John 16:33

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

prov. 31:25

untitled

Abba Father,

I give up, trying to be strong is not working any more. Only You can be the strong I need right now. I am done trying to be in control of this situation. I am done crying empty hopeless tears. Lead me toward love. Grant me wisdom, to speak over the situation. Let me talk/walk/live in Truth. Let my dry bones be replaced with life. Speak into the silence I hear. Soften my heart. Breath upon the lifeless. Bring fourth your Spirit and healing to this place. Take my heart back to the place where I was in constant awe of You. Forgive my heart of doubt. Let me rest in Your arms. I trust in Your protection/comfort/provision, I don't need anymore signs that You are who You say you are! I want to be near to Your heart. I can't do this on my own, hear my plea. Mend my broken heart. Bring life/joy/gladness back into this place. Show me Your glory. Never once have we ever walked alone, You are faithful, God You are faithful.

love,
Your daughter.

¹ Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ ALL this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4

cuts deep.

venting machine

#frustrated #jaded #annoyed #irritated #overwhelmed #vent #helpmeJesus

1. I don't understand why money doesn't grow on trees...?! It would make life a lot easier.

2. I'm very curious what God is trying to teach me while I'm living at home. It's basically the worst thing ever right now, I can't handle it! My family would be happier if I moved out & I have no business still living at home. Of course I am currently not making enough to move out. It's a very sucky situation if I'm being honest. It makes it even worst because I know how great it is to live on my own... I lived with Lin on our own & lived in Aus for six months... I know what freedom tastes like but am stuck here and can't get out quick enough!

3. When will I have enough money saved up to buy a new car!? I currently share a car with basically my entire family, thanks to my not-so-reliable-1995-Blazer! I might add it's extremely annoying to rely on others for a ride places... it makes me want to just stay home all the time.

4. Why do I live in Michigan still...!? I was talking to my dad today and was wondering why in the world my parents decided to raise their family here. Of course it was because back in the 80's, early 90's the economy here was really great and everyone could get jobs...today it's a different story. Michigan is depressing to be in... especially this area. Then again, I live in the burbs so it's tougher to see a decline / decay of the economy... but take a drive anywhere South of the burbs and it's falling apart.

5. When will I be able to control how I react to situations...!? I obviously need to finish growing up, but it's so annoying that I always seem to cause more strive than good amongst my mother & my self...

6. How can I count my blessings when life seems sucky & all I want to do is curl up in a ball & cry...? When will I be totally content with where & what God has entrusted me with?

7. Someone can only fake a smile for a while before it becomes too much of a chore.


... there is a song from Family Force 5 called 'Not Alone'... it doesn't sound like them at all, but I love the lyrics... I need Jesus to tell me that I'm not alone.! I know it's true, I just need to believe it ... TRYING to believe / trust in His faithfulness, it's harder than it sounds.

It'll be okay I breathe in
Just knowing that you're listening
Yeah I'm holding back the tears right now
Just tell me that I'm not alone

Cause I don't hurt when you say it
I hear your words, I can make it
I need you now, I want you now
To tell me that I'm not alone

Beautiful by Michael Ketterer

let men be men!

First of all, the photo has nothing to do with this post, I just like it a lot :) Brit left for Haiti this morning, so she stopped by yesterday arvo to say goodbye.

Here we go...I L-O-V-E the weekends. What a great break from "normal life", right?! Funny story time::: When I tell people I live in Detroit classic questions tend to follow; do I own a gun, have I been to 8 mile, do I know Eminem, or am I in a gang?! It's like when people meet someone from California and just assume they know Miley Cyrus & have been to Hollywood...CA is a big state, what are the chances, honestly. That's besides the point... my grandma lives off of 8 mile... I don't own a gun and I'm not in a gang!

Anyways, Detroit is great... there is lots to do there, cool shops, cafes, museums, parks, ect. It's like every other metropolitan city in North America, except the crime rate is a tad higher & there are heaps more gutted buildings, so what's the big deal? OKAY...so what I'm trying to get at is, roaming the D is all about being smart! You can do whatever you want down there, as long as you're smart. Examples... fill your tank with gas in the burbs, charge your phone, perhaps you should carry pepper spray, and maybe don't go by yourself.

So this brings me to my weekend... Steph and I went downtown [totally prepared; full tank of gas, charged phones, and with each other] on Friday night, so we could see Lecrae live...judge me, it was so good! Very crammed & sweaty, just like when I would go to concerts in high school. We had fun, saw friends and found out what it was like to be the minority...fun times. Post concert nights usually involve getting food, IHOP on Woodward seemed to fit the bill this time around. We got in the car and headed to IHOP. As we headed down the entrance ramp to I-75, we hit a gnarly pot-hole and got 3 feet onto the free-way when Steph's car just stopped. I'm usually not that afraid of situations like this... but we had just come from 7 mile and it was 12 at night... recipe for worry!

I must watch the news too much, because all I could think about was how scary it would be if someone pulled up behind us and got out to "help us". God only knows who/what could pull up behind us to help. After sitting there for maybe 20 minutes, which seemed much longer...trying to start it, again and again, making that call to our dad's...we settled on finally calling AAA to come save us! Literally right when we made the plan to call them, a car pulls up behind us and I looked at Steph & said "this is where it's going to get scary". Side details, it's dark out, her vanity plate reads "BLOND1E", and we're literally in the ghetto of Detroit.

To our delight & relief the car that stopped happened to be some guys from church that we were just with. They saw us & stopped to help... knowing we weren't in the safest part of town & offering all of their prior knowledge of cars. They gladly helped jump/start the car, but nothing worked. We ended up having to get it towed back to Steph's house. The guys offered to drive us back to her house, so we wouldn't have to drive with the tow-truck driver. I was all for this idea! There was no way I was about to pile into a tow-truck with some strange man at 1am in downtown Detroit! Steph... being Miss Independent [love her!] figured we would be fine and protested the idea, the guys insisted...then I reminded her to just let them be men!

What a simple concept right?! Let men be men! Men are good problem solvers and want to rescue/protect, that's how God wired them.... so why do we as women today cringe & dislike assistance from men so much? We want to do everything on our own, we feel like we need to some how prove ourselves. Our society today is fixated on equal rights among genders, which doesn't really make any sense if you think about it... because men are so obviously different than women... each gender has very different qualities and characteristics to contribute to the world and that can't happen if men aren't given the chance to man up!

So ladies... let the men in your life; fathers, brothers, friends or strangers be men!! Let them open the door, fix your car, carry something for you, or assist you in some fashion...even if it's just simple things that allow them to feel appreciated and needed! Okay I'm done ranting...just some thing to consider / think about for your Monday night.

sisterhood

powerful:nurturing:slow-to-speak:feminine:strong:hopeful:graceful
Think of Mary... she changed our world, when she birthed the Savior of the world. I'm curious to see/find what God has in store for the sisters/women in my sphere of influence. I want to change my world, I want us to change the world, together we can/will see... your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!


"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come." PROV 31.25

[photo credit here]

holy weekend!

Blessed with the BEST five-day-weekend ever!! Taylor came in from Chicago on Friday night, we drove up north with Lin, Steph & Meg ... had a laughter filled trip up north & met up with Scott & Tina, who are going back to Australia next Monday!! It was so good/refreshing to just sit & talk to them! It was just like old times. I love friends who can pick up conversation right where it left off. Tina's family owns a bakery...so going there at 11-pm to raid it was definitely a high light :) We had yummy meals, quality conversations, & pretty scenic walks. We parted with Scott & Tina on Sunday afternoon, so the girls & I could make it back for Lighthouse...Monday Taylor & I biked 14 miles...went shopping...drank lots of coffee...showed off Detroit...had lots of laughs. ahh...I still can't believe how great my weekend was! Now back to reality... I'm happy it's a three day work weekend.

God you are SO good!! I can't handle it sometimes!!

value human life?

This is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen! I was pro-LIFE before watching this...but now there will never be a doubt in my mind that abortion IS murder of an innocent life. We cannot tolerate this modern-day-holocaust to continue. This hits really close to home...

1.) Close family friends struggled with infertility for quite some time...they endured raw pain/grief/tears before God abundantly blessed them with two precious baby girls.

It's hard to grasp the fact that women choose to kill their flesh and blood out of convenience, when many loving/solid/responsible families are suffering from infertility...but no, a woman couldn't carry a baby for nine months and give her child up for adoption!? It blows my mind!

2.) I was born with a congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defect a.k.a. HOLE in my heart [physically + spiritually ;) ] ... I am also a twin. Twins are automatically "high risk", then add a defect, a broken heart...all the more reason to be "high risk" and more likely to abort.

My parents were told by doctors it would be a smart idea to avoid complications. They were even asked by friends if they would consider it...THANK YOU JESUS they didn't!! Thankfully my parents were able to get me the medical attention I needed once my sister & I were born... I can imagine that would have been a very difficult time for my young mom, having a 1.5 year old at home & two itty-bitty baby twins.

Bottom line is, abortion is the easy way out... we weren't put on earth to take the easy way out of lives bumps/curves/valleys...keep your head up in the valleys & GREAT will be your reward! What if my friends wouldn't have held their heads up during their valleys!? Two precious baby girls wouldn't have been adopted into a safe/loving/nurturing family. What if my parents wouldn't have kept their heads up when they found out that having twins would be difficult?! I wouldn't be typing this and my mom would most likely be carrying unwanted guilt. Perhaps re-think the value YOU place on human life......

I won't waste my life.

God is reminding me [a lot] lately to not waste my life.

^"15Look carefully then how you walk!
Live purposefully and worthily and
accurately, not as the unwise and witless,
but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),

¹⁶Making the very most of the time
[buying up each opportunity], because
the days are evil.

¹⁷Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁸And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.

¹⁹Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices and instruments] and
making melody with all your heart to the Lord,

²⁰At all times and for everything giving thanks
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God
the Father." Ephesians 5:15 [amp]

Recently I remember seeing a movie trailer for a new movie with Justin Timberlake in it. [hopefully you know what movie I'm referring to, because I don't remember the name of it]. From what I could see in the trailer, the characters had a digital time floating above their heads. They were constantly on the run to "buy" more time it appeared. What a picture that is! Sometimes I wish I had a life clock floating above my head! How much more would I get done in a day! How much nicer would I be? How much more time I would spend getting to know God. For me personally, I feel like my daily choices would look a lot different.

Unfortunately God didn't grant us with digital clocks above our heads. We have no idea what our clock is at; it could be at 429,843:03:45 or 9:32:14 ... With a mind set like this, I feel more inclined to not waste my life. Of course, death is a harsh reality, but it's something we need to think about. If I was to die today, what would people say about my life/personality/walk with Christ/how I treat others? Would they have to lie and make things up, to make me sound like a quality person? Would people know that I was a follower of Christ? It reminds me of the old school Nicole Nordman song, Legacy.

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

Making the most of every minute, hour, days we have is important and it's something I take for granted. I often make plans for tomorrow or the next five years, arrogantly thinking I will be here. I have to remember that God is in control of my clock...today I'm going to start making a more of a conscious decision to let God make my plans & lead me where He needs me. So, I can make the most of my small time on the earth. When I no longer have breath, I want to have done everything I possibly could to expand the Kingdom & impact the world around me.