4:23

Above all, He says guard your heart. 
Though, I claim that's easier said than done.
Again, I felt it all falling apart.
Finding its way back, hurt & heartache.

I found myself slipping away
Unable to do it on my own,
Bound again in my worst weakness
I couldn't guard it by myself, all alone.

On my knees, in total surrender.
Pleading for divine intervention,
Crying out in submissive prayer
There, He met my every need.

Simple reminders of what only He can do.
Ultimately in my life, His Will be done.
Saving & amazing grace; alone no more.
Another battle, He's miraculously won.

Guarding my heart, safe in His care.
For him, He saved my heart once again.
His plan, none can possibly compare.
It is beautiful, indeed all things good. 

"You are less beautiful than you think and more beautiful than you believe."

A girl like me encounters several prideful and doubtful thoughts on a daily basis. So, this is something that hit home. It's exactly what I needed to hear tonight. And it goes beyond the word beautiful... you can substitute it with any word, really...

Pride and doubt. These are two sins that appear to be complete opposites. They kinda are. But nonetheless, they're still both sins and therefore separate us from God. Pride is thinking you're more than you really are. It's the root of all evil. Pride says we don't need God. But we do because we're literally nothing without Him. On the other hand, there's doubt. Doubt is believing you're unworthy and nothing. But once again, we're totally worth it. And because of Jesus, we are made new and worthy. We're made new and in God's image. He also died for us. That says something right? I think so.

I'm consistently finding myself to get to a healthy balance between the two. Tonight I encourage you to do the same. "You are less than you think, but more than you believe. Ultimately we need to embrace who God has created us to be. Humble, redeemed, but also bold, in HIS name.

The Sky is Changing

Have you ever sat in the middle of the parking lot long enough to see the sky change colors? Well... I have, thanks to my lovely job as Parking Lot Patrol this past weekend. It's quite boring at times, but I also strangely love it. During the times when I haven't preoccupied myself with something to do, I'm stuck to simply look out my window and see the massive sky above me. I see the changing sky. I have this new strange obsession where I just love looking at the sky and clouds. It's breathtaking. It reminds me of the beauty and greatness of the God that I serve. God changes that sky every moment. And that same God changes me, too. Every moment. I'm changing. I'm changing solely by the grace of God. The God who holds the world in His hands is changing me... such a comfort that is, and tonight I'm reminded of that.

Timing is everything

The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. The wrong thing at the right time is also the wrong thing. A negative and a positive is still a negative. And obviously the wrong thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. Two wrongs don't make a right. Simple stuff, right? I think so. This is why I think everything happens for a reason. Yes, while sometimes it's hard to determine what exactly the reason is, there are times where all I can say is "duh."

For instance, things like "the right thing at the wrong time" and "the wrong thing at the right time" happen as they do for a reason. Not just because. It's that ONE little thing that stopped it from happening that was directly and solely from God. If It weren't for Him, it could've happened, and perhaps that wasn't a part of His Will. God saved you and me from something. He has something better in mind. That's how I see it, at least. 

I'm waiting for the right thing at the right time, in almost every aspect of my life. Because that, too, will happen for a reason. But the difference is that it'll happen... and surely God will bless it.  

Did anyone see the sky tonight?

Did you watch it change? Oregon weather is pretty bi-polar. And today was perfect proof for it. Sunny, thunderstorms, rain, etc... tonight I was blessed to sit and watch the sky change for a few hours. I watched it during the thunderstorm as the sky changed its color from red to purple to pitch black. It was amazing.

Clouds in the Sky

"The sky was beautiful. But all I could see were the clouds.
Because that's what I do. I ruin things."

Someone said this tonight. Someone I used to know... But that's beside the point. You know, it's funny because when I look up at the sky and see the clouds, I don't see them as ugly... or bad. But rather, I see them as beauty. Something good. Especially lately, for myself, I've realized that clouds often make the sky more beautiful. Here's why: it reminds me that the sun that is always there, even if it can't be seen. In a sense, when I see clouds in the sky, I believe the sun has more purpose, impact and meaning.

Likewise, the messy situations in my own life remind me of who God is. Amazing. I'm often reminded of how His light still shines through, no matter how hard life gets. He's always with me, even if I don't feel like He is. The difficult circumstances that cloud my life bring me closer to the Son... to Jesus. Not the other way around. I take those painful situations, and try to find the absolute beauty in it. I look for the light in it. I seek Jesus in it. And I always find Him there :)

I wanna live like that.

Even though they don't know my name, is there enough evidence to them that I know HIS name?

"If this is war, then I'm gonna draw my sword."

There's a war going on. It's a spiritual war, though. So draw your sword... that is, the sword of the Spirit. The Word of God. It's more powerful than any other weapon in existence. Therefore, it's important for His people to spend each day in His Word. The Bible speaks truth. It shows and encourages  us how to live in every possible situation. It's proactive, but when necessary, it's reactive as well. It's our defense as believers in God. Without it, our amour of God is incomplete, that is spoken about in Ephesians 6:10-18. We must stand firm against our enemies in this active and real spiritual war at hand. We must "draw our swords" by meditating on His Word.

For myself, this is something that I'm constantly working on. It's sometimes hard starting my day off reading the Bible, but what I do know is that the days I spend time in His Word are my best days. Really, they are. But even more than that, I know I need to remember to ingrain (perhaps through memorization, etc...) those words I read into my mind and my heart, so I can have that defense throughout my entire day, no matter where I am. If I can do that, I know I can stand firm. I can feel safe, even in the midst of chaos and pain, because I have His Word in my heart and I have drawn my sword in this ongoing spiritual war...

Even though it's cloudy outside

I think it's absolutely beautiful. Your light shines through. Always.

He already knows.

He knows my doubts.
He knows my insecurities.
He knows my past.

He knows my dreams.
He knows my purpose.
He knows my future.

He knows me. He knew from the beginning.
I'm safe in His hands...

Praise precedes victory.

Grumbling precedes failure.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

Everyday. All that it contains. 

Praying for God's Will

There are times when I just don't know what to pray for. It's the difference between what I want and what God desires. Sometimes they don't always match up. So, the safest thing to do is pray for God's Will to happen. Ultimately, it will happen. But in the past few days, I've come across moments where I'm just not sure what to pray for simply because there are times when I don't even know what I want or what's best. So I just pray for His Will in all things. He knows what I desire and He knows best :)

Common Ground

Yesterday I had an old friend text me about how he desperately needed prayer for something. Now, this was a friend I never expected that from... It's not because he doesn't believe in God or anything like that, but because both he and I used to be "enemies" about one year ago or so. We were probably on the worst terms we could possibly be on back then. However, I'm glad to say we're not now, and something that happened yesterday reminded me that we're on the best terms we could be on, and in fact... that was an answer to my prayer! :) Anyway, he said "You're one of few people I know that when someone comes to you and asks for some prayer you actually follow through on it." And then he followed by telling me his prayer request... and I offered to pray, of course.

That moment when the person you least expect asks you for prayer... that's an amazing thing. That simple text reaffirmed the common ground we have and we're still brothers and sisters in Christ! It's amazing to see what God can do with a mess of a relationship like this one. He can turn it into something that is used for His glory!

Prayer, Jesus and faith is the common ground that he and I share. We have our differences, we have a difficult past, and we have our own separate lives.... but we serve the same God. That unites us. No dissension anymore. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.