two extremes

so it has been a crazy month in alabama. tornado season. today my former school was hit terribly by the tornado. my heart hurts for my friends that still live there and for all the people who lost their houses. here are a few pictures:
the apartment complex i lived in my senior year of college


these next two pictures are of 15th street. 15th street had a bunch of restaurants where a bunch of students would eat and it was one of the main roads to get to the University.

there are more pictures that people have been posting but you get the point of the devastation. so please pray for the city of tuscaloosa and for the state of Alabama.

on a much lighter note here is my announcement:
that's right!! i'm going to AFRICA this summer in June. more info to come soon :D

i'm so blessed to be going and i really need prayer of protection and guidance for this trip. also be praying for guidance and that i would be obedient with my walk with the Lord. some changes will be happening soon in my life.

love you guys!

i've been learning so much with my relationship with the Lord. i have realized that i am so blessed and i will continue to tell myself that because it is speaking truth to myself. i've realized that i am truly loved by my Father, His Son/my Husband, and by His Holy Spirit. it's such a comforting thought.

speaking of love... two of my best friends got engaged a little over a week ago. i can honestly say that i am so excited for them and that we are all still friends. the three of us have been through so much with different things that we have experienced together and/or separately. it is a blessing to have them in my life for so long! congrats you two :D

so i have made a decision that is basically life changing. i'm really excited but i also do not feel like the Lord has released me to tell more than a few people. unfortunately, those who read this and do not already know will have to wait until i can tell the virtual world. it's going to be great and i can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do but i completely trust Him with everything that i have!

love you guys!

compelled by love

As our hearts become pure, our vision becomes clearer. -Heidi Baker



so i recommend this book. Compelled by Love by Heidi Baker. I knew very little of what this book is about until i bought and started reading it. it is about the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. this book is very sobering and it challenges me to want to live like she does in Africa but in Birmingham. i really admire her because through out the book she continues to talk about the simplicity of Love. I honestly believe that people forget the God's love so simple and so easy to accept. I know i do sometimes.

The quote above has really stood out to me as i read this book. I am not finished with it yet but i just really love focusing on certain things she says. i love to really meditate on what she says to see if i am really doing what the Bible says to do. She explains how to live the beatitudes really easily but yet it is so hard to accomplish. especially in america.

So go get this book! be challenged and encouraged by this book. it really gives you a new perspective on life.

have a great day!! Be blessed!

all over the place...

so here is my monthly update:

work has continued to be super stressful and with my dear friend leaving and getting a job elsewhere, i have been struggling. she has only been gone for a week and a half now but i have been miserable at work. last week (the first week of march), i worked five days which is roughly between 55-60 hours. some of you may be used to that but i am definitely not and it was so hard to optimistic and joyful for the Lord. my workplace is very dark place spiritually and being the one of a few people who actually love the Lord it is easily to get lost in the midst of the chaos.

one thing i did learn last week being by myself for the whole week, as a believer, is that i am still His vessel. It was made very clear to me last Friday. We always hear about being the Lord's vessel and being obedient. I am pretty sure i was not always obedient last week but i was miserable all last week and exhausted. i go to our monthly young adults' dinner at my spiritual parents house. one of my dear friends and i got there at the same time. as he greeted me, he told that i always have a great smile and always full of joy! it was so comforting to hear that with the week that i just had. the Lord just made it clear to me with that statement... that even though i am miserable where i am He is still using me even when i don't see it clearly. i was so encouraged that night being with all of my lovely friends who love the Lord. I am so blessed to have all of them in my life.

this week at work has been a little better. my coworkers do not understand me at all. i kind of like it considering that it is very evident that they need Jesus. i am close to two other coworkers but one of them loves the Lord, like me. After one night we got off, we just stood in the parking lot just talking about everything in our lives and just encouraged each other. She is amazing. she encouraged me even more. i am so blessed! anyways, i told my coworkers last night that i am going on a trip this weekend with a bunch of high school/middle school kids. they asked if the people were desperate in taking me (in a jokingly manner). i told them no and that i was super excited to be with my kiddos.... i am really excited! the Lord is good and he puts these kids in my life for a reason and i am very thankful to be their leader. :D

so with all that has been said in this post today, i have learned that in the midst of all chaos i have endured, i am so blessed! He has blessed me with great friends, i got free tickets to see Ben Rector & Steve Moakler a few weeks ago and a free ticket to see Hillsong United on Tuesday. He has just overwhelmed me with everything He has done for me.

Biblegateway.com verse of the day:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9

have you been disciplined recently?

it's been a stressful week in my world. work has been crazy this week with seeing over 70 patients each day that i have worked. so, i'm very grateful that i have today off. i have been able to rest, a little bit, and just take my time with everything i do. i like to have an agenda and get things done but when i'm off work, i realize how exhausted i am and i just want to rest. i wonder if God does that to me on purpose... to teach how to rest, because i honestly don't know how to do that very well. but i'm trying...

on another note, i have been reading a One Year Devotional book. all the youth leaders received one as a Christmas gift. it has been a blessing for me to read it everyday. i don't get much time in the mornings to read my Bible so reading this book has helped me start my day off right. God is so good and i get to accept his grace, love, and mercy every morning when i read each verse of the day. here is one verse that really stuck out to me this week:

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;
For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:11-12 (NKJ)

a couple of weekends ago i went on a retreat with the young adults group from my church. i had a great time. i seriously love the group of people the Lord has brought to my church for this new season. it really is an answer to prayer and a blessing. i tell them all the time too. anyways, we had a great time but i was not able to spend hardly any alone time with the Lord. after we got home and got back into my somewhat work routine, i felt ashamed. i felt guilty for not making time to spend with Him over the weekend and it took me days to really let that go. i really came to terms with my guilt and shame when i read these two verses. i need to be disciplined for not spending time with Him when i have time too. these verses are actually comforting to me. As we let Him discipline us, we then let Him mold us into His image. Then, once we are shaped in the liking of Jesus we start to become like Him. His light and love comes through us and His glory is shown through us. i absolutely love how the Lord wants to mold and shape us into His liking. it's comforting that He wants to be with me. the feeling of acceptance is wonderful.

Daddy, You are so loving.

guard your heart

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from you mouth; keep corrupt talk far from you lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths fr you feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:23-27

As kendall and i were talking on our way from ttown, i just kept remembering this passage. it is for us. to keep our hearts guarded from the world and to just gaze on the beauty of the Lord. as we guard our hearts and gaze to the Lord, purity comes from His love. We start to look like Him and become like Him. we start to walk the narrow path. we no longer want the things of the world; we only want Him. We then encounter the goodness of His presence and the side that we never see of Him. I love sitting in His presence because everything i know and hear from the world fades and i get to rest in Him. I love praising Him. I love that i get to love Him. I am honored that He wants to be with me even in my lowest times and my worst times. I become joyful because of Him and i am able to love others because of Him.

i encourage anyone who reads this to learn how to guard your heart. if you don't know how to do it, ask the Lord. He will show you how to guard your heart and every thing else. let Him guide you on the path that you are destined for. He's see the potential you have. He is great; He is glorious; He is wonderful.

joyful

here is a long over due update on life.

God is soo good! there is nothing better than having a relationship with Him.

This last weekend i was able to have 3 days off from work (which is awesome) and to start it off right, i went to ttown and surprised some of my favorite people... Dunamis. kendall and i drove there right after i got off work. we both realized how much we miss spending time with each other and the Lord has been growing us individually. we got to catch up and share our hearts once again. i absolutely loved seeing my friends. The Lord has truly blessed me with them.

Friday was great as well. i got to spend time with a friend for the afternoon and talk about the Lord. That night was filled with even more joy with more friends. The Lord is restored my joy for Him and i'm in awe of Him. He is wonderful!