The Holy Spirit has been heavily laying upon my heart the monumental weight of what it means to pursue His presence. It’s an easy thing to pass by unless we make it top priority in our lives.

Without it, we are spiritually dead, deceased and feeble. With it we are alive, deeply moved & called into action. Why then would we possibly miss out on such a thing?

I always bring it back to the cross, back to what Christ has done for us. The moment we forget that we were truly hopeless and lacking is the moment we neglect the offering and sacrifice that made us TRULY alive. God sent His only Son for US. /// “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” Ephesians 2:5

By grace we have been saved, and our immediate response should be a life lived in service for His kingdom, prayer that is unwavering, and a dedication not to perfection but to persistence in our prayer life.

Instead of ignoring the whispering of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to tune our ears to the perfect melody of His voice. It’s not about the quantity of time you spend with Jesus, but the quality. To have the “I just need to get it done and over with” mentality won’t get you far in God’s presence… but instead “God, I will wait for you, in YOUR timing, not mine. I will sit at Your feet not by my strength but YOURS.” The more we spend time with Him, the deeper the yearning for His presence. Our hearts will innately be drawn to Him over all things.

It will take discipline, action & endurance to daily set ourselves aside in quiet time with the Lord, but the fruits will be far greater than we could ever fathom. What we will benefit is precious and valuable, and will allow for us to be poured out in service to His Kingdom, to the hurting and the lost.

May eternity always be on our minds.

#youaresomeonebeautiful

Have you ever felt frustrated, dismayed, upset, or all together just burnt out? I’m pretty confident that we all, at some point in our lives have experienced similar feelings. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in a fast paced society that demands needs to be met in an instant. In a high stress life full of deadlines, requests and urgencies, our eyes must stay focused on what is truly and eternally important, the truth of the Word of God.

I believe we must be absolutely determined to live with passion, purpose and abound IN joy. To not minimize the fact that we woke up today full of life, with breath in our lungs & are able to smell, touch, taste, hear and see. That we get to enjoy simple pleasures like a hug from a best friend, or a coffee on our way to work. It’s the big things we often forget and the small things we find our minds enslaved to. This cannot be if we want to serve God… “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5) We must not let our minds go down a path of negativity in thought, but instead, be joyful, grateful and willing to refocus on the bigger picture.

Take some time to be still and just listen. Rejoice. Thank God. Worship Him.

#youaresomeonebeautiful

There have been many times in my life where I have put more importance on certain things I thought (at the time) were “more” valuable rather than Christ.

After a period of time in which I would let everything else but Jesus consume me, I would quickly find myself longing for more. I knew this desire was directly from Christ, because nothing I knew could fulfill it.

It’s so effortless to let & things/objects/circumstances compete for our attention, but regardless of what goes on around us, there is a reality that we must heed our full attention to: when we don’t give our full attention to God, our lives become dull & empty, lacking purpose that was always meant to be there.

The truth is, everyone was made to live with God given purpose. Some people have found it, in their daddy and Savior Jesus, while others will search for a lifetime outside of Christ. (In which I pray they receive the truth and salvation of Jesus Christ!)

A huge part of our longing for God is a matter of hunger… do we want God as much as the air we breathe?

>> Do we want to know the purposes of God that He has placed over our lives?

To hear Him speak, to listen, to gain wisdom, to obtain direction, we must constantly be in communion with Him, spending quality time, as we would with a close friend. We make time for everything else, how much more should we strive to make time with Jesus!

Jesus desires our attention, affection, and admiration. The sacrifice he made was once and for all (Hebrews 10:10) Our valuable & precious time spent with God shouldn’t be “foreign” but a refreshing occurrence each and every day. We must not let pride or lack of self-worth keep us from entering into His presence. He desires to be with you.

We must not let our fleshly view of ourselves determine what we think God see’s us as. I want to challenge our flesh and rise up as children of God coming boldly into His presence, knowing that there we will meet our Creator, Savior, the one who sustains us!

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” // Hebrews 4:6

You have been justified, cleansed and made new by Jesus Christ… He longs for that one-on-one time, just you and your daddy.

The creator of the universe wants to spend time with you, to hold you, life you up, rejuvenate your bones, give you peace and show you true rest. Don’t forfeit your time with Him for something temporary and fleeting.

When you spend time with God you are sowing into a kingdom eternal, into purposes that will last forever. Don’t let something that fades get in the way of what God wants to do in your life. When you spend time wit Him you are allowing Him to give you the desires of His heart and yours!

If we are not making time for God, resting in His presence, in worship, then we are totally missing the point.

#youareSOMEONEbeautiful

But, why do we find it harder to thank God in faith for something in advance? We often forget to thank Him in faith for the things that are to come… And forget to rejoice while we wait for His exact provision and timing in a specific season.

Eveything has becomes so very fast paced in society, wanting what we want and getting it as soon as we want: instant gratification. But, what if God asks us to wait, will we? Waiting, is not a negative thing as it produces and cultivates patient endurance and strength which further develops our character in Christ! Will we be willing to wait out and seek God in everything that He calls us to?

Why do we find it easier to thank God when we see the visible fruits rather than thanking him when we can’t see anything at all, knowing that His sovereign hand is going to have the final say?

I see it in culture daily: we desire what we can see, but yet what we can’t see somehow becomes irrelevant in our lives because we can’t tangibly hold it. That’s not the reality that the Bible calls us to live out. Second Corinthians 4:18 instructs us to fix our eyes on eternity rather than the temporary because what we can see will soon fade away what we can’t see will last forever!

It becomes easy to fix our eyes on that evident and on the natural. We as Christians are called to fix our eyes on the supernatural, the realm that we can’t physically see…. but in faith through Jesus Christ, know that is there. What we know is evident in our lives should be lived out through our faith and actions!

—
Everyday I want to grow, I don’t want to stand stagnant in my walk with Christ! Hebrews 11 speaks of a bold faith, stepping out in steadfast trust, in un-wavering confidence.

Here are some questions I believe we should be reflecting on daily:

Am I ready to cultivate a vision of faith rather than a mindset of fear?

Am I ready/willing to take hold of the things that God has for me (and others around me) before they happen… IN FAITH?

Is my mouth declaring His goodness and faithfulness before I can even visibly and physically see it?
—

You are never too far away to come to God. No matter what you are facing, no matter the trial you are enduring, you have the choice to reconcile and run to Jesus. He is always good and He will be good even when we aren’t good … He will be faithful even when we are not faithful! (2 Timothy 2:13) His goodness never runs out, He will never fail you.

Isaiah 48:18…“Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”

When God speaks, you have two evident choices: listen and do what He tells you to, or ignore His voice. When you find yourself stepping out and following His voice in complete abandonment and trust, remember what Deuteronomy 3:18 says…

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

God’s goodness is totally and completely beautiful. It’s why were alive, why we have breath in our lungs, why I am able to write this blog! We should be thankful for the things that can easily be overlooked. His goodness will lead us to live a lifestyle of faith, if we so pursue it.

Live boldly, love like Jesus does, and rest in the stillness of His peace. He is an all-consuming fire. 

#youareSOMEONEbeautiful

Love,

#youareSOMEONEbeautiful

Love,

Your life was planned out before you were born, before you spoke a word, or thought a thought. // Psalm 139:13 // Galatians 1:15 // Jeremiah 1:5)

Although it is easy to worry and become stressed out over what our future holds, we serve a God who created that future.

I believe Colossians 1 can be a prayer of our hearts continually… I find myself praying this everyday: “Lord I ask that You give me a complete knowledge of Your will for my life, that You provide me with spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

I can guarantee you that if you walk in faith, and seek the Lord fervently, He will reveal His will for your life to you. When you devote your thoughts, prayers, and actions to Christ, not in a religious way, but as a lifestyle change, His hand will begin to move in your life. So many people want to know what their purpose is here in this world, and I have one answer, always. Seek the one who gave you purpose! God knows, always has, and always will, every single day of your life was written in advance. When we are tempted to try and figure something out about our future, we should learn to go to God first. How much worry, anxiety, and stress could we eliminate simply by always going to the source.

As we learn more about God, we will learn more about the will He has for our lives. He will impart vision/burden/&passion about the things He has called us to do! 

Colossians goes on to say that this wisdom, this understanding, will change our lives. It will bear fruit and allow us to live honorable lives for the Lord. As we seek out the Lord we will grow to know Him better and better every single day. The by-product of studying, pursuing wisdom, and prayer is an abundantly fruitful life. 

To find purpose and vision we must seek the Lord passionately everyday!! Matthew 7:7-8 says “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Lord, let us strive to live in this everyday! Let us not settle for mediocrity, and complacent Christianity in our lives, but instead let us live boldly & fruitfully, coming to Your throne room in worship daily, and seeking Your face in everything we do and say. Amen!

#YouareSOMEONEbeautiful

I’ve been observing nature a lot lately. I just love spending time outside, whether it’s taking a walk, exploring, or just simply sitting on my porch. The trees, sky, plants, animals, stars and so much more just amaze me. I was just recently at the beach (one of my favorite places to go) just relaxing, taking in the smell of the sea, feeling the warm breeze and watching the waves roll in and out of the shore so melodically. I eventually found myself writing a in the sand for no apparent reason I knew at the time, but to shed some light upon someone who would walk by and read it.

(I really do find myself writing this everywhere I go now, haha!) I stood up and looked down at what I had just written, and I could feel the Lord’s word begin to flood my spirit with light. God’s still voice brought my mind into harmony with His word. He reminded me of Psalm 139 verse 18, that His thoughts about us outnumber the sands on the beach! He knows me, He knows YOU, more than you know yourself. As I stared down at this picture my heart became at peace. I felt God’s goodness wash over me.. and my mind could tangibly sense His holiness, love & faithfulness. I could feel His spirit reaffirming His true adoration for His creation, for you
& I. God was reminding and gently speaking over my life, You are SOMEONE beautiful.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. // Psalm 139:13-14

How much does God truly adore His creation? More than we could ever know! How wonderfully complex is the makeup of our DNA? Only God truly knows. God doesn’t have love, He is love. His love shows through the way in which He created us! When we fully start living in this divine love, knowing that God simply is crazy about us, that we are His bride, that He intentionally made us, our mindsets about life, and the way we live will begin to drastically change.

I love what Song of Solomon 4:7 says … “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.”

His love for you, for us, for the church is not subjective to change. It always remains the same, and never wavers. God simply knows our hearts. He knows the most intricate and complex things about us that we find no one could understand. He fully understands, and outrageously admires His sons and daughters.

This little picture in the sand reminded me of a very simple truth: God’s hand is on all of creation, He never misses a thing. He never skips a beat. He knows you, He knows me. Never think that God doesn’t have time for you, or that He could care less. He doesn’t miss a thing about you either, not anything, not one thing. God’s love for you is seamless, flawless & unconditional.

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 17:8

God pulses through our veins. He is ever present in our lives from day-to-day. I believe our desire should be ‘I want more of Christ!’, every single day. As my walk with the Lord has been continually progressing I notice myself calling out to him all the time. Like waking up in bed at such weird hours, saying, ‘Jesus, Thank You for life!’ or just praying. God wants us to desire him, He longs to hear praise from His people. When I hear the excuse ‘Oh, I’m just going to enjoy life now, and experience God later’ – I start to wonder why you would ever want to miss out on what He has for your life now! These are the years that matter the most, our youth, our adolescence. Telling Him we don’t need help in these times breaks my heart, because we do. God has a lot to pour out onto us! He has a lot to tell us! Do not let your flesh get in the way of letting God lead your life. He is an awesome God, and desires such a strong relationship with you!

What can we do in the Lord?
Fervently pray, seek, desire, long for, trust in the Lord. To be consumed in His presence we must spend time with Him, and worship Him. I don’t want to be the ‘status quo’ women of this generation. I will be full of Christ, in my innermost being, so He bubbles over in me! I will seek Christ with all my heart, and keep his commands in my heart. I will long for more of Him each and every day. And I will seek His direction in my life!

 The Lord’s Direction
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (NIV)
Proverbs 3:5-6
This scripture says it all, God wants everything to do with your life. Not just the little parts, or the minuscule parts, he wants to take hold of the huge things, the things that seem impossible! Don’t underestimate God, He can do anything. We should be happy because we are living in the Lord!

“I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” Philippians 4:11-14 (The Message)

The Lord will always be present in your life, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. Whatever, wherever our circumstances, we should be content in what the Lord has given us; eternal life in his Son the Lord Jesus!

Love,

Love,