Five Minute Friday: Thank You

"Thank you," two sweet words that don't roll off the tongue very often. This combination of words have the potential to mean the world to an individual. Thank you's can be expressed for more than big gifts in our lives. It can be said for what we see to be the smaller blessings God showers over us throughout the course of our day.

Choosing Christ over answers and clarity

Jesus Christ has a wonderful plan for each of our lives and He has specific areas for each of us to serve Him during different seasons of our lives. With this knowledge comes a challenge to ask for His guidance. It may not be asking for guidance that poses a struggle, but the wait does. It's normal. The desire for answers and clarity has the potential to become all consuming.

Asking and waiting for answers and clarity have its place, but I pray that we, as the body would choose intimacy with Christ over the answers posted overhead in black and white. He will not leave us in the dark. He will answer our prayers in His timing.

For God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace. 1st Corinthians 14:33

Five Minute Friday: Stay

Sit down like you're going to stay.

Take off your shoes like you're going to stay.

Take off your socks like you're going to stay.

Grab your blanket like you're going to stay.

Get comfortable like you're going to stay. 

Relax, breathe in and breathe out.

Just stay. 

Stay even when you feel like you can't even sit.

Thankful Thursday Week Ten

 Thankful Thursday series week ten.

 for friends who are intentional about praying for one another.

It is such a blessing to be surrounded by friends who will go to the throne on the behalf of their brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Thankful Thursday Week Nine

Thankful Thursday series week nine.

for His direction to the new places He has been guiding me to during this new season

It is a joy and an adventure to be able to go before the Lord and say, " Here I am," expressing the desires of our hearts, and asking for direction. It is challenging laying those desires down and asking if those desires and dreams are ones He has for us to pursue. Even more challenging is the wait for the girl who wants to run off with her dreams and desires in hand. Waiting encourages slowing down to listen to His voice and instruction.

Thankful Thursday Week Eight

Thankful Thursday Series week eight.

for Christ showing the need to slow down

 and being guided in what that looks like each and every day.

Thankful Thursday Week Seven

Thankful Thursday series week seven post.

we can worship Christ in different ways, its more than lifting up our voices through song. 

Thankful Thursday Week Six

It is Thankful Thursday Week Six.

for the peace Christ gives us in being who He created us to be and the strength given to fight the battle of comparison. 

Thankful Thursday Week Five

  Post for week five of the Thankful Thursday series.

 

for a voice; for vocal chords that give the opportunity to use words to express ourselves, encourage others, and speak of Christ's love and faithfulness. 

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.-Matthew 10:27

Thankful Thursday Week Four

The concept of a series is one that I failed to follow through. It isn't Thursday, but I want to attempt to catch up on the Thankful Thursday Series.

   

Here is the post for what would have been week four of the Thankful Thursday series.

to be able to live in a dorm room on campus and for a sweet roommate. I'm thankful she is respectful and kind. I find it a blessing to be able to come back to a peaceful place.

Thankful Thursday: Week Three

 

 It is week three of the Thankful Thursday Series! Yay, time to slow down and reflect!

  

for my little blue rusty bicycle.

Really and truly my classes are not far from my dorm and neither is the library, but I can get everywhere much faster. now. I love exploring campus and the surrounding area, its relaxing and fun. There is a beautiful park nearby I love riding over to to have my quiet times. 

A year or so ago my mom purchased this little cheap craigslist find and little did I know it would be a wonderful blessing. Thanks mom!

Five Minute Friday: Wide

   I felt as if I'd been left to stand in front of a red curtain while life unfolded on the other side. While I waited and prayed He was making broken things beautiful. 

  He whispered that He was healing in ways I couldn't see or understand.

  About ten months later He called me a little closer and drew the curtain wide open and I was amazed at all the restoration, clarity, joy and delight He brought to the situation.

Thankful Thursday Week Two

It is week two of the Thankful Thursday Fall 2012 series! 

for God's financial provision for college.

I struggle with doubt when it comes to trusting that Christ will provide. He is faithful! 

I'll leave you with this challenging and beautiful verse:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Five Minute Friday: Focus

   I am having a very difficult time focusing. There are many thoughts swirling around in my head and when I bring in my to do list, focusing on what I need to be doing and doing just that can be overwhelming.
   I've been thinking about how and when to approach a particular conversation I would like to have with someone I really care about, what to do with my major post graduation, trying to make sense of the option to take on a second minor, relationships, how to walk through life with friends, outreach opportunities I should've taken and the ones I need to take, summer plans, the possibility of somehow making an impact in the fight to eradicate human trafficking, thankful thoughts about being in college and living on campus, my family, my selfishness and pride, the Word, and the presence of God.

Thankful Thursday Week One

As a part of this blog series titled, Thankful Thursdays I will be focusing on one blessing for the next eleven weeks.

for a wonderful community of genuine Christ followers. 

    The Lord has graciously blessed me with friends here in college and across different states that love Him and love others well. These friends kneel before the Lord on behalf of the beloved and the lost and with the beloved and the lost. It is refreshing to be a part of this community to do life with. 

     I enjoy seeing a familiar sister or brother in Christ loving on others and smiling as they walk through campus. There's nothing like seeing Christ's love and joy being poured out on this campus by a wonderful community of genuine Christ followers. 

Thankful Thursday List Fall 2012

I am thankful Jesus has blessed me with...
1. a wonderful community of genuine Christ followers
2. financial provision to be a student in college who also lives on campus
3. a cute little bike that helps me get around this beautiful place
4. kind roommate and a peaceful dorm room atmosphere
5. a voice/vocal chords to be able to communicate with others
6. helped me to have a peace about who He has created me to be
7. opening my eyes to different ways in which I can worship Him throughout the day
8. showing me the significance of slowing down and how to do just that
9. direction to new places to go and communities to be a part of during this new season
10. purposeful/prayerful relationships where I can share about my life with who will not only pray for me, but with me
11. An actual RELATIONSHIP with Jesus- the blessing and joy of going deeper with Jesus. The intimacy and joy of going deeper with Jesus Christ.

This is a list I compiled during my quiet time a few days ago. For the next eleven weeks I will be attempting to focus on one of these each week.
What are you thankful for today on this Thankful Thursday? Ponder the answers and/or comment in the comment box

Thankful Thursdays to Come!

This Thursday I plan to post a very long entry, not to worry there is a method to the madness. I would like to make a list of what I am thankful for and then dive further into each blessing in the weeks to come. Would you like to join me for the first series on this blog that is oh so cleverly titled, Thankful Thursdays? If you are inspired or perhaps encouraged to begin a thankful series would you be willing to share that in the comment section for this post? If you've begun a series similar to this one would you also let me know?

Five Minute Friday: Change

    A night of homework sitting at my desk is what I had planned. It was 10:40 p.m. I had headphones in both ears as I sat in front of my laptop, the lights were off, my roommate's soft classical music was playing, and the ac unit running. Over the noise I somehow heard a short knock on my door, stared at the door, and after several seconds decided to become "Agent Bev," and do some investigating in the hall. My investigation lasted only from the door I was sitting in until three seconds after I closed the door to my room. My sweet neighbor quickly said, "I have a doubt," and ran around the corner into her room. I made sense of the quick, mumbled yet frantic four words after entering her dorm room and skimming her email. All she had to do was leave the dorm and walk around the corner to an office to pick up a few items, one being her passport...yikes...at the front desk. She had absolutely no idea where the building was and what to do next. I put on my flip flops, grabbed my keys, and we ventured out into the warm summer night together. We laughed as we talked and she was no longer worried.
     I have been living in a dorm for the first time in my life for a little over three weeks and I strongly desire to live a "interrupted life." I am so thankful for these little divine appointments and I pray He will help me to be willing to change my plans and just be a part of what has been a part of His plan all along. 

Why is that?

    "Why is that?" my friend asked. One of the girls on my hall is from India. She has been in the United States for almost two months which has lead to wonderful and challenging questions. Our chat was a series of stories that somehow led to her statement, "All the people in India are fat and here they are all skinny," she continued and asked, "Why is that?"
     I explained that in the U.S. movies, television, movies, and magazines place value on a woman being skinny and small. In retrospect my answer was somewhat valid, but I failed to address the root of the issue. I may have figuratively taken her hand and helped her understand, but what I did not realize was that I needed someone to take me by the hand and help me understand.
    The Holy Spirit took my hand and took me a little deeper. We as women have sadly bought the lie that Satan held out. We've bought the lies about what we "ought to look like." We took the lies and we ran with them.
    I've bought the lies and run with them. I've run beside them in a few different seasons of my life. Jesus lovingly grabbed a hold of me, specifically my thoughts and heart.
    For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14   Jesus Christ created each of us! He knit each us together! How special and marvelous is the truth that He took the time to knit us together!
    It is never too late to ask Him to grab a hold of our thoughts and heart.
  

Five Minute Friday: Join

     Join. It has been what we as Crusade ( normally called Cru) students have been trying to encourage freshmen and transfer students to do, simply join us! Since August 10 we have been reppin' our Cru t-shirts and spreading the word about Cru on our college campus!
     I was reflecting on the strong desire we have as Cru students for others to join this ministry yet I felt the Lord asking me personally what my focus is. Is my focus on simply trying to get students to check out and potentially join Cru or is it for them to join in hopes that they would seek out and/or continue their personal relationship with Jesus? Hhmm....food for thought.
    I am so encouraged to be surround by students involved in Cru who desire for others to join so they too may experience this loving community and most importantly experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

"In India my dad follows behind..."

   Through a series of events I met a girl on campus from India. She expressed how different American culture is from hers as she said, "In India my dad follows behind me every where." This concept rocked my world as I understand a Father's positioning to be ahead of his daughter, but never behind. Even when thinking about Christ I never picture Him behind, but I think Christ can and does  walk and direct us while behind us.

   There are seasons in our walks with Him in which He will direct us from behind. His position behind us does not mean we are not following Him or that He has forsaken us, it simply means He is guiding us from a different position; place. I envision Him walking and directing us from behind with His hands on our shoulders.  As we can continue to seek Him His fingertips grasp our shoulders as He motions us. He may motion us to stop, pause, go forward, or to the side as we continue to keep in step with the Spirit. He may even help us by fixing our gaze in a different direction as we continue to walk out our faith by the power of His Spirit! While I may not live in India I think there are moments and seasons where my Heavenly Father has His hands on my shoulders as He directs from behind.

Five Minute Friday: Connect!

     We connect. We connect because we are daughters of the King. He has put His Holy Spirit in each of us the second we came to Him confessing our sins and our need for a Savior. We connect because He is sovereign.
      None of us were wired to do-life solo. We were wired to do-life together. We are called to connect. As a sister in Christ I need to slow down and connect with the sister beside me that God has placed in my life. A few ways to connect is to listen, talk with, walk beside, and even to cry on her shoulder.
      To the woman who is hiding behind a tree, do a little Jesus dance around her and wrap your arms around her. Pray that your arms wrapped around her while you take a moment or several moments to connect would remind her about her Heavenly Father who wants so deeply to connect with her! One of the greatest ways to connect with her is to love her where she is in her life! Go connect!

Five Minute Friday- Here

Here is wherever the Lord has placed you today and in this very moment. Here is also where we can have an encounter with Jesus. Yesterday I had the weirdest “Here, really?! experience.” Yesterday my “Here experience,” was in Target. My “here experience” was on the ground next to my best friend’s purse and a roll of moving and storage packing tape. I opened up a Bible app on my phone knowing that my best friend would be in the dressing room for quite some time. I decided to ask the Lord, very humbly and sweetly to meet me “here,” and to myself I laughed that about the fact that I never thought I would be sitting on the floor in Target having a quiet time. I totally needed Jesus in that moment. I thought, I am so thankful that His Spirit is “here,yes, here with me in Target.” Let me tell you my Heavenly Father met me when I asked Him to please meet me “here, here in Target.” 

The View-Master and The Master's-View

      A family friend asked me, "What are you going to do with your major?" I replied, "I'm still trying to figure it out," and he very seriously responded, "You have to figure out what will put money in the bank, that's whats most important." I understood there were good intentions behind the statement, I was silent and frustrated.
      I sat frustrated across the table from a friend as I recounted the story. I explained how I understood silence to be the same as agreement. I explained how I wanted to lovingly and gracefully express myself in conversations concerning my major and the future. I would love to verbalize the following. I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I know He has lead me to study Communications, but I have no idea what I'm going to do after I graduate. One of my greatest desires is to live a life of obedience unto Jesus and I am confident that as I seek Him He will reveal the next step in His perfect timing.
      The old toy in the picture captivated my attention for hours on end as a little girl, its called a View-Master. As a kid I would put a paper film into the View-Master to see a cool little picture that I could not see until I put it in. The View-Master holds the paper film in place and can show all the pictures on the paper film rotation, but it will only show one picture at a time.
      Jesus is my View-Master. I believe He is the one who holds the paper film of my life. I want to look to Him and through His eyes. I want to look to Him. I want to know, see, and experience the Master. And I want to view His heart and His plan for my life. I desire to see the next slide of my life just like the next girl. As I look through the View-Master I will View-The-Master and get the Master's-View of my life. I will view the next paper film slide of my life in His timing.
      Will you look through the View-Master and ask the Master to give you The Master's-View of your situation or season?

Pressing Into Christ Through Prayer

       I am very thankful to have been encouraged by a friend to,"press into Christ." At first I was somewhat confused as to how to do that. I later learned prayer is one way in which I can press into Jesus Christ. I am prideful and it is challenging to stop what I'm doing to be still and pray. Living out 1st Thessalonians 5: 17, where the word says, "pray continually," and that is challenging at times. It takes effort on my part to stop my restless self and be still before Jesus.
      There are days in which I have chosen to harbor bitterness against loved ones. I have brushed passed people and circumstances in bitterness, allowing bitterness to make a home in my heart, and choosing my way over Christ's. I am praying that Christ would help me not to harbor bitterness in my heart. The word says, "Each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else can share in its joy," in Proverbs 14:10. I do not want to have a bitter heart and I want to share the joy that Christ has given me.
      The above two lessons are ones that through the power of the Holy Spirit I can apply in practical ways. The Holy Spirit can totally gently nudge our arm when I need to press into Christ through prayer and ask Jesus to help me not to harbor bitterness and additionally to help me to truly forgive others.
    In what ways do you think you have been challenged or encouraged to press into Christ this past week or coming week?
      

Goodbye June, Howdy July!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are halfway through the summer of 2012! Crazy, is one word to describe what has taken place. Here is a list of several fun things I have done and would like to do before the summer is over.


Start a blog for my art projects. read "Passion and Purity". spend time with my sisters who live with my dad. go swimming. play video games with my brother (and at least win one race). spend time with family friends. Go to Magic Wings Butterfly House. start packing for school in the fall. Ride a train! Watch and listen to an awesome thunderstorm. read "Heaven is for Real". knit a few scarves for the fall. Go for a jog with my brother. watch a chick-flic at a cheap movie theater. Spend time with my roommate from SCSP 2011 summer project! go on a coffee date with my cousin. Reread: "Lies Young Women Believe." Reread: "Wild at Heart". Dance in the Rain. Go to a Kari Jobe Concert (AUG 23!). Attend She Speaks Conference. go bowling. make my own envelopes.

Freedom!

I love the word and I love artsy afternoons!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. -Galatians 5:1

When the Holy Spirit Gives a Heads Up

    I never imagined that eight words from a loved one could pierce my heart like a sword. The eight words were said, with the last one carrying a majority of the weight. This sentence is one that I will not repeat at any point in this post. In all honesty, in a certain sense, the message that was the sum of the eight words  came at no surprise to my shattering heart. The message that was conveyed verbally was one that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to. The Holy Spirit had given me a heads up. Since January the Lord had been putting this loved one on my heart, specifically to be in prayer for and to be in prayer over a future conversation. The Holy Spirit also whispered a little bit about where my loved one's heart was, where their focus was several weeks before we had the conversation.
    The word says, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace," in 1st Corinthians 14:33. God had already been preparing my heart and my spirit for what was to come and this gave me great peace.
     This is one of the most remarkable lessons and moments that I have had with God. Its amazing to reflect on the fact that He had been speaking to my heart five months prior to the difficult conversation I had with this loved one. He had put prayers in my heart that He answered five months later and that truly impacted the way that He was healed me through the aftermath of the conversation. And through these events I have been encouraged and challenged. I believe that one of the reasons that the Holy Spirit gives us a heads up is so that we can be in prayer over a person, or an event, a situation, a pain, a heart....whatever it may be. I believe with all of my heart that the Holy Spirit often gives us a heads up so that we can turn to the Father and press in through prayer.

Giving Christ the Key

     Jesus pursues us. He pursues his those who believe and follow Him and those that do not. 
    He wants to and can use the pain, brokenness, tarnished, hurtful, and joyful parts of our lives that we've hidden deep withing our hearts. In Romans 8:28 the word says: "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." He wants to use all things for good! This is amazing! Not one part of my broken past will He not use for good, it all has a purpose!
    I have lots of pain and brokenness that God has healed and mended me of and a lot more to bring to His feet.
    I know that events and circumstances in my life God can use to bring others closer to Him. I don't want to stuff even the areas of my life He is healing away in my heart, locked up, and throw away the key. I want to give Jesus the key to my heart that He may in turn come into the broken places, heal me, and embrace me so that I can in turn share what He has done in me. I know that what He has done in me, He can also do in you! In giving Jesus access to my heart I can begin living more with A Fully Committed Heart.
     Is there an area of your life that you could give Christ the key to?

Lesson From a Five Year Old Beauty

    She had both feet on the first step with her little toes hanging, yet hugging the edge of the first step. On her ankles the water and chlorine mix of the pool touched her tan skin. The air was warm and the sun shining down on her small frame. The five year old beauty stood facing ahead, her gaze fixed before her. Her sweet yet gentle shriek left others surrounding her assured that she was excited, a little nervous, yet completely safe. She was safe and she knew it. She stood with outstretched arms toward her place of refuge. Her father stood at the bottom of the the pool with outstretched arms, his words beckoning her softly. She jumped into His arms because she knew she would be safe.
    Maybe in the weeks to come Jesus is beckoning you into a new season with Him. Maybe in the next few weeks He wants you to just jump into His arms and find a refuge in Him in a way that you never have before.

Learning to Rest In Green Pastures

     As silly and bizarre as it sounds I believe I am learning a new art form; rest. I never expected to force myself to embrace such an action, or lack thereof.
    "Rest," was once four little letters sandwiched together that I longed for from November to the first week of May. I have been running from...ppsst, [in hushed tones] you know, the r-word.
     The past few weeks have been spent with mod podge in my left hand and a paint brush in my right as my Kari Jobe playlist repeats. It has been a feat of strength to simply rest. I have found myself back tracking to moments in my crazy semester, thinking of the projects I swore I would do when I had time to rest, and I've been trying, in a sense to keep myself busy. It has been quite the little journey transitioning from running all over creation: working, running errands, doing homework, and spending time with friends and family to, not having a to do list what so ever.
      As I read Psalm 23, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that Jesus, "MAKES me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters..." I am no Bible scholar, but I do believe the Holy Spirit shed a little light on the second verse of Psalm 23, because I had always passed it over. I may have a peaceful and calm spirit overall, but He knows me well enough to know that I only rest when forced. I do believe this summer he is a season of pulling a Psalm 23:2, hardcore. He is without a doubt making me lie down, I believe in the green pastures, being the five acres I live on and this summer being a season of quiet waters.
     I need to stop leaning on my "genius" idea of what this season is supposed to be look like, feel like, and taste like and simply learn to rest in the green pastures He has provided. As I learn to simply rest here, I pray for and anticipate Him to restore my soul as He said in Psalm 23:3 and to restore yours as well!

He Is Not A Side Line Daddy

     She couldn't see Him as she learned to ride her bike at seven years old. And she could not see him when she made forts in the living room with her cousins. She could not see him when she moved to a different state with arms folded. She could not see him as she met one of her best friends. She could not see Him when she walked through the halls of her high school. She could not see Him as she walked across a stage wearing a blue cap and gown. She could not see Him as He provided for her first year of college. She could not see Him when she met some of her closests friends and was blessed by wonderful relationships and community of believers. She could not see him as she went through a deep valley of despair while moving forward with perseverance and in prayer as she prayed, "Have your way." She could not see Him when she was so excited when she started dating a young Christ warrior in her second year of college. She could not see Him as she persevered through academic hardships. She could not see Him as she was accepted to a local four year university. And she knew she would not see Him as she walked across the stage to graduation with her Associate of Arts degree, but she knew that He would be there. She knew that He would be sitting in the front row even though she could not see him. She knew that He had always gone before her and prepared the way. She knew that even though she could not physically see Him, He was ALWAYS THERE and would ALWAYS BE THERE. She knew that he was not a distant daddy. She knew that as she was drawing nearer to Him, He was drawing nearer to her. She knew that He was never on the sidelines, because He was always a  holding-her-hand daddy. She knew He would never leave her nor forsake her. And she knew that He loved her and always will love her. 
    Although she is figuring out who she is, she knows whose she is. She knows that she is His, first and foremost, forever His.
   She praises Him for not being a side line daddy, because she knows He is so much more than that.

Taking It Slow

As your feet go, go, go you are saying, "no, no no."
As I whisper softly, "slow, slow, slow,"
"for I have things to show," and "if you would just rest you would know, as you come there is food for your soul."
    Often times I believe my heart cry has been "no," towards the Lord as He is saying "slow, slow slow," because He has things that He wants to teach me if I would only enter into His presence.
    I may have somewhat of a peaceful and calm personality, but I most definitely am completely restless before the Lord. I feel as though I am just now learning the importance of being still in His presence and how to do that. I am learning to have a heart and a physical position similar to Mary's.
     Mary sat at Jesus Christ's feet, ready to learn, she knew how to physically be still before the Lord.  Mary for sure was a Psalm 46:10 woman.
    Often times in my life I have been so busy and decided to cut out my quiet time. The Lord has so much He wants to teach and show us, He totally wants to minister to our hearts, and I don't want to miss out on sweet time with the Lord.
    I am very excited to continue to learn what it means to sit at His feet. I know that if I do not slow down and sit at His feet I will miss what it is God wants to teach me. I hope you are encouraged to slow down, get in the Lord's presence, and simply being still and quiet before Him. Nothing is more beautiful or satisfying than to commune with our Creator.

Isaiah 48:17 
This is what the Lord says--
Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."