Ever since I broke my arm, I've had to make some adjustments. It's been a week and with the help of some amazing people, I've become slightly good at opening jars, putting on clothes, even putting on headbands. I have yet to master being ambidextrious though and it is so frustrating. If there is one thing I miss the most it's journaling. I'm a journal fanatic and have been for years. What I miss the most isn't driving or sleeping on my right side, it's pouring my heart out on paper. It's meditating on the verses I doodle or writing notes on sermons I watch. It's writing my prayers out on paper or the dreams I had the night before. I could do all of this on my IPhone (and I do), but what I appreciate more now is the authenticity and awareness that journaling brings. This past week I've wanted to journal about a couple of things, so I just decided to journal one of them on my blog and write about it later:))
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
"In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy."
This season, I've learned a lot about the Body of Christ. I've grown closer to God and my community by seeing my friends shower Gods love and helping hand into my life. My friends have been so insanely supportive, helpful, and sacrificially good to me. I saw Christ in a different by being on the receiving end of their service. Canaan is the feet to me. She goes where she is called and does not waver. She would walk a thousand miles just to serve. Sarah Lamothe is the hand. She nursed me back to health by providing medicine and comforting me when I was crying. Shanna is the ears, she listens so intently when I want to express my feelings. Madison is the eyes. She sees the good in this season and gives me hope to prevail. Sydney Bentley are the legs. She encourages me to dance and worship God even in this bummer situation. Sydney Berry is the hand. She goes out of her way to express love by giving. Last but not least, Sarah Carpenter. This girl is the mind. She is full of so much truth and grace and showers me with it everyday.
I have family that expresses Christ to me, as well as so many friends. I could list all of them, but that would take days. Thank you to those who have reached out, for showing me Gods love in a different way and for taking care of me in unity by blessing me with your part, in Christ, to love.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Love is in the Air
Our sights and emotions are set on love each Valentine's Day. We recognize it and we cherish it! We shower our beloved with gifts, flowers, jewelry, or even candy. The love that we all have is priceless and all we want to do is celebrate it. Seeing other people in love and cherishing that love brings my heart so much joy. My deepest desire though is that we may never stray away from what love truly is.
When I think of Love, I think of my family, who loves unconditionally. I think of my friends who would serve one another till their hearts run out. But most importantly I think of Jesus. I think of that beautiful sunset He so graciously presented to me every night on my way home from work. I think about Him giving His life for me so that I may gain one. Now, if that's not love, I don't know what is.
He is the definition of Love, my friends, and so often I feel like we leave Him out on Valentines Day. We celebrate Him on Christmas and Easter, and don't get me wrong I love those holiday's! They're so grand. But I feel like Jesus is more than a holiday. He is love. He is a friend to someone in need. He is a beautiful, merciful, redeeming savior and for that I am grateful.
About a couple of months ago, I went on a hike to the West Pinnacles. I was just feeling really down about life with no job, no community, my heart was getting restless and I felt my future wasn't bright. So, I decided to do the one thing that would give me peace... go on a hike with God. I was talking to Him and praising Him along the way, singing songs of worship from Bethel to Hillsong. I was this crazy lune talking to myself, but I didn't care. As I reached the top, I couldn't see the trail anymore because of all the leaves... I came upon an obstacle. So, I went around different rocks trying to reach the top having no idea where it was. In that moment I just decided to take the most out of this opportunity and cherish that I was lost. Soon enough, I found the "rock". As I was walking to it, I got caught in a bush of thorns poking me. My first thought was that it hurt and I just wanted to get away so I wouldn't bleed, but then my brain automatically switched to Jesus. I thought about Him and His crown of thorns and how much that hurt. I thought about how in this moment I'm symbolically surrounded by His love. I was surrounded, covered in these thorns, in His love and I didn't want to leave. Even though it hurt, the pain went to praise and love was in the air.
I could go on and on about this walk and everything He taught me through it, but it would be a chapter in a book. The one thing I hope you got out of that is even though you may be heading toward a "destination" with your significant other, my prayer is that you will continue to look to the cross as you receive God's blessings. My hope for you is that you won't stray away from the one who brings us true love. I hope tomorrow you will not only think about your significant other, but the widow at your work or the janitor and his wife who just lost a daughter. Even that man without a home who doesn't have shoes. But most importantly, I hope you think about Jesus. Whom pursues you relentlessly in His love of grace. Where ever He is...Love is truly in the air
When I think of Love, I think of my family, who loves unconditionally. I think of my friends who would serve one another till their hearts run out. But most importantly I think of Jesus. I think of that beautiful sunset He so graciously presented to me every night on my way home from work. I think about Him giving His life for me so that I may gain one. Now, if that's not love, I don't know what is.
He is the definition of Love, my friends, and so often I feel like we leave Him out on Valentines Day. We celebrate Him on Christmas and Easter, and don't get me wrong I love those holiday's! They're so grand. But I feel like Jesus is more than a holiday. He is love. He is a friend to someone in need. He is a beautiful, merciful, redeeming savior and for that I am grateful.
About a couple of months ago, I went on a hike to the West Pinnacles. I was just feeling really down about life with no job, no community, my heart was getting restless and I felt my future wasn't bright. So, I decided to do the one thing that would give me peace... go on a hike with God. I was talking to Him and praising Him along the way, singing songs of worship from Bethel to Hillsong. I was this crazy lune talking to myself, but I didn't care. As I reached the top, I couldn't see the trail anymore because of all the leaves... I came upon an obstacle. So, I went around different rocks trying to reach the top having no idea where it was. In that moment I just decided to take the most out of this opportunity and cherish that I was lost. Soon enough, I found the "rock". As I was walking to it, I got caught in a bush of thorns poking me. My first thought was that it hurt and I just wanted to get away so I wouldn't bleed, but then my brain automatically switched to Jesus. I thought about Him and His crown of thorns and how much that hurt. I thought about how in this moment I'm symbolically surrounded by His love. I was surrounded, covered in these thorns, in His love and I didn't want to leave. Even though it hurt, the pain went to praise and love was in the air.
I could go on and on about this walk and everything He taught me through it, but it would be a chapter in a book. The one thing I hope you got out of that is even though you may be heading toward a "destination" with your significant other, my prayer is that you will continue to look to the cross as you receive God's blessings. My hope for you is that you won't stray away from the one who brings us true love. I hope tomorrow you will not only think about your significant other, but the widow at your work or the janitor and his wife who just lost a daughter. Even that man without a home who doesn't have shoes. But most importantly, I hope you think about Jesus. Whom pursues you relentlessly in His love of grace. Where ever He is...Love is truly in the air
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Mourning into Dancing
"You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my
sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. That my glory may sing Your
praises and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you
forever."
Psalm 30:12
We have all gone through hard times and some of us have even gone through experiences that have challenged our walk with God. Whatever the case, these pivotal points in our life has shaped and molded us into who we are today.
So far, many altering events occurred in my life and let me tell you, adjusting to them hasn't been easy, especially when my cousin, Logan, passed away. I've grown to learn that in moments of sorrow I need to fight for the strength to keep me moving forward. Every day is a milestone and every day is a chance for me to grow closer to God. I find myself bringing my heart to the Lord on my knees and truth be told, He NEVER fails to pick me up and carry me through this battle. He even uses other people to comfort me and speak words of wisdom into my heart and for that I am grateful. I am most grateful for my family, for always showing love and light even in the darkest times to each other. It is in these moments with my family that I feel the strength of His love and compassion. From the laughter when we tell stories to the gifts and hugs we receive. To the faithfulness, kindness and goodness each one embodies, our mourning becomes dancing.
Even though there have been many times we wish my cuz could be here, a part of us will always be missing. But I believe, wholeheartedly, our Logan is always with us, wanting us to keep on dancing. Have you ever been there? So full of His love and mercy you feel like dancing? It truly is an amazing feeling. He covers me in gladness. Even in the darkest times, God's hand is overshadowing my family and I.
So, I challenge you, through good times and bad to worship Him. Worship Him with all that you have and all that you are. Dance with joy and do not be silent.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Where Is God In My Pit?
The more time we spend alone with God, the better we are at hearing Gods voice. You have no idea how many times I've heard people tell me this, but it is soooo true my friends. To me, the best time I spend with God is in my car. When I'm driving, I clear the passenger seat for Him and just talk about life. I turn down the music, focus on Jesus and just praise His name. However, every car ride isn't like this. Some days I just want to talk to him about a situation I'm going through or I ask him a butt load of questions. And other days I just want to yell, scream or cry.
The start of this year has been a rollar coaster ride. I've had SO many trials and tribulations that I've had to overcome and to be honest, I feel like the obstacles I've faced so far have been the biggest in my life. And some of them I still have to face everyday. But why doesn't God lift me from this pit? Why can't he see that I'm drowning? Why doesn't he hear me? I've learned that sometimes when we feel like we should move on to other things, God wants us to park somewhere for a while and stay there. But God will be with us. The Lord is always with us, even when we feel like he isn't listening. The Lord lives in my heart, so where ever I go, He goes. What ever I say, he hears (Psalm 34:4-6) Whatever I do, He sees. We may not hear Him, but He is there my friends and He speaks in ways you can only understand.
He comforted me the other night. Did I tell you that? I was in my car and I just looked up. It was a cloudy night and I couldn't see the moon what so ever. But out of no where, a tiny piece of light shined through the darkness and it got bigger and bigger and the moon shined brighter than ever before, just for a split second. Then the clouds began to cover it. That split second was all I needed. It reminded me of a verse in Romans: "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
I have to keep on reminding myself that I can't overcome these obstacles and trials on my own. I have to remember that I am just a sheep and and The Lord is my shepherd. With his rod and staff I shall be comforted. So, instead of just putting Him in my passenger seat and talking to Him. I put Him in the drivers seat and let Him guide me. I take down my shields and let my life be for His glory, or I try to at least. I may fail, but God is good my friends.
My deepest prayer is that you will begin to live life knowing you have a friend who loves you unconditionally. Even when you feel alone, defeated, ugly, heartbroken, ashamed, depressed....I pray that you will remember that this friend will always be with you.
The start of this year has been a rollar coaster ride. I've had SO many trials and tribulations that I've had to overcome and to be honest, I feel like the obstacles I've faced so far have been the biggest in my life. And some of them I still have to face everyday. But why doesn't God lift me from this pit? Why can't he see that I'm drowning? Why doesn't he hear me? I've learned that sometimes when we feel like we should move on to other things, God wants us to park somewhere for a while and stay there. But God will be with us. The Lord is always with us, even when we feel like he isn't listening. The Lord lives in my heart, so where ever I go, He goes. What ever I say, he hears (Psalm 34:4-6) Whatever I do, He sees. We may not hear Him, but He is there my friends and He speaks in ways you can only understand.
He comforted me the other night. Did I tell you that? I was in my car and I just looked up. It was a cloudy night and I couldn't see the moon what so ever. But out of no where, a tiny piece of light shined through the darkness and it got bigger and bigger and the moon shined brighter than ever before, just for a split second. Then the clouds began to cover it. That split second was all I needed. It reminded me of a verse in Romans: "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
I have to keep on reminding myself that I can't overcome these obstacles and trials on my own. I have to remember that I am just a sheep and and The Lord is my shepherd. With his rod and staff I shall be comforted. So, instead of just putting Him in my passenger seat and talking to Him. I put Him in the drivers seat and let Him guide me. I take down my shields and let my life be for His glory, or I try to at least. I may fail, but God is good my friends.
My deepest prayer is that you will begin to live life knowing you have a friend who loves you unconditionally. Even when you feel alone, defeated, ugly, heartbroken, ashamed, depressed....I pray that you will remember that this friend will always be with you.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Live Footloose and Fancy-Free!
My fellow friends,
As I was reading Ecclesiastes tonight, my mind was shifted and God brought me a whole different outlook on life. So, I thought I should share it with you :)
Although this part of the book may be seen as small in relative size, it's few pages reveal a bountiful amount of wisdom and observations regarding the purpose of life. The "son of David" wrote about seizing life and how life is "smoke, nothing but smoke." (Ecclesiastes 1:2) After reading this and taking this verse in, I thought of the meaning behind it (in my eyes that is). Being the metamorphic person that I am, I thought about the different smoke in this world. You might think of this as bizarre or weird, but let me explain this statement first. To me when I think of smoke, I think of wood burning. However, there are different kinds of smokes. Like smoke from a factory or smoke from a truck. Each smoke has a distinct smell and each smoke is carried differently, whether it be from wood burning or a truck going out of whack. When I picture life as being smoke, I think about the different paths everybody chooses. However, in the end, everyone is lumped together in one fate. (Eccelesiastes 9:1-3). Eventually, the smoke will go into the air, combining with the different air molecules. Overall, life is all but smoke, nothing but smoke.
These past few days my mind was focused solely on finals. I was so intent on getting an A or B in every class so I spent my days and nights studying for the tests. But I realized there's no end to the constant studying. I always want to study, whether it be outer space, why I'm here.... studying wears me out. "Much learning earns you much trouble, the more you know, the more you hurt." (Ecclesiastes 1:18). So why study? I should be focusing on blessing others, laughing until my abs hurt, crying until my heart is scoured, I should be devouring my foolish ways into wise actions and listening to the Holy Spirit to guide me. There is a right time for everything and each day is God's gift to us. Therefore, I'm going to live my life to the fullest. The spirit returns to God who first breathed it in the end anyways, so why not live each day like it's my last. But seriously....
I hope all of you have a blessed day!
Shannon aka @thebilbster
Saturday, February 11, 2012
You Just Got Owned!
Inspiration post for WRD
I’m sure most of you know what happened when the wildcats played South Carolina. But in case you don’t, let me inform you. The Men’s basketball team not only beat South Carolina but they made history. Anthony Davis passed future NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’ Neal in the 115 blocked shots he had at LSU. That’s right Davis beat Shaq! To be honest I was filled with so many emotions when I heard this. Stoked because we won, excited for our team and thrilled that one of our UK players passed an NBA player in the records. However, that not only came to my mind.
I tend to think beyond the literal meaning of things and put things in my own perspective. Even though Davis blocked shots over that weekend, I blocked my struggle. I went to Gatlinburg for the winter retreat with CSF. Over the weekend I made a lot of friends and grew close to God. I can’t put into words what that weekend meant for me. For a while I have struggled with worrying a lot. I would worry so much, that sometimes I couldn’t get any sleep at night. I would not only worry about schoolwork, but mostly about other people and what they’re going through. When I heard the pastor talk about leaving your struggles out on the altar so God can alter our lives, I knew it was time to confess. I didn’t want the devil to control me any more; I didn’t want him to have that hold on me. So, I prayed, let go and I let God.
Now, I’m not saying he fully healed me and I stopped worrying. I’m just saying that I laid my struggles in His hands, so he can help me. I was vulnerable. I know that healing takes time and I know that it needs to happen by His care. Ever since the weekend, I’ve changed. When I worry now, I notice when I do it and I pray to God. I’m so thankful for a loving, forgiving God that wants to help us in our time of need. I hate the devil and I hate what he does to us. So, next time you feel like the devil is all up in your grill, just pray and say, “ You just got owned!”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)