The Man in My Life

I think it is safe to say that we all desire or have desired that someone be put in our path that we can love and cherish.


There have been moments in my own life when I have all but begged to have "my person".
It hasn't been until recently that I have accepted being just me. Wow, what a concept.
So I will wait.

What exactly am I waiting for? Well, I'd love to tell you. 

1. I want to love Him above all else.
That's right, my sweet sweet Savior. Sorry daddy, you have been placed as the #2 man in my life (but who wouldn't want to come in second to Jesus?).

Why would I ever seek an earthly relationship until I have fallen head over heels for someone who gave their life for me?

There is a saying that goes something like this: Dance with God and He will let the right guy cut it.
So for now, I choose to dance with my Lord.

2. I want to be the best version of me.

Proverbs 31? Yes that is real, for me anyways. I want to be a woman of virtue. Period.
If I want to attract a man of virtue, shouldn't I be virtuous myself?

My favorite verse of that chapter is verse 30. It says, "charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord is worthy to be praised".

I could be the most beautiful woman in the world on the outside, but if I am wretched on the inside then all that beauty is for nothing because guess what? When I am 100 years old and look like a bag of wrinkles with a side of gray hair, I'm probably not going to be all that good lookin'.

And the good news? If I am a woman of virtue that fears the Lord, then the beauty and the charm will never matter because He will be enough. And it is only through Him that we might attain a beautiful soul.
3. There is a time for everything. 

Except for bronchitis... Ain't nobody got time for that. (If you didn't catch that joke then you need to watch Sweet Brown on YouTube).

That's all I need, what about you?

On the real, Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens." Right there it is.

He has planned the time, place, and season that I will find my mate. So I'm just going to leave that to Him and continue dancing.

The writer goes on to say this in verse 11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."
____


We are told to prepare our hearts and minds, just like a farmer is supposed to prepare his field for the harvest. Without proper plowing, sewing, and nurturing there would be no harvest. Just like if we don't prepare ourselves for the things He has in store for us, then how will we ever expect to produce fruit and grow?

I don't want the easy way out. I don't want to settle, and I definitely don't want someone settling for me. I want to be someone's prize. I want to be loved like Christ loves His church. 

I don't want to have a set of requirements that "my person" should meet, because I trust that God has made him exactly how he is supposed to be. Standards are conditional. Jesus didn't say "Abby I will love you IF", He just said "I love you". And better yet, He never even said it, He showed it. That is unconditional love. 

As hard as is it to fathom loving someone for their soul and spirit, it is crucial, because remember charm is deceitful and beauty is passing. I didn't say that, He did. 

So if you ask me if there is someone special in my life, my answer is yes. He is my friend, my Savior, and my rock. And I will dance with Him until He decides to let someone else cut in. 

If you are lonely and feel as if you are constantly searching, try dancing with the One that will fulfill your spirit and you will never feel alone. 

I Just Found My Purpose and It's Not Even Mine

This post could actually take me years if I wanted to express to you all the ways my heart has been blessed in the last 48 hours. Oh, and the title will make sense by the end. 

Whether young or old, I would love for you to take a moment a see through my eyes and listen to my heart.

I attended a conference this weekend put on by Summit Church of Raleigh-Durham called Advance College. The theme of the weekend was: leverage your calling.

I had seen this conference advertised several times in the spring and throughout the summer and I wanted to go, but I wanted someone else to sign up before me so that I could follow them... Yeah you caught that? I have a fear of getting out of my bubble. Well, had. 

I finally committed to the conference a week ago today, and I committed on my own. I decided I was going to fly solo to this thing. Little did I know, I would be in for a massive turning point in my life. 

This weekend I have never felt more apart of a biblical community and family, and I went to the place by myself. I know, right? Awesome. 

Anyways, the purpose of this weekend was for college kids to understand that we have been called to do something, and whatever we are called to do, we must do it for the glory of God. 

With an introduction from DA Horton and Trip Lee, I was reminded about God-given gifts(say that three times fast). Before this weekend, I saw my gifts as something to do on the side for my enjoyment. That's right, my enjoyment. 

It was in that moment that I recognized selfishness, and self righteousness. Our gifts were not given to us for our own self glory; they were given to us for God's glory. 

We then moved to Louie Giglio. He talked to us about how our calling, fits into the story of God. He made an incredible point when he talked about going through a crisis of faith; which is basically when you become spiritually stagnant. We often times give up on our faith or "fake it til' we make it". Louie brought the good news when he said "the mantra of Christianity is being able to say,  'I can't live this life, but You can. I can't make promises, but You can. Jesus was pretty great at living the Christian life considering it was named after him'. That is truth my friends. 

The most freeing part about that message came from Colossians 3:17. This is where God gives us all that open door that we wait our whole life for and he says, "Whatever you choose to do, work hard and do it for the glory of God" There it is. God has given us a choice! 

Its no longer about the stable career, the amount of money you make, or the retirement home you want to build, its about doing what you love, doing it well, and more importantly, doing it for the glory of God. This is worshipful work. 

Elyse Fitzpatrick, author of so many books, brought the next message, reminding us that we did not come to Christ, but He came to us. She talked about seeking the kingdom of God and she told us that when we worry, that is us seeking our own kingdom, our own desires. She brought up the justification of us by Christ and that because of His willingness to give His life, we have been justified. This frees us from self-righteousness and constant self approval or disapproval. 

My best take away from her message was this: God is able to use all of my weaknesses and sin to make me contagiously grateful for grace. 

Tony Merida, author and pastor, talked about community and the importance of investing your heart and time into the church. He made the argument that many of us love the idea of community but never act on it. He brought it when he said that Christ lived a life of love, and died as an act of love. Our culture has successfully destroyed the meaning of love giving us endless, meaningless uses of "love". We "love" Netflix. No. That's not okay. We love through action. Sympathizing for someone does NOTHING when we do not act to help them. So love is cross centered. 

Nik Ripken brought a gut wrenching message when speaking on international missions. This guy has an awesome testimony. He has seen more death, murder, poverty, illness, and starvation than anyone I know because of God's call for him to go into nations such as those. He made evident, the power of following God's call even when we don't want to listen. Nothing I write could do Dr. Ripken's testimony justice. 

Lastly, one of my role models and my pastor, JD Greear, gave the final sermon. His topic was: whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. He mentioned key points from earlier speakers and he elaborated on our willingness to share the gospel. His main point was "God changes the world through ordinary people, filled with the spirit, willing to suffer"

He ended by saying, "every saved person on this side of heaven owes the gospel to every unsaved person on this side of hell" Now that is powerful my friends. 

If you have made it this far down the page without giving up on me, thanks. 

Maybe you already knew half of these things that changed my life this weekend, and if that is true, I hope this was an encouraging reminder. If you didn't already know this stuff, you are not alone. 

The most beautiful part about this weekend was the realization that I don't have to live some try hard life maintaining a "success checklist", because my identity is in Christ Jesus. So whatever I choose to do, I want to be great at it, and I want that greatness to impact everyone around me for God's glory. 

Life is so empty when you try to fulfill yourself through your own selfish desires. Submit to my friend, Jesus, cherish Him, love Him, seek His kingdom, and you will never go wrong. No matter what profession. 

Thanks to Summit Church, and my Savior, for filling my cup this weekend. My heart has been truly touched, my mind has been equipped, and I cannot wait to continue living for some(One) so much greater than myself. 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20

Kicking and Screaming: A Fight With Life

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in a rink with Rambo, or what I would do if I was guarding Lebron. I wonder what it would be like for him to score on me 100 times and I score on him once, maybe twice.

I think its safe to say I would never score on Lebron, or take a hit from the worlds greatest boxer and get back up.

Have you ever felt this way? Do you ever feel like you're in a rink and you keep getting punched, or kicked, and every time you try to get up you fall back down.

I think its easy to feel this way. I think its even easier to lay down and choose to never get up again.

So my first question is this, for what or whom do you fight for daily?

Your job? Kids? Your future? Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Your GPA? Success?

My next question is why?

I think we all have this part of our brain that works like a planner. We have all these plans or things that we make top priorities in our life because we think they will fulfill us, or make us feel like cool people.

And then what happens is something goes wrong with this thing that you have made a priority.

Say its your job. You have made it numero uno. Something goes wrong, and you are instantly in the rink with your job.

Please use your imagination for what I am about to say... You are now attempting to fight with your job and knock it out, until all of a sudden it comes at you with a right hook and you go down.

Your job just punched you in the face.

And it keeps punching and kicking until you finally hit the floor and surrender.

This tends to happen with so many things in our life. We make success, futures, or plenty of other things in our life the top priority. When this top priority fails us, we find ourselves surrendering, giving up.

I wonder what would happen if we all made our relationship with Christ our top priority instead of our own agenda. 

Would we be more compelled to serve others rather than ourselves? Would we rest on His love daily rather than depending on opportunities to fulfill us?

I can tell you this, the only time you'll ever find yourself in a fight with Jesus is when you're the one throwing the punches by denying a relationship with him.

He didn't crucify us, we crucified him. And he took it. He surrendered for you and me. He took every punch, every kick, for us.

Why can't we let that be enough? Instead of fighting for our jobs, or our own opportunity, why can't we fight for the one who fought for us? 

What an encouragement it is that someone took the blame for all my screw ups and said "it is finished". The fight was finished, right then and there. Think about it. Would you do that for a friend?

So I'll ask you again... For what or whom are you fighting for daily, and why? 

He fights for you...Will you fight for him?

Identity Thief

I think it is safe to say that we have all at some point or another had an identity crisis. We feel that our hair must look a certain way, or we have to wear a certain brand of clothes. An even greater example is the shape of our bodies.

During this crisis we look to things that will give us some sort of identity. This could be a boy, a job, a college major, clothes, youtube, internet, and the best one yet, social media. That's right, my friends. This generation seems to be one that drifts towards the "Insta" identity.

Social media makes it so easy to recreate yourself into the person you want to be, rather than who you are. Its easy to hide behind a computer and be whoever you want to be because you think that its okay. Well, its not okay.

I have news for you. You are not beautiful based on the selfie you posted on Instagram, you are not awesome because you got 50 retweets on Twitter. You are beautiful and you are awesome because you were made in the image of someone much greater than any of your followers.

Genesis 1:27 says, "God created man in His own image..". Believe it or not, God didn't throw you into a mold to make you just like everyone else. He took the time to hand craft you, to make you you. 

Take your fingerprint for example. NO ONE has the same fingerprint as you. Identical twins do not even share the same finger prints. No matter how hard you try, you could never be anybody better than being yourself.

Social media is an identity thief. It allows you to mold yourself into someone that you're not. It permits you to hide your flaws. It gives you the capability to say things you don't mean. While you may not believe it, you are essentially creating a false version of yourself.

I say this not to bring you down and make you feel guilty for have Twitter or Instagram, because they can also be used for good things, I say this to encourage you.

You are exquisite, unique, priceless, beautiful, and most importantly you are you. You were given your own fingerprint because you aren't supposed to be any other person but you.

So stop looking for self worth in the number of followers you have, forget all the retweets, and remember that you were made in the image of God.

He loves you for you, and I guarantee that other people love you for you too. 

This One's For You, Mom(s).

To the moms who have a hard time letting go:

Whether your child has gone to college, left you to be with the Lord, or left for whatever reason, I would like to let you see through our eyes for a moment. 

You were the first person we loved, the one we called for, and depended on. As a kid, you have one image in your mind when you think of "mom". You don't see her size, what clothes she wears, her hairstyle, or her makeup. None of that matters. All you see is your momma. 

We see what you do, how you treat us, how you train us, and how you love us. We watch every move you make. 

We remember who took care of us when we were sick, and we never forget the one who yelled at us when we didn't make curfew. We feel the warmth of your hugs, and we will never forget all the times you said "be careful". We remember those things. 

We remember all the long text messages, or the letters you wrote us. 

We remember all the times you told us no; and all the times we did it anyways. We remember thinking in our heads, "she was right". 

We remember all the times that we were hurt by other people; and all the times you knew before we even told you. 

As you think about how much you love your child, think about how much they love you. 

You were given time. Time to train up your child in the way that they should go so they would not depart from it. Well, now's the time to reap what you have sown. 

We love you, for you. The older we get, the more we realize how much we love you, and the better our relationship becomes. 

So thank you, for training us, loving us, and saying no when we had no idea what we were about to walk into. Thank you for pushing us past our limits. Thank you for showing us unconditional love. Thank you for forgiving us even when you didn't want to. And thank you for giving us the example that we one day hope to give our kids. 

Its okay to miss us; in fact, I hope you miss us, but never forget how much we miss you too. We think of you every day, and remember the tears you shed for us, we shed them for you too. 

I love you, mom. 

Calling All College Freshman

You can stop pinching yourself because this moment is real. Its time to move into college.

If you are anything like me, your stomach might twist and turn at the thought of jumping out of your comfort zone into a huge pile of awkward confusion.

But I have good news. You can avoid that!

College is like one huge refinery, and you are about to be the material.

The reason I say that is because there are going to be so many things tugging for your attention (good and bad). You will have classes to take care of, professors to talk to, friends to find, and whatever else you decide to give your attention to.

I advise that you choose wisely..

I must say for me, the greatest thing I have found thus far is genuine friendship. The thing about it is that you must seek out people who will encourage you to do things that are in your best interest. That is genuine. If that friend is willing to pressure you, give you ultimatums, or leave you hanging out to dry, then you probably need to start rethinking some things.

So, choose friends that will uplift and encourage you. And try to return the favor.

Next, avoid Netflix like the plague.
I'm telling you right now, I love me some Friday Night Lights, but a career as a professional Netflix viewer will get you nowhere. Time management is essential. Save that for Christmas Break.

STUDY. 
For those of you who think you know what this means, stop lying to yourself. You don't until you fail that first test. Its okay, it happens to the best of us.

The beautiful thing about studying is that it works when you do it the right way. But there is a formula to this.

Go to class + take notes + review the material + find ways to apply that material to real life + ask questions + create a study group = How to study.

I'm sure there are more things you can add to that equation but that will work for now.

I might mention that going to class is pretty important. Professors are smarter than you simply because most of them were you at one point and after they get their degree, they are basically the smarter version of you. SO don't try to cheat the system. Simply go to class.

Make time for spiritual growth. 

This could be the most important thing I could ever write. There will come a time in your life and mine that you will no longer be able to use your career. The meaning of success will become blurred because like anything else in life, things pass.

Isaiah 40:8 says, "the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God shall stand forever".

Yeah all that metaphorical grass you grew when you were trying to fulfill your career goals will fade. That is a promise.

The good news about that is that your relationship with Jesus Christ will NEVER fade. If my major could be "disciple of Christ" you better believe I would jump on that opportunity. That degree would never go to waste.

The beauty of college is that if you do it right, you will be made into a beautiful person, and the even better part is that you will probably help other people be made into something beautiful as well.

Always remember that your grades do not define you, you do not need a GPA to get into Heaven, and your past is as good as gone. Be victorious. 

Road Trips

Road trips.

Its just you, your iPod, and the journey ahead.

When you first begin your trip you are completely excited. Why? Because you know your destination. And if you're me, you have an awesome playlist to accompany you. The only thing you are unsure of is what will happen on the way.

The cool thing about road trips is what you see on the way. You see new things you have never seen before. The bad parts are flat tires, speeding tickets, and other bumps in the road.  Even when the bad parts happen on the way, you still have hope because you know you are going to reach your destination.

I was on my way to the beach for spring break with my buddies this year and we hit something in the road. About 15 minutes later we hear this awful roaring noise and smoke is flying everywhere. My roommate says "I think its that strap hanging out of the trunk". No Jess, that's a flat tire. And it was. We were stranded for about 2 hours at a sketchy Wal Mart until AAA finally found us. While we were freaked out and somewhat annoyed at the current situation, we still knew that we would end up at the beach and everything would be fine. And it was.

The point of the story is to illustrate that we hit bumps in the road, and sometimes we get a flat tire, but we still trust that we will make it to our destination.

The same thing happens when Jesus enters your life and you become a follower of Him. This is when your journey begins. The beautiful thing about the journey is that no matter what bumps you hit or adversity you face, you know your destination.

Ya know, I don't think we would appreciate where we were going if we didn't face adverse circumstances on the way. How thankful we will be when we finally get there.

If you haven't began the journey yet, join me. I love company, especially on road trips. I promise that the destination will be well worth the ride.

Congrats Class of 2014!

Have you ever wondered why that extra ten pounds is there after you told yourself you would start dieting two months ago? Or did you ever promise something to yourself on New Years Eve and break your resolution one week later? 

Well let me tell ya, I have. For both. That's right, I "started" my college kid diet about two months ago, and it hasn't gone anywhere. 

So tonight, I'm going to share with you a wise statement from Andy Stanley, who founded Northpoint Ministries. 

In his book, The Principle of the Path he says, "Direction not intention, determines your destination". Let me say that one more time, "direction not intention, determines your destination".

Folks, you can intend on becoming a doctor, being a great student or employee, and having a strong relationship with God. But the key word there is INTEND. 

Your intentions mean nothing without direction. And by direction, I mean action. Putting these things into motion. 

I just finished up my first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, otherwise known as Blue Heaven. and what a year it was. You know how there are 5 stages of grief? PAUSE....Well I'd say there are five stages of your freshman year in college. 

You've got the "Scared Out of My Mind" stage. Which is; mom can't wash my clothes, tell me when to wake up, or check my grades on the internet. Not to mention, I have to try and not get lost every day for the first two weeks. And  I have no friends. 

Then there's the "Oh Yeah, I've Got This All Down Pat". You start making friends, and lose the obligation to go to class. And then BAM, you fail that test, and you're "Whaaaat?".

Next comes the "Just Get Me to the End of This Semester". This is when all eating habits go downhill because your stress level climbs thanks to that failing test grade. You are also missing the home that you hated so much before college. 

Then you've got the "BRING IT ON SECOND SEMESTER I'M READY FOR YOU". This happens after Christmas break and New Years. Your resolution is that you are going to make the Dean's List while being the greatest social butterfly. WRONG.

Now the 5th, and final step, which is the hardest to get to, but the best part of it all. It's the "I'm Not All That" step. This is the part where you stop with your good intentions, and you start realizing that it takes a lot more than your words to make it through college. 

Friends, you are in your comfort zone here. You have your possy, your family, and life is somewhat stagnant because you are in a routine. You check Twitter, Facebook, Instagram on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, and life seems to continue moving. 

When you take the next step, whether that be college, or a job, whatever it is. I want to encourage you with these three things:

1. Go in with the mentality that you are going to do everything whole-heartedly. 

2. Find people that genuinely care for your well being and encourage you on your walk with Christ.

3. Never let your pride keep you from being humbled, and never let your stubborness keep you from becoming wise. 

I'll tell you this. I struggled initially, but I soon found a fix for all my struggles. I came to know Christ in an intimate and passionate way this year at UNC, and I can tell ya right now, my life will never be the same. 

When we allow Christ to come into our lives, we create room for growth, wisdom, and joy. We begin to understand and grasp what's important, and we lose sight of the things that once corrupted us. 

And tonight I want to encourage you with this, 

No matter what path you are taking, choose to let Jesus guide you and give you direction, because I promise you that it won't be easy, but it will lead to beautiful things. Pursue Him, chase after Him, and consume yourself with Him because He loves you more than anyone on this Earth. 

Deuteronomy 31:6 says he will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. 

Lamentations 3:25 says the Lord is good to those that pursue him 

Galatians 2:20 says  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself for me.

So tonight I ask you to pursue Christ, seek Him, believe in Him, and trust in Him, and your life will be changed forever. 

Remember, 

Direction not intention, determines our destination. 

Congrats Class of 2014. You made it. 

Proceed with Caution

The Unsinkable Ship 

If you know anything about the Titanic you would know that everyone called it the "Unsinkable ship"... and boy were they wrong.

The Titanic was magical. It was meant to stand out and make all other ships look like tiny. The ship was built with many compartments that would fill up with water in the event that anything should happen. These compartments were built to keep the ship from sinking.

I think its safe to say that some people are much like the Titanic, strong and invincible... powerful and strong. The problem is (in the words of Joe Nichols) unsinkable ships sink. Just as the Titanic did, we all tend to hit our iceberg and crash.

You see, the compartments talked about earlier were made for small leaks. There was hardly any preparation for such a crash. As people, we always tend to believe we are invincible, and we take life for granted. We only prepare for small leaks, and we believe that nothing will ever make us crash and burn.

The difference between you and the Titanic is that you have the choice to sink or swim. We all hit the iceberg at some point, but the key is preparation. Without preparation, you could allow something to split you in two and make you sink to the deepest, darkest depths. Although you cannot predict the future, or see what is to come, you can soak up every moment of every day. And by soak up I mean be thankful.

That's right. Thankfulness will keep your ship from sinking. Because when you are thankful, you are humble. You don't care which "ship" is the biggest.. you are just thankful for the ship that God so graciously blessed you with.

For the record, being thankful is not conditional. You must be thankful in all things, good and bad.

And yeah, you'll hit a couple icebergs along the way, but I guarantee that if you continue to be thankful, and choose to swim, you won't sink. You will rise to the top (just don't do what Rose did and let go of Jack because you best believe I would hold onto Leo DiCaprio if my life depended on it)... Anyways, my point is to say that thankfulness is your life jacket.

My last point is that once you choose to put on the life jacket and swim, don't forget to take the hand of those who love you, and are willing to pull you out of the water. God didn't give you a support group for nothing.

Choose to swim. Put on the life jacket of thankfulness. Humble yourself. Take the helping hand. 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
        ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Run Forrest, Run

I can imagine that you are reading this from the sitting position; which is great because I am writing this from the sitting position.

I went on my first run in a long time yesterday and I remember it well (along with my legs, gag reflux, and feet). I decided that I was going to run for fifteen minutes around campus. At around eleven mins into this run I make way to the nearest bush and had my lunch for the second time... Ew.

Needless to say I am way out of shape.

Hebrews 12:1 says we are to run the race with endurance. The race being referred to here is the race of life. 

I think it would be easy to say that life is a marathon, no doubt. There are ups and downs, a start and a finish, and some people make it to the end before others.

So my question for you today is, are you a spiritual runner?

Runners never start off running 26 miles at a time. They slowly build up their mileage throughout days upon days of running.

I would say that a good definition of a spiritual runner would be: one who meditates on the Word daily, prays without ceasing, seeks God's will and not their own, and spreads the gospel.

Often times we only see the word "endurance" in that passage and we automatically relate it to rough times, and we think that this endurance is automatically given to us.

Well I hate to tell ya, God didn't just fill you full of endurance powers, just like beginning runners can't run a full marathon. BUT God did give us all the tools we need to acquire endurance. So He says meditate on my Word, throw off the things that weigh you down, pray without ceasing, love me over everything else in your life.

I can guarantee that your spiritual stamina will increase ten-fold if you do those things. Talk about running with endurance. You may not even break a sweat. More importantly, you won't lose your lunch.

So I ask you again, are you a spiritual runner, and are you doing what is needed to run this race with endurance? If not, my best advice is to get up and....

Memories, Dr. Suess, and a Testimony

Merrium-Webster defines a memory as "the store of things learned and retained from someone's activity or experience". 

What is your fondest memory? (You're probably sitting here thinking "I have no idea"). 

Let me tell you mine. 

I can remember the day I found Jesus like it was yesterday. I was "saved" around ten years ago but I didn't come to know Jesus until July 25th, 2013. I was sitting in the auditorium of a high school in Cleveland, Ohio and I was actually there on a mission trip. I was currently at the worst point in my life because I had become a victim of my circumstances. 

It was called a Concert of Prayer and I was absolutely dreading it going in because my initial thought was "who wants to pray for an hour and a half?". Little did I know that the biggest turning point of my life would happen in that hour and a half.

One of the leaders stood up and said "Let go of everything that is weighing you down. Let go of your circumstances and the control over your life. Bring it all to the feet of Jesus". (now you're probably singing "Let It Go" from Frozen in your head which is totally okay).. It was in that moment that I felt tears streaming down my face. I was crying hysterically because it was like everything I had been carrying on my shoulders was gone. The pain was gone. I closed my eyes and gave my life to Christ in that moment. 

What a distinct feeling that was. 

Dr. Suess said, "You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory". 

I believe that we have as many memories as their are stars in the sky, but I would compare my fondest memory to something as unique as the moon that gives light in the darkness. Memories are gifts, but sometimes they are burdens. The ability of your brain to look back on a moment and make you feel as if it were happening now is nothing short of miraculous. 

Sure we all are going to have good memories and bad ones, but which one do you have more of? Are they memories of value and depth? Do they make you smile and wish it could happen all over again? I sure hope so. 

I wonder what life would be like without memories. 

So I ask you again, what is your fondest memory? 

April showers bring May flowers

It's always around this time of year that the phrase "April showers brings May flowers" is incredibly overused. 

Rain can be depressing when it happens for an entire month, but the great thing about rain is that once it's done, everything looks beautiful and refreshed. 

I've realized that our lives can be like the month of April. Sometimes it seems like it rains without stopping, and you begin to wonder if the rain will ever end. 

And then you see blooms that turn into blessings. All thanks to that rain. 

So whenever it seems like the rain in your life will never end, just remember that April showers bring May flowers. 

Do you believe in magic?

I can remember being a child and believing in magical things. Santa was real, I was going to be a princess when I grew up, and all those stories from the bible were absolutely believable. What I mean by believable is that I understood it as something that could happen everyday. Everything is so magical during childhood. 

Then you start growing up and everything gets hairy. Santa was your parents the whole time (total bummer), and you're wondering how you grew out of all your princess dress up clothes so fast. More importantly, you start to question everything that once seemed so believable. Did Jesus really feed 5000 people with a couple fish, and a few loaves of bread? Was Jonah really in the belly of a whale? 

And then life happens. You grow up, people break your heart, nothing seems to go right, and you're at "rock bottom". 

If you've ever seen a mustard seed, you know its the size of that little black speck that gets stuck on your tooth when you're eating. Pretty small. 

And Jesus said, "if you have faith the size of this mustard seed, you could look at that mountain and say 'move' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you". So you only need faith? 

The answer was, is, and forever will be YES. 

The beautiful thing about faith is that its magical. Thanks to faith, I am a child of the King, and doesn't that make me a princess? And who needs Santa when you have Jesus? With that faith, miracles really are everyday things. 

So my question for you today is, do you believe in magic? 

Have faith--Move mountains. 

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." ~Matthew 17:20

The Best is Yet to Come?

We are constantly bombarded with the comment "the best is yet to come" and we choose to believe that its true because it gives us security. We rely on the fact that we constantly work towards "the best" that has yet to come. Maybe we are missing "the best" because we are too busy trying to find it to stop and understand that maybe you are in the best moment of your life. 

I'll admit, being in college I often convince myself that one day all this work will pay off. And once it does, will that be the best? Or will the best come when I have children? Or is it when I buy my retirement home at the beach? Before you know it, I'm dying and wondering what the best part was. 

You see, I think that nothing on earth can be "the best" because life is but a vapor. The best that has yet to come will come when I am walking the streets of heaven. What can be better than that? 

So I will rely on the fact that the best is yet to come, but I will understand that it comes when I'm gone. And maybe every moment that life gets tough, I'll remind myself that the best is yet to come. 


Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ~ James 4:14