Thou Art Able

"Lord, we know Thou art able to keep us from falling."

Currently reading Elisabeth Elliot's biography of Amy Carmichael and I am already in awestruck, just three chapters in. This woman almost doesn't seem real. Those words, "keep us from falling," are like revelations to my heart. HE is able. I fall so many times, but yet He remains good and stays able.

Simply Grace.

Carson-Newman, How He Loves Thee

Carson-Newman truly is an incredible place in the Fall. The color scheme is like none that man could make their own. As I watch the leaves fall, I am once again reminded of You, Lord. The tree is radiant in all of it's glory, decorated by it's leaves. Their beauty and fullness is what brings the tree alive and contagious to the eye. But then, I feel the wind blow and subsequently watch the leaves fall. Sure, they decorate the ground as well as they do the branches- but the dead and discolored ones amongst them tell you their beauty has now became temporary. The radiance will soon fade and the branches will be in need for them to return. This is my life without You, Lord. For when I become disconnected from Your Spirit and nurture the beauty of this life fades away. But somehow, by Your amazing grace the season of winds will pass and the tree will glorify You once again. May my roots be grow so strong down into You, that if possible, I become the single leaf that brings the tree glory and beauty through the seasons of wind and winter.

Focused on a Person

I am learning a lot about my focus, and the attitude I hold with it. Being within my last year of college, and knowing that graduation is just around the corner, I have never wrestled with confusion and lack of faith more than now. I have a tendency to search & pick up anything that might give me answers and security- it illuminates the waiting and relieves the fear. However, that isn’t the path my heart is after, so I have found the Lord repeatedly pushing me to be still, trust, and listen.

And so He is teaching me-

My focus point is Jesus. Therefore, my goal and destination is not so much a geographical location; it is a Person. Whether I become a missionary, employee, wife, or stay-at-home mom, my focus is the same. HE is my pursuit. HE is the direction I am heading—and I can go there now.

I must not cast my eyes about, looking overseas, wondering if it will be this or that city or country or people group. I have to keep striving to set my eyes, and heart, firmly fixed on Him. Where He goes, I go. This simplifies things. I do not have to obsess over where I am going or where God is calling me. God is calling me to pursue Jesus.

So I am going to continue to let Him teach me, by His kindness and grace- to get very still before Him and learn to recognize His voice more- Building up my determination to only walk in obedience. If He has not given me the go-ahead for the next step, I must fight the urge to take one on my own wisdom. –I will wait. Wait on Him to tell me. I have seen and know that He is always trustworthy and faithful to lead, even when His guidance comes at the last minute.

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” -Hebrews 12:2

Best Friends & Street Festivals

Women of Hope

I have been exploring the Old Testament more than I ever have before these past few months- and the more I do, the more women I find to admire and learn from. I think about Tamar’s constant belief in a loving God..Rahab’s faith and redeemed future..Bathsheba’s beauty that moved the desire of a king, and her pain that moved the heart of God..and then to go even farther, there’s Mary, all of eternity waited for her role in this big plan; her obedience to the Lord affected all of creation.

This morning I read about Sarah. I tried to think of what it was like during her time of the waiting and the unknown.

If there is one thing that’s true, it is that we women hate not knowing.

We want to know, confront, and understand. Therefore, this could not have came easy to Sarah. Truth is, she even laughed to herself, with unbelief, when God made His promise to Abraham (Genesis 18:12). However, the Lord redirected her faith saying to her, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14-15). –this is something that would serve me well to consistently walk in.

All in all, the Lord reminded me this morning of women of hope and what they look like. It is a strength you can see. They are women who put their hope in God, by looking away from hardships and troubles, and circumstances that seem to make their future look dreary. They tune their devotion and gaze on the sovereign and loving One who is far more concerned about our future than we are.

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.” -Psalm 107:43

Excessive Reliance

It is much easier to stay with old problems, rather than seek new solutions. However, I believe life is truly found just one step outside your comfort zone. Therefore, we must trust and listen to our intuition, resting in the one who created it. If we choose otherwise, and listen to our mind, the same old answers it has been giving for years- will once again- leave us empty and behind.
So the way I see it, we have two options; we can listen to our mind or listen to our heart.
Our paths are either going to come from a fount of fear, or a fount of love.
By choosing fear, we choose ourselves, making every action a mistake.
By choosing love, we use our heart, surpassing expectations beyond what we can think.
So, rely on heart intuition, and let go of mindless self-ambition.
I have learned and now know, our hearts have a way of making our legs go.

When the Troubles Won't Stop

Pray even when you don’t want to.
This is no promise that going to God will remove all pain and worry. That is way to simple of an approach to the situation. Paul’s thorn in the flesh never went away even though he sought the Lord earnestly over and over again. The pain that Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane was not a taken away either; even though he longed for it to be. However, God pours out grace, the exact grace of steady perseverance, therefore we can endure whatever may come our way. We find His grace through the channel of prayer and the pouring out of our hearts to Him. This is all known answers to us, but it needs reminding over and over, because we are slow learners here.

Another Summer at Crossings

Redefining Beauty

Passion, 2012

What an incredible weekend Passion, 2014 was! Wow. There is just something about thousands of college students coming together ad worshiping JESUS. That name- there really is just something about it, huh? 

This trip was a Christmas gift to me from my best friend, Ashley. Doing ministry with her all summer, and growing in Christ alongside of her has been nothing less than treasure. I just know the Lord has big plans for the two of us. We drink too much Starbucks and relate too well to younger girls to be idle ;)