Wholly Surrender

Don't forget the reason for the season.

2008-12-22T22:58:00.004-05:00

" A child has been born to us; God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace."- Isaiah 9:6

I wish I could spend Christmas with each and every one of you. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year. A time of joyfulness and giving.

What if we treated every day like it was Christmas? When we are opening presents and drinking hot cocoa this Thursday may we not forget to celebrate the "real" reason for the season. The one who was BORN to DIE. Merry Merry CHRISTmas!! God Bless :)

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

2008-12-11T02:23:00.000-05:00

The last few months have been very trying and hard for me, but I have seen the Lord in more exciting ways than ever before. I was willing to step out of my comfort zone for the first time in a while and go back to my home town. The Lord has been putting this on my heart since I committed my life to Christ six years ago. It is always hard for me to come here, because my family members here are not believers and it is a very dark place full of a lot of bad memories for me. But with a lot of prayer God provided me with an opportunity to get out of my boat and walk on water. Some days have been horrible, but others have been full his miracles and mercy. I am leaving after Christmas and I can't wait to get out of here, but I wouldn't regret this trip for anything in the world. Our father in heaven wants us to be on an adventure and open our eyes to the endless possibilities he has for us. He wants us to spread his love to the ends of the earth, even if it is a little town in Louisiana or in a large city in Africa. It will be challenging at times, but in those moments you will experience a connection with the Lord beyond any other. I just want to encourage everyone with the new year approaching to embark on a new journey. Take the chance to trust in the Lord and step out of your comfort zone. God has big plans for you. Wake up and open your eyes to his great amazing plan!!!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."- Proverbs 3:5-6

Ben Gibbard

2008-11-30T02:05:00.000-05:00

Lost his glasses and A LOT of weight, and I am not liking it!!!!

Update

2008-10-14T15:58:00.004-04:00

-Back from California.

-Tons of homework to catch up on.

-Going to start reading Wide Awake by Erwin McManus.

-Going back to Louisiana/ Mississippi this Friday. (pray for me please)

-Will blog more soon.

California....

2008-09-23T20:40:00.003-04:00

here i come!!!! In less than 24 hours I will be returning to the great state of California. I can't wait to see all of my beautiful friends. Two weeks will definitely not be long enough. I have missed you all so much. Now, I must pack; I hate packing. See you all soon :)

His Beauty

2008-09-20T12:48:00.005-04:00

So lately I have been praying for God to reveal himself to me through nature. He has definitely delivered, and has been romancing me with his beautiful creation every day since. I know it's hard to tell by the picture( I am no photographer), but the sunsets he has placed in the sky the past few days have been absolutely incredible. I think for myself I sometimes get so busy that I forget to take the time to just sit and enjoy the Lord. His beauty really is all around us, in the clouds, the birds of the air, and the stars of the sky. Take time to enjoy his creation today, because it truly is indescribable.

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship."- Psalm 19:1

Twilight Series Update

2008-09-18T16:26:00.003-04:00

It took me a little longer to finish New Moon, because of all the homework I've had recently. This book didn't disappoint. I never thought I could be so into vampires. I can't want to start reading Eclipse. Stephanie Meyers I love you!!

His Word

2008-09-16T13:59:00.003-04:00

Thanks to The Boyd, I have been inspired to memorize a chapter in the bible. The Lord brought me to Colossians Ch. 3. I have been prayerfully engraving Paul's words in my heart. It has been a really cool experience so far. God is opening my eyes to the way I should be living my life as his servant. I love how you can read his word over and over, and always take away something new that he is wanting to teach you. I would totally encourage devoting some time to memorize scripture this week, whether it be a verse, a chapter, or even a whole book. I believe God can teach us so much about ourselves and our relationship with him through his word.

Do Not Love the World

2008-09-14T13:40:00.003-04:00

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.- 1 John 2:15-17

God calls us to no love the things of this world. I know it is a hard temptation to stray from the patterns of the world. Satan loves to use materialism and idolatry to drag us away from the father. We can't continue to let this happen. John says in this passage if anyone loves the world they don't love the father. See, when we start to love the things of this world like clothes, cars, money, tv, gossip magazines, etc, we start to push our love for the father away. If half of the christians I knew, including myself, spent as much time getting to know and love the father as they did on worldly things, the church would be different. We have to remember that the things of the flesh are only temporary and they will pas away. The kingdom of god is eternal. We must start to focus our attention and our time on the things that matter. This is my pray for all of us today.

To all my beautiful ladies...

2008-09-11T15:05:00.004-04:00

The Pearl

In every oyster there lies the ability

to produce something rare.

Truth like a grain of sand will produce

the pearl that is hidden there.

Young woman you are often mocked and scorned.

And told you never should have been born.

You want to run away, to hide your hurt.

Your heart is wounded, bleeding and torn.

God makes not mistakes

every life is special,

every life is planned.

Seeds can sprout in sand.

Open yourselves up to the Spirit of God

Grow in grace and maturity

Be what He wants you to be

Your beauty your strength lies deep within you.

Young woman, young girl,

Open yourselves up to God.

Allow Him to reveal your pearl.

-Sylivia Hannah

Live Courageously

2008-09-09T15:43:00.004-04:00

"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord God , my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."- 1 Chronicles 28:20

We have every reason to be courageous. The ultimate battle has already been won on the cross. I know we often find our courage tested by disappointments and tragedies that occur in our lives. The next time you find your courage being tested just remember God is near and he is your shield and your strength. Call upon him and he will be your comfort. Whatever your challenges may be, God can handle it.

"Courage is contagious." -Billy Graham

His Peace

2008-09-05T15:07:00.004-04:00

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4:6-7

I have always loved this verse and I wanted to share it with you today. God has made this promise so true in my life recently. The peace that Christ gives is truly more amazing than any peace a human could produce on their own. I love how he can calm our hearts and our minds from all the worries in the world. My prayer today would be that we could give all our anxious thoughts up to him and seek his peace. Don't let your fears and worries rob you of the joy that Jesus Christ wants to give you.

His plans for our lives are more incredible than we could ever imagine

2008-09-03T12:23:00.006-04:00

When I went to Kazakhstan three years ago I served in an orphanage, and when I left God began to stir in my heart a passion for orphans. Then, I went to Africa two summers later and felt that God had continued to give me that passion. I knew from then on that was what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to help the fatherless and show them the love of Christ. Though, recently in the past year, I haven't really been doing any work with orphans besides sponsoring a child through world vision. I have been yearning to go back to Africa and serve the orphans and the widows. I continued to pray that God would open doors for me to serve his children in Rwanda and other third world nations. Then, a week and half ago I went back to my hometown and visited old childhood friends and family I haven't seen in a while. None of them have ever had Christ in their lives and I wanted God to use me there and show his love to them. When I was there I witnessed their brokenness. They had never experienced the love of God. They have never had a relationship with our father. They were so lost. So they had resorted to other things to fill that void in their life. I realized that God had sent me on just the mission I was asking for. It wasn't Africa of course, but he had sent me to share his love with orphans. Spiritual orphans that have never accepted Christ in their lives. Children of God who were living for themselves and not for him. They were so desperate and lonely. I could feel the hurt just while being in their presence. I asked God to speak through me and be his hands and feet. The good news is one of my cousins accepted Christ in her heart while I was there, and a lot of my friends began asking questions and seeking to know more. It is definitely a start and I can't wait to go back and continue to see the work he will begin to do in their lives.

I wanted to share this story with you for one reason. I know a lot of times its hard to seek God's will for our lives and we think we know what that will is. We begin to get a passion deep down in our souls that God has given us and we in-vision a way to use that passion to serve him. Then, when things don't work out the way we hope or plan we begin to doubt that dream. Friends, I know God has given us our dreams and passions for a reason. I just think he uses us in different ways than we can ever imagine. Aren't his ways always better than ours anyways? My prayer is that we'd continue to trust him and not lose hope. God will use you...... let go and let god write the story of your life.

How often do you find the right person?

2008-09-02T02:34:00.005-04:00

I decided to give in and buy Once. After going out and renting it half a dozen times. I don't know why I bothered though, it's doing the same thing for me as the soundtrack would. I usually just watch the movie to hear the songs. Still I like the film just as much. I love how the two characters help each other to become stronger and face life's challenges. It's just one of those movies that puts you in a good mood after you watch it!

Twilight Series

2008-08-31T16:19:00.004-04:00

So I was recently on vacation and was looking for a good book to read for the plane ride home. I decided to buy the first book from the Stephanie Meyers series, Twilight. I had to see what all of the fuss was about. Trust me, I am not someone who reads books about vampires, but I couldn't put this book down. I read Twilight in two days and I just went out today to get the second book, New Moon. I am so excited to start reading it. I have become so obsessed with the love story between Edward and Bella. The anticipation of what happens next is killing me. I recently found out that the movie will be out this fall. If you are looking for a good book to captivate you then check this series out.

I can't wait to curl up in my room with my new book and find out what happens next!!!!

Agape Love

2008-08-26T14:22:00.004-04:00

The God of all creation could have stayed in Heaven and experienced no pain and suffering. He could have just watched us walk into hell. Instead, he came to the earth and died a painful death so that we could spend eternity with him. What other religion or God has done such a beautiful thing? Who else in your life has ever demonstrated such precious love for you? He didn't just say he loved us, but he showed us he loved us. He didn't care what we looked like or what sinful things we had done. He loves us and he always meets us right where we are. This is true love.

We can't rush God

2008-08-23T06:00:00.005-04:00

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.-Ecclesiastes 3:11

Why is it so hard to trust him? I read this verse today and I pondered that question. Trusting him is something I struggle with on a daily basis. God has recently revealed to me my impatience. I sometimes forget how small I am and how big God is. I am so inferior to the Creator of heaven and earth. I know I don't have the answers. Only He can see the big picture that I can't.

My prayer is that he would give us all the peace Paul talks about in Philippians. That peace that transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds. We can't let satan fill our thoughts with worry and fear about the future.

God continues to remind me that the circumstances in which I have waited on him the most in my life are the times that I have been made more faithful.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.- Psalm 27:14

Jesus, thank you for doing things in your time rather than my own. Give me a peace about my future and continue to make me faithful in my waiting.

My latest read

2008-08-21T06:57:00.003-04:00

The Shack by William P. Young!!! I absolutely loved this book. It provides a great view of God and the trinity. It will leave you wanting to know God more. I would totally recommend it.

Never Lose Hope

2008-08-21T00:36:00.002-04:00

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:23

As a follower of Christ you have every reason to be hopeful, and you have every reason to share your hope with others. Turn your thoughts and prayers over to the Lord. God's promises are true. He has no record of failures.

Today I encourage us all to look for reasons to celebrate God's endless blessings.

California I Miss You!!

2008-08-21T00:28:00.003-04:00

I just want all of my friends from the OC to know I miss you dearly. It has only been three months since I moved away, but it seems like so much longer. I can not wait to come visit sometime before the year ends. Florida is such a different place. I am enjoying my time here though. God is definitely teaching me a lot and challenging me in many new ways. It gets lonely from time to time ,but I am always reminded of his security and comfort. I am way out of my comfort zone here, but God is so good!

Stay in touch with me, and I will let you know when my visit will be. I hope all is well there.