Easter Sunday is the monumental day and focal point of our faith. As I think about the resurrection of Jesus, I can't help but think about the the way He was tortured and beaten on the Friday before... Isaiah 52 says, "his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness"... He was so disfigured that He was unrecognizable as a human being. I get sick to my stomach when I think about how that kind of treatment could be put on anyone, let alone the savior or the world.
He knew that all of that was going to happen to him, and instead of removing himself from the cross, He endured the pain. He hung there because He knew the affect it would have on the rest of mankind. He knew that the only way to redemption was through His sacrifice. Here's the coolest part: He took that place for me. Had it only been me that was going to walk on this earth after Him, He still would have spilled His blood for me. A sinner; unworthy; so extremely undeserving... I could never earn my place into Heaven, but the moment he let His son be crucified on that cross, He gave me the opportunity to accept the gift of free grace and enter into His family. He invited me into his family, and secures me in His love. I can't escape Him. I am His forever, and He is mine.
I think too often we see the outer shell of the lives that the people around us live and we feel like we can't compare to them; we think that they are so much more deserving than we are. The good news is: the ground at the foot of the cross is level for everyone. We are all saved by grace. There isn't a single one of us that is more deserving than the next... "and all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6)
The blood of Jesus washes me. His sacrifice saved my life. His blood is my victory.
It's easy to get upset when we think about the treatment that Jesus persevered through... but that is exactly what he did! He persevered! He rose again. He rolled the stone away, and went to go celebrate with His friends! He defeated death, sin, hell, satan... He destroyed all the things that come against us in life.
When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come. We are redeemed, and we are co-heirs with Christ. We are victorious in Jesus!
We are victorious in Jesus.
We live in this world, but we are not of it. We know that we are here to love and to serve people. We are here to sing praises, and to carry the good news to our peers; to our offices; to our campuses; to the homeless; to the widows; to the Nations. We are here to be Jesus to the world - We bare the name of Jesus.
Don't you ever forget that YOU were created in God's image. He sent His one and ONLY son to die for YOU. He endured through the crucifixion for YOU. He rose again for YOU. Through Him, YOU are victorious. Walk in Victory today - You are a new creation. His grace and mercy is made new every single morning. He loves you far beyond what You could ever imagine in your wildest dreams, and He marvels at Your beauty.
"Today suggests we're part of a bigger story, one in which Love wins." -TWLOHA
4.24.2011
3.29.2011
to be known...
I was watching a youtube video of a woman. She illustrates the story of the woman at the well that is written in John 4. A story about a woman who believes she is unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus and tells Him she is no fit to give Him a drink. He looks into her eyes and tells her He knows her and describes to her a place where she can drink water that is everlasting; a water that will quench her thirst... a drink that will satisify her soul. When she realizes the man that she is encountering, she wants everyone to know. She can't keep it to herself; the message is too powerful to not tell anyone. She discovers a fire that has been lit inside of her; a passion to spread the good news.
Tonight I was sitting in Brookies room with about 10 girls and we were talking about the things that were going on in our lives and the lives of our friends. We began to speak about the ways we are seeing God move within our friendships with our sorority sisters, our guy friends, our roommates and people we have never even met. We also talked about the areas of our lives that we are expecting to see Jesus intervene. Because we have seen it first hand, we are convinced that God has the power to transform anything we ask Him to...
At the beginning of spring break my roommate Rachael was staying at my house with me and my family because her parents were out of town. She has had some issues with her hearing, so she had gone to the doctor to have some tests done. The doctors had diagnosed her with a hearing problem that was going to result in her having hearing aids for the rest of her life; keep in mind, she is 18. (sidenote: the poor girl has all kinds of health issues. she was once told that she would live the rest of her life sitting in a wheel chair, but by the power of faith and the grace of God she gets to enjoy the simplicity of skipping.) Anyway, we had just gotten home from getting her blood drawn so they could run some tests, and Barb and Craig (my parents) were sitting on their bed when we walked in. We told them the story of the doctors concerns, and Craig was quick to suggest we lay hands on her ears and pray for her to be healed.
This past weekend Rachael had to go back home to have more tests done; the results of her tests showed that her hearing was equivelent to the hearing of any perfectly well 18 year old; elimating the need for hearing aids. The doctor was blown away, certain that what the results said was impossible. Jesus had something different to say about it.
How cool is it that Jesus knew everything about the samaritan woman who He found at the well? He knew she would be there; He knew she didn't have a husband. He knew she had been married five times, and that she was currently living with a man she was not married to. He knew she was a sinner, and he looked into her eyes and offered her hope. He offered her something solid, something distinct that she would never forget. The woman is an illustration of all of us.
Do you ever have one of those days, or weeks, when you feel like your actions are completely out of character? Or you get stuck into a lifestyle for so long that no one believes that you can change for the better? Have you ever been with a group of people who refuse to believe the best for others... and constantly talk about "reality"? It has to stop. In order to be the body of Christ we have to stick together. We must call forth the good in people, and encourage each other to be the best we can be. We are brothers and sisters, and we are only as strong as our weakest member. It is time that we act in a way that draws people to us. We have the gift of eternal life, and it's crucial that we give it away. When we wear the name of Jesus, we are constantly selling him to the world around us by what we say, do, watch...
Believe the best for people. Pursue people in a way that you're seeing who they are, not what they do. Be vulnerable. Let people see you. We were created for community. Ask God to intervene, and then watch Him. Through you, His power is spread throughout the world, and He is made even more famous.
I once read something that said, "God welcomes us to punctuate our faith with as many exclamation points as question marks. Be careful with the quotation marks." How are you selling Jesus? His message is a message of furious and redeeming Love.
Once you encounter Jesus, you can't escape Him. The torch has been lit; spread the fire.
3.07.2011
Completely Fearless
A couple summers ago I went to Amsterdam with six girls. The purpose of the trip was to get interviews for a Thesis paper that was being written about Post Traumatic Stress Discorder and the affect it has on prostitutes; however, the meaning behind it was much deeper. We were going because we wanted to intercede on behalf of the women who were behind the windows. We had no idea what would happen while we walked those streets of that dark yet beautiful city, but we knew we were called so we fearlessly walked through the alleys and pleaded to God on behalf of those women. It was almost as if we were invisible; not a single man heckled us or even acknowledged us. We were hiding in the shelter of the Almighty and walking through the valley of the shadow of death at the same time.
The day I left for that adventure, my friend wrote me a letter about the importance of the work that was about to be done in that city to further the kingdom of Heaven. He told me that the characteristics of a disciple were three things: Absurdly Happy, Completely Fearless and in Constant Trouble. These three things have stuck with me since I read them for the first time, and they are the epitome of what I strive to embody.
God proves Himself faithful every single day.
I was talking to a friend this weekend about the things God was doing in his life and his eyes lit up with excitement. I could see how eager he was to tell me about the way he was touching Heaven with one hand and earth with the other. He told me that he was a firm believe in that everything we own belongs to God, not only ten percent. As he often claimed his belief in this, he hadn't ever literally given everything he owned away. He told me that God had been telling him, "if everything belongs to me, then give it all to me." So, he literally emptied his account and put it into his Community Group account, which is used to serve people in the community by financially meeting their needs. He had $0.00 in his account, and thirty dollars in his wallet.
Most of you are probably thinking, "Sounds radical. How foolish of him to have no money to support himself, what is he ever going to do without being able to buy food or pay rent?" The coolest part is that God never calls us to do something that we can't handle. However, he does call us to do things that stretch us to the point that we can no longer depend on ourselves, our success, our jobs and our bank accounts. When we are absolutely reliant on God, we experience the fullness of His provision and His grace.
So, as he was driving down the street one day, he sees a guy on the side of the road kicking dirt. God tells him to pick up the stranger, so he turns around and asked the guy if he needs a ride. The guy gets in the car, and after a long conversation explains that he can't work because he has a disabled shoulder and his electricity bill is due and he doesn't have any money to pay it. so my friend askes him how much the bill is, and the guy says around twenty dollars. He pulls out his wallet, gives this stranger the thirty dollars he has left and he tells him to pay his bill and buy himself something to eat. He prays for this guy's shoulder and he tells him the power of prayer and encourages him to keep believing and to expect God for healing, and it will be his. When they arrive at the boy's destination, he gets out of the car and my friend is left with absolutely no money. As he told me this story, his eyes were big and he explained it as the most freeing state he has ever been in throughout his entire life.
"With every decision, we bring either Heaven or Hell to earth." -Rob Bell
He survied the next couple weeks by eating at school, and refraining from buying anything until his next paid check came in. He was completely fearless.
He knew that if he was going to say He was following God then he was going to do it with his whole heart. He knew it would be easy to preach, and not nearly as easy to practice, but he made the decision to trust in a God who had plans to prosper Him. He knew that the Lord is mighty to save, and he expected God to teach him that first hand.
It had nothing to do with explaining theology, or demanding answers to his questions... it had everything to do with being stretched to where he could bring Heaven to earth for one man who needed his electricity bill paid. It was the drive to take Jesus literally when He told his disciples, "drop your nets, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
It may sound radical, it may even be radical; but what will our success driven, money hungry society turn into if we continue to let those things control our lives? It is absolutely crucial that we take a completely fearless approach to living - our eyes will be opened, our hearts softened and our horizons broadened if we give God the opportunity to stretch us. It won't be easy, and certainly not comfortable but it will change the world.
"...I will make you fishers of men." Matt 4:19
The day I left for that adventure, my friend wrote me a letter about the importance of the work that was about to be done in that city to further the kingdom of Heaven. He told me that the characteristics of a disciple were three things: Absurdly Happy, Completely Fearless and in Constant Trouble. These three things have stuck with me since I read them for the first time, and they are the epitome of what I strive to embody.
God proves Himself faithful every single day.
I was talking to a friend this weekend about the things God was doing in his life and his eyes lit up with excitement. I could see how eager he was to tell me about the way he was touching Heaven with one hand and earth with the other. He told me that he was a firm believe in that everything we own belongs to God, not only ten percent. As he often claimed his belief in this, he hadn't ever literally given everything he owned away. He told me that God had been telling him, "if everything belongs to me, then give it all to me." So, he literally emptied his account and put it into his Community Group account, which is used to serve people in the community by financially meeting their needs. He had $0.00 in his account, and thirty dollars in his wallet.
Most of you are probably thinking, "Sounds radical. How foolish of him to have no money to support himself, what is he ever going to do without being able to buy food or pay rent?" The coolest part is that God never calls us to do something that we can't handle. However, he does call us to do things that stretch us to the point that we can no longer depend on ourselves, our success, our jobs and our bank accounts. When we are absolutely reliant on God, we experience the fullness of His provision and His grace.
So, as he was driving down the street one day, he sees a guy on the side of the road kicking dirt. God tells him to pick up the stranger, so he turns around and asked the guy if he needs a ride. The guy gets in the car, and after a long conversation explains that he can't work because he has a disabled shoulder and his electricity bill is due and he doesn't have any money to pay it. so my friend askes him how much the bill is, and the guy says around twenty dollars. He pulls out his wallet, gives this stranger the thirty dollars he has left and he tells him to pay his bill and buy himself something to eat. He prays for this guy's shoulder and he tells him the power of prayer and encourages him to keep believing and to expect God for healing, and it will be his. When they arrive at the boy's destination, he gets out of the car and my friend is left with absolutely no money. As he told me this story, his eyes were big and he explained it as the most freeing state he has ever been in throughout his entire life.
"With every decision, we bring either Heaven or Hell to earth." -Rob Bell
He survied the next couple weeks by eating at school, and refraining from buying anything until his next paid check came in. He was completely fearless.
He knew that if he was going to say He was following God then he was going to do it with his whole heart. He knew it would be easy to preach, and not nearly as easy to practice, but he made the decision to trust in a God who had plans to prosper Him. He knew that the Lord is mighty to save, and he expected God to teach him that first hand.
It had nothing to do with explaining theology, or demanding answers to his questions... it had everything to do with being stretched to where he could bring Heaven to earth for one man who needed his electricity bill paid. It was the drive to take Jesus literally when He told his disciples, "drop your nets, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
It may sound radical, it may even be radical; but what will our success driven, money hungry society turn into if we continue to let those things control our lives? It is absolutely crucial that we take a completely fearless approach to living - our eyes will be opened, our hearts softened and our horizons broadened if we give God the opportunity to stretch us. It won't be easy, and certainly not comfortable but it will change the world.
"...I will make you fishers of men." Matt 4:19
2.20.2011
Medals and Wash Rags
Today at church Pastor Clark was speaking directly to the men in the church about the way they are called to treat their wives, or future wives. As a girl it was easy for me to sit back and "Amen" every single thing he said - He talked about multiple issues that Men are called to take care of, issues that any of us women could talk about for days...
Towards the end of the sermon, He looked into the eyes of the Men in the congregation and said "Be her biggest fan." This struck a cord with me. It is a small idea that transforms relationships and ultimately lives. You could say that it's important to me because words of affirmation are important to me, but I refuse to believe thats it...
His main point was to be her biggest fan - but the subdivisions of this one point blew my mind and stirred my heart. The Holy Spirit was flowing out of him as he spoke about the way husbands should always call forth the potential in their wives. Here are some of the things he said that are worthy of note taking:
"Be her biggest fan. Your words should always bring more healing to her than hurt. We are all visionaries, and I know this because God is a visionary and we were created in His image - Ask Him to give you a glimpse of His vision for your wife's life. Tap into the presence and the power of God and catch a glimpse of the things God is doing in Her life. Listen to her. When we are fully being lead by God, we are leading our wives and our children to follow in the way of the Lord. He has plans for her the same way he has plans for you. It is our job and our duty as men to speak life into her and to encourage her, reminding her that she is dazzling and beauitful and worthy and flawless. When she is discouraged and battling insecurity and we say, "oh that's just how she is..." we are settling for what Satan has to say about her. God created her to wake up, ever single morning, in all humility and say, "I am the result of God's creation and I will walk with confidence in Christ praising Him for all He is, regardless of what comes at me today." As husbands, we must breathe life into her, into her dreams, into her potential."
What if, with every person we come in contact with, we looked them in the eyes and truly believed in their potential? Not just the people who have college degrees; not just the CEOs; not just the ones dressed in fancy labels; not just the ones who seem to be going somewhere in life; and especially not just the ones who might better us and help us out in return. What if we spent our lives encouraging and pouring ourselves into people?
When will we realize that life is not all about the things this world has to offer?! When will we acknowledge the truth that our lives come and go in a flash? we are here today and gone tomorrow... When will we stop carrying on comfortable casual conversation, and begin to rip off the masks and tear down the walls? When will our achievements and our trophies stop getting the best of us?!
I am so tired of the world getting the best of our generation. It's draining. Yes, school is so important and yes our resumes looks better when it has lots of pretty things on it... but man, how dangerous is it that Satan has such a hold on us that those earthly desires of being so successful and rich and achieved can consume us. When we will drop the rich, beautiful, materialistic lifestyle that we hold onto for dear life, and fall on our face before the Lord?
I don't just mean physically, I mean spiritually - we have to wake up. it's time we start doing what we are here to do. What are you investing your heart in? which kingdom are you so desperately clinging to? what are you putting your time into? What is defining you? What consumes your thoughts when you close your eyes at night? What consumes your thoughts when you're practicing piano, or football, or physics? What consumes your thoughts when you walk through the double doors of your dream job? Where is your life headed? Who are you speaking life into? Does it stop with your wife?
What will it take for you to exchange the medals of worldy success for a bucket of water, some soap and a wash rag?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
You were created for victory. It may not look the way you draw it out in your head, but that doesn't mean you've failed. You are an overcomer, and you are victorious.
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
How cool would it be to see Jesus and be able to look at Him, hand him the baton, and say, "Finally, after 2000 years, we got it done for you."
Do something about it.
Towards the end of the sermon, He looked into the eyes of the Men in the congregation and said "Be her biggest fan." This struck a cord with me. It is a small idea that transforms relationships and ultimately lives. You could say that it's important to me because words of affirmation are important to me, but I refuse to believe thats it...
His main point was to be her biggest fan - but the subdivisions of this one point blew my mind and stirred my heart. The Holy Spirit was flowing out of him as he spoke about the way husbands should always call forth the potential in their wives. Here are some of the things he said that are worthy of note taking:
"Be her biggest fan. Your words should always bring more healing to her than hurt. We are all visionaries, and I know this because God is a visionary and we were created in His image - Ask Him to give you a glimpse of His vision for your wife's life. Tap into the presence and the power of God and catch a glimpse of the things God is doing in Her life. Listen to her. When we are fully being lead by God, we are leading our wives and our children to follow in the way of the Lord. He has plans for her the same way he has plans for you. It is our job and our duty as men to speak life into her and to encourage her, reminding her that she is dazzling and beauitful and worthy and flawless. When she is discouraged and battling insecurity and we say, "oh that's just how she is..." we are settling for what Satan has to say about her. God created her to wake up, ever single morning, in all humility and say, "I am the result of God's creation and I will walk with confidence in Christ praising Him for all He is, regardless of what comes at me today." As husbands, we must breathe life into her, into her dreams, into her potential."
What if, with every person we come in contact with, we looked them in the eyes and truly believed in their potential? Not just the people who have college degrees; not just the CEOs; not just the ones dressed in fancy labels; not just the ones who seem to be going somewhere in life; and especially not just the ones who might better us and help us out in return. What if we spent our lives encouraging and pouring ourselves into people?
When will we realize that life is not all about the things this world has to offer?! When will we acknowledge the truth that our lives come and go in a flash? we are here today and gone tomorrow... When will we stop carrying on comfortable casual conversation, and begin to rip off the masks and tear down the walls? When will our achievements and our trophies stop getting the best of us?!
I am so tired of the world getting the best of our generation. It's draining. Yes, school is so important and yes our resumes looks better when it has lots of pretty things on it... but man, how dangerous is it that Satan has such a hold on us that those earthly desires of being so successful and rich and achieved can consume us. When we will drop the rich, beautiful, materialistic lifestyle that we hold onto for dear life, and fall on our face before the Lord?
I don't just mean physically, I mean spiritually - we have to wake up. it's time we start doing what we are here to do. What are you investing your heart in? which kingdom are you so desperately clinging to? what are you putting your time into? What is defining you? What consumes your thoughts when you close your eyes at night? What consumes your thoughts when you're practicing piano, or football, or physics? What consumes your thoughts when you walk through the double doors of your dream job? Where is your life headed? Who are you speaking life into? Does it stop with your wife?
What will it take for you to exchange the medals of worldy success for a bucket of water, some soap and a wash rag?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
You were created for victory. It may not look the way you draw it out in your head, but that doesn't mean you've failed. You are an overcomer, and you are victorious.
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
How cool would it be to see Jesus and be able to look at Him, hand him the baton, and say, "Finally, after 2000 years, we got it done for you."
Do something about it.
2.09.2011
My Adventure Book.
Have you taken the time to sit down and think about the adventures you want to experience in your life? Ya know how the world seems to be getting smaller? It seems that within the past decade or so, we have become a whole lot more familiar with the world around us... There aren't many mysteries anymore. It seems that everything has been seen; discovered.
In the movie UP the little girl, Ellie, has a book called "My Adventure Book" - even more, she has a dream. Her book is a tangible illustration of what she wants her life to become... an idea of the things she dreams about experiencing. She doesn't want her life to be mediocre. She has big expectations.
A couple weeks ago I was at a women's conference at Journey Church and my heart was overwhelmed while I stood with hundreds of women in the presence of God. It was as if we were all living the way we were called to. As women, we have all experienced the chaos and drama that comes along with girl friends... and as I grow up, I learn more and more the importance of us women sticking together. I've said it before, we have to stick together. As I stood in that sanctuary with those women, I knew God was there in the room with us. We sang with one voice. When I heard the band play the chords of How He Loves my heart melted. How powerful for a room full of women to be claiming the truth that We are His portion, and He is our prize. Even though we all struggle with the things of the world - insecurity, heartbreak, self destruction, bitterness, regret... We were confessing, as a body, that when we thought about the way that God loves us, we could no longer contain those things.
We are loved beyond any measure we can fathom.
My heart keeps going back to a sermon I heard about a week ago about how unique each of us are. We talked about big names like Martin Luthar King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln... people who painted masterpieces with their lives. Courageous leaders who were bold enough to go into broken places. People who recognized their calling, even more their duty, and pursued it because not pursuing it would be too dangerous. People who knew their lives were temporary - and refused to let it go to waste.
I think we were all created to be artists. I think God longs for us to use what He has given us to paint something beautiful; something breath taking. I think he intended for it to be a whole world full of masterpieces. Different paintings, due to different ideas and creativity. I refuse to believe that he intended the world to be full of mass-produced 'color the number' paintings...
We were created to live in the brightest hughes
He delights in our beauty. He loves us more than we can fathom. He gifted us with unique creativity. He creates things for us to discover.
dream big. experience life. discover. be bold. paint a masterpiece. you have nothing to lose.
In the movie UP the little girl, Ellie, has a book called "My Adventure Book" - even more, she has a dream. Her book is a tangible illustration of what she wants her life to become... an idea of the things she dreams about experiencing. She doesn't want her life to be mediocre. She has big expectations.
A couple weeks ago I was at a women's conference at Journey Church and my heart was overwhelmed while I stood with hundreds of women in the presence of God. It was as if we were all living the way we were called to. As women, we have all experienced the chaos and drama that comes along with girl friends... and as I grow up, I learn more and more the importance of us women sticking together. I've said it before, we have to stick together. As I stood in that sanctuary with those women, I knew God was there in the room with us. We sang with one voice. When I heard the band play the chords of How He Loves my heart melted. How powerful for a room full of women to be claiming the truth that We are His portion, and He is our prize. Even though we all struggle with the things of the world - insecurity, heartbreak, self destruction, bitterness, regret... We were confessing, as a body, that when we thought about the way that God loves us, we could no longer contain those things.
We are loved beyond any measure we can fathom.
My heart keeps going back to a sermon I heard about a week ago about how unique each of us are. We talked about big names like Martin Luthar King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln... people who painted masterpieces with their lives. Courageous leaders who were bold enough to go into broken places. People who recognized their calling, even more their duty, and pursued it because not pursuing it would be too dangerous. People who knew their lives were temporary - and refused to let it go to waste.
I think we were all created to be artists. I think God longs for us to use what He has given us to paint something beautiful; something breath taking. I think he intended for it to be a whole world full of masterpieces. Different paintings, due to different ideas and creativity. I refuse to believe that he intended the world to be full of mass-produced 'color the number' paintings...
We were created to live in the brightest hughes
He delights in our beauty. He loves us more than we can fathom. He gifted us with unique creativity. He creates things for us to discover.
dream big. experience life. discover. be bold. paint a masterpiece. you have nothing to lose.
1.17.2011
Sprinkles of Grace
January 17th. A new day. A new opportunity. It has never happened before. It is perfect. Flawless. New.
As I think about the things that I want 2011 to be about, my mind wonders to all the possibilities that this new year could bring. Anything could happen - it's kind of like a blank canvas. Endless possibilites with challenges and friends behind every door. Every thing I encounter throughout the next twelve months are choices of blessings or curses. Of course I will come face to face with heartbreak and obstacles, but I rest assured that every single circumstance and situtation will be beneficial. God is cool in that way - He uses all things to teach me.
2011 is a going to be a year of expecting a lot more from God. I talk a lot about spare change... spare change is worthless.
2010 taught me that when given the opportunity, people love to give. It taught me the importance of relationships. 2010 was the year I graduated from highschool and started college. It represents a great change in my life. The end of one chapter, and the beginning of a new one.
It started with bringing in the new year with my very best friends - banging pots and pans and yelling at the top of our lungs... Shortly after that Valentines Day rolled around - my dad was my valentine... I was the luckiest. Then my birthday snuck up on me and my seventeenth year of life was coming to an end.
Sidenote: Seventeen was my favorite year because I discovered my passion against human sex-trafficking and recognized the call on my life to reach the broken women of the world and to offer hope. To remind them that they were created to dance in white dresses. That there is more to life than darkness. That they were created to sing and dance and praise Jesus. That they are beautiful and perfect and flawless. That they are the daughters of the Most High King... and that they are forgiven. I think we all need that reminder. We all need to be saved by grace.
Anyway, I was excited for a new age because I was ready to put those passions to work. It was the best birthday - the celebration started the night before as my friend took me to Norman to worship with Hillsong United. The next morning was saturday, so I was blessed to spend the whole day on the back patio with my family and my best girlfriends, cooking out and laughing at each other. It was a preview of the year for me... I knew the Lord had already provided for me and He would continue to as the year progressed. May 14th was a day I'll always remember, as it was the day I graduated from the best highschool in the nation. I walked that stage proud as I'll ever be to call myself a Union Redskin. I got to listen to and vicariously live through my best friend as she gave the "Redskins for Life" speech - and she rocked it. After that day began my last summer before College. It was a summer of celebrating people. I was a nanny, so I exercised my love for children ;) and ended up falling in love with those kids. There is something about the faith of child... they taught me a lot about life. Whether it was "make-believe" tea parties or dancing to Hannah Montana - they found joy in the smallest things. In August I started my first semester of college! I went through Rush and found some of the best friends I could ever ask for. I acknowledged the fact that I had the free will of picking where I wanted to be - but discovered the plans of the Lord and watched them unfold as I began to connect with all new friends. He knew just what he was doing, and continues to pour blessings upon me. My cup overflows. I was given the opportunity to be a part of a musical with all of my new pledge sisters, and a whole new group of boys, whom I had never met. Little did I know they would become some of my best friends as well. Singing was never a talent that I was blessed with, but I had the time of my life pretending :) It seemed as if I was meeting new friends every time I turned around. As I look back on my Spanish class, a few people come to mind and I laugh. I'll never forget the new friends who loved to make jokes about "PTL"ing all the time."PTL for scrunchies. PTL for big curly hair. PTL for PTL" they would say. Whether they realize it or not, they weren't only speading the PTL, but they were Praising the Lord :) Nevertheless, we were instant friends! The year was wrapping up, and I spent the majority of the last few weeks of the semester in the Library. I've never been one for silence, so it was a challenge... but when you're not allowed to laugh it makes everything that much funnier. The night I got home I bathed in the peace of knowing I would be home for an entire month with no class or tests or studying to worry about, and soaked in the blessing of being amongst my parents, my sister, and one of my very best friends. The next night we made our way to Cains Ballroom to hang out with our friends Needtobreathe - and we sang our lungs out, exclaiming "this is my favorite one!" to just about every song they played. I loved spending Christmas with our family friends, who have become a whole lot more like family than friends... and just as it began, 2010 ended with the greatest friends laughing and bringin' in the new year. It was a year of joy and renewal. It was jam packed with creating new life-long friendships. I look back and smile on all the things God must have orchestrated for me, because I could have never created them on my own. I learned that I was a daughter of the King. That's all I am, and all I need to be. I was broken, softened, and refurbished. Sprinkles of grace scattered throughout the journey.
2011 is a new year. A new opportunity. It has never happened before. It is perfect. It is flawless. It is a year of expecting more from God. It is a year of asking, expecting, recieving, giving, planting, watering, reaping. It is a year of being spontaneous, of loving without having an agenda and of rocking out like my life depended on it. It's a year of seeing Jesus in everyone, and watching as the promises of God unfold in my life and in the lives around me. It's a year of freedom and liberty. 2011 is a year of growth; a year of stretching.
Here is your challenge:
May you be uncomfortable this year. May the Lord stretch you in big ways. May you find yourself on the edge of your seat, watching in awe at the wonders of our King. May you touch heaven with one hand, and earth with the other. May you always stand in the gap for people. May you extend grace to those who do not deserve it. May you experience the grace Jesus died for you to recieve. May you have the time of your life with the people you love. May you live the highest extreme of abundance. May you always be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12). May you live vulnerably, giving all that you are to be the living body of Christ.
2011 can be anything we want it to be. We have choices of blessings and curses before us. There are no limits. Choose blessings. Walk in abundance. Declare liberty over your days. Ask. Laugh. Be childlike in your faith. Wear love. Pray without ceasing. Look at every person as if they were Jesus. Sing. Run. Persevere.
May you encounter Jesus, and may you look back and see His sprinkles of grace.
As I think about the things that I want 2011 to be about, my mind wonders to all the possibilities that this new year could bring. Anything could happen - it's kind of like a blank canvas. Endless possibilites with challenges and friends behind every door. Every thing I encounter throughout the next twelve months are choices of blessings or curses. Of course I will come face to face with heartbreak and obstacles, but I rest assured that every single circumstance and situtation will be beneficial. God is cool in that way - He uses all things to teach me.
2011 is a going to be a year of expecting a lot more from God. I talk a lot about spare change... spare change is worthless.
2010 taught me that when given the opportunity, people love to give. It taught me the importance of relationships. 2010 was the year I graduated from highschool and started college. It represents a great change in my life. The end of one chapter, and the beginning of a new one.
It started with bringing in the new year with my very best friends - banging pots and pans and yelling at the top of our lungs... Shortly after that Valentines Day rolled around - my dad was my valentine... I was the luckiest. Then my birthday snuck up on me and my seventeenth year of life was coming to an end.
Sidenote: Seventeen was my favorite year because I discovered my passion against human sex-trafficking and recognized the call on my life to reach the broken women of the world and to offer hope. To remind them that they were created to dance in white dresses. That there is more to life than darkness. That they were created to sing and dance and praise Jesus. That they are beautiful and perfect and flawless. That they are the daughters of the Most High King... and that they are forgiven. I think we all need that reminder. We all need to be saved by grace.
Anyway, I was excited for a new age because I was ready to put those passions to work. It was the best birthday - the celebration started the night before as my friend took me to Norman to worship with Hillsong United. The next morning was saturday, so I was blessed to spend the whole day on the back patio with my family and my best girlfriends, cooking out and laughing at each other. It was a preview of the year for me... I knew the Lord had already provided for me and He would continue to as the year progressed. May 14th was a day I'll always remember, as it was the day I graduated from the best highschool in the nation. I walked that stage proud as I'll ever be to call myself a Union Redskin. I got to listen to and vicariously live through my best friend as she gave the "Redskins for Life" speech - and she rocked it. After that day began my last summer before College. It was a summer of celebrating people. I was a nanny, so I exercised my love for children ;) and ended up falling in love with those kids. There is something about the faith of child... they taught me a lot about life. Whether it was "make-believe" tea parties or dancing to Hannah Montana - they found joy in the smallest things. In August I started my first semester of college! I went through Rush and found some of the best friends I could ever ask for. I acknowledged the fact that I had the free will of picking where I wanted to be - but discovered the plans of the Lord and watched them unfold as I began to connect with all new friends. He knew just what he was doing, and continues to pour blessings upon me. My cup overflows. I was given the opportunity to be a part of a musical with all of my new pledge sisters, and a whole new group of boys, whom I had never met. Little did I know they would become some of my best friends as well. Singing was never a talent that I was blessed with, but I had the time of my life pretending :) It seemed as if I was meeting new friends every time I turned around. As I look back on my Spanish class, a few people come to mind and I laugh. I'll never forget the new friends who loved to make jokes about "PTL"ing all the time."PTL for scrunchies. PTL for big curly hair. PTL for PTL" they would say. Whether they realize it or not, they weren't only speading the PTL, but they were Praising the Lord :) Nevertheless, we were instant friends! The year was wrapping up, and I spent the majority of the last few weeks of the semester in the Library. I've never been one for silence, so it was a challenge... but when you're not allowed to laugh it makes everything that much funnier. The night I got home I bathed in the peace of knowing I would be home for an entire month with no class or tests or studying to worry about, and soaked in the blessing of being amongst my parents, my sister, and one of my very best friends. The next night we made our way to Cains Ballroom to hang out with our friends Needtobreathe - and we sang our lungs out, exclaiming "this is my favorite one!" to just about every song they played. I loved spending Christmas with our family friends, who have become a whole lot more like family than friends... and just as it began, 2010 ended with the greatest friends laughing and bringin' in the new year. It was a year of joy and renewal. It was jam packed with creating new life-long friendships. I look back and smile on all the things God must have orchestrated for me, because I could have never created them on my own. I learned that I was a daughter of the King. That's all I am, and all I need to be. I was broken, softened, and refurbished. Sprinkles of grace scattered throughout the journey.
2011 is a new year. A new opportunity. It has never happened before. It is perfect. It is flawless. It is a year of expecting more from God. It is a year of asking, expecting, recieving, giving, planting, watering, reaping. It is a year of being spontaneous, of loving without having an agenda and of rocking out like my life depended on it. It's a year of seeing Jesus in everyone, and watching as the promises of God unfold in my life and in the lives around me. It's a year of freedom and liberty. 2011 is a year of growth; a year of stretching.
Here is your challenge:
May you be uncomfortable this year. May the Lord stretch you in big ways. May you find yourself on the edge of your seat, watching in awe at the wonders of our King. May you touch heaven with one hand, and earth with the other. May you always stand in the gap for people. May you extend grace to those who do not deserve it. May you experience the grace Jesus died for you to recieve. May you have the time of your life with the people you love. May you live the highest extreme of abundance. May you always be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12). May you live vulnerably, giving all that you are to be the living body of Christ.
2011 can be anything we want it to be. We have choices of blessings and curses before us. There are no limits. Choose blessings. Walk in abundance. Declare liberty over your days. Ask. Laugh. Be childlike in your faith. Wear love. Pray without ceasing. Look at every person as if they were Jesus. Sing. Run. Persevere.
May you encounter Jesus, and may you look back and see His sprinkles of grace.
12.24.2010
Underwear and Sandwhiches
Merry Christams Eve !
I hope that Merry is a perfect word to describe your Christmas... lets be honest - the holidays are a tough times for a lot of us. We spend a lot of time thinking about the things and the people that are no longer in our lives. Maybe they passed away, maybe they are in the army, maybe its our first christmas without them... maybe its our twentieth and it isn't any easier. Or maybe we got a diagnosis that wasnt what we were hoping for, or maybe we are still waiting for the results... The holidays represent a season of family for most of us - we travel for hours and over seas to be with the people we consider our family. Our memories are consumed with our dads jokes or our moms gentle spirit. We look back and remember it being perfect when those certain people were still around...
Tonight at church our pastor's wife read a story about a little girl who was longing for the sense of hope to be renewed in her community. The cold and foggy atmosphere was becoming too much for her... she had to take matters into her own hands. Something needed to happen and she was determined to see that it did.
She was sick and tired of life being bland. She was hungry for some spice - some hope. She knew there had to be more to life than materialistic necessities... There had to be more to life than underwear and sandwhiches. She was convinced that there was something they were all missing out on... something big that would spice everything up, given the chance.
Mark my words, there is more to life than underwear and sandwiches. You can experience the fullness of God amidst adversity. In fact, hope stands firm when it seems that all else has fallen.
Jesus himself says this : "You will face difficult times. You will experience hardship because you live in a fallen world. You will have troubles. The road is not smoothe. You will fall and bleed and cry. Your heart will get broken. but...
take heart. I have overcome it all."
We have been redeemed - we have been restored. No matter our losses, no matter the schemes and plots of satan... Jesus has the final word. He came to show us his redeeming love, so that we would encounter Him and hold tight to the hope that he has given us.
Where ever you find yourself this Christmas season, remember that Jesus was born so that You would know his outrageous, unconditional, furious, overpowering love he has for you. He is gentle, and strong - He makes up for what is lost, and he understands where your heart is.
When you expereince his abundance amidst adversity, you wont be able to contain your joy. Your cup will overflow, and your peace will surpass all understanding.
May your Christmas be Merry, May you see the joy through the fog, and May you know that there is more to life than underwear and sandwiches.
I hope that Merry is a perfect word to describe your Christmas... lets be honest - the holidays are a tough times for a lot of us. We spend a lot of time thinking about the things and the people that are no longer in our lives. Maybe they passed away, maybe they are in the army, maybe its our first christmas without them... maybe its our twentieth and it isn't any easier. Or maybe we got a diagnosis that wasnt what we were hoping for, or maybe we are still waiting for the results... The holidays represent a season of family for most of us - we travel for hours and over seas to be with the people we consider our family. Our memories are consumed with our dads jokes or our moms gentle spirit. We look back and remember it being perfect when those certain people were still around...
Tonight at church our pastor's wife read a story about a little girl who was longing for the sense of hope to be renewed in her community. The cold and foggy atmosphere was becoming too much for her... she had to take matters into her own hands. Something needed to happen and she was determined to see that it did.
She was sick and tired of life being bland. She was hungry for some spice - some hope. She knew there had to be more to life than materialistic necessities... There had to be more to life than underwear and sandwhiches. She was convinced that there was something they were all missing out on... something big that would spice everything up, given the chance.
Mark my words, there is more to life than underwear and sandwiches. You can experience the fullness of God amidst adversity. In fact, hope stands firm when it seems that all else has fallen.
Jesus himself says this : "You will face difficult times. You will experience hardship because you live in a fallen world. You will have troubles. The road is not smoothe. You will fall and bleed and cry. Your heart will get broken. but...
take heart. I have overcome it all."
We have been redeemed - we have been restored. No matter our losses, no matter the schemes and plots of satan... Jesus has the final word. He came to show us his redeeming love, so that we would encounter Him and hold tight to the hope that he has given us.
Where ever you find yourself this Christmas season, remember that Jesus was born so that You would know his outrageous, unconditional, furious, overpowering love he has for you. He is gentle, and strong - He makes up for what is lost, and he understands where your heart is.
When you expereince his abundance amidst adversity, you wont be able to contain your joy. Your cup will overflow, and your peace will surpass all understanding.
May your Christmas be Merry, May you see the joy through the fog, and May you know that there is more to life than underwear and sandwiches.
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