Truth.

Every tuesday of each week I go downtown to this place called Love War. It is just a group of people that get together to sing and worship our Father. I don't quite know how to explain how I've felt this week. I just know that every time I have prayed this week I've asked for God to draw near to me, I guess I've felt distant from God. So this tuesday I went to Love War with a heavy heart, not knowing what to expect but praying that God would just speak His truth to me. This guy got up and started to pray, and when he did, he prayed that God would just shower His truth onto each one of us, at that moment I knew God was trying to tell me something. The band started singing, "It's not complicated loving you, God". I smile even thinking about it, I lifted my hands and just accepted God's truth being spoken to me. 

To some, that might sound strange, but have you ever thought about it like that? I thought about how many relationships I have had, whether it be a boyfriend, a friend, or even a family member. I think about how complicated things can get sometimes and how frustrating it can be, but yet God is standing there, His arms wide open simply saying, "Its not complicated loving me, daughter." No matter how bad of a day I'm having, He doesn't go out of His way to make it worse... instead, He WANTS to show me His love, He WANTS to make me smile, He WANTS to bless me throughout the day. And he does! Somehow or in some way. Whether it's big or small, His timing is always right. He is so worthy of all of our praise. I just want more of Him everyday. 

It's also crazy to think about how if He hadn't been born, and if He hadn't of died for us, we would have no hope. It's HIS grace and mercy we receive that is available at any time!! He is teaching me a lot about being thankful. Thanking him for everything He has done, and everything He is doing for me. "A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles." How could I not thank Him and praise Him every single day of my life for what He has done! His birth and death gives us hope, encouragement, joy, and power over sin. 

Even though this isn't anything new, I'm sure most of you have heard all of this before... It's SO important! God's truth has more power over the enemy.

Psalm 19:7-9

The revelation of God is whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of God are clear

and point out the right road.

The life-maps of God are right, 

showing the way to joy.

The directions of God are plain

and easy on the eyes.

God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,

with a lifetime guarantee. 

The decisions of God are accurate

down to the nth degree.

It's not complicated loving you, Abba.

Believe.

Romans 4:19-25

"Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child" Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God."

FAITH WAS COUNTED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Even though Abraham might have been scared, or not ready to have a child at such an old age, he BELIEVED. He trusted God to be faithful to his promise. Abraham's faith was his covenant to God. His promise. When we just believe, trust, and have faith that God will do what He has said, God will reward us. It makes Him so happy when we CRY out to Him, because He wants to be there for us. He loves us. Belief is not just any word, it's truly trusting God to do what He has promised. THAT is beautiful. But why is it so hard?? I get so caught up in my own problems, situations, anger that I forget to just stop and give it to God. Trust Him to help me with my problems. 

God cannot promise us we will be with Him in heaven, God can only promise us that we will be with Him in heaven if we are obedient to Him. I have never really thought about it like that, I guess. 

Our relationship with God is based on a PROMISE, those who BELIEVE will be with Him forever. 

Always remember the Lord has a plan and it's done in His timing. Sometimes we wait, hopefully, patiently. Why? Because God is always up to something. Praise Him in times of despair. Praise Him in everything. It's so easy to get frustrated, mad, and annoyed. Satan feeds off of that! 

"I love God because he listened to me,

listened as I begged for mercy.

He listened so intently

as I laid out my case before him. 

Death stared me in the face,

hell was hard on my heels.

Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;

then I called out to God for help:

"Please, God!" I cried out.

"Save my life!"

God is GRACIOUS- it is he who makes things right,

our most compassionate God.

God takes the side of the helpless;

when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

Psalm 116:1-6

Today, I am trusting in God's truth.

Thanksgiving :)

My BEAUTIFUL sister and I 

THANKSGIVING!

This is what we do.

Hahaha.

This is what I have been eating all week!!

2 surgeries in 1 day.... NEVER AGAIN.

ABIDE.

     Today.... The day before Thanksgiving. I feel like I should be so happy and so thankful, but its completely the opposite. I couldn't sleep last night because my mouth is still recovering from the surgery I had last week. I woke up today just tired, annoyed, and frustrated. I literally just sat on the floor of my living room and started crying.....I don't even know why!! As I sat there crying over nothing I realized I was just crying to myself. Crying because I wanted to I guess. I wasn't sitting there talking to God about why I was upset, I was simply sitting there feeling sorry for myself. 

 I decided to go running, thats always a good way to let off some steam. While I was running I caught myself just asking God for things, I kept asking and asking.... Then I stopped running. Why was I asking for so much? God has given me so much already. He has blessed me incredibly. He has done miracles in my life. I started running again and started thanking God for everything He has blessed me with until I was done running. Just getting to praise and rejoice to God for saving ME! 

God's little reminder yesterday :)

God is ready to redefine us if we let Him. HE wants to comfort us, encourage us, and challenge us. Our King restores us daily if we stop, listen, and be still. So many times I am so concerned with myself, with my problems that I don't take the time to just rest in God's presence and listen to what He is trying to say to me. He doesn't want us to just be on the go all the time, running around, sometimes we need to let go and let GOD. Just stop and be. 

Father, THANK YOU for the amount of power that is in Your name!

PRAISE GOD- for He USED me.

Well this week, I actually have time to sit down at my computer and write. Yesterday I had 2 surgeries done on my mouth, I got all four wisdom teeth taken out and I had the first of four surgeries on my 2 false teeth. Yes I have 2 false teeth. SO, I'm in quite a bit of pain with nothing to do!!! 

I just have to share with you all that God has provided the first 5,000 for my journey! How amazing is that?!? He not only has been blessing me but He has been teaching me every single day.

I'm so incredibly thankful for the month of November this year because it is a completely different season for me. Since I surrendered to Him, I've had times of weeping, times of joy, times of frustration, and times of gratefulness. Last month was just a month of frustration, waiting, getting impatient and God literally pulled me out of that season and the November 1st was a completely different season for me. God has been blessing me in abundance. This has been a time for me to just rejoice in his greatness, thank him for being my Savior. Ive never cherished a month so much. Also, I think the reason that my surgeries were at this time was to be able to literally lay at home and just rest, talk to God, and spend time with my family before I leave. This is really a special time for me, I've gotten so close to my family. 

I went to a worship service this past Sunday with my dear friend Sally Jernigan. I had never been before so when I got there I just remained silent and waited for it to start. It was a small worship service of about 30 college students in one living room. About half way through, one of the guys playing guitar stopped and said, "We don't usually do this, and without moving too much, turn to the people around you and pray over them and this new season." So Sally started praying over me and my journey that I am about to be going on. When she got done, I kept hearing God say, "The only place Satan can get to is your mind". When I turned my head away from Sally, the guy next to me had his head down. So without even knowing really what I was doing, I laid my hand on Sally and I laid my hand on the guy next to me and started praying for them. After I was done he asked if he could pray for us, and when he did, he started admitting personal things about his relationship with God, instead of praying for us he was telling us what was going on with him. When he realized he was doing this he stopped mid-sentence and started praying for us. When he was through, I turned to him nonchalantly and I said, "I think I'm suppose to tell you that the only place Satan can get to is your mind. God has your heart, He has had your heart from the beginning and He had never and will never let go. Whenever Satan puts thoughts like that into your head just cry out to God, he will transform those bad thoughts into good thoughts." The guy looked at me like I was crazy so of course I say,"I'm sorry did that make sense?? Was I just saying that Satan can get to your heart? Cause thats not what I meant!!! I meant...." The guy stopped me and said,"No that made perfect sense, thats actually just what I needed. That has been my struggle lately." Later on this week I got to talk to the guy and he said that he had actually been crying out to Jesus when those thoughts came to his head, he said that he has gotten closer to God through it. That brought me such JOY!!!

Not only did God use me to speak to him, the guy learned something through what God had spoke through me. And not only did that guy learn something but I did as well. I was almost proud of myself for what I had to said to that guy.... but it wasn't me who spoke to him.... it was GOD. God spoke through me. I couldn't boast in who I was, God had CHOSEN to work through me. Truly rejoicing in Abba takes humbling. PRAISE GOD- for He USED me!!! What God taught me is that I will be tempted to rejoice in the little things or a "power" God gave me- but instead of rejoicing in HOW God used me, I need to rejoice that my name is written in Heaven. Beautiful. 

Thank you Jesus for the amount of POWER that is in YOUR name!!!