A Prayer for 2017

Lord, thank you for bringing me through 2016. 

Thank you for preserving me, providing for me, enlightening me, calling me higher, and lifting my head. Thank you for your presence. Your unyielding presence. Your warring presence. Your protective presence. Your guiding presence. Your comforting presence. Your inviting presence. 

Thank you for Your companionship. Your parenting. Your concern. Your commitment. Your capability. 

All unmatched - eternally unmatched.

You are more committed to me than I am to myself, more committed to me than those I have trusted -even those I trust -- those you gifted to my life. I thank you, Lord, for takingYour relationship with me seriously... for pursuing me and drawing me close with Your goodness and mercy,  promises and faithfulness, the purest motives and purest desire for intimacy and friendship. Thank you that who You are today, will not change tomorrow . 

Your Friend, "HOPE."

HOPE:

 "A person or thing in which expectations are centered."

"The feeling that what is desired can be had."

It's the most wonderful time of the year... it is :) 
But in the midst of good tidings and Christmas cheer, it's no secret that the holidays often highlight  we've lost and now lack, or perhaps what we want and do not yet have.  And while we know the reason for the season, feelings of disappointment and loneliness still manage to seep their way in. The year wraps up and we're eager to cross over. We rejoice, but we can also be tempted to mull over missed opportunities, unfulfilled longings, and incomplete endeavors. 

You may be hopeful. You may be hopeless. 

And it could actually depend on the day (YIKES! and #nojudgment)..

But, if your hope needs to be steadied and is under attack - and if you've given up parts of your life to whatever may come, I'm writing to fight with you.

You'll need your hope in its purest form and most proper place to keep at life in every season. 
This is a virtue you cannot forfeit..

You'll need your friend. You'll need your HOPE.
HOPE IS NOT YOUR ENEMY.
(It gets better, keep reading!)

Same. Real. God.

Have a seat. Quiet your heart. Take a moment. Settle down. Before you lament, and while you wonder.. before you decide you're not sure, anymore. 

Remember. Consider. Conclude.

Remember God's many words to your heart & recount the moments He's met you with love. 

Remember His faithfulness. 

Consider His confirmation of your pursuit - the peace, added strength, and every one of those God-winks💛

I Think You Should Know that You're Legal...

Ever wondered if you even belonged on this planet?! I know I have.. be it my quirks, and perks =) or something as simple as how I perceive and process any given day or situation...people are different.  I have laughed way too hard in the wrong moments, and cried watching the Animal Channel because I can't stand to watch when the baby deer loses mother deer and the lion comes and ---- you know what happens next. My heart can't take it!!! :( #circleoflife

But I've digressed. Back to the point. God is so creative in His placement that we
often come into contact & even do life with people who are so different from ourselves. At times, it's wonderful, but other times it can cause us to question our belonging. It may cause us to run

"I'll Take Care of You..." He said..

One thing I love about God is that He's not found scratching His head when questions arise or trouble comes. He's not at a loss for words, wisdom or solutions. He's not non-chalant or disengaged. He's concerned. A portion of His glory is wrapped up in our living. He's committed to our victory. He's committed to our testimonies.. even if they're not always what WE think they should be. All things work together. He secures the wins💛

His role in this relationship is to lead us to triumph. 

Our role is to follow Him. 

"I'll take care of you..." He says."Because your problems are my problems."

30 and Worthy :)

Mood Leading Up to My 30th

OK, I promise... I do understand that I've been an adult for at least the last 5 years, but THIRTY? What. The. Flip? My cutesie twenties are officially leaving the building, but I hear it gets better from here, and that's nice... I'll take it :) 

To commemorate the end of my roaring twenties, and begin my celebration to THIRTY, here are 30 lessons I've pulled from my last 10 sets of 365 days :) 

1. You don't have to be wrong to apologize first.
2. Save your money. You'll need it.
3. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich with milk makes a great breakfast. 

"Love Me For My Holy"

If there's anything in life about which we typically love to lament, it's when we find that someone loves us, but not for the entirety of who we are ---our strengths and weaknesses, our quirks, and our flaws. It's when the idea of you, or me, stirs interest, excites, and draws someone close for a moment, but as the relationship grows in intimacy, "who you turned out to be," isn't exactly who they had in mind. That maybe, who you are - or have been all along - is now a bit off-putting.

The relationship stalls. It ceases to grow... or maybe it ends. 

I see posts about it all the time.

Like. Like. Like...

And I agree sometimes, I do..
But I can't help but liken this to our relationship with God.

What My Birthday Did for Me..

I had plans .. and they were changed. The first thing I asked my sister when I woke up yesterday morning was if she was trying to RUIN my birthday.

VIDEO clips from:
..My 29th 

My Eyes Are Watching God

There are battles that belong to the Lord... future victories, and then blessings that add NO sorrow, more victories.. There are seasons of ease and effortless flow -- and then, seasons where nothing comes easy.

 Absolutely Nothing.

 But my eyes are watching God..

Divine Valentine

Valentine's Day is experienced in so many ways. There are couples who go out of their way to celebrate and others who do not. There are singles who make the day about self-pampering, singles who take heart and love on their relatives, singles who insist the day bares no significance, and singles that go into hiding, admitting it brings pain. Some people are new to the grief that the day could bring because of death, divorce, or breakup. Some others find it to be a joyous occasion because they've recently embarked upon a new season of love, engagement, or marriage.

Whatever the situation,  I spoke to a friend who spoke to an ex-boyfriend.. . She said he still loved her & he missed her -- but he's newly engaged, to someone else.

Last Song...

Rehearsing with my grumpy cats before ALFWC's Christmas Spectacular ..

Merry Christmas!!

Feature Blogger #1: "Your Failures Are Not Final" by Shana Schutte

This one's good : ) .. Reminds me of why I wrote "Try."

Give yourself permission to obey God! And do your best...He'll do the rest.

Seasons, Change - Happy Fall!

Fall is Here!!

I love this season.. never liked it too hot or too cold so FALL and SPRING have always been my first loves. Yesterday, marked the start of warm apple cider and hot chocolate with whipped cream,  baked ham, sweet potatoes, greens and cornbread, layers of warm clothing, scarves and high boots.. this is my kind of life, anything that suggests cozy living..

What relief is it to us that seasons change on their own.. no human effort required; that every 3 months or so the sky knows what to do with its rain, the wind, determines either to settle down or throw itself around, the air, is either packed with hot moisture or chill, and we... deal with it : ).. Whether you're a summer person or winter lover, it seems like we're all waiting for our preferred living conditions to arrive... we're all waiting for change to come...

"Dear Church Baby..." Part 4

My pastor has been teaching recently on the Word of God as a seed, ready to produce -  that God is a purposeful Sower.. sowing Himself into His children and His word into our hearts. We learned that our hearts are like soil, only capable of  producing if tilled well and ready for receiving. 

Are our hearts fertile? Are they good ground?  
Are we open for growth? Are we surrendered to the planting? 

"Dear Church Baby..." Part 3

Dear Church Baby, 

Where are you going?

It was because I knew I needed to stay, in life's hardest trials, that I did.
...Not in my own strength - just relying on His.

I've Learned (#2) ..."...that if you're going to pray, you might aswell be honest. He knows already, anyway. "

 Growing up in church, I must admit I've heard all kinds of prayers. Wordy prayers. Short prayers. Prayers that were full of heart, and prayers that lacked luster and thought.. Prayers full of scripture, and prayers full of drama. Prayers of faith, anxious prayers, and prayers that I just simply could not understand... another case of the deacon and his lost dentures? ...Perhaps.

God is at Work

In tragedies, in triumph..

God is at work

In the fight, in loss.

God is at work.

In your grief and your joy..
God is at work.

In the win, in the score..

God is at work.

In a newborn's chuckle, his mother's cry...

God is - at work. 

In a victory that seems very far off.

God is at work.

When it rains and pours, no sun in sight...

God is at work. God's still at work...

When you can't comprehend, and you don't understand..

God is at work.
He's putting in time.

When you loved so much harder than you were loved in return..

God's been working, working so hard.

When you find yourself soaring, over challenges and all.

God is at work.  
He's working in you.

When each preparation meets opportunity..

God is at work. He's working through you.

When life is a series of beautiful things...

Please do believe... it's God who's at work.

When you survey your life, and you're not where you started.

 God is at work; He'll continue to be.

In all that we enjoy, and even endure...

 God is never absent - never hands off.

God is with us & God is at work.

***

Can you think of a season in your life when you thought all was lost?
  
God was at work.

***

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.

(Psalm 34:15)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will direct your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

2 Timothy 1:12

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

(Psalm 37:23)

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

(2 Corinthians 7:14)

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

(Job 23:10)

"Dear Church Baby..." Part 2

Dear Church Baby,

Believe again. Believe always..

You're preparing in time, for life in eternity. 

"Dear Church Baby..." Part 1

I'm a church baby.

"I was born on a pew..." I've crawled under pews, and taken naps on the pew. I've played in the pews, passed notes in the pews, and ran through them with my toddler friends. I've heard more sermons than I can count, and I've been at church on more weeknights than the standard American citizen. I was in the children's choir and I've directed it...I was on the Junior Ushers Board, until I quit ...I was in the young adult choir until I aged out... and because music and ministry have a lot to do with what I believe I should be doing with the rest of my life - I'm still in the choir :) I sing with my sisters..

The "Never" Lies

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Psalm 16:7

I woke up one morning, and all I could hear was...

"Never give in to the never lies...."

"Never give in to the never lies..."

...I don't remember having a bad day prior, or a restless, sleepless night, but this one thing rang out in my heart over and over and over again... it was as if I'd need it for life.. and I do.

Funny thing is, we all do.