just right.

I find myself here alot lately...sitting in "THE" chair in my living room. Alot of important things in my life happen while in this spot, my quiet times, my conversations with God, studying, homework, journaling, and this is the exact spot where I realized God's plan for my life. Quite an amazing spot. Here lately, this spot is my comfort zone. The place where I completely become an open book, letting God speak to me in ways I never imagined before. I come to this place with jumbled insides, a burdened heart, and many things on my mind.

I have to admit, I have not felt like myself these past couple of weeks. I've gotten pretty good at faking the "I'm okay" look, but I'm not. Sometimes my heart feels so burdened that I think it might explode. Sometimes I think of all I want to do with my life and I am completely overwhelmed. Sometimes I think of even how old I am and get a bit freaked out. Its a weird feeling I have. I feel jumbled, uncertain, uneasy, and a bit chaotic, but at the same time I feel peace. I feel like I am in the right place. The right place for God to use me. I feel like I am coming into a new season in my life, where God is being revealed to me more than ever before. I feel as though I might be in the right place to receive the boldness I have been seeking.

One thing that has set me back is my fear. My fear of disappointing others and my Heavenly Father. God has put some AMAZING, encouraging people in my life. I feel quite humbled when these people say things like, "you are going to make a diffence" but I also feel something else. FEAR. I am so scared I will let them down. Even more terrified that I will let God down.

My heart these days is just not normal. Burdened by too many things to count. I know I shouldn't worry about things, but sometimes its just so hard not to. I lose sleep at night over people...yes, people. I worry about them, worry they won't realize the way they are living is wrong, worry they will waste their lives instead of living it for the One who created all life, worry they will forget the whole reason we are all here in the first place.

But you see, I am not satisfied anymore. I can't just climb over the mountains without knowing where I am headed. I won't aimlessly go about my life, just getting by, but instead I insist on seeking His will for every step I take.

I give it all to Him.
Its all I can do.

The Pursuer.

You've never failed
No, not even once

Your power is unmistakenable
Your beauty exquisite

The stars, sun, and moon scream out Your praise
The beat in my heart knows of Your never-ending love

Through thick and thin
I'd do it again
Because You are the pursuer of my heart

The bars, holds, and stones I put up
You fight straight through
Because You are the pursuer of my heart

You breathed life into me
And I will never be the same
Because You are the pursuer of my heart

Your glory is all consuming
Bringing tears to my eyes and a softness to my heart
Because You are the pursuer of my heart

You give me peace and rest
A safe haven away from a cruel world
Because You are the pursuer of my hear

tAnd I will go with You
Because You are the pursuer of my heart

picture book.

I've been thinking alot lately about picture-books...yes, picture-books. The books that babies look at that have no words just amazing, colorful pictures. No words are necessary because the pictures so clearly illustrate what the author wants you to know or realize.

The life of a Christian should be no less than a picture-book.

Our actions and lives should just scream Christ. We should no longer look like Ivy or Jamie or Tim...but instead become a walking picture-book for Christ. The things we do, say, and think should never lead another astray, but instead lift others up.

We should live life in such an incredible, dynamic way that others don't need to hear us speak the name of Christ, but instead see Him all over us. Some tend to say you are on a "high-horse" or just too much if you live nothing but a Christ-centered life, but thats okay. People can say what they want to say because all that matters is that you are crazy in love with your Jesus.

Sometimes it gets hard, when you pour and pour yourself into people and they don't listen or care. But honestly, thats life. Alot of people completely ignore what you say while others act like they agree and then turn around to do the opposite. Asking for serious advice or confiding in someone seems silly to me, if you ignore them, but this is how some people act. You just can't let those people keep you from doing what you are suppose to do: love. You have to keep pouring out the love and truth of Christ to see others changed. No one can keep you from being a picture-book for the whole world to see.

So will you allow yourself to be a picture-book?

BIG things to do...

This is a little list of things I want to do before I am 32.Why 32? I'm not sure.
- Get married: marry the man God made just for me that will fight with me in this world to accomplish God's plan for our lives.
-Have a baby-Adopt a baby
-Visit another third-world country
-Do ministry/outreach at struggling churches from coast to coast
-Play a duet on the piano with my Daddy
-Learn a song on the guitar
-Write a song
Start a homeless/Bible ministry
-Write a book?

So much to do...so little time.

still letting it pour out.

As the bride of Christ, we also have a really hard time loving the unlovable. The way I look at it no person is any higher on God's list. A preacher is no higher than a prostitute. We are ALL sinners, coming short of the salvation God offers to us. None of us are worthy, not a single one of us. But most of the time we go around acting like we are so much better than everyone else. Its just not right. Instead of looking down on others, we should be lifing them up, encouraging them with the love of Christ. I think alot of times Christians forget that Jesus hung out with lowly ones. He was around prostitutes and tax collectors and before too long they were changed by the very presence of Him. Thats the way it should be with Christians. We should show so much love and joy that an unsaved person wants to know the Jesus that we know.

We are called to love EVERYONE. The saved, unsaved, sinners, homeless, handicapped; we are called to love people all around the world.

Today, Christians do want to help out. But there is a major problem. We have huge conferences, prayer rallies, cookouts wanting people to come to us to be LOVED on. We expect them to come, seeking God and the love of His people. Sometimes this works. But I feel like my mission in life is to go to them. To take the word of God to those who cannot afford to come to it. I want to love those who feel too ashamed or embarrassed to set foot into a church or conference.

Let's do it. Let's love on others and make a difference.
why not change the world?
why not take care of those who cannot take care of themselves?
why not take the word of God from coast to coast?
why not feed the hungry, physically and spiritually?
WHY NOT?

He Made No Mistake.

The choices seem endless,
Eloquently stated in our minds and hearts.
Decisions must be made they say,
They scream for us to make them today!

Turmoil upon turmoil cause us to crash,
Leaving nothing but the skeleton of what we used to be.
They don't understand, no one does,
But we still continue on the interwining paths.

We allow empty words to define us,
All the while forgetting why we are here to begin with.
He made no mistake,
I was created for this very time.

Grace and love wrap around us,
Reminding us of our purpose.
Choices spin around us continuously
And He allows the right one to fall into place.

let it pour out.

I just don't get it sometimes.

Some people say I'm too compassionate, but is there such a thing? How can someone not care that children are dying of hunger or the man on the street corner has no home. These images haunt me; it just seems so unfair. Christians in America like to do the "right" thing. We will give to the mission fund at church or give a beggar some spare change, but are we wiling to go out of our comfort zone to share the love of Christ?

My goal in life is simple: to show the love of Christ to everyone I encounter. I want the love of Christ to "pour" out of me, so that no words are necessary the love is shown through my daily actions. The Bible tells us to show compassion. James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before our God is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

God clearly says that we, as the body of Christ, are suppose to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Loving the unlovable or those who won't love us back can be tough, but Christians are called to do so.

I seek boldness- so that my light will shine for Christ.

putting on my blinders.

Life has changed a lot these past several months. I have had to make major decisions I never thought I would have to make. Let's just say, I have had a lot of "growing pains."

Ever since I was little I wanted to be a nurse. I realized as I got older this would be a great opportunity to share the gospel also. This past year, my plans changed. I took my first nursing class and did a lot of praying and realized nursing just isn't for me. This was the path that I wanted, the career I thought would be the best, but its just not God's plan for me.

Its really hard to tell people I'm not going to be a nurse after years of knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I feel like a disappointment in some ways to my parents, like I'm letting them down. But I have decided that I was not created to be a people pleaser. All my life, I have tried to make others happy when I should be focusing on pleasing my heavenly Father. I am putting on my blinders and not looking to the left or right but looking solely on Him.

I'm still not sure what I am suppose to do. It might still be something that goes along with nursing; I'm just not positive. I was created to love others and God's plan for my life will be revealed in time.

Careers I'm seriously looking at are grief counseling, counselor for special-needs children and their families, social worker, and I really really want to open a shelter for those no one else wants to help when I get older.

Growing up is not easy...