Holding On For Dear Life

I know we've all heard this before, but in this life, "it's the simple things that mean the most."

My life is hectic, and there are always things, situations, people, obstacles revolving in and out. Nobody likes change, I think on a base level if we could stop our lives from spinning and slow them down, we would.

Unfortunately, we can't do that, so we cope and we learn to live life the best we can, a day at a time.

Sometimes, that's a little easier said than done. But the best thing that we can do is to focus on the small things that mean the most to us, the basic pleasures we derive in this life, and sometimes, everything else will stop spinning and come into focus.

Lately I've become aware that my "small things" are my family, my best friend, and my dog. Family is there for you through thick and thin, and mine is no exception. They love me even when I'm at my worst... and that, friends, is what true love and family are really about. My best friend is absolutely priceless, and she has been there for me through the past few months more than I think most people I know... living with her has really been an "iron sharpens iron" kind of friendship, and I'm beyond blessed to be able to share this season of my life with someone as amazing as she is. And my dog? well, I won't deny that she's better than any other dog in this world (need proof? See above picture).

There are days where I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I've chosen at this stage in the game to rely on the One who is always faithful and never fails. I'm far, very far, from perfect. When I'm tired and hungry, I can be super grouchy. If it's a rainy day and it's cold outside, usually it's impossible to motivate me to do anything. Sometimes I can have a temper flare-up that's not very pretty. I laugh at the wrong times, sometimes I say the wrong thing and often, I think without speaking. But you know what? I know that even through those things, I'm still worth a heck of a lot.

I'm actually worth even more than just "a lot." I know in the eyes of my King, I'm priceless, and it's about time I started accepting that. God wants us to take His word seriously, because He's the only entity where we can take His word and believe Him every time. In Genesis 22:15-18, God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son in the ultimate example of obedience. Abraham did not question God's command, and right before ending his son's life, God stopped Abraham and said this: "The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, 'I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on Earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." God wants us to take him at his word, that He will provide for us and give us anything and everything that we need - if only we will seek Him and honor Him.

Sometimes, on a good day, that's easy to do. We let go & let God. Other days, in other seasons of our lives, it's not as easy and we struggle to hold on by our fingernails as God takes away the very things we've tried to hold dear because they're not in His plan for us at that time in our lives.

But in time, if it's right, He will either give us those things back - or He'll give us something better. I don't know about you, but if the creator of the world and everything in it wants to give me a present that's exactly what I need, what I want, when I'm ready for it... well, I think I'll just go ahead and choose to wait on His timing.

And in the meantime, I'll hold dear to the simple things in my life that mean so much. Because ultimately, it's not about what I want for myself - it's about what God blesses me with. And here's to hoping that you learn to live day by day as I'm learning to... so far, it's been pretty good :)

Parting thought:

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you with whatever hard things come up when the time comes - Matthew 6:34

Talk soon.

In The Quiet Of The Aftermath

So, this past week has been one of the best weeks of my life. Because I usually use this forum to stay in touch with you guys and keep you on track of my crazy life, I figured this was worth sharing. I think part of it was how amazing of a weekend I had last weekend... and then this week I was able to really experience an outpouring of God's blessing and favor in my life. It was AWESOME! It wasn't even one thing in particular, I think it's just one of those things where when we step into obedience, God's favor just pours out. Not only did I have a great week at work, bringing in two sorely needed contracts - I think I'm finally back to my old self and I spent a lot of time during the days laughing and finding joy in simple things. Who doesn't love that?!

As I reflect over this season of my life, I think I see that another of the many painful storms in my life is nearing a close. I think any seasoned Christian will tell you that there will always be moments in your life where you find yourself facing a storm and you can't always hear or feel God near. Doesn't mean he isn't, but it does mean that we're going through a period in our life where God may be silent. These times are very painful, but they can also be very vital to our walk. My experience has been that these times found in me a desire to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ with all I have in me- even more than when things were good. I couldn't coast, I couldn't just assume everything would work out without any effort. I had to work, hard, all the time, and sometimes things still don't feel like they'll ever get better. But they will. And after these periods are over, the storm clears and things shine more brilliantly than they seem to ever have.

What I want to do today is to encourage you. Maybe you've found out some difficult news recently and your mind is still spinning, trying to put things together. Maybe you've been calling out in the darkness of your storm and you're aching for an answer. Or, maybe you're in the last drizzle of a storm and you need that extra push to make it out the other side. Whatever your situation, I want to share something: hang on. This life isn't ever going to be easy, it will never glide seamlessly without any problems, but it will be filled with bright spots to break up the storms. One of my favorite quotes is "Nobody ever said this life would be easy, but they did say it would be worth it." I have to agree, because even if things are never perfect, they are exactly as they're supposed to be according to God's plan for my life - and that's enough for me. And if you are having trouble, don't forget - there's always a helping hand waiting, a prayer away. Hang in there.

Parting thought:

Sometimes I hear God most, not in the roar of the storm but in the quiet of the aftermath - me :)

Talk soon.

Back to Basics

I'm back! <3

I'll be the first person to tell you that I'm incredibly blessed. I have an amazing family, priceless friends, a sweet dog, a good job, a great house... but even in my life, sometimes I need a little escape from reality.

This weekend my best friend and I decided to roadtrip to Raleigh. Ok first, the visit to my old stomping grounds was everything I ever couldn't have expected... campus has grown so much and a lot of the places I used to frequent aren't there anymore. Ce la vie. But even as I went back, it was almost like finding a part of me I forgot I had. Don't you love that? Even if it's something small like rediscovering an old favorite coffee shop, going back to Raleigh was like getting a chance to breath. But there was more to it than that. Jenn and I also spent some time with her AMAZING sister and this other kind of cool guy. And being with them, spending time laughing and goofing off all weekend, also gave me some perspective. I went to church with cool guy this morning, and the pastor said something to me that totally caught me off guard.

He said, "If you're thinking of running for a marathon, you don't just go out and run. If you try, you'd fall flat on your face. But what you do do is you train and you prepare and that way you're ready for the race when it comes." Now, I feel like this is for everyone no matter where you are in your life.

For me, I'm getting back to the basics. I know I've shared that with you guys before, but I've been convicted lately of placing other people and other relationships ahead of my God's - and that has been fixed. I'm finally taking time to enjoy life a day at a time. Just me, God, and my amazing family. Minimal planning, no time management - I'm going to enjoy each day with the joy and the blessings we've all been given, and let it go at that.

And in the off chance you're all wondering, what this quote means to me is simple: You can't just jump into the destiny that God has set for you. Take time every day to "train," spend time in the word and in a devotion with him, so that when he starts to reveal day by day the plan he has for you- you're ready. You've learned who He is, you've experienced His sufficiency, and you're waiting with anticipation for what He wants to give you.

This year's been pretty tough, but I've learned one thing: My God is an AMAZING God. He turns you back when you turn away from Him. He doesn't judge your mistakes - I actually am beginning to think he loves you more when you make them because it's when we realize what we've done that we seek him even more and he LOVES that. He never leaves us, even when we try to leave him. And last but least:

Jesus Christ is in love with us, and He loves who we are - but He also loves us too much to let us stay that way.

Aren't you glad that this is the Jesus Christ that's in love with us?

Parting thought:

The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mood of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; for happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up - Charles Langbridge Morgan

Talk soon.

Even The Toughest Shatter

I have entered into a new season of my life.

In this season, I have known indescribable heartache... and immeasurable joy.  I told you with my last post that I was taking time for myself.  I've also been taking that time for myself and giving it to Jesus Christ.  I've thrown myself back into the word, going to church, doing my bible study- soon I'll even be active in my first small group!  And I can't wait to share with you what I learn over the next period of my life.

I am in sales, and I travel several days out of the month to territories across this beautiful state.  I recently spent the day on the road, and the coolest thing happened.  In this path for myself, I've put all relationships aside- including the ones with the people I love the most.  I have to get myself right before I can love anyone else.  As I go through some of these growing pains, I turn on 91.9FM.  For a straight hour, song after song after song reaffirms to me, each with its own message, how in love God is with me, what my worth is, how God wants to help me with my troubles... it was absolutely incredible.  At one point it was "I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath, reminding me that I'm becoming someone new, different than who I was before.  Another was Scott Krippayne's "Sometimes He Calms The Storm," reminding me that sometimes God won't turn off that pressure hose, won't turn it down, but he'll hold me as the pressure blasts me.  I can't even tell you about the encouragement and the joy I felt during that hour of driving on the road.  I couldn't wait to share that all of you guys!

The point of this, as I've said many times before, is to share my trials and tribulations with you so that hopefully, somewhere out there, someone knows they're not the only ones going through the breaking process.  And just like the picture above, sometimes we feel like a beautiful flower caught in the trecherous grasp of an old, rusty wire- with each pull of our petals, the wire seems to catch us even more.  This life will be that way: sometimes we feel like no matter which way we move, either we hurt ourselves or we hurt someone else.  But the essential component of this process is the simple thought that even those who seem like they have nothing to lose, do.  Even the toughest people with the strongest faith will be shaken, and even the proudest individuals with the most self-confidence will shatter.  No one is safe from the trials of this world, sooner or later the events of the days take their toll and we all end up on our knees, crying out.  Christians cry out to a Father they know will save them; people who aren't saved cry out for someone who might be listening that can help ease the pain.  The prayers go to the same entity.

Jesus Christ has shown me more in the past week how much he loves me than I've felt in a long time.  I remember a conversation I had with my mom once where we were discussing how, as Christians, we're called to a higher purpose.  I told her my analogy of life's pressure hose, and she looked at me, straight in the eyes, and told me "Sometimes, I think we're all called specifically to something more.  I've been called to a life of higher obedience than most people, but that higher obedience has also allowed me to feel a closeness with Jesus I think that few are given."  And I think to a degree, I've been called to the same obedience as she is.  I've let relationships go over the years that I couldn't admit weren't right for me.  I've walked away from life choice temptation after another because I knew that it would be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, that God wouldn't have been honored if I'd chosen those paths.  These choices were never easy, sometimes they've broken my heart.  But in the end, I've seen a side to my Lord that I probably wouldn't have been able to see, had I not made that choice.  It was by choosing HIS sufficiency, HIS will for my life, what HE wanted for me, that I knew I'd be okay.   All He wants us to do is say "Hey God, I want what YOU want for me," and watch him: He'll rise to the challenge.

I'd like to encourage you to go listen to Jeremy Camp's "I Will Trust In You."  My favorite lyrics are the following:

When I can't see You I know You're there
When I can't feel You I will not fear
I will trust in You and I will not be afraid.
When the battle is close at hand
Though You're with me and help me stand
I will trust in You and I will not be afraid.

When the darkness is close at hand
And I‘m running against the wind
I will trust in you and I will not be afraid.
When I'm standing upon that shore 
All the battles I've gone before
I will trust in you, and I will not be afraid

Don't you just love these lyrics?  I feel like they're so appropriate.  God wants us to know that he loves us SO MUCH he wants to be the one to make the tough decisions in our lives.  I've given him my job, my relationships, my desires, my wishes, my hopes and my dreams.  I don't know that there's much he doesn't have, except the times when I try to strike out on my own path and he lovingly brings me home.  Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up and know that no matter how nasty, grouchy, lost, or brokenhearted you feel - someone else is in charge of how the day ends?  If not, I sincerely challenge you to trust God and see how you feel.  I'm willing to wager you'll sleep soundly at night.

Recently in my bible study, I came across a chapter in Ezekial which struck me to my core.  If you want to know the way God feels about you and what He will do when you wander, check this out.  Chapter 34, starting with verse 11: "...I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.  As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness."  He's going to come looking for you when it gets too dark for you to see on your own, even if you're scattered far from the flock.  Doesn't that give you insane security?  No matter how far you wander, you'll never be too far from his grasp.  Never.  The truth behind that statement can give me chills... and wait until you see this other side of who He is.  Verse 16: "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, an dI will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak..."  Who WOULDN'T want a God like that?? 

Brothers, sisters, and friends reading my writing to try to see what makes me tick.  I'm convinced this life is full of cycles.  Sometimes we're flying high off adrenaline and things couldn't be better, other times we crash and try with all of our own might to drag ourselves out of the rubble.  But if you have a walk with Jesus Christ, you come equipped automatically with a parachute and a one-line "How-To" manual.  "Trust Me" is all it says, but what more do we need to read?

Search for him this week.  Ask Him to reveal who He is in your life.  And remember, God doesn't ever ignore a cry for His mercy or for His presence.  If you cry out for Him, prepare yourself: He will answer.

Parting thought:

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? - Numbers 23.19

 Talk soon.

Images above used with permission by Emily Chidester Photography

noT noW.

Sometimes when I look at the majesty of the mountains, the sight alone can take my breath away.  There's something about the sloping peaks, the way the colors phase from blue to green to a deep brown, the way the air gets so thin and cool the higher you go - I don't know what exactly it is, but something about those sloping hills makes me revel in the awesomeness that Is Jesus Christ.

In my dad's house, we have a picture that has been passed down through several generations of the phrase "NoT NoW," the T is a cross and the W is a crown.  My sister and I always argue with my dad that it says "Not now," he tells us it's supposed to be "No cross, no crown," but to me, it's a clear statement from God telling me that it's about HIS time, not mine.

I've just today entered into a new season of my life where I'm getting back to the basics.  I love all of the people in my life, but I'm focusing on myself now and my relationship with God be the main one in my life.  I'm letting all other relationships fall to the side for awhile.  I'm taking time to be alone, to grow, to focus back on the core of who I am and who I've been created to become.  It's not easy.  Saying goodbye to things in my life that I care deeply for breaks my heart, but as that picture says, "Not now."  This time needs to be about me, about my God, and about His love, immeasurable and indescribable as it is.

When I look at the mountains and a shadow passes over them, like in the picture above, it reminds me that in this lifetime, things will happen where the light is blocked out and all we have are moments and spots of darkness.  It won't always stay black and difficult to navigate, but for the moment, you won't be able to see your way.  This is one of those times.  I'm having to totally trust on the capabilities of my heavenly father, that He will provide for me and that He will guide me.

That's why I said I'm going back to the basics.  In the bible, the disciples would often notice that Jesus would disappear for long hours at a time, totally unaccounted for and unable to locate.  He wouldn't tell them where He was going; He'd just go.  Finally, one day they realized that when He was leaving, He was going to meet with His father, to cry out, beseech, vent, and search for God.

We all need to do that sometimes.  Cry out.  Beg for His rescue.  Search for Him with all that we have.  And friends, as I share with you that on my journey I've done this so many times, I can also tell you that it has been SO worth it.  To see myself as God sees me would be the easiest way to sum up my heart's desire- and I can tell you one thing.  I can say without a doubt that Jesus Christ WILL reward your obedience.

Today, I take up my cross and I follow Him.  He's the only entity that will never lead us astray, only to the best thing for us will He take us.

Will you join me?

Parting thought:

You will seek Me, and you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart - Jeremiah 29:13.

Talk soon.

Jars of Clay

Today in church, Pastor Furtick said something that made my mind wander.  We started a new series called "Give. Me. Faith."  He was talking about the refining process in life, and how God does allow things to mold and break us so that we grow to become the men and women that He created us to be.

It made me think.  I love the band Jars of Clay, and so does Jeb, the man I'm dating.  We listen to it in the car sometimes, and as Pastor Furtick was talking about the refining process I thought back to when I was a lot younger and I realized where Jars of Clay got their name from.  It's from the bible verse in 2 Corinthians 4 that states:  ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. I'm sure that they have their own reason for naming the band, but partly it was based on this verse.  And as I got to seriously thinking about what this verse means, I got a visual picture of how a clay pot is formed.

As the potter takes the wet clay and puts it on the spinning stone where he will fashion it into a pot, there are a few steps that you have to follow.  The first is that you place the clay on the wheel.  Then, you press the spinner pedal as he takes his hands and moves them up and down, shaping the clay to stand and then pressing it down back again onto the wheel to condition the clay to be workable.  Then, as he continues to press the pedal, he gently kneads the clay into the shape of the pot he desires, smoothing out imperfections and rounding his hands up and down and in and out, making sure that no spot or blemish goes un-smoothed.  After the clay has been smashed back to the wheel and reworked, and after it has been shaped by the potter, it is then glazed and fired in an intense oven for a variable amount of time before it comes out, a beautiful representation of hard work and a lot of time.

We're that clay pot.  As Pastor Furtick spoke about the refining process and I got the visual of the clay pot, it hit home more than ever that Jesus Christ is the potter and we are the clay.  He gently places us in situations where we have no clue what to do, we're new clay that has yet to be conditioned.  As the situation unfolds, He provides us with wisdom and strength (when we're smart enough to turn to him) as He works his hands over and in our lives so as to smooth out our blemishes.  Once we think we've been through the ringer and there's not much left to learn- that we've learned it all, He finishes the process by firing us up to bring out any more impurities.  Once we've been through the fire and we've come out the other side, we're a priceless vessel that's the perfect example of how Jesus Christ is always present in our lives, no matter if we like what he's doing or if we do not.  We couldn't become a finished product without the fire or without the spinning wheel or even without the hands that shaped us, even when we were stubborn clay that fell and collapsed and did everything it could not to cooperate with the hands of the potter.

I'm going through a refining process in my own life right now where God's trying to teach me that HE is sufficient.  I don't need to do things on my own anymore, and he's put people in my life to prove to me that sometimes it's okay to lean on them.  I don't exactly know why he's doing what he's doing, but I can tell you this: as much as I don't like the process, I thank the Lord that he loves me too much to let me stay the way I am.  It hurts, a lot, and sometimes I get so frustrated because I can't see what he's trying to show me.  But that's a part of my life, that's a part of this world, and I share it with you because I want you to know you aren't alone.

We all struggle.  I'm going to go for honest disclosure here because that's the point of this blog: since I was 8 years old, I've been very headstrong and very independent because of my parents' divorce.  I learned from an early age to not lean on anyone, to try to be totally self-sufficient emotionally and mentally and not to depend on anyone but myself.  In my walk with God, it's been difficult for me to give up "control" that I think I have and accept that I can't do it, that I have to have His help.  In my relationships, it's meant that I do everything I can to help myself and fix my life and then with whatever is left that I couldn't fix, I would only share parts of my heart with those that were in my life because that way, they can't fail and hurt me because I haven't really let them in.

I mentioned that I'm dating someone, and part of the biggest lesson I've learned by dating Jeb is that you can't have any kind of a healthy relationship without talking honestly about everything- even when you're upset and in the middle of a fight, or when you're so tired you can't even find the words.  I've seen that some of the times when I've felt the closest to him were after we had an argument and I sacrificed my pride and told him exactly why I was upset instead of turning and walking away from the issue.  These are the moments when I, or he, have been totally honest with each other and I've felt an "AHA!" moment because another wall was broken down for me and as a result of that, also in our relationship.  I know that I couldn't have had that moment a year, even six months, ago because I wasn't at the point in my process where I wanted to make the sacrifice to have a healthy relationship with anyone.  I've learned that letting him in has been worth the sacrifice, I'm learning to lean on someone because I really think God wanted me to learn that it's okay to do that, as long as I keep my eyes focused on the cross and on His sufficiency in my life, and recognize the earthly help as a blessing from him.  My God is sufficient, He is enough, He is faithful, but sometimes, it's in his plan for people on earth to help us and for us to let them in.  Now I am, and I can tell you, without the process, I wouldn't be where I am.  And I'm beginning to really like where I am.

Another thing Pastor Steven mentioned today was a lot about what it means to have "old fashioned faith."  There was one thing he said that stuck with me, and that was this:  "Old fashioned faith means that you don't know what God will provide or do, but you believe in Him and His power even if He doesn't do it."  That's seriously deep, because he's talking about a faith that remains even when circumstances, even when feelings and emotions, even when everyone in our life is telling us that we're wrong, even when everything fails us - we choose to believe that He is God.

It's a daily choice, it's a daily conditioning of the mind, and choosing to pick up your cross and follow Him is one of the easiest things to say but most difficult things that we're probably every going to have to do.  I have a feeling, deep in my heart, that we're all capable of doing this- even if we have to sacrifice or do things that make us feel uncomfortable because it's change and it's new.

Brother, or sister, as you read this, I hope you hear the sincerity of my heart and the truth of what I've shared.  I've been down this road.  It never ends, it's full of potholes, peaks, valleys, rainy thunderstorms and torrential downpours.  If you've been on this road, we've passed each other, so I hope that you understand you're not alone.  Neither of us are, because even when we're being fired in the kiln of this earth, our potter is always beside us, making sure that we come out as he intended after it's over.  I love my best friends and my family and Jeb, but there is no love for them that matches what love I have for the potter.  For it is the potter, and the potter only, that has loved me and is conditioning me to set me free from the struggles and pains of this world.  

He is Sufficient.

He is Faithful.

He is Neverending.

And I hope that you question your life as you read about mine, because the Potter's waiting for you to begin to wonder about Him.  He'll never stop.

Parting thought: 

After the refining process has begun, there are different places where you can really experience the freedom of a life lived with Him.  Sometimes I liken these moments to the flight of an Eagle, and I love this bible verse in Isaiah 40: (31) But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles.  They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.

Talk soon.

*Note: If you're curious about my amazing pastor or the phenomenal sermons that I experience every Sunday, check out www.elevationchurch.com - be careful, it'll be a life-changing experience*

Peaks and Valleys

Because this is supposed to be an area where I'm honest, I want to open my heart to you guys.  This life on this Earth isn't supposed to be easy.  We were meant to struggle, bend, and break.  And as we learn how to crawl, then to stand, and then to walk on our faith in Jesus Christ, we go through different phases in our walk with Him.  These peaks and valleys are normal and they're a part of this life.  Sometimes we feel like our cup is overflowing with His love and peace, other times we feel like we've hit a stretch of desolate road where we're the only passenger.  But regardless of how we FEEL during these times, truth remains: that we're not alone.  Jesus is our pilot, we're the passenger, and no matter what we think is true or right, as the Bible says, "He will never leave or forsake you."

Today was a really tough day for me.  Now granted, I didn't need to stay out late, but I did.  But when I woke up, one thing after another seemed to slam into me at an alarming rate.  Didn't quite get to work exactly when I wanted to.  Got stuck behind traffic (again).  Get into work and feel like no one will ever call me back.  Call the vet because my princess injured her foot and all I am able to get out of the technician is that it's important I bring my dog in to be checked out, which I knew would be the tune to at least $50.  Again.  Find out that a dear family friend will endure open heart surgery tomorrow and all I can do is pray.  At around 10:30am, I text the man I'm dating and ask him to pray for me, for strength.  He called me immediately, and as we prayed, I started to feel a shift in my attitude.  No longer was I filled with anxiety and guilt over my baby, or fear of the unknown.  As he prayed that God would bless me with a contagious joy, I felt my heart growing lighter, and after we ended our phone call I slipped in my earbuds and seriously jammed out to worship music.

My day improved.  It took a gradual infusion of supernatural strength and love- but it improved.  And as I think about everything that happened today that is slightly positive - there's a pretty good chance that my dog will heal naturally, on her own without any surgery.  Our family friend, while the situation feels bleak, is able to be scheduled for surgery for tomorrow.  I didn't get two speeding tickets on my way home.  I was able to buy all the new furniture I need for my townhouse.  As I think about these things, I'm reminded that even in the valleys, when all I can feel is that quiet fear squeezing my heart and my lungs with its cold fingers, that things WILL be okay.  I'm NOT alone.  And although I feel like right now I'm walking through the desert, some days in a valley and other days on a peak, I'm reminded that I have a constant companion.  

I'm meeting with a friend tomorrow to discuss the basic fundamentals of Christianity.  And as I think about the things I want to share that I've learned, it makes me question myself.  Am I living a life that praises the Lord?  Do people look at me and see Him?  Am I living my life so that if a child were to watch me, they'd mimic me and it would be a positive habit?  I ponder these questions, and I realize I have a long way to go before I feel like I'm "done" growing (like that ever even happens! HA!) but I also know I've come a long way too.  The map of my life is only a quarter of the way done, which leaves me plenty of time to serve Him with all that I do.  Starting with today.  So if you feel like you're alone in this journey of life, always remember that your constant companion is only a glance away on your right side.  He will NEVER leave you, He will NEVER forsake you.  He will ALWAYS love you, regardless of what you do or what you're going through.

His love is the only completely and totally unconditional love we'll never have to earn- and that we'll never lose.

Parting thought:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, never rely on what you think you know. Remember him in everything you do and He will show you the right way - Proverbs 3:5.

Talk soon.

Image used with permission of Andrea Chidester**