Lessons as of late...

I'm so in love with the ways in which the Lord is speaking to me lately

I'm learning a lot about one thing in particular...

...that Jesus can do amazing things in my heart through what's happening in other people's lives.

A couple Wesley's ago we were talking in leadership and felt like the Lord was really calling us to pray. So, we did. We had no sermon that night, just spent some time in worship and in prayer. I knew that the Holy Spirit was thick in that place, but I just wasn't "feeling" it. I'm such an emotional person and that can be a good and bad thing in my walk with Jesus. We got about halfway through the service, and then it smacked me in the face. It's not about me.

God started to gently remind me of all the things I have to be thankful for, and for the incredible season of life that He has me in at this moment. As people were getting up and sharing about their struggles, victories, brokenness, etc., I was reminded of how much community means. My purpose for that night was not to have Jesus move in my heart personally, but it was to be there for people who needed support. I'll have you know, that Jesus did end up moving in my heart, but not until I looked back and realized why I was there that night.

I'm hoping that in this season, God teaches me a lot about what it means to look at the world through His eyes. What it looks like to be there for hurting people, to devote myself to intercession, and to be thankful for His many blessings. It's sure to be an adventure!

I really fail at this...

I always promise myself that I'm going to get better at blogging...
...if I keep saying it maybe it will become true.

I always start a blog and then never finish it because so much has happened since the last time I wrote anything. I'm not even sure that I could fit all the craziness of the last couple months in a blog, so I'm not even really going to try. Jesus has been doing a whole lot in me recently, so we can just talk about that. :)

• I've been reading through the book of Isaiah lately, and I was getting really depressed in it towards the beginning. I think I was feeling this way because I saw so much of myself in the countries that were rebelling against the Lord. He constantly reminds me of His faithfulness and I constantly forget. Then, I hit Isaiah 40. ^1-2 "Comfort, oh comfort my people,"
  says your God.
  "Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
  but also make it very clear
  That she has served her sentence,
  that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
  She's been punished enough and more than enough,
  and now it's over and done with."
  

• This passage brings me to tears almost every time I read it. It's like Jesus put it in the Bible just for me (don't you love it when Scripture feels so personal?). This past fall, satan really did a work on me...trying to make me believe that I haven't really been made new by the blood of Christ. It was one of the darkest times of my life and I've never felt more anxiety. I knew the Truth in my head, but the lies were so much "easier" for my heart to believe. I don't have the capacity to understand how Jesus sees us as new people (really), because as a human I hold onto things. Thankfully, after much prayer, repeition of truth, and support from friends, I came through the season with a better understanding of grace and redemption. I'm so thankful...

• Here recently, Jesus has also urged me to have a conversation with someone that had needed to happen for a long time. Without going into much detail, I was amazed at how much healing the conversation brought to my heart. The Lord's freedom is a sweet, sweet thing and it's plentiful when we listen to what He calls us to do.
  

• Freshley is blowing my mind. I love our boys, but I have been so blessed by our girls recently. They each follow the Lord so faithfully in their own sepeate situations. When He speaks, they listen...and put their trust in Him for whatever might happen next. I can only hope that by spending time with them that they might rub off on me. I love them all so dearly and am so excited to see what the Lord has for their lives this semester.
  

I want to end this post with some encouragement for anyone who might be going through one of those dry seasons...
"God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."-end of Isaiah 40

Love ya'll...

Angel Baby...

So, this trip home has been so fabulous. Namely, because I got to meet the love of my life...

...Kiera.

I can't even express how quickly she stole my heart. Really, she's had it since day 1 of her life but being able to actually see her in real life solidified it. She's the sweetest little baby and LOVES to be held. Her skin is so soft, she has gorgeous big blue eyes, and she's basically perfect in every way.

I am so thankful for all of your prayers. She's a fighter and I have total faith in her perseverance to continue overcoming battles as they come up in this fallen world. More than anything, I'm thankful to Jesus who has carried her in his arms since the day she came into this earth.

Welcome to the world, sweet girl. May you know that you were created with an incredible purpose, are loved beyond measure, and are unbelievably beautiful.

Broken

Without going into a lot of detail, there is just a lot of brokenness in my family right now...
My precious baby cousin Kiera is in ICU with respiratory issues and there are other things going on that make me feel so helpless. Most of the time, I am beyond fine with not being in control of life in this crazy world. Situations like this make me feel so differently. I just want to step in and fix everything and save Kiera from going through so much pain...

...but I can't. I have to trust in Jesus with all that is within me. He knows everything about Kiera's sweet little body and loves her way more than I ever could. At this point, the words of Pslam 51:17 are bringing me so much comfort.

"Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice."

My Uncle Tommy just came home from a different hospital yesterday. He had congestive heart failure but is doing much better and just needs to take it easy. I really really want to take a weekend off and go home to be with my family but I know that me being there would not change any of the situations and would probably not be good for my life. If you guys could just pray that Jesus would have his hand in these situations and that the Holy Spirit would cover our family with peace, that would be so great.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."-John 14:27

Warning: be sure to enter all digits correctly.

So I have a great story to tell....at least I think it's really amusing. Hopefully you do too!

I'm having dinner with my friend Aubrey tonight but didn't have her number in my phone, so I called Lindsay to get it from her. She sent it in a text message and I memorized it quickly and retyped it to send a text message to Aubrey. Our conversation proceeded as follows:

Me: Hey girl!! Are we still good for dinner tonight?

Them: For sure. Where and when.

Me: Well, we had talked about tflats...is that still good?

Them: oh yeah

Me: What time? Does 6 still work for you?

Them: ok

Sounds like a normal conversation, right? WRONG. I realized quickly after that that I had mistyped the number and was texting a complete stranger! He actually called me and I had to explain myself. He told me that he thought I was a friend playing a joke on him and asked me what city I was in to which I responded that I wasn't really comfortable giving him that information. Then, he told me that he was driving from north to south Florida so he probably wouldn't be near me anyways.

Awkward? Yes.

Amusing? HECK yes.

Prayer works.

Can I just say that seeing how the Lord has been working in the lives of so many people I love has been totally overwhelming recently?
Precious Jesus, thank you for moving in lives...bringing freedom, healing, and life! You are so good to us.

Crazy people....

In reference to the crazy "pastor" who wants to burn the Koran:

"The idea that we would burn the sacred texts of someone else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for. It's contrary to what this nation was founded on. My hope is that this individual prays on it and refrains from doing it."-President Obama

I don't think I could say it any better myself, except to add the fact that what this man is wanting to do is contrary to the Jesus that I know. I don't know what "god" he's talking to, but it's not the One that speaks to me. Praying that the burn doesn't happen this weekend and that crazies like that pastor might one day see people the way that Jesus really sees them.