4 Practical Reasons I Stopped Drinking Wine

Because Jesus never turned water into beer.

1. It satisfied me in a way that God wanted to satisfy me.

When I got into a car accident while drinking & driving, I said I’d never drink hard liquor again. From that point on, I vowed to only drink wine. (Wait...no. Not only wine. I still had water and juice and stuff like that. Just no liquor.)

One year later I began living for Jesus Christ. Every. Thing. Changed. (Wait...no. Not...everything.)

Wine was still very much a thing in my life. On Friday nights, I would race home from work (as quick as one can “race” home on DC metro, that is) to get in bed with a glass of wine. I used the wine as a way of escape. It relieved my mind of the stress that came with a full-week of class, work, and adulting.

One day, while studying God’s word, the Holy Spirit revealed that He wanted to be the One to give me rest from my busy schedule. There was a void He wanted to fill. Only problem? I was already (temporarily) filling that void with wine.

I hadn’t realized before, but I was using wine to satisfy myself in a way that God desired to satisfy me. So, I wasn’t truly satisfied in Him...alone.

Because I am righteous, I will see you.When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. (Psalm 17:15)

2. It actually was...getting me drunk.

Back in the day, I used a class system to determine my level of intoxication. 

Good. 

Tipsy. 

Gettin’ there. 

Drunk. 

Wasted. 

There. (Where am I?)

Surely, wine was just getting me…”Good.” Okay, tipsy. At best. As long as I’m not getting drunk, I’m good. Right?

I noticed, however, as I was drinking, my mood was changing. The way I made decisions – that changed too. It became difficult to make a truly sound decision. Wine was impairing my mental abilities, which turns out, is the exact definition of “drunk.”

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

3. It was causing others to stumble.

My friends, who never even had the desire to drink wine, wanted wine all of sudden. Wait. But why.

Me to them:

My best friend felt like I was pressuring her to drink.

Her to me:

Long story short, it got in the way. 

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.
(Romans 14:21)

4. It paired nicely with...other bad habits. 

When I cuddled up with a glass of wine, I wasn’t reading my bible. Nope. I was watching TV shows. Shows I wouldn’t have felt comfortable watching if I wasn’t…”Good.” (Disclaimer: Shows that I may or may not have used as animations to prove my point in this blog post. Ugh. Sue me.)

When I stopped drinking the wine. I stopped watching the shows. Looking back, I can't believe I even liked those shows. So weird. It's like I was...drunk...or something.

• • •

If this post was at all decent, please feel free to share it! 

Do you have a similar (or totally different) testimony? I'd love to hear it. Let me know in the comments below!

Never miss a post!

Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook.

This other post briefly mentions drinking wine, if you're into this!

3 Things I Always Do When I Am Experiencing Contentment

I'm not always content, but when I am-

1. I plan and pray for today.

Sometimes I dream about the future. Not intentionally...I just do.

I think about the things God has revealed to me concerning my purpose and I begin to imagine different scenarios. I pray about those hypothetical moments and dwell on them until they consume a huge portion of my thought life.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with praying about the future or even dreaming, by any means. In fact, the problem isn’t what I’m doing- it’s what I’m not doing.

Far too often, I am so consumed with what might be, that I ignore what already is.

I’m praying about a vision I have, but I totally neglect to surrender my will to Christ and submit my day to Him. I haven’t thanked Him, lately, for the job I already have or for my good health.

A true sign of contentment is when I have the self-control to focus on what the Lord is doing in my life, right now!

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34)


2. I can rest.

Children are starving. There isn’t any clean water to drink. Christians are being killed. Abortion is normal. And apparently everything under the sun causes cancer. Also the sun. The sun causes cancer.

And with all these problems- Who has time for rest, am I right?

Well...God did.

God was busy creating the world when He decided to chill out for a minute. The entire world! How much more do we need rest as we exhaust our limited strength maintaining our own little worlds?

The ability to rest is a sure sign of contentment and trust in the Lord. It reveals that we are satisfied with what God already did, yet we will still continue to press on and be used as vessels for what He continues to do.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3)


3. I can commit to something.

I've learned that I am not as content as I'd like to think I am. Instead, I've used being "content in the Lord" as an excuse to not commit to much of anything.

While it's true that as everything around me changes, Christ is the one thing that remains the same- it doesn't mean everything should always be changing.

Real contentment is the ability to be responsible and maintain, non-religious, healthy routines that benefit my relationship with the Lord and fulfill His will for my life.

Contentment fuels the ability to do all things- and the only thing more rewarding than being able to do anything is being able to do exactly what God tells me to do.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Never miss a post!
Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook. 

  
If this post was helpful, be sure to share it on social media! How do you know when you're content? I'd love to know :)

3 Extremely Practical Things I Do To Host The Holy Spirit

I've learned that if I don't actively and intentionally pursue the Holy Spirit, there's only a matter of time before my flesh reclaims its former role, as ruler of my heart.These are a few of the ways I reinforce the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. 1. Get enough sleep. This isn’t always easy. Sometimes I get really busy with work, school or other obligations and I can’t exactly get a full night's sleep, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.

I’m referring to the nights I’m up, tirelessly scrolling through social media apps on my phone. The nights I have aimless conversations that drag on for hours after they were supposed to end. The days I spend more time procrastinating than actually doing. The nights, for one illegitimate reason or another, I simply do not get enough sleep. 

When I am excessively tired, I have minimal energy and I become very un-alert. Naturally, the enemy jumps on the opportunity to take advantage of my unawareness and finds ways to influence my thoughts and even my decisions. Sometimes I can't even explain why I did what I just did.

On the flipside, when I get enough sleep I am cultivating a home (body) for the Holy Spirit that is ready and energized for the tasks at hand. By God’s grace I am watchful and have discernment to cast down thoughts and make choices that ultimately glorify Christ and benefit our relationship.

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” - Exodus 33:14

 2. Only listen to worship music.

Music is powerful. Before I gave my life to Christ, I loved listening to Kendrick Lamar. I thought I could relate to the lyrics and themes of certain secular songs so much. I could. I didn’t have an active relationship with the Holy Spirit and the lyrics to secular songs described my lifestyle and my feels. I walked around creating problems in my head...that I didn't even have.

Letting go of KL’s music was actually the very last thing the Lord told me to do, before I experienced freedom for the very first time in my entire life! If I knew what I was about to witness once I let go of secular music, I would have dropped it a loooonnnnnggg time ago.

I haven’t went back since. I don’t listen to any music that wasn’t specifically created to intentionally glorify Jesus Christ, alone. Not because I think it makes me holy (trust me, I’m the least of em) but because it’s the only sound that resonates with my Spirit. The Holy Spirit inside of me is in perfect unison with the Father and the Son, therefore I long to sing praises to the Lord. It literally revitalizes me.

Besides, the Lord has made it very clear to me, personally, that when I play certain songs, I am inviting spirits in my home. It would be foolish to anoint my home, cover it with the blood of Jesus- then open the windows to welcome all sorts of spirits. That’s called insanity. And I honestly don’t have time for that right now. I need sleep, remember?
Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day. - Psalm 71:8

3. Pray bible verses. 

Have you ever moved away from your hometown- or maybe went away to college- and been in a completely new environment? Then you randomly run into someone who is from the same place as you (or maybe went to the same school) and you immediately hit it off?

Even if, on any other day, you’d most likely never talk to the person, in that moment the two of you are totally in sync. You start name-dropping old places & people and suddenly there’s all this nostalgia. All the feels!

That’s how I imagine the Holy Spirit feels when I pray bible verses. Even if thoughts have entered my mind throughout the day that are contrary to His word, when I pray God's word and promises, the Holy Spirit is basically like, "#Squaaaadddddddddddd."

On a practical level, praying bible verses is incredibly convenient when I simply don’t have the words to say. Because, frankly, I don't have the answers. Praying God's word positions my heart in a place of gratitude and confidence in the Lord.


Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26

Never miss a post!
Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook. 

  
If these tips were helpful, be sure to share them on social media! How do you host the Holy Spirit? I'd love to know :)

3 Fears We All Face (And What God Says About Them)

It is God's will for us to walk in love and not in fear. However, the enemy uses fear to cripple us and limit our potential to grow in the Lord. Here are three common fears many of us face - and what God has to say about them!

1. The fear of rejection.

It feels good to be accepted.

Before I gave my life to Christ, I was in a relationship. He was a nice guy. Then I found out he was married- separated, but married. We broke up. He said he missed me. We got back together.

(I know what you're thinking.)

The devil took me a lot further than I wanted to go, and kept me a lot longer than I intended to stay. I was in his territory and he made it known. For months, years even, after the relationship ended, I was tormented. In my mind I believed the kingdom of darkness was far more powerful than the Kingdom of Heaven.

In 2012, I gave my life to Christ and I joined the best campus ministry under the sun, Bethel Campus Fellowship. One night - though trembling, crying and completely in bondage - I gave my testimony for the first time. My new brothers and sisters in Christ held onto every word and, to my surprise, looked almost as relieved as I felt, to admit my shameful past. Greeted with hugs, smiles and praises of the Most High- I felt chains fall. Weight floated away. I was free.

I knew right then I belonged to a family. I was accepted.

Fast forward a couple years. I meet another group of Christians. Eager to share my testimony, I tell the same story. But this time it was different.

It wasn’t received very well at all. I was encouraged to...not share it anymore. I went from being “pure” to being filthy. I mean- who likes an adulteress, right?

My heart was broken. I couldn’t believe it. What about the cross? Am I not a new creation? Are you even a Christian, bro?!

I was rejected.

Rejection hurts. Acceptance feels good. And God gave His only Son, so that we would be accepted. Far too often, however, we become enslaved to fear- the fear that we won’t be accepted. Or that we won’t ever truly belong to a community of people who understand us, people who legitimately love the person God called us to be. It is not uncommon to experience the fear of not being accepted.

As Christians we do not have to be afraid of rejection, because we have a Father in the Lord. A Father who took us in and adopted us when the world left us as mere orphans.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:15


2. The fear of being alone.

Admit it- the best thing about an inside joke is the “inside” part. The situation may not even be all that funny, but the fact that you and someone else thought of the same exact thing, at the same exact time, is absolutely hilarious.

Sometimes doing things alone, just isn't quite the same. The fear of loneliness comes in all shapes and sizes. Fear that you’ll never get married or that your current spouse will never understand and appreciate you. The fear that you are too weak and tired to carry on by yourself.

Or the fear that you are alone in your suffering, totally isolated from everyone else.

The more you realize just how huge of a role God desires to play in your life, the less power, the fear of being alone, has over your life. God literally designed our lives in a way that forces our existence to depend on His. Not only does He long to be Lord over every area of our lives, but he sent His Holy Spirit to guide us each step along the way.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9


3. The fear of persecution.

Have you ever made someone mad just by being a Christian?

I remember the Lord told me to work a part-time job while I was in school. He specifically wanted me to be a light at my workplace and to reveal His love to a few co-workers. Ya know, an inside job.

It didn’t take long for me to realize who He had his eyes on. I began testifying of the Lord’s goodness and every day was a challenge. One particularly painful day, God allowed me to overhear two co-workers admitting what they wanted to do to me. It was so violent I couldn’t believe it. Why did God have me here? I was so uncomfortable!

I dreaded work, but the Lord met me in my secret place and I knew He could meet me in a restaurant too. The Holy Spirit led me to fast and pray for a co-worker who was in over her head with alcoholism and promiscuity. I was hungry and I didn’t want to miss meals for her, but by God’s grace, I did.

One day after the fast, I was at work serving tables as usual. I was entering an order when I heard my name, so I looked up from the screen- and that same co-worker was holding an open bible between her hands, and with tears in her eyes, she asked- “Where do I find salvation?”

God didn’t promise we wouldn’t be persecuted for doing exactly what He called us to do. It seems strange, really, when you think about it. The God of peace leads us to do things that hurt. But He knows better than me - and as sweet as they may be - nothing ever grows in comfort zones.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” - 1 peter 3:14

Fear looks different to everyone. But it always creeps into our hearts in a way that intentionally plays on our individual insecurities and experiences. I encourage you to seek the Lord and rebuke the scary thoughts that enter into your mind daily.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

- Psalm 34:4

If this post was helpful, be sure to share it on social media! 

I know Christians everywhere are battling fear- What has God shown you? I'd love to know :)

Never miss a post! Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook.

5 Reasons It's OK To Talk About The Sin In Your Life

1. Sin won’t be able to deceive you.

Sin is a really good liar.

God says, “peace I leave with you.” Sin says, “peace I leave with you.”

God says, “You will find comfort in me.” Sin says, “You will find comfort in me.”

Sin wants so desperately, to be God. Don’t think so? Think about the temptation you're falling into these days?

Is it pride? Jealousy? Discontentment? Laziness? Overeating? Lying? Watching pornography? Having sex outside of marriage? Getting high? Getting drunk? Disrespecting your spouse? Listening to music that doesn’t glorify God? Watching TV shows that aren’t pleasing to Christ? Homosexuality? Harboring unforgiveness? Dishonoring your parents?

If you're any bit flawed like me, you can probably identify with something on that list. Think about that thing. (If you don’t think you fit any of those categories, just pick whichever one you can justify. That’s it. That’s the one.)

Think about that thing. Whenever you choose to do it, you are believing a lie. You are believing the lie that anything, something, somehow, can satisfy you- apart from Christ.

In Psalm 107:9, God says that He satisfies our longing, hungry souls. And when you’re up against a statement like that, you have to tell a pretty convincing lie to get someone to believe it.

None of theses things truly satisfy us, rather, they make us feel far from Christ. When you address sin, you expose its true intentions. If you recognize sin for what it is, a fraud, you don’t have to keep falling into the same cycle time and time again.        

You almost had me, sin. Joke’s on you.

2. You will be aware of the Holy Spirit.

The difference between us and Jesus is sin. He never sinned, we always have.

But He wants us to be more like Him. So we study the character of Jesus Christ and we cry out in desperation for Him to mold us into His image.

God loves us because of how good He is and, likewise, we are supposed to love Him because of how good He is.

But we fall short and we focus on other things besides His goodness, like what He can do for us. Then we get distracted and we think about our lives and how they should be so great and comfortable. So we adopt sinful ways to satisfy ourselves temporarily. But in Christ’s goodness, He recognizes our wandering and draws us back to Him again.

He wants us to turn from our wicked ways and choose Him so that we can be healed. So He showers us with His love and rebukes us by shining a light on the areas of our lives that don’t exactly reflect His.

If we don’t realize what He wants us to let go of, then we can totally miss out on the growth He wants us to experience.

As bitter as it seems, chastisement is really quite sweet.

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,

Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

For whom the Lord loves He chastens,

And scourges every son whom He receives.

(Hebrews 12:6 NKJV)

3. If you don’t remind yourself, who will?

You probably don’t scroll through Facebook and see 100 videos on how you should turn from your sin and choose to live a life fully surrendered to Christ. In fact, for every 100 super encouraging posts you see, you’re fortunate to see one that’s actually convicting. Quite frankly, the message of repentance isn’t particularly popular these days.

It’s good to know when sin has crept into your life because if you don’t remain aware, you can’t exactly expect society to keep you in check.

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.
(Psalm 119:11)

4. You can help people who are going through the same thing.

How many times will we believe the lie that our sin is so bad that we are the only ones dealing with it?

The enemy has been trying to make you feel isolated since you were a child. The truth is, other people are going through exactly what you are going through.

When you open up about your struggles, you create an environment of vulnerability and a community of hope in Christ.

You don’t have to go through it alone. This doesn’t mean you should keep doing it together, rather, that you can stop doing it...together!

There are most likely a ton of resources and may even be an entire ministry devoted to people facing essentially what you face each day. It is imperative that we stay connected to the body, and unity starts with honesty.

5. You will ultimately glorify Christ.

There’s nothing like a testimony to point yourself and others back to the Father’s heart. Christ isn’t glorified when we pretend we don’t go through anything or we’re somehow the victim in every hardship we face.

Christ is glorified when we reveal the raw, unfiltered truth about just how much we can’t live without Him.

He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the Lord.

(Psalm 40:3 NKJV)

Here's to accepting Jesus' victory over death without underestimating my total dependence on grace!

                                

Never miss a post! Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook.

5 Signs Something is Becoming an Idol in Your Life

Because no one deserves that place.

1. You do it for God, but it comes before God.

Ok so this is basically the definition of idol, I know. But I want to put emphasis on the "for God" part. It is much easier to identify an idol that contradicts God's word (like certain music or drugs or money or *insert sin here*) than it is to recognize an idol that glorifies God.

Unfortunately, the things we do for God have just as much potential to become idols. Take my blog, for example. I do it for God, sure.

However when I write a post, but haven't spent time with God, my blog has become an idol. That might not be the case for everyone, but the Lord has convicted me in this area, so for me it is the case. Besides, I'm a scary person when I haven't spent time with God and am in no condition to be sharing my thoughts about anything anywhere ever at all.

It is not God's will for us to serve Him, without Him. We can do a lot of great things in Christ's name without ever experiencing true intimacy with Him. Something you're doing for God might be becoming an idol if you would rather do it than spend time with God.

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeit himself?

Luke 9:25 ESV

2. It has the ability to bring you up and down.

Up and down? You know like...ridiculously happy, then depressingly sad.

One of my favorite preachers, Mike Bickle, always says something along the lines of, "You will respond to someone's criticism with the same measure you respond to their praise." So if things are going really great and people keep reminding us that things are going really great, we might be tempted to think, "Wow, I have this under control. I'm so gifted. I have so much faith."

When truthfully, God deserves all the credit. Likewise, when something has the power to so drastically dictate our emotions, it might be taking the place of God.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 12:34 ESV

3. If you check it before you pray.

This is similar to number one, except it doesn't have to be something we are specifically doing "for" God. It is simply what we check first. It could be Facebook...or SnapChat..or text messages...or Instagram. Anything. Well, except Twitter. Twitter can do no wrong.

Even Jesus woke up first thing in the morning to pray, and He's Jesus. There is something special about letting the Father's thoughts of you be the first opinion you hear all day.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before the daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Mark 1:35 NKJV

4. If it causes you to do things outside God's will.

Have you ever loved someone so much that you would go along with whatever they say? (Well, "loved" in quotations. Real love tells the truth.)

Things (and people) in our lives can have the same effect on us. Sometimes we are so passionate about what we are doing, that we don't even realize we've compromised and stepped outside of God's will.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

5. You get defensive about it.

You know that one thing that comes to your mind when you read posts like these? Or when you hear a sermon, or when someone in your life says something that makes you self-reflect.

And you know you need to surrender it to God and put it back in its rightful place. But it's just so much easier to stand up for it and brush it off as "not a big deal."

So you keep coming up with some way to justify it because, well...because it's becoming an idol.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV

(By the way, I wrote a post about 5 idols you NEVER seen coming, check it out here!)

Like Holly Loo Ya on Facebook to keep up with new posts!

5 Practical Tips to Help You Heal

Because we all feel pain sometimes.

1. Locate and secure your source of joy.

Your joy comes from the Lord. Sometimes, however, when we experience pain, there is a fine line between being hurt by something beyond our control and hurting because we accidentally made a person or situation our source of joy.

Our source of joy is not our relationships, our families, our jobs, our businesses, our education or whatever else simply "brings" us joy. So though we will surely feel pain, we have to continuously remind ourselves that our joy is indeed in the Lord.

The joy of the Lord heals. So locate, secure and reinforce your source of joy, then when you are legitimately feeling pain (and you will) the joy in your heart will lead you to healing.

• A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. •
(Proverbs 17:22 ESV)

2. Do not repay with evil.

When someone hurts you it can be extremely tempting to hurt them back or even go around trying to prove your innocence to people.

We must refuse to lean on our own understanding and turn from evil, because it is then that we will be healed. If you keep falling in the same area, be prepared to go through it again and again until you learn to repent and accept dependence on the Lord.

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. •
(Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV)

3. Be honest.

The truth never, ever breaks its promise to ultimately set us free. We have to find out exactly where we were hurt and hand that burden over to the Lord. Continuing to hold it will only keep us in bondage.

Honesty is a major key because our minds can be filtered by endless lies and accusations. We have to rebuke those lies and know the truth. Sometimes you have to tell the enemy how you really feel.

(I just wrote an entire post on honesty, so I won't expand on this too much. Check the post out here!)

• And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. • (John 8:32 ESV)

4. Make a verse real to you.

When is the last time one of God's promises has actually been...well...real to you?

Look up a verse that relates to your situation, memorize it, meditate on it and ask God to bring it to life for you.

Sometimes I just say, "God, I need Your word to breathe because I honestly don't have a lot left in me and if I stop breathing, at least one of us has to get these dry bones moving again. I'm all out of strength. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Breathe for me."

It may sound dramatic but that's what pain does. And I'm sorry but I don't serve a God who is ALIVE, to just sit around trying to do this on my own.

• For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. •
(Hebrews 4:12)

5. Make healthy lifestyle choices.

This one can easily be overlooked. In the world, they might tell us to work out and look our best to overcome hurt, but in the Body of Christ we know that this too is vanity. However, I will not discredit the effect eating right and staying active can have on your life. It's a way of denying our flesh.

Sometimes when we don’t feel like we have the energy to spend time with the Lord, it might be because we...don’t. Eating fast food and greasy food that slow us down can really put a damper on our growth.

When we make healthy eating choices we fuel our bodies to overcome the journey that is each day.

Yet we always remember...

• Man does live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. •
(Matthew 4:4 ESV)



What are some ways you've healed from pain?

Keep up with Holly Loo Ya on Facebook!