!

The craziness is He turns it into beauty. The most ugly and painful picture in my mind is Him hanging there and He turns it into something BEAUTIFUL!! How you may ask. Salvation. Love. Pureness. And this is amazing. and Beautiful.

He loves us! He wants us in Heaven with Him. He died on the cross for that. He rose again three days later to conquer death. He wants us there with Him. My prayer is that you have accepted this love... And if you have not. Hit me up. I wanna tell you the rest of this amazing story. Thats all for now. (:

With love,
Tessa

Real life me.

-I love Jesus first of all.
-I love people.
-I believe God shakes you to bring you back to Him. Not to beat you down.
-I'm bad at sports. Pretty much all of them.
-Youth group is where I refresh. Its my energy boost for the week.
-It's hard for me not to talk about God... What can I say? Imma Jesusfreak!
-I like to bake cakes. But hardly eat them.
-Im waiting for my future husband! Im eager and excited to find out who he is! (:
-I have a heart for students. Just realized this about me.
-I stay busy most of my life.
-Missions is my future job. But its my life as well. Im on a mission all the time.
-I enjoy coloring.
-God is writing the story for my life. What an honor.
-I have been saved by grace.
-Randomness is very much what I live by.
-I have the Best Best Friend in the world!
-Im a happy person... At least I like to think so.
-Writing blogs is fun to me. So is life.
-Im suprised how much stuff is coming to my mind while writing random facts about me.
-I am a freshman.
-I struggle with patience. I want to be more patient.
-I struggle with not being perfect. Even though I understand I never could possibly be perfect.
-A lot of the time I just want to spin in circles like a little kid and be care free again.
-14. Finally. (:
-I pray for my friends constanly. I hope they realize that.
-Im blessed. No matter what I think.
-I want to make people happy.
-I want to make an impact.
-Love.
-This is me.
-Real life.

Ok. So this is who I am. I had no idea what to write about so I just did this. (:

With Love. Tessa

My mom...

Crazy.
Loving.
Patient.
Faithful.
Trusting God.
Fun.
Missed.

Thinking about my mom tonight I decided to write a blog about this. I dont talk much about my mom or the experience I had through her death. She died one shocking morning in January of 2008. I was 11. Although I was saddened by the fact of my mom passing away somehow I felt comfort. The truth is at the time I had no clue what was giving me peace in the time of such tragedy. Honestly, I had no relationship with Christ from the age 8 to 11. I wasnt growing although I was saved at age 5. So the peace I had during the time of mom passing away it was not automatically put in my mind as God's comfort. After mom died my family moved back to Ruston and started going to Cook again. God ROCKED MY WORLD! I realized I had to own up to what God was doing with my life. I realized that the joy and comfort I felt in the time of mourning was God rocking me as if I was a little baby. I realized that I have this amazing gift of salvation and it's important that I am growing in Christ to make and impact in people's lives the way my mom did in mine. And lastly, somehow God showed me that I will be on the mission field for Him one day.

So my mom's death was not a huge horrible, overwhelming, complicated part of my life. It turned out to be an amazing, overwhelming WAKE-UP CALL. And everyday I thank Jesus for that.

In Job, Job fell to his knees in worship to God when he found out the worst news of his life. Which shows God can give us peace in the midst of tragedy but if you look closely in the rest of Job he wasn't always understanding that God knew what He was doing. Job questioned God and MOURNED. Which brings me to the other part of my story.

Though God showed me amazing things through mom passing away I still miss her. A lot. Sometimes I wonder why He took her at such an important time in my life, teenage years. Sometimes I just had to sit there and cry (John 11:35). But I never got angry with God. Somehow HE gave me the understanding that HE was doing what HE needed to do. So yea. Its not all fine and dandy. I miss my mommy. And tonight I just want her with me. Here.

So that was a lot on my heart tonight.

With love, Tessa (:

The mission field I am going in to... SCHOOL.

School. School. School. Its so crazy to think that it is almost time to start another year in the most crazy and terrifying place for a teenager like myself! I will be going into 9th grade. Going into this year Im striving to be who God wants me to be... not who I expect myself to be along with others. If I am being who God wants me to be His love and His desires will pour out of my life. This is where the whole mission part of my school days takes place. Oh boy! High school and Junior High is rough! So many kids are mean and just SEARCHING. They are searching for what the secret is to an incredible and joyful life! We look at teenagers and dont really realize this. But talking with my friends and peers at school it's what they want!!

So I picture myself as a funnel. God pours life into me so I can pour it out on others! I am praying hard on this matter. It is key for me to be open to these students... I truly believe this is what God has me at Choudrant for... So basically Im praying for steady faith... and a strong heart. (:

k.love.Tessa

" Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, " I find no pleasure in them." " -- Ecclesiastes 12:1

Hurting people...

Oh how I love Sundays! Sitting in church today, half listening to the sermon half listening to what God was talking to me about in my mind.... I started to think. How many people in this church building are truly just hurting? I think so many times we put on our pretty little church faces with the biggest smiles on our face walk into church and face the people. But why? Honestly, that is the complete opposite of what we are supposed to do. Isnt our church FAMILY somewhere to comfort and encourage one another. But instead of doing that we just expect everyone to be happy and solid.

I do this so many times. I expect it with myself and others... But I wanna break down that wall we put up. I wanna be able to be encouraged through my struggles and encourage others through theirs! What if we changed the way our church families operated in this aspect? Be the change! (:

With love, Tessa

P.s. Im not saying that it is bad to be happy! Ok. Thats all.

Matthew 5:6 (:

All props to Amber Moore for showing me this verse when I needed it the most! I've read this verse over and over again yet never truly grasped the beauty of it!

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled."

Whoa! Right now in my life I am hungry for more of Jesus, all the time, I wanna be like this everyday of my life! I've noticed this one fact, When we are hungry for Jesus we will find Him and be filled of Him! My prayer is that I will stay hungry and thirsty for my Jesus! (:

This Summer... :)

This summer has been insane! God has used so many situations in my life to teach me and train me! To start off my amazing summer I went to New Mexico! Wow! What an Incredible experience! Going to love on those people was so fulfilling! Knowing that I was serving God while just loving on some kids was the least to say indescribable. I had an amazing team with me of some of the most servant hearted people I have ever met! While in New Mexico I was reading Job. Job was so great for me that week! I mean we were living in dirt and tents. Job taught just to keep my eye on what God was doing and preparing in this place. My circumstances ultimately did not matter! I just love the way he shows me things! :)

The second big thing was Cross Camp! Oh boy! Cross Camp is truly a great place to be! What an overwhelming feeling to be around roughly 750 students ready to learn about this awesome God of ours! Honestly, being totally stripped away from reality and placed at a college having fun and worshiping is indeed awesome! Haha! I met some incredible and inspiring people while at camp! Including this great girl who is a few years older than me and a lot like myself! Sharing mission stories and just laughing together was oh so sweet! I'm ready to hang out with this chicka more! :)

All together my summer has been stinkin amazing! Besides the mission trip and Cross Camp many youth hangouts have taken place! It has brought our youth group together in a much needed time! As school approaches I'm praying for strength for what is ahead. School is a whole mission field in itself. Im ready and willing to serve my fellow students! :) I think thats all I have for now!

With love, Tessa!

Tessa....

Hey there!

So my name is Tessa. I love Jesus and doing His work. He's changing my heart everyday. I'm a masterpiece in the making. Randomly one day I wanted to make a blog so... I did! lol! :) Most of my blogs will be more serious than this one is! So here is my first blog it's official! Pahaha! :P