Broken World

One day while crying out to God, I asked Him to break my heart for what breaks His. Why on earth did I ask for that? Did you know that God is frequently heart broken. With everything that is going on in the world God has no choice but to be hurting. His creations that he so intricately created have taken His truth and traded it for a lie. We have decided that it was okay to indulge in sins that we should shun at every corner. We have decided that abortions are acceptable to end beautiful lives that God has created because 'now's not a good time for us'. It is okay to turn our back on other parts of the world such as Thailand that have to deal with sex slave trading and trafficking, after all it's not a real issue in our country. It is perfectly normal to walk past a homeless person on the street and not offer them some of our food or money that we have an excess of. We don't have to check on the orphans and the widows, after all..it's a hard-knock life. We act as though serving our brother or sister in need was a suggestion in the bible as opposed to a command. When a man speaks out publicly to praise Jesus Christ, we condemn him and tell him to be quiet because He may offend someone, but when the homosexual man comes out of the closet we pat him on the back and tell him that he is being courageous and we need more people like him in the world.  (For the record: the sin in question is not important, whether he was an adulterer, a porn addict or a liar...I love him, the person, the way Christ expects me to, I just want him to turn from his sin of choice.) We choose not to get on one accord in the entire body because of a man-made denominational system that has characteristics that should apply to every single person in Christ. God is simply heartbroken. I just want to encourage everyone to take some time and to cry out to God on behalf of our broken world. I know its easy to get caught up in our feeble little lives but we have got to remove ourselves so that Christ can be placed in the spotlight. We, the Church, have got to stop taking our reality in convenient doses. This world that we are supposed to saturate with the gospel is aching for our prayer and our touch..creation is groaning under our sin. The world needs an encounter with our Savior and we are obligated to do something about it. Your salvation is not just for you, it's for everyone else. Get over yourself and get on your knees.

-gracefully, Channing

2 Chronicles 7:14

English Standard Version (ESV)

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Up Close & Personal Kinda God

7 Continents
204 Countries
8 Billion People
And the All-Powerful God of all existence cares about YOU.

Sometime I just take a look around at this expansive home we call Earth & my mind is totally blown. There are 8 Billion people on this Earth, some of which who have done way more impressive things than I have, yet the Great God of Heaven & Earth cares enough of me to give me peace on a bad day.  It is simply amazing to know that God is so massive & powerful that He can do this for ALL of His creation at one time. He is such an up close & personal kinda God.  He is the ultimate panacea for any problem or situation that you're facing.

 He has the answer. He is the answer. He is the Great I Am.

I just want to encourage you and let you know that the exclusive love that God has for you is what He has for you and you alone. There is not another person on this Earth that God loves the way that He loves you. You are truly something special in His eyes. You're beautiful, you're unique, you're intelligent. You were created with a purpose that is exclusive to only you. God's special care for you is a direct reflection of His special love for you and only you. Beloved, God cares for you when you're dealing with the death of a relative or cramping from your monthly cycle. He's there to provide peace and reassurance when you fail a test as well as to rejoice with you when you get a new job. He provides guidance as well as needed-chastisements all while reigning as the Almighty God. #Boss. He's big, He's amazing, & His love for you runs deep. He longs to be up close & personal with you. He wants to spend every waking moment with you. He is head over heels in love with you. He proved his love for you with 3 nails and an ol' rugged cross. Be encouraged loves and know that God truly does love you.


(-gracefully Channing]

Bound4Life

I can only imagine the cries of the unborn child just before his life is ended by an abortion. I would imagine that if he could speak, he would say something like, "Somebody help me please, save me! Give me a chance to live. Why are you killing me?" As loud as the unborn child cried out, it would fall on deaf ears because someone had decided to abort this beautiful soul. A precious little spirit that had been dispatched from the great God of Heaven to come and transform the Earth would have his mission aborted. As I've grown in Christ, I've realized that the biggest problem with abortion isn't just that innocent children (not a fetus or embryo, but a child) are being murdered. One of the biggest problems that I can see is that we have taken God's perfect will and traded it for our own blasphemous, deceptive will that spits in the face of God. When God made each and every one of us, He granted each of us a purpose on this Earth. When we take something that God purposed to exist and we terminate it, we have taken the place of God. We have told God that His will is despicable and we can do better. When we end a life with abortion, we break the very heart of God. Psalms 139 tells that we God formed our inward parts, He so intricately put us together piece by piece and I imagine He spent a lot of time and dedication on each of us until we were perfect in His sight. Before the foundations of the Earth He spent countless hours perfecting us only for us to make a rash decision to KILL the beautiful life he created. Someone is going to have to stand in the gap for the voiceless. Someone will have to cry out for the saving of their lives.

Will it be you?

 I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of  Bound4Life prayers and it is truly a life changing experience. If you've never heard of this organization they are a non-profit organization who wants to stop abortions. What they do is go outside of abortion clinics and courthouses and they put red tape over their lips which reads :LIFE. You can not talk during this hour, you can only pray.

 I encourage you today to stand up for the unborn. They need a voice that will cry out on their behalf. They don't need you to be silent, they can handle that themselves. I also would like to say that if you have had an abortion in the past, it was just that: the past ! The good thing about God is that He grants us grace to cover our sins. It is not too late for you to give your life to Christ and to let Him heal you of your past abortion. If God can save me, there is no question what He can do for you. God is constantly in the forgiving and saving business. I love you guys & I pray that together we can make an effort to step up and cry out for those who can't cry out for themselves.

(-gracefully, Channing]

Did you just say that?

A couple of days ago on Pintrest I came across a picture that gave a little exercise that would help you think before you speak. I don't know about you but my brain-to-mouth filter is frequently out of order and unfortunately a lot of times, what comes up, comes out. In this past 4 year relationship that I've grown with Christ one of the biggest lessons I had to learn was how to bridle my tongue. When I first came to the Gathering (my super awesome college ministry led by none other than Tim 'PT' Johnson)  as a freshman I had a really nasty attitude. I didn't know how to be nice or how to give a compliment. My only objective was to say something rude and demeaning to you before you had the chance to say something hurtful to me. The root of the issue was plain to see: INSECURITY. I was not confident in the person that God made me to be so therefore I felt everyone was out to hurt me and as a result I equipped myself with a shield of attitude and vulgarity. I was determined to hurt you so bad that you would never have a chance to hurt me. As I started to grow in Christ, He revealed to me my funky attitude and He showed me how it had an affect on the way people dealt and interacted with me. He showed me that a lot of people didn't like me because I had such a jacked up attitude, the rudeness was getting me nowhere. So I say that to say this, the things that you say can have an impact on the entire world around you. James 3 tells us that the tongue is a tiny organ that can control the whole body just as a tiny spark can cause a forest fire! Proverbs 18 tells us that death & life are in the power of the tongue. This should show us the importance of bridling our tongues but if that doesn't do it for you let me keep going. Proverbs 21:23 "Whoever keeps his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of danger. Ephesians 4: 29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."  James 1:26 "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." Matthew 15:11  “Hear and understand:it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” So as you can see, the bible has a lot to say on the importance of taming the tongue. I'd like to share this little exercise with you so hopefully the next time you're about to open your mouth and speak recklessly, you'll T-H-I-N-K before you speak. 

Ask yourself each of the following questions

T-Is it true? Often times we will speculates, exaggerate or just flat out lie, but what does that say about our integrity. Our validity? Will people still consider us a trustworthy source or will they dismiss anything else we ever tell them. If something is not true it simply shouldn't be stated

H- Is it helpful? I know that I am the queen of piping with useless information that is providing assistance to absolutely no one.If you add your 2 cents will it help come up with a dollar or is it simply 2 cents that can't be used for anything.  If you don't have anything to state that is helpful to the situation or will help provide a solution, it may be appropriate to keep it to yourself.

I-Is it inspiring? Once again I have to correct admit that I'm severely guilty of this. My niece constantly calls me a dream-crusher because I'm quick to tell her that she sounds horrible when she sings and that she does not have a future in the music industry. Am I telling the truth? Very likely. Did I inspire her and tell her that she can do anything under the Son that is in the will of God? Not at all. People have the world that is there to disgrace them, they don't need it in the body of believers as well. If you can't be encouraging & inspiring then it may be appropriate once again to keep it to yourself.

N- Is it necessary? Have you ever met someone who just always had something unnecessary to say, especially when no one asked them? They could never let the conversation rest until they took it way too far and stated everything that they felt was necessary for the conversation to continue. I'm sure everyone has met a person like that, and if you haven't you very well may be that person. Once again if you're not apart of the solution then you are part of the problem. Make sure that all your input is needed and welcomed.

K- Is it kind? I'll be the first to admit that I struggle in this department. It is honestly easier for me to fire off an insult than to say something nice. I seriously have to be intentional with almost every compliment or encouraging word that I give. That doesn't mean I'm being fake with my compliments, they are truly sincere but its honestly not in my natural inclination to give a compliment. It took someone to sit me down one day and tell me that what I considered jokes were actually hurting their feelings and for once it would be nice to receive a compliment. That was over 2 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. If you can't find anything kind and gracious to say then be quiet.

I'd like to encourage you today to be thoughtful with the words that you speak. You can either build someone up to the highest mountain, or you can drown them in the lowest valley all at the flick of a tongue.

(-gracefully, Channing]

What's On The Inside Of You?

Here recently I've been thinking what did God see in me that made Him want to save me? I mean seriously like my last blog stated I am the worst of sinners, or at least I truly feel I am. I've always wondered since I have been saved why me? Of all the people Christ could have saved, he choose me; a county girl from Mississippi who was 100% okay living this watered down Christ-less lifestyle not fully aware that I was headed for hell. Don't get me wrong, I AM THANKFUL FOR GRACE!!! So thankful I got it tattooed on my wrist. I'm really grateful that God decided to choose me, but I was really curious to know why. A few nights ago I was laying in the bed after prayer time just before I slipped into unconsciousness and the Spirit spoke and said: "What has God placed inside of you that is so valuable that He would save you to get it out?" I quickly jotted it down in my phone, thought about it for a brief second and passed out. The more I sit and meditate on it I realized that there is a purpose that is inside of me that is strictly for me. No body else has this purpose, no body else can do it. Jeremiah 1:5 states "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.." God created us before the foundations of the world were laid (Ephesians 1:4). How amazing is God; before Earth was even Earth He created me and birthed a purpose inside of me. My Father knew me from before the beginning, he didn't just meet me on May 20, 1990 at 7:58 am. My Father created me and He placed something special on the inside of me, just as He did for you. I know sometimes in life you may not have a clue why you are here. You look around and your  fellow believers all seem to be walking out in their purpose, and you're just sitting there not really knowing where you fit in. I want to encourage you that you too have a purpose. There is a reason that God saved you. It was because He placed something on the inside of you when He created you that He is desperate to get out! God didn't place your purpose inside of you so you can be an 'Amen Pastor Pew Member' until your 50. NO! God wants you operating in your purpose while you still have youth and use. Not to say that God doesn't save and use 90 year olds, because He does, however they are at the end of their life. They don't have much left to dedicate to God and His ministry. I encourage anyone who doesn't quite understand why they are on this earth to stop what you're doing (even reading my blog), fall on your knees and cry out to the Father for guidance and direction, link up with a community of believers, talk to some spiritual elders who can help you...Do whatever it is you have to do to find out why you walk this Earth.  God loves you more than life, and He didn't just created you for the fun of it, there was a reason...a Purpose.

(-gracefully, Channing]

I'm guilty and I accept the plea

So the other night in Bible Study we were talking about out past sins and how there needed to be admittance, acceptance & repentance. We talked about allocation and how you needed to admit your guilt in full detail to receive a plea bargain. A plea bargain can only work if you are willing to admit that you were guilty, if not be prepared to go trial and give an account yourself. The truth of the matter is that we are SINNERS, we couldn't save ourselves. We needed a savior and only Jesus Christ could do it. I’m guilty of sin, and I need to admit it so that I can accept the plea bargain that Jesus Christ offered on the cross. I was guilty of…fornication, porn watching, masturbation, lust, bicuriosity,  pride, being a Pharisee, lying, scheming, conniving, cheating, hatred, spite, envy, insecurity, self-hate, sarcasm as a result of insecurity, manipulation, cursing, anger, excessive unnecessary attitude, excessive drinking, hypocrite, ambitious, gossiper, a lack of identity, blasphemy, judgmental, and living outside of my financial means to name a few. Today I encourage you be free from the guilt of sin. Christ Jesus already came and died so you & I could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). You can think that I’m crazy but I don’t care because I have FREEDOM. I encourage you to face your past because if you don’t have a past, you don’t have a Christ. I’m guilty, and I accept the plea!

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

-1^st Timothy 1:15-16

New Mindset, New Blog

Well allow me to introduce myself. My name is Channing LaRose commonly known as @chan_kan on Twitter & Instagram. I am a 22 year old Senior at The University of South Alabama. I will be graduating in December of 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Health Care with a concentration in Health Care Management and a minor in EMS. I am currently a dispatcher & EMT at a private ambulance company. I'm a pretty average, ordinary young woman who serves an Extraordinary God. I accepted Christ Jesus as my savior & Lord my sophomore year of college, and my life has not been the same since then. I decided to start a blog to share with anyone who is willing to listen (or read) the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as to chronicle my journey in growing up in Christ and life. I'm slowly discovering my purpose in this life and I'm learning so much about life in the process. I think God has something amazing planned for my life and he impregnated me with my purpose before I was in my mothers womb. I believe that the trials that I face in this life is God pruning & purifying me for my purpose. Life is a journey & I'd like to share it with you, so thanks for reading and please be patient with me as I get started with my first blog.

(-gracefully, Channing]