Why 2017 Was A Great Year To Me

Hellooooo everyone! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a long time, I honestly had like 3 or 4 ideas for blog posts, and started them, but never finished them. Buuut here I am, actually posting. XD

I honestly don't know why I haven't posted in so long, I keep starting posts, then getting lazy. o.o

I really do love writing for this blog though. I feel like I can just really be myself, and be open about a lot of things.

Anywho, I did want to do one last post before 2018!

Today, I wanted to talk about why 2017 was a great year to me. So, before I get lazy and just stop typing right here (XD), let's get to the post!

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This year, I really, truly felt closer to God. Years past, I would feel closer to God for a time, but again and again would just drift away. I would try reading my Bible, but never would get into the habit of reading it everyday.

But this year, God really did help me draw closer to Him. Truly draw closer to Him. Not just "I'm reading my Bible every other day, so I'm good." Sorta thing, but actually reading my Bible everyday, wanting watching sermons, and stuff like that.

I feel God really used Passion City Church to help me with a lot of things. I feel after watching Louie Giglio's sermons, really helped me draw closer to God, and even overcome my anxiety.

I had really bad anxiety, and it was getting to the point where every single day I would have anxiety. When I started watching Louie Giglio's sermon series, 'Goliath Must Fall', I realized I could relate so much to what he once went through when he had anxiety.

I can't really pinpoint an exact moment, but I feel it was a process of watching his sermons, that really seemed to draw me closer to God, and overcome my anxiety. It wasn't like a certain thing Louie said- it was all just a process that seemed to change my life forever.

Currently I'm reading a year long devotional that Louie wrote an introduction for, and he said how there's a difference from knowing about God, and knowing God. Which really is so true. Years past, I knew a lot about God, but this year I feel I really know God if that makes sense.

So I really think that was the absolute highlight of my year. Really knowing God. ^.^

Even if this year wasn't the best for you, and things didn't come out how you anticipated, there's still hope. There's still God. Knowing that you can come to God, He has never forgotten you, and he truly can do miracles in your life, is something that should make your year so much better.

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On my other blog, I normally include a Bible verse at the end of every post. Since I didn't include a Bible verse above, I thought I'd share this passage with you guys.

Psalm 23 (NIV)

A psalm of David.

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

A common, but beautiful piece of scripture! I read this one almost every morning.

I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve, and a wonderful beginning of your year! I'll hopefully be posting again soon. I might start doing monthly posts, instead of weekly/daily posts. We'll see though, I might pop in sooner! ^.^

~FlamingArrow

Worth

Hellooooo there! I'm finally back with another post! I know, I haven't posted since October 20th, huh? 😳 I blame that on school and laziness. Heh.

Well, I promise that won't happen again! I'll probably only take long breaks like that during the holidays and stuff. And near the end of the month, since me and my parents are going on vacation.

Anywho! Let's get into the..
Inspirational post(?)
Devotional(???)
Posts by Flaming

Well yeah, it is a post by Flaming..
Errr anyways, let's get started!

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Photo credit: ccmmagazine.com Twitter website gadget

It's easy to think that just based on what people think about us, completely defines us. Or even- what you think people define you as. It could be one little thing you did, or said, that completely makes you think that everyone else looks at you differently now. 

I remember a few months back in Youth Group, there was a little activity my dad (he's the pastor) had us do. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was something like, you had to write down five things that you want to be when you're an adult. I thought (for whatever reason) that it was like a sentence of what you want to be when you're an adult. I wrote my down, and my dad had everyone share what they wrote down. I shared mine, and I'm pretty sure that my dad said that wasn't what he mean't. And- everyone started laughing.

It's a small thing, but it hurt. I'm pretty sure after that I couldn't focus at all. I don't even remember the point of the activity. All I could think about was that moment. At the time, I wished I never had to go back in Youth Group. But, that wasn't an option.

From that point forward, I barely say anything in Youth Group, and answer any questions, unless I'm 100% sure that I have the right answer.

But that moment in time doesn't define me. And if anything happened in your life, and you think people feel less of you, that doesn't define your life.

The truth is, even if you think someone thinks less of you (or they do), you are worth so much more than what they think about you in God's eyes. God loves you, and cares about you, to Him, you're worth so much, and to Him, you're precious.

Proverbs 3:15 (NIV)

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

A beautiful, and true verse. Think about that today. No matter what people think about you, or what you think someone thinks you're worth, you're worth so much to God.

Yeah, that time in Youth Group was pretty embarrassing, and I don't know what people thought about me right then, but who cares what people think, when you have a God who made the whole galaxy and everything in it, yet still cares about you, and everything in your life? 

~FlamingArrow

Introduction Post!

Hello there! I see you've stumbled across this little blog of mine 😜. I'm FlamingArrow, and before we jump into these um-

What do we call these?

Encouraging posts?

Christian blog posts?

Err- I guess we'll come up with that as we go along..

I wanted to give a little introduction post! ^.^

First, let's talk a bit about why I started this blog, and what the future posts are going to be like.

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I'm homeschooled, and am honestly super shy. I have no friends in real life- just friends on an online game. I felt like either all my online friends are Christians, or they aren't, and if I tell them about my faith, they'll just get mad.

I felt I had no way to really share my faith, except through blogging. I've been blogging for quite a while now (I want to say three years? About one year on my first blog, and I just celebrated my second year on another), and on, what is now the main blog I write for, I always include Bible verses and time to time would talk about my faith.

But was that enough to give people enough hope, and find faith in Christ?

Some people say the Bible verses are good, or that from seeing my faith helped them grow in Christ. But I really want something just dedicated to finding faith in Christ, and giving them hope when teens/teens find themselves in hard situations.

..So, I made this blog! Flaming Arrow For Jesus. This blog will be aimed towards girls that are my age (tweens/teens), and the posts on this blog will be just that. Blog posts to give girls hope in the hard times, and also how they can become a Christian. I'll also post about Christian music time to time, since I'm obsessed with it. 😉

This blog is still a work in progress, so I still need to add gadgets, make a header, etc.. Hopefully things will be up and running soon!

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Aaand now I wanted to talk about the meaning behind my Blogger name!

Louie Giglio, a pastor from a big church in Atlanta, Georgia called Passion City Church, once did a sermon series that we watched on RightNow Media, (a website/app that has lots of sermons on it). He gave an analogy about a flaming arrow, and used this image:

What the flaming arrow represents, is pretty much us being on fire for Jesus.

The tip represents Jesus' name, and since it's a flaming arrow, when it lands, it becomes a wildfire. The actual 'triangle' part of the arrow, represents the gospel in our mouths, a part of the arrow (from the looks of it) is the spirit and us are woven together as the arrow, and The Word is what guides us. 

I absolutely love this picture of being a flaming arrow for Jesus. Good name for a blog, eh?

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Well, I hope this blog encourages you! Be sure to spread the word about it, to give your friends some encouragement too.

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Like on my main blog, I'd like to give you all a Bible verse! The version the verses will be on this blog are in NLT (New Living Translation). I personally use NIV (New International Version), but I like this version too.

Hebrews 12:1

.. let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

I love this verse! ^.^

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Have a great day!

~FlamingArrow