Day twenty-two

DAY TWENTY-TWO

I AM TWENTY & THERE ARE TWO FRIENDS... that makes 22! :)

What a wonderful day to rejoice in what God is doing! He is working miracles all around the world, drawing thousands of people to Himself, fulfilling all of His promises, pulling people out of darkness and into light! God is doing all of this because HE IS LOVE! :) Now, rejoice in Him! Enjoy Him :) It's a choice. What will you choose?

"With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation" Isaiah 12:3

A while back, God allowed me to see that as Christians.. we have wells. Each one of us has our own well. The wells are full of the resources that we need here on earth. In each well there is good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He told me that no matter how much I drew from my well, He would always put back in the amount that I took out... so that I would NEVER run out. I have been drawing from that well for a year now.
For the past couple of months, I failed to draw from the well several times. I lacked in obedience, walked in sadness and forgot what was once precious to me. I did not know how to receive in full the grace of God. After confession, repentance and acceptance... I received revelation on the importance of drawing from the well that God gives us. Whether you receive or not is a choice. I choose to receive. Amen.


This morning we packed up, had breakfast, quiet time as a whole, celebration with Matt Papa (check out his albums if you have yet to listen to his music.. wonderful worship leader with a heart for God), then we were dismissed. Leaving Student Life was bitter sweet. Because the entire week was so wonderful & I met many great people, I was not necessarily excited to leave... but at the same time, I was so excited to bring the good news somewhere else! It is a joy to learn in one place and then carry that knowledge to another group of people that need to hear it. Oh how enjoyable is spreading the good news?

On the way out, I prayed for an opportunity to see Jessica again. I REALLY wanted to see her. Well, I went into the worship center to say goodbye to Lauren (a friend of mine from school) and then headed back to my students. On the way out, I spotted Jessica and called out to her! She stopped and joyfully received me. A friend of hers, one of the other leaders of Student Life, introduced herself to me with the sweetest spirit. As we shook hands, I just hugged her.. because she was absolutely precious. She then began to speak wonderful words of encouragement over me. Words that were clearly from the Lord. As she spoke, I was so grateful to see her faith expressed through our conversation. God blessed our introduction. This is the second time this week that God allowed me to meet someone who He directly spoke through about my life (& it is perfectly fine with me that He is giving out all of my information.... because these people knowing my life leads them to encourage me in truth. I am blessed by this). It is my hope that God used me to bless them the way that He used them to bless me. They are such wonderful women of God. So thankful.

We then headed out, went to the mall, five guys, the hotel (which was not ready), so we went to Books A Million and then back to the hotel. A few of the youth went down to the pool, but I wanted to write a little to keep you all up to date.

I know that God is doing mighty things everywhere! So, please feel free to message me anytime & update me on how the Holy Spirit is working around you. May you all be encouraged by the words that are written.

Praise God all who are reading :) Remember, God is good. God is God :)

Hallelujah!

THERE IS MORE

WOW! The blog ended here earlier today, then a bunch went down. Praise God! I ended up going swimming earlier at the hotel pool. A lot of the youth were out there. They spent time teaching me to throw a football & essentials like that :) It was fun! One of my youth, Aubrey, shared the love of Christ with a young girl at the pool. That was encouraging! She is setting a beautiful example, regardless of her age :) 1 Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity". She lives this verse today. Hallelujah! Honestly, all of my youth do. I am blessed to have them in my life for this season.

After the pool, we got ready, went to a field to worship and pray, then we ate in the field.

Following the breaking of bread :) we kind of had free time. While a few of the guys played frisbee. I asked some of the youth plus other college guys to pray with me about a friend of mine who is struggling. God heard us. I believe He heard us and will answer us according to our faith. I believe this, not because of who we are, because of who He is!! :)

This prayer turned into the meditation of God's goodness, which led to worship led by Brett Green & then Bailey Hill. We freely praised God and gave Him the praise He deserves. We moved around as a group and just praised God! It was such a free time :) Some of the youth danced, others fell to their faces, some lifted their hands and others stood in His glory. It was beautiful. God was with us. God is with us.

I am so grateful that God has allowed me the meet all of my youth. They bless me more than they will ever know. I thank God for providing me the position as their youth intern for the summer. All praise to God for Alicia Conn recommending me. God is so wonderful and has blessed me beyond what I could EVER ask for. I LOVE THOMASVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH YOUTH! :)

You guys, we have every reason to thank the Father :) I pray that you see Him where you are right now and rejoice in His grace! AMEN!

"Take me away to the secret place, let me see your grace"- something we made music for & sang tonight.

"Fill us up and send us out, LORD"- our cry. So beautiful to see God move. One of the students, Chloe Rush, was praying that God would send us out... then she overheard us singing "Fill us up and send us out" and came to join us. It blessed her that God was aligning all of our hearts. How awesome is He? And how worthy of praise? All glory be to God our Father. Amen.

Thankful for: my youth, sunny days, rest and meeting God's children.

Day Twenty-One

DAY TWENTY-ONE
(made it to the hyphens)

This morning, I woke up late but refreshed. It was a beautiful morning. After spending time with the Lord, I went to Celebration! My youth group was not there when I first arrived, so I went looking for them. On my way, I saw Seleina. She was standing at the Compassion booth. Seeing her caught me off guard because I thought she had already left (she was flying out today to go speak to 16,000 people). Well, we were both filled with gladness when we saw each other. Our conversation was brief, but beneficial. She gave me a precious bracelet (black, white, red and green beads making a Kenyan flag) that she had made. I was honored, to say the least. I was able to pray over her and bless her before she went, which was such an honor.

Seeing her created a big smile in my heart. I know that God brought her into my life as a blessing. Hopefully our paths will cross (or as I always say, our crosses will path) again. She is a wonderful woman of God that will continue to be used daily to build the Kingdom of God. Hallelujah.

The day went on. Our group went to Lifeway instead of recreation time. Then lunch. After lunch, I took some time to rest and study the Word. Following that was Bible Study. It was beneficial. I believe God spoke even more than I thought He did. He always does.

When we left Bible study, I came back to the room & got ready for a run. The run was nice. Today was much hotter than yesterday, but not nearly as hot as Alabama. I was thankful for the cool breeze that brushed across my face as I jogged down the streets of Cleveland. God was with me. He always is.

Now, more free time… I will write more later if anything significant happens. Something significant always happens. God is always doing something. It is up to us to see what He is doing.

If you have eyes to see, you will see.

Jeremiah 29:13 is on my heart today.

“Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that one gets justice” Proverbs 29:26

Just so everyone knows, God did many more significant things this day. After dinner, I went on a walk in search of a bench to rest on. I saw a girl headed towards the same bench that I was. Deep inside, I knew that I needed to talk to her. She sat down on the bench & I headed her way. Immediately, I asked her about the campus. Ellie is her name! If the school needed a recruiter, she would be the one. Her heart was exposed as she told me all about the campus & the wonderful works of God. It was obvious by her words, that she is in love with the King of Kings. That was refreshing. God allowed me to meet another soul who was so grateful for the grace of God. With joy, Ellie asked me to walk across the street to her friends house. I did :) We went over and met two young men Caleb & Kevin. They were awesome. All four of us shared stories of the greatness of God, described the out pouring of the Holy Spirit that we had seen on our campuses, and agreed to partner in prayer with one another. Ha ha ha. How exciting? What kind of divine encounter is this? God is always doing awesome things. I was so blessed to meet believers who are serious about God and advancing His Kingdom :) SO HAPPY TO KNOW MY NEW FRIENDS!!!

Thankful for: being set free & new friends.

Day Twenty!

DAY TWENTY

Journal entry from: June 28th 2011

I realized today why it is not easy to wake up here. We are an hour early and I am trying to get up around five, which is four my time. That usually isn’t all that easy when you are only getting five hours of sleep anyways. Thankfully, God has prepared me for all things and used me even in my weakness and in my tiredness. God is God.

Today has been the most amazing day! I am grateful for the glory of God. I am thankful that He allows me to see His hand in all things & that He chooses to speak to me and reveal mysteries to me. Many times, all I want to do is just fall on my face before Him and thank Him.

Being at Student Life Camp has been perfect. I believe with all of my heart that this entire trip was God-ordained for me. I am definitely supposed to be here.

After recreation time, Seleina introduced me to Jessica. Jessica is a young woman of God who leads recreation for Student Life. Seleina told Jessica about how I believe in miracles & desire to go to school in Africa. This excited Jessica and so she came to talk with me. To my surprise, Jessica is a student at Bethel. This was refreshing. We were not able to talk, but we were able to bless one another. I was so thankful.

The day went on. We had Bible study, free time (I was able to run around this beautiful city Cleveland, TN), dinner, prayer, and then corporate worship.

At dinner, I ran into Jessica again. She asked me to have breakfast with her on Thursday morning! Hallelujah.

During the service Brother Wes spoke on many significant things. Using the event of Jacob being re-identified and named, Israel, he mentioned that all who fight God will eventually lose. My heart was broken before God. Instead of praying for my friends who had recently fought the Lord, I realized that I had been going against Him unintentionally.

I let go of a big piece of who I am. He identified me as a woman who walked in miracles and believes in signs and wonders, without shame. Because of the opposition of other believers that I looked up to, I let go a little bit of who I had become.

My name means “fragile” and during the service, I realized that I was easily broken. That is not the way it is supposed to be. God calls us to a higher standard! He calls us to believe what He teaches us and to stand firm in our beliefs.

As a believer of all things and no particular denomination, I have been challenged the past few months. People unintentionally placed limitations on my faith and gave me a view of an organized religion (leaving out huge characteristics of who God is) and I slipped in and believed that I was “crazy” for believing what I knew to be true. God tried to remind me multiple times that I was not taught by humans and there was no need to go back and try to win their approval. Just like Paul, I was taught under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

For weeks, my prayer has been “there has to be more” and I kept praying it. I even prayed it tonight.

I asked God to forgive me for all of the sins that I had committed and for my lack of faith.

After this, I went to the restroom. As I headed back into the service, I was stopped by Jessica. She asked me if I could go on a walk. Suddenly, I could tell God wanted to speak to me. When we stepped outside, we both began to laugh. We decided it best to hold ourselves together, because there were many people around who did not understand or even approve of the joy we were carrying (not that we need the approval of man, but we did see it necessary to respect the Baptist leaders). The beautiful thing is, Jessica and I HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE TODAY! She does not know me. I do not know her. So, Jessica looks me in the eyes and starts telling me how God hears my cry for “more” and she comforted me with the words “You are not crazy”. She said that my desires are from the Holy Spirit and that God is answering al that I have been asking of Him. It was encouraging to hear that the Lord has plans to bring me closer to Him and that He HEARS me! He just does.

God spoke to a young woman I had NEVER met before and allowed her to see the prayers that I was praying, so that she could encourage me and remind me that my Papa hears my EVERY cry.

Talking with Jessica allowed me total peace and joy. I could not stop laughing the rest of the night.

Following our walk, Seleina shared her testimony in front of the entire Student Life Camp. It was beautiful. God used her to turn many hearts to Him. He used her testimony as a Compassion child to give others a desire to sponsor a child in need. He used her story to change my heart.

All in all, I have been restored. Completely and totally. God reminded me of who I am tonight. He gave me identity. It is in Him that I am identified from now until forever.

I am so glad to have met Jessica today. It is always refreshing to meet someone who has seen the power of God and is not afraid to admit it. Hearing God speak to me through her was also refreshing. May God’s peace and joy always be with her.

Thankful for: Seleina, Jessica, God using others to speak His Word, Compassion International, peace, joy and comfy beds.

Day nineteen

DAY NINETEEN

My journal from: June 27, 2011

Today was absolutely wonderful. God is really pursuing me and reminding me of my dreams. The desires He has placed in my heart are beautiful and I choose not to let go of them.

It was the first FULL day of Student Life Camp. So wonderful! Day started out with breakfast, then family group leader meeting, met back up with students for worship & celebration, following that was recreation time. Rec was so fun! We are on the blue team & our leaders are precious! During rec, one of the volunteers hosed me down with water. As sincere as possible, I told her that what she had done to me was the meanest thing anyone has done to me in months. Following the comment, I filled up my cup with water and started a conversation with her. All through out the conversation, I poured water all over her face. This would lead to her soaking me with the hose. We kept on. After a few times of pouring my cup of water all over her face, I knew it was necessary to stop. Even if it was just a game, making her really cold was not appropriate. I knew that Jesus would not have done what I did (I ended up searching for her tonight before one of the gatherings & apologizing. She also asked for forgiveness. I was grateful that God restored us). It might not sound like a big deal to anyone, but to me it was! I want to be a reflection of Jesus in all things. If that means that I can not be ridiculous and silly during competitions, then that means I will stop being ridiculous and silly during competitions. This is not because I am legalistic and have a bunch of set rules, this is because I genuinely care about my Savior and I want to please Him in all that I do.

After recreation, our leader gathered all of the family group leaders together and spoke to us. He asked us how he could pray for our students specifically. I was blessed by his willingness to pray for the students by name. Praise God for a wonderful leader! Well, as he was finishing up he introduced a young woman named Seleina. She was a compassion child. He said that it would be beneficial for us to meet her. As soon as he stopped talking, I went up and spent some time with her. We immediately connected. She shared a little about her home, which is Kenya! Then, I was able to share with her about my dreams to move to Africa. Somehow or another, we began to talk about healings and miracles. She told me that coming to America was different, because instead of relying on God the people are able to rely on doctors. Back in Kenya, the people cannot afford a doctor, so they pray that God will heal them & HE DOES! We both rejoiced in the power of God. It was a joy to share with her the miracles that I have witnessed. My faith was strengthened, even just sharing with her!

The rest of the day was enjoyable! We had family group time, then a bunch of free time, dinner, corporate worship, prayer time, then a talent show type event. At the talent show, I saw Seleina. She stopped me and asked me to sit down next to her. Sitting next to her was wonderful as we continued to discuss the goodness of God and the reality of His presence in our lives. She mentioned that I should travel to Kenya as soon as I can. That blessed me.

While we were talking to Seleina, she said something that really caught my attention. She said “God has given you the gift of healing and He is going to send you to a land where they need that, because the people here have doctors and do not need you. You will be sent where you are needed” Wow! I NEVER thought about it that way before she said it. It would have never crossed my mind that God has given me a gift that can be used somewhere, and that He wants to use me in that way. This woman, my new friend, saw that! How beautiful is God? He gives us gifts to build up the body! We must use them! If we are not being used, we must go where He is leading us! Because He has a plan & all He requires that we obediently follow Him!! I just want to obey Him! Pray for me that I would continue to walk in obedience to God and that I would hear His perfect voice clearly! That nothing would distract me and that He would take me where He will use me! Thank you!

Speaking with Selenia blessed me more than I could describe in words. She said that it was nice finding me because we could relate. We were both refreshed to hear that someone else believed in the power of God and not only believed, but rejoiced in it! His hand in miracles is a reflection of His love for all people; He is into healing the people. He did send His Son to die in order that the people would be restored to Him.

Student Life camp is amazing! Guess what? There is a precious guy in our youth group named Jeremiah! He is a joyful kid! Well, tonight… He asked Christ to forgive him of his sins and to heal him! He boldly told the entire youth group and was smiling the rest of the night! How exciting? One more soul is entering into heaven! YES!!! You know, in the Word it says that all of heaven rejoices over one soul! Can you imagine the joy that must be dancing around in heaven right now? So many students gave their lives to Christ tonight. Even though I do not know them personally, God does!!! AND HEAVEN IS REJOICING! So exciting!

Today was just beautiful.

Thankful for: revival, dreams and salvation.

Day eighteen!

DAY EIGHTEEN

He is 18 :)
What a lovely day thus far :) Waking up with the Lord was such a joy. His peace is overwhelming! I am thankful to be a child of God. Being a child of God makes every day not just bearable, but EXCITING; makes the hard times easy; and makes the good times better! Just living along side the Creator of the all that we know is wonderful. He is love. His love envelopes everything that I do and creates in me a love for all that He has made! Woohoo! So yes, today has been perfect!!

I wouldn't trade my new life in Christ for anything. Everything that I had to leave behind to follow Him was nothing compared to who He is. My life is Christ is more than I could have ever asked for.

"Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name" Psalm 97:12

Read Psalm 95, 96, and 97 :) AND PRAISE GOD!

Sometimes I just want to gather every one that I have ever met & say "ok, now praise God because He is worthy" and just worship God in complete freedom with thousands and thousands of people... :) That would be wonderful. HEY! HEAVEN WILL BE JUST LIKE THAT! (I still think we should do it here on earth... corporate worship in spirit & truth must really bless God)

Well, I hear music playing... so I am going to go and check it out :) TBC youth are so talented!!

OH & Student Life starts today!!! Pray for us! So excited about what God is going to do.

Enjoy your life. If you are single, enjoy God :) If you are not, enjoy God :) Bless Him with your thoughts & words today!!!

Proverbs
"Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives his neighbor and says 'I was only joking'" Psalm 97:12

Day seventeen!

DAY SEVENTEEN

late night

Nice day... single & joyful :)

We spent most of the day traveling. Cleveland, TN was our destination. God protected us the entire way :) For that, I am grateful. The trip up here was delightful. Being able to pour into the youth at different times and just watching them get into the Word & enjoy God's love together was beautiful! I am so thankful for this time we have had so far.

Tennessee is absolutely beautiful. I did not expect to see such green grass & pretty plants. Plus, the houses in this city are so cute :) I really like it here.

Tomorrow starts Student Life Camp. I am super pumped! Camp is so much fun!!!

It seems like many lessons were learned today.

While we were talking to the youth about being above reproach this week, Rob mentioned that the students should be focused on God instead of pursuing someone. When he mentioned that the guys did not need to be going after girls this week and that the girls did not need to be going after guys this week, I started saying how the girls NEVER need to pursue a guy anyways and so Rob asked me to speak to the students about that... before I knew it I was giving them advice on dating. Who am I to do that? Only God knew why I was to say what I said. After pointing them in the right direction, I was comforted. It was as if God spoke to me through me. He allowed me to finally say what He has been teaching me for a while now. I was thankful to hear it.

It is important as a woman to know how valuable you are in God's eyes. When you see yourself the way that God looks at you, you understand that you are precious & worth far more than rubies. Understanding your worth allows you to keep your heart guarded. Not only that, but it also allows you to see things from a Biblical perspective. Men pursue women. When a man is able to see you the way that God does, He will pursue you and will treat you with great respect. If he is not pursuing you, he is not worth it. Let's keep it Biblical. Lesson learned :)

funny story
Imagine this: You check into a hotel with your entire family (mom, dad, grandparents, husband and children) and some friends. As you all stand outside of the lobby talking out plans and just remembering events from the previous day and suddenly a young woman runs by. Instead of thinking twice about it, you giggle a little and then go on with your conversation. Before you know it, the same woman runs by again. This time you take a glance at her... first her face, sweaty and exhausted, then her clothes... normal nike attire... but her feet are the best part... she has on a pair of shoes that look like toe socks ... but really are shoes! All you can do is LAUGH OUT LOUD! The woman runs by several times... would you not laugh every time? I'm guessing you would. Today, I was that woman... every one laughed :) Because I am unfamiliar with the town & had to stay close to the youth, I ran at the hotel... 10 of my 20 laps I passed a huge family that got a kick out of me running. After five or so laps, I was laughing with them. Just could not help it. The entire situation was amusing.

All throughout the day, I received encouragement from so many people. God really blessed me with friends & family. I am thankful that He is always eager to keep us in a place of joy.

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" Isaiah 12:3

The only other thing that I feel to share is a.... PROVERB
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings" Proverbs 25:2

Thankful for: my youth, Alicia Conn, hotels right next to the interstate, beautiful scenery in TN, and a new dream.

Day Sixteen!

DAY SIXTEEN

what a sweet day # 16


What an absolutely beautiful day! The sky is so pretty. God made a really perfect picture with the clouds and the blue surrounding them. I couldn’t help but look up and be blessed.

The day has been very busy. From nine to twelve we did A LOT of paperwork in the office. My mood was very serious. Hopefully I did not offend anyone. When I get in serious mode, I stay there until the job is done. That is just the way I am.

After the office, I went home for lunch. Then visited a cute shop, went for a walk, wrote a recommendation for a good friend, and picked up Mariah! Mariah and I brought Brandi (mom) her coupon book! She is about to get some really good deals!!! HEHE! We went to the Hilbun’s after that! It was nice to see Ashley. She is such a lovely woman and being around her is always refreshing.

Following that, we went to Walmart to pick up some ice cream. I found yummy blue berries there and ate an entire box on the way home! I REALLY LIKE FRUIT.

That is the basic outline of the day.

What happened on the inside was so much better. All through out the day, I was reminded of the joy that the LORD always carries. He allowed me to walk in His light and in His joy all day. My heart rejoices when I think about the way He restored the joy of His salvation within me today.

If any of you are encouraged at all by Christ's saving grace, receive His joy today! Just laugh a pure laugh with Him. Enjoy Him. Always remember that the communion that we have with each other we also have with HIM!

Take the rest of your life searching out God & you will ALWAYS be satisfied :) Because His presence is more than enough!

Go be alone with God!! JUST DO IT!!

A PROVERB
"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter" Proverbs 24:11

There are people all around you that need to know the love of God. God has so graciously poured out all that He is to lead you in the way everlasting. Now is your opportunity to thank Him for all that He has done... by sharing His love with all that surround you... including your parents, siblings, friends, co-workers... anyone :) God is with YOU. You are with them! So the love of Christ! (BTW) This is only possible if you stay in communion with Him! Stay close to Him. He is with you!!

Hope you all are blessed. Praise God for ALL He has done...

If you are waiting on a breakthrough, or the drought to end.... GO NOW & THANK GOD! JUST PRAISE HIM! Your victory is in worship.

& Remember... worship IS a lifestyle.

God bless you all!!

Ps- we are leaving for Student Life Camp in TN tomorrow morning. There is a big chance that I will not be blogging until we get back! If that is the case, I will do my best to catch you all up ASAP :) Keep us in your prayers as we travel & meet together with other Christians to worship God and grow in our faith! Thank you all for your support!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Thankful for: today.

day fifteen!

DAY FIFTEEN

one of those!

Some days are just a little challenging! But, hey! The challenges make life fun :) RIGHT? I know that if we ever put too much attention on the challenge, we will grow weary... now I also know that those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength :) Today, I choose to recognize His greatness! He is so glorious. So big. So powerful. So lovely.

The entire day has been unlike most days, but I am grateful for that! Everything that I have learned today has been helpful and will be beneficial when I am living in a foreign land or just with my future ministry. I believe that.

It is more than important that we spend much time reading the Word of God and keeping it safe in our hearts. His Word really is what we will use to overcome the evil forces of this world, because His Word is truth. Amen.

Earlier today, I found myself sitting out in our backyard on a swing... it reminded me so much of the swing that I enjoy back at UM (the one by Martin). I was glad to be outside. Sitting out there, talking with the Lord was refreshing. I cried & cried, because deep within I am longing for more knowledge of God. There is so much to Him & I just want to know more. We are all here and while we are here, that means there is more for us to learn!!! Always. It is important as Christians that we keep a teachable spirit.

Allow God to teach you in every moment. Read the Word more, so that you will better recognize His voice. Spend time in the quiet place just waiting for Him. He will speak to you when you are still like that. That's just His character.

I want to know the depths of Your love,
to find your embrace through all things.
You are here, you are near.
It's Your love that brings me joy
Your love brings me to tears
I want to know the depths of Your heart
To breathe in all You do
To recognize Your steadfast hand
To find You in the midst of every thing
You are here, You are near
I want to hold on to You
You alone will bring me joy through tears
You are the one who crushes my fears
I will trust in You
I will seek You alone
There is no one who will ever love like You
I want to know the depths of Your love
Your love is my refreshing drink
I will drink in deep of your living water
To know You is my desire
Hear me, oh Lord
Be united with Your bride
I want to know the depths of Your love




I want to be a carrier of God's love when every one rejects me. I want to be a carrier of God's love when no one wants to love me. There is always someone in need of God's love (because EVERY ONE is always in need of God's love)... Regardless of someone else's actions, you cannot discount the hand of Lord in their lives. He is always working & moving. Be a carrier of the love of Christ to all people today. Seek out opportunities to bless other people with what God has blessed you with. If you have plenty, thank God & share. If you have just enough, thank God and share.

The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few.

Proverb
"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding" Proverbs 22:22


My heart beats to know God. To spend all of my time with Him brings me great joy.

Recognizing His presence is key in walking with Him.

HOLY SPIRIT... BRING WATER TO THIS DRY LAND.. RAIN DOWN UPON US. RAIN DOWN.

Thankful for: proverbs, shade, rest and inward joy.

day fourteen!

DAY FOURTEEN

never a good enough reason to be mean!

"One who loves a pure heart and speaks with grace will have the king for a friend" Proverbs 22:11

This verse may be talking about a king, but I apply it to the King of kings :)

When I woke up my hearts desire & prayer was that God would purify my heart!! Then, I started reading in the proverbs and of course today the Holy Spirit used this verse to speak to me!!

From my journal
My cry is for purity today. That God would highlight everything that has hindered me from walking in complete purity and remind me of the grace He has poured out so that I could over come it. My cry is for purity. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" I JUST WANT TO SEE GOD.

ACTS
The whole morning was wonderful... when I read in Acts, I was so encouraged.
Read Acts 22:3-21

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

* When the people in Jerusalem tried to have Paul flogged, and later killed, Paul boldly shared the testimony of the LORD. Instead of praying that God would take him out of the situation, he embraced the opportunity to be a witness of the truth. Hallelujah.

May we be a people of boldness! Boldness is key.

Last night
Last night was awesome! The power went out.. AGAIN :) Second time in two weeks!! It went out while my family was making dinner. Everything worked out and it was great! I prayed that God would turn the power back on because my house parents had four guests over... and thankfully, it came right on :) We did not have to wait eight hours like last time.
My dad, Brother Michael, said that I needed to stop praying to live like the poor because God was answering me :) He said that they would just put me outside if that's how I wanted to live. Of course, he was being silly... but it made me think! God really is answering my prayers about that (in the little things). He is preparing me to be ready and content in all things.. it is so exciting to see His sense of humor :) I am grateful that He hears me!!

TODAY
Today I was able to talk to a cousin, aunt, brother, grandmother, and mom. For that I am thankful. It was such a joy :) Someone asked if I had been interrupted a bunch and I said yes & then grew thankful that God allowed the interruptions. You know, not every one has family to talk with. I want to always be thankful for what I have.

One thing that I felt impressed upon my heart was that I am not to be concerned with who I am not & what I do not look like, but how I can become & do what it takes to get there. The opportunity to change that which is impure is always available. Make every effort to become like Christ :) He is our underwriting!

You know, God does not compare us to who He is. He just loves us for who we are. His love for us is powerful and is always available to those who humble themselves and receive it. His love is strong. Amen.

More Proverbs
"Do not make friends with the hot-tempered, do not associate with those who are easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared" Proverbs 22:24&25

"Do you see those who are skilled in their walk? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank." Proverbs 22:29

HEY, church is about to start... so I am going to go.. but think about the way Paul was... even close to death! It's an example we should follow today. Pray for boldness. I pray that you all receive boldness, so that God's message of hope will be reached through all people.

Thankful for: church, family, writing & the Bible.

Day thirteen...

DAY THIRTEEN

LET YOUR LOVE BE ROOTED IN PURITY

What a great day!!! I am back in Thomasville :) Just enjoying the people around me! Work is wonderful :) We had a meeting this morning and that was good! A big piece of me wanted to be here for all that they discussed for the future! A big piece of me feels so connected to this little town... as if I grew up here! I am so grateful to be here!

Something really neat happened this morning that blessed me so much. I love God! So, we were sitting in the meeting & about to head out... Brother Ty asked how he could pray for us... which he always asks :) & this time, I kept thinking "I need help with the decisions that I am making" and even though the thought kept running through my head, I put it aside & said that Jesus could hear me... and he would help me... Well Brother Rob prayed over us and as he prayed.. he got to me and asked God to specifically help me in my decisions. I SAT THANKFUL! Even though I did not voice my request, God heard my little heart & Holy Spirit prayed through Rob :) I thought it was sweet of God to do that for me! :) He just loves His children so much & HE REALLY DOES HEAR US!

The song Convinced by Jake Hamilton just came on... definitely check it out if you get the chance!

So, at lunch... Mariah & I went to McDonald's.. and headed back to the church! Once we got back, my house mom pulled up and Mariah pointed her out to me! She said that she was picking up my dad & they were going home for lunch :) We went with them! Mariah & I went on a walk.. it was awesome! Being home, with them there, was so perfect. It was picture perfect for me! I thank God for such a beautiful family!

Today has really been wonderful! I have a few things to take care of in the office, then off to do whatever else! Most likely a run & more walking with Mariah!

When we were walking earlier. I was talking to Mariah about the importance of remaining pure. It is so necessary for us to remember that God is in control. When our focus is on Him and increasing His kingdom, He really does give us the desires of our heart. I was telling her how I really have NO desire to date or even be married right now, which is so refreshing.

See, I have HUGE dreams... some would even say unrealistic... but I trust that God has given me these dreams. I want to move to Africa & serve... I want to live in a village and walk to all of my daily activities. I want to suffer for Christ. I want to know what it is like to live with the poor. There is a desire within me to start an orphanage. To venture off to places never seen by Americans before. To run in fields with young children. There are so many dreams that have surfaced since I first started walking with God. This 365 day journey has reminded me that NO ONE can take these dreams from me. That I must stand firm in the sweet longings of my heart. I have dreams... and I am not alone! God is with me! I want to do all of these things & if it is in line with His will, I believe I will :)

Hold on to your dreams :) For the glory of Christ!!!

Proverb
"Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity" Proverbs 21:23

A lot of people will say a lot of things.. and most of the things said are not beneficial... but really! Start to think about what you are saying... is it uplifting? Are you honoring God with your speech? If not, stop talking.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Confessions
I have wronged many people. I have asked for forgiveness. I am forgiven by the blood of the Lamb. Thank you Jesus for always making intercession for me.

I hope you all rejoice in this day, because you are breathing! God is with you. Search for Him! He's all around :) Everywhere you go, He is there!

Hebrews 4:13--- check it out!

God bless you all :)

Thankful for: Holy Spirit, short days in the office & water.

Day twelve!!!

DAY TWELVE

WHAT A GOOD DAY!

Today is such a wonderful day! I mean, come on, we are still alive... We are still able to partner with God. We are still able to tell others about how much God loves them! That sounds like a good day to me :) I woke up so thankful to be alive. There is no need to complain when you recognize truth. Truth is, we do not deserve to be here serving Him... truth is, He keeps us here! :)

I was reading in Acts... and I want to encourage everyone to take a look at Paul's boldness is Acts 17:21-31.

21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”


Here are these people that spend ALL of their time talking about the latest ideas... sound familiar? Yeah, it kind of sounds like America to me. Well, then Paul comes in and points out that they are spiritual people, but they have no idea what it is that they are worshiping. That also hits home. I am so grateful that Paul was so bold as to tell them of the true & LIVING GOD! What if we were more like Paul? What if? You know, after he said all of this... many people turned from their wicked ways & started following Christ. That is amazing! Are you not producing good fruit? Ask God to make you bold! Seriously, He will give you boldness if you ask. He will.

Always a Proverb.. or two... or three :)
"The righteous live blameless lives; blessed are their children after them" Proverbs 20:7

"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much" Proverbs 20:19

"Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being" Proverbs 20:30


TODAY
I am in Mobile spending time with Taylor Troha. She is in class. I was supposed to go with her, but by the time I woke up.. she was already gone :) OPS! My boss did tell me to get some rest :) So that's what happened. Well, I want to say a little bit about Taylor. If you do not know, she is a very dear friend of mine! We have been through a lot, even though it has only be a little under two years of knowing each other. Taylor is all for an adventure, she is athletic and afraid of nothing! No matter what, she is willing to find a way to get things done... and to top it off... she is blind! Yep, blind. Taylor uses a seeing eye dog, cane or one of her close friends to make her way around... but sometimes, she uses none of those and she just goes free! She has come to the understanding that God is willing to guide her. It is a beautiful thing to watch her find her way and get to where she needs to be. Something that I love about Taylor is that she does not care what I look like, what I am talking about, if I decide not to talk at all, or what I am doing... she ALWAYS has love to extend to me. She is one of the sweetest young ladies I have EVER met. It amazes me how much she really does love me. See, I have had friends come & go my whole life... but Taylor never wants to go. She just wants to stay friends with me. No matter what. Yeah, God has blessed me with Taylor Troha. I wouldn't trade our friendship for anything.... and I just felt like you guys should know! Taylor Troha holds a very special place in my life. I love her & so does God!!!

What next!
Next... I have no idea :) But God does... I encourage you to go spend some time with the LORD! Even if you are in the office working, find Him! Those who seek Him with all of their hearts find Him. Seriously. It says so in Jeremiah 29 verse 13. He is speaking through all of the little things & it blesses Him when you see that! Be still for a moment and allow Him to speak to you. Feel the wind as it runs through your hair and remember He is with you :) Just take some time to recognize His hand in your life and THANK Him :) He deserves it.

HEY THOMASVILLE: I MISS YOU GUYS! FORREAL! I AM COMING HOME TONIGHT! WOOHOO & we leave for camp on Saturday! Get pumped. Get in the Word! :)

Bless everyone who follows :) Praying for you all.

Ps- you guys.. there are so many amazing people in this world... God has blessed so many! I encourage you to accept someone that you would have never accepted before. Step down from your pride stool & ask God to open your eyes to see someone that you would have never talked to before. Believe that God will use them to draw you closer to His heart & He will. Oh, there is so much joy in meeting new people & just loving them for who they are... not expecting them to be just like you :) God is so sweet to have made us all so different. I am thankful to be able to make friends. God is good. Make a new friend today! Look past their appearance. Bless them the way Jesus would!

Thankful for: sunny days, good friends & sweaty moments :)

Day eleven!

DAY ELEVEN

Father's Day

First off, I would just like to thank my Father in heaven. He adopted me into His family, made me new, and has made every effort to show me His love since the first day we met! Even when I fail to thank Him, He continues to pour out grace & mercy over me. He is always making a way for me to recognize Him & no matter where I am or what I am doing, He is with me and blesses me! HA! WE HAVE THE BEST FATHER IN THE WORLD!

I have never had a personal relationship with my biological dad. So, most would say this day is a hard one! BUT ITS NOT! It is the most perfect day ever, because I really do have a real Father who really does love me. He knows my name!! There is nothing He wouldn't do for me.

Today was fun! I was able to get a Father's day card for the first time in forever (maybe ever)! It was for Michael Scarborough, my house dad! I am so grateful to be able to thank him for all that he has done for me!

Two really sweet things happened recently...
-yesterday, I came home and found a book called "Becoming a Woman Who Listens to God" on my bed. This is a book that I have been wanting since I saw it in the Cockerhams house. Well, Mrs Cockerham supposedly brought it to my house parents to give to me (when I was out of town)... All I could do was thank God. I was so blessed. Only He knew how much I really wanted the book... and just so y'all know, it is such a GOOD book already... get it & read it (ladies) ... Sharon Jaynes wrote it!
-today, my house parents left me a sweet letter in the arms of my bear (Philippine) and it said this "... After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children" 2 Corinthians 12"14b .... :) And a sweet note/gift that I did not deserve... basically telling me that they really do feel like my parents. I couldn't be anymore thankful. God has blessed me so much more than I could ever ask... I hope to be just as much as a blessing to them as they are to me.

A few things have been on my mind lately... one thing keeps coming back into my thoughts & here it is:
Imagine being off in the wild, seriously the wild, all alone. You have been walking for days trying to find the entrance, where you left all of your belongings.. but for some reason, you are unable to find anything. Your cell phone does not have service and all of your other electronics died. You just ran out of water the day before and have a few stale crackers left. Suddenly, you hear a voice calling "Come to me! I am here... I am the living water, I am the bread of life"... would you not run as fast as you could to that voice? Would you not make every effort to get to that person? I know that I would!! I know, because I did! Well, this has been on my heart so much... because I feel like God is raising up a bunch of laid-down lovers.. just like John the Baptist who are supposed to be the voice calling out in the wilderness "prepare ye the way of the LORD"... see, so many times people do not witness to those in need, for fear of rejection. Well, rejection is guaranteed... even Jesus Christ was rejected... you have to look past that! We, as believers, need to stand firm in what we believe in & seek boldness in sharing our faith! There are so many people around us dying, daily, and all we have to do to stop them from death is call out to them and tell them that there is living water available. Tell others about your faith! Tell others about the love of God! For His glory... for His Kingdoms sake!

Proverb
"Desire without knowledge is not good- how much more will hasty feet miss the way!" Proverbs 19:2


--- & read Psalm 139---

As of today, I am perfectly content with being single... actually more than content. I do not need a man to tell me that I am beautiful... when God literally uses everyone and everything around me to let me know that in HIs eyes I am beautiful. I do not need a man to comfort me, when I feel His sweet kisses every where that I go.

God is with me!!!

About to spend some time with a friend. He is going to share his testimony! Yay for sinners being saved by Jesus Christ!

I love you all and cannot thank you enough for the encouragement & blessings you have all sent my way. God knows how much you all mean to me!

Bless you :)

More
Sometimes every now & then, I will feel a little pulled down. Being here, on earth, makes everything a little harder. I day-dream about living in Heaven with our Father. You know how exciting it is going to be to finally get there? I thought about it today and if He gives us complete freedom, I am going to dance & paint at the same time... as an act of worship... like moving is sweet circles while motioning different colors into the air... I see no need for a canvas... Just colors in the air would be cool! Dancing & painting sounds nice.

I have found myself dancing a few times today. I am wearing this long black dress... just twirling in circles brings be joy.

There are people in this world that are MEAN. They just are :) Fortunately, there is nothing we can do about it. Yes, I meant to say fortunately. Being put into a situation where I see someone at their meanest state reminds me that there is someone pretty in there just wanting to come out. It reminds me that Jesus is able to change the way they treat people. Don't think that talking bad about people, hurting others intentionally or withholding kindness from someone is acceptable just because you see another Christian do it. Be the Christian that stands up & LOVES OTHERS THE WAY THAT CHRIST COMMANDED YOU TO! Just do it.

Can I talk to the ladies about something that is on my heart? MODESTY. A while back a friend of mine told me that I needed to call all of the girls together & speak with them on modesty. Well, here I am about to do it! Your dress tells me EVERYTHING about your heart. If your heart is pure before the Lord, so your dress will be also. I encourage you all to choose to be modest. This means getting rid of the style that shows everything & start dressing like a woman who deserves respect. Ask Jesus how He views you and ask Him to teach you to dress. A little over a year ago, God woke me up in the middle of the night & told me to clean out my closet. I used to wear very short shorts, low-cut dresses & tops, and pretty much didn't care who saw me. Then, God showed me how that was not only disrespecting the guys around me and making it hard for their thoughts to stay pure, but I was dishonoring God for not respecting myself. Ladies, you are worth FAR more than rubies. Clean up your heart & your wardrobe... Let God guide you and teach you to be the lady that you are :) I have had enough. Guys will no longer look at my beautiful sisters with haughty eyes... desiring them, getting them and then ditching them. I want to see you all respected the way that you ought to be. God created you beautiful. You are beautiful. Do not settle for the one that tells you that you are beautiful... just because he is sweet. Hear God telling you that you are beautiful. Every day. So that when you go out into the world and some guy throws compliments at you... you don't have to rely on those compliments to bring you joy. Trust God's word. Trust that He made you unique and perfect in His sight. Trust that you are His love :) Then, walk with YHWH and let Him establish your relationships in purity. Pure heart causes pure dress. I care about you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way. Seriously, I want to see you all grow & I want you all to know who you are in Christ! I am here for you. I love you ladies.

This all was just laid on my heart to write, that's why I added a few things! :)

May God be praised through your life style today!

Thankful for: hot days in Mobile.

Day Ten!

DAY TEN

for the win

Wow, praise the LORD! Today has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL in every way :) I woke up this morning completely renewed! Literally, my mind was just at total peace & thanksgiving.

confession
I have never known a moment in my life where I didn't 'like' someone UNTIL this morning!

Praise the LORD
So, this morning... I woke up thanking God for the fact that the guy that I liked is now about to be dating someone else! I was happy for them! HAHAHA! What? That just doesn't happen... Unless you know my God. I remember before falling asleep thinking... is there any hope for me? Can you just take this all away? All of these thoughts? All of these memories? Take them from me! And sure enough, He did! Why? Why is my mind renewed? Because God HEARS us. Y'all, seriously, God is always listening to our prayers! I have said it many times before, but God does not want us to be in bondage of any kind :) He sent His only Son to set us COMPLETELY free! That includes you & me! All of us :) If we would only ask in His name, He would answer us! Praise Him! Praise Him! Yes!

Well, after all of that goodness... I was able to pray & focus and thank God even more! It was wonderful! His grace is MORE than sufficient.

Trust Him with anything and everything that is on your heart... because He is REALLY for real & He is really with us. When we place our trust in Him, He makes all things work together. He is constantly making everything work together for the good of those who love Him & are called according to His will (Romans 8:28).

Then a great friend of mine, Brittany Gardner, called. It was wonderful speaking with her. God has placed her in my life. I choose to be thankful for her :) Because she is in my life for this season, I will rejoice :) Friendship is special.

The first thing I heard from the LORD this morning was "do not be concerned with civilian affairs, but rather with pleasing your commanding officer" which is in 2 Timothy 2:4... and all I could do was thank God for second chances... and third chances and fourth chances... and so on! He is always willing to bring us back to the truth. No matter what lies the people tell us, God is always eager to remind us of truth. Well, for a little over a month now.. I have been very concerned with civilian affairs. A friend of mine had called my previous way of living & me as a "loner" and that truly made me think that I had been wrong for devoting myself to the LORD and to His ways. The truth is, I was not wrong for that. So many times I tried to put "love others as you love yourself" before "love the LORD your God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind" ... when Jesus clearly said loving God was the GREATEST commandment... and that the second was like it!! :) I understand that as Christians we are called to spread the light & serve others always... and that's what I have been doing since the day that I first started walking with the LORD. Just because people didn't see it, doesn't mean I wasn't doing it. God can see all things & all that concerns me is that I am pleasing Him. Instead of worrying about how I appear to the people, I should ALWAYS be concerned with pleasing God. He is the true judge. He is the one that we will stand before and give account of our every action to. It is YHWH! Not some friend is 'looking out' for you. When you walk with the LORD faithfully, and you make it your life goal to serve Him with thanksgiving, He makes all of your paths right. God leads you, corrects you, and disciplines you when needed. Men come and go and so do their words, but God's Word WILL STAND FIRM FOREVER (psalm 33:11). So, this outline.. is to let all of you know that my heart is to please God, my Father! That is my only goal... thankfully that means all else will work out!

May your striving in life be to please God. He is the only one that is worthy.

I'm in no way saying, let go of all relationships.. as you can see, I LOVE people. I do. Relationships with others is my absolute favorite. But make sure your first concern is with pleasing God. Do not dishonor Him in order to please someone else. God will make all things work together. Just stay focused on pleasing Him.

Yeah, that's all.

Proverbs
"The name of the LORD is a fortified city; the righteous run to it and are safe" Proverbs 18:10

"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" Proverbs 18:24

Conclusion
We are alive so that we can live for Him! Yeah, we are alive to live for Him!

Read Acts 16 & 17 if you get the chance.

I am so thankful for all of you sweet friends who choose to follow! Let me know if there is ever any way that I can pray for you. Until then, may God draw you closer to His heart each and every moment.

Thankful for: the fact that God allows us sinners to thank Him!

Day nine...

DAY NINE

I would rather hug a pine...

Today started out fresh, to say the least... When I woke up, I was super excited to get to Mobile... and that helped me look forward to the office... Our main goal for the day was to get another chaperone that was "older" to come with us to Student Life. We called around and instead of finding someone... we found a few excuses!

Then, I called my momma & she comforted me. I felt rejected recently and getting turned down by folks in the office didn't help :) But, God used my mom to help me! She said "there is an answer" and somehow that brought me great joy.

Rob, Mariah & I made up a fun song and sang it to Mrs Tammy. It was about being rejected. Honestly, it helped us laugh & realize that we can have fun in all things.

One thing God told me this morning was that today was a day of laughter. I choose to laugh :)

This is just me being honest. Today is harder than most days!!!

A friend told me one time... "Christians go through valleys, it's how we respond to them that sets us apart"...

Valleys are nothing when we have everything we need in them :) I'm in no way saying this is a valley... but it is a tough day & I am thankful to be a Christian. I am thankful to have joy!!

God is in control today!

He is over all.


PROVERBS
"whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends" Proverbs 17:9

"a friend loves at all times, and a brother was born for a time of adversity" Proverbs 17:17

"even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues" Proverbs 17:28


TO FINISH
I am grateful to be alive today. Even though a lot is going on around me and nothing is going the way that I want it to... I am thankful... because God is in control. I trust His hand in my life. He is over all. God knows all things... and in that truth, I WILL STAND.

MORE MORE MORE
I had finished my blog for the day & then, BAM! Greatness happened. As all of my Thomasville family knows, I came to Mobile today to sit in at a signing. Getting down here was fun & quick :) I was so excited to be here! The signing went well.

In the middle of the signing, I sent my friend Lucy Beth a text and told her that I wanted to hug her. The response that I got back was an excited one and so I asked if she was still at the pool. The girl said, "no this is rashad" and I was so shocked. I had just realized that for the past couple of months I have been sending texts to the wrong number... I had even had conversations with this person, Rashad. How interesting? Then Rashad asked where her scripture verse for the day was... (I send them out to Lucy Beth quite often) and so, I sent her Proverbs 17:!7 & she said that it was much needed as always. How awesome? I have been texting the wrong number trying to encourage my friend for some time now... and this person was receiving all of my texts with thanksgiving. God is always over all. He uses all things for His glory. Even when we have NO IDEA what we are doing. He is awesome! He just is!

then after the signing, I headed back to Taylor's...

It was 4:30 & I was able to see God's sovereignty once again. When He tells you what is going to happen, believe Him... and obey :) No matter what else happens, be obedient. God can see your heart & is willing to direct you in all things. I am glad that He really is over all.

Finally around 5, I was able to go on a run :) Finally on my turf again :) The reason I went was because I felt like God told me to. The run was so perfect. It was all Him! Because He is over all. On the run, God made me laugh pretty hard (He was for real when He said today would be a day of laughter). At the third lap a boy started running beside me (he had been hollering at me every time that I ran by before that)... while we ran he asked me questions and was absolutely precious. I was grateful for him... and God said the neatest thing "every time that you are about ready to quit, I am going to send you encouragement". The guy who ran with me really did encourage me... and I couldn't help but remember the verse that says, "those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed". God is for real.

On the way back to Taylor's cottage, I ran into my friend Lucy Beth & told her all about how I had tried to message her earlier in the day. It was so nice to see her. She blessed me... as she spoke on the many things that the LORD was doing, including emphasizing forgiveness :) That was sweet. God knew I needed to hear everything she said.

Thankful for: God's sovereignty.

Day eight

DAY EIGHT

stay joyful

"You'll see friends that do mean things, but you must do the right thing"-Mr Andy... VBS 2011

... I am sitting here eating Austin Peanut Butter crackers (about to start on my blog) & the strangest thing happened. As I picked up a cracker, it fell apart so I looked to the package & surprisingly... my cracker had NO peanut butter... [I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER]. Well then God spoke... about my future husband and said... view the peanut butter as the Holy Spirit (ME) and the crackers as you and your husband. It looked (from the outside) like the crackers were one peanut butter cracker, but the moment you reached in... you realized they were two separate crackers without anything holding them together. You must have God to hold a marriage together. God is the One that makes us one.
-NEAT LITTLE ILLUSTRATION.. thankful for it :)

This morning
What an awesome morning! Woke up, read, prayed, ran... (enjoyed my run so much) The entire time I ran... I heard the LORD telling me "I AM WITH YOU" and I needed to hear it.. I needed Him in that heat. I always need Him.

while reading
I came across a few verses that really spoke to me & I want to share them with you...

"May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed" Psalm 20:4

"People may think all of their ways are pure, but motives are weighed by the LORD" Proverbs 16:2

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans" Proverbs 16:3

"When the LORD takes pleasure in anyone's way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them" Proverbs 16:7

It is my prayer that God will give us all the desires of our hearts, that He will have our enemies make peace with us, and that we will all commit our ways to the LORD. He deserves all of your attention.

JUST A CHALLENGE

Today, seek God. When things get complicated, choose joy over frustration. Seek Him & allow Him to overwhelm you with gladness. It is possible to remain thankful. To find Him in every moment is the key in surviving in this world. The reason why you only feel 100% when you are in His presence & walking in obedience to Him is because you were created to live for Him. You were created to spend all of your time in His presence. Everything that contradicts His will is not of Him... let go of all that you are holding onto that is not God. There is true peace & joy in His presence. SEEK HIM TODAY! Draw near to Him... while He is near :) He is with us. He just is. Turn from sin. Turn to Him!!!


BOOKS
I FINISHED heaven is for real by Todd Burpo LAST NIGHT! Now, I just wanna read it again :) Hehe. Here are a few quotes that really blessed me...

"And Jesus answered my prayer? Personally? After I had yelled at God, chastising him, questioning his wisdom and his faithfulness? Why would God even answer a prayer like that? And how did I deserve his mercy?" pg 81

"Can you believe that I could pray a prayer like that, and God would still answer it 'yes'?"
"What had I learned? I was reminded yet again that I could be real with God, I told my fellow pastors. I learned that I didn't have to offer some kind of churchy, holy-sounding prayer in order to be heard in heaven. 'You might as well tell God what you think,' I said. 'He already knows it anyways'. Most importantly of all, I learned that I am heard. We all are." pg 84

-today I plan to start reading Satisfy My Thirsty Soul by Linda Dillow. I read it first last summer & then a few more times during the school year. Read it if you (ladies) get a chance :)-

THOUGHTS
-God is always listening to us
-We have a way to Him (Jesus) when we should not


You know, today, you could sit around watch movies that you have already seen before... play games that you have already played before... OR you could go RIGHT NOW and sit in God's presence and thank Him for who He is... ask Him to speak to you and listen. He will give you words to say. It is all about getting to that point where you hear Him so clearly that you are able to relay His message to others on earth... that you are able to spend time with other people in fellowship and encourage them in the things that God has spoken to you. God wants to stay in fellowship with you. He just does. It is His heart that we would stay in a place of communion with Him -even while we are with others- "How do you know that, Chynna?" Well, HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE ON A CROSS SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE A WAY TO HIM!!!!! :)

Commune with Him today... you have so much time to be spend in His presence... make a memory with Him :)

Thankful for: communion with God & people.

Day Seven!

DAY SEVEN!

Isaiah 26:3
This day has been beautiful. Spent another night reading Heaven is For Real. Told myself to get some rest at midnight (I AM SO READY TO FINISH IT... I love books! Especially sweet innocent stories).

My house mom woke me up at 6:30 to go on a walk. It was nice to wake up and get some exercise with her. I never talk much in the morning, so getting a few words out was impressive. But, something great happened when we were on the walk. I heard the LORD speaking to me about being a gentle and quiet woman. He reminded me of the beauty in keeping to myself (or keeping to Him, rather). He emphasized the need to stay far away from godless chatter by simply saying "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it become more and more ungodly" 2 Timothy 2:16. How perfect is His word? There is so much power in God's word. Something that would take forever to understand, He puts simply in order to get us on our feet.

After walking, I went back to my room and sat in prayer. Praying was perfect. He heard me as I lifted my (inward) voice to Him! God hears us. He just does.

Following prayer, I fell asleep.. only to wake up a few hours later to a text telling me that we needed to be in the office at eleven. Joyfully, I stepped out of bed & got ready (it was 10:35!!). While I was getting ready again, I heard the LORD speaking to me... He reminded me that I was clothing myself in gentleness & quietness today. It blessed me so much to hear His sweet voice so clearly. In that moment, I stood grateful and agreed to partner with Him. Then again, on the way to work I heard "Gentleness & quietness today. This will please me".

Hearing God speak to me about how to clothe myself reminded me of how Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to us and teach us all things. I am blessed to have Him as a teacher.

On top of everything else, in Jesus Calling today.. the beginning talked about approaching God in stillness :) Just being quiet before His throne in order to hear Him. He wants us to hear Him... that is why He asks us to be still! For how would we hear Him if we were rambling on and on while He whispered secrets to us? We just wouldn't.

As a child of God it is important to hear His voice in all things. He is always speaking. Sometimes we are speaking over Him, which is far from reverent. Today, God is willing to speak to y-o-u. Be still & hear His voice.

:)

I want to know God. To be completely devoted to only Him is why we are alive. It is our choice whether or not we will give ourselves to Him. Because I have chosen to surrender who I am to bring Him glory, I choose to listen when He speaks. If He has given you ears to hear and eyes to see, stay focused on pleasing Him. Remember, HE IS WORTHY. No one else will EVER deserve the glory & praise that He deserves.

Living here is not easy. We are small people with little insight & He is a BIG God will all insight. Serving Him brings challenges, because of our imperfections. But our focus should not be on our imperfections, instead it should be on His perfection! If we are always focused on who He is, and not who we are, then our lips will bring Him praise! He will be worshipped through our lives. Let's not look to our strength, but instead to His. Look to Him with thanksgiving. BRING HIM PRAISE WITH ME TODAY!!


VERSES.. from Proverbs
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" Proverbs 15:1

"The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" Proverbs 15:3

"The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him" Proverbs 15: 8

"Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD- how much more do human hearts" Proverbs 15: 11

"The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight" Proverbs 15:26

"The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous" Proverbs 15:29

"Wisdom's instruction is to fear the LORD and humility comes before honor" Proverbs 15:33


MY HEART
-be careful what you say about other people
-if you are going to question one thing, question everything
-treat others the way you want to be treated, REALLY
-love those that love you, there is a reason God has placed them in your life
-do not be afraid, but trust God

JOYFUL
"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth" Psalm 145:18

A FEW MORE THINGS
-Letting go is necessary. For, how could you hold on to one thing and reach for another? If your hands become too full you will eventually lose one of the things you are clinging to.
-When you let go and become free, you make room for surprises & blessings to come your way.

Conclusion
I will speak of the goodness of my God. Even when people turn away, I will verbalize what He does. It is possible that through my experiences others may acknowledge Gods hand. This acknowledgement has the potential to lead to thanksgiving. The possibility of others praising God keeps me bold for Christ! He is worthy of ALL praise!

Thankful for: God's patience, Brandi, books to read and loving friends.

Day Six!

DAY SIX



VERSES
"... if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God" Acts 5:38&39

"The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs" Proverbs 14:14

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty" Proverbs 14:23

"Those who fear the LORD have a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge" Proverbs 14:26

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death" Proverbs 14:27

"Those who are patient have great understanding but the quick tempered display folly" Proverbs 14:29

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" Proverbs 14:30



What is on my heart...
There is life available to all who choose to walk with God. Life that is full of joy and peace. Although you have sinned against God by failing to walk in obedience, He wants to forgive you... if you would only repent and choose life.

Sin is a trap. Those who fall into it are in need of a Savior.

What if I told you that the way you withhold kindness from those around you is a sin?

Loving people is easy when they look just like you, talk the same way you do and live a lifestyle similar to yours... why is it hard to love the one who grew up completely different than you and acts nothing like you? Is love a light that you can turn it on and off whenever you want? Is Jesus pleased with one who withholds love? I find it hard to believe that He would be. I mean, He loves us so much that He died so that all could have a way to the Father. He died. We are not asked to give up our lives, just our pride. Learn to love like Jesus if you are claiming to walk like Jesus.


JUST PLAIN BLESSED
Last night I was able to talk with my friend, Mary Catherine McDowell. She brought such joy & encouragement. One thing that she said was "It takes two to tango"... talking about how in our walk, God is with us... if we are without, God is with. He has what we need & He is with us... we are not dancing alone :) ... [This means a lot to me, because I really love to dance... and just the thought of a dance partner excites me] Well, then this morning when I was reading in Jesus Calling I came across a statement that truly blessed me... it said "Together we will draw others out of darkness and into my marvelous light". It reminded me of the truth that it really does take two to tango :) AND GOD IS WITH US! WE ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE! WE ARE PARTNERING WITH GOD! Hallelujah!


PS
Last night I started reading "Heaven is For Real"... The book renewed my mind. I started a little after eleven I think & couldn't put it down until around two thirty. If I didn't have to be at work at nine, I would have finished the book... I couldn't even bring it to work, because I knew that if I did nothing would get done. Yeah, so if any of you get the chance to read it... def do. It is the story of a little boy who went into surgery and met Jesus. I know that normally people do not believe that kind of thing... but all I have to say is CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF. Your faith may just increase.

& I wanna say the picture of Jesus is... accurate. Just saying :)

Hope you all are blessed!

"out of the fullness of God's grace we have all received one blessing after another" John 1:16


Thankful for: big t-shirts & confidence in Christ.

Day Five!

DAY FIVE

& that is a nickel... for FIVE :)

Today, I have every reason to be grateful. It is my day off. I woke up a little later than normal to a phone call (it is rare that I ever answer a phone call before waking up, praying and reading... but it was my dear friend Brittany Hilbun). Joyfully, plus a little bit of tiredness, I spoke with her. She started to say that we needed to see each other and then the phone call was dropped.

Following that, I went to the kitchen to see my mom & dad. They were making a yummy fish lunch [yummy for them... I am not the biggest fan of fish... but, it is the only thing that I am really pick about. I guess if I could eat an unborn duck in Australia then I should learn to eat fish]... It was just good to see them :) They were goofing off & just laughing for the fun of it (they are SO funny. seriously, my mom is hilarious. She is always making me giggle). My mom made a comment about how quiet I was. In the mornings, I am very quiet.... because I hear God speaking so clearly when I first wake up. It is like His voice is so clear that all I want to do is listen as closely as possible so that I will not miss anything... I AM SO GLAD HE STILL SPEAKS!

I then stepped out to the porch to find service so that I could call Brittany back. Calling her back was a joy. She told me a little about her trip to Hondorus & how she really wanted to go back in December. Hearing her talk reminded me of I was when I first got back from Australia... just eager to plan another trip :) Hopefully God will send her back!

A little while later I went to my room to get ready. After that, Taylor Troha called. It was so nice to hear her voice. She filled me in on a few things that are new in her life. I was grateful to talk with her. Towards the end of our conversation she told me that God had restored a friendship that was once broken. All I could do was REJOICE & praise Him!

My prayer recently has been that God would give back what the enemy has stolen. That God's people would be a people of love & humility.. That instead of insisting that they are right & withholding kindness from other believers... they would love each other the way that Jesus Christ loves them.

So hearing the testimony that God restored Taylor and Tommy (her ex-boyfriend) gave me great hope that God would restore the relationships that I have been in that were broken. There are two relationships that I am believing God will purify. It is His will that we be a people of unity, so I know without a doubt in my mind that God WILL bring peace between me and my friends :) I know He will. That's just His character.

Realizing that Brittany & Taylor called me today brings me to a place of thanksgiving. It is rare that I get the opportunity to really talk with someone my age and just hear stories of God's love in their life. Being able to have friends really blesses me.

This summer there have been two people that have really stuck out to me (from back home)... I will not mention any names but I will tell you how they have blessed me without even knowing it.

One friend texts me EVERY morning (never fails)... and he sends me a "meditation verse" for the day. Every day it is right on. God uses his text to bring me to a place of recognizing that YHWH is Sovereign and no one else is. It's a simple thing that my friend does... all he has to do is pull up a message on his phone & type in a few words... but, the obedience it takes to do that every day.. is what blesses me and draws me closer to God's heart :) He is a great guy & I am so thankful that God has allowed him to be in my life for this season. This lonely season is really not all that lonely. Being in God's family... there is NO WAY to be lonely :)

The other friend is also a male. He is a great guy who has been radically saved by the grace of God. It seems like I want to speak with him often because I know the amount of grace that he is under... and because I know that He understands how blessed we are to even be alive. Well, recently I was concerned that all of my friends from back home had forgotten me & I almost let it get to me... then, as I was talking to him... He encouraged me so much & blessed me with words that are still encouraging me today. There was something he said that stuck out and it was that he has tremendous amounts of respect for me. When he said that all I could do was think... how am I showing respect to those around me? How can I respect those within my reach? It challenged me :) This friend challenges me & I am grateful.

We are called to respect one another. When you think about it, it all comes down to humility. It is only possible to truly respect another person if we choose to humble ourselves and see them as greater. Let's follow our underwriting (Jesus) closely. He has shown us the way... all we are asked to do is to follow it!

I am so thankful for friendships. Here recently I am realizing how people do not owe me anything. I do not deserve friends at all. So, when God allows someone the grace to talk with me... even if it is just a hello... I am so blessed. I am so thankful for friends. God is so sweet :) He is always giving me what I least deserve.


what has been on my mind
-expect the unexpected
-thankful for the storm, without it growth would not be possible
-grateful to have Mariah around
-learning the importance of being gentle & quiet; relearning
-glad to have mom & dad (Brandi & Michael)
-living as a member of the worship leader's family is teaching me so much about my future family
-understanding how much I want to do with my children: instill value in them, teach them God's word, live as an example for them, respect & submit to my husband (to be a proper example for them), play with them, and teach them with gentle authority
-surprised at how welcoming EVERYONE is
-growing every moment through death; dying to self is necessary if self is ever going to live in Him
-studying Jesus' example for the purpose of being like Him, for the purpose of pleasing Him
-not feeling a need to have someone to talk to, but instead being thankful every time someone decides to talk to me
-understanding that being in a relationship at this point in my life is unnecessary because I have so much room for growing


THIS VERSE

"Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice" Proverbs 13:10


This verse... is true. Think about it. Where there is STRIFE (a quarrel, struggle or clash)... there IS pride. It does not say.. there might be pride. There just is. I have been trying to get this point across for a little over a month but have been unable to do it... thankfully the Word puts it so simply. If you are having a struggle with someone else... check yourself! Is the root of your struggle pride? If so, go immediately to that person and ask them to forgive you. Jesus prayed that we would be a people of unity... He taught us the way of love. When he came, he walked in humility... not pride! If you are claiming to live as Jesus lived, take my advice & make peace with those around you. Yes, it is going to take you humbling yourself... and realizing that you are not always right... and truly taking on the mindset of love... and asking them for forgiveness.. it is going to take obedience to God. Walking in strife is walking in disobedience. I pray that you all choose obedience today. Not just so that everything will be fixed, but because God deserves ALL respect... He deserves to be glorified in our relationships with one another... The last thing He deserves is to be dishonored. Obey Him by walking in humility and love today. He is worthy!

That's about it

Hope you all are blessed & that you keep drawing close to God... There is so much for us to learn! Remain teachable.


Thankful for: my new friends & family here in Thomasville.