1 Chronicles 23:30 stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening

Happy last day of August & Happy Friday!

I never have intentions to write. I never wake up saying "hmm, lets post a blog" or anything along those lines. I usually think of something to write about how God works in my life, and I think "hey I'm going to put this in my Facebook.... nope, it'll end up being too long. Guess I'll blog it out right before I need to be walking out the door."

& that my friends is how that cookie crumbles.

Okay, so doing my usually morning routine (Coffee, Facebook, Pinterest, Social Media, Social Media, Social Media, whichever and whatever they may be. Sometimes they vary each morning and the order does as well. Coffee is always there though.) I came across something on Facebook that just made me a little bit confused. Confused is good though sometimes. Sometimes we aren't supposed to know everything. That's how God keeps us on our toes. He is not boring by any means and He looooves to change the rules up mid game. I would know. He plays the switcharoo on me a lot.

 But anyways, sometimes we get so caught up in what we want, we forget about what is best for us. We also get so caught up in what we want that it becomes such a distraction from God. It becomes an idol. We turn our backs on God and focus on that "want". I don't call it a need, because if indeed it were a need, it would be given to us from God and we would never take our eyes off Him. God will cut you off mid path and slam a door right in your face if He sees something is distracting you from Him, or you are going a way He doesn't see fit. 

I am so thankful to have a Heavenly Father who only wants what is best for me, and for you too of course. I am thankful He closes those doors, changes rules mid game, and cuts me off mid path. I want to be focused solely on Him. Let any distractions in my life be gone. I will turn my back on the worldly things to keep my eyes focused on God. 

Just keep this in mind...
Things aren't going to always go how we planned. You know why? God doesn't like for us to try and plan things. Don't try to take His job, y'all. It isn't our place. There are a reason those things you wanted you didn't get.. there is a reason why those things were wants and not needs... doors get closed so better ones can be opened. Trust God knows what is best. Trust God has the best plans in store for you. Just be patient. 

I am thankful God is leading me. I am thankful I will follow no matter what. I am thankful for all those who pray for me. I am thankful for all those God lets me reach through my writings.

If God is trying to close a door in your life, don't stick your foot in the door.. don't try to wedge the door back open... don't try to keep Him from closing it. Let go and let God. He knows what He is doing, so let Him do His thing!

 

-B

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are notable to plan our own course.

Good morning, y'all!

First off, I wish all of you teachers and students luck on your first day of the 2012-2013 school year! In this grey, clouded world it is hard to be a light but the cool thing is that we have a never ending flame burning inside of us all. So keep that in mind today, tomorrow, and for days to come.
What's even cooler, is I know that our Church is full of students and teachers who are prepared to go into those schools beaming.

I love my Church.
Holy smokes. God has been doing some great things in that place. For those of you who don't know, I attend Living Water Baptist in Hendersonville. And it is AWESOME. (and yes, I still go to App and live in Boone during the week. And yes I drive home every weekend I can to be home and go to my home Church.)

I started going to LW when I was a senior in high school, and now I'm a senior in college. There is truly no othe place I would rather hear from God, worship God, & talk to God. So thankful for Caleb, for getting me started in that Church. Thankful for Sabrina L for first reaching her hand out to me during my dark times & helping guide me. Thankful for Pastor Tony and David for being so awesome. Thankful for Tony, David, Sabrina and my Church family for supporting me in so many ways.

Yesterday was such an amazing day. The regular service was fantastic. And the night worship... I don't even have words to explain how awesome it was. I watched God move in so many ways in so many lives.
I personally was broken last night. I know God is calling me to do big things and He is preparing me.. and I see it. I am so beyond excited to see what happens.

It's time to clear away all things that my stand in the way of God. It's time to turn my back to the worldly things and keep my eyes on God. It's time to let God lead.

If you haven't ever been to Living Water, or you've been once or twice.. If you don't have a Church you're plugged into, or looking for a Church to call yours.. I urge you to give Living Water a chance.

God is awesome. Living Water is awesome. Words can't describe how I feel right now. This is something I've never experienced before but I am so ready for God to lead me and show me what's next. I'm already ready for Sunday.

New small group, which is awesome. Service which is awesome. And a Church family which is awesome.

Thankful for it all.

And on a side note, it's almost my birthday! A week from tomorrow (Tuesday) yay!!

-B

Psalms 42:8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me.

(one of my favorite songs. goes well with this blog.. I think. That or I just really like this song)

Good morning all! 

I survived my first day of my senior year of college, currently I am in my second day. So yes, I am writing this during my 8 am... oops, sorry Dr. H..  for all of you that read this blog, you know when I feel the urge to write that I will write.. soooo here goes!

"A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up take a second to think about how much of a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy. The moment that you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start feeling like one. Time spent living is time worth appreciating."

Those words there came from a facebook status in me news feed this morning. How true are those words? How powerful are those words? I feel like sometimes people say things and the words speak to us, and they are truly words from God. I am usually pretty positive, but sometimes I drag my feet... sometimes, I can be so negative that it's not even funny. That's really not how I should be. That shouldn't be my mindset... 

The past few weeks, actually the past few months, have taught me so much about being thankful for my life. My life is a blessing. Each day is a gift. By God's grace, I have been given my life and by my faith I trust Him with it. I have weathered a few storms in my life, and it still rains on occasion in Brooke-town.. But just as every sunny day  is a blessing.. every rain storm is a blessing.

Sometimes I catch myself waiting for things to be over, and counting down days.. and right now I am feeling that big time since this is my last semester of actual classes so Tate's words came just in time. I need to realize that every day is a blessing and it's all about the mindset. I can make the best of this time or make the worst of it. I think I'll choose to make the best of this situation and enjoy my days and my times and my experiences that come with the situation I am in now. 

Every day is a blessing and God has me where He does for a reason.

Thankful for Tate's words.
Thankful for such an almighty God.


-B

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another

Puzzle pieces, foot prints, spare tires..

Ok i'm sure you're thinking "what the world is she talking about? How do those even relate to each other?!"

Strangely enough they all fit together in similar ways and I'll tell you how.

Those three things go together because these are all analogies for how you impact another persons life. You impact everybody you come across in some way, no matter what. You are a puzzle piece out of their giant puzzle of life, you leave a footprint in their lives as you pass through, and you may be that spare tire they needed when they had a flat on this road trip we call life. .

When you look at it that way, everybody we come in contact with we impact even in just a tiny way. You can be a piece in the dark part of somebody's puzzle or a part of the good spot.. You can leave a bad uneven footprint in somebody's life or you can leave a soft elegant footprint (you know, the ones you always see in pictures.. That are never like the ones you try to make in the sand) and last but not least my favorite analogy.. You can be an old flat spare tire that is there but no benefit at all (like those little donut tires), or you can be a full spare tire ready to help in the time of need.

The reason I like that analogy the most. Is because I have been driving A LOT lately and one day on my many trips it clicked.. Life is like a giant road trip. You have a starting point and a finish point and many miles and obstacles and pit stops and fill ups in between...

Everybody is on a road trip called life, and nobody's starting points, paths, or destinations are the same.. But your paths may cross..


Take a minute and think about your road trip called life and who has been there to be a pot hole or a flat tire and who has been there to be the gas pump that fills you up or the spare tire in your time of need...

Which do you want to be in the lives of others? Think about it.


-B

2 Corinthians 12:10b For when I am weak, I am strong

Good morning from the beach! Well actually, good morning from the comfy chair in the living room from the beach, looking at the beach from the glass porch door because it's currently raining.
Drinking coffee and checkin my Twitter (what all "adults" do first thing in the morning) I found an awesome tweet from an account called "God's Grace" that I follow. I took a screenshot and instagrammed it of course and will attach it at the bottom. I am also reading a plan on "Grace" this week while I am here to do some studying with Ci and I read my title verse. Both the tweet and the section of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 really take a look at God's grace.

We cannot be strong all the time, I have tried and let me just tell you it does not happen.. But God is strong for us when we are weak. When we encounter a struggle God is using us and working through the struggles and the weakness to mold and shape us. How awesome is that? God has a reason for everything and I am so thankful that we serve a mighty King. So thankful that we have a reason to sing and glorify Him even in the darkest of times, the deepest of waters, & the strongest of storms.

Let God be strong for you and work on you during the weak times, because when we are weak, then we are strong. The weak times show us how strong we can be and strong our God is.

His grace is enough.


-B