This page is for my original blog Gemgirl7, Shine God’s Light. I started it in high school and it became an outlet for my various moments of teenage angst. It also became a platform for sharing some encouraging words about Christ. Most of the posts that you see below were written when I was 14, 15, and 16 years old. The grammar might be off and the posts might be short, but these articles are very special to me. This was where Awaken Love got its start, and these are the memories that I have of the “good old days.”
Truly amazing grace! (A page from my prayer journal.)
9/4/15
Dear God,
Your grace is truly amazing. It’s sufficient, powerful, and moving. It cuts the deepest and darkest parts of our souls, and heals our wounds. Last night, you opened my eyes to your grace in a way that I never imagined. Last night I was hurting; not because of my family situation, or the disappointment from others; I was hurt because I felt lonely and abandoned. I read all these romance novels and watch all the romantic movies and long for someone to fill that void of brokeness within me. Then, you snapped me out of it. You took me out of that “brokeness phase” and led me to reality. You showed me that your grace was all I needed. It’s funny, but recently my sister introduced me to a Disney movie called Big Hero 6. I know it’s weird to connect a Disney movie to the things of God, but last night this movie some how connected to all of this. I was watching the clip when Baymax showed Hiro videos of his deceased older brother Tadashi. The videos were about the creation process of Baymax. Funny enough, it took Tadashi 83 or 89 times to get the project right. During the 33rd try, Tadashi told Baymax that he wasn’t giving up on him. He told the unfinished robot that he was going to help many people and that he just didn’t know it yet.
Those words clicked in my mind. Through this clip, you showed me that that’s what you’ve been saying to me all along. These past few months have been rough, spiritually and emotionally, but you never gave up on me. Lord you continued to work with me and mold me into who you want me to be. Just like the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, and the woman with the alabaster jar, you never gave up on them. These women all had one thing in common: Grace. Lord, you didn’t look down on these women, you didn’t despise them, instead you showed them love and lavished your grace upon them; even if they didn’t deserve it. Even though they were caught in adultery, had several husbands, and slept with many men, you never gave up on them. Your grace was bigger than their sins, and deeper than their flaws. You took them by your hand, and gave them hope instead of ridicule. Thank you Lord for doing the same for me. Thank you for cleansing me, no matter how many times it took. Thank you Jesus for your amazing grace!
Love Sarah, (Your precious daughter)
Choose Life
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Deuteronomy 30 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/deu.30.19-20.NKJV
Here is some truth that you need to know: God doesn’t allow bad things to happen, he allows CHOICE to happen. Since the garden of Eden, God gave man the will to choose life or death. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose death causing sin to enter into the world. Because of that, evil exists and “bad things” are prone to happen. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witness against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (NIV).
You see, God gives us choices in life. We have to choose life. We have the power to choose how we deal with circumstances in our lives. We have the power to choose how we approach a stormy situation and we choose whether or not we seek God and the power of his word. God calls you to choose life! Choose Jesus because he is the ONLY way to eternal life and true liberty.
Family By: Sarah Fox
I have a family with a mom and dad.
We have moments that are happy, and some that are sad.
It’s pretty normal in the house,
but when you have many brothers and sisters,
it’s never as quiet as a mouse!
Family is awesome, they are the best!
They are your comfort and your rest.
Sometimes they can get on your nerves,
but you’d better listen to the advice that they serve!
God designed families to stay and be together.
To show unconditional love, no matter what kind of weather!
People, love your families, and be good to them.
They’ll be your light when life grows dim.
Love them, cherish them, make every moment a blast!
You’ll never know when that great moment might just be the last!
Thought for the Month (December 2013)
Tis the season to be jolly! It’s December! You know what that means, CHRISTMAS IS ON ITS WAY!!!!!!!! We all have traditions, whether it be building a snowman, gathering around by the fire with family, going to the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, or just spending time with family. We all say that Santa’s coming or we hurry to decorate the tree, but do we know what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is? God gave us a gift. The gift of Love. God gave us his only son, Jesus to die for us. He was born in a manger, in a stable. He was born of a virgin named Mary and his mission is to save all of us from death! So as you do your Christmas shopping and tree decorating, don’t forget about the real reason for the season: Jesus!
“A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.”- Isaiah 9:6
Get Off the Treadmill and run the race of Faith!
Imagine that you are on a treadmill. You are going at a slow pace. You say, “God look at me!” God says,”Yes, I see you.” You set the pace up a little faster. You are now jogging. “God do you see how fast I’m going?” God says, “Yes. I see you.” You set the pace up faster. You are running. “God look! No hands!” you scream. You set the pace up faster and faster. You are sprinting! “God look how fast I’m going!” God says,” I see you.” You eventually slip and fall. God looks at you on the floor. You look up at God and say, “Did you see how fast I was going?” God says, “Yes I saw, but I have a question for you. Where were you going?” That question flew right over your head. Then God kneels down and whispers, “You are not running in the race, if you’re not running with me!”
Wash it away!
Sin is like the dirt that needs to be washed away!
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”- Revelation 1:5
Are you connected?
Since Jesus is the vine and we as believers are the branches, shouldn’t we be bearing fruit if we are connected to Him? Get connected to Jesus and you will be amazed at the kind of fruit you bare.
” I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”- John 15:1 &2
Plants of the Bible (Spring Edition 2014)
Its finally April! A month of all things Spring! Since its already spring, I want to touch on the many plants in the bible and their significance. I will try my best to describe as much plants as I can during this month. All leading up to the “tree” that Jesus died on! Stay tuned!- Gemgirl7
Famous Fig Tree
In Mark 11: 12-25, we see that Jesus curses the fig tree for not bearing fruit. A few days later, Peter notices that the same tree that Jesus cursed is now dried up and dead (as Jesus stated as He cursed the tree the first time). In verse 24, Jesus says something very important: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We can learn from this very simple fig tree that our words are very powerful. Jesus cursed the tree and it died days later. Because Jesus believed that the tree would be cursed, it happened just as he said. We too have that same power! Even Jesus declared that if we say to a mountain fall into the sea, if we have enough faith, then it will be as we have said (verse 23). I believe that we all should put our faith in God to the test. Like Jesus said in verse 22, “Have faith in God!”
Mustard Madness
In Luke 17: 6, Jesus explains that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to a tree be uprooted and fall into the sea and it will obey you. This means that if you have enough faith to believe that God is going to work a miracle in the midst of your storms, He will do it! A mustard seed is the smallest seed in plant history! Yet, it grows up into one of the strongest trees in the whole world! Its root grow deep into the ground to give the tree strong support during harsh storms! This is the kind of faith that God wants us to have!
Audience of One
I’m sure you would love some publicity. Imagine your name in lights on Broadway or your face on every billboard, every city bus or on every poster in the subway station. What if everyone within the scope of America all the way to Japan knew your name. Can you picture it? Well, sometimes, we are not known by everyone. Sometimes we’re not known at all! We are known by one person, and that’s the King of kings and Lord of lords: JESUS! He knows you and wants to be with you. Its great to serve others and impress people, but people are not who we as Christians are trying to impress. We have an audience of one. We need to please God more than we do others. In Psalm 8, King David talks about God loving mankind so much that he thinks about them and wants to be with them even though he created the entire universe! Isn’t that awesome? You see, God is a much better audience than people are. I mean, hey, he sees everything you do. He listens when you talk to him, he makes time to provide for your every need, and he loves and cares for you more than you can imagine. Its great to imagine standing in front of one million people showing off your many talents, but an audience of one is better than none.
What is Christmas Poem by: Sarah Fox (December 2013-2014)
What is Christmas? Why do we celebrate this wondrous holiday?
Is it the lights, the carols, or the baby lying on a bed of hay?
Sit back, relax and enjoy your cup of hot tea.
Let me tell you all what Christmas means to me.
C is for the Christ child who was a gift from God above.
He was born in a stable, wrapped in tender care and love.
H is for Hope. The hope that Jesus brought.
The hope of everlasting life, to save mankind from naught.
R is for Redemption, the plan from way before the beginning.
The plan of the Father, to bring his creation back to its purpose for righteous living.
I is for In the city of David, the place where Jesus was born.
In the small town of Bethlehem was the first Christmas morn.
S is for Salvation, the power to save.
Jesus came to break the chains, take away the pain, and set free every slave.
T is for testament, the promise fulfilled.
After many years of prophesies, a new covenant, a new message, a new kingdom God will build.
M is for manger, that lowly resting place.
It was the crib for the humble king, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes.
The sight of the newborn king put a smile on every face.
A is for angels, who announced his birth to the shepherds.
They sang Glory to God in the highest! It was the sweetest sound that the shepherds ever heard!
S is for seek. It’s what the wise men did that day.
They gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby lying on the hay.
They followed the star, which led the way.
Never forget the gift God gave!
Its Jesus Christ and his power to save!
Thought for the Month (April 2014)
April showers bring spring flowers!! This month’s thought is to let the rain pour. We all know that Spring gives us a lot of rain before the flowers bloom. Sometimes God allows us to have rain storms in our lives in order to help us bloom and grow. Just be patient and allow God to water your garden.
Verdict: Not Guilty (2014-2015)
I was doing devotions with my family this morning and it was my turn to bring the message. At first I didn’t have anything to share (to be honest), but then I remembered the story of the woman who was caught in adultery in John 8. This story is so familiar to many of us, but yet we still miss the big picture. The thing I love most about the word of God is that it’s alive and active. You always get something new from it, even if you read the same story several times. In Bible study earlier in the week, a group of girls and I were studying this passage as a message of healing. This story is one of my favorites because it shows that God can forgive me of any sin (big or small). God’s grace is so sufficient, that it wipes away every sin! In the story, Jesus was being tested as the Pharisees asked what they should do to judge the woman. Jesus challenged their thinking in telling them that “whoever has not sinned, cast the first stone.” In that, all of her accusers left the scene. You see, many Christians love to point out the mistakes of others as if they never sinned themselves. The beautiful thing about this story is that Jesus was the only one who had the authority to condemn this woman. In his compassion, his verdict for her was: not guilty. If we would humble ourselves and come to God with our sins, we can have the same verdict as we stand blameless before God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Tug of War (2015)
This post is based on Romans 6 and the two natures of man. It is about me and really what I was thinking after bible study one day after school.
Tug of War
It gets worse. There are two people who want me. There are two people who want my soul. There are two people who have plans for my life. There are two people who are in a brutal battle for my life. There are only two options: Good or evil. I want to be on the good side, but sometimes I find myself leaning toward the bad side. I want to do what is right, but I sometimes find it much easier to do what is wrong. This constant tugging deep within me is going to drive me insane! Sometimes, I don’t know what side to be on! Both sides are persuading me to do what they want, but I just don’t know which side to choose.
I am completely bewildered by the fact that these two sides are a part of who I am. It is up to me to make the right choice. I know what that choice is, it is quite obvious, but putting this decision into action is easier said than done. I can feel the pulling deep within my spirit. I can feel each side whispering to me. These two sides are Heaven and Hell, Jesus and Satan. They both want different things for my life. Jesus wants to deliver me from the pain, from the past, and even from mistakes. He wants me to have abundant life and a wondrous eternity with Him. He wants me to reign with Him in royal priesthood. He wants me to be a part of His family, to live happily ever after in Heaven to stay.
But, there is someone else who wants the exact opposite. The Devil wants to destroy me. He wants to take my life away. He could care less if I was left for dead. All he wants is praise and worship and will do almost anything possible to get it! He hates me. He hates to see my face. To him, I am like a cold sore that pierces the upper corner of your lip with excruciating and overbearing pain. He hates my new life in Christ and will do his very best to destroy it. Thankfully, through Jesus, I am doubly protected and secure. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, NO DEVIL IN HELL will make me lose MY salvation! I am Jesus’ and Jesus is mine! We have a tight bond together that can NEVER EVER be broken! TAKE THAT SATAN!
Whew! Glad I got that off my chest! I thought. I was contemplating this on the subway platform as I was waiting for the train to arrive. Eagerly, I watched the board that had all of the arriving trains and the times of their arrival scrolling up and down. I walked to the edge of the platform and leaned forward to get a view of an oncoming train. I sighed, there was nothing yet. I went back to where I was originally standing and began to think again. It is now 5pm and still no train. Usually, an announcement would come on telling all of the waiting passengers that a train was arriving in the station.
I looked up at the board again. The next train was to arrive in 5 minutes. Still?! I thought. This train is taking forever!
God’s Home (2015)
http://bible.com/114/1jn.4.13-15.NKJV
What’s the best thing about being a Christian? Well, some would say it’s the satisfaction of knowing that all your sins are forgiven, others may say that spending eternity with God is another great thing about being a child of God. To me, the best thing about being a Christian is having God living inside your heart. Once a person believes that Jesus is Lord and that he died for your sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. I believe that this is the best part of being a Christian because the Christian lifestyle is not meant to be lived alone. Knowing that God is with you, is the greatest comfort in the world. God also promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31 : 6 ) Having the Holy Spirit inside your heart can give you the strength and confidence that it takes to live every day life. The Holy Spirit is your Counselor, Comforter, Guide, Protector, and so much more. Allow God to live in you, and your life would never be the same! Trust me, it’s the most amazing experience in my entire life!
Speechless (2016)
WELCOME TO THE 21ST CENTURY!!!
*Our Phones ~ Wireless
*Cooking ~ Fireless
*Cars ~ Keyless
*Food ~ Fatless
*Tyres ~ Tubeless
*Tools ~ Cordless
*Dress ~ Sleeveless
*Youth ~ Jobless
*Leaders ~ Shameless
*Relationships ~ Meaningless
*Attitude ~ Careless
*Wives ~ Fearless
*Babies ~ Fatherless
*Feelings ~ Heartless
*Education ~ Valueless
*Children ~ Mannerless
PARLIAMENT _, CLUELESS
MASSES – Helpless
Everything is becoming LESS but still our hope in God is ~ Endless.
In fact I am Speechless
Because Salvation remains Priceless!!!!
If you don’t share this, then I’ll be left Speechless.
Qualification vs. Perfection
*Disclaimer: I do not own the following poem:
If you don’t mind, allow me to shed some light on a myth that is going around in our society. I want you to take the time to read this very carefully: There is no such thing as a PERFECT CHRISTIAN. That’s right, a perfect Christian is non existent. The two put together are an oxymoron. Society and even the church itself has this stigma that every Christian, once they accept Christ into their lives, has to walk a perfect walk. They have to be happy all of the time, not doubt, don’t make mistakes, and just blindly walk the straight and narrow road. One Friday night, I attended a youth service at The Brooklyn Tabernacle. This particular service was all about having godly relationships. One girl gave her testimony about how she was lonely and lived in isolation until she came to the same youth meeting and found a group of friends of her own.
I enjoyed the girl’s testimony, except for the fairy-tale ending. I related to her struggle to fit in and make long lasting friendships, but I would’ve related to her story more if she would’ve talked about her continual struggle with loneliness. Being a Christian is a daily spiritual battle. The only way that we’ll ever be free from this, is when Jesus Christ comes back to take us home to Heaven. I’m not down playing this lady’s testimony, but I feel that there was a lack of that spiritual battle within her story. God doesn’t look for perfect people. All of the people that God called were not living a perfect life. Every person that God ever used,they all had some flaw that God shaped for his own glory. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise and the weak things of this world to shame the strong.
God doesn’t search for people who are living the “American dream”. God doesn’t look for “Happily ever after”. God uses broken people for a brighter purpose. A man’s works doesn’t qualify him for the Lord’s work. We are all saved by God’s grace. There was nothing that any of us could do to deserve this free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8&9). God’s grace qualifies those he calls. Through God’s grace, a person is able to live a pure life and walk in his spirit and guidance. So don’t allow the guise of perfection fool you, God loves you despite your flaws, and he has an ultimate plan for your life that confounds all those that think they are qualified. (Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 12:9). Remember, God’s grace is always enough to outweigh every flaw and every facet of your broken soul.
I’m Still Here Poem by: Sarah Fox (2016)
This week was a very rough week for me. Stress in school, termination of past relationships, and miserable people have all plagued my world. This song by Damita Haddon gave me strength as I fully submitted and cast all my cares upon God that very night. With God’s strength, I birthed this very poem from this very powerful and inspirational song. I hope that they would touch your heart and soul as it did mine.
I’m still standing,
I’m still here.
My pain tried to break me,
The Devil tried to shake me,
But I’m still here!
My heart may have been broken,
But it still beats.
My God still watches over me,
I WILL NOT SUFFER DEFEAT!
More than a Conqueror,
A warrior,
A fighter,
A winner,
A victor,
A powerful woman,
An independent woman,
A God-fearing woman,
A survivor,
A Queen,
A strong woman,
A caring woman,
A wise woman,
Royal woman,
Daughter of the King!
That’s right, I’m still standing,
By God’s grace I’m STILL HERE!!
It’s all Worth the Pain (2016)
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/heb.12.11.NKJV
Between yesterday and this morning, I have to say that God is moving. Lately, I’ve been feeling depressed and stressed out about things that I shouldn’t be worried about. In all of this, through all the tears and the pain, God was using it to help me grow. At times, training and discipline can be a challenging time. During this testing period, we often feel that God is far away from us, or we feel that we have done something to cause God to punish us. We begin to feel hopeless and stranded on a deserted island with no hope of being rescued.
I want to encourage you that in those moments, God is closer to you than you could ever imagine. During a test, the teacher is silent because the student must apply what they learned from the teacher during this test. This is the same thing when God disciplines or tests his people. It is completely normal to feel grieved and far away from God. I use to think that I did something wrong, or that I had depression and I didn’t know it. But I thank God that he revealed this verse to me this morning. I feel really stupid for thinking that I had depression, but I’m so glad that God is so patient with me.
God wants us to trust and obey him in every area of our lives. In order to get us to that level of trust, he has to refine our faith in him. This refining is a very hard time in our lives. As the olive gets pressed to bring great oil, God presses our spirits, and crushes our souls in order to squeeze out that precious treasure and oil that he desires for us to share with the world. Although this period may be stressful and tiring, we know that tribulations produce patience, patience produces character, and character produces hope. Romans 5:3&4
Milestones
Happy 1st Birthday Gemgirl7! (October 24th 2014)
It’s been a year since Gemgirl7 has been around on Word press and I just want to thank God first and foremost and all my faithful followers for being loyal even though I was late in updating the website. I thank you all and HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEMGIRL7! To God be the Glory!
Happy 2nd Birthday Gemgirl7! (October 24th 2015)
Double the years, double the blessings! Its been two terrific years of Gemgirl7! Thanks to all my followers and supporters for making these years the best years ever! “2” God be the glory!
Sarah I. Fox 
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