Everyday Insights and Real Life Stories

Last night, we had to say goodbye to Miss Martha as she lost her battle with cancer. To me, she was a mentor and one of my best friends. She treated me like I was one of her family and encouraged me in so many ways. I'm going to miss her more than I could ever say on a blog post. She taught me to respect myself and stay true to who I am despite the people or circumstances around me. She was a prayer warrior and a true soldier for Christ. She took the time to care about those around her even in the little things. She taught me a lot about horses, and my pony and I are both a lot better off for it. She was never afraid to talk about the hard things if it meant showing others what Jesus Christ is capable of. She would share her testimony and advise on hard situations. And she was strong. Stronger than most anyone I've met. The love and strength she had in Christ radiated off of her and rubbed off on the people she met. I admire that about her. I admire so many things about her a...

God, I thank You for all that You've given me: the people You've brought into my life to love and support me, the ones You gave me to love and support, and the ones that challenged me in my walk with You. I thank You for the trials and the troubles. Thank You for revealing Yourself and Your strength to me through them. Thank You for loving me despite my failings and lifting me up time and again and taking me back when I run away. I thank You for Your power in my life and the little miracles You perform everyday. God, I pray that You will show me opportunities everyday to impact the people around me. I pray that You will chisel away the rough parts of my personality so that I might be more malleable in Your hands. I pray that I would be a tool in Your hand to break through the walls around people's hearts and engrave Your name in their hearts. I pray that as I walk past them, they will feel Your presence radiating off of me like a furnace. God, I pray that You will give me...

"The devil is tempting me again!" "Oh, that devil! He's constantly whispering in my ear!" "God's just testing me again! I just can't withstand this temptation!" "This trial God gave me is just too much for me to handle. I'll never get through it!" "The devil is after us all, all the time." Sheesh! Does anyone else hear these things a lot? It gets pretty old, doesn't it? Especially since, (brace yourself) these often aren't even true. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe we give too much credit to the devil and too little credit to the ones truly responsible for all of these things - placing blame where blame is not due and relying too much on ourselves? The first issue here, is that everyone always seems to think that the devil is coming after them at the same time. Don't get me wrong, the devil is real and he is out there. He does mess with us and he loves to see us brought down. But he can only be in o...

Oftentimes, I find that as Christians we confuse what it means to have a relationship with God versus having a personal relationship with God. There are many types of relationships in this world, but none of them are the same. The mistake is often made when Christians talk of a "relationship with Jesus Christ". That could mean anything to someone who has no experience with that which we are referring to. In fact, there are a lot of relationships that people may first think of, depending on what they've gone through in their lives. For example, like it or not, children have a relationship with their abusive parents. It's not a healthy relationship, it's not a loving relationship, but nonetheless it's a relationship. People also have relationships with their cheating spouses. Again, it's not desirable, it's heartbreaking, but it's still a relationship. Children have relationships with the schoolyard bully that pounds them for everything they've ...

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the sinners doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that?" Matthew 5:43-47 I love people.  People are so unique and amazing. I love hearing them tell their stories and discuss their passions. I love getting to know them and finding out what makes them tick. I think this is a gift that God has given me, because it really helps me in my mission field when I can relate to people and earn their trust. Because of this, it's important to realize that God desires for us to show His love to the people around us who do not ...

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing your mind through Christ Jesus that you may be able test and approve what God's will is - God's good, perfect, pleasing will. Romans 12:2 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 I love the night sky. Whether the moon is full and the stars are shining or everything is cloudy and obscured, I love looking at the different ways God displays His power every night. It encourages and amazes me to know that my God created all of that and yet is able and (more astoundingly) willing to take care of me as well. God created the moon to reflect the light and comfort of the sun. This rem...

It has been four days since my parents waved goodbye, leaving me at college to make my own friends, my own choices, and my own mistakes. It was an emotional experience, but also a very exciting one. I love both of my parents dearly, but all through my childhood I have always been a daddy's girl. About a week before I was to leave, my father asked me a question with brimming eyes, "Are you going to miss me?" It really struck me because I have rarely seen my father cry, and it reminded me of how much he really loves me. This got me thinking about  how God is in our lives. He loves us, He trains us, and then He sends us out into the world to fulfill His purpose and, I can imagine, that is very emotional for our loving, protective Father. Obviously, my dad is and never has been a perfect representation of God's love for us. He's human and I would never expect him to be. However, by watching my daddy interact with my older siblings and I, I have learned a lot about ...

Isaiah 61:3 "to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord  for the display of his splendor." 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." The world is a truly disgusting place. People do horrible things that effect the innocents in their lives. It's heartbreaking and, oftentimes, I find myself asking "Why, God?" This summer, I served as a Summer Missionary at different camps and Vacation Bible Schools in my area and I met a lot of kids who shared their stories wi...

Psalm 139:14 "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Sometimes my heart literally stops when I see someone put so much effort into the tiny details on something so imperfect, like a child's artwork, because I realize that's precisely how God is with us. In His eyes, we're perfect and our tiny details are important, but in anyone else's eyes we're imperfect and ridiculous. When we look in the mirror, all we see are our flaws and the society we live in goes out of their way to make each and everyone of us feel inadequate. Thankfully, our worth doesn't come from what we think we should look like or where we fall short of our culture's standards. Our worth comes only from our Creator. We're made in the image of the perfect God; imperfect murky reflections with a purpose to glorify Him. Yesterday, I spent some much needed time with two close friends of mine before I leav...