It has been over a year since I've posted anything on my blog! I'm sorry, loves. I graduated college, dove headfirst into the adult life, and it's been super busy ever since. I'm currently working as Human Resources and Marketing Assistant at a large eye care practice. Every day brings a new challenge, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have a new adventure coming, too! Soon, I'll be an Independent Fashion Consultant for LuLaRoe! You can visit my VIP group on Facebook and keep up with what I have! This clothing line has brought me my confidence back, and I hope to extend that happiness to others as I sell this clothing. Everything I've bought (and believe me, my whole closet is LLR now) has been super comfortable. You can dress things up or just lounge around. If you haven't heard of LuLaRoe, you should definitely at least give it a shot. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! Click the image below to go to my VIP group: 

Influenster Review: Temptations Snacky Mouse Toy

Hi y'all! I received the Temptations Snacky Mouse Toy complimentary from Influenster for testing and reviewing purposes. I'm so excited to be able to tell you all about how my cats (we have 6, but not all of them would let me get pictures) responded to it!

Siren was very skeptical of the toy at first. She would walk up to it and sniff it, then walk away. She wasn't sure about the toy, or how to get the treats out of it. After leaving her to it for a little while, though, she was knocking it all around and drawing the attention from the other cats!

Jinx, our big Russian blue who is usually the victim of the other cats' attacks since he is the newest addition to our family, loved it too! He was even able to play with it with the other cats without them getting in fights!

Needless to say, this Snacky Mouse Toy was a great hit in our home! It will be in yours, too!

Thanks for reading!

Alexa Edwards

Tethered to the Rock

Have you ever felt like your life was both spiraling out of control and at a standstill at the same time? Like, only your life had frozen while the rest of the world continued on? This past semester was like that for me.

On August 15, 2014, I attended my mom's wedding. A couple of days later, I ventured off to college to begin my senior year. On September 9, however, everything changed. That morning, my mom passed away in a car accident. Time froze, all forward motion ceased. On September 12, while at my mom's visitation, my dad's dad passed away. Another blow to my life, confidence, faith and motivation. Today marked four months since mom's death.

I was only a few weeks into what I expected to be an easy semester and it already seemed like it was turning out to be the hardest one of my life. How do you think about school after your mom passes away? How is there a possibility to focus on anything else when it seems like all that's brought up in conversation is death? Why was all of this happening to me?

When I received the phone call that my mom had passed away, I was sitting in the office of the Dean of Students with he and the school's counsellor. I knew something wasn't right, and I was right. After I regained a little composure, Dr. Bannon began calling my closest friends on campus and asking them to come sit with me while I waited on my dad to get to Pineville.

My best friend Jade was one of the first ones there. She hugged me and prayed with me. Something she said stuck out to me. "Lord, let her see that even this will work for your glory. That even this is part of your plan. Let her find her comfort and peace in You."

Everything from that day is a blur except for that part of her prayer. Essentially she prayed that I abide. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 ESV)

The concept of abiding has gotten me through this semester. It is by God's divine intervention that I was taking a religion class in which one of our focal verses was John 15:5. To abide in God and in His Word takes obedience. Obeying God's will requires faith, confidence in knowing that God will lead you through.

Without the Lord's guidance, I would not have been able to handle losing my mom and my grandpa in the same week. Without His loving arms holding me up, I would have fallen and lost everything I've worked so hard for throughout my college career. Without being tethered to the Rock, to the Firm Foundation, I would have been washed away by the raging seas of life.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)

So why am I telling you all of this? To encourage you. We all go through hard times. There's someone right now going through far worse than I have been through, just like there is someone experiencing a hardship more difficult than you are. When we experience those trials, though, we have a firm foundation upon which we can depend. We have a steadfast Rock that withstands all corrosion. 

The Lord is bigger than everything you're going through, you just need to abide in Him. 

At Passion Conference in 2013, I heard Beth Moore say that God is faithful even when we are faithless. She is right. God is perfect, right? Right. Being perfect means that He cannot be unfaithful to His Word. He is for us. He does work everything together for our good and His glory. Trust in Him.

If you need prayer or to talk to anyone, drop a comment. I'd love to know how I can be praying for you. Hope you all have a wonderful day and continue seeking the Lord.

With Love, 

Alexa

Influenster Review: Boots No. 7 Protect and Perfect ADVANCED Serum

Hey everyone. I've tried posting this vlog before, but it was taking years to post. So, I'm going to try it again. :) This is my review of the Boots No. 7 Protect and Perfect ADVANCED Serum that I received complimentary for testing purpose in my #FrostyVoxBox from Influenster.

Full Influenster #FrostyVoxBox Review

I recently received the Influenster #FrostyVoxBox. All products were complimentary for testing and reviewing purposes. This post will give a small review of each of the products that I received.

The product I've most recently tested is the Boots No. 7 Protect & Perfect ADVANCED Serum. This product is effective in reducing the appearance of wrinkles in order to keep your skin looking young and bright. It goes on smoothly and does not leave any oily residue like I initially expected. It left my skin feeling soft. This product is hypoallergenic, as well. Overall, this product would be great for anyone on the market for something to preserve younger looking skin. #GetADVANCED

The NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum was a brilliant shade of lipstick. It was not overly bold, which I was afraid of, but it was perfect just to add some color. I usually do not wear lipstick, so I was hesitant when applying this product. I wore it on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and loved it! Definitely a great product from New York Color Cosmetics. Get #SugarPlum

The Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea was a product that I could not test personally because I am allergic to cinnamon. However, I got my dad and my stepmom to try it and they both loved it! They said that it had a very refreshing, minty taste. It was not overwhelmingly so, but it was perfect! It left their mouth feeling fresh, rather than bogged down with too many clashing flavors. The #celestialtea was a great hit with them!

I love my EcoTools Hair Brush. It is a round brush, which I usually do not use, but it is fantastic. It left my hair feeling soft and smooth, rather than its usual frizziness. I used the brush when drying my hair and it left my hair with more volume than it usually has. #LoveMyEcoHairBrush

One great ingredient to the #FrostyVoxBox was the McCormick Gourmet Thyme (see what I did there? :D). My favorite recipe to use with thyme is a hearty beef stew. This thyme makes a great addition to any recipe that calls for thyme. Very delicious. #McCormickGourmet

The Rimmel London products were potentially my favorite products. I am used to a liquid eyeliner, but the Rimmel Scandalizes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner blew my mind. It went on so smoothly and was perfectly dark without having to go over it again. I loved it! When the day was done, the Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover came in handy! I usually just use my facial cleanser to get all of my makeup off, but when using this product, I fell in love. It was not oily, nor did it burn like some eye makeup removers. These two products are slowly becoming part of my daily routine (for the days I actually wear makeup, anyway. :) )#Rimmel is great!

Last, but most certainly not least, is the Fruit Vines Bites. I was expecting them to taste just like twizzlers, but they are SO much better. This is coming from someone who LOVES twizzlers. I am definitely going to be on the lookout for this product in stores near me. They are packed with more flavor than you would expect from this sort of candy. They are definitely worth the try, if you are curious! They spoke to my #sweetside!

I hope you find this review useful when you are looking for more products to try out. All of them were very good and I loved them all! Hope you are all having a great holiday season and that you enjoy family time. :) God bless! If you have any prayer needs, please let me know!

With love,

Alexa

Influenster Review: Rimmel Products

Rimmel Scandaleyes Warerproof Eyeliner

This eyeliner is a little different from what I am used to. I usually use maybelline liquid eyeliner pens, but I have use this Rimmel product for the past few days. It is longer-lasting than my usual eyeliner and goes on easily. 

I feel as though this product makes my eyes pop rather than be easily overlooked. This eyeliner is definitely one that I would recommend to anyone looking to change their "usual" makeup. 

The other product I tested by Rimmel is their Just Let It Go Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. 

Unlike most makeup removers, this product does not leave an oily residue. It leaves your skin feeling clean rather than feeling the need to rewash. It succeeded in easily removing the waterproof eyeliner and fiber mascara that I used for the day. I normally do not use this type of cleanser, but I will start! I loved this product and would recommend it to anyone. 

Hope you've enjoyed this review! I received these products in my #FrostyVoxBox from Influenster. Check back in a few days for a overall review of what I received. 

With love,

Alexa 

Influenster Review: Celestial Seasonings

I recently received my #frostyvoxbox from #Influenster! I'm so excited to review these products that I received for free in hopes of making them a part of my routine! 

The first product I am reviewing is the Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Holiday Tea. Now, I was unable to taste this tea for myself because I am allergic to cinnamon. Lucky for me, my dad and stepmom are avid tea drinkers. 

Upon first sip, my dad said that the tea had very good flavor. It was minty and left a refreshing feeling in his mouth sort of like a cool breath mint. Both he and my stepmom appreciated and enjoyed the minty, refreshing tea and plan on purchasing this flavor in the future. 

Check back here in the next few days to see a review of the Rimmel makeup products that I received in my voxbox! Until then, hope you're enjoying the holiday season' 

God bless,

Alexa 

Don't Count Yourself Out

This is a post that I wrote for the guest blogging day of the #blogtemberchallenge on Thursday. I haven't actively participated since the first week because of personal reasons, but I hope to get back into the blogging swing of things soon. 

Photo taken by Alexa in Glorieta, New Mexico, Summer 2013

I hope this finds you in good condition. Me? Well, muscles that I forgot I had are super sore, my leg is all scraped up, and I have a miniature club for a finger.

Flag football got the best of me.

So, typing this with a jammed finger is super difficult. I took the split off and am attempting to type at my normal, fast speed, to no avail. Walking is a special feat, as well. One shin aches from the scrapes I received from sliding on a turf college football field; the other knee is swollen from some other fall during the game. Every muscle is screaming at me just to lay down at watch Criminal Minds or Once Upon a Time (super tempting!). I didn’t realize just how important it was for me to have all of my fingers and limbs functioning properly.

Just as it pains the body when a part of it isn’t working, it effects the body of Christ (the Church, your fellow believers) when its members aren’t working. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” We were all created to be unique, but we all make up one body. Each part of the body has a specific function.

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many,” (1 Cor. 12:14). If an eye served the same purpose as a foot, why would we need it? Each one has a different, vital function to the body, just as each Christian has a vital function in the body of Christ.

Just because you don’t feel the Lord calling you to overseas missions, or to work in a full-time ministry does not mean that He isn’t going to use you. He will use you. Your everyday actions and way you carry yourself speaks volumes. Paul tells the church of Philippi, “only let your manner of life by worthy of the gospel of Christ,” (Philippians 1:27). You may not be called to move to some far off land to live out the Gospel, but that does not give you an excuse not to do so where you’re at right this very moment.

If you’re anything like me, you may have thought, at one point in your life or maybe you currently think, that there is no possible way that the Lord could use you. Well, He will. I never thought that I would be working in Children’s ministry, but here I am, five years after being saved, working at a church at least 3 times as big as the one I attended when I was saved. At the point of my salvation, if you’d asked me if I would be considering attending seminary after I graduate college, I would have laughed at you. The Lord works in ways that we may never see coming beforehand, but we can rest assured knowing that He will work

I’ve just stretched out to see if my muscles still ache (they do, if you’re wondering), and the point to my blog has been driven home in my heart. Though we may be tired, though we may get overworked, or stretched to our limits in our daily Christian walk, we must persevere. Christ conquered the grave, He defeated death. Therefore, take heart and, like Paul, “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

If you ever need prayer for any reason, please do not hesitate to let me know. Until next time, stay strong. Keep your head up. Seek the Lord. 

Day Five || Fueling that Fire

Welcome to day f i v e of the #blogtemberchallenge hosted by Bailey at Brave Love Blog. If you haven't gotten involved yet, you definitely should! Today we are writing about what we are passionate about, what fires us up.

Image found here

My biggest passion is writing. I included this in "Happiness" on day two, but I'll go more in-depth here. Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction: I love it all. I first began writing little spin-offs of Harry Potter characters for fun. From there, I began to write poetry. It wasn't until freshman year of high school that I really became interested in writing fiction. My English teacher that year wanted us to write novellas. I fell in love with writing from then on out. Sophomore year, we were to write a continuation on five characters in The Lord of the Flies. Most students in the class wrote about a paragraph, whereas I wrote 33 pages. I hope to write works that people fall in love with. I've loved many a character and many a book, so I hope to be able to do the same thing. Entice them with a world all their own, write realistic characters to whom readers are able to relate.

Either way, I know that getting my thoughts on paper will be better than letting them sit in my head.

Another thing I'm passionate about is softball. I played softball for the majority of my life (somewhere around 15 years). I started in coach pitch and played second base. I was MVP of the League all but two years during my softball career. In high school, I was MVP of the team my sophomore through senior years. I was awarded all-district first team infield (a few times), all-area first team infield, and all-state player throughout my high school career. It was my dream to play in college. When I came to college, I was on the team. But, this leads me to my third, but definitely most important, passion: The Lord.

I was saved when I was 16. What that means is that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and believed that my sins are forgiven when I confess and repent from them. Hear me say this: I am not perfect. I have fallen many times and I have run away from the Lord many times. Praise God that He accepts us with open arms when we realize how pointless it is to run away from Him. How does this relate to softball? Well, the summer before my senior year of high school, I felt the Lord telling me to forget playing college softball. Softball was my life, the reason for my existence, or at least I'd put it on that high pedestal in my life. Softball was my god and the Lord was just there in the back of my mind. I had made an idol out of softball. As I went into senior year, that was my mind set. I would play that year with everything I had, leave it all on the field, and hang up my glove and put away my cleats.

But my pride got the best of me.

I continuously put softball before my relationship with God. All in all, I ended up quitting during the fall semester of my freshman year of college because I knew that I had been running from what I felt like God was telling me to do. I wanted my name known, instead of making His known. I still play co-ed and intramural slowpitch, but I make sure that the Lord gets more of my life than the field does. I like going to games and watching the Women's College World Series, as well.

So, I probably should have just done a list so I wouldn't get so carried away with writing. But, I felt like someone out there may need to hear that testimony of cutting an idol out of my life. If not, well, at least I took up some of your spare time. Hope you all are having a wonderful day. If there are any prayer needs, let me know! If you want to link-up, go to Brave Love Blog and check out the prompts! God bless!

Days Three and Four || Dreams and Things

So...... I missed yesterday. I'm combining days three and four into one blog post. It really works out well for  me because I have loads to say about "What I want to be when I grow-up," and not so much about "Fashion."

 (Icons have been accumulated over the course of years of internet browsing. Not sure who to credit, but here's me publicly stating that I didn't create them.)

I want to write, travel, and read. Is that really too much to ask? I want to be an author. I want to write books that capture the hearts of many, that shine lights into the darkness that is our world, and that are able to glorify the Lord. I know you're thinking that there are already too many "Christian Fiction" authors that never reach beyond the population of a Lifeway bookstore. Sure, I want my books in Lifeway, but I want to be a Christian writer that is able to write works that are attractive even to the unbeliever. If we write just to a Christian audience, how will we ever reach the lost?

I want to travel and do mission work. The Lord has placed a calling in my heart for children's ministry and missions. I'm not positive on the time duration for missions, but it is in my future in some capacity. In my hometown tucked away in the middle of the Bible belt, I never really thought about people not having heard the Gospel before. Even before I was saved, I had heard about Jesus and about Bible stories. It's just something that's commonplace where I'm from. I learned once I hit high school that not everyone was a Christian, whether they claimed it or not. When I came to college however, I realized that there was desperate need for the Gospel. At my small private baptist college, there are so many that don't know Christ. In this city, there are so many that need Jesus. Most of them have at least had a chance to hear the Gospel. What about in those countries where people haven't even heard wind of what a Bible is? What about in the areas of the world where it's illegal to be a Christian? We take for granted how good we have it here.

As for traveling, I really want to visit Spain. I making steps toward speaking Spanish fluently and hope to be able to do so within the next year. I also want to visit Venice and London just for personal pleasure. They're just so beautiful!

Now fashion. That I don't know much about. I'm the girl that's in nike shorts and a t-shirt 95% of the time. The other times, I immediately change into shorts and a t-shirt once I'm done with whatever special occasion made me decide to look halfway decent. So, for fashion....uhhh. I like pretty much anything from Maurices. I like Old Navy shorts and button-up shirts. But for real, the majority of my clothing is t-shirts. So there's me. :)

If there are any prayer needs, let me know! :) Check out Brave Love Blog if you want to get linked up in the #blogtemberchallenge! Until tomorrow, (hopefully I don't forget again :) ).

Day Two || Happiness

Welcome to day two of the #blogtemberchallenge. Today, our prompt is to write about what makes us happy, from the small things to the game-changers.

What makes Alexa happy? 

First and foremost, the Lord makes me happy. The fact that He loves me enough to have sent Jesus to die for my sins amazes me. It is my daily prayer that I delight in the Lord and in His Word, because sometimes I have no motivation to read it or to seek Him. But Praise God that He forgives me for even those moments when I don't feel like putting forth any effort to do anything more than lay in my bed and eat cookie dough.

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light."  - Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling)

Secondly, I love Harry Potter: books, movies, fanfiction, spin-offs. Major props to J.K. Rowling for inventing a world that so many have fallen in love with. Her characters personify different characteristics that each of us have, even some of them that we may not know about ourselves. My favorite character is Draco Malfoy. Anyone that knows me knows that I'll make any argument to say that he's not the devil incarnate. He has a heart, despite popular belief. The fact that Tom Felton is beautiful is just a perk for my liking his character.

Writing brings me much joy. I feel as though when we put to use the talents that God has blessed us with, we are going to reap joy. Though others may not deem what I write worthy of being written, writing is the only way that I feel like I can properly convey my thoughts. I love writing poetry, fiction, devotionals; I just love to write.

Other things that bring me joy are:

My yorkie Mufasa. Books. Vintage books with old pages. Shakespeare. Criminal Minds. Crafts. Painting. Cookie Dough. Video games. Cold days. The beach. Cherry Dr. Pepper. Hand written cards. Scrapbook paper. LSU Football. Colored Felt-tip pens. Planners. EOS Chapstick. Duck Dynasty. Nutella. Writing outside.Coffee. Blogging. Children's Ministry. Mango Sweet Tea. Sonic's happy hour. Tanya Runyan's Poems. Khan's Mongolian Grill. Food in general. Studying in solitude. Coloring with children. Watching movies. Scary movies. Working out. Index cards. Corkboards. Germ-x. Camelbak water bottles. Air conditioning. Football games with friends.

Thank you for sticking around and reading my ramblings. Hope that this post has found you in good spirits and good health. Personally, I'm trying not to let my allergies kick me to the curb. If any of you have anything that I can pray for, let me know! If you haven't linked up with the #blogtemberchallenge by Bailey at BraveLoveBlog, what are you waiting for?! Until tomorrow, my friends.

.001 || About the Author

I'm super excited to participate in the Blog-tember challenge. I feel as thought it'll propel me over this mountainous writer's block I've been experiencing lately and it will incorporate me into a fantastic community of bloggers. The #blogtemberchallenge is headed up by Bailey Jean of Brave Love Blog. She's awesome and a great friend of mine. So why not participate in this challenge? :) Today's prompt is About the Author.

Bottom Right picture belongs to She Reads Truth.

About the Author: 

Though she was born in southwest Arkansas, Alexa lived the majority of her life in a small town in northwest Louisiana. She excelled in sports and academics throughout her junior high and high school careers. After graduating valedictorian from her high school, Alexa ventured three hours south into central Louisiana for college. She currently attends Louisiana College, a private baptist school, where she is a senior.

If you would have asked her where she would be attending college during the majority of her high school years, the answer would not have been LC. It wasn't until March 25 of her senior year that she felt God's calling to pursue an English degree at the division three school. An avid fan of LSU football (GEAUX TIGERS!), Alexa had aspired to pursue her degree in Baton Rouge, LA, at the aforementioned university. As senior year approached, her plans changed. Her top choices going into senior year were ULM and ULL. The Lord had other plans.

Alexa's life was changed just after her sophomore year in high school. She accepted Jesus as Savior during May 2009. Though she has struggled and failed numerous times, God is good and loves her even when she is the most unlovable. The desires of Alexa's heart are to glorify the Lord both through her writing and through her work in children's ministry. She knows that without the Lord's saving grace, she would be headed down the long, gloomy path to nowhere. With the Lord, however, the possibilities are endless. :)

Alexa's hobbies include writing, reading, doing craft activities, playing video games, and enjoying time with family and friends. Though she no longer plays in the official competitive leagues of softball, she enjoys playing coed slowpitch when the opportunities arise. Her favorite books include, but are not limited to, the Harry Potter series, Divergent Trilogy, Hunger Games trilogy, and the Mortal Instruments series. She also enjoys reading books by Matt Chandler and Beth Moore.

If Alexa were to write a novel, which you know she does, it would involve interweaving her faith through the characters and (hopefully) writing it in such a way that it not only attracted her Christian audience, but would reach unbelievers as well.

I enjoyed writing about myself too much, I think. :) Ah well, if you finished reading all of that, thanks! I appreciate your willingness to read about me. If there's anyway that I can be praying for you, or someone you may know, just drop a comment. In case you don't know about the #blogtemberchallenge, tomorrow's prompt is writing about what makes you happy! Visit braveloveblog to see the list of prompts!

Patience

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

So much has happened since the last time I posted anything. I finished my senior year in college, attended three weddings, and have been working as Children's Ministry Intern at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, LA. Approaching the summer, I felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. I felt as though I was running out of time for everything: to find a place to live for the summer, to find a job, to have fun with my friends before they left, to relax, and to find a boyfriend. You're laughing, I know. But it's true. 

Since I'm writing this from an apartment in Alexandria where I work at Calvary, you can see that the rest fell into place just as God had planned just like, deep down inside under all my worry, I knew it would. So, I'll address the most ridiculous one: boyfriend. Being Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding, going to two more, and my mom's wedding looming overhead kind of put the urgency in me. Oh, did I mention that a thousand and two of my friends have gotten engaged recently? 

Lie #1: I (or you!) need a boyfriend to be happy.

It feels like that's the truth a lot of the time. We are built to desire relationships. The desire for a relationship with creation should not outweigh the desire for a relationship with your Creator. That's where I was at before I even went to any of the weddings. I wanted nothing more to be in a relationship. You've heard that God has great timing, right? Well, at the right time, He revealed this verse to me:

Truth #1: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

We're told not to worry about anything, that we should seek the Lord and His will and everything will fall into place. It's easy to say that, but believing it in your heart is another vile creature in itself. Just like in the Garden of Eden, Satan tries to twist words around and make us doubt what the Lord tells us. Jesus tells us to seek the Lord first. Paul writes that we should imitate God (Eph. 5:1) and that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). To counteract that, Satan tries to tell us that we can achieve our dreams by pursuing them ourselves and forgetting about God's guidance. Satan tells us that we can live however we want and that we will never be good enough to get into Heaven anyway.

That's exactly what Satan was telling me to tempt me to go against what God has for me. God tells us that His plan for us isn't to hurt us (Jer. 29:11). Since I know that God's Word is infallible and 100% true, I know that God's plan isn't to leave me broken-hearted and unwanted. He loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me so that I may have the opportunity to come back to Him. My Heavenly Father wants a relationship with me. His love endures forever.

Truth #2: "For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." - Psalm 100:5 (ESV)

I'm not ranting and raving on relationships. They're fantastic, as long as they're glorifying the Lord. I'm ranting on my susceptibility to feeling like I have to have a relationship. I don't. All that is to say is that at the beginning of the summer, I vowed that I would fast from thinking about relationships because just the thought of one was becoming an idol in my life. That obviously means that I was in no place to be wanting a relationship because I would have put that guy above God in my heart. No guy deserves the pressure that would come with being held to such a standard and God deserves my whole heart. 

My thoughts betray me and I linger toward that feeling of loneliness when being single becomes almost overwhelming. Satan knows weaknesses, but in my weaknesses, I’m made strong.

Truth #3: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

If we weren’t weak, we wouldn’t need saving. The strongest person in the world could pump out a thousand reps on bench press, but a weak person wouldn’t be able to touch that number of reps. The weak person would need help. Likewise, if we think we are strong enough to do everything on our own, we will try and fail. Heaven is unattainable on our own. Acknowledging weakness is realizing that we need help. Realizing that we need help brings us to Jesus. Without Jesus, we would be held captive by our sin. Jesus broke the chains of that captivity when he arose in victory over the cross and the grave.

To be honest, I started this post out in order to write about my summer working at Calvary. God guided my words to another topic! I hope it helps someone who reads it. If not, well, it at least helped me to get it out in written form. If you need prayer, please don’t hesitate to ask for it. I pray that this post found you in good health and peaceful spirit. Though we may be weak, our God is immeasurably strong. Lean on His strength. 

Learning to Surrender

The past few months have been brimming with trials, slip-ups, and small victories. With the first semester of my junior year in college now in the books, I look back and can see how God had His hand in every situation. He is still faithful even when I am faithless. When I fail, I can rest assured that He never will.

I last blogged in October. After it, November slithered through like the calm before the storm. It brought a much needed break from college and time spent with the family. It did not come without some struggles and confusion.

I've found that that the hardest struggles appear in the midst of deepening your relationship with Christ. Sometimes it takes a few steps forward to realize you hadn't quite escaped the chains that held you captive. In other words, you hadn't fully surrendered what you struggle with to the Lord.

December came along and made it even more evident to me that I hadn't given God the complete lordship He deserves over every area of my life. I hadn't relinquished control over the desire for a relationship. At times, I think that I surrender it, only to yank the reigns back once an opportunity presents itself.

Essentially, I decide that I know what's best for me and can handle relationships on my own. That's entirely not the case. On my own, I compromise Biblical truths for temporary satisfaction. Having someone to talk to or compliment me all the time is not what a relationship should be about. Relationships are meant to glorify God and to be focused on Him. Not on yourself. Strike to the heart.


With the New Year, I made a resolution to focus my heart on the Lord more intently and intimately. If it's in His will for me to date, it will happen in His perfect timing and under His conditions. If He wills me to be single, He will give me the peace and strength to make it through it.

The Lord undoubtedly knows what's best for our lives. He knew what He had planned for us before we were even born. He is all-knowing and all-seeing. Who are we to think that we know how to handle something better than God?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

These verses are often quoted, but not as often taken to heart. What does it mean to trust the Lord with all your heart? Oftentimes, we trust the Lord with part of it, but then give something else more of our heart and attention. How much time do we spend on social media, watching TV, texting, or anything else compared to the time we spend in the Word or in prayer? If your ratio is anything like mine, too often things other than the Lord have more of my attention. Then again, we don't trust Him enough to give Him full control over everything in our lives, either. I've realized that I haven't, at least.

When you don't let Him have his rightful lordship over things in your life, essentially you're saying that you can handle it better than He can. How bogus is that? You don't want to give up control over it because you want it to go your way. If it doesn't go your way, then it must not be going perfectly. Am I right? I know it's all too easy to look at it in that way. But, beloved, that's the wrong mindset.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:7-10 that " in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth." (emphasis mine)

God's plan is not to take all the fun out of life or to not let us do what we want, but to unite us to Him. Since the Fall, sin has separated us from God. Christ lived a perfect life in human form so that He could die for our sins and provide a way for us to get into heaven and be united with our Heavenly Father. God so loved the world that He gave Christ for our sins. What greater love is there?

If God would give His Son for our sins, who are we to think that He doesn't deserve to have lordship over our lives? He knew that we needed Christ's blood to cover our sins. Trust in the fact that He knows what's best for us.

All this is to encourage you not to lose hope. Keep running the race. Endure. Persevere. Everything in the world will work against you, but press on, sister. Keep going, brother. The Lord is eternally worthy. Surrendering to Him will be entirely worth it.

For Everything There is a Season

Allergies are raging, temperatures are dropping. It can only mean one thing: season is changing. How many changes accompany the changing of a season? Wardrobe, health, studies, daylight hours, sports: all of these things change during the transition from Fall to Winter. It’s the natural order of things. We experience it every year, yet always complain when it finally arrives. We go from saying “I can’t wait for it to be cooler” to immediately complaining about how cold it’s gotten. At least that’s how I’ve perceived it. It’s just like as a kid, I would always wish summer to arrive sooner so I wouldn’t have school, but as soon as I had nothing to do for a few weeks, I wished school was back in session.

For everything there is a season.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? For everything there is a season, a reason, and a purpose. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes that “for everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven” (3:1). As I sat down to write today, God laid this upon my heart. How often do try to take our lives into our own hands rather than trust God’s timing?

I’m in a season in my life where I’ve been struggling to rely on God’s supremacy and finding my fulfillment in Him. As Christians, we are called to give God our whole hearts. He doesn’t want just half of your heart, or even just three-fourths of it. He wants all of it. All. Todo. Complete. Every single bit.

But we’re supposed to love people, too. How are we supposed to give God our whole hearts while still loving others?

Yes, we’re supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus says that this is the greatest commandment. Our love for others should not compare to our love for God. In fact, Jesus says in Luke 14:26 that our love for others should look like hate compared to our love for God. If your love for something could measure up to your love for God, that thing has become an idol.

It’s easy to make something an idol in our lives. Oftentimes, we don’t realize we’ve done it. For instance, softball was an idol in my life. I realized this when I first attended Centrifuge in Glorieta, New Mexico, the summer after my junior year in high school. That was an easy one to detect. But, I’ve come to the realization recently that the desire for a relationship has replaced softball as an idol in my life.

We’re human, we desire relationships. While this may be true, the desire can bring forth idolatry. I’m ashamed to admit this but my desire for a relationship seemed to overshadow my desire to further my relationship with God. It should not be this way.

Our identity should be found in Christ. God is sufficient and He is all we need. Did He not give His Son on the cross so that He may have an intimate relationship with us? He loves each of us more than anyone could ever imagine. His love cannot be measured on a scale of 1-10. He would never betray us; He will never leave nor forsake us.

When we don’t know what’s in store, God does. When we are uncertain of what our future may be, God already knows. We can find peace in the fact that everything will work together to glorify His name, whether or not we see the reason for it in the moment.

“Broken Hallelujah” by The Afters has a line in it that absolutely strikes me to the core.

Even though I don’t know what Your plan is

I know You’ll make beauty from these ashes.

We serve a God that desires to make us into what He intended us to be. He wants an intimate relationship with each of us and for us to give Him Lordship over our lives. Do we trust Him enough to relinquish control of whatever we think is best for ourselves and let Him have it all? I know I struggle with that, but brothers and sisters, He will not lead us astray.

This has just been a round-about way of encouraging you to rest in the fact that God knows what He’s doing. This may be a rough season in your life as it is in mine, but God has it under control. We may not can see the end result, but by trusting in the Lord, we will make it through the storm.

Rest easy.

Along for the Ride

My second summer as an intern at Central Baptist in Springhill, Louisiana, has come to a close. Is it already September? I feel like May, June, July, and August have all slipped past without more than a passing glance. Time flies when you’re having fun, I suppose. Fun it has been, indeed.

God has been at work all summer. Let me start off by saying that He’s so good. He presents us with opportunities and guides us through them. He shows us His path for us if only we seek Him and His will over our own.

If you would have asked me in January if I’d be working at Central this summer, I would have said no. Having worked as the Youth Intern last summer, I felt as though I would be moving on. I originally hoped to be working at Centrifuge over the summer. For those of you who may not know what that is, Centrifuge is church camp under Lifeway that has numerous locations all over the US. However, I was placed on the wait-list and did not get assigned a camp.

Since that wasn’t what God had planned for me, I thought that it would be time to branch out on my own and get an apartment in Pineville. I decided that it was time for me to grow up and learn how to pay bills and live alone. After searching for apartments with no luck, it was obvious that it wasn’t God’s plan for me, either.

I started praying that God show me what He wanted me to do and where He wanted me to be over the summer. Low and behold, three days later Kevin Gray texted me and asked if I’d like to have the position of Children and Youth Intern for the summer. God has a funny way of answering you when you surrender the situation to Him.

That was in March, I believe. I finished out my sophomore year and came to Springhill. I was able to relax a few weeks before beginning work. However, being Children’s and Youth Intern was nothing like I expected.

Wacky Tacky Tuesdays, Sports Camp Thursdays, and a Children’s Bible Study on Sundays took up half of my attention. Wacky Tacky Tuesdays was a 9 am- noon program scheduled for preschool-aged children. With CDC (actual school program) going on during that time, it ultimately ended with the WTT being cancelled. During my time with those precious little darlings I had a blast.

I may have looked forward to Sports Camp Thursdays a little bit more than Tuesdays for obvious reasons. Sports! This day was for the 1^st-6^th grade students. Throughout the summer, we played softball, volleyball, and dodgeball. The free movie at the movie theater on Thursdays also became our friend when we didn’t have many kids or when I was out of town with the youth.  For the children that regularly attended this program there was a finale celebration at Magic Springs in Hot Springs, AR. It was quite the trip!

My heart is with these children that I spent the summer with. I’m going to miss them terribly. I became close with so many of them and I love them all dearly. I can’t wait to see how God is going to use them and work through them as they grow.

As for youth activities, I mostly just lived life with them! Having been around most of them during my short time in the youth group before college and as intern last summer, relationships have already been formed. I regard each of them as a little sister or little brother and  would do anything for any one of them. They’re each close to my heart.

We attended Centrifuge in Glorieta, New Mexico, this summer. Believe me when I tell you that it was an eye-opener! God worked in so many ways that week! Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” It doesn’t say just good things work toward our good, but all things. Every good and bad occurrence works toward His plan. Everything that took place at Fuge worked toward His plan for each of our lives.

Thursday night at camp was another eye opener for me. It was the night that we took up the missions offering. The offering this year is going to the Karamojong people in Uganda. Just for a little background on the Karamojong, they believe in a god, but this god can only be reached through a witch doctor. They will listen to whatever the witch doctor tells them. If he were to tell them that their god needed a man sacrificed in order for the crops to be good, that’s what would happen. Through this, God confirmed the call to missions He has placed on my heart.

The next trip on the schedule was the annual mission trip to New Orleans. I pretty much summed up the trip in my last blog post. My heart still yearns to be with the children of New Orleans and I pray continuously for those we encountered, that the seeds that were planted fell on fertile soil. Join me in praying for them.

August came and went, bringing with it my transition back to LC and the beginning of my junior year. I’m a junior…in college. I still sometimes feel like I’m still a freshman. My classes this semester are Intermediate Spanish, 20^th Century American Literature, Creative Writing, Intro to Church Ministry, Public Speaking, and Adaptive Activities. If you know me, then you know my biggest fear this semester is my speech class. Praying that God will give me the strength and ability to make it through this class without stuttering my life away.

It’s been over a month since I’ve blogged and I plan on making it a much more frequent thing. Let me know if there’s anything that you need prayer for! May God guide you along His plan for you and draw you nearer to Himself.

 

To the Least of These

With God granting me the privilege of being intern at Central Baptist Church in Springhill, LA, for the second summer in a row came the honor of attending the annual mission trip to New Orleans. Last summer was my first summer being able to attend the trip and God opened my eyes to so many things in my life. I knew that He would be faithful to do so again.

Before we departed for the trip, I was in constant prayer that the youth's eyes would be opened, that they would become selfless and realize that they're living for more than just themselves, for more than just the moment. There is far more to life than a boyfriend/girlfriend, a friendship, or a vacation. In the grand scheme of life, those things don't matter. What matters is that God is glorified through our lives. Material things will pass away. If we find our identities in these things, we too will pass away. Identity in Christ is eternal.

My mindset at the start of the week was that I was going to love on kids and that by our being there, the kids were going to be effected in a way that would show them Christ. This happened, but the missionaries were also shown Christ through the kids.

Jesus says in Luke 18:16-17 "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." To receive something as a child does would be to be overwhelmed with joy. I remember when I was a little kid, any present I received was  "just what I always wanted!"

How often do we let the ways of this world hinder how we spread the Gospel? Or how often do we let it get us down? If your answer is anything like mine, it's far too often. Yes, unlike a child, adults have responsibilities that weigh them down. How much lighter would those responsibilities feel if you began each day with a quiet time?

I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not very consistent when it comes to quiet times. I usually do them every day, but at sporadic times. One day it will be in the morning, one right before I go to bed, one day it's whenever I can squeeze it in between activities during the day. I've been in ruts where I wouldn't have a quiet time for maybe weeks on end. Worst weeks of my life.

If you claim Christianity, you should know that the Bible calls us to live out the Word of God. If we aren't in the Word daily, how would we know how to live it out?

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1-2, 15 "therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. [15] Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise." Working with youth, and having just been in their shoes two years ago, I know that this is one of the most difficult things to grasp as a teenager. In a world where it's all about social status, who's dating who, what brand name you wear, and what sports you play, it's hard to stay focused on the one thing that matters: Christ.

No matter what situation one is in, there is always someone who has it infinitely times worse. Those in attendance on the mission trip were able to witness this first hand. Some of the places we canvased, some of the places we passed while in the French Quarter...they were unfathomable. It breaks my heart to see someone in the conditions some of the people in New Orleans are in. The state of being which some grown adults were in, to be so uncaring as to walk around during the middle of the day drunk out of their minds.... Those who don't know Jesus break my heart. The state of our society breaks my heart. If it breaks mine, I know it breaks God's.

One of the first little girls that came up to our site on Monday was the perfect example of coming to Christ as a child. She was probably about 10-years-old. She's been a faithful participant in our program the past few years from what I've heard. We were talking to her as we were walking toward the community room of their apartment complex. When asked what she looked forward to most, I expected that she would say the cookies and Kool-Aid or getting to have fun with all of her friends. Instead, she blew my mind. She said "getting to learn more about Jesus."

We are the children of God! As children of God, shouldn't we always be eager to learn about our Father, to spend quality time with our Father? 1 John 3:1-3 says this: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared' but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."

So often we take for granted the freedom of learning about Christ, or having a church on every corner. A lot of places don't have that. In several countries all over the world, reading the Bible or being a Christian is illegal. Sure, it's "not cool" to be a Christian in the USA, but we won't die for it....at least not yet. A lot of people claim Christianity because it is what is expected of them or because they think if they claim it, they can do whatever they want and still avoid hell when they die. How many of them would claim Christianity if they lived somewhere where it was illegal?

Missions is where my heart is. I yearn to reach those unreached people groups with the Gospel. I crave to see joy fill someone when they hear of Jesus for the first time. I thrive even for those moments of getting turned down, getting a door slammed in my face as I did in New Orleans, just because I know that God is faithful. This mission trip has reaffirmed my heart for missions and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Phillip Carroll always tells us that there will be a kid that will become yours for the week, that will steal your heart from the first moment. There was definitely that. My kid's name was Envi.

Throughout the week, we laughed, made her crafts, and talked about Jesus. The first time I walked her home, when I left I told her I loved her and got no response. The next day, she comes through the door and gives me a hug and tells me she loves me.

Friday was our last day with the kids. Right before they were to all go home, I felt God tugging on my heart. I looked at Envi and asked if we could talk for a minute before she left. Throughout the week when we would talk about Jesus, I would say a lot and she would reply with "yeah," or "I know," or "okay" for the most part. I assumed it was just because she was shy. When I began, I asked her if she could tell me who Jesus is. She said yes. So I said, "Okay, tell me." She just shook her head. I told her who Jesus is and that He loved us enough to die on the cross for everything that we do wrong. I showed her some verses in my Bible. She asked me "Why did he have to die for us?" and I told her since God is holy, He cannot stand the sight of sin. Sin separates us from God. God wants to be able to be with us, so He sent His Son Jesus to die for us so that through accepting Jesus as our Savior, we can go to Heaven."

Envi asked me how to pray and how to accept Christ.

Friday was filled with tears for me. The love and faith of a child... God is so good! He put us all on that mission trip for a reason.... to witness to others and to see God's love in return. Anyone that reads this, I just ask you to pray that the work that was started in the hearts of those in New Orleans continues. I pray that the seeds that were planted are watered. God is faithful and will continue working down there, but His people must receive Him. Thank you.