The Cure

People are not the cure to our brokenness. Sure, they may help us, they may put a smile on our faces, but they aren't the cure...yet I find myself living as if they are. Desiring attention, desiring love, desiring the company of friends, even desiring a sense of fame and accomplishment...these will never heal me. 

Yet what do I do? I find myself seeking a sense of worth through my relationships, through my social media likes, even my accomplishments, however small they may be. Some days I find myself seeking people as if the satisfaction of God's love could never fill me...as if I've never experienced the overflowing goodness of His love.

That's not to say we don't need people, because we do. We were not meant to walk this life alone. We were made for relationships, for community, to help lift each other up in our brokenness.

It's when our acceptance, our worth, our solution in all our brokenness, is found in people...that's when we never experience freedom.

Jesus and His incomparable love is the only cure. That's when our brokenness can turn into a broken chain.

Brokenness is a Beautiful Thing

image via Pinterest

Brokenness is a beautiful thing.

Yet it's often in our brokenness that we tend to run, and run far. We see ourselves to be beyond repair, too broken. We see all our hurts, our scars, our failures, our tears. Our heart cries out for something more, yet we turn to everything and everyone but the Healer of hurts to satisfy us, to cover up the pain.

But that is often where Jesus meets us. Oh how thankful I am that He meets us in our brokenness! He doesn't use the strong and mighty, the powerful and able-bodied, to do His work. He finds the imperfect, the prodigals, the brokenhearted--and He forms something beautiful.

That's just who God is. He makes beautiful things out of dust. He breathes his Spirit of perfection into sin-filled hearts. He sees the holy blood of His Son in place of all our imperfections.

And so we lift up our brokenness to Him. It's in this place of hurts and tears that He whispers to us His promises, reminding us of His constant presence. It's in this place of weakness that we breathe in the strength of God, in our place of defeat that we discover His victory.

It's in this place of brokenness that we come face to face with the unending love of God, the love that wraps us in His beautiful grace, the love that leaves the ninety-nine in order to bring just the one wanderer home.

People may fail us, things may fail, we may fail. But this love will never fail us. This love is strong enough to bring the dead back to life. To lift up humble, beaten down hearts to a place of security and healing.

To show Himself through our broken lives, and bring our brokenness to a place of beauty.

Brokenness is a beautiful thing.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

My Heart's Only Cry

Rid me of impatience,

of fear,

of emptiness.

Replace it with Your healing love.

Let my desires align with Yours, Lord,

and let my only aim be Your glory,

a life lived for You.

May my heart's only cry be for You alone.

More Than A Genie

How amazing is it that God actually gives us Himself? The infinite, glorious, spectacular, and altogether lovely God of the universe is all ours. --Jefferson Bethke

A relationship with God isn’t a relationship at all if we’re only after what God can give us.

We turn to God and expect Him to answer our every need. We call Him faithful and good when He does those very things, and rightly we should. But a relationship with God isn’t about what He can give us, but about loving Him for who He is—our God, our Savior, our Father. When we stop treating God like He’s a genie in a bottle and start embracing a relationship with Him, we discover a joy that will remain even when everything is taken from us. We learn to still love God and we grow in our relationship with Him because we know that the things of this world, and the trials we face, do not define or shift the character of God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will not leave us or forsake us. His love for us will never end.


What kind of loving relationship exists when two people only care about what they can get from their significant other? It’s shallow. There’s no love for the other person, no care or desire to grow deeper in their relationship. 

So it is with God. Yes, He is our Provider, but that’s just an added bonus to getting to know Him through a deep, daily walk. When we truly get to know Him for who He is, rather than what we can get, we discover a prize that is beyond anything we could ever ask for.

This Single Woman's Aim

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. 1 Cor. 7:34

Wow. God really pulled at my heart a few days ago as I stumbled upon this verse. As a single woman, I have so much opportunity before me, yet this is a reminder that my ultimate concern should not be about the opportunities offered in this world, but that of the opportunities only found in God and in pursuing His kingdom.

So I switched out the beginning of this verse with the replacement of "single woman," just to continue to shed light on exactly what this verse means for this period of my life as a single:

A [ single woman ] is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.

With a dating relationship, and ultimately marriage, the focus isn't fully on God, but on the other person as well. But as a single, my focus can and should be entirely on Him!

So, I choose to be single. I choose to view this time as a gift and to not rush into a relationship.

The world says that singleness is a curse, but God says that it is a blessing. It is a short-lived period of life where I can grow closer and closer to my Lord and Savior each day. I can serve Him. I can get to know Him better. I can continue to seek Him about the path He has for my life.

And if the right guy comes along, in step with God's leading, then what a beautiful moment that will be!

But until then, it is my prayer that my only aim would be full devotion to the Lord in both body and spirit.

That He would be my everything.

That He would be enough.

That's this single woman's aim!

There's a Hole in My Heart

There's a hole in my heart, and my heart yearns for it to be filled. I am discontent, weary, impatient. I am desperate for satisfaction, so I turn to every possible source of this world. Success, love, busyness--these things work at first. I feel a sense of purpose, a sense of contentment, but this feeling is only temporary. No matter where I turn or who I meet, I only become more dissatisfied. My contentment diminishes as I seek to fill this hole. My perspective is altered as my focus shifts to what can satisfy this heart of mine, what can fill the void.

I seemingly forget, in the midst of all this, that there is only One who can fill that hole in my heart.

And His name is Jesus.

Every ounce of dissatisfaction is dissolved in the arms of Jesus Christ. His sweet embrace sweeps me away with a love that is so much greater than anything this world could offer. Jesus brings purpose. Jesus brings contentment. All the things and ways of this world will fade, but He will always remain.

I'm learning to rest in that. I'm learning to trust in that. This hole in my heart was not meant to be filled by the temporal. It was meant to be filled by the love of Jesus. We are all meant to walk in communion with God. He wants to be in relationship with me. He wants to be in relationship with you.

My yearning heart can only be satisfied with His perfect love. That love is chasing after me, and it's chasing after you. Stop running!

Don't Lose Faith

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. Romans 4:20-21

Maybe your circumstances do not appear like they will be changing anytime soon.  Maybe you're praying, and waiting, and seeking God about something, and it looks as if nothing will happen. Maybe you're beginning to believe that God won't come through as He has promised, that He won't finish what He has begun---

don't lose faith.
keep praying. keep seeking. keep knocking. keep trusting.

He has the power to "meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19--a timely message I happened to hear in a pizza shop today!). He has the power to do the impossible. He has the power to open the door you've been knocking on, as well as to close the doors that need to be shut.

He has the power to do what He has promised: to finish what He has begun.

This is truth I'm hanging onto.

Your prayers ARE being heard.
Don't lose faith!

Be Grateful For The Manna

"I really don't feel like doing this today"

"It's going to be way too stressful to work a part time job and be a full time college student"

"This video training is going to be so boring"


The complaints kept coming. It was the first day of my first job--video training day. Up until that day, I was pretty excited, but in those moments of the car ride there alongside my mother, the words kept slipping out of my mouth. Negativity filled the air. Grumble, grumble, complain, complain. It was as if I lost all gratitude, all excitement.

As if this job was a curse, rather than a blessing.

It's so easy to do that, isn't it? I'm generally pretty positive and seek to avoid complaining, but some days, it happens. Once the words start coming, it's like the domino effect from there. One complaint leads to many more complaints. All appreciation of God's provision is lost.

At first, I stepped into my workplace and forgot the ugly attitude I was wearing in the car ride there.  Once I began watching the videos, it wasn't long before God took hold of my heart and reminded me of how I was acting. In that moment, I could hear His still, small voice whispering: You were acting like the Israelites. Wasn't this job an answer to your prayers? Wasn't this job a provision from me, a provision even beyond what you expected?

In that moment, I was convicted of acting just like the Israelites did, after God rescued them from their enslavement in Egypt and provided food--manna--for them. Yet they began to complain that they were sick and tired of eating manna all the time. He provided, yet they grumbled:

“If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” Numbers 11:4-6

Seems like the Israelites were forgetting the days of misery they experienced in Egypt. They weren't remembering the complaints they spoke when God first rescued them, when they didn't have any food to eat. Yet God provided. They saw through eyes of dissatisfaction, rather than of gratitude.

Image via Pinterest

I realized that was me too. This job was not only provided by God, but happened in a way that pointed to His amazing power and love. I had been praying for insight about a part time job for many months, yet the offer basically came to me at the end of my 21-day fast at the beginning of this year. And not only did I get the job, but the provision and pace was beyond what I would have ever expected! Dissatisfaction, maybe a little anxiety, crept in and stole the excitement and joy out of my heart.

Where God guides, He provides. He guided me to this job, He provided me with this job, and He's going to strengthen me through this job!

In that moment of conviction, I asked for forgiveness. How silly of me to forget all that the Lord has done and grumble about His provision!

And in fact, the first few days I've experienced so far have been so enjoyable.

It happens. And it will happen again.

Philippians 2:14-15 says to "do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.'"

It's easy to view the "manna" in our lives as anything but a blessing.

Look through the lens of gratitude instead. It takes intentionally choosing to look at our situations as provisions from God.  But when we do, we will not only walk in joy, but in the satisfaction of knowing that He is in control, and will lead us through!

Who Is Jesus?

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Who is Jesus?

Ask any historian and they'll tell you He walked on this earth.

It's a historical fact.

He walked among us, ate with the "sinners", even went to the cross.

It's up to us to determine who He truly is. Is He really the Son of God? The One who performed miracle after miracle, who has even been reported to have risen from the dead?

And if you decide that He's not who He says He is, then who is He? A crazy man? Just a really good person? A model teacher?

You decide. If Jesus is who He says He is, that means life change. That means He died on the cross out of His own will. That means that He had all the power to take Himself off that cross, yet He didn't because He came to this earth to accomplish a specific purpose--to take the punishment for sin that WE deserve. He died because He loves us. And then He demonstrated this very power when He rose from the grave and defeated death!

It means that we can have a personal relationship with God. That's life change.

Who is Jesus? It's up to you to determine.

At The Appointed Time

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time and Sarah will have a son. Genesis 18:14


At first glance, Abraham's story looks far from my reality. An old couple, unable to have kids (yet they eventually do!). A righteous man who has conversations with God like they're the best of friends. A guy who has been chosen to become the "father of many nations". If you're anything like me, you might be thinking, "Yep, definitely doesn't relate to my life." But God opened my eyes today to just how relatable his story actually is to my circumstances.

You see, Abraham and Sarah couldn't have a child, but God promised Abraham he eventually would have a son, and that his descendants would be as numerous "as the stars in the sky". Abraham's faith is pretty inspiring. But his wife Sarah, upon hearing God's words that at that time the following year they would have a child, laughed. How can a woman, past the age of childbearing, give birth and then, to top it all off, raise a child? Would God really provide a child after so many years? Oftentimes we may relate to her lack of faith.

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It's hard to imagine the provision when it's nowhere in sight right now. It requires faith. Sometimes we may desire something so much that we turn to our own strength and power to bring that provision, but our reliance on ourselves and our own timetables results in us missing out on God's best for our lives. He loves us so much that He has delightfully and thoughtfully crafted a plan for each one of us, and it's through His divine appointments, His perfect times, that His gifts, His provisions, and His best plans for us will fall into place. When we rush His timing and bring along our desires now through our own doing, we miss out, and our plans will likely end in destruction in the end (this happened to Abraham and Sarah as well, as they decided to bring along their own child through Hagar, the maidservant, and this led to a lot of bitterness, mistreatment, and ultimately destruction).

In fact, God revealed this very concept not only through Genesis, but when I happened to pick up the book "Jesus Calling" and read the devotion for today:

Much, much stress results from your wanting to make things happen before their times have come. One of the main ways I assert my sovereignty is in the timing of events. If you want to stay close to Me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward moment by moment. Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace. (Sarah Young)


Wow. Let Him set the pace.

This couldn't have come at better timing. And the fact that I read this within the same hour as reading Genesis continues to show the essence of God's timing. He has set up divine appointments in each of our lives. He has placed the right people in the right places at the right times, all for a specific purpose that goes far beyond a plan that we can see.

Maybe you're like me and you're praying for guidance and direction about several things regarding your future, and it seems like God's provision isn't coming. Trust in His plans. He has already set up people, places, and events that will occur in His right timing. Have faith that at the appointed time, God will provide direction for your life.

Maybe you're single and you're waiting on that guy or girl to come into your life. Your prayers don't seem to be going much farther than your bedroom ceiling. Don't give up. Have faith that at the appointed time, God will bring that person into your life. His plans are bigger than you can see.

Maybe you've been praying for a length of time for a particular miracle: of healing, of finances, of a restored marriage, of a provision (maybe even a child, like Abraham and Sarah!). God told Abraham and Sarah that at the appointed time, that child would come, and sure enough, He is faithful to His Word. Trust that for you too, that provision will come at the appointed time. He is our Provider, our Healer, our Counselor, our Creator. He can do the seemingly impossible: restore sight to the blind, cure the incurable, raise the dead to life! Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for God. It may not be the provision you were expecting, but He works for the good of those who love Him, and He will carry out His plans according to His perfect timing.



He is orchestrating events, placing people, and directing you to the right places, all according to His appointed times, His perfect plan. There are no such thing as coincidences when it comes to God. Have faith that wherever He has you right now, He is faithful to His Word. Let Him set the pace. He will provide at the appointed time!

Trust & Go: The Year 2016

2016. //

I am convinced that if you will wait for the Lord's timing and the Lord's provision, you will experience the truth that "God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Gerard Long in "Awakening to God")

Oh, how chilling it was to read these words, among pages of my own journaling, during the first month of the year! I began 2016 seeking God more than ever before through a 21-day social media fast, which quickly transformed into a month long break. Never before have I experienced what I experienced during that month. God did some crazy amazing things: answering prayers, revealing over and over the same messages and Scriptures, drawing me closer to Him, and even preparing me for probably the greatest tragedy I've ever experienced thus far in my lifetime: the loss of my grandmother. Losing her was a horrible experience and one that made this year probably the toughest one yet, but I stand today stating with full confidence that I would not have been able to handle this tough loss in my life if it weren't for the Lord preparing my heart during that fast.

I asked God to reveal a word or two during this fast that would define my 2016, and by the end of the month, He sure did! Through all the trials during the fast, as well as my constant prayers and concerns about my future with college/a career path, God put the word "trust" in my head not long after the fast began. He revealed again and again that I was in a waiting season, and that He would not delay to provide His best and to reveal the next step for my future at HIS timing. I just had to trust that He is in control, that He is on the throne no matter what comes my way.

But He didn't stop with the word "trust". Seemingly in every book, daily devotion, everywhere I read, the word "go" would pop up! He surely seemed to be calling me to go and make a difference this year: to pray for and reach out to the lost, to stand up and be bold, to let go of my fears/shyness, and to walk out in faith and fulfill the calling He has for me. To go and LOVE on people!

Sure enough, He moved in crazy ways during my 2016. He revealed my career path an hour before the fast would end, and slowly but surely guided me to the college I would attend during the following year. Concerts, prom, and fun events filled the concluding months of my senior year. He spoke to my heart about writing letters to children in poverty through the Compassion program (something that ended up happening only through the hand of God!). Multiple scholarships were provided, and at the last minute, after praying every week of my senior year, I was announced salutatorian of my high school class. This was something that I asked God only to provide if I could bring glory to Him, and if I would be able to handle the fears accompanying speaking in front of several thousand people on graduation night, and sure enough, He provided the words, the peace, and all that I needed! Lots of speaking and opportunities to leave my comfort zone seemed to encompass much of the last few months of my senior year.

Summertime brought a season filled with lots of fun memories and unforgettable trips, a busy summer that I'm not at all used to having! Theme park fun for a friend's birthday, a graduation getaway with a different friend aboard the Disney Cruise, attending my church's Freedom Fest concert with a new friend of mine, and meeting up with a close, godly friend and her family for the third time ever (we originally met online!) in her home state of West Virginia brought a summer of not only a ton of fun but one that also brought me out of my comfort zone once again, forcing me to place more and more of my trust in Him! It was a summer of transition, a short but memorable season between the high school and college years, that I will never forget.

Sure enough, the college years would begin, and I would find myself at the local college I was already attending during my junior and senior years of high school through the dual enrollment program. While God revealed throughout the year that I was being called to finish there for my AA degree before I transfer to a university, I did not feel confident until I actually began the semester. An extremely heavy workload made it the toughest semester yet, but the experiences I was able to have and the ways God moved assured my wondering heart that I was where He was calling me to be. Having classes with some of my closest friends, as well as meeting and interacting with new people (as well as people from the past) made the experience at the college itself an exciting time. I really began to overcome a lot of fear and shyness this semester, as I took on the challenge to love others, and worked on making time to say hello and engage in conversation with those in my path. While I spent the majority of the semester studying and doing homework, as well as in the classroom, I spent my Fridays dog sitting, and one weekend in particular, I attended a Meredith Andrews concert. This was totally another provision from the Lord, as I won a pair of VIP tickets through a radio station on an exact day where I had less homework, and more of an opportunity to go. While the crowd attending this event was tiny, the concert was probably the most impactful one I've experienced yet! God continued to speak to me about waiting on Him about certain situations in my life, and about letting go so I could fully seek Him. What I loved most about this semester though is the Bible study group I began to lead with a few friends on campus, and how God has been moving through that. He called me to "go" this year, and it didn't hit me until recently that He's been helping me do just that!

These are a few of just the big things God has provided in my life this year. It's been a tough, stressful year for my family and I, but nonetheless, there has been so much good as well. I've grown so much in my relationship with God, and have learned to trust in Him and depend on Him more than ever before, but there were also days where I stumbled, days where He wasn't my everything and days where I didn't feel any closer to Him. It's during these moments that I'm so grateful for the grace and love of Jesus Christ, which He so willingly gifted to each one of us when He laid down His life on the cross.

Wow, what a year! Looking back, I'm in awe of what God has done around me, in me, and through me these past twelve months. His still, small whispers of "trust" and "go" clearly defined this year in ways I never would've imagined. I cannot wait to see what He has in store in 2017!

It Was An Ordinary Night

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  
Luke 2:16



It was an ordinary night, in an ordinary stable, filled with the ordinary smells of any common barn. Two ordinary people living an ordinary life. Just some ordinary shepherds out in the fields, tending to their flock and doing their ordinary work. Everything about that first Christmas night was ordinary, except for the baby lying in the manger.

You see, that baby would one day grow up to be anything but ordinary. He would be conceived in the womb of a virgin. After thirty years of life, He would leave His ordinary job as a carpenter and take up His ministry. He would perform miracle after miracle, healing the blind, the lame, the sick, and the hurting. Despite that He was the King of kings who left His Heavenly position to become one of us in this broken world, He lived as a humble servant, seeking to fill the needs of others rather than be served Himself. He would one day die the worst of deaths on the cross. Beaten, bruised, crushed, and killed, He died so that we could live. He died because He loves us with a love that is greater than any pain, greater than even death itself. He died because that is the reason He dressed in flesh and walked onto this earth. But the most extraordinary thing about this extraordinary King was not only His willingness to die for the sins of mankind, despite that He had all the power to take Himself off the cross. It was that death could not keep the Son of God down. In three days, He would rise again. In three days, He would declare victory over the grave.

This man was anything but ordinary, yet He came into this world in the most ordinary of settings. And the same goes for each of our lives today. Just like God showed up in the most extraordinary way through some ordinary people in some ordinary places, He also shows up in the ordinary parts of our lives. We may doubt His presence, and be blinded to His movement. We may feel like our lives lack purpose, that our brokenness is more than we can bear, or that God is not doing anything through us. Yet God uses the ordinary to create the extraordinary. He uses ordinary people like a young girl named Mary, some shepherds in a field, and people like me and you. He uses the ordinary places you encounter on a regular basis to fulfill His plan and His purpose. He shows up in our most broken moments, moving in our hearts and collecting every tear. When we don't feel like He is moving, He is doing more than we realize. When we doubt His presence, He is alive and moving all around us. When we forget that He has a plan, He is in the process of fulfilling His master plan for our lives.

God uses the ordinary to create the extraordinary. Whoever you are, in whatever situation you are in, He is moving. He can do amazing things through you and around you, whether you are sitting at a classroom desk, working at your job site, or just doing the simple, mundane tasks around the house. All the little, ordinary things in your life are a part of a purpose that only He can see.

That baby lying in a dirty stable was God's extraordinary plan in the most ordinary of places, through the most ordinary of people. Without Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the stable, even the full inn and the fields the shepherds worked in, the Christmas story would not be the same. God used each of these people and places in accordance with His perfect plan. Trust that He can use the ordinary to create the extraordinary in your life too!

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are... 1 Corinthians 1:28

A Semester as an Ethics Student: Truth in a Moral Relativist World

The fall semester is over, and what a journey it has been! Despite an extremely heavy workload, I have had such an enjoyable experience at the college this semester, from fun times with friends to interesting classes to the ways that God has showed up and moved in an unbelievable manner. It has been a blessing! Not only that, my faith has grown, and this growth is of course attributed to the ways God has worked on my heart and to daily personal time with Him, but also in other ways as well. One such way is my Contemporary Ethics class. 

It's unusual to take a college class and walk away with a strengthened faith, but this semester has been anything but usual, and I am so grateful that I decided to take this class despite the fears that accompanied me walking in. Ethics is ultimately a class about morality, and learning how to use modes of reasoning to back up a particular stance in a contemporary ethical issue. My fabulous professor covered a different ethical issue each week in class, after we read the text and wrote our essays backing up our stance on each issue. Of course having to write a paper pretty much every week usually meant me cramming to write it the night before/morning of, as my schedule was booked solid with papers, homework assignments, and tests on a weekly basis, but nonetheless, my writing skills grew, and my ability to reason and to reason well strengthened significantly. 

So, with that being said, I figured I'd share some things I've learned in this class that may just strengthen and grow your faith too!

1. I've learned that morality cannot be discussed without God, as God is the ultimate standard of morality.

At the beginning of the semester, we had to write a paper discussing our moral compass and worldview in the process of making moral decisions. Here's a portion of that paper, and what I have held onto when taking a stance on each ethical issue throughout the semester:


    In a world driven by constant change and independent thought, the standard of morality is too often considered temporary and subjective. People forget what they know to be true and turn to the idea that what is wrong for one person could be right for another, or vice versa. However, this idea of subjectivism is dangerous. My moral compass is rooted in the ways and character of Jesus Christ; without having a Biblical worldview, a true standard does not exist in evaluating whether a choice is morally right or wrong.
    Under this worldview, God created Heaven and earth, and mankind was formed in His image. There are moral laws that God commands for His people to obey, but due to the first sin of Adam and Eve, the world is now sin-filled and broken. No one is considered righteous in the sight of God through their own doing, because every single person has disobeyed His moral law at some point. Thus, Jesus left His high position in Heaven and humbled Himself, coming into this world as a human. He died the most horrible of deaths on the cross, not because He did anything wrong, but because He took the punishment that every other human deserves as a result of sin. Three days later, He rose again, declaring Himself the Son of God and defeating sin and death. Everyone can be forgiven and made righteous in the sight of God, but only through Jesus and what He has done.
    When facing a moral decision, many turn to their own version of what morality, or truth, is to them. But, truth doesn’t differ from person to person, but is one Person: Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The ultimate standard of morality, Jesus is the only One who has never done wrong. He is the only One who has ever walked this earth in holiness and who can completely obey God’s law. It is only through Him that God sees me as righteous and “morally good”. He is the standard of perfection. His righteousness covers my own unrighteousness.
    Therefore, my ethical decision making is dependent upon who Jesus is, and what God says is morally right. I am not considered “righteous” or “morally good” in God’s eyes by what I believe is morally right or wrong, or by my own works. Morality is not subjective; it is not up to me to decide what morality is, but it has already been determined through God’s law, which is found in the holy Word of God. So, I should seek to obey God’s law, even though I’m bound to disobey His commands; Jesus died for me so I could be forgiven when I do. Thus, in the face of making moral choices, I turn to the Bible, a reflection of the only standard of morality, Jesus Christ. I ask myself: “In this situation, what would honor the Lord and most imitate the character of Christ? What would Jesus do? What does the Bible say about this particular decision?”.


Ethical relativism has become the norm of this world. Truth is no longer absolute, and sin is justified because of the idea that "what is wrong for one person may be right for another". I've learned that the truth of morality can only be found in Jesus, and I've grown more on fire about standing up for truth in a moral relativist world!


2.  I've learned that ethical decisions are not always black and white. They involve searching the Scriptures, and seeking the heart of GOD. 

Some ethical issues and moral decisions are clearly black and white. It's easy to state in the case of abortion that taking the life of a baby in the womb is absolutely wrong, as even before the moment of conception, God has thoughtfully and carefully designed a plan for our lives, and surely considers each person a human who has value and who has a future filled with His amazing plans. However, issues like the practice of capital punishment were not so much a black and white matter. It's in these big ethical issues, along with the little moral decisions we must make on an everyday basis, that we must search the Scriptures and seek God and His heart and ways. It's not always black and white, as morality can get complicated. But we can view these moments of having to make a difficult decision as an opportunity to learn God's ways more fully and to seek Him to understand what He desires for our lives.


 3. I've learned why I believe what I believe, and the viewpoints of others.

This class has opened my mind to the sticky issues of morality and what others believe about certain ethical issues. It has allowed me to understand the viewpoints of others and to be able to fully support my reasoning for why I believe what I believe, and to be able to share that with others! It is so important to research, but not just research your side of an issue. Research it fully. If you're pro life, research the issue of abortion completely. Understand why you're pro life, and why others are pro choice. Examine the problem at large. And of course, this goes back to point 2, which involves searching the Scriptures and seeking the ways of God...again and again and again! We ended the class with an ethical topic of our choice, and as a shelter volunteer and animal lover, I ended up writing and presenting the issue of animal welfare/rights. Because of my research and studying of the Scriptures, my perspective of the idea of animal rights completely changed, and I continued to grow more passionate about the welfare and ethical treatment of animals. It's amazing what a little research can do!

It's a faith enriching process to be able to back up your beliefs, and to understand where others are coming from. I'm grateful to leave this semester with a greater understanding of many of the big ethical issues in our nation and world, to know why I believe what I believe, and to have grown in my knowledge of the Word, of my understanding of God, and in the thought processes of others. If you're in college (or if they offer it in high school), take an ethics class. Regardless, research the ethical issues at large! This class has been a call to researching the ethical issues that pop up in my life or when advising others who are facing ethical decisions, and to be able to hold fast to knowing and sharing TRUTH in a moral relativist world.

The Love Challenge

I prayed a bold prayer.

Lord, let me share Your light, make an impact on and off campus for You, and take every opportunity to love and serve others, for Your glory.

On the first day of this college semester, I took on a challenge. I asked God for His divine help in sharing His love and light this semester. I asked Him to move through me and use me to make a difference at His will, for His glory. This is a bold prayer, especially for a quiet eighteen year old girl like me. However, I learned from my experience throughout high school that I didn't want to keep to myself anymore and live a life of going through the motions. I didn't want to just attend school for the education and work myself to the extent that I miss the amazing opportunity God has placed before me to love His creation.

So, as I began my first semester as a full time college student, I was determined to change my mindset this semester. I decided to take the challenge of intentionally loving and serving others. It started with surrender. Then, as God has been placing opportunities across my path, however small they may be, I have been able to take on this challenge.

I'm not doing anything that big or noticeable. My heart just yearns to change this world, but one girl like me cannot do it on her own. However, making a difference in just one life is one step closer to a changed world. Just one smile, one hello, one conversation, one act of service (even just holding the door open), could make an impact that is beyond what I could ever imagine. It sounds simple, and it doesn't sound like I'm doing much. And maybe not. But I believe that God can use even a smile to brighten up the day of a person who is hurting. Just one conversation could encourage someone in whatever they are facing. Just my own personal Bible study with a few friends, even without the group increasing in size, could inspire or encourage just one person walking by.

I long to be an example of love in a world of hatred and discrimination and judgment and evil. And I believe it starts with being intentional with the small acts of love.

God has been getting me through. He is helping me overcome my shyness, so much so that I've been become the most outgoing that I've ever been in my entire life. However, I've also made mistakes. Some weeks, I forget the challenge. Fear overtakes me, and shyness slowly starts creeping back in again. I forget to take advantage of the opportunities God lays before me to love.

An overload of guilt overtakes me later, as I begin wishing I could go back and redo the day over. But it's during these times that I'm reminded to take on the challenge again. That it's not too late to start spreading His love again.

Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, with whoever you're with, you can make a difference in the lives of others. It starts with taking on the challenge of intentionally loving and serving others, and asking God for His help.


He can use even a smile and a wave to flip a day around. He can use the smallest act of service for Him to change the world.

Just a small act of kindness can make a difference!
Will you take on the Love Challenge?



James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself', you are doing right.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else...

Already at Work

...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31



 

In the midst of the waiting season, God is already at work. He's going before us, paving the path. He's shutting doors that need to be closed and pushing open doors that need to be opened. He's stirring in hearts, moving in lives, and making the way for victory. He hears every word of every prayer we pray...even when it feels like He's nowhere to be found.

His movement may not be noticeable right now. This waiting season may seem like it's never going to end. Life may seem as if it is never going to change. God's voice may seem silent and our prayers unanswered. 

But don't give up! The second you pray a single word, God hears. He's already at work. He begins to open and close doors, move in lives, and make straight the path.

And it may never make sense. Why we went through what we went through. Why God seemed to disappear when life was at its worst. Why we're having to wait for such a long period for whatever it is we're waiting on.

We don't see the big picture. But God does. He knows what is best for us, even when it may never make sense to us. His purposes and His plans are greater than we can ever imagine. When we don't see a purpose, He sees purpose. When we don't see a plan unfolding, He sees a plan that has been so carefully drawn out, so thoughtfully designed. 

You may wonder why God has you where He has you. You may wonder why God hasn't revealed to you what to do next. You may wonder what God is doing, as the people in your life move in and out. 

We don't always see a purpose accompanying the people, places, and events surrounding our lives. But God does. He's gone before us, He stands behind us, and He's always by our side. 

In the waiting season of my own life, God has been opening and closing doors, faithfully answering my prayers yet still not clearly showing me what to do about certain things at the present time. However, He's been reminding me to trust in His timing--His perfectly designed timing. He's been asking me to seek Him.

Because when we place our hope in the Lord, when we completely seek Him during the waiting season, our strength will be renewed. Our patience will be restored. The fire in our hearts for Him will be revived. We will discover this newfound strength, this freedom, that can only be found through Jesus Christ. Such a strength allows us to soar like an eagle, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not be faint. This strength is where we find peace and joy and an energy that can only come from Jesus.

I still don't know all the answers, but I do know this: God is working. I don't know what the next steps are, but I do know that He's already making straight the path. In the meantime, I'm going to strengthen myself in Him in the season He's put me in right now. I'm going to find my energy and joy and peace and full strength in Jesus, even when college life has been giving me five to six hours of sleep a night and things get stressful. And oh, has He given me energy! It's been unreal.

I'm going to seek Him with all my heart in the waiting season.  

He's already at work.

Life Is Full Of Transitions

Life is full of transitions.


As soon as we get comfortable, as soon as everything seemingly starts to appear firm in its place, things change. We meet new people. We begin doing new things. New opportunities come. Maybe it's a switch in job, a switch in school, or a switch in home. Or maybe it's something you'd rather not lose or gain. Maybe you wish things could be like they once were.

Or maybe you're like me and just finished high school. My life is nothing less than a major transitional period right now. Tomorrow is the first day of college, and while I'm so grateful to have this opportunity of a college education and to be able to stay at home for the next year in order to finish up at the college I was already attending during my high school years (I was a dual enrollment student), life is still hard. This is a period of change, of growing up, of becoming independent.

I'm excited for this change but I'm also nervous. I wish life would slow down a little. I wish I could take a breath and experience life as it is right now, but things are just moving so quickly that I feel like it's easy to go through the motions and never really experience life at its fullest.

But as much as I wish life would slow down, life is life. It's full of transitions, it's full of unexpected situations and circumstances, but it's also full of opportunity. 

So, as I transition into this next part of my life, as I hope to grow into this woman that God intends for me to be, it is my hope and my prayer that I not only watch out and embrace opportunity (as the Lord surely has good plans and opportunities coming in my life!), but that I keep the foundation of my life in the only One who will never change.

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Jesus said: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:24-27)

In a life of transition, when everything is seemingly moving and changing at a speed so fast, Jesus says to build our "house", our life, on the rock. Jesus is the Solid Rock, the firm foundation. He will not change. Building our "house" on the "sand" (whether it's for fame or popularity, wealth, success, relationships, or anything else we may live life for) will just lead to an eventual crash.

In a life of transition, Jesus will not change. 

So as I walk into college tomorrow, as I finish up one of the best, relaxing summers of my life as a high school graduate, as I continue to face this transitional period of my life...

let Jesus be the foundation, the one thing who will not change. Let me embrace the opportunity and the plans He has for my life and let me be willing to grow into this woman that obeys and honors Him in all things.



Life is full of transitions. 

But Jesus? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

To Live Like A Cell Phone

The day begins. After a long night of being plugged into the wall, my cell phone is fully charged and ready for the day ahead. It's a daily activity that must be done. As we all know, once the battery has lost complete charge, the phone turns off. It reaches a point of complete shut down.

Via Wireless Revolution

Oftentimes, I spend way too much time on my phone during the day and before long, it dies much earlier than planned. Overworked and used more than it should've been, it only lasts a few hours before it quits. It was in one of these moments that the Lord revealed this truth to my life.

You see, just like anything else in life, cell phones only have battery life for so long. Whether it's nonstop work for several hours, or off-and-on throughout the day, the phone will quit at some point. And cell phones aren't the only examples. Cars must be refilled with gas, because at some point, they run out and will quit working. Even the light bulbs in our bedrooms won't last. Eventually, we have to replace, or the rooms lack light.


Cell phones, cars, even the light in our homes are not made to last forever. Constantly worked, even these simple, everyday objects need a recharge. They need to be refilled. They need replacement.
Isn't it the same way in life? We may seek to accomplish as much as possible. With a constant busyness surrounding our lives, we hope to do more, more, more, in as little time as possible. Our days are constantly on the go.

Our schedules are overbooked. At first, we may truly feel like we can do it all. Consumed with energy and enthusiasm, we may dive into our busy schedules with success and focus. But before long, we begin to miss out on the small things that matter most. It's not long before our energy begins to decrease and our motivation diminishes. It's not long until we hit the trials and the struggles of life.

We hit rock bottom.

Our battery level is at 10 percent in so much shorter of a time than we ever could have imagined. Overworked and tired beyond measure, our hearts are heavy. We feel as if we have nowhere to turn. Struggles overtake us, and it's hard to see beyond the challenges.

Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). 
 
We are not called to live in constant busyness, by our own strength, in our handmade overbooked schedules. It's in these times that we begin to live in the motions. And it's in these times that our batteries eventually need recharge. 


Jesus calls us to so much more.
 
When the batteries of our lives are a few percentages away from shutting down, He is reaching out. His hand is ready and waiting. We need recharge, refill, replacement. He brings rest to our weary souls and hope to our burdened hearts. In the midst of tragedy, when we feel as if we're nothing but swallowed up in the hurts and constant busyness of life, Jesus calls us to be like cell phones. 
 
To plug into the wall of His presence.
 
Because when we cast our cares on Him and call upon the name of the One who sacrificed His life for us, we will realize the ultimate care and compassion He has for His children. When we tap into the rest that only our God can give, we will not only be filled with the strength and power that rose Jesus from the grave in the midst of our weakness, but we will find that taking the time to rest can actually be so much more satisfying than working ourselves to the point of brokenness. 
 
We all need recharge, refill, replacement. Hand your heavy heart over to Him, and let His grace consume your worn soul today. 
 
All you who are weary and burdened, come to Him. Tap into the power that only He can bring. He promises rest. And He never fails to fulfill His promises!

Embrace It (My Curly Hair Life)

So, I've had curly hair for all my life. When I was a baby, I was practically bald. Hair eventually started to grow but it was a prolonged process. And when it did grow, it was boy-length even in the first few years of elementary school.

There was a period in my life that I wished to be like every other girl. To have hair that was straight, and long, and would constantly grow.

However, I've come to a realization in the past few years.

Now, I wouldn't want my hair any differently.

Yes, it would be easier and maybe more manageable, even the norm, to have straight hair. But my curly hair is a blessing. It's what makes me...me. People pay money to have curly hair like my own. But most importantly, it's part of God's artwork. When He designed me, He counted every curl that would be on my head. He made them so curly that they would bounce back in place as soon as a single strand was pulled. He saw the curls He had made and said: "Wow. This is beautiful."

And if I were to ever lose my hair, I would be devastated. Completely devastated.

Of course my routine looks different than most people. I can't brush my hair dry. I have to wet my hair using a water bottle every morning, and then I can brush through. I have to use Mousse or there will be frizz galore. My curls have a mind of its own, so I can't exactly plan how my hair is going to look. Humidity and curls don't get along well. Not to mention that the longer my hair grows, the more it curls! So no 'real' haircuts have ever taken place in my entire life. Just trimming the dead ends. For years, my hair has appeared shoulder length, and so it's pretty much always down.

But these are the things that makes me me. These are the things that I would miss if I were to lose my curls forever. These are the things that I'm used to.

I've learned to love and to embrace my curly hair. My beautiful, cute curls. The way they make me stand out. The way I'm instantly remembered by people. The way they bounce and just the beauty of them...all the time.

Whatever makes you you, embrace it. Your hair, your nose, your smile, your body shape, your laugh, your freckles or dimples, your voice--all these things are a part of the great design that the Ultimate Artist thought up.

Don't wish for these things to leave your life. Don't look at your neighbor's grass, because the grass is always going to look greener on the other side. Instead, water your own grass. Begin to see yourself the way that God has made you to be. You are special and beautiful. He planned a design that would only fit you and your life. You are unique. You are loved.

Let's shove comparison and low self esteem out the door and let this be a reminder of how beautiful you are!

As the famous Dr. Seuss said, "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you."

Image via Pinterest

Head up, gorgeous.

Embrace who you are. It's what makes you you.

That's what I've learned. Today, I love my curls!

Ginny Stephens Photography

I Do What I Do Not Want To Do

Note: I encourage you to take the time to read Romans 7:7-25 today. I stumbled across this passage this week, as it was the next Scripture for the online Bible study I'm a part of, and it couldn't have been better timing. This is truth: the truth about me, the truth about you, the truth about humanity. But it is also the truth about Jesus. The truth about the hope that is available for both me and you. For all of humanity.

As I read these verses, I wrote and God spoke. These are the exact notes from my Quiet Time notebook this morning. This is my struggle. This is my hope. I felt led to share this with you. I hope it is of some impact and encouragement to you today:




"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:19-20).

The sin living in me, the sinful nature of the flesh, is bringing me to death spiritually. It is because of my sinful nature that I cannot carry out the desire I have to do good. And this truth, laid out in this Scripture, could not have come to me at a better time this week.

All week (actually, this entire summer) I've been struggling. I want to keep the Lord first and I desire to spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word. I desire to journal and reflect on His faithfulness. Yet, I don't do these things like I should. I wake up to checking my Facebook for an hour or two and then finally head over to spending fifteen or twenty minutes in prayer. I know I should spend time in His Word yet I spend an excessive amount of time on social media throughout the day, scrolling mindlessly despite that I know (and desire) to put God first. Finally, I spend some time in His Word for ten minutes or so, usually at 1:30 am. This has become frequent. My life has been losing routine. I'm not spending enough time with God and I am definitely not putting Him first. I haven't journaled about His faithfulness (despite that I've been wanting to for months). I'm going to bed way too late and sleeping in way too much. I desire routine. I desire for the Lord to be first in my life. Yet I give into the flesh. I give into the sinful nature and do what I do not want to do.
 

"For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15b)

So is there a solution?

"For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body..." (Romans 7:22-23a)

The sinful nature is at work, and I do what I do not want to do. I may delight in God's law, but the flesh is working against me, and too often, I let the flesh win. I struggle in my sin. But this is why Jesus came. We are all destined to eventually let the sinful nature win. We are all in need of a Savior; none of us are righteous in the sight of God by our own doing. But Jesus won when He died and defeated the grave. I may do what I do not want to do, but HE has won--and I can live not only with salvation and new life, but in His grace, which is fully sufficient to cover my sins.

When I'm struggling in my sin, when I feel like I can never do what I want to do and that I always end up failing because of the sinful nature at work within me----
there is victory awaiting.

We are all going to fail, but that's why Jesus died. He rescued me, saved me, and means it when He says: "My grace is sufficient for you..." (2 Cor. 12:9)

So I'm giving my struggle to Him. I'm taking breaks from Facebook and restricting my time on social media. I'm seeking to put Him first.

But I know that no matter how much I fail (which I'm sure to do), no matter how much I do what I do not want to do, His grace is sufficient for my sins.

And that's enough.

"Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25a).

Keep Your Eyes On Him

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8 

That's it. These words of Scripture have become what I'm hanging onto for life. It doesn't matter what you or I face, it applies. Keep your eyes on the Lord. 

When things are going good, keep your eyes on the Lord. When you're afraid, keep your eyes on the Lord. When you're angry, keep your eyes on the Lord. When you're swallowing up in your sins and you feel like there's no escaping, keep your eyes on the Lord. 

When life is at its worst, keep your eyes on Him.

Because He promises to walk with us and to never forsake us. He promises that He will always love us. He promises that He has plans for our lives, plans to prosper and not to harm.

He doesn't promise that things will always be good, because trials are inevitable. 
He promises that we will not be shaken if we just keep our eyes on Him.

Let these life-giving words speak volumes into your heart tonight. It's what I'm holding onto. 

No matter what you're going through, fix your eyes on the Lord.

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