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.

the Comforter

"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12

I love that God is a God of comfort, knowing exactly how & when to comfort us. the Groom looking after His bride...being patience...speaking tenderly...comforting, when the bride feels weak. God's comforting in the last 48 hours:: the message at lighthouse on Hosea; to remind me that Jesus will never leave my side & will always love me unconditionally...or today having a good cry; to release loads of bottled up emotions...and then tonight this verse in 2 Tim, to remind me that no matter what my current circumstance may be...since I have decided to entrust Him with my life, He will guard it knowing He is in control. + Speaking of comfort... my "no-word" playlist usually calms me down after a stressful/annoying day, so I was listening to Your Hand In Mine by Explosions in the Sky... how fitting!? My hand is in His...and He will never let go...thanks God for comforting me when I need it!

Our hand is always in the hand of the one true Comforter.

...allure her

Do yourself a favor and listen to this podcast, if you weren't at Lighthouse on Sunday...excellent reminder of God's unconditional love & mercy on us!!

podcast here.

kop-khun-ka

Friends & family... here is an over due piece of gratitude... For the past three months since returning home, I've had no idea how to really show thanks in a genuine way. The reality is that words won't ever do justice to the type of thanks my church, friends, and family deserve for supporting me the way they have! So here goes an attempt to fill you in on what you supported...and I really can't say THANK YOU enough for the support I received this past year. God has blessed me above & beyond with each of you!

With YOUR prayer/thoughts and financial support, I was able to know God better in the land-down-under and make Him known in the nation of Thailand with the organization, Youth With A Mission. The following is a follow-up-report of what I was able to do with YOUR help.

I completed a six-month program called Discipleship Training School, based in Newcastle, New South Wales. The program consisted of lectures, reports, and hands on mission experience. The first half of my DTS, referred to as the “lecture phase” was spent in Newcastle Australia. During this phase I had twelve weeks of classroom setting lectures, where I heard from various speakers on topics such as; Bible Study, Character of God, Missions, and Lordship, just to name a few.

During this twelve-week period of time, our school was also involved in running a local youth group called Youth Street. Youth Street is a group that meets every Saturday and outreaches to the local youth. Every weekend was spent with the same group of kids, that way we could build relationships with them and ultimately lead them towards Christ. Each weekend we ran age appropriate activities, worship, messages, and small groups.

After the lecture phase was “outreach”, another twelve weeks of cross-cultural missions experience. During our lecture phase we were given two options for possible outreach locations, Brazil and Thailand were the choices. From there we were asked to not discuss our intentions with friends, instead take our ideas to God and wait to get His word on which location we should choose. Before I left for my DTS, God had put Thailand on my heart. Ever since hearing Aka John and his wife talk about Thailand in church, I have had Thailand on my heart. When I heard the options I automatically assumed I should go! I took it to God and He clearly confirmed my decision.

After forming our team, we spent time getting to know the culture of Thailand. We did various reports on the different people groups, cultures, and studied the language to prepare for our journey. Finally April came and eight others, along with myself headed to Thailand.

Our team was able to spend three months serving in three different locations. The first location we served at was with a YWAM base, outside of Mae Sot. There we held a mini version of what experienced on our Discipleship Training School for Burmese refugees did open-air outreach and led church services to the surrounding hill tribes. This was the most rural of locations, we got to live in bamboo huts, eat rice three times a day, and take showers with a bucket of cold water. Living like this not only made me feel super blessed and spoiled, it also opened my eyes to see that we are not as blessed as we think. Those in need are more blessed in having nothing, they literally live off of love and putting others first, it was quite an eye and heart opening experience.

Next we spent time in the western city of Chaing Mai. There we taught English with a ministry called The Centre, held various outreaches at the local universities, and taught in surrounding churches. During our days working with The Centre, we would go into the local universities and talk to students about the ministry. Through the afternoon we would teach various levels of English as a Second Language classes. After class we would spend time getting to know our students through sitting down for coffee or having them show us what they enjoy doing on their time off. We were able to make some pretty meaningful and deep relationships with the students.

Finally we spent the last leg of our trip in Phuket (pu-ket), working with a ministry called SHE (Self Help Empowerment). This ministry works to rescue local girls from the tourist filled bars and a life of prostitution. We spent our days doing practical work around the city and our nights going into bars to talk to the girls working. We built relationships with the girls who worked there, letting them know that there were other options for work and that they were valued and loved. Depending on which bar you were in, the girls could have been trafficked or prostituted. While ministering there, we saw two girls potentially walk away from their jobs in the bar. We were also able to hand out Thai Bibles to the girls we had spent time getting to know. For me personally, working with this ministry wrecked me in the best way! I had never experienced more spiritual warfare or the continual presence of the Holy Spirit in a more tangible way before.

I feel very blessed to have had the chance to experience both domestic and cross-culture missions and ministries; it has given me a huge perspective of the Church. I am very humbled by the opportunities God has blessed me. Again, I really cannot thank you enough for the words of encouragement, thoughts, prayers and financial support during this season of my life!

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ

Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Ephesians 2:10

Not Alone - Red

I am sitting at Starbucks...usual morning occurrence, thanks to sharing a car! As I am listening to this song and watching stranger after stranger walk through the door for their morning coffee, I can't help but want to stand on my chair and explain to everyone that it doesn't matter what their story is or where life currently finds them... they are not alone... there is hope! I want that to be the prayer of everyone I see at Starbucks today... God open their eyes to see/find Your hope, let them be strong and courageous today!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. // Deuteronomy 31:6

Now what?

I applied to Moody...again.
Round two. Deja Vu of my senior year of high school. It's kind of cool to think about how different my application essays are from almost FOUR years ago. I would not change anything about the last three years. Life has been exactly how God wanted it to. I met the people I needed to meet, saw the places I needed to see, and experienced God in ways I will never forget. The amount of growth that has happened in my heart is pretty crazy. To think of what God has allowed me to experience since 2008 is nuts! So now what? Time for the waiting game! Wait & trust God knows what He's doing.

With Us - Hillsong Live

I heard this song last night and now I can't stop listening to it...one thing about music and myself is that, once I hear a song I love, I tend to over-play the song at an excessive amount OR until I find something else I love. Today I will over-play this track...it's a weird cycle I have when it comes to my iPod. Listen to this song and you will want to over-play it too! It is exactly the kind of reminder of God's grace/love/mercy/plan for me I need this morning...!

full on.

Random rant time... After an almost two month long post-traveling-escape-from-real-life-siesta... I am now employed full time. It's an office job, which I love & the work is not that difficult or grueling, but it's the schedule that I can't handle!! It is so FULL ON... early mornings & 5 o'clock traffic! I really don't understand how parents work full time!? When I come home I don't want to do anything... I just want to go to sleep as soon as possible! It is hard to fathom adding other responsibilities to this kind of schedule... especially other humans! So yeah, I guess I should start praying that I don't have to work like this, when I have my own family. All that to say, this schedule is forcing me to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule, making me super THANKFUL for BOTH of my parents who work hard to provide for our fam and especially thankful that my mom didn't have to work while I was growing up :) Now go give your parents a hug... because they work long hours, so you can have MORE than you need in life!!

loving this song tonight.
Brandon Heath, The Light In Me

YOU are worth dying for.

At work today we were listening to K-LOVE ... I tend to harp on how cheesy some CCM is ... but I have to say that the lyrics of the song, Someone Worth Dying For by MIKESCHAIR are pretty gripping/raw/what-we-think-sometimes-deep-down... if I'm being honest, it is hard to truly believe that we (I ) are (am) actually worth dying for.

Take a listen and CHOOSE to believe that YOU are something worth dying for.




You might be the wife,
Waiting up at night
You might be the man,
Struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless

Maybe you're the son,
Who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl,
Thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God can you hear me?
Oh God are you listening?

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking, what everybody's asking

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Am someone worth dying for

You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah the Cross has proven
That you're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose

And you are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see you're something beautiful
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you
Are someone worth dying for

You're someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for

photos

Thailand Outreach Photo Slide from clf815 on Vimeo.

aching for Thailand

After calling Thailand home for three months, when I start to think about it
I can't help but REALLY miss it! Today I was missing things like...



customs lines. smoggy sun rises. meeting missionary families. passing out Thai Bibles. an elephant ride. shady internet cafes. laundromats. fitting 18 people in the bed of a pick up truck. skype calls. running around the Chaing Mai moat, early enough to see the monks collecting the offering from the shrines. eating rice for all three meals. grocery shopping at 7-11 and Tesco. the colors and smells of the markets. language barriers. bad coffee, but good enough. baht. church services on the cement floor of an four wall church. Karen grandma's. being offered fanta in a dirty plastic cup. battery powered house electricity. nick names. cold showers, even if hot was an option. mountains. hand motions. song-tow adventure rides. learning. growing. sleeping in a bamboo hut. hospitality. sights and sound of the Burma & Thai border. alive churches. worship in Thai. lights & sights of Bangla Road. putting Satan in his place, before going into the bars. seeing the look on a refugee/orphan's face when she was told she was beautiful. living simply. being the minority/sticking out. roof top worship. sweaty bus rides. crowded streets. torrential rain. smoothies. long church services. the kids. trying to teach English in a creative way. walks to the corner hut for mystery snacks. speaking in church services with translators. bug bites. playing UNO with sponsored kids. MANGO. bucket showers with chickens and pigs. Starbucks for bar ministry intercessions. being faithful in the little. the sight of Phuket from a plane window. live monkey's. secret beaches. hill tribes. motor bikes. street vendors. fashion. uni students. the lady at the cafeteria bakery. wild dogs. won gen. hiking backpacks. seeing so many white tourist men. plastic chairs. Sa-wat-dee Ka / kob-khun Ka. culture sensitivity. trying and trying again to use chop sticks. avoiding spice. seems crackers. bumpy bus rides. seeing God move in Thailand.

that. is. Thailand.

cliché

God's timing IS perfect! These types of statements are unfortunately so cliche now-a-days. When we are going through a trial/hardship/valleys our sound minded friends tell us that His timing is perfect...everything happens for a reason...if it is meant to be, it will be. If we're being honest, we would say it crosses our minds to pop them a good one in the face for telling you 1,000,000x those flipping cheery/encouraging/positive statements!! When we are going through the hard times our vision is blurred. Satan places his smug in front of our eyes and we're blinded to see that God's timing IS perfect.

Two months ago this week: I staggered off of a plane, jet lagged, over dressed and hacking up a lung. Of course I came back with life changing stories, perspective and God-sightings...but I also had no job to come back to, twisted ambitions, $4.00 in my bank account and credit card debt. It seems petty to think that after God literally HANDED me $10,000 in the matter of 6 months.. it seems RIDICULOUS that I would doubt that God would provide for me once I settle back into life in Michigan.

Right when I got home Satan KNEW where & when I would give in... therefore he prowled like lion... I would give into doubting and get upset with God for not giving me a job when I, thought I needed a job. I went into almost every coffee shop, clothing store, library, and small offices handing out my resume...nothing. I spent time calling businesses asking what the status of my application was...nothing. I went into interviews with positive self-talk and Matt Redman's new track Never Once on loop...BELIEVING that God would give me a job...still nothing! How irritating...in my human mind I told myself I had reason to be upset and frustrated, instead of simply waiting.The past two months... I've certainly learned to wait, appreciate solitude, trust more, live simply, and that you can have fun on virtually zero cash :)

In my lessons learned God DID, of course provide me with a job, at American Eagle...paying 7.50, only if I could get a hang of forcing people to buy over priced holey jeans. I went with it, knowing a job was a job...even though I STILL wasn't satisfied. I went to orientation and went home knowing retail was not for me. I seemed like a brat for not appreciating FINALLY having a job, but I really sensed God has more for me than selling graphic tee's. I got a lead on two admin jobs and had a promising interview with Urban Outfitters... brings me to today, I got a part time admin job that pays more and in general suits me more. I called American Eagle and told them I was thankful for their opportunity but wouldn't need their job any more.

He hears what you want,
but knows what you need.

After a year of God CLEARLY proving He does indeed have perfect timing... I can now tell YOU that whatever it is that you are going through right now -- whether minor/insignificant or unbearable/too much -- God's timing IS perfect, He WILL see you through and He WILL remain faithful ... and I'm not trying to be cliché!

Psalm 94:18-19

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Gotta Get Moving.

Am so PROUD! We are doing what we can to get physically fit ...
leading us to be more disciplined spiritually and emotionally.
The three go hand in hand! So we gotta get moving!!

birthday

family. sweet friends. pressies. twin brunch. lunch. dinner. dessert. coffee. the gym. praying for 22+ more.

M.A.S.H.

One hot Australian summer night this past March, my friend Sarah and I sat around a table filling out countless M.A.S.H. games on scratch paper for our girlfriends. One by one as a girl said "stop" to the line markings; we would ordain marriages, sell homes, deliver babies, give out pets, and decide the future of our friends. We sat there getting our friends hopes up or ruining dreams. It was all fun and games until you were the girl stuck married to Santa Clause, with 9 kids, a pet giraffe, driving a clown car and living in an Apartment.

The other night at watershed Bekah had us play M.A.S.H., this time it was a little nicer...we got to choose the potential husbands, number of kids, pet, cars, and then prayed we would land with the Mansion or House.

Bekah had us start the night with an elementary game, to display the not so elementary danger of unrealistic/unreachable expectations we set on relationships. The expectations we set on this game are the same expectation we set on how we approach dating/marriage relationships. We cannot set expectations too high on any human relationship, for one reason...we are humans! We often think if we could just date this guy or marry that guy we would have a this fairy tale perfect life. Humans are broken and imperfect, therefore making every human relationship broken and imperfect. The only truly fulfilling, one-sided perfect, relationship we can have on this earth is with the Creator of the universe. Therefore, our perfect husband, perfect best friend, or perfect life will always fall short of our expectations. So... lets lose the expectations! It is not fair to the other person to have such high expectations on them anyways, it is too much pressure for someone to constantly be living under.

Godly relationships flourish when we realize that no one is perfect, including ourselves. When you are willing to love someone else without conditions...keeping in mind that they are human and will mess up here and there...it is in the "mess-ups", when our unconditional love for them is tested. How will we react when the other person does not meet our ridiculous expectations? Will we kick 'em to the curb!? Mmm no...maybe we should learn to admit what we might have done to cause the situation, learn to forgive and move on... in love with out conditions.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12.9-12

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16

This song came on when I was writing...

I'm convinced this song will never get old and
that I will always need to hear it as a reminder,
thanks Bethany Dillon!

Psalm 27 (MSG)

1 Light, space, zest— that's God!

So, with him on my side I'm fearless,
afraid of no one and nothing.

2 When vandal hordes ride down
ready to eat me alive,
Those bullies and toughs
fall flat on their faces.

3 When besieged,
I'm calm as a baby.
When all hell breaks loose,
I'm collected and cool.

4 I'm asking God for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I'll contemplate his beauty;
I'll study at his feet.

5 That's the only quiet, secure place
in a noisy world,
The perfect getaway,
far from the buzz of traffic.

6 God holds me head and shoulders
above all who try to pull me down.
I'm headed for his place to offer anthems
that will raise the roof!
Already I'm singing God-songs;
I'm making music to God.

7-9 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
"Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
my whole being replied,
"I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now!

9-10 You've always been right there for me;
don't turn your back on me now.
Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
you've always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me,
but God took me in.

11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
direct me along a well-lighted street;
show my enemies whose side you're on.
Don't throw me to the dogs,
those liars who are out to get me,
filling the air with their threats.

13-14 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
in the exuberant earth.
Stay with God!
Take heart. Don't quit.
I'll say it again:
Stay with God.

my prayer: spend it all

"We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace" - Ossy Chambers

I open up my eyes, oh Lord / To see all the things you've done / I open up my heart, oh God / To feel your unfailing love / And I open up my all to you / All my life for your glory to show / And I open up my soul to you alone / Come make yourself at home

And I'll give all that I have to give / 'Cause it's everything I am, Lord / In this life I'll spend it all for you / I'll waste it all on you

I offer up my mind to you / I long for the truth, you know / I offer up my feet to you / They'll walk straight on the path you show / I offer up my time to you / So keep me and hold me still / And I offer up my hands to you / Lord, use them to do your will

And I'll give all I have left to give / 'Cause it's everything I am, Lord / In this life I'll spend it all for you / Yeah, I'll waste it all on you / I'll waste it all

Let your Spirit take me over, God / 'Cause it's all I ever need / Yeah, you're all I ever need, Lord / And receive this life in offering, God / 'Cause I spend it all for you / Yes, I spend it all for you, Lord / Ooh, I spend it all on you

My new theme song? I think yes.

label.ed

God is speaking to me a lot about L A B E L S .
First it was last week, in Nashville with our WSM students. Jerry did a really meaningful message on the labels that we believe about ourselves or labels that others put on us that we believe. Then last night at watershed we talked about our identity in Christ and how our only identity should be in Christ. Then this afternoon I was listening to a podcast that was all about labels and getting a new name for ourselves!! God orchestrates everything in our lives, so I know it's not a coincidences that all of this labeling stuff keeps coming up. I believe God is calling ME to look at the labels I've put on myself and believed about myself, or the labels that I've allowed others to put on me.

It's time for me to recognize the labels and pull them off. I'm tired of walking through life believing lies about myself. I just want to be known as God's... that's the only label I want to wear. Actually Cliff's message on Sunday was about following God and not looking at anyone else, keeping our eyes focused just on Christ...HELLO...that's what I want/need to do! Who cares what people have said about me in the past, who cares what I've believed about myself...I'm a NEW creation in Christ Jesus, the old has gone & the NEW has come...HE gave me a new name...the only label I want is that I am HIS.

...you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. // Isaiah 62:2

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! // 2 Corinthians 5:17

SHE is

...somebody's baby.

Phuket, Thailand : Bangla Rd.

This is the entrance to Bangla Rd, near Patong Beach. A closed street oozing with bars, women, tourists, fake designer things, tuk tuk's, curiosity, loud music, flashing lights, crowded walk ways, lust, drinks, drunks, shamefulness, brokenness, + searching.

Jon Foreman's song Somebody's Baby is about a homeless girls journey, filled with searching & always coming up empty...concluding that no matter where SHE has been or what SHE has done; SHE is still somebody's baby. SHE is the child of someone. SHE is the little girl, daughter, or sister of someone.

The lyrics remind me a lot of the women I met on Bangla Road. Each night we would go into the bars, buy a pop, and talk to our friends behind the bars, over a game of connect four or jenga.

No matter what their story is, where they have been, what they have done or seen, where they have come from or who they were with...they are somebody's baby still.

SHE is and will always be somebody’s baby. SHE is a child of the Most High. SHE is the prodigal daughter, wanting to come home and doesn't want to be homeless any more. SHE longs for love. SHE thinks money and the attention of a man will fulfill her void. SHE has dreams. SHE wants freedom. SHE searches and never finds.

SHE is not an object; SHE is a living, breathing human being. SHE is worth far more than rubies. Right now SHE has deceptive charm and fleeting beauty, longing to be restored. SHE is clothed with strength and dignity; SHE can laugh at the days to come.
[proverbs thirty-one]

SHE needs to embrace her daughter-hood. SHE needs to find refuge in her Father. SHE needs to run to His arms. SHE needs to come home, the only place where she will search and truly find.

pray, pray, pray & pray again
for the daughters on Bangla Road...

Somebody's Baby

photo credit ::
Elesha Atwood &Janie Giebelhaus

freedom from fear.

I can't...but HE can

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:3-7

---

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10

stop pushing my buttons.!

Satan is pushing ALL of my buttons right now... I feel hopeless, confused, anxious, uncertain, tired, agitated and annoyed. It's hard to go from the top of a mountain to the bottom of the valley. I'm at such a weird vulnerable state right now, one that I've never really experienced in my adult life. I literally do nothing during the day, I have no job, I have no money to go anywhere or do anything...I have to ask my parents for money or they give me a few bucks out of pity... I hate it! I hate feeling & living life like this! I go for a run or a bike ride every morning & wonder how & why my life looks like this!? I seriously ponder what life would be like if I had never left my comfy life in the first place...this time last year I was living on my own, had money in my bank account, and had a generally fun life. Life isn't fun right now...it sucks! I need Your help Jesus...I'm being attacked and I'm allowing Satan to win!? What's wrong with me...help me! I had so much purpose .. meaning .. identity while I was in Australia and Thailand...why is it SO hard to find those things in "real life"?! Maybe I'm just having a bad day...maybe I'm hormonal....maybe God's trying to teach me something & I'm blatantly ignoring the lesson...maybe I'm a brat...what ever it is, I need God to lift me out of this pit I fell into. Jesus keep my head up & push me into the narrow gate, because I need L I F E again...You never said this would be easy.

"Enter by the narrow gate...Because narrow is the gate and
d i f f i c u l t   i s   t h e   w a y   w h i c h   l e a d s   t o   l i f e"
—Matthew 7:13-14

speaking t r u t h

While I was in Phuket, Thailand I had the opportunity to go into bars every night and speak t r u t h into the bar tenders lives. Depending on the situation it was just complimenting their make-up, telling them that they CAN dream big, or simply offering some sort of hope.

I remember talking to a girl on the other team over a bowl of cereal, about how important it is to speak raw t r u t h into our new friends lives, but not just our new friends...but all women. Women often struggle with their identity and confidence...so why not encourage the women in your life?! Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to speak over them...even if it feels awkward, say it & mean it! Really speak t r u t h into the life of someone around you...it could change their day, their week, their life. Every girl wants a gem // nugget of encouragement...so start today !!

"...let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]." Eph 4:15 AMP