There is one aspect in my walk with Christ that I have realized could use improvement in. I haven’t been studying the Bible like I should be. Recently my devotions have consisted of reading the Verse of the Day on the YouVersion application on my phone and a few scriptures in a devotional. These are good things to be doing, but I have only done them when I had nothing else to do or I couldn’t sleep.

Going and spending time with God is something we should do every day. It should be our top priority for our day. I realized I was giving God my leftovers and not my first fruits. I have gotten so distracted by the busyness of the day and doing good things. I have become easily distracted by the world that I forget to spend time with the one who created me.

Reading the scriptures daily is something I am going to be working on. Starting today I am going to strive to spend time in the Word of God every day for the 21 days, because it takes roughly 21 days to form a habit. I want to read the scriptures and for it to become something that comes naturally for to me to do. I don’t want to keep this bad habit of only going to God when I am bored or need something from God.

I want to ask you to encourage me in this. Please ask me what I am reading in the Bible, and what I have been learning from reading the scriptures. This summer I started reading the New Testament again, and currently I am halfway through. I look forward to seeing how reading the scriptures frequently will change my life, and I look forward to what He will teach me during this time with Him.

Scripture References:

• “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
• “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” ~ Romans 15:4 NIV
• “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” ~Psalm 119:105 NIV

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This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for! This school year has probably been the best school year of college. It hasn’t been easy. There have been hard times, but overall it has been a pretty great year!

I think it’s important that we take the time to reflect on what God has done for us. If we think about all the blessings that God has given us, then it’ll give us a new perspective. It helps to be grateful for all we have instead of complaining about what we don’t have.

This Thanksgiving I challenge you to make a list of all that you are thankful for! I’m going to write about the top 6 things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, and I challenge you to do the same thing! Feel free to comment the top 6 things you’re thankful for!

Here is my top 6:

• Liberty University- I am extremely thankful to be at a school that I absolutely love! As I walk around campus I can’t help but thank God that he gave me the opportunity to go to Liberty. There are always things to do for fun. Liberty has taught me a lot, and has given me opportunities that I wouldn’t have most places.
• My Church- I currently attend Brentwood Church in Virginia. I am thankful to go to a church that values development. I have been in the development program as an intern for almost a year and a half. My faith and relationship with Christ has drastically improved since I started going to Brentwood. Every week there is something new I am learning. I also believe that many of the people at Brentwood have become my extended family and or my closest friends in Lynchburg.
• Family- I am so thankful for my parents and brother! I wouldn’t be nearly the woman I am today without my family’s love and support. I wouldn’t trade my family for any other family! I could be writing all day to say all the things I love about each member of my family, but I’ll limit myself to just a sentence about what I love about each member. I love that my mom is my best friend, and she is the one I talk to the most in my life. I love that my dad work countless hours to provide for our family. I love that my brother supports, protects, and encourages me.
• Friends- I am thankful for ALL the friends that God has blessed me with! I can’t even start to list all my friends that I am thankful for, because I am truly blessed in the friend department. I am thankful for the friends I have had for years or the ones I have only known for couple months. If you know me personally, then consider yourself a part of this category!
• Jesus Christ- Jesus Christ isn’t the first in this list, but He is the number one thing that I am thankful for! I am so thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and that he took the pain for me so I can go to Heaven. I also couldn’t imagine living my life without Christ or God. I have seen many miracles in my life that I can’t help but give God the credit for.
• Health- I don’t have nearly perfect health. If you know me then you might be surprised to see this on my thankful list. Though this year God has been teaching me how blessed I am in the health department. All my organs are working properly, and that I even could wake up this morning is a blessing. I have also seen God use what I used to consider health problems to further his kingdom, which is an awesome feeling to have. This shows me that God can use EVERYTHING (even the bad) in our life for His glory if you allow Him to!

Scripture References:

• “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” ~1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” ~John 3:16-17 NIV
• “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
• “I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” ~Philippians 1:3-4 NIV

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A little over a week ago I was at the mall with my friend and one of my roommates. It was a busy Friday where I was heading from one event to another, but they were all fun events. Until I got a text from my mom asking me to call her. I told her I’d call her after I finished being at the mall with my friend. That’s when she texted me to call her soon that it wasn’t going to be good news. My mind started to race at what it could be. I immediately called her back. I could tell from her voice that it was something life changing.

She told me that my grandmother had died earlier that day. My friend asked what my mom was calling about, and I told her. I suddenly burst into tears, and she asked what she should do. I told her to talk to me about anything, but the situation with my grandmother. That’s a brief way of how I am handling losing her. I have kept busy since her death, but every now and then I think about her. I can’t really wrap my head around it.

I think of all she has done for me in my past. She helped form me to the person I am today. She has always been a person I looked up to. She sacrificed a lot to help my family and me. She paid for trips with us. She let us use her car, which was one of the first cars I learned how to drive. She even let us live in her house for a couple years until she sold it.

She also is the one that showed me passion for the arts. She was a really great artist, and she taught me most of what I know about the visual arts. This is one thing that we shared, and usually what we bonded over. I always enjoyed seeing her artwork, and I always wanted to be as good as her. I don’t think I’ll ever be as talented as she was. I have a new respect for art though, because of her. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pick up a colored pencil or a paintbrush without thinking of her.

I haven’t had the best luck in the grandparents’ department, but she was the one that I truly cared about and loved. She was the only grandparent in my life that made me feel like she cared and loved us as well.

Unfortunately, when she moved back to Florida we sort of grew distant, and this is the one thing I regret the most about her dying. I saw her 2 times since I started college. There were times I thought I should call her, but I never did. Now looking back, I wished I had called. The last time I saw her was a few weeks before she passed, and one of the few things she told me was that she regretted that we had grown distant in the past couple of years.

All this to say that if you still have a grandparent that you love and care about, then don’t have the regrets that I have. Take maybe an hour out of your day to call them, or schedule a time to visit them. You never know when you won’t have another opportunity to do so.

Some of my favorite memories with my grandmother:

• Her teaching me how to draw a flower.
• Her being at the big events in my life like my dance recitals, award ceremonies, etc.
• She helped me create a second altered book.
• When her and my family drove from South Carolina to Idaho.
• In her house, she allowed me to paint my whole room. This included a huge mural over my bed.

Scripture References:

• “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ~Revelation 21:4 NIV
• “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” ~2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV
• “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:3 NIV
• “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” ~Proverbs 22:6 NIV

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I have realized that I have a huge pride problem. It’s probably one of my biggest sins. I take pride in my achievements, my character, and even how religious I am. I’m going to dig into the reason I am prideful in each of these areas. In college, I have mostly only studied Religion and Communications courses. These courses are in addition to the General Education classes I am required to take for my degree. I am prideful of how many internships I have had since I have been in college and the activities I have done at school.

Communications is sort of a showy major. It’s one of those majors where you are in the public’s eye. I volunteer for a radio station on campus, and I have even had one of my customers at work call me a celebrity for being on the radio. I also have a blog that has 650 views, over 330 visitors, and I have had at least one view from 9 different countries.

Though the area I am least proud of with my pride is how religious I believe I am. I at times have not shared the gospel to someone because for some reason or another I didn’t like them. I at times have thought I am better than people because I intern at a larger church in the area. I at times haven’t loved or appreciate someone the way I should have. This is NOT ok!

I’m not saying all the previous things to brag. Honestly it quite the contrary. It’s a problem, and I don’t want to be like that. Though if I am being honest partially the reason I come off as prideful is because I am at times insecure. I am insecure about my future. I cognitively know that God has a plan for my life, but I have a hard time trusting that He works all things for my good. I am insecure of my past mistakes. I have what I believed messed up, and I have a hard time accepting grace and forgiving others.

And I am probably the most insecure of my past. I perceive that I have lost many relationships with past friends and past love interests due to my medical history. One thing I have heard from a wise person that “People are in your life for a season or reason”. I am so thankful for this! I have had to come to terms with if someone is out of your life your season with them might be over.

I want to take a moment to thank the people that have stayed in my life even through my medical problems. I want to thank the people that continue to love and care about me!

There is a difference between pride and confidence. I want more confidence instead of pride. I want to be confident in the power of the gospel and prayer. I want to be confident in the power of God. I want to be obedient to whatever He calls of me.

One thing I have been learning the past couple months is that if you have a sin that you should confess it. So, I am confessing that I have a pride problem. I also pray that God helps me improve in this sin in my life.

Scripture References

1. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” ~ Proverbs 3:5 NIV
2. “A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them” ~ Proverbs 14:3
3. “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:16 ESV
4. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms“ Ephesians 6:10-12 NI 

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I’m not against people drinking. I don’t want anyone to think this. I hold no judgement of people who do decide to drink alcohol. Everyone has personal convictions about drinking alcohol. I know very godly people who drink, but as far as me and my convictions I don’t believe that I should be drinking alcohol.

Here is some of my logic as to why I am not planning on drinking alcohol:

Jesus drank wine in the bible, but today we have so many more options to what we can drink. During the time that the Bible was written there wasn’t many options of what you could drink. There are medical benefits of wine and alcohol, but the dangers of alcohol greatly outweigh the reasons why you should drink. In 1 Timothy 5:23 it shows a belief of many people who do decide to drink, but you should look at the context of people drinking.

There is also a high chance of me being addicted to alcohol due to genetics. In my extended family, there is a good amount of my family members that have had struggles with alcoholism. I have seen too many times how just one drink or a few drinks could lead to a lifetime of sorrow. I have also noticed in my family that you can stop drinking alcohol if you choose too. It’s not an easy task, but it’s one that you can make. I admire people who have had a problem with drinking that have decided to turn their life around for the better by quitting. As for me though I do not want to take a chance.

Another reason I do not want to drink alcohol is that I want to be an example of Christ to others. As Christians we are supposed to be set apart from others. If we are drinking just as the rest of society or the world, then there is a good chance that we are not being a light or an example of him. I have seen God do great things in my life if I choose to be different from the world.

Now I am not going to say I am never going to drink alcohol in the future. As I am older I might decide to try alcohol and change my mind. I might slip up and be tempted by alcohol. I also believe that if I do slip up and be tempted by alcohol then God can and will forgive me, and can also use my mistakes to help others.

Scripture References:

• “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” ~Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV
• “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry” ~ 1 Peter 4:3 NIV
• “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” ~1 Timothy 5:23 NIV 

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Recently God has been teaching me how to be obedient to Him. This past summer God has been pruning my life. There have been branches of my life that have not been healthy and not thriving, and God has been teaching me to let go of these things. I have been learning to not be content with good, because God has a great future for my life instead. God has more in store for my future than just good. This past summer I have been learning what some of these areas are that are only good instead of great.

In this current season, God has also been teaching me to take risks and get out of my comfort zone. God was making it clear that he had a different future than what I pictured for my life, but the first step in seeing some of the blessings of my life was to trust God. I had a choice to trust God completely with my future this summer. He wanted me to trust Him even when I didn’t know what direction to go in next.

This was shown a few times with my life this summer. First I had one plan for my summer and what I was going to do, but then God closed the door on what I thought was going to be an opportunity for my summer. At this point I had a choice to close off God, because he didn’t do what I wanted. Instead I made the choice to trust God that he was going to present another opportunity instead.

A few weeks later God showed me what this opportunity was going to be. This summer I have been able to intern with the local YMCA as their Marketing Intern, which has been a great opportunity for me. I have gained valuable experience that I can use in the future. It has also restored direction for my life as well. I further realized what I enjoy about Communications and Marketing, and that I could see myself doing this in the future.

Learning this about myself brought another change into my life. Once it was renewed that I wanted to go in Communications again I decided to change back to my old degree at Liberty. I was an Interdisciplinary Major at Liberty University Online. I was studying Religion and Communications, but I realized that it might be easier to get a job if I pursue a Communications degree instead. So now I am back to studying Strategic Communication with Liberty’s residential program.

These areas were disguised blessings. If hadn’t had the opportunity at the YMCA, then I could be missing out on what God has in store for my life. God can do the same thing in for you. Is there something in your life that is just good? I had to take that risk to let go of some hard things to receive a new direction. Could God be wanting to prune you, but you must let go of something else first? God wants us to step out and possibly be uncertain of our future. That’s when we can start to learn to trust Him fully.

Scripture References:

• “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” ~John 15:2 NIV
• “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
  ²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” ~Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV
• “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~Joshua 1:9 NIV

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Waiting can be one of the toughest things that God tells us to do. Today, we live in a time that we want everything to happen now. I have seen countless times that God has my best interest in the long run, but I still have a problem with trusting God. In my life doubt and worry is constantly an issue that I struggle with.

But God has been teaching me to trust Him in every circumstance. Even when he tells us that we need to wait. There have been a few situations with my future that I have no clue what I am supposed to do. The answer to these situations has not been resolved, but I pray that God does answer these prayers.

I also pray that God will make it clear in what direction I should go in, but sometimes God doesn’t make the answer the clear. Sometimes God gives us options of what direction to go in, and he allows us to decide. Ultimately, He knows what direction we will go in, and still has a plan for our life. Though some roads of our lives aren’t completely clear.

An example of this in my life was when I decided what college to attend. I applied to 8 different schools, and I got accepted to all 8 as well. I had at least 8 options of where I could go to school for my freshman year. The initial plan was go to Liberty University, but as soon as I came up to Liberty for CFAW (College for a Weekend) I realized that this school was not where I was meant to be for my freshman year of college. After waiting a few months for an answer, I realized that I was meant to go to Carson-Newman University for my freshman year. Ultimately God used my time at Carson-Newman for good. I met some pretty cool people, and I learned a lot about myself. Though Carson-Newman is not the school I will graduate from it was still a place that God used to grow me closer to Him.

Waiting can be one of the worst and best situations for us. It can teach us patience and trust. Waiting isn’t the worst outcome though, because what we are hoping for will come. The answer just might not be in our own timing.

I have a few things in my life that I feel God is telling me to wait for. I’m not going to say waiting is going to be easy, because it’s not! But I know waiting is all for my good. I know that one day these things will come. When that day comes, I’ll appreciate it more than I would if it came into my life now.

Scripture References

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
• “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” ~ Isaiah 30:18 ESV
• “But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me.” ~Micah 7:7 ESV

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In a recent blog post I wrote about how on vacation I could rest from my busy schedule. Well I assume I didn’t rest enough. The last day of vacation I started feeling a pain in my mouth. I didn’t really think anything of it until Thursday when it had gotten worse and had not gone away yet. I thought it was wisdom teeth related, so I started researching every dentist in Lynchburg area.

To make matters worse my dad had recently switched companies so I wasn’t completely insured yet either. I had to find a dentist that was reasonable for an uninsured person, could see me almost immediately, and was accepting new patients. The was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I called a few places and a lot of the dentist offices wouldn’t even answer the phone. I finally got on the phone with a dentist office, and they had an extreme attitude about me not having insurance.

On Friday I was finally able to see a dentist. As soon as dentist offices opened I was on the phone trying to find one to go to. Luckily, the third call was the charm! I called Lynchburg Dental Center, and they could see me the following hour and their price for a visit and x-ray was reasonable. I go to the dentist, and she said it was wisdom teeth related. They scheduled an appointment to examine my wisdom teeth, and she prescribed an antibiotic.

During the night after Saturday. I woke up in extreme pain again. I found myself crying for 15 minutes straight, and I was getting to a point where I was literally crying out to God asking him to take away the pain. In a way, I sort of think this was how Jesus felt when he was on the cross. He cries his well-known line of “Why have you forsaken me?” Now I know that this analogy isn’t the best, but it makes sense to me. Have you ever had a time where you questioned why God has given you this trial? Well this was one of those moments for me.

Sunday morning rolls around and I am exhausted. Obviously, I didn’t have a lot of sleep that night. I almost decided to not attend church, which for me is unheard of! I’m one that is at church every time the doors are open. Sunday is usually my favorite day of the week, and you know I am not doing well if I contemplate not going to church. Well I decided to fight through the pain, and go to church. I am so glad I decided to do so!

At my church, I serve with the middle school students, and at the beginning of the morning we have a time when all the middle school volunteers collect and discuss what the morning will consist of. We also do a time of prayer requests. I decided to say something about my mouth, and the next thing I know the whole group is praying for me. This was a cool moment for me, because I never really speak up during this time. I am also not really one to ask for prayers for myself like this.

I serve as a small group leader in the middle school program. That morning we had one of the volunteers tell her story, and it was cool to see the discussion in my small group that came from her story. I would like to say that it’s because they have a wonderful leader, but it’s really because we have a wonderful God. God just let me be a part of this morning with these girls. I want to relate this back to the analogy I used earlier. Jesus had to go through the pain on the cross before we could see all the people come to Christ. It’s the same with us. These hard times that we are going through will be used by God later. We might not like hurting, but God will use our hurting to bring others to Christ.

Scripture References:

• “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” ~ Matthew 27:46 ESV
• “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 ESV
• “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” ~James 1:12 ESV
• “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” ~Romans 12:12 ESV

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Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post on Father’s Day, but due to unforeseen circumstances I couldn’t post it until now.

In honor of Father’s Day, it’s important to respect this day and honor our fathers. A father has many definitions in society today. There are many examples of what the term father means. According to Merriam-Webster one of the definitions of a father is: “a man who has begotten a child”¹. In the definition of father on Merriam-Webster there are 7 different definitions of father.

There are no perfect fathers in the world, and my dad is no exception to this. There are times that I don’t understand my father or why he would do certain things. But that’s ok, because we don’t have to understand everything. One day when I possibly become a parent I might understand better, but as a 21-year-old some things are still hard for me to comprehend.

I try not to brag on social media regarding appreciation of others very often. This is especially seen on days where everyone is posting a certain thing on social media. For example: you usually won’t see me post something on holidays or the silly national days. The first reason is to not add to the clutter of social media. I also try to appreciate others in a more personal way instead of being flashy.  The main reason I add something on these day is if I believe I have a different take than what the majority is posting. All this to say I don’t share my appreciation of my father publically very often.

Today is going to be an exception to what I just mentioned. I realized that I might have never mentioned my father on my blog before, and that it should be something I change. In my family, I am very fortunate to have my biological father in my life. I know many people don’t have this person in their life. My father is better than a lot of fathers in the world today, and I know how fortunate I am to have that. There are three qualities of my dad that I appreciate: he works hard to provide for our family, he loves my mom, and he tries to be a better father than his father was to him.

My dad does his best to provide for our family. He has a full-time and a part-time job. As a result, he puts in more hours than many fathers do. The reason he works so much is so my family can live comfortably financially. Both of my parents try to provide for all our needs and wants, so they can see us have a better future than they had. Neither of my parents finished college, and so my parents are doing everything they can to see my brother and I succeed and in the future graduate college. My parents also have invested in our passions. There were many dance lessons, art supplies, and blazers (for Forensics) that my parents have bought for me over the years.

Another quality that I appreciate is that he loves my mom. He might not always show it the best way, but at the end of the day I know that my dad loves my mom. You can tell that there is no other woman that my father would rather be with. I hope one day I can find a man that will love me like he loves my mom.

The last thing and in my eyes one of the most important things I appreciate about my father is that he tries to be a better father than his father was to him. He didn’t have the best father growing up. I can tell that my father tries to be better than his father. One way that I have seen this is that I know my father loves and cares about me, and he wants the best for me.

Some of you might relate to these aspects of your father. You might have had the best father growing up, and if that is the case you should appreciate your father. This should be done more days than birthdays and holidays. If you have not had the best father I want you to know that there is another father figure you can have in your life if you choose to accept him! God is our father, and He wants to pursue you! He will never leave you or let you down. The Bible is a good place to look for good fatherly examples, and God is the best example there is in the Bible! Some other good fathers in the Bible are Abraham, Noah, and Joseph (the father of Jesus).

For the readers that are men I want to encourage you to become the father you had or wished you had growing up. If you don’t have a child than invest in a child and be an older brother or father in their life. You can volunteer in many avenues to become a father or brother figure in a younger person’s life. For me I volunteer with middle and high school students at my church.

I close with a quote from the pastor Charles Stanley, “Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He’s sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped”². Regardless of our earthly fathers’ actions we can always seek God to be our father.

Scripture References:

• “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” ~ Joshua 24:15 ESV
• “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” ~ Ephesians 4:6 ESV
• “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” ~ Isaiah 64:8 ESV

¹ “Father,” Merriam-Webster, accessed June 18, 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father.

² “Charles Stanley Quotes,” BrainyQuote, , accessed June 18, 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/charlessta451697.html?src=t_heavenly_father

I would Love to hear from you!

Feel free to Comment below, or email me at:  matthew712girl@gmail.com

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Here are some photos of me and my dad!

Recent photo of my father

My father and I at a wedding in 2013

My family the day of my baptism in 2011.

Destination: Chincoteague Island

Last week I went on a trip to Chincoteague island with my family. It was an enjoyable trip, and I could get away and clear my thoughts. Recently I have been in a busy season of my life. I am one to constantly be moving and going from one place to another. I’d rather be busy than bored, and I live by this stance. I also try to be productive with my down-time as well. Where I end up not really resting at all. It’s not necessarily a sin to be busy, but it’s not something we should be doing all the time. God intends for us to slow down and rest. This leads into where I saw God on this trip. The first area was the importance of resting, and the other was the blessings of being spontaneous.

God wants us to be able to rest. He wants us to take the time out of our busy schedule to redirect our focus on Him. If we get too busy we can lose the bigger picture of what we should be doing. God calls us to love others and spend time with Him. One way on the trip that I felt restful was when we were watching the sunset and waiting for a NASA rocket to launch, which by the way ended up being canceled. I still had fun looking out at the water waiting for the launch though. The waves have a calming effect for me.

Being spontaneous isn’t necessarily a good thing in the Bible. In a lot of areas God shows planning ahead as a good thing. That in many stories there was a lot of planning before blessings of God showed. I believe though that planning can be abused. We can be extremely focused on doing certain things at certain times that it starts to be a ritual. It can also be easy to lose focus on God when we are focused on what to do when. It was nice on this trip to be on “Island Time”, and not having to be at certain places at certain times.

Usually my family is one that goes into a vacation with a game-plan of what we are doing each day.  This trip we somewhat had a game-plan, but one day we ended up throwing the plan into the wind. We went to Assateague National Park. One cool thing about this park is that there are wild ponies and a lighthouse there. This made my mother very excited. We went in with a mission to find the wild ponies. At one point, we went to the visitor center and was told that on the Maryland side of the park had better sightings of ponies. Next thing I know we’re driving to Maryland! This was not in the original plan at all! When we got to the Maryland side of the island we could see the wild ponies just a few feet away from us! I think in a way God blessed us when we decided to follow when He prompted us to go in a different direction.

In every trip, there are times that we can see God in what we are doing if we look for Him. For me it was as simple as in wild ponies and in the sunset. The key to noticing God in your life is by opening your eyes to Him. We should slow down and rest in Him, and he will reveal new things to you.

Scripture References

• “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” ~ Hebrews 4:11 ESV
• “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ~ Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
• “And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’” ~ Mark 2:27 ESV

I would Love to hear from you!

Feel free to Comment below, or email me at:  matthew712girl@gmail.com

Want to know when a new blog is posted? Email me at: matthew712girl@gmail.com, or if you have a WordPress account, follow!

Lastly, feel free to Share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Use the hashtag: #matthew712girl to let me know you are viewing it!

Here is another picture from the trip!