What I Believe.

You've heard the lectures.. you've been to church, maybe church(es). You feel like everything is the same and people are getting on your nerves with the same.. "You're going to hell! blah blah.. Jesus is the way! Christ died for yeew! Beliiieve in his son!" You've given up on religion. God. Nothing works. It's all fake and ellaborated. Did you ever try to look past the way people put it and see the real story?

My story is what I believe.

I believe that somone actually made a sacrifice for me. (Saying sacrafice, I'm saying that he took my place for having to pay for all the stupid things I've done in my life. That's alot, haha.) I find it hard to believe that one of the greatest things out there could actually love me so much as to give their life for me so I wouldn't have to suffer my own consequences. I believe in Jesus. God (as many know his name). He knows me inside and out (as much as I've tried to deny it) He's someone I can call.. "my first dad", haha, so to speak. Without God, I wouldn't be here. If he never loved me, I wouldn't be here. I believe in saying thank you. Pretty much saying, "Thanks for saving my life." None of that, speaking in tongue.. none of that, "what you have to say isn't good enough" kind of stuff because blah blah. He doesn't care how I say it. He loves however I say it. Basically an expression of how thankful I am. I show my appreciation.  I believe in worship and in my own way. Whether it's in my house or whatever. You don't just have to worship in a church alone. You don't have to be preacher jones or father so and so. He doesn't care if your poor.. if you're rich.. if you're famous or if your a tomato farmer. I think the best thing about him is that I don't have to be perfect. I can mess up big and he's still there, never leaving, and ready to forgive me like that. Now, I've heard accountless statements of, "If he's so real, then why did my mom die? Or.. why would he let this situation happen?". I think the problem is that people expect that, when you have God, or when you ask him to save you, things are going to be free and easy. Like nothing bad is going to happen anymore.. like.. some kind of miracle where you never have problems and everything gets solved and worked out. Unfortunately, we still live in this world. (A world where we temporarily have to live.) Bad things happen, but the thing is, we don't have to go through it alone. He's there for us to talk to and he's there to help us turn the right way in life. The hardest thing is listening and waiting. I mean, it's not going to be like some burning bush sign, I guess you just know what to do. He helps you make decisions. Most of the time, not the ones we'd like.. oh man.. definately not the ones we'd like it to be. But, in the end, it's where we find ourselves better off. There are so many things in life that are sugar coated. They seem sweet at first, but once we get ourselves into them, we can find bitter endings.  He wants us to be happy.. no matter how miserable it seems, he has a reason and we just have to trust him. I believe that a church is where people can worship as one group. Expressing thanks as one whole group. A sort of "family" I guess you could say. A family of the ones that let this wonderful person save them because they believed he could. Because he gave them life and forgiveness. I believe I owe him everything and I believe that he's the only way we can get out of this world alive. How do I know? Because he is. How can I prove it? Because I'm still here. I've been saved.

What is heaven? I've heard heaven described in some interesting ways that umm.. haha, can be confusing. Heaven is basically the good place. Heaven is everything good. Imagine a world where nothing bad ever happens. Nothing but pure bliss 24/7. Pretty great and.. possible.

Want to know how to get there?

First off, and honestly one of the most ridiculous things I've heard is.. "Be a good person". People, this is stupid. Yes, be a good person. Being a good person is all well and dandy, but this will NOT get you into heaven. The only thing that will get you into the best place in the world is to be perfect. That means.. you've never done anything bad in your life. If you have, you have to pay for it. The penalty.. death. Haa! And uhh let's see.. that would be... everyone.  I guess we're all doomed, right? Wrong. Human sacrifice? Nope. Super awesome ceremony? Nope. One thing. Forgiveness. But.. you say, anyone can offer forgiveness. Yes, but they would have to be perfect. The only perfect person is well.. the only one that can save us. God, or Jesus (same thing pretty much). And.. the only thing we have to do is say, "I know you can save me. Forgive me because well.. I'm not perfect. I'm sorry. Please take control of my crazy life and guide me through it.." (Or however you put it) And he says, yes. Your debt has been paid and you're free. It's that easy. You can't lose it. He's always there to say yes again. Why? The typical, but true answer of, he loves you more.

Short topic:

The bible.

I see it as a big story book/life guide. Some of them have fancy words, but basically, it tells you how to have a good life. It tells of how he helped people back when and it tells of what's going to happen. Pretty much everything, haha. What you need to know. Try to get past the whole, "world look"of thou! and thouest art!. Read it as you would your history book.  Like a map for your journey. Let it help you and take it's knowledge wherever you go.

And... at last closing.. this has been another opinion of Rachel . Love it or hate it, I'm just saying what I think playa's.