perfection

Every pk knows the feeling we all deny it but it's there. We have all tried so hard to make people think we're perfect but wen do not we don't need to be. We don't owe anyone perfection. We can't be perfect. We do reflect our parents but they aren't perfect so why should we be? My parents taught a parenting class for a couple years which just added to the pressure to be perfect. Some family friends have told me multiple times "Be yourself not your father's daughter," but that's been hard for me, really, really, hard. Yet showing people my mistakes has helped me. I am part of small group at the church where we just talk about our mistakes which has helped a lot and I would definantely recommend that to every pk, your small group will need to be filled with people you trust and that trust you. But, if you don't trust anyone at your church then join one that has people that trust you.

A friend named Nate (he helps at our pk retreat) was speaking once and said "the expectation of perfection is the same as the feeling of needing to fit in." That really strikes me oddly I never felt the need to fit in so the realization of the fact that I have felt the need to fit in, that's so life changing. Nate had an amazing service that morning. Some of his points were

1)We don't have to be perfect

2) We need to be an example pk or not

1 Timothy 4:12

3) You don't have to be perfect

Perfection is something we've all pursued admit it or not. Yet none of us have gotten it. It's a commonality with all pks we need to remember we don't owe perfection to anyone. We are our own people, not a mini version of our parents, but unique individuals.

I Am the Audience part 2

    If you read I Am the Audience and loved it, I'm glad. If you found that you were a lot like the person in that story, you were probably thinking something along the lines of: "Ok, good, some one like me that understands and can feel sorry for me because I have a hard life." If you thought anything that remotely suggested that, oh man, you were so wrong. I don't mean to be rude but that's just the way it is. If you are like the person in the story of I Am the Audience, you might stop reading this now. If that idea even crossed your mind, I strongly urge you to KEEP READING! You may be in a hard place right now but that is NO EXCUSE to dwell in that! We probably all have our moments where we feel like the world is crashing down on us and we're all alone. There is nothing wrong with that, the problem is staying in that place and not working to come out of it. Yes, life is hard and we're hurt sometimes but it is not okay to hold all of that inside to grow and expand. Sometimes as people, that leads to not being able to trust other people, which is not healthy at all! Sure you could have had a bad experience or two where somebody you loved and trusted failed you. It hurts, I know! But we have to learn how to come out of it and trust again. There is a reason bad things happen to us, we usually don't know why it's happening but sometimes we find out later on. We may never know. But there is a reason and we need to learn to trust God to get us through it. There's that word again...trust. But it's SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO! Here are six lies the enemy tells us about being pks:

1) God doesn't care about you, if he did, you wouldn't have such a hard life.
2) It's okay to not trust.

3)It's okay to be bitter.
4)It's okay to hate.
5) You can't  break down in front of anybody.
6) You have to be perfect.

    You don't even have to be a pk to think these things, us as humans are prone to believe them. They are such awful lies that if you believe them, they will only make your life miserable. Satan will do anything it takes to make you believe them so you can't make a difference in the world... Don't let him. So how can you keep away from believing these lies? Let's start with 1: God doesn't care about you, if he did, you wouldn't have such a hard life. If you find yourself believing this lie, deep in your heart you probably know how COMPLETELY UNTRUE that is. God loves you SO MUCH! I know, you probably hear that "Jesus loves you!" so many times you'd punch the next person who tells you that but it's so true! God wants to have a relationship with you, isn't that amazing? I think it is!
    The second lie is that it's okay to not trust. This is a harder one to get over. It's so easy to believe sometimes! If you were hurt by some one you trusted this can be especially hard. Start out by praying, this is hard. Talk to God about what happened that made it hard for you to trust, pour out your heart to him. He'll listen to you and won't hurt you later on. After beginning to trust God, the next step is to trust people - even harder. Starting with your parents is the best thing you can do. Ask them to help you work through it and pray with you. It will be hard but so worth it!

(To be continued)

Want the first part to I Am the Audience? Click here!

Masks

     Alright, so everyone has a "mask." Whether they're a pk or not. Whether it's the goodie-two-shoes, the jock, the quiet one, the hyper one, and so many others. Very few people have actually seen behind mine. Not very many people see beyond yours right? Yet behind the masks our lives may be so perfect and nothing is wrong, or it may be so broken and painful. Your world could be falling apart totally and completely, maybe nobody knows. Your probably feel so alone like no one could every know how your world is broken. Have faith! It will end soon, this is a season where God is testing you getting you ready to be used in more powerful ways. He's got his hand of protection over you. He loves you unconditionally. Our lives are different yes. Harder? Maybe. Filled with more God? DEFINITLY!!! Think about it, you have more Godly influences than most teens. Our lives are blessed. This may be a hard season but you'll get through it. God has a purpose and a plan for your life.