Thinking on Him...

Do you ever just sit and think sometimes? You know, just really get lost in thought? Sometimes it amazes me how much God really reveals in thinking. I think one thing and the next thing I know, God has carried me on a thought adventure that is nothing short of riveting and breathtaking.

My "New year's resolution" this year, or really my promise to God and myself this year, was that I would try to be more intentional about living in the moment. Taking each breath, each second, each blink of an eye and making the most of it. Just really being present and not thinking about the next thing on the agenda. Making much of Jesus with every chance that I get. It is such a mystery and an amazing complexity to me how while so much can be going on in my life in just one instant, even more is going on in another's life and another and another. God is SO busy and He never gets tired or weary. Imagine that! I can't even comprehend what that would be like!

A favorite line from a Meredith Andrews song says this:

The thought of You is baffling, my mind can’t wrap around You
This human cup cannot contain Heaven’s glory flood

God is so endless and matchless that our human minds cannot contain Him. He is the mighty and living and sovereign GOD! Can I get an amen?!

So here's my advice, from me to you... Find a thinking place. One place that you can go that frees your mind to just think and let God lead your thoughts. I assure you that it will be one of the best things you have ever done for yourself and your relationship with God. It's just a time for you commune with God and say absolutely nothing. Sometimes we Christians get so caught up in talking at/to God that we forget to be still and listen.

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Have you seen YOUR need?

Can I let you in on a little secret? Are you sure? It's a pretty big one! Well okay... if you insist... No one person is perfect or sinless except for Jesus. That's right, I said it. I am a sinner and I am far from perfect, and you, my friend, are in that same boat with me. No matter how many times we give our hearts baths in the Word of God, at the end of the day we are still sinners. The key thing about this is how we respond to this fact. We must respond by recognizing the reality that we are sinners and we need a savior. That savior is Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. There is this song that I love called I'd Need a Savior by Among the Thirsty. It goes like this:

How many names
Can I use to explain
The love of my Jesus
The life that He gave
And so many times
Will I praise You today
I lift up my life
Cause You're always the same
And my offering
To you I bring

Your name is Jesus
Your name is Jesus
You're the wonderful, counselor, my friend
You're what I hold on to
I know that You brought me through
All the days of loss and to the cross, You knew
That I'd need a Savior

How many songs
Can I sing to proclaim
Your wondrous love
Oh and beauty so great
Oh and, What would I say
If You brought down the rain
And everyday I walked through the pain
My heart would still say…

Your name is Jesus
Your name is Jesus
You're the wonderful, counselor, my friend
You're what I hold on to
I know that You brought me through
All the days of loss and to the cross, You knew
That I'd need a Savior

All the days of loss, and to the cross You knew,
That I'd Need a Savior
Well, I'd need a Savior
You're what I hold onto
I know that You brought me through
All the days of loss and to the cross You knew,
That I'd need a Savior
I'd need a Savior,
I need You Savior.



This song reminds us that we need a savior but in Jesus we have hope!! I am so thankful for the truth of John 3:16 and how it impacts my life everyday! I pray that as you read His Word you see your need for Jesus, the Savior! Let Him in and let Him rule in your heart!


Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me."

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be you thankful.

Showers of Blessings...

This summer I am a Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader, SOUL for short, here at Appalachian State. And might I say, I love it!! Yesterday was Day One of our first freshman orientation session and it was so, so great! I feel super blessed to be a part of such a great team of SOULs and an extraordinary program that Appalachian has in place for new students. What a way to extend a welcome and a helping hand! I am sitting here typing this on Day Two of orientation knowing that I get to do this over and over again... and I'm super stoked :)

You should also know that it is currently raining :) So I feel showers of blessings, indeed!!

Between my RA job, which is arguably one of the greatest experiences in my life thus far, and my current position as a SOUL, I feel so blessed. I know I keep saying that, but I really do. In these positions, God is allowing me to serve Him by catering to the needs of others and being that "go to" person for them. And I pray with all my heart that I am making much of Him in all that I do, both in these positions of leadership and in my everyday life. God calls us each to serve Him in different ways, different positions, and in different places. While I may have thought I wanted to be in a Christian camp counselor position this summer, God had something else in mind. And this "something else" that He had in mind, my SOUL position, has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of. I say all of this to tell you this: God knows what He is doing and He has our best interests in mind ALWAYS. Always, always, always. He is faithful and while we may not always understand why He wants us one place verses another, if we are faithful and follow where He leads, He will reveal to us exactly why He has us where we are. We must be patient and wait on His perfect timing. My God will show up!!

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Deuteronomy 7:9
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Is your laundry washed white?

So, one of my very best friends and I were talking last night and came to a conclusion. And in my opinion, it's a pretty neat one :) We were talking about sharing our faith and encouraging the people within our circles of influence, specifically different ways to relate to them. God uses the experiences that we have and our pasts to encourage others in their walk with Christ! I called our pasts our "laundry"; it can be clean or dirty, and sometimes a little bit of both. God calls us to use ALL of the testimony that He has given us! So whether your laundry is clean or dirty, let God use it to bring glory to Himself! And remember, God has washed all of our laundry white by the blood of His only son, Jesus! In this alone can we boast and place our confidence!


Isaiah 1:16-18
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Letting Him lead me forward...

So, I learned something big about myself today. First you should know, I love to take long strolls down memory lane. And I mean long strolls, LONG. I think that's why I'm such an emotional gal. Call me crazy, but memories that pop into my head are constant reminders of how blessed I really am... yes, even the not so wonderful ones :) I have learned by the grace of my God that each and every happening in my life has made me who I am... and I feel SUPER blessed by His grace and mercy. Praise the Lord that I am now new in Him and that He can use my experiences to help me minister to others.

Back to what I learned. I learned that while it is nice and wonderful to remember memories... I also cannot let them be a hindrance in my life in the present moment. So basically, while I have to stay true to what I have learned and experienced, sometimes things have to be set aside so that new beginnings can take place and exceed any expectation I may have. I simply have to look forward and let God lead.

I do not know what God has in store for even tomorrow but I know that we must be open to whatever He has and be willing to be obedient and follow wherever He leads us.

I know that I can rest in this:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

And...

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Planting and Sowing Seeds...

So yesterday I did something really special, something that really made me think. I helped my mommy plant a garden. This was no tiny garden mind you; it is fifty plants plus seeds! While it was a lot of hard work and pretty tiring, it was such a blessings when it was totally finished. Sometimes this is the way our Christian life is. Sowing spiritual seeds is hard work and can even get pretty tiring but we will see the fruits of our labors when we get to Heaven!!

James 5:7-8
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

God Bless!

Let Him use it...

So I'm on a lyrics kick right now... And I'm gonna let this song speak for itself for the most part. As you read, ask yourself, are you letting God use everything in your life? Even the smallest of things?

I lost my keys
In the great unknown
And call me please
'Cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately.
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've got to trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I might choose
But this is the stuff you use

45 in a 35
Sirens and fines
While I'm running behind

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I might choose but this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.
This is the stuff
Someone save me
In the middle of little my mess
I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin
And I've gotta trust you know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose but this is the stuff You use

This is the stuff You use

Are you on your knees?

So my friends, I finally made it back to one of my favorite places yesterday- First Baptist Church of Whitsett. Seriously, they are like family there. And I mean the real family that picks you up when you're down, calls you out in love when it's necessary, and just loves on you with the love of the Lord. Oh,how soon we forget how blessed we are. I am blessed beyond measure for sure.

I have some more lyrics for you all. This song is called On My Knees and it demonstrates a life lesson that Charles Stanley always notes: We stand tallest and strongest on our knees. Stanley even says, "Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time."

There are days,
When I feel the best of me
Is ready to begin
Then they're days,
When I feel I'm letting go,
And soaring on the wind
But I've learned in laughter or in pain,
How to survive

I get on my knees
I get on my knees
there I am
Before the Love that changes me
See, I don't know how,
But there's power
when I’m on my knees

I can be in a crowd,
or by myself, or almost anywhere,
when I feel there's a need
to talk with God, He is Emmanuel,
when I close my eyes,
no darkness there,
there's only light

When I get on my knees
When I get on my knees
there I am before the Love that changes me
see I don't know how, but there's power
in the blue sky
I don't know how but there's power
and in the midnight
and I don't know how but there's power
when I’m on my knees
I get on my knees
I get on my knees
and there I am before the Love that changes me
I don't know how, but there's power
I don't know how but God gives me power
I don't know how but there's power
When I'm on my knees


In the book of Daniel, Daniel refuses to change his commitment to God in order to protect himself from his enemies. Though it had been named a crime to pray to anyone but Darius, Daniel went to his home and he prayed. Here's the catch. Daniel didn't go pray in a closet or an inside room of his home; he prayed right by his window where his enemies were sure to see him! Daniel chose faithfulness and he chose to pray, leaving the consequences to God! Now this does not mean we should go broadcasting ourselves when we are praying. Our spiritual life is defined by who we are before God when no one else is around. This is saying to stay faithful no matter what and be committed!

So choose faithfulness when faithlessness seems easier! And get on your knees and pray!

GOD bless you!

Are you in His arms?

I hope ya'll like lyrics... because they absolutely fascinate me. You know how songs just get stuck in your head and no matter how hard you try, you just can't get them unstuck?

This is a Meredith Andrews favorite of mine called In Your Arms. And it continually gets stuck in my old noggin :)

I’m turning the world off
Embracing the silence
Walking away from all the voices
That are screaming in my ear

I've been too caught up
I've been so stressed out
All of the noise replaced the whisper
That used to be so clear

So I close every door
Put my face back on the floor

And I'm in Your arms
Where I belong
There's no other place for me
Than right where You are
Some things just don't change
When I call Your name
You never hesitate to wrap me in endless grace
When I'm in Your arms

I’m letting my fears go
Giving You control
For You are the one who holds me closer
In my soul's darkest night

Everything I see
Is so temporary
So help me to run the race before me
With eternity in sight

Now I close every door
Put my face back on the floor

And I'm in Your arms
Where I belong
There's no other place for me
Than right where You are
Some things just don't change
When I call Your name
You never hesitate to wrap me in endless grace
When I'm in Your arms

To sit at Your feet
At Your table of mercy
To gaze on Your beauty, my Lord
To drink from Your well
And be changed by Your glory
How could I ask for more
Jesus, how could I ask for more

And I'm in Your arms
Where I belong
There's no other place for me
Than right where You are
Some things just don't change
When I call Your name
You never hesitate to wrap me in endless grace
When I'm in Your arms



When this world seems to be spinning in circles with no sign of stopping, when it seems like there is no end in sight to the work and stress, when you feel all alone in this world, REMEMBER there is one place that you belong- In the arms of the Living God. There is one place that you can call home- His presence.

My friend, are you in His arms?


Let this song encourage you as we set out to celebrate Resurrection Sunday! Remember what it is all about- NOT bunnies but the LAMB! Jesus, the sacrificial lamb and the atonement of our sins!

Have a blessed week as you stay in the arms of Christ!

Mercies in disguise...

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise


The lyrics that you just viewed go with a song that is very near and dear to my heart. It is called Blessings by Laura Story and every time I listen to it, my heart is encouraged. So I encourage you... look it up on iTunes or Youtube, or whatever you prefer, but listen to it. Let God use it in your life.

I want to tell you a little about one of the truths in this song. Many times we don't know why God is having us do or go through something. Sometimes we go through things that aren't so easy and we wonder why.

My dear friends, do not ever forget this:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

God is teaching me so much right now about trust. It sounds silly but I have to trust that He will teach me how to trust Him more. We have to trust that whatever situation we are in, God has a plan and His plan will prevail. What a comfort to know that we are in the hands of the sovereign God. The only One.

So let this encourage your heart... God is working for your good and blessings come in many forms! So don't forget to give thanks to HIM! HE is SO worthy!

May GOD bless you and draw you nearer to Himself!

Don't underestimate... Nothing is impossible...

There are just some things that never cease to amaze me. One of them being the talents that God gives. Tonight, two of my lovely residents showed me this video of an 11 year old boy. He was preaching the Word of God!! You could just see God moving his lips and giving him the words of truth to say! Never underestimate the power of the Living God.

Just like when Mary was told by the angel that Elizabeth was also with child:

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Let those words of truth encourage you as you go through your week! We serve a mighty God! Nothing is too big or too hard for Him!

Matthew 11:30
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.


Blessings!!

A little bit of this and a little of that...

So Thursday night I attended and sang at the Stadium Heights Soundcheck. It simply amazes me the talents that are all around me, and I didn't even know it. The performances ranged from clogging and poetry to a violinist, singers, and the New River Boys! God gives us such diverse and varied talents! Challenge: Use the gifts that GOD has given you for HIS glory! Singing, writing, speaking, tying fancy knots, holding your breath underwater, and blowing bubbles... do it all for the glory of the One who died on the cross for y-o-u!

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.


On Friday, I got to spend time with some of my AMAZING friends! If you have not seen the movie Ramona and Beezus, you should! That little girl knows what it means to live like there is no tomorrow even possible! If only we would live each day like it is our very last. What would you do if you knew that your last today was the present day? Would you do things different? Maybe share your faith more? Give all of your possessions to the poor? Make a rotten relationship right? Why not today my dear friend?? Recklessly abandon yourself to a life totally dependent on JESUS!

1 Thessalonians 5:2
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.


Skip Saturday... Boo to homework all day long :(


Let's get to today! I seriously love going to church. No really. I do. But instead of giving you the whole story today. I'm gonna save it so I can have more time to chew on it :) For now, consider this:

"Your worship will never be any higher than your depth of the Scripture."- Mr. Roger Critcher

"The bedrock of Christianity is repentance."- Oswald Chambers


Have a great week my dear friends!
<3


and remember...

Deuteronomy 31:8
And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.

Through the eyes of a child...

For those of you who know me well, you know that I use the word precious a lot. :) This is one case where no other word will suffice. I work at the Appalachian State University Child Development Center in the three year old classroom. Today I heard a story from the two year old classroom about a little girl named Rachel. Little Rachel attends a church here in Boone with her family every Sunday. My boss, Ms. Peggy, was talking to her recently about what she has been learning in her Sunday school class. Rachel replied, "Well Jesus loves me... and He died on the cross..." Mind you, she is 2! Ms. Peggy then asked Rachel," Did He stay there?" Rachel replied, "Oh no! He rose and rose and rose!" Oh that we would have the faith like a child! This is not the only time that little Rachel has spoken of God at our center. In fact, she has quoted Matthew 19:14...Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me...for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Little Rachel, as young as she is, is a witness to the college students that help in her class and all the other people she comes in contact with. What would happen if we shared Jesus like she does? This world would be a totally different place!

Matthew 18:3
Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

There are two things that I think of that come easily to children and not to adults: simplicity and humility.

I think of simplicity in that children accept everything that you tell them. "Never talk to strangers. Use your manners. Look both ways before you cross the street." This is what our trust in God should be like. If He tells us something like "love your neighbor as yourself,", we should be quick and eager to obey. Do not be mistaken; this is not intellectual simplicity. This is simplicity in the sense of obedience.

I think of humility in that children don't make a fuss of themselves. Without much thinking about it, children demonstrate the willingness to accept oneself as being of little account.

Matthew 18:4
Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

So let us always stand amazed and live through the eyes of a child: standing in awe of our Savior!

How intricate the details...

Hello there my friends!

I heard about this story on K-Love that I would love to share! It made my heart melt and of course, being the softy that I am, I cried. Paraphrasing: There was this little girl whose family was on the mission field. Naturally, she joined them and went to, I believe it was, a Middle Eastern country. Her and her family were out witnessing one day when she met another young girl. If I am not mistaken, I think they were close to the same age. The little girl from this Middle Eastern country had not had much contact with Americans but told them that she had to show them something from a previous encounter that she had. She went back into her home and brought out a shoebox, from an Operation Christmas Child mission. Here's the mind-boggling part: the shoebox that this little girl held in her tiny hands was the box that this young American girl had fixed and sent through Samaritan's Purse. Can I get an amen?! What are the chances? God sure does work in mysterious ways, so intricately weaving each of our lives with other people's for His glory! Only He could orchestrate something like this!

We serve a God who cares about the little things and the specific details! It truly baffles me how much God has put together for just my life, let alone everyone else out there! Let the workings of our great God take you back and humble you this week! They show how much He loves us! Oh How HE loves!

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Dare to be different...

So...CONFESSION. Middle school was full of interesting and embarrassing infatuations for me. We all know that middle school was awkward and I was the epitome of it. I say all this to tell you... I loved ducks. Not just loved, I was borderline obsessed. I had a duck lamp, pillow, countless stuffed animals, purses, t-shirts, need I say more? (I told you middle school was embarrassing!) Needless to say, if something had a duck on it, I had to have it. It's so funny to me now, but it was serious business then. One time I was in Michael's, as I often am, and I was flipping through their newest selection of print posters. Lo and behold, what catches my eye? You got it, A DUCK. Mind you, this was no ordinary "quacker". This little guy was different. He was an adorable yellow duckling with fire engine red Converse tennies on. Pause for just a second and picture that. If that doesn't make you fall out of your chair laughing, I want you to check your pulse! I am giggling while typing this just thinking about it! Haha. I have a point... PROMISE! This duck wanted to wear shoes... he wanted to be different!

God calls us to be different. In His Word, He differentiates between the broad way and the narrow, the tare and the wheat, the goat and the sheep. As Christians, God calls each of us to be holy unto the Lord. Holy means set apart and sanctified unto God. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we are called His own special people. We are purchased and possessed by HIM! Believe me, there is nothing special about looking like everyone else. The world is not your friend! Are you willing to stand out like a sore thumb in order to bring glory to God? I challenge you: Dare to be different and stand for Christ!

We have to allow God to reorient our thinking from a life of selfishness to a life of service. Serve HIM, Stand for HIM, and Live behind the power of HIS cross!


Psalm 1:1-2
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Just a taste...

I cannot tell you how much I adore my college leaders. Mr. Roger and Ms. Denise are just about the most precious souls I have ever been blessed enough to come in contact with. They are constantly an encouragement to my heart and they both have such sweet spirits. I just want to take a minute to share a few things that Mr. Roger told the college class this morning. (To fill you in, our class has been going through Ephesians and today we focused on chapter five.)

"Love is not a feeling to be felt, but an action to be learned."

"Love is not selfish, but it is sacrificial."

"Love is not about self but selflessness."

"Man's love will always fail because it's what can I get from you. God's love never fails because it's what can I DO for you."

So there's just a taste for ya! Enjoy fellow bloggers!

Number our days, making most of our time...

Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.


Life is so short. And getter shorter it seems. I turned twenty years old this past November and life is running full speed ahead into my future! Let me stop to catch my breath...(sigh)... God has been showing me so much about redeeming my time for His glory lately. He is also showing me to do all things in His name- and I mean ALL. Anything- holding open a door, sharing a smile, or snapping buttons. You saw right. SNAPPING BUTTONS. On Friday, I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Samaritan's Purse here in Boone. While I was there, I helped with a mail order in which I snapped clasps together for name tags. However trivial or small this task may seem, God is using it for His glory. Those name tags are going to individuals from Alaska to New Mexico to right here in beautiful North Carolina. These individuals are helping to keep Samaritan's Purse and its mission efforts alive. Thus, my time snapping buttons on name tags has the potential to be part of someone coming to Christ, bringing one more lost sheep into the fold. And that, my dear friend, is what it is all about. Life that is; seeing people come to faith in Christ is what it is all about. So here's my challenge to you: Don't take one single day or minute for granted; serve Christ in all you do!

"This life soon will be past, only what is done for Christ will last."
-Jim Elliot