Friendships

Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with gratefulness.

When I take time to see how incredibly blessed I am, that's when it hits me. 

I love friendships. 

I love my friends.

Now a days, I think we throw that word around and call even acquaitenances friends, and depending how you make friends, it may very well be true, but for me, friendships take a while. I can be your friend, way before you will be my friend.

But there are also different levels of friendships. And I'm not blogging to go into all those details.

I'm blogging, to say that I am thankful for the friendships in my life. Especially the ones, that have been a journey full of pot holes and wrong directions....because those are my strongest.

I'm thankful for the friends who know how you think and work, the ones who speak truth to you even when you don't want to hear it. The ones where you just laugh and laugh and laugh. The ones where you can not see or talk to that person for months and then whenever you do see or talk to each other, it's like you were never apart. The friends who will just pray for and with you. The friends who randomly send you encouraging text messages or emails. The friends who get excited with and for you. The friends who know your fears and weaknesses and still love you. The friends who are faithful and loyal no matter how ugly you may be at times. The friends who keep you focused and can bring a light in the dark. The friends who just with their presence can bring peace and joy. The friends who will do anything for you. 

Friendships are beautiful. Old and new. I enjoy them greatly. 

Don't take them for granted.

Don't be afraid of them. 

Embrace them. 

✌️

Welcome to springtime

It clearly is winter outside (being December)....but inside of my heart and soul, it is Springtime. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and there is a sweet smell in the air.

For the past 2 years I've been between winter/fall spiritually. It was like this huge weight that never left and my vision was clouded. And now all of a sudden, since about 3-4 weeks ago...that weight and cloud has been lifted. It's really difficult for me to explain what exactly is going on and what I'm feeling, but know that it is freeing and exciting. 

It's like I had forgotten what my relationship(intimacy) with God was like for the past 2 years and now all of sudden, things are back to how I know them to be. 

  The intimacy and presence of God that has always been so strong in my life, is here. My eyes see the complete love that The Lord is always lavishing upon me, I see once again how He is working out every little detail of my life and things around me. I am constantly being blown away and awed each day by my Sovereign Creator. The joy of The Lord truly is my strength.....and so much more...like I said, it's hard for me to explain and put into words for you. 

The best way to put it, I feel free. No more weights, no more clouds, just the relationship I have with Jesus is redeemed, back to where I know it to be and even stronger and better! 

  And all I can say, is Praise The Lord. bless His Holy name! 

  

Presence of The Lord

I've always assumed a happy feeling and happy emotions with the presence of God. Until just the other day, when I felt a way that was in all honesty, dreadful. But as I was journaling and processing, I began to wonder why the presence of God should feel happy....His presence is an incredible gift. And when He is mightily moving and the enemy is trying to stop what He is doing, of course that presence is not going to feel happy. It's going to feel heavy, scary, and frankly quite dreadful...

      My point....the presence of God is some light happy thing....it is a gift, that is real, and scary because God is so unbelievably Holy, that to be in the presence of Him, is a big weight at times. A weight that may not always feel the greatest, but one that I never want to take for granted; that the God of Creation, would come and live inside of me and live among a sinful people, and greater still, live inside of me.

"And an angel of The Lord appeared to them, and the glory of The Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear." Luke 2:9

"But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." Isaiah 8:13

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!" Psalm 33:8

"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods." Psalm 96:4

Falling in Love....

This is going to be short and really simple...

Falling in love with Jesus is one of my most favorite things to do in this world. And it's one thing that will last all of eternity. Yet I sometimes forget that I am being wooed by this amazing, Holy Creator, so I forget that I am falling in love with Him because I am overwhelmed by the weight of the world and the attacks of the enemy and my own sin.

UNTIL.....

I spend time with Jesus. I give Him my attention. I sit with Him. I worship Him. I walk with Him. I pray for others.....and the list could go on.

I forget, until I do the things that cause me to love Him more. Things that get my attention off of me, and onto what He is doing and who He is.

So I entreat you, brothers and sisters, figure out what causes you to fall more in love with Jesus Christ, and DO those things. Protect those times. Those gifts. Those relationships. Whatever it is.

Loving Jesus, and being loved by Jesus is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive. 

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and send His son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

I took a walk...

My favorite thing about taking walks (with Jesus), is seeing people on the street. Whether its just a smile, or a hello, a shoutout, or a hug and conversation from people u know. 

God's timing, is the best timing, and my favorite timing. God has got some pretty impeccable timing!

This morning I wanted to go on my walk earlier than I intended, but because of someone working in the basement of the house that I wasn't intending, I ended up waiting to go on my walk later. And on my walk later...I ran into people I don't see often at all and was able to talk with them and even walk a little ways with them. It seems like the smallest thing, but it is one of my favorite things, and if God hadn't worked it out for me to go on my walk later, I wouldn't have seen them on my walk and that just made my morning! 

So like I said, God's timing Is the best. It's perfect. In any and every matter of our lives. So whatever you are waiting for, HOPE and TRUST in the LORD'S timing! 

Fear of the LORD

It surprises me, that I still get surprised and chuckle at God when He answers my prayers. I asked him the other week to give me more of a fear of Him, because I feel like this is one area that I lack often, having a fear of God.

So here are some instances that are reminding me of how Powerful God really is, which has caused an utter awe and even a fear of Him...
   My pastor's son just passed away, I had just seen him a week before he died. The realization that God can and will take us whenever He see's fit, for whatever reason that we may not even know. One minute we are here, one minute we are not.
  Last night we had a big thunder storm. I sat outside beside the rain came pouring just watching the lightning and hearing the thunder. I jumped a couple times...once outside, once in my bed, and once in the middle of the night a clasp of thunder startled me in my sleep. I love absolutely love thunderstorms, but to be honest, I don't ever remember being this 'afraid' during a storm. My heart was beating so fast, I felt paralyzed and unafraid to move and I was wondering if I would even be able to sleep (but of course that was no problem for me in the end). I was SURE that there was going to be a tree down somewhere near my house by the sounds of the lightning striking something and the feel of the thunder under my feet and even inside my chest. Needless to say, I was in awe and made to see that God is ALL-POWERFUL and Sovereign over absolutely everything. The weight and depth of this, is penetrating my soul and causing me to fall in love with God so much more and to see him in a newer, more respected, more revered light!
   Then this morning, Im sitting on the porch (I really love to sit on our porch!) reading my John Piper devotions and what is it about....you guessed it....FEAR OF GOD! As soon as I read the title and the first verse, I just started smiling and chuckling!

This Fear of God, is a fear that draws us in to Him. It should not cause us to run away from Him, but to run TO Him!


'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." Exodus 20:20

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!" Psalm 33:8

"O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness, fear before him, all the earth." Psalm 96:9

"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence; and his children shall have a place of refuge." Proverbs 14:26

"The fear of the LORD tendeth to life; and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil." Proverbs 19:23

"The fear of man lays a snare; but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe." Proverbs 29:25



His creation responds to His Sovereignty, to His Power, His Words....and we are a part of that creation. How do we respond?

It has been quite a while since I have been on here....mostly due to the fact that my computer is failing me so I havent been able to use it for about 2 months...so now I get to hijack my generous roommates computer!

The past couple of days for me, have been incredible days. They have been productive, and full of Jesus, and joy. I have felt more of God, seen more of God, learned more, and experienced more joy in the last 2 weeks than I have in the previous few months.
   I had thought that the season that I was in was just hopeless, and me just being worn out and selfish...and it was partly that. But I'm realizing more and more, that there of course was a purpose and a goal in that season. What, I do not know. But I'm finally at peace and truly grateful for the past year, which I have been waiting for, for quite a while it seems. I feel like God is restoring the joy of my salvation, reviving my soul. I feel alive and warm, and not almost dead and cold. My perspectives are changing, my attitude still needs some major work, but i can see that changing as well. God is growing me, He HAS BEEN growing me, just in a way that I wasnt wanting and that I probably have been fighting.
  I love that life happens in seasons. And there are those seasons that are not so much fun...that feel really dry and you have no clue what's going on. But you just have to keep going, you have to endure. And then God breaks through. I needed to learn to endure, I still do, but I actually am starting to feel stronger. I know this is just the beginning, and these things take baby steps, but I just want to say again how grateful I am for each and every season of life. The good, the bad, the frustrating, the happy. God is good through it all, and Sovereign and LORD over it all. And I always have things I need to learn and areas I can grow in!

Life is exciting. Jesus is exciting. Love is worth enduring for. God's Kingdom is victorious.

This passage has been my go-to passage for this year. It is a very popular one, but it has meant so much to me this year, and its words go deep into the depths of my heart and into my intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

      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." Psalm 23