Thank You

Once upon a time, I sang a Capella to an audience called "Me". Now I sing Hallelujah to an audience of One.

Once upon a time, the world called me "Daughter". Now I am a Daughter of the King.

Once upon a time, true love was a fairy tale. Now true love is mine.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me enough to die for me.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
-John 3:16

Feeling Stranded?

I liked the look of life until it took me for a ride that left me reeling. I guess I thought character could be built from the comfort of a passenger seat. So with the help of a little bohemian blood in my veins, I tried hitch hiking instead. But after wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction, I started to feel lost. Until one day Jesus met me, sitting on a curbside with my hair disheveled, my clothes stained, and my soul worn.

Has this life left you feeling stranded? Perhaps it's time to turn to Jesus for help.

"The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
-Matthew 28:5-10

The Dream

I pulled it from the closet to see if it still fit after finding it tucked between the shirts and jackets. I don't think I ever intended to hide it away, but sometime between yesterday and today, I must have. I know there is a season for everything, but my season seemed to have either been hidden or lost. Not anymore! I tried it on and realized my dream never felt or looked better.

Do you have a dream that has been hidden or lost? Perhaps it is time to get it back out and see if it still fits.

"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

Tattooed & Taylored

Sometimes I feel more comfortable in my faith when I stand beside a tattooed soul, and other times I feel more comfortable beside a taylored soul. On any given day, it is hard to tell where I stand because my faith feels both tattooed and taylored. I have been tattooed with marks from this life, but I have also been taylored by the love of Christ.

Where do you stand?

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
-1 John 4:10

A Full Heart

Perfectionism knocks on my door as my heart beats wildly at the thought of entertaining her. But as tempting as it is to let her in, I know she will merely find all my failures. So I simply reply that a satisfied heat is a full heart, leaving no room to host her. Then I turn to the Lord, only to feel him quiet me with his presence.

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
-1 John 3:19-20

Untold Stories

At times I feel inspired to write a compelling story dedicated to those who cannot afford the luxury of telling their own. Perhaps they hold their stories close for fear of what they will lose, or even for fear of what they will gain. But my fear is that if I don't step away from my reality and move toward theirs, then their stories will never be told.

What about you? Are there untold stories you feel inspired to write?

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."
-2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Personal Growth

What if we look at life through the lens of growth? Not the kind of growth we can measure in inches, but the kind of growth we can measure in less tangible ways. Genuine personal growth seeks to measure the distance between where we started and how far we've come. When I look back on my life, I see a series of measurements strung together, marking a great distance. But those measurements are also marked by Christ, and I am convinced that without Christ, there would be nothing significant to measure.

How is your growth coming along?

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
-Romans 12:2