Be unique,be you!

  Hi guys! My name is Chloe Cloutier, from Denver North Carolina! I enjoy coming on here and writing blogs, and I hope you will enjoy reading them! My favorite things to do include: hanging out with friends, walking outside and through nature, going to see movies, musical theater, and singing! I hope I can spread some encouragement to you as you grow closer to the Lord during this season of your life, and just share any insight to you that you may take throughout your life.

I  just wanted to pop on here, and say I am not trying to be biased or anything but Charlie has always been my favorite dog. Charlie is always so loyal, and always just wants some company. I have another dog named Russell, but he is just full of energy and is a crazy boy. But regardless, I think we should all be like Charlie, a loyal companion and friend when you just need some company! I love this verse about loyalty, from Proverbs 21:21, “ He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life , righteousness and honor. Read more at:  https://biblereasons.com/loyalty/

  James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” I love that every good thing we have here on earth comes from our Father, its just a simple reminder of God’s grace and faithfulness towards us. God gave each and everyone of us special gifts and talents, so we need to be a reflection of him and use our talents and gifts for the glory of God.  “We can thank God for all of the good things that happen to us, and we can always count on him to keep doing that.” Read more at:  https://www.womansday.com/life/g39990581/bible-verses-about-light/

   I know as college students, we are all coming to the “end of the season” as many call it. I know many of us can get super nervous about having final exams, last minute tests/ projects, and quizzes, and trust me I am just as nervous as you are for it. However, I do want to remind you, and everyone else, that it’s ok to end this season of life you are in. Everyone goes through seasons, and I know for many seniors who are about to graduate, are going off to go do some amazing things, and their season is ending. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t have a new and amazing season again. Just because their chapter is ending now, they are going to have so many new and amazing new chapters in their “book”. Be encouraged that just because this season of life is ending, doesn’t mean you won’t have a new one soon. Here’s a bible verse that is inspiring to me as you finish this season of life. Ecclesiastes 3:18, For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…..” Read

Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." I know sometimes we don’t like being told what to do all the time, whether its chores being done around the house, or just listening to life advice, we don’t always want to hear it. But there is a reason this verse is shared, because it just shows that our parents have so much wisdom and have been through way more than we ever have. I know its been hard for me to listen to my parents recently, but in all reality, they really are worth listening to, and not only that, they love you, and literally gave birth to you, so just use their advice! Read more at:  https://www.biblelyfe.com/blog/bible-verses-about-family  

Psalm 95:4, “The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are Hi s. ” I love this verse because it shows how powerful God really is, when we think about God’s creation, sometimes we like to think oh, God must have made the earth easy peasy, because he’s God right? But in all reality, the amount of magnitude God is and the amount of power God has with even just the snap of a finger is incredible.  Read more at:  https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/why-should-we-pay-attention-to-the-mountains-in-the-bible.html

Isaiah 48:18, “  Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” I like this verse because we may not always listen to what God has to say for our lives, or we may not be the most obedient to his commands, but we do know that when we put our hope and faith in him, our peace will be like a river, and the righteousness of God will be like the waves of the sea. Watch the river flow! Be encouraged today. Read more at:  https://www.openbible.info/topics/peace_like_a_river  

  Psalm 100:3  Acknowledge that the LORD is God!  He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Did you know that sheep’s are the most mentioned animals in the Bible? It says that, “ True Christians are the Lord’s sheep. God will provide for us and guide us. God tells us in Scripture that none of His sheep will be lost.” You can be encouraged today to know that even if you do get lost, God will find you and seek you out, because you are his chosen one, and you are so special and unique in His eyes. How amazing is that? Be encouraged with that today! Read more at:  https://biblereasons.com/sheep/  

  James 1:2-4   “ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness,   And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” I love this verse because we may have trials that will be hard and difficult to go through, but we need to count it joy for our blessings are eternal with Christ Jesus our Lord. How will you smile through your trials today? Read more at:  https://biblereasons.com/smiling/

  Proverbs 15:30 “ A cheerful look brings joy to the heart ; good news makes for good health.” Whenever we are doing something, whether it’s something big or something small, it doesn’t hurt to spread some joy. A little bit of a kind heart can go a long way. Spreading cheer kind of reminds me of Christmas, you know that good feeling with the bells and the caroling? A little like that, but not so much in a cheesy way like that. Just having a smile on you face because you know that the Lord Jesus is working in amazing ways, and you want to share that joy with others! Read more at:  https://biblereasons.com/smiling/

 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you?” I love that when you look at the sky and a sunset you can just see that God’s spirit is living inside of you, since you are a light shining bright for him. This is such a good reminder of his faithfulness in the storm, when you see a sunset you are reminded of how powerful the Lord is. Read more at:  https://biblehub.com/

  “ So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”- Matthew 7:12. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. I think sometimes we skip this a lot, if I am being honest and transparent. We don’t always have mercy and grace for other people, because we may have a bad day, or something happens where it’s just not going our way. But God tells us that we need to love others, even when something may be hard or even if someone gets on our nerves. What is one way you can be a light unto others today, even when having it rough? Read more at:  https://biblehub.com/matthew/7-12.htm

   I love this little passage from the article from godtube.com, it reads,  “What does the Bible say about art? Art has been a part of human history since the beginning. It has been used to express how we feel, documentation of historical events, and to “simply” capture creativity. Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. It can take the form of musical expression, sculptural design, painting and many more forms of creative expression.” Read more at:  https://www.godtube.com/news/top-10-bible-verses-about-art-with-commentary.html  I also love the verse that comes from Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” I love this verse because God is the ultimate creator of the world, and the true artist. I love how it seems like God is never rushed, nor does he have to be rushed, everything is just beautiful in its own time, and I love that.

 “ Have  I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the  Lord  your God will be with you wherever you go."- Joshua 1:9  Be strong and courageous today. I know life can be hard and throw several obstacles and challenges at you, but just know that whenever you seek out God, and know he is on your side, you will have eternal life with him, and the blessings will be eternal! Read more at:  https://www.christianity.com/bible/niv/joshua/1  

  Easter just came up recently, and I love Easter so much because it reminds me of the time I got baptized. I still think of how special that day was, and I love looking back on how much I was filled with the Holy Spirit when I got baptized. Galations 3:26-27 says, “   So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. I love how the verse says that whoever is baptized will be clothed in Christ. It’s so beautiful to me. Have you ever been baptized?  Read more at:  https://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/galatians/3/26-27

  “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”- This verse comes from John 3:8. I love this verse because it is such a great reminder of the holy spirit, and how our God is like the wind, we can’t see God, but we know he is always there, and it’s almost like we can feel him through the wind, like a big air hug for God! Read more at:  https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/John%203%3A8

Psalm 18:28 “You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” I love this verse because it has such a great metaphor that our lamps are always burning with God being our source of light. God is always our guide, and will always help us when we are going through something hard, or when we are in a weak spot, we are the light of Him. Read more at:  https://www.womansday.com/life/g39990581/bible-verses-about-light/

    How does it feel when you get people to like you in return of something nice you did for them? It feels great!   “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." —Proverbs 17:17 Be that friend for someone today, and let the light of Jesus Christ shine through you, and everywhere you go! Read more at:  https://www.southernliving.com/culture/bible-verses-about-friendship

    Proverbs 31:20-21 "She reaches out to the needy; she stretches out her hands to the poor. She doesn’t fear for her household when it snows, because they are all dressed in warm clothes."  I love this verse because women are happy to follow God’s instructions and help out the poor, I love people who do small favors, women or men, especially when no one asks of them to do so, because it just shows how obedient and loyal they are to help people. We should strive to be loyal followers, and obedient servants to Christ every walk of our days. Read more at: https://www.womansday.com/life/inspirational-stories/g29199258/bible-verses-about-women/

  “ I  am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing. In fact, I have worked harder than all the others—that is, it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me."- 1 Corinthians 15:10 The Good News: “ God makes us in His image. The Lord supports us when we work hard and honors us with his grace.” Read more at:  https://www.womansday.com/life/inspirational-stories/g29199258/bible-verses-about-women/

I love the verse that says, “She surveys a field and acquires it; from her own resources, she plants a vineyard. She works energetically, her arms are powerful.” I love this verse because shoutout to woman being strong first of all, but secondly, the good news is that “If a woman sets her mind on something, she will get it done- no matter what.” Read more at  https://www.womansday.com/life/inspirational-stories/g29199258/bible-verses-about-women/

I really love the verse that comes fro Proverbs 31:30, that says, “Charm is deceptive, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The good news is that we may suffer with outward beauty from society, and everyone to tell us to wear certain things or act a certain way, but the good news is that “no matter what you look like or what worldly riches you have, a woman’s commitment to the Lord is what truly matters in life.” Read more at:   https://www.womansday.com/life/inspirational-stories/g29199258/bible-verses-about-women/

 Hey guys just wanted to share today's Bible verse on the Bible app. Today's verse comes from: https://www.biblegateway.com/ It says,  (Psalm 8:3-4 ESV) "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" I love this verse because it kind of goes back to the vastness of the earth, saying that you made the galaxies, you made the sun, the moon and the stars, so how do we fit in your creation? But yet, God says that we are just as important as the sun moon and stars in his eyes! How crazy is that? It shows how much God loves you and wants to spend time with you.

Hey guys I love this Prayer that comes from,  https://www.biblegateway.com/ It says,  "God when I think about the vastness of the universe, I am amazed that You chose to create us. Your creativity is beautiful, Your power is magnificent, and Your love for Your children is intentional. Thank You for thinking of me since the beginning of time- and for saving me by sacrificing Your only Son. I love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen." I love this prayer because it seems so personal. Like God chose to create us. He didn't just make the earth, and go oh, I'll throw in some humans to walk the earth, he wanted to have a personal relationship with us. He has such a love for his children and followers, and by giving your life to Christ, the reward is eternal. The reward is life with him in the most beautiful place we can think of, heaven. In the prayer, it says that He was even thinking about us before the beginning of time, like he was forming us and thinking of me and you!

Hey guys! I know we all go through hard weeks, but I want to remind you that God is with you every step of the way. For me personally, I have had some really weak moments in my life, some that were rock bottom, but God was there every time. if you give your burdens to him, he will sustain you. That comes from the Bible verse Psalm 55:22. "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Here are some Bible verses that might help you go about this week. All of these verses come from: https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/7-great-bible-verses-to-start-your-new-week-with/jwylbex Joshua 1:9 — “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Mark 10: 27 —“ But Jesus looked at them and said, With men, it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Romans 15:13 — “May the God of hope fill you with all jo

What is our part in God’s creation? What is our purpose? Why are we here? You may be asking all these questions, and may not get a solid answer to all these questions because we wont know everything until we get to heaven, but in the meantime, In Genesis 1:28, It reads, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over living creature that moves on the ground.” Read more at  https://biblehub.com/  

This is a picture of me at Discovery Science doing the touch tank and touching a starfish. Just like an animal goes through a cycle of events or, circle of life as we call it, so do humans. We may not be growing like a starfish, but we are growing in our walk with God. Gold knew us and what we would look like, and how we would act from the very beginning of time! In Psalm 139: 16, it says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I anointed you a prophet to the nations.” Isn’t that crazy? God just knew us even before we were in the womb!  Read more at: https://www.openbible.info/  

 It's ok to be tired, not hitting your mark, or not having motivation to do some things. We just don't need to ponder on it, God will get us through the rough time that we feel lazy to get through. In Proverbs 13:4, it says, “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” Read more at:  https://www.biblegateway.com/

 I know at my school, it's almost summer and the semester is coming to a close. I know we can get stressed at this time of the year with all the midterms and exams we have to do and projects/tests and quizzes we have to turn in, but take it easy. God says, come to me al who are labor and heavy laden. From Matthew 11:28-30, it reads, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you; and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Read more at  https://www.biblegateway.com/

   “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Read about this article from  https://www.rethinknow.org/1-thessalonians-5-16-18-meaning-pray-without-ceasing-meaning/ This verse can be a hard thing to hear sometimes, why would I want to rejoice, when I am stressed, not happy, or even upset? At first glance, this verse doesn’t seem possible, but God says to rejoice! We have a lot of things on our plates, and a lot of things that take up time, but God has powerful wisdom and if we listen to what he has to say for our lives, our meaning for our lives can change, so rejoice!

 Grace is received from God, we don't find grace in ourselves. I love this verse that comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, it says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I love this verse because it tells us that His grace is sufficient for me and you. We would be nothing without his grace, we like to rely on our own strengths to get by, but God claims that his grace is sufficient for our lives and how amazing is that. Jesus’ power is perfected in our weakness!  Read more here: https://www.rethinknow.org/

Luke 16:10(ESV) says, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” How can you be faithful with what God has given you? It says in the Bible app, that “little acts of faithfulness every day is how our character is shaped over time. The small decisions and the hard decisions are what create us into people of trust and honesty.” Are you being faithful in all things, or are you wanting more that God hasn’t given you yet? If you are wanting more, than you aren’t following God’s purpose and will for your life. Be happy and content with what God has already given you, not what you hope God will give you. Be content in all things, for God is a giver of all things! This verse comes from: https://www.biblegateway.com/  

Let’s go outside!  Have you ever been outside and just felt the warmth of the sun, felt the grass between your toes, and heard the birds chirping outside? It is such a peaceful and beautiful thing. Life can be a dark and scary with politics, news, or just stuff that happens in our lives, but it doesn’t hurt to just go for a walk to rest in the peace of your creator, who created you and this world we are living on. I encourage you to go for a walk and just rest in the stillness and presence of God. Some Bible verses of rest: Psalm 4:8(NIV), “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 23:1-2(NIV), “The Lord is my shepherd,I lack nothing.”he makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters”

  I want to hear from you! How is God working in your life?  Take some time to journal or find a quiet time and space to be with God. Today, I want you to jot down 5 things in a journal of how God worked or is currently working in your life. For example for me, 5 things that God has been working in my life recently: 1. I need to be content with where I am in life, I am in college and I don’t need to rush to be anywhere else. I don’t need to start a family, or start a full time job yet, I am in college now so I need to just focus on my grades and getting my degree. 2. I am blessed to have my friends and awesome family, that sometimes I take for granted, I need to keep giving hugs and writing letters to people because they mean the most to me. 3. Don’t rush relationships. I see through social media so many people getting engaged and getting married with their significant other, but just because that’s where they are in life doesn’t mean I have to rush to be in that place and season of my

  Have you ever been in one place for a while and you hope that something exciting will happen, like maybe a new promotion, job offer, new car, a vacation, or even a new puppy? I know all of these things can sound super exciting, but what happens when we don’t get what we want? We are depressed, lonely, and sad, because we find our worth and wealth in material things, and not what God has for us. We love earthly things, and we don’t love what the creator has for us. We all have seasons of life, and I know it’s hard to see, but God has a plan for everyone’s life. He has a plan for your life, just as he has a plan for my life. Don’t be sad or depressed that you don’t have what you want in your life, but instead look forward to what you will receive in the future. For example, I’ve been struggling with my own identity recently. I was a cast member at Walt Disney World for a year and I loved getting to meet characters and go on all the rides, and see the inside scoop of what Disney had to

 We all know the simple, basic Bible Story of how God sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins, so that we could receive salvation, but did you know that in order for God to send his Son to die for us, he had to give up a lot for us? It was not easy. I know growing up in the church, I always knew that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and I repented and came to him. I was even baptized on Easter, because I wanted to make my journey and my personal relationship with Jesus public to the whole world. I just wish I knew how much God had to sacrifice for the whole world and for me. I didn't understand it fully when I was younger, I think growing up in a Christian home, it was just easy for me to repent and be baptized because that's what everyone else was doing, I basically knew God's rules and commandments but didn't quite grasp them all the way, and didn't apply it to my life, but the more I'm in the word and really diving into scriptures, I un

  Have you ever been super stressed about a project, test or paper? Well I know for me recently, I have been having a lot of anxiety and stress over trying to turn things in on time and making sure I do everything right, which leads me to become anxious. The devil tries to see what he can do to make us stirred up. Whether we are scared, nervous or anxious, the devil likes when we feel all these negative emotions. What we need to do instead, is to cast all of our worries and troubles onto him. 1 Peter 5:6-7(ESV) Says, “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.” Jesus want us to find peace in him, and he doesn’t want us to have anxiety or be stressed. When we put our faith and hope in Christ, we won’t have to fear anything, for the only fear we have to fear is God himself.  I think that when we look at our next assignment, whether it’s a test, project, or paper, we c

  Happy Sunday everyone! As I was leaving Church today, I thought about how nice it was that everyone was smiling, waving to me, and opening the door for me when entering and leaving church. I am not a morning person at all, so my goal is to just go to church and my mind isn’t always on people around me. I think we need to see that a lot of people around us are doing good works and helping others, when we may not even see it. I know a lot of people don’t like to be recognized for doing good works and deeds, they are kind of like “background people”, meaning that someone will go out of their way to do something nice for someone, but it may not be recognized most of the time. I think we need to see that the world is such a better place when people give a lending hand and go out of their way to help serve and volunteer their time. What kind of world would we be living in if everyone didn’t smile? Life would be so dull, and I think most people don’t even realize how far a smile or simple g

  Hi friend! If you are reading this blog.. I wish you a HAPPY FRIDAY!  I would like to hop on here and tell you that God is such a good God. He has so much in store for you that you may not realize! I would like to reflect on these past few weeks on how God blessed me, and then I would love to hear about how God is blessing YOU this past week or upcoming week. So, this can be kind of like a gratitude journal. Here are some ways God has been a blessing in my life: The first way God has been a blessing in my life this week, is by an interview! You would not believe this, but today I came back from an interview to become a possible student development officer at my new school, Gardner Webb University! If that doesn’t show you how good God is, I don’t know what will! I have been praying these past few weeks that God will give me a job again, so I can save my money and support myself financially. This experience is not only going to be great for me to save money, but it will also be fantas

   I  don’t know about you, but I love getting to relate to people, seeing where their from and what shaped them into who they are today. So, I thought I would share a little of my backstory so you can get to know me and what I’m doing now!! I will start off where I was born. I was born in Boca Raton, Florida and was raised there until I was around 5 when we moved to North Carolina. My Dad got a job as a math teacher at a school called Southlake Christian Academy. I went to SouthLake and learned ever since I was in elementary school/Pre-K to being a senior and graduating in high school. The most I’ve ever been in one place was at SouthLake for 13 years. When I graduated from SouthLake, it was finally time to start my new adventure/chapter of my life. It was pretty tricky trying to find a college that I wanted to go to, I wanted to go far away from home, but also close distance wise. It’s also hard for me to make decisions on things so trying to find a perfect college was a little hard!