Love in an Unlovely World

“I had my eye on you long before you were interested in Me.  I noticed everything about you and followed you everywhere.  I orchestrated circumstances and events in your life to help you see your need of me.  I provided people and teaching that told you the truth about Me in ways that you could understand.  My spirit worked within you to make you spiritually alive- enabling you to receive Me and believe in My name” (Jesus Always)

Before we were even a thought in our parents’ minds, God knew us and loved us.  Before our parents were even a thought in our grandparents’ minds, God knew us and loved us.  He has been with us, watching us, and loving us before our first breath.

1 John 4:19 “We love each other because He loved us first.”

I have been incredibly blessed my entire life to be surrounded with family and friends who set a Godly example and remind me daily of God’s love for me.  Yes, I was the precious little girl in Sunday school and at church in the beautiful smocked dresses, delicate lace socks, and darling mary janes.  (And I loved every second of it). I learned all the Bible story illustrating songs at Vacation Bible School every summer.  I was blessed to have parents who saw the value of sending me and my brother to a private, Christian school from Pre-K until we graduated high school.  I hear stories from friends about things that took place when they were in high school and it shocks me.  (No, I’m not sheltered.  Some of the actions that students have no remorse for performing absolutely baffles me.) The stories I hear about middle school students today breaks my heart.  The activities that young boys and girls are doing that they’re too young to fully understand and too young to need to understand, is tragic.  These children are searching and begging for attention, love, and acceptance.  Honestly, these feelings aren’t limited to only children.  There are young adults and adults who I see that are striving desperately to feel love and acceptance.  If only someone would tell them that there is, has always been, and always will be someone who wants them, accepts them, and loves them unconditionally.

John 1:12 “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.”

God is working constantly in our lives to remind us that He is always here for us and will always want nothing but the best for us.  Through various circumstances, God is reminding us to trust in Him and have faith that He will bring us through every situation.  As an adult (and I use that term loosely when referring to myself), we find ourselves worrying about a number of things- money, our job, our family, our house, our parents, our children, etc.  In college, I remember worrying about grades, passing classes, being on the path for graduation, relationships, my major.  In middle school and high school, we all worry about what someone might have said about us, who our real friends are, who likes us, who is going to ask us to the school dance.  All throughout life we worry about a variety of things- worldly things.  If we keep our focus on God’s love for us, God’s promise to us, and God’s plan for us, our lives our bound to be less painful.

“The more you realize the immensity of My ardor for you, the more fully you can love Me.  This enables you to grow, little by little, into the person I designed you to be.  As you spend time in My tender presence, it becomes easier for you to delight in Me and to show kindness to other people.” (Jesus Always)

Kindness.  What a rare things to find in the world today.  The level of hatred that we see on the news each and every day, each and every hour, is devastating.  Just yesterday, we saw where the Facebook Live killer took his own life after taking another man’s life for absolutely no reason.  What makes someone want to take an innocent stranger’s life? What makes someone desire to murder multiple elders at a church?  What possesses someone to take the precious, barely lived lives of children?  What makes someone take the life of a young girl, in turn ruining the lives of her family and fiance?  They feel no remorse.  They have no morals, no sense of right and wrong.  Our world needs prayer.  These murderers may not accept the Lord as their Savior immediately, but the Lord desires desperately for these people, along with anyone who hasn’t accepted Him as their Savior (no, I’m not saying that they’re in the same category as murderers), to soften their hardened hearts to Him and to love.  He loves us all equally; he desires for us to love Him in return.  Even someone merely having the thought that maybe what they’re doing is wrong, is a step towards Him and love and kindness.   We need Jesus, His love, and His kindness in this world; let’s do our best to show Him to the world.

Think about it- you might be the only example of Him that someone will ever see.

“Let them see You in me. Let them hear You when I speak” -JJ Weeks

Jeremiah 31:3 “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I had loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.”

Being Certain Through Uncertainty

There’s never been a truer saying than “the only thing for certain is uncertainty”.  It seems like everyday I find myself making some sort of decision, obviously some more life altering than others.

When I was in college, I think the “unknown post college possibilities” were motivating and exciting to us.  We saw the world as wide open, like a world of endless success just waiting for us to graduate and take over.  Seeing the world as a place with endless options made us feel invincible.  I’m a planner, which can be a good thing and a bad thing.  I like to know what’s going to be happening and when.  I understand that plans can change, but it makes me feel better to at least have a general idea of what’s going on.  Until you graduate college, life itself has a general plan: elementary school –> middle school –> high school  –> college.  Then what? What happened to my life planner? We have to decide what we want to do with our lives.  Where do you want to live? What company do you want to work for? How will you land that dream job? How do you decide with confidence what your next step should be?  It goes from exciting to terrifying.  Good feelings gone. (Yes, that’s a Finding Nemo reference.)

I feel like I’m constantly analyzing my life and trying to figure out what I should be doing.  I’ve thought about going back to school, but not sure for what degree.  I’ve thought about cosmetology school.  I’ve thought about various retail jobs.  I’ve thought about a physical therapy career.  It all boils down to me trying to understand the uncertainty in life and trying to decide what to do with my life.  We all want to enjoy what we do, make enough money to be comfortable, and make some sort of difference in the world.  As much as I want to plan my future, I need to remember Proverbs 20:24: “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”.  I can plan and mark up my calendar all day long, but in the end we’re not in control; God is in control: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

When I have these feelings of being lost, being unsure, being unsuccessful, being fearful, being confused, or being indecisive, I only need to take the time to breathe and pray and talk to God about my feelings.  “When the path that lies before you is veiled in uncertainty, the best thing you can do is cling to Me….Talk with Me about your uncertainty, your fear of making wrong decisions.  The most important choice you make moment by moment is to stay in communication with Me” (Jesus Always).  Welp, looks like Jesus and I are going to be spending a LOT of time together.

I may not always know the next steps I should take in life, but I do know the One whose way is all that really matters.  The only way to experience peace through this decision process is to spend time with God and let Him guide your steps.  “Though you may not know the way you should go, you do know the One who is the way” (Jesus Always).

John 14:6 “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.'”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by believing and not by seeing.”

A Piece on Peace

January 7, 2017

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

When I breathe and take the time to focus on God instead of my never ending to-do list, I find myself much more relaxed and at peace.  Sarah Young reminds us in Jesus Always, “The more often you turn your thoughts to Me, the more you will enjoy my perfect peace.  This is a challenging goal, but it is also a glorious gift.”  I agree that remembering to focus on God is extremely difficult to remind ourselves to do, but it’s something we need to remember to do for our own mental health.  Thinking about all the things I need to do and the deadlines involved with those things brings me nothing but a shortness of breath.  It is truly a unique and incredibly rewarding gift to feel the kind of peace that can only come from the Lord.

 

1 Peter 2:25 “Once you were like sheep who wandered away.  But now you have turned to your shepherd, the guardian of your souls.”

“You can train your mind to turn from other things and focus on Me….Post reminders of My presence in your home or car or office”. –Sarah Young, Jesus Always

 What I’ve found difficult is to remind myself throughout the day of all the wonderful promises I read in my devotional that morning.  While I’m spending time in His word, of course it’s easier to find comfort and confidence to take on the day.  When a task comes along during the day that causes me to be anxious, I need to be reminded of what I know to be true.  Whether it’s a verse on a painting, a picture, or merely index cards, I think it’s important to have these reminders easily accessible.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

“Focusing on My presence protects you from getting stuck on problems- going over and over them in your mind without making any progress”.- Jesus Always

I can’t tell you how many times a day I make a to-do list of the same things over and over because I think it’ll make me feel more organized and relaxed.  Spoiler alert- it doesn’t.  All it does is waste my time and reminds me of all the things I haven’t done yet.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good list; I write everything down (mainly because I know I’ll forget).  When I feel that tinge of stress come upon me, I should take that as a cue to pray about it or go to my devotional for guidance and for verses to refer to.  I don’t make progress with my list because I get stuck on “I have all these things to do!”  Instead,  I should be praying for strength and a clear mind to complete all the tasks at hand.  I would feel peace as opposed to anxiousness.

“Be creative in finding new ways to turn your thoughts toward me.  Thus you can enjoy the wondrous gift of My peace.”- Jesus Always

I am a huge fan of music when it comes to worship and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Give me some Hillsong United;  Phillips, Craig, and Dean;  Newsboys; Plumb, etc. and turn it up so that I can’t hear myself sing (or anyone else hear me for that matter).  Listening to and feeling the words and the music helps me escape the stresses of the world and brings me peace and comfort.  I also love to go for walks either around my neighborhood, down nature paths in town, or down the beach (if I’m lucky enough to get there!) while listening to my music on my iPod.  For me, that’s one of my all-time favorite ways to spend time with the Lord and be at peace with Him.

 

xoxo

Let Go & Let God

Friday, January 6, 2017

 

Matthew 28:8 “The women ran quickly from the tomb.  They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message”.

“It is possible for my followers to be joyful and afraid at the same time…. So do not let fear keep you from experiencing the joy of My presence…. It is not a luxury reserved for times when your problems- and the crises in the world- seem under control”. (Jesus Always)

 

When things in our lives are changing or transitioning, it’s scary or exciting or a mixture of both.  In my experience with moving to a new city, taking a new job, or making any life altering decision, these things are a combination of thrilling and frightening.  It’s fun because it’s a fresh start and it is rejuvenating.  The idea of “starting over” is encouraging.  However, doing something totally new and unfamiliar can be terrifying.  I’m the kind of person who thrives on knowing what I’m supposed to be doing, and even more importantly, I absolutely desire to be confident in what I’m doing.  If I’m not, that’s when I go into survival mode and scurry to pack up and find something I know I can do without panic and fear.

 

I do believe that this feeling can cause me to make decisions too quickly, but in some instances I truly believe this feeling will direct me down the correct path or onto the next step.  I think whether you’re hearing the Holy Spirit or not can be felt in your gut.  When you have this experience, there is no question in your mind or heart about what’s right and what’s wrong.

 

There is one story I have that I will never forget.  I’ll never forget what was said or how I felt.  I’m pretty sure I’ve only told my mom and my uncle this story, so once again, you’re getting more vulnerable moments from MK here.  I was dating someone about a year or so ago.  We’ll call him Steve for the purpose of the story.  Steve and I were watching a movie on the couch in his living room and somehow we got on the topic of Noah and the ark.  The next occurrence of events that happened is somewhat of a blur.  I recall a few things, however- the important things.  I said something about Noah and the ark and Steve responded with, “You actually believe all that?” and chuckled.  Of course, I said, “Yeah, I absolutely do”.  He laughed again.  The feeling that came over me at that moment is one I’ll never forget and will forever be grateful for.  It was almost eerie.  I felt as though the devil/demons were in that room trying to make me question my faith, trying to take me even a ¼ of a centimeter away from the Lord.  Then, I literally felt like the Holy Spirit surrounded me and carried me out of that house. (I’m glad He remembered to grab my purse on the way out- thanks God.)  This whole exit was a blur.  I remember it went something like this: I got off the couch; I said, “I’ll see you later”; I got my purse; I walked out the door and to my car.  You might think I’m exaggerating or just crazy, but I thought then and I think now that the Holy Spirit wanted me out of that room and out of that relationship.  He undoubtedly surrounded me and walked me out of the house.  I’ve NEVER felt more confident in making a decision in all my life.  I was and am 120% sure that I did the right thing.  After that, all I remember is getting in my car, driving home, and calling my mom at midnight or later (again, bless her) to tell her what happened.

 

I didn’t have the knowledge to defend The Bible and talk to Steve about it all in the way that would have been necessary.  I wish I did, but I didn’t.  All I knew at that moment was I had to get out.  And I did so confidently because I knew the Lord was with me walking from the couch to the car.  Unfortunately, that was the last time Steve and I spoke.  I found some Facebook messages that had been exchanged between him and me when we were dating.  Seeing those and re-reading those conversations after we broke up made me wonder why I dated him for as long as I did.  He was condescending and didn’t trust me at all.  That break up should’ve happened long before God had to step in, but I am SO GRATEFUL He did.

 

Romans 8: 38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

 

John 16:22 “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy”.

“Do not give in to joyless living by letting worries about the present or the future weigh you down…. Talk with me about your fears, expressing your thoughts and feelings freely.  Relax in My presence and entrust all your concerns to Me”.  (Jesus Always)

 

The idea that someone loves us enough to take our burdens from us, to listen to every concern we have, and desires to give us comfort and joy is incredible.  He doesn’t want us to waste our days worrying about what might happen.  He wants us to talk with Him about it all and then leave those thoughts with Him so that we may enjoy the day he was given to us.  Being worried and concerned all the time is not the witness we as Christians need to share with the world.  Having that negative state of mind doesn’t accurately depict to the world the awesomeness they can feel through the love of God.

 

xoxo

Anxiety and Doubt

January 5, 2017

If this devotional doesn’t nail my feelings the past couple days, nothing will.  I told y’all how this week I’ve felt so much anxiety, fear, and insecurity because of one of the requirements for my job.  (Just so you don’t think that I have some crazy, terrible job, let me clarify.  I do outside sales for a digital marketing company which requires cold calling on businesses.  This will never be one of my favorite activities, but it’s slowly getting a little easier and I thank God for bringing me that peace!)

 

I think Sarah Young must’ve been watching me when she wrote this part in Jesus Always: “When anxiety is welling up within you, come to Me and pour out your heart.  Then sit quietly in My presence while I comfort you…. I infuse my joy and peace into your heart, mind, and soul”.  (page 6).  I remember exactly how I felt sitting at my living room table, notebooks with lists of places to call and what to say scattered in front me.  The thought of picking up the phone and calling people I don’t know at all just absolutely made me feel indescribably anxious.  I did NOT want to do it.  But, I had to.  All of these thoughts and all of this pressure just made me break down in tears.  (I swear to y’all I’m not a crier.  Seems like I cry under stress however).  I tried calling family and friends to see if they had any advice and words of encouragement or comfort.  They did and I thank them for that.  I’ve got an unbelievable support system.  In my little nonrealistic world, I wanted someone to say, “I know a job you should do! Stop stressing yourself out.  Go do _______”.  That’s not how life works, or how those conversations went, of course.  I just felt like I couldn’t convey to them the pressure I felt in my chest when I thought about starting to call people.  Psalm 62:8 “O my people, trust in Him at all times.  Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge”.

 

Finally, I just sat down and prayed out loud between the sniffles.  I asked God to just give me peace and confidence.  I know He has me where I am and doing what I’m doing for a reason.  In that, I found comfort and just enough confidence to make that first phone call.  Psalm 94:19 “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer”.   Once I did, the others got easier as well.  It’s incredible how relief comes upon you when God is “…helping you see things from My perspective.  I remind you of your heavenly destination…. Moreover, the joy in your soul gives you buoyancy, enabling you to rise above the countless problems in your life”. (pg. 6).  I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Really…that’s the biggest problem in your life?  Come look at my issues!”  Everyone experiences different troubles and handles each unique experience differently.  What brings discomfort to one person may not bring discomfort at all to someone else.  The point is that whenever we feel discouraged, uncomfortable, or anxious, we need to just pray.  God is the only one who can truly and fully understand how we feel about what we are dealing with at the time.  He is the only one who can provide immediate comfort, peace, and joy.

 

When I read this next line in Jesus Always, I wasn’t 100% sure how it would work: “Once you have gained this perspective, you will discover that you can comfort others in the midst of their troubles”. (Pg. 6).  I thought, “How?  How am I going to comfort others?”  When people cry, I’m the one who feels awkward, helpless, and will pat or hug them and say that it’ll be ok.  Not a master comforter.  Then I remembered a couple messages I have received from friends who have read my blog.  Believe it or not, I’m not the only one wondering what I should be doing with my life or wondering what the purpose of my life is.  How ‘bout that?! Ha.  They told me that they go through the same/ similar feelings and have some of the same thoughts.  Here’s the part that was humbling and encouraging- they said my blog has helped them handle the emotions they’re experiencing.  They said that they needed all of these reminders of God’s love, joy, peace, and comfort.  Now I know how I can comfort others- by being vulnerable and open, sharing my experiences, and describing how God is ever present in that time of trouble.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

 

xoxo

Make a Joyful Noise

January 4, 2017

“Find joy in Me, for I am your strength…. Whenever you are struggling with difficulties, you need to guard your thoughts and spoken words carefully…” (page  of Jesus Always).

Y’all.  Bless my mama’s heart.  Today, when I was internally freaking out about what I had to do for work, my emotions came out verbally.  I was short with her.  Ok, ok.  I’ll be honest- I was straight up in a bad mood because of the anxiety and fear I was feeling.  Want to know what she was doing? Bringing me my vacuum and TV that Santa brought me for Christmas, cleaning my house, and organizing my kitchen while I was working.  #baddaughtermoment

I let the stress and overwhelming feelings get to me; I let the guard down on my thoughts and words.  I knew I was starting to feel discouraged and flustered, but I didn’t handle it the way I should have: “Turn to Me, asking Me to help you with all your struggles”. (Page 5, Jesus Always).  I sorry Shnookums…

I was listening to the Christian Contemporary station on Pandora (which I highly recommend by the way) and the song “God Is Watching”, by Jonny Diaz (if you haven’t heard of him, check him out.  His music is amazing) came on.  Part of the song says:

“As hard as it might still be to believe

God is there.

God is watching.

Every moment, every beat

He has never missed a thing.

God is there, always there.

Cause not a single breath you take

Could every slip your Father’s gaze”

Cue MK’s tears.  I’m a huge believer in music being incredibly powerful and moving.  It was like God was reminding me via Pandora that even though I feel overwhelmed, He is there for me constantly.  He sees me and knows what I’m feeling.  I think that’s also His way of bringing his children back closer to him and comforting them.  That song was enough for me to remember to focus on God and how He is my strength.  He alone is enough to bring me joy.  He wants to help me with anything.  I need Him to get through everything.  I can’t do it alone and don’t have to! I’m never alone.  What a comfort!  What better promise could we ask for?!

Full disclosure- I had my own personal Christian music concert/worship session.  No shame.  My neighbors might have had a free concert.  I’m not sure.  They can thank me later.

Guess what?  I felt renewed, encouraged, and peaceful.  As I told a friend’s mom once, “He said to make a joyful noise; He didn’t say it had to sound good”.  That’s an original MK quote for ya there dating back to around 2000 (give or take a few years).

“As you find Joy in Me, delighting in my unfailing love for you, your strength will increase.  This is the joy of the Lord…” (page 5, Jesus Always).

If you feel unsure about your current situation, pray this with me: “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You.” Psalm 143:8

xoxo

If We Simply Be Still

January 3, 2017

 

As I mentioned in my last post, I have moments randomly (and sometimes frequently) when I have a minor emotional breakdown because I’m unsure about what I should be doing with my life.  These are the times that I’m so unsure about what I’m doing that my immediate reaction is to start looking for another job that “I know I’ll be confident doing and enjoy more”.  I had one of those moments today, actually.  I felt terribly anxious, overwhelmed, and so insecure.  The first thought I had was, “I can’t do this.  This isn’t me.  I need something different”.  I wanted to run away from these feelings that were leaving me short of breath.

 

That right there is why I need Jesus Always.  I need to find joy merely in His presence and remember that every second of my day has been given to me for a reason; He has a purpose for me and for my life.  I need to focus on Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world”.  Young reminds us in her devotional that “As these believers sit in stillness-focusing on Me and My word- their perception of Me expands and their troubles shrink in importance”.  Instead of wanting to immediately run from an uncomfortable situation, I need to just sit, pray, listen, and think about God’s promise to always be with us.  I need to focus on the truth that God has a plan for everything we experience.

 

Our basic, everyday problems are so insignificant in the big scheme of things.  If we continually focus on the world and its problems, then yes, we will feel alone, overwhelmed, and suffocated.  However, if we think about why we are here and who gave us life, our hearts are calmed and thoughts are renewed.  “Take time, take time with Me.  While you rest in My presence, I untangle your thoughts and help you view things more biblically”. (page 4 of Jesus Always).  When we focus on the fact that God sees our lives from a much larger perspective than we’ll ever be able to grasp, it’s calming.  He truly will quiet your mind and rest your heart.  These uncomfortable feelings are not feelings that God intended for us to experience; those are feelings of the world.  Remember, He wants us to be joyful!  That’s why He provided us with his word- the Bible is our guide to overcome the negativity of this world.  As it says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”.

 

We live in a culture that tells us we should understand everything.  It tells us that we should have a solution to every problem, an answer to every question.

 

Psalm 100:3 “Acknowledge that the Lord is God!  He made us, and we are His.  We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”

 

As the Lord’s sheep, He doesn’t want us to question Him.  He merely asks that we trust that He knows what is best for us and that he will lead us where we should go.

 

xoxo

He is Your Joy

January 2, 2017

 

Psalm 21:6  “You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.”

Philippians 4:4  “Always be full of joy in the Lord.  I say it again-rejoice!”

John 14:3  “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

 

 

Since this is a devotional blog, I’m going to be totally open and vulnerable with y’all.  Today’s devotional from Jesus Always really resonated with how I’ve struggled on and off for the past few months.  I’m not sure many people, other than a few family and friends, know about how I’ve felt, mainly because I’m the kind of person who keeps things to myself until they just kind of come out after I’ve thought about it way too much.  (I know I know….I shouldn’t do that.)

 

Something I’ve really battled with emotionally is the question of “What am I supposed to be doing with my life?  What profession should I have?  How can I make money, love what I do, and make a difference in people’s lives?”  Of course I’ve gotten the typical response of, “Most people don’t love their job, ya know”.  I refuse to believe that we were meant to just get through our lives doing a job we don’t enjoy.  I don’t believe that’s God’s plan or purpose for our lives.  We were not created just to be mediocre by such an incredible, powerful, merciful, and loving God.  There’s no way.  He wants us to be happy!  He wants us to be His voice on Earth.  He wants us focused on Him and to be joyful!

 

Cue more vulnerability: I’ve been that girl that has shed tears behind closed doors multiple times, and still do sometimes, over that question that I don’t feel like I have a clear answer to.  Hence, my resolution to spend more time with God this year.  He’s the only one who can guide me in the direction of the purpose for my life, the purpose that will fulfill me and bring more joy to my life.

 

If you have fought through tears because you’re struggling with something that’s weighing on your heart, find hope in this:

 

“Since I am always with you, the joy of my presence is continually accessible to you…. Ponder all I have done for you and all that I am to you.  This will lift you up above your circumstances…. When you became my follower, I empowered you to rise about the conditions of your life.  I filled you with my spirit, and this Holy Helper has limitless power”.  (page 3 of Jesus Always)

 

When we’re focused on how troubled and stressed we feel, we forget WHO we should put our focus on.  During those times of uncertainty and feelings of anxiety, remember who holds your future.  Rejoice with me in knowing that God is enough! He has given us the strength to overcome any circumstance and any feeling of self-doubt, depression, and fear.  He is LIMITLESS and loving.  When we relax and rest in the promise that God is always with us, our feelings of fear and confusion will turn into feeling of peace and joy.

 

xoxo

 

 

Here’s to New Beginnings!

January 1, 2017

Isaiah 43:18-19  (New Living Translation- let’s be honest; it’s easier to understand)       “But forget all that- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

As we’re entering the beginning of another year, everyone’s New Year’s resolutions are everywhere.  Yes, I posted one too.  It was to spend more time with the Lord.  As readers of my blog, you’re helping to hold me accountable to do my devotional- so thank you for that! We are all analyzing what we aren’t exactly proud of that we’ve done in the past.  We want to be better.

If you’re like I am, it’s such an encouragement to be reminded that God is “continually working newness into your life….I am a God of unlimited creativity…” (page 2 of Jesus Always.  If you haven’t gotten this awesome devotional yet, get it!)  All I could think when I read that was “wow”.

Psalm 118:24  “This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 16:11  “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

We seem to continually try to plan each and every moment of every day.  We want to act like we have control.  We want to think that we know what’s going to happen.  We set expectations.  We forget that God is absolutely limitless in what He can do in our lives and with our lives.  Why do we think that we are capable of understanding God’s plan?  The same God who brought the dead back to life and who gave sight to the blind can surely provide for my daily needs.  Even through my worry and doubt, He has proven to me time and time again that He will provide for my daily needs.  How much more at peace would I be if I trusted God with everything, if I remembered that He is constantly forming something new and wonderful in my life?

“The present moment is where I meet with you, beloved.  So seek My face throughout this day that I have made…I have carefully prepared it for you- with tender attention to every detail”.  I so often forget that God is always with us.  Always.  Every little, and big, experience we have during the day is a gift from God.  He has a plan and a reason for everything that happens.  We might not understand each part of His plan, but we have to trust Him and thank Him for our lives, for what’s happening.  Each breath we take is a gift.  God has a purpose for every second of your day.

“I believe that You are God alone, but sometimes I still try to take control cause I get scared when I can’t see the end.  And all You want from me is to let go.  You’re parting waters, making a way for me.  You’re moving mountains that I don’t even see.  You’ve answered my prayer before I even speak.  All you need for me to be is still.”

-Still, by Hillary Scott and The Scott Family

Welcome!

I always have random thoughts.  I’m sure we all do.  Mine typically range from what I need to do that day or week, what I want to do that day or week, getting stressed, thinking about who I want to see and spend time with that week, and basically a whole list of things fills my head.

 

Recently, one of my friends started a blog.  I thought, “Hm.  That would be kinda cool.  I have things that I’d like to say to people, things that just cross my mind.”  For example, a few days before Christmas, I was walking in the Commons in Augusta.  It was an overcast day so the twinkling lights of the GIANT Christmas tree immediately caught my attention.  I was just in awe for a few moments.  Such a magical sight right here in the middle of our town.  How many people took the time to slow down and take that sight in, I’m unsure of.  That’s what sparked my definite interest in blogging.  I wanted to tell others to do what I had accidentally stumbled into- slowing down and stopping to enjoy the little, beautiful things around me.

 

I was unsure what I wanted to blog about exactly until my boyfriend’s mom gave me the devotional book “Jesus Always”, by Sarah Young.  It’s about embracing the Joy we have simply in Jesus’ presence and his existence.  This isn’t something I would ever buy for myself, mainly because I didn’t know it existed.  But after reading even just the first day’s devotion, I am fully confident that God guided Mrs. Delene to give me this devotional book because it’s what I need right now.  When I’m unsure of things in life-like my job, etc.- it is a great reminder to just focus on each little thing that happens during each and every day because God planned each and every one of those moments, small or large.  That thought is incredible.  Each of these little moments given to us by God is our LIFE.  He chose each of these moments to happen to us for a reason.    So why aren’t we enjoying it and trusting Him through it?

Follow my blog to experience this devotional with me!