June 26, 2012

Recently, I’ve really been praying and studying on what if means to pray like Jesus. What really hit me the most was that Jesus’ prayers didn’t get him out of his suffering-it got him through his suffering. It didn’t mean that all the terrible things he was facing would stop or God would grant him what he wanted. Jesus knew this from the beginning. But through the pain, through the tears and anguish, through the crucifixion, and through death, God was there for him. He was present and Jesus never demanded more from Him. He would pray his desires and end on the terms that God’s will would be done.

What I’ve come to realize is that God is not some piñata and prayer is not a stick to hit Him with. Despite how much we may beat on this piñata, goodies may not fall from the sky as we expect them to. Prayers may not be answered the way we expect. God is not a vending machine where we eventually win the prize if we put in more and more quarters. It’s not getting the perfect job or the perfect grades, enough college and enough time and commitment to get your dream job eventually. It’s not searching and searching for that perfect man or perfect relationship, dating as many as you can to find that special person instead of relying on His perfect plan. Maybe this isn’t what God has in mind. I have had many desires in the past that I may have prayed for and never gotten, and maybe it’s that God wants me to wait, but how selfish of me it is to pray for what I want and not ask for God’s will to be done in my life. To not submit to Him and surrender the life He as given me Himself and say “You know what God, I may want this, but what you want is more important.” Maybe God has something in mind for you that you never would have expected, but because you have these expectations and desires, God can’t get you to see these other opportunities you have waiting. That maybe God wants you to put this to the side and be involved in this other ministry for now. Do I pray to get something, or do I pray to get God? Am I truly living my life for Him by praying that His will may be done, no matter how hard it may be? Is my prayer for change or is it for God to change me? God grows me through prayer if I allow Him to. I can’t become a better person and a better follower of Christ if I don’t make room for this. I can pray all I want, but if I don’t give room for God’s will I won’t see His perfect plan. God, please open up an opportunity for this soon, please help me find the perfect man to marry, please provide for me in this way. But also, your will be done. That means, I can find peace even if these things do not occur the way I had prayed for them-despite the outcome God is there with me. God please help this person who is going through this, please heal this person, please let this happen. But altogether, your will be done.

Who am I to judge what is best for me? How am I to know what I am to do in the future or what I have even done already? Isn’t it important for me to remember that God is so much smarter than me, that He has everything perfectly planned according to His will, even if it’s not something that I originally had in mind? God will grow me that much more through it. Definitely a challenge I’m willing to accept-living and praying God’s will. Not my will, but yours be done.

January 16, 2012

3 Worries We Don't Need to Worry About

Sorry I haven’t written in so long, but I usually only write when I feel God has laid a subject on my heart and I can go right into writing it, full gear! I’m going to get real with you all, I worry A LOT! I know, bad Morgan. It consumes my thoughts, what I do, how I feel. I look far too deep into every situation, think about the future constantly, plan what I need to do, and still nothing becomes of it. Here are 3 things that I worry about the most and 9 verses to bounce them right back at Satan. That’s right, we’re going to fight for our weary minds and put all that weight we’ve been carrying right onto God’s shoulders.

Worry #1 “If I don’t have a good career, money, or a lot of possessions, I won’t amount to anything.”

Whoa there, that’s a lot of things to be putting on my plate. Where did this idea even come from in the first place anyways? Part to blame is our vision of the American Dream, the other part is just our human nature to be in constant want of more and more. We fret over never having enough, and yet when we do get that paycheck, that car, that nice house on the hill-our craving isn’t satisfied. What does God say about money and possessions?

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Acts 20:35 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"

Overwhelmingly, we see that God wants us to rely on Him for funding and not lean on that bank account, our boss, or our salary for our success, as hard as that sounds. We also find it important not to make money and material possessions a key part of our lives, for this can lead to all kinds of problems, and even separate us from our faith. In the end, hoarding what we earn and keeping it for ourselves leaves us feeling trapped and useless, while giving up our money to where God calls us to give can free us from this burden. Tithing isn’t required, but I’ve had first hand experience on what a difference it can make!

Worry #2 “It would be terrible if I never got married, where is my future husband!?!”

Girls (and probably guys alike, except insert 'wife' instead, haha) you know how this feels. Everyone around you seems paired up and you feel like that leftover in the fridge that everyone forgets about because you’ve accidentally left it behind the milk for two weeks and…well you get my drift. You feel bad. You feel unnoticed, un-admired, and taken for granted. “God, why does she get a guy while all I have is my cat and a Jane Austen movie??” But waiting patiently, not pursuing love at every possible minute, and committing your life completely to God could throw all sorts of surprises your way. Here are some verses we can take with us until then:

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"

God isn’t trying to punish you in anyway, He is forming you into the person you need to be when you do meet that special person. This takes TIME, and maybe for crazy independent girls who travel in a band-A LOT OF TIME. Seek God first, and everything else can fall into place later. Don’t let thoughts of guys (or girls, for the guys who read my blog, sorry!) consume your thoughts so much that it makes talking about Christ or doing His will nearly impossible. These can be major constraints. I put the last on there because unfortunately for many of us, desperate times seem to call for desperate measures. For those of you who think you can change him/her, don’t do it via dating. Missionary dating is never a good answer for yoking yourself with someone who can potentially bring you down majorly in your faith in a very short (and euphoric) amount of time. If you really like them, develop a strong friendship first and let them choose to become a Christian on their own-not faking it for a relationship. I’m sure there are situations where missionary dating has worked, but the risk may not be worth the outcome if it means moving your true love, Jesus, onto the back burner.

Worry #3 “What if people think following God is stupid? What if they don’t like me? I want to please people.”

Why this one gets to me so often, I don’t know, maybe it’s a girl thing. Whenever I meet those people who tell me “I don’t care about others think,” I’m pretty sure my jaw drops to the floor. It’s so hard not to take every glance, action, or word that has been said against you personally. We want our parents, our partners, our managers, our pastors, and many of our peers to find us agreeable. We put on masks so we don’t seem insecure, helpless, and unhappy for the most part because we have too much pride to be transparent. That kid I just thought looked at me funny, he might be going through the same exact thing I am! Heck, we be accountability partners if I spoke up! But we always seem to have to have this tough, “I can handle anything” façade about us because we’re afraid of what others might think of us. Oh no, HEAVEN FORBID THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT ME!!! But for those times of insecurity, here’s those Bible verses to back us up:

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Isaiah 2:22 "Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?"

2 Corinthians 12:10 "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So we see in the first verse, that like the verse on serving both God and money, we can’t always serve both God and people. When you are in ministry and facing persecution, that’s when you know you are doing something right! You are going against the world and with that comes a strong sense of aversion from those who may not understand fully or don’t want to understand it at all. It’s good to take brotherly criticism when presented with it, but anything else hurtful shouldn’t be taken to heart. God has plans for you, loves you unconditionally, and loves that you are following His will despite what others around you are thinking. In the end, doesn’t it make you that much stronger in your beliefs?

Satan attacks the mind fervently, as what we think becomes sadly, what we do. Don’t let worrying get in the way of making some huge differences in people’s lives and turn a heart on fire for God into a mere ember. He delights in you, and you are exactly where He wants you to be-don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. ;)

November 30, 2011

Bringing out the Creativity this Christmas

Seeing as I was going to be off for 2 and a half months for this winter's break from tour, I decided to get one thing accomplished that I've been dreaming of doing for quite some time. I have finally set up my Etsy store so that I can begin to sell things like jewelry and artwork for while I'm on/off the road! :) I hope to use this blog for not only devotions and inspirations of daily life, but also things I create and find others creating! I can't wait to use this as a ministry as well as I hope to send verses and a message on beauty with all of my items shipped from Etsy. Can't wait to see where God takes it! To check out my items so far, just click the link below. Enjoy! :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/MorganWolf

September 13, 2011

New Music Video

For everyone who follows this blog, I'm so sorry I haven't posted more! I'm hoping to write another tour update soon! Just wanted to post that our newest music video is out! It's been amazing experience for not only the band, but others who helped us write and produce it. :) It is a music video that is close to my heart, and still gives me chills every time I watch it. Who in your life needs a hand? Who in your life is desperate for a rose that holds a future even when they are at the end of their rope? This can be an awesome start to a movement our generation desperately needs, so pass it on!

Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U37K6Qnni5g&feature=channel_video_title

July 25, 2011

The eXtreme Tour, Part 1:

So much is on my heart and I’m not even sure where to begin with it all! A tour that I was at first so scared to go on has already changed me and my outlook on life more than I could ever have imagined. I won’t lie, driving from town to town setting up shows for the community, never knowing what exactly will happen can be testing. But the truth is, these towns need us so much, because these are people who desperately need to hear about Christ! And Satan will do anything to get us down, and I mean ANYTHING. Allergic reactions, extreme heat, and a merch table falling on me (my arm is so bruised) while I’m trying to talk to a bunch of cute little kids makes me super frustrated. I occasionally get homesick or will step on someone’s toes. I mean, just when things seem to be going so well and I’m feeling so stoked about what is going on around me, something happens. But when you are facing oppression, that’s when you know you are doing something right! That God is using you outside your comfort zone and stretching you to your limits. This is where I turn into Gumby and face trials with flexibility, because as we’ve been told many times on the extreme tour, if you don’t bend you will break. It’s crazy how even little things can throw off your day and dishearten you from spreading something as amazing as God’s love to people who genuinely need to know about it.

Such awesome things have already happened! ALSA (with the help of Martay!) participated in our first ever ‘hype’ night in Winfield, Kansas. Never before in my life had I envisioned myself singing inside a Subway or in front of a Walmart. But God used us to bring a bunch of awesome kids to the skate competition we held, as well as the show! I talked to so many awesome people and the kids absolutely loved our special guest band, the Zombie Killers! : ) By the end of our set, we sat down, sand worship, and had around 7 people give their lives to Christ! I could not be happier at that moment! I just sat back and felt so blessed to be a part of something as powerful as the eXtreme Tour. To trace back how I even got here still amazes me. I have so much more to write but I can't keep track of it all, there will be many more posts to come!

April 21, 2011

We are clothed in STRENGTH AND DIGNITY

Finally, I have the security to write of something that has been near and dear to my heart lately. This is a shout-out to all the girls out there (Sorry guys!) who change their clothes 5 times a day to figure out what to wear, who are in drastically in search for that perfect guy, or feeling insecure about their futures, their figures, and faith. You aren’t alone, in fact, I can safely say I have struggled with all of these and then some.

I know I don’t seem that way on stage. I’m running around, singing, head-banging, and so grateful to talk to everyone afterwards. But on the inside I’ve been breaking. Breaking because the expectations for girls in this world are so beyond what they should be, and breaking because so many (including myself) believe the lies.

I’ve recently picked up the book by Beth Moore called “So Long Insecurity.” I recommended it to any woman, even if you feel like you have nothing you are insecure about. It opened up my eyes to see that what I had been hearing in my head was satan himself, and I am ashamed that I have listened countless times. Things like convincing me I’m overweight, ugly, untalented, unlovable, annoying, worthless, and the list goes on. I’m begging you, if you have had thoughts like this to dig deep and find the root of the problem. Maybe you’ve been abused and these are echoes of what has been said in the past, maybe you feel this way because someone left you, maybe it was a mistake made long ago you allow to consume your thoughts, or maybe you have an immense fear of the future. As women, we are so harsh on each other. We walk into rooms and automatically figure out who is above or below us (to what standards?); look at others in judgment, jealousy, and anger when we don’t even know them. We also strive for perfection, and whether we want to admit it or not, this is the desire to outdo everyone else. This at its root is pride. We can’t continue to live like this. When will we wake up and realize how much we’ve been tearing each other down, and breaking God’s heart because we refuse to believe something He created has a purpose, and is beautiful inside and out. Look to Proverbs 31. It is the chapter about a God-fearing wife, although in earlier versions it can be translated to just a God-fearing woman. Ready for the replacement? Verse 10 now reads “A woman of noble character, who can find? She is worth more than rubies.” Now read on to verse 25, which tells us this woman of valor is clothed by two specific articles. “Strength and dignity.” The word ‘dignity ‘ in Hebrew is derived from the same word ‘Honor’. And there are countless verses that tell us God has crowned us with His glory and honor. To possess dignity is to be worthy of respect and of high esteem. We as women give up our dignity when we let our insecurities make us feel embarrassed, worthless, or stupid. Through this book, I’ve come to realize we don’t have to let situations or people who are trying to hurt us have our dignity. If you feel like you have just been hurt or attacked, don’t let satan get to you. Say to yourself “You cannot have my dignity, it is mine to keep.” I find myself saying “I am clothed in strength and dignity,” and it really helps. I even write it on my wrist to remember. Our possession of dignity may not always be something we feel, but it has to be something we KNOW. Pray that God can heal you from your insecurities and give you strength to believe in what a beautiful creation you truly are. If you are in a situation where you start to feel very insecure (goes with those who are worrying about the future a lot) repeat to yourself "Trust in God.” Do it throughout the day if you have to. Remember-insecurities leave us thinking of ourselves in many situations when we could be paying attention to others God is trying to direct us to.

Why should we practice feeling confident in ourselves? I think for one it makes us miserable, not to mention we are putting down something God has created. But most importantly, we’ve got younger girls who are realizing these struggles at such young ages. The culture has them by the neck and unfortunately, if we don’t do anything about it, satan will eat away at their security and dignity for years and years to come. We need to step up and be the examples of confident, God fearing women that the world so desperately needs, or we will be forever trapped in this vicious cycle. Try it today. Kick satan out of your head and remove those desperate thoughts and actions. Place your trust in God; He’s got you covered girl!

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7.

“She is clothed in strength and dignity, and laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” Proverbs 31:30

P.S.-I know this doesn't cover everything on this subject, I had so much more to put in, but it was getting pretty long! Feel free to message me or comment, and if you are struggling with something, don't be afraid to let someone else know. We can keep each other accountable on this!:)