Freedom Isn't Free

I know I haven't posted a blog in forever, but I felt like today would be the opportune time to do so since it is ELECTION DAY!  Now, honestly I have been avoiding posting anything regarding this subject because I do not feel that everyone needs to know my view on politics.  However, there are some things regarding this issue that cannot be ignored.  Before you read any further, I promise you right now that I will not tell you who I voted for, I will note tell you who to vote for, and I will not make you feel bad for who you voted for.  These are just my honest opinions and feelings based on today's VERY historical and important events.

Today, for me, marks the first time that I am voting in a major election.  Growing up, it was always taught to me that when you turn 18, you vote.  Period.  End of story.  I never really understood why may family always emphasized how important it was to vote because it seemed like a no-brainer to me.  Why wouldn't you vote?!  But honestly, since I turned 18 (I'm now 20) I have found that it is way too easy NOT to vote.  I cannot tell you how many people I have seen just handing over their right to vote for many different reasons.  Here are some of the reasons that I have seen:

1. "I don't care about the candidate."
2. "I don't have time."
3. "Both candidates are horrible and I don't agree with either."
4. Etc, etc, etc....blah, blah, blah....

Let me ask you this.  Do soldiers on the front line who fight for your freedoms, who fight for your right to vote say, "I don't feel like fighting today,"  "I don't have time to fight for my country's freedoms today,"  "There are some Americans that I just don't like so I'm just not going to fight for them today."  NO THEY DON'T.  

To be honest people, I really couldn't care less which candidate you choose and I really didn't want to vote myself because I personally don't like either of the candidates.  However, it is my duty as an American citizen to exercise this RIGHT, this FREEDOM.  My family hasn't fought for this country for me to sit in my house watching Boy Meets World or TLC instead of standing in line for a tiny amount of time or even mailing in an absentee ballot.  They fought and still fight every day and put their lives on the line for me and my freedoms and rights.  Friends, family, and readers....don't let these men and women die in vain.  We are blessed to live in a nation where we DO have the choice over who leads us.  Why waste it?  Why?  EVERY vote counts!

Enough of that....

In other thoughts, why do I not care who you vote for?  It's simple!

1.  It's none of my business.  That is your personal decision.  You have your reasons and I have mine.
2. MY GOD STILL REIGNS.

 I used to be one of those people who used to say "If so and so wins this election, I'm moving to *insert foreign country here*"  But you know what?  What does it matter if our God is still in control?  Our country may go to ruin regardless of who gets elected, but our Heavenly Father has the whole world in His hands, and YES THAT INCLUDES THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!  He tells us many times in scripture that we are to trust in Him and NOT in man!  Should we be concerned over who is leading this country?  ABSOLUTELY!  Should we be depressed or worry ourselves to death if our idea of the "right" candidate does not get elected or reelected?  NO.  

"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
                     Job 42:2

God has it all in control and His purpose remains regardless of our own.  God has His plans and no matter what we do or who we vote fore, He will reign.  

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

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

He is going to take care of us people.  Vote for your candidate because you have that right.  Freedom isn't free.  And after you vote, let it go.  Stop worrying.  Run to Him because He will take care of us no matter who lives in the White House.  "He's got the whole world in His hands."

 

Wake Up Call

Wow!  So it has been forever since I have last blogged.  I am really sorry about that for all of you that read what I write.  It has been such a crazy summer and this was something that I just let slip away.  No need to fret though, I'm back and blogging!  I will warn you guys though, make yourself comfortable because you're in for a long one today!  I really do encourage you to and hope that you do read this one in its entirety though, so much on my heart that I just feel compelled to share.

AND GO!

A few days ago God really started doing some amazing things in my life/heart.  Throughout the summer I have strayed away from my daily devotions and a good bit of my accountability and I definitely felt it.  Now I just wonder exactly why did I let that happen?!

I feel like there are many times in a person's walk with Christ that we hit a type of rock bottom and that as our relationship continues to grow and flourish they become far and few between until there is the complete and utter surrender that we all long for as His children.  I would, at this point, consider myself towards the beginning of my walk with Him as I only recently (relatively, that is) grasped what it means to be in a relationship with Him and I'm just a wee baby of 20 so I have so much more growing to do.  However, I do feel as if I am growing fast and I really can't express how much joy and excitement that brings me.

Well this past week I would say that I hit a "rock bottom."  What with Zack moving away and not working much at all, I've had a ton of extra time on my hands.  Most of this time was spent completely horribly...watching TV, scrolling around on the internet (Pinterest/Facebook/Twitter), aka WASTING TIME!  Here is where the conviction came.  Why was I sitting here being miserable when I didn't have to be alone at all?  I could be spending hour after hour with my Father but instead I'm sitting here putting myself in the loneliest place I could be...out of His presence.

Ouch!  That one hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was excluding myself from time I had wished for many times before... time with my Father that I just didn't seem to have during the past semester.  However, I was in a rut and I was lazily hopeless thinking that I just couldn't get out of this rut.  It is far easier to sit there and feel sorry for yourself and all of the things that are going wrong in life than to take the one important thing, the only thing that matters, and grow in it.  That would be Father's unconditional love and unending faithfulness.

Man, had Satan done a number on me this summer, and the worst part is that I just sat there and let it happen!  But how many times do we do that?  How many times do we get "comfortable" and get into the habit of life?  How many times do we say, "He has always been there, I will spend time with Him later," and we never do.  Or how about, "  I know He will forgive me so it will be okay to lie or be lazy or neglect my relationship with Him altogether."  Here is the answer:  FAR TOO OFTEN.  This was my wake up call.

This summer has been all about working, making money, having fun with friends, and spending time with Zack before he moved to Jackson.  So who has time for the "God thing," right?  I mean a daily devotional EVERY day...in the summer?  Oh how wrong we are.  Money has been really tight for me lately and has caused a fair amount of stress.  I found myself bending over backwards and making my own plans in order that I could provide for myself well enough to be comfortable and make it through.  Did it work? Yes.  Could it have been better?  Absolutely!

So during my much needed time alone this past week, God has really opened my eyes to my own stupidity...things I needed to see.  I stepped back and I thought about things and realized that all of my thoughts began with..."I'm scared that," "I'm worried that," etc.  Instead of casting my fears and burdens on the Lord I was putting them all on my shoulders.  It's like going to the grocery store and you fill up the entire shopping cart (I mean, packed!)  and when someone (representing God)  says, "Let me help you and take care of that,"  you say, "Nope, my way is better.  I can handle it."  You're left getting all of those groceries by yourself.  Talk about some added stress!  You know good and well you can't handle that, and if you can, you're a hot mess when you are done!  Why push Him away?  Why worry?  He has it under control FAR better than you do!  Stop worrying how you're going to get through this or that and trust that His good and perfect will for your life will work out!  He has your back, He has it all under control, even if you don't!

So with this epiphany (one that frequents me...being a control freak and all...), I let go.  I cast it all away and embraced it.   One day at a time.  Let me tell you though, when you stop hogging the spotlight and let Dad show out...He SHOWS OUT and puts your now obviously pathetic attempts to control your life to serious shame.

Right after I decided to let go and get back on track with what I desired my walk to look life, He did it! He took control and took my breath away.  Someone offered to buy one of my paintings for a hefty sum.  How much?  Just enough to cover all of my textbooks and my groceries for a month.  He didn't stop there.  Within a few hours I had 2 babysitting opportunities lined up and got really busy at the photography studio.  And I felt in my heart my Jesus say to me, "I told you I could handle it.  I told you I would take care of you.  I told you every thing would be okay. All you had to do was let me back in."

While I"m still facing my own challenges, like we all will, I face them with no fear, no worry, but with confidence and hope.

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock,

in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Psalm 18:2

Things may not go how you planned them to go.  Things may change...they will change.  Times will be tough, but our God never changes or fades away.  He has you in that comforting and loving embrace.  He is reaching out His hand to you...take it.  Run towards Him with reckless abandon.  He will not let you fall.

He knows your name.  He knows your every thought.  He sees each tear that falls and He hears you when you call.  You don't have to do this on your own.  Its not worth it.  Give it all to Him.  You'll be amazed at what he has planned and in store for you.  All you have to do is trust Him.

Your Hands

Here I am at home for a little while catching up with my family; a little vacation from Oxford.  Not a vacation from blogging!  Its so nice to be able to come home and unwind a little bit, get away.  On my way home, I was listening to a variety of music.  (Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, David Crowder, etc.)  Then I got to this song.  Your Hands - JJ Heller.  I have loved this song ever since I heard it a few years ago, but its funny how some songs come back and they really hit you when you need them most!  Enjoy!  


I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave you
When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave
I never leave your hands


There are so many things about this song that just really hit home for me.  It all starts with the first verse, of course.  Don't we all have things that we don't want to deal with.  Things that are inconvenient or painful' unwanted situations.  We ask over and over for God to take the pain away.  Just to make everything "sunshine and roses."  God never promised us the way would be easy.  As a matter of fact, He promised the road would be rough.  And here is where His amazing faithfulness and grace comes in...it may not be easy or fun, but it will be so worth it.  Follow Him.


When the road is long and the mountains are steep, and when we feel like everything is falling apart, He never moves.  He is unchanging.  "When my world is shaking, heaven stands."  Have faith and believe in His goodness and that His plans for you will be far greater than your own.  Like the song says, "One day you will set all things right."  He will.  We may not see it now, but following Him and trusting in His will will lead us to exactly where He wants us to be.  No matter how lonely we feel or how far we think He may be, we never leave His loving embrace.  He never lets go.  Just hold on.  

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice."  Philippians 4:4


"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12


"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9 

Giver of Peace

So school is ending and I have way more time to blog and interestingly enough with less to do I have more to say!  Funny how things work!  Well here is what is currently on my heart for sharing...


Yesterday was an extremely difficult day for me, it took me hours to get out of bed and I honestly did practically nothing for the entire day.  I needed that day, just to let all my thoughts, feelings, and emotions out.  Sometimes its okay to do that.  One of my favorite books, The Shack, puts it this way:  "Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears.  They can be healing waters and streams of joy.  Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak."

I have been praying constantly for direction, guidance, answers, and most importantly peace in where He is currently leading me.  Let me tell you guys something, GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.  He says in John 15:7 "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."  My prayers are continually being answered and its such a beautiful things to see God's work going on in my life.

My main point is give it all to him.  Surrender it all.  Trust that He will do what He said He would.  Know that He will never lead you down the wrong path or let you fall. He has you in His loving embrace and with His will comes peace.  Here are a few of the things God has shown me in His word recently.

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."  Romans 8:26-27

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."  1 Peter 5:10

"So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:16-18  

Surrender

These past few days have been full of laughter and tears, but most of all full of incredible spiritual growth.  Its hard for me to keep it to myself because I know that when I'm faced with struggles its always helpful to hear of other people coping with theirs and making it.  And I believe that Christ uses our struggles for His glory.  Here it goes...


A life built on a relationship with Christ is one that is very sacrificial.  Now I'm not saying that if you're a believer you will automatically have to give up absolutely everything.  But as the Lord gives, He also takes away.  In Luke 9:23 He says, "If any man should come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."  Sometimes when we deny ourselves, that means denying ourselves of things we want.  Hard lesson to learn, but I think it is one that all of us will eventually face.


One of the things that most believers struggle with is completely letting go and literally giving it all to Him.  That means putting your ENTIRE life in His hands.  Its not an easy thing to do, especially when His plan doesn't really line up with your own.  But His plan always overcomes and will always be the best.  Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Maybe we should take the time to step back and realize that our plans aren't for our own good.  I mean wouldn't it make sense that the creator of the whole universe, the creator that knows exactly how many hairs are on your head and knows how many breaths you will take, wouldn't it make sense that He knows exactly what we need? Answer? ABSOLUTELY!  How great is our God?  I means seriously?!


Now this by no means makes it any easier, especially when He calls you to give up something that means so much to you.  Not going to lie, it for lack of a better term sucks.  But in this struggle God brings peace, sometimes not immediately, but He brings peace.  This lesson is not a lesson that is easy for me to learn, but the closeness that has strengthened between my God and myself this past weekend is so beautiful.  And how wonderful it is to know that it will only grow stronger and more beautiful!  Through times like this, it is so important to surround yourself with those who can build you up and lead you in His word and then surround yourself with His word and His truth.


"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."  Romans 8:18.  WOW!  Such an eye opening verse.  No matter how much I am suffering now, no matter how rough the pain gets, the glory He reveals in the end, the unravelling of His plan for my life will be so worth it.  I must, we all must, trust in the faithfulness of Christ because He will never lead us to harm or destruction.  He has such a good and beautiful purpose for each and every one of us!  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28.  


My struggles and my pain are so small compared to the wonder and beauty that He has in store for me.  Let us worship him through EVERYTHING, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  


"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:7-10


All I think I am trying to say is don't ignore God.  Follow Him. Simply follow Him.  No matter how difficult it may be, your joy will be far greater when you follow Him and deny yourself DAILY than if you try to do this your way.  You will be surprised where He takes you.  Follow Him and trust in His amazing love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness.


My song of encouragement right now:


He Said (Click Here to Listen)

Give it a listen :)

So Far So Good!

So last time I posted I had just found out that I have a gluten intolerance or whatever you want to call it.  Long story short, I am now living a gluten-free life!  Call me crazy, but its proving to have many upsides! (Or maybe I've just refused to stop looking at the negatives!)


Its hard to believe that its only been a week because it has been a super long week at that!  Every day has greeted me with new challenges, most of them being "well what do I eat now?"  So I decided I would take you along on my little journey, at least for today!  Throughout this transition there has been a whole lot of trial and error and admittedly a good many tears of frustration, but with the support I'm getting from friends and family, it has been such a blessed transition in my life.


Well the first few days were truly the hardest, but that is exactly what I expected.  However, I think I'm really getting the hang of it!  Here are a few of the things I have come up with! Enjoy!


Chicken, Rice, and Veggies
This meal has been a frequent one.  Its just baked chicken, brown rice, corn, sweet peas, and a little salt and pepper!  Not too bad!  Part of the diet is that I can eat mainly fresh meats, so that means no more frozen chicken nuggets, and for those of you who don't know, I eat those A LOT!  The great thing about this meal is that I can mix in different vegetables and experiment with flavors that way!  Its also very colorful, and who doesn't like a colorful lunch/dinner?!












Omelettes
This has also become a staple food in my diet.  This omelette was from last week and had chicken, cheese, and corn!  I've never really been much for eggs, but I'm actually starting to like them and they are a great source of protein!  Great thing about eggs is that you can also play around with this meal and have it so many different ways!  Last night I had some gluten-free toast, and orange, and a plain cheese omelette.  It was absolutely delicious and a glass of chocolate soymilk was the icing on the cake!  (Figuratively of course!)








Fresh Fruits
So thankfully I have such a sweet boyfriend who took the time to cut a fresh pineapple for me the other night!  I love pineapple and decided I wanted a REAL one!  Zack wasn't so trusting when it came to me and a sharp knife, but I was glad to have this task so graciously done for me. :)  Fresh fruit has become an every day thing for me and I absolutely LOVE it!  Bananas, pineapples, and oranges are so yummy and they're all so very good for you! Mix together a bowl of these fruits and you have a sweet dessert, breakfast, or snack!  I actually have chocolate covered banana slices in my freezer! Yum!


Quesadillas
This is also something that I'm trying out.  The first time I had some quesadillas, they were filled with cheese and corn.  Not so great the first go round, they needed a little flavor in them.  Maybe bellpeppers or salsa.  So tonight, I decided to try something new.  I did a cheese quesadilla with a couple of dollops of tomato sauce!  That was the ticket!  They were yummy!  (The quesadillas are made of corn, so I can eat them!)
With this meal I'm willing to sacrifice and stray from my dairy free diet.








Breakfast
Sometimes for me, actually most of the time, its hard for me to get a good breakfast.  Luckily I came across these yummy breakfast bars!  They are made from a gluten free rice cereal and real peanuts and drizzled with chocolate!  Definitely been a great start to most of my mornings!  Zack even tried one and liked them!  That is a plus!  I also found that most of the Chex cereals are gluten free so sometimes a meal is a bowl of Honey Nut Chex and a side of fruit!  I am so glad my breakfast has not been affected!




Sandwiches


This is a category that still needs a little work.  I have yet to find the perfect gluten free bread for a nice peanut butter and jelly, but this bread made from brown rice isn't too bad.  Now, I know that none of the breads I will be eating will ever be as good as the wheat stuff, but I can definitely get used to it!  I was most concerned about my grilled cheeses (one of my favorite meals) but this bread doesn't make that bad of a grilled cheese and has satisfied that craving quite nicely.  As for chips, I have taken a liking to the Kettle brand natural potato chips (salt and fresh pepper flavor)! Most Lay's flavors are GF too!

My Refrigerator
And this is what the shelf in my fridge looks like as of tonight.  As you can see its full of all sorts of yummy, FRESH goodies!  Eggs, oranges, pineapple, celery, yogurt, chicken, rice bread, peanut butter (because celery is unbearable without it) and soymilk (chocolate and regular).  Its a bit crazy, but its my new eating habit!




Overall this experience has more pros than cons!  Here are a few that I came up with!

1. Way healthier food choices
2. I have found a new love for cooking
3. I haven't been sick in a whole week! (major achievement)
4. Cooking meals = great fun with my roommate and boyfriend
5. Spend less money eating out

So this has been the center of my last few days, learning how to eat again!  Its been hard, but through prayers and support of my great friends and family, it has been wonderful and rewarding.  I have found that in these difficult times, when life throws you a curveball no matter how big or how small, God will always provide support and strength to make it through each day! :)

Are You Serious?

So I really haven't updated in absolutely forever!  I promise you guys that I am working on that.  I honestly wasn't too concerned about it until I had multiple people tell me that have been missing my blogs lately.  Sorry guys, this one is for you!


I feel almost like I have been out of touch with the real world for a really long time.  For about the past month I have been fairly sick, usually off and on, but frequent enough for me to realize that there is something wrong.  So Monday I finally got up the nerve to go to the doctor.  For those of you who do not know me, I HATE GOING TO THE DOCTOR!  I realize that is absolutely horrible and I'm for sure going to work on that.  


WELL.  Before deciding to go to the doctor I have been on an emotional and honestly, a spiritual roller coaster.  We have all heard it said many times that its easier to trust in God when things are going right then when they aren't going right.  Learned this lesson...again, accept this time was different.  Lately I have really found a growth in my passion for God's word like I believe we all should.  And I noticed that this time, as I have been struggling, the struggles may not have been easier for me, but there was so much more peace in these struggles. [Much of my stress has also come from it being the end of the semester!] 


I spent many nights in frustrated tears not knowing where to turn or what to do and let me just tell you GOD NEVER LEFT MY SIDE.  Even when I was physically and emotionally in pain, He was always there...holding me in His arms.  The night before I went to the doctor I was extremely distraught because I knew that it could be something simple or there could be something more seriously wrong with me than a bad case of the stomach virus.  It was difficult for me to face, but the Lord laid a passage on my heart:


Psalm 23
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER."


God gives us His word to speak to us in times of sorrow, pain, suffering, and even joy and happiness.  After reading this passage, I found that I was praying for the wrong things.  I was being selfish.  In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prays to God, "My, Father, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) I was praying for my own will.  For God to use me, but as a perfectly healthy 19 year old girl.  I didn't want to go to the doctor and have anything wrong with me, I wanted it to merely be a bad case of the stomach virus.  But I didn't take into account how God could use me if something was in fact "wrong" with me.  And even when we aren't sick, and things are just not going how we planned them to we get so irritated.  I have found so much peace and comfort in asking for peace in God's will instead of pleading with Him to give me mine. [Newsflash:  His will is ALWAYS superior, and its wonderful (Jeremiah 29:11)]


Secondly, in sickness there is a lot of the times much fear, and for me there was mainly because of uncertainty.  Then I get to verse 4.  Even while walking through DEATH I will fear NO evil.  Why?  Because my God is WITH me?  Was/Am I dying? No.  But He is still so very faithful and He will never leave my side in my smallest fears.  And then finally, regardless of what was going to happen in the doctor's office Monday afternoon...I will dwell in MY FATHER'S house FOREVER.  How wonderful and how great!  


SO...after getting blood drawn, x-rayed, and passing out I find out that chances are I have a gluten intolerance.  So not fun, but I am so very thankful because it could have been so much worse.  As I sit here trying to deal with this new food allergy, (I'm already lactose intolerant)  I am trying my hardest not to dwell on what I can't eat, but instead find new, tasty things that I enjoy eating.  I know its going to take time and going to be very frustrating, but somehow God is going to use this for His glory, and I'm absolutely okay with that. 


Everything I have said in today's post applies to every day life, not just when we are sick.  When you are having a bad day, or a friend or family member hurts you.  It doesn't matter because God is always with us!
On and less serious note, anyone have some recipes? Ideas? I would love to hear from those of you with gluten free tips! :)

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

You Aren't Alone

So I haven't blogged in a while guys, but I am going to go ahead and warn you about this one.  Take a minute and roll your pants up because I'm about to get deep.  [For those of you who did not get that...major fail on my part...ignore my corny-ness]


These past few days for me have been pretty rough, to be honest.  I won't go into details because the details aren't important to my main thought.  I have been thinking for hours about what I'm going to write about in today's blog because I have been determined to blog today due to the fact that I really haven't blogged in at least a week!  So I'm sitting in my room, class, etc...and I have absolutely nothing.  Then after class today I went home, sat in my bed, and turned on the radio..KLove to be exact.  Now normally I do not listen to the radio.  I find it to be repetitive.  Today was different.


Because of some stress and things currently going on in my life I have been searching for answers.  What do I do? How do I react?  Who do I put in my company?  Just normal life stresses that always seem to come upon as all at once! Funny how that happens, right?!  Well for some reason I felt the need to listen to the radio.  As soon as I turn it on, I had my answer...my peace. (Don't worry, I will post a link to the song!)

I'm going to take the song verse by verse so to keep myself from rambling and going completely off track.


Cry To Jesus - Chris Rice


"Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!"


First off...wow!  What an awesome God! Sometimes in life,  things, for lack of a better phrase, they just suck.  Things do not happen the way we want them to and we are left in pain.  We feel alone.  We feel lost.  But in these times, so often we miss the beauty of God's love for us!  We forget that we are never alone and God will always be there to pick us up and clean away our dirt and wash our wounds.  We can't avoid wounds, but we can take off with reckless abandon towards the God who loves us unconditionally and LIVE in peace and absolute happiness regardless of the situation.  God is so good.


"Now you're burden's lifted
and carried far away
and precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!"


I know that I have a massive load of burdens.  But my God, OUR God gladly takes those burdens and places them on His shoulders.  He takes the deepest hurts and the hardest worries and carries them away.  Take the offer!  Lay them down!  Let Hims wash you clean!  Its such a beautiful and wonderful thing...something to sing about!  How beautiful is His compassion!


"And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when we walk 
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!"


Speechless.  How many times do we miss out on some of life greatest gifts because we are scared of pain and hurt and even rejection?  Put yourself out there and life your life fully in God's will and purpose.  He has such beautiful things planned for you!  "For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught." Proverbs 3:26.  He will NEVER drop you and let you fall.  Fall into His arms and live in Him!


"Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus, Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!"


It isn't always going to be sunshine and roses, guys!  Life is not easy, but I can promise you that my God, OUR God makes it so much more bearable.  He listens to our cries, He sees every single tear that we cry, He hears our calls.  There will be times when we are lonely and it seems like everything just hurts.  Cry to YOUR Jesus!  He will be the best comfort you will ever have.  He will calm your soul and hold you with loving arms.  How great is His love!


"O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus, Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!"


It's so easy to run to God when things go wrong, when we feel helpless and alone.  But how often when things are going wonderfully do we turn around and praise Him? After all, is He not creator of all things bad AND good?  Praise God for the wonderful things in my life!  He has truly blessed me with them!  May we all give him the praise, honor, and glory even when things are great!


"And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus, Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!"


IT DOESN'T END HERE!  My God is ALIVE!  Death is such a scary thing, but when that time comes, I hope to welcome it with open arms because I finally get to be in the presence of my FATHER, my God.  This world has nothing for us...but OUR God has everything. Just trust in Him... "If any man should come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."  Luke 9:23.  Follow Him.  He loves you more than you could ever imagine. 


How great is OUR God!

Ray of Sunshine

This week has not been the best of weeks for me and I have found it very challenging to be positive.  For those of you who read my last post, you know that on Sunday my closet flooded in my apartment.  Needless to say, last night was my first night back in my own apartment, in my own bed.  Now as much as I dislike my tiny room and uncomfortable bed, sometimes its hard to be away from YOUR things.  I was so blessed to be given a place to stay at Zack's parents house for the week, but it sure is nice to be back!


While going through this week with all the stress from dealing with my room and a midterm I was freaking out about, I kept searching and searching for something to lift my spirits.  One of them was the bible study that I am currently doing.  It's called the Disciple's Cross and I highly recommended it.  Having this bible study to go through and having that daily time with the Lord has really given me calm in my storm.  


The final thing that brightened my spirits was Kid's Club.  Every Thursday afternoon, a group of us from the BSU go out to the trailer park of Oxford and play with a large group of children.  This area is filled with great poverty and is overlooked by the people of this town.  Before I had heard about it, I figured with as much money as there is flowing through this town, there is no way there is a poor part of town.  I was very wrong.  


These children are such a blessing in my life and I look forward to seeing their sweet faces every week.  I was privileged to tell them the Easter story this past Thursday.  God calls us to be disciples and spread the Good News everywhere we go, and what better place to spread it than in the hearts of our children!  Each and every one of these children are so very special and are learning to love Jesus with all of their hearts.  Please pray for these sweet children and their families and pray that we will be able to continue ministering to them for as long as we can.

What a Week!

Well guys, this has definitely been an week full of adventure so to speak.  The first thing I would like to say about this week is the weather, excluding Thursdays downpour, has been absolutely wonderful!

At the beginning of the week, (I'm referring to Tuesday) I got to hang out with my long lost buddy Hannah Beth.  I just love this girl.  We have been through so much together these past few years and its nice to get to hang out with her every once and a while.  We decided to soak up a little sun and lay out by the pool for a few hours and then go treat ourselves to a lovely dinner consisting of our favorite salad place on campus!  We LOVE our salads!  That and we are both holding each other accountable for eating healthy. She does a much better job than I do!  I also got to hang out with her a little on Thursday night after going to the Wesley.  We decided to go get some mini frostys just to get a little taste of chocolate and it was GOOD!  Afterwards, we went over to her apartment and just sat around chit chatting like normal and I even french braided her hair! I must say, I think I did pretty good for my first time!

I know I'm going out of order, but I'm going to talk about Monday now.  Monday my sweet Paisley had to go to the vet to get spayed.  I love her, but not enough for there to be multiples of her!  It was such a shock when I got back from my mission trip to see how big she has gotten and even this week I can see her growing so fast!  Zack can't really see it as much because he gets to see her every day, but she is getting on up there!  I even have a hard time picking her up these days!  I can't wait to see how big she gets!! :)  She sure is a sweetheart!

And now I will talk about today, Sunday.  I was pretty upset when I woke up at 9:45 this morning.  For those of you who don't know, sunday school starts at 10:00.  Obviously that wasn't going to happen.  Thankfully I made it to the church service...but not on time.  Why, you ask?  Well as I'm getting ready and reaching in my closet to get a dress to wear I hear a "squish" and my foot is soaking wet.  This has got to be a joke.  For the past week or two my apartment has been having water problems due to the lovely people above us.  Yay for college boys!  (Catch the sarcasm?)  So I sit here writing my blog, the contents of my closet are scattered throughout my room and I have a massive fan blowing on the floor.  Oh the college life.  Hopefully this does not happen again.


The final thing I would like to mention is the fact that late last night there was a shooting a Mississippi State University.  A male student from Madison was shot at his dorm and died while receiving medical attention.  Last I heard, the shooters have not been caught.  Tragedies like this are absolutely devastating and are another reminder of how quickly life can be taken away from us.  I ask that all of you pray for the family of this young man and give them some form of comfort in peace.  Pray that they find that peace and comfort in God and also pray the same for the friends and fellow students.  Times like these are never easy, but even when it is this hard, knowing that God is still in control and He still reigns and has a far more wonderful plan for all of us than we do for ourselves is something that can get each of us through the roughest times.


And I will end with one of my favorite verses:


"The grass wither, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
                     Isaiah 40:8

An Eye-Opening Week

I know it may seem like I am a terrible blogger, which I am, but I do have an excuse for not blogging for the past week.


This week was Spring Break for most students across the country.  Typically I would have gone home and sat around doing absolutely nothing, which is great sometimes!  It also would have been an opportune time to make a trip down to the beach, one of my favorite places ever.  But this spring break I felt called to do something more with my time.  I wanted to give my time away for this past week and use it to share the love of Christ with the people of New Orleans.  


I love New Orleans.  I think it is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the South.  Every where you turn, there is something new or fun to look at!  Lately I have prayed over and over for God to break my heart for the hurt and lost people of this world and if you don't already know this, you ask God for something like that He will not hesitate to give it to you.  Over the past few months my eyes have been opened to many needs not only around my college campus and my community, but to everywhere.  So off I went with a group of students from the Ole Miss BSU to New Orleans, LA. (I'm going to break this down day by day)


Days 1 and 2:


Prayer Walking the Irish Channel:
This activity is something that I have never done much of but have found a passion for.  My team and I went out to a neighborhood called the Irish Channel that is full of poverty, crime, children, and senior adults.  It was very tough for me to see extreme poverty only one block over from extreme wealth.  While prayer walking we encountered a few people, even some visitors from China, and were able to share the gospel and pray with them while walking around the area.


Before heading to our next locations (Lower 9th Ward), three of us really had to use the restroom.  Now I promise you that this detail is COMPLETELY relevant to the story I'm about to tell you. Out of all the "sketchy" gas stations in New Orleans, I am fairly convinced that my friends Daniel, Kaylee, and I picked the absolute worst.  After discovering that the bathroom was in no shape to be used, we realized that there was a Subway across the street and decided to use their facilities instead.  We kept asking ourselves why we would pick THAT gas station out of all the other places we could have gone.  Then it all started becoming clear.  
As we were walking into the Subway, we noticed a few homeless people on the surrounding street corners and decided to buy them a few Subways pizzas while we were in there.  Daniel took a pizza to the two men on one street corner and Kaylee and I took a pizza to the woman on the other.  As we walked up to her, we saw that she had a dog with her and a backpack with everything she owned in it.  The woman was tattooed from head to toe and was holding a sign that said "Anything would be a blessing."  Kaylee and I introduced ourselves and learned that the woman hadn't eaten and a while and did not know when she would get to eat again.  We offered her the pizza and a cold bottle of water and asked if we could bless her food before she ate it.  As we were praying for Nikki and her dog Bailey, the Lord's presence was absolutely unreal.  When we left, the smile on her face and the tears in all of our eyes were so refreshing and such a blessing.  God uses all of us in mysterious ways...even when we have to use the bathroom!


We then traveled to the lower 9th ward and cleared some overgrown lots where houses once were before they were destroyed by Katrina.  It was absolutely devastating.  We did this for the rest of the day and all day the next day.  It was physically exhausting.  We were so blessed, however, to have a meal prepared for us by a local to the 9th ward, Mrs. Leetha.  What an amazing woman.  Mrs. Leetha does not have very much for herself and her family but was so kind to prepare a feast for over 30 students working on lots all week.  And let me tell you, she sure can cook!


Days 3 and 4:


On these last two days we spent our time at a house in Uptown painting the exterior for a elderly lady who we were to call Mrs. Julia.  She was amazing!  This project wasn't as demanding but was a great way to minister to Mrs. Julia and others in her neighborhood.  It was also a great experience because through all of the activities I was able to build relationship with the people of New Orleans and my team members.  


Even though I didn't get much rest in New Orleans, the experience I had were well worth the hard work.  God showed me some amazing things.  


I would like to ask that you guys continue to pray for the people of New Orleans who are still struggling with their loss from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The effects of the hurricane are still very prominent and the hurt is very deep.  I would also ask that you will pray for Nikki and the many people like her who are hurting and counting on the kindness of others to get by.  Pray that the people who are struggling, lost, and hurting will come to see God's love, grace, and mercy and will understand that He has wonderful things planned for them and that He loves them so much. And lastly, pray for the teams that are still down there working this next week.

Thank you all who helped fund this trip for me!  I couldn't have done it without you guys and I am so appreciative of the opportunity! :)

I'm Alive!!

Go ahead you guys! Crown me worst blogger ever!  I have been MIA for a whole entire week!  Here's the deal:


I went home not this past weekend, but the weekend before and had a wonderful time and took a whole bunch of pictures so that I could blog about how amazing being home was.  When I got back to Oxford, I had every intention of blogging about it until what happened? I got sick.  I have literally been bed-ridden for an entire week!  It has been absolutely awful.  So needless to say I haven't blogged because when I did have time to actually rest and get better, I immediately fell asleep.  I guess you could say I have been asleep for a whole week.  Now because I have skipped a whole week of blogging, I will just have to start where I left off...two weekends ago.


So one of my little gifts from Zack for Valentine's day was enough gas money so I could get home and spend some time with my family.  I hadn't been home since Christmas break and it was starting to get discouraging. Man am I one lucky girl to have such a thoughtful boyfriend! :)  So off I go to Clinton on that Friday morning and I'm literally so excited I can't get home fast enough.  


When I got home, I went out to eat with my wonderful mother at McAlister's and was so hungry that I had eaten every single bite before I realized that I didn't even take a picture for my blog!  So if you're going to McAlister's and you have no idea what to get, try the Sweet Chipotle Chicken sandwich with a side salad...its fabulous!  Well it seemed to me very quickly that this weekend would be centered around food.  So warning:  99% of my pictures are of food.  I love food.  


After getting back after that lovely lunch I decided to take a cat nap on the couch and then I got to spend some quality time with my father!  I never really get to do that often and I just love it!  Most of my weekend was with dad, and I am so thankful for the time we got to spend together.  So he gets home from working and ask me if I want to go see a movie.  For those of you who do not know, my dad is the father of 3 girls and no boys.  I am the only one of my sisters that will watch war movies and football with my dad so I guess I'm as close to a son as he is going to get until us 3 get married...not anytime soon...and then I'm sure he'll eat that up! 


ANYWAYS! Dad and I drove out to Tinseltown in Pearl to see the movie Act of Valor.  Wow.  If you like war movies and you want an eye-opener, go see it now.  It was such and incredible movie and definitely the best one I have seen in a very long time.  I laughed and cried and I think dad did too!  It was interesting to see how war really work.  Real war.  Nothing sugar coated.  SO many of us take for granted the freedom we have in this country and never take the time to realize that there are people out there risking their lives just so that we can live the life of a very blessed American with so much freedom we don't even know what to do with it all!  And we don't even take into account the braveness and selflessness of the family that they leave behind.  So there is something for you guys to think on.


After the movie we came home and ate leftovers, which was perfectly fine with me because it was a new meal that I hadn't eaten in forever.  And besides, I used to a whole lot of grilled cheeses and PB&J's so YAY FOR LEFTOVERS!  Later on we ended up hanging out and watching TV (American Pickers and American Restoration) for those of you who were wondering and my sweet daddy fixed me ice cream with brownies that my mom had made broken on top.  I'm convinced they try to fatten me up every time I come home! :)  It was amazing, of course!  And sadly this was one of a few bowls of ice cream I had while I was home!


By the time it was time to go to bed, of course I was sleeping with BOTH of the dogs because Caroline had gone to a friend's house to spend the night and Daisy will not sleep by herself.  I walk into my room and this is what I find.  Yes, she has claimed her spot for the night. Silly dog, when will she learn that she is not alpha dog when I come home!  Pretty sure she slept on top of me all night.  It was a losing battle for me. (Thank goodness she is smaller than Zoey!)


YAY FOR SATURDAY! I got to go to my first Marathon Makeover meeting.  I don't get to do that since there isn't a training group nearby and it was so nice to see some new and familiar faces!  I got to do my miles with a sweet family friend and had a lovely time catching up with her!  I'm about to call my father and I out big time with this.  The week's discussion was on diet and nutrition.  For lunch, dad and I did the absolute opposite of what we learned about that morning!  Oops!  But hey, I only come home every now and then! ;)  It was amazing!  And for desert I had a massive piece of chocolate cake that had chunks of cheesecake in it!  HEAVENLY!  Might I add that I experienced the Coke Freestyle craze for the first time.  Definitely interesting concept.  If you haven't seen one of those  machines, they're kinda awesome.  ANY drink combination you could probably think of!  I had a cherry Sprite...I didnt' get too crazy.  Dad on the other hand...that's another story...


Can I just say that my mom is probably the best cook in the whole entire world?? Lasagna.  Homemade.  Oh my goodness.  The picture says it all. 

Now I've finally made it to Sunday morning.  I'm sitting in church and look over and I notice Caroline has a pink streak in her hair!  Its dyed!  I was like what is this!  So I pull out my phone in the middle of the service and take a picture because I just can't believe my eyes...and I got "the look" from both of my parents.  Oh well.  Then I had to rush home to be at the nursing home by 2:15! It was such a wonderful weekend with my wonderful family and I can't wait to see them when I drop by for a few days on my way to New Orleans for my Spring Break mission trip.







I think this is enough "blog" for one day.  For those of you that made it this far, you're awesome.  :)