last friday

Last friday night, a group of gals met a small group of lads at Eddie's Attic. We then enjoyed the musical talents of S. Carey . Not only did I finally see a show at Eddie's Attic (hello music history has been made there...and pretty sure John Mayer used to work the door there) but Rebekah made a good observation about Sean Carey. She thought it was neat how he and his 4 or 5 other musicians were creating music on stage. Now, that isn't to say that other musicians don't do that...they do, but something about the Sean Carey's music is so convoluted that it's almost as if you're listening to a modern orchestra tune and perform music. Regardless, give him a listen...you will be impressed, but also sleepy.

On an entirely different note,
Because this week is the prelude to the resurrection, I've been trying to keep the cross at the forefront of my mind. Meaning, I've been trying to avoid stress in the fact that not only is worrying unbiblical but Christ already won the war for me. So a full week of school is just an opportunity for God's grace to abound. And it has. And it probably will next week as well (hello final project of the semester). These two songs have helped me keep in a constant state of worship:

Place of Freedom:


Holy Spirit:

Attraction

via poppytalk

3.5 tons of petals to cover Costa Rica. A Volcano with flower lava? Check out the full post about it on poppytalk : http://www.poppytalk.com/2014/04/8-million-petals-over-costa-rica.html (for some reason my link was messing up. just copy and paste this into your browser)! This is totally unrelated to my post but I just had to share it as well.


You have your friends and you have your family. Most of your family you do not choose and the majority of your friends are the people that you choose to let in your life. Once I reached college it was entirely my choice for who I wanted to be my friends. Rarely do I make a conscious decision to make someone my friend (with a few kind of creepy instances...and now we're really good friends so I guess it worked!) a lot of times friendships just naturally happen. But lately I've been thinking about the idea of attraction in friendship. Don't let me lose you here...I'm not talking about having a guy friend and being attracted to him and then 'oh dang now the friendship is ruined' type of attraction. But...what initially attracted you to the person that you are friends with (or with whom you are friends? I always forget.)
I've heard so many guys defend themselves when talking about intially talking to a girl because she is pretty, "I can't just immediately know if that girl has great character...usually there's something that initially attracts you to a girl and looks ARE external..." And I get that. Girls think the same way...no one walks into a room and goes, "Okay who do I have the least amount in common with...and it would almost be like pulling teeth to try to have a conversation with that person...*scans room* THAT person. Okay I'm gonna go talk to her/him." But over the weekend I've had this discussion a couple of times.

Is it a bad thing to initially be friends with someone because of the way they look? or just because you were naturally drawn to them?

Now I can't answer that question because I honestly do not know. We are drawn to certain people and we can't always help that...it's just a natural tendency. But lately I've been thinking about the foolish weight that we cast onto people's looks. Or just their external identity. Do they listen to 'cool' music? Do they wear clothes that I like? Do they read books that I read? Do they do the things that I do too? Do they make me laugh? Do they make me feel happy? So we see people through our filter made by the flesh. What if we take a moment and think of a biblical/Christ-like view of the people around us? How many people are hurting and falling and are in hard times and we have completely overlooked them because they did not fit into the criteria of our "friends"? And that's the thing, I don't think most of us even do it on purpose, but it's as if we don't even SEE those people.

Christ loves the unlovables. We are the unlovables -- this was convicting. (shereadstruth)

"for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

We're all the same. Regardless of our clothes, regardless of our sense of humor, regardless of the things we do for fun...we're all the same. We aren't called to love people that make it easy to love. We're just called to love as Christ loves. These people that we overlook are not objects to be fixed by OUR presence in their life. We aren't better than these people and we certainly are not doing them a favor by being their friends. These people are just like ME. On the inside...they hurt. They stress. They have joy. They have pain. They talk. They cry. They laugh. They dance. They sing. They rejoice. They have bad days and they have good days. They're just like me. 

So it's not that I'm bashing myself and others for being accidentally close-minded about their friends...not at all. This is me realizing that we generally don't even do this on purpose. We are blind to the needs of others. I'm making it my prayer that my eyes be opened to SEE everyone. 

This may not even be something that bothers you or your struggle. All I know is that it has been a recent conviction. 

and then I remember...

I really did fly over the sea and go to the Land of Ire. I really did lay my body down on a rock and look into the crashing ocean many, many feet below me. I really did live in a cottage with a red door and make french press in the mornings. I really did hold a Harris Hawk (his name was Juan). I really did just take a hike to a castle...multiple times.

Ireland was real.

But so is Auburn.

And they are both beautiful in their own way.
Feeling thankful today, even if it's a crazy day. Life is just too beautiful not to announce that every once in a while.

uncool

I feel like 'cool' is such a loaded word. And who doesn't want to be the epitome of what it means to be cool? Whether it be a lifestyle, attitude, style, experiences (and and the list could go on), people can be cool in so many ways. But all of those ways are based on worldly things. And no one is cool 100% of the time. So when I watched 'Almost Famous' for the first time tonight (shocking. I know.) I was hit really hard by a certain quote:

"The only true currency

 in this bankrupt world

is the truth that we share 

with one another

when we are being uncool."

And there it is. Life is not about being cool. It's about being uncool with people who love you no matter what. The friends that stick around are the friends who still look at you with warm eyes and open arms at your most uncool moments. And those friends are only a tiny representation of how God looks at us. He doesn't want us to be cool, he wants us to be the way He made us...He wants us honest. 

sunday thoughts

If you would have asked me about 3 years ago what my passions were, I would have told you exact answers. I would have said music for sure, and would have talked about how I wanted to be involved in the music business to some degree. I thought about majoring in audio engineering and reeeeeally wanted to go to Belmont. I was sure of who I was. I was relying on God and I knew what I wanted out of life. I was full of life! I wanted to discover and explore and experience things. So, yes, music was my plan. God had a different plan for me though. And I wound up at a school that I had initially not really wanted to go to because my whole family had gone (...I was that kid.) and I was in a major I didn't fully understand (actually still in that major). What happened between those 3 years and now? I don't know. I'm just learning not to blame anything or anyone but to just take life one day at a time.

Now. I have interests and ideas. But I don't have a specific passion. I don't have a plan. And that's scary. I've experienced some unexpected plot twists in the past 7 months and my life looks totally different than it used to. And that's where I remember God and His will. His plan is different than any plan I could imagine. His plan is perfect. His plan is reliable and His plan is better for me. So no, maybe I don't know what I want to do with my life. Maybe I don't love my major and I'm thinking I won't actually do much design after I graduate...but I DO know the type of person I want to be and I know that God knows who I am. And I think that's enough.

Fresh Breath

Well yeah, being outside is one of my favorites. I just tend to be cooped up in front of a computer screen (gag). 

I don't know why we do this. But sometimes, when humans are thrown extra responsibility, they stop doing things for fun and turn their attention to what is the most logical thing to do with their time. I get that sometimes you have to forego the things that make you happy in order to get what needs to be done (I get it. I totally do.). But I feel as though we forget to take care of ourselves outside of the normal, take a shower, eat healthy, and sleep type of things. A healthy mind is important too. So why not spend 10 minutes a day reading for fun? Why not a take weekend and go camping? Why not go to a restaurant and spend 3 hours eating your meal? Because I think when we take the time to take care of our mind and spirit, everything else begins to function in a better way. 

All of that to say. I love camping and haven't gone in a long time because of school. I am so happy to have the opportunity to go to college! But I'm learning that taking the time to pursue things just because they are fun...is a really healthy thing to do for a person. I feel better when I do it. So will you. Trust me. 

Let's just throw away our ideas of the perfect self and just do something for fun! No judgement, no guilt, just go and do it and take a deep breath and feel the life that God has given you inside of your lungs. Life is a blessing. Go live it.

lately

I think people have a misconception of being alone in public. People assume that the person alone is lonely and is sad. Which, yes, sometimes may be the case. But over the past week, I've learned to cherish being alone. I went to the movies with a group...and then split off and watched a movie by myself (for the second time, Walter Mitty, you hit me right here *fist to heart*). I went and got ice cream on a rainy day at Toomer's by myself and organized my mind for a few minutes. Trust me, I am not becoming a recluse, but I'm just learning to savor my alone time instead of scrambling texts to try to find someone to eat lunch with.
^above is my view of my spot for the semester. I have a class with a friend, and then I have about an hour before I meet up with other people for lunch. And in that hour I hunker down and read. (Lately I've been trying to finally finish A Severe Mercy. (Read this book. Read it. Don't think about it, just get your little booty to Amazon or wherever you desire to purchase books and buy this beauty of some words on paper. It will change your life.) Anyways. This is my view, and I like it. It was rainy on this particular day. And I was just looking at the University and realized that I have the privilege to attend such a wonderful school.


So, War Eagle, and a happy rest of the week to ya!

fresh air

*taken this summer at Redcat. Hannah was looking through this Birmingham city guide that my uncle gave me for my birthday, and we just so happened to be in a local coffee shop. AND Hannah now has a blog...HELLO. Visit it here: Follow Hannah Faye

If I have learned anything the past two weeks, it has been that God is most definitely in control. He reigns in the small things and always grants peace to those who ask of it. Since being in college, my life has become so different in every way. I am a different person. But a constant knowledge of my need for Christ has been a theme of my learning these past two years. And if all I learn in college is that Christ is my everything and that His presence is more important than anything else...so be it. I say that's well worth college tuition (But...trust me I'm learning way more than that, too).

Time spent with God is imperative to a healthy lifestyle. Earlier this week I realized that the word of God and time spent with Him is like fresh air and nourishment. Without that fresh air and nourishment, I get sick from being in such a polluted and dirty world. When I have no time with God I don't have the fresh air and strength I need to be able to withstand and walk through the world.

It's funny how God works through the most uneasy of times to give me peace. And it most definitely is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

growing up

*photo taken in Fairhope this past May. Flowers remind me of simple beauty and how happiness is found around every corner.


I learn the most about myself in times of stress and anxiety. I have learned that I beat myself up for not being strong enough. I have also learned a little about admitting that I am human and I cannot function on little to no sleep. In the past school year, I discovered that my nights can be dangerous, dark nights filled with depressing thoughts about myself and my life. So, I became scared of slowing down and being by myself. I like to keep myself busy so that those depressing thoughts stay away and boxed up in the prison of my mind -- never to be brought out or shared with anyone.

However, I realized that is not a way to live. I learn a lot about how I am, also by discussing my struggles with people who know me best and by writing it out for myself.

At nearly 20, I realize that my life is all about learning about adulthood. I learn about the practical things like paying taxes, dealing with difficult people, and time management. But I also learn about life in the most varied places you can imagine. I can be at work, the grocery store, at a coffee shop, in my bed, on the phone, in a conversation, in a car, and learn more and more about life, relationships, and how to love.

I had a friend say to me yesterday how she thought that your early twenties is about learning to hate yourself and deal with what you lack. And I agree that the college age and early twenties is about seeing yourself in a new light. Sometimes it feels like you're seeing you for the first time, and you feel like you don't know yourself at all (my experience). But I also realize that the new "look" at yourself that makes you feel foreign to yourself can sometimes also be affected by the perspective from which you see yourself. As in, my perspective is weighed down by stress and emotion and is not always a very accurate view of myself. And then I get all weird and start to wonder, "How does anyone, including myself, ever know me?" I get tired of trying to figure myself out. Because sometimes I just can't. Nor can anyone else. Only One can. So I make resolutions and to-do lists and work on living life, bettering myself, and building relationships. After that, I acknowledge I will figure out certain things about myself and accept that at times, I will always be an unsolved puzzle. But peace comes in knowing that God knows me perfectly and that Christ loves me regardless of my actions or my blunders or my selfishness. He has me figured out because He created me and at all times that is enough.

Grace

^{Matthew 27}

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

⁵³ And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And in these moments, we were freed from our sin. We were covered in the blood of Christ; we will never experience God's wrath. He looks at us and sees Christ's perfection. He sees Christ's purity and CANNOT see our sin.

That's what this weekend is about.

"All I know is grace."

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still 

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace 

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life 

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You 

Would you?

At my school, being a Christian is normal...being a Christian is expected. Sure, it's still a college campus and we have a vast amount of college students who believe different things but, for the majority, the Christian culture at college is overwhelmingly 'popular' and 'cool'.

Cool? I've heard many people talk about this subject. I've just been thinking about it recently. There are so many types of Christians...and so many ways to get caught up in the 'coolness' of Jesus or the world we like to call "Christian".

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." - Matthew 5:11 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."- Matthew 24:9 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved ." - Matthew 10:22 From my standpoint, it's easy to see this Christian culture. The video about all the stuff that Christians say? Scary and accurate. But that's the thing. Christianity is easily viewed, not as a killing of yourself and your flesh day by day in order to serve the Lord...it becomes this cool kids group to which you subsribe. CAN you read your bible (or 'the Word') without a mug of coffee or hot tea or a moleskine/leather bound journal for notes and thoughts? (disclaimer: I say all of these things so I'm just as much questioning myself when I call these things out.) Have we gotten to the point where being a Christian is now a social networking scheme? As in, 'you don't need to join a sorority or fraternity, just get plugged in at a local church and start lovin' on people and they'll love back.' This is why the collegiate Christian culture scares me. It's so very enticing and fun. And to be REAL...there's nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee with your morning devotion. There's nothing wrong with journaling your thoughts or the thoughts the Lord has put on your heart. There's nothing wrong with 'getting plugged in' and 'loving on people', but what can be wrong is the heart that is used when doing these things. Is it because of Jesus? Or is it because of the people that follow Jesus? Questioning other people's sincerity in their love for God is very much so a stumbling block and a sin. We all do it. I know I do, and I struggle with it. I want to love and accept people for who God has created them to be! I love being able to meet up with a friend and have a conversation and dwell on what the Lord is teaching me and how the Lord is stretching me... But my main question is this:  If all of a sudden, being a Christian wasn't cool...would you still follow and pursue Jesus? If all of a sudden, the "Christian Culture" did not exist...would you still follow and pursue Jesus? Would I still follow and pursue Jesus?

stand and be amazed

Psalm 63

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: 

my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, 

where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God;
 every one that sweareth by him shall glory:
 but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Today, I want to try to stand and be amazed at the glory of the One who has saved us and continues to lavish us in His love and kindness.

My heart and my head are constantly attacking each other and my soul just becomes weary of the fight. But then I remember I have rest in Christ. And He can calm the storm of my head and heart. 

What a friend we have in Jesus.

Monday

Monday thanksgiving:

          Last night before I went into the studio, I prayed for an attitude change towards my work. I'd been viewing it as this burden that I couldn't untie, that I couldn't shake off. But I realized it wasn't the "burden" that was wrong, it was my eyes that saw this load as a burden. So I prayed that I would realize that I had chosen this major, and that I can love every step.  No, it's not easy to stay up until 4 am gluing, cutting, and sometimes throwing pieces of your project on the ground and cursing the day you thought you could be a graphic designer (yes. it happens.). And yes, my major creates anxiety...if I let it. I can have emotional breakdowns that make me question my integrity as a creative and question whether I am where I need to be. But then I realize usually these thoughts are caused by a lack of sleep and over thinking a project. So you just breathe and trudge on.
          Then this weekend, I was talking to my mom about this. She assured me no one would think less of me for possibly looking at a different major...and then I realized:

I don't have another major.

I want THIS major.

And I'm willing to cry and bleed over it (dramatic? truth.)

          On that note, I've decided that being stubborn is going to keep me going and trying to view my projects as opportunities to manage my time so that I don't have emotional breakdowns and so that I can design something that makes me happy. 

What else would I do?

          So when I walked into studio last night, I felt as though God put His hand on me and blessed my time. Yes, I was awake until 4 am and had class at 8 with the project due...at 8. But I never complained and I just realized THIS is my major. I can draw limits to keep myself healthy and sane and then past that I have to realize I just have a major that takes a lot. 

But boy is it worth it.

So to all you weary and heavy laden college students:

You signed up for this.

You should do what makes you happy.

And then work your tail off because when you grab that diploma 4 (or 5 or 6) years later...you know you have EARNED that stinker. It's YOURS.

And then go off and find your dream job.

Live life.

It's just 4 years compared to the rest of your life.

Praise God for clarity of thought.

And praise God for the blessing of life! 

Yes. I am so blessed.

P.S. I'm aware that the majority of my posts revolve around stress. I've accepted that it's just a prevalent part of my life right now and I'm willing to fight it. So if you get tired of reading about it...I truly am sorry...

all ye that labor and are heavy laden

This is me. This is me being scared of stress.

I don't like stress and I am not naturally an organized person.

But I'm learning to put a lot of my preferences aside in order to accomplish my school work and to live healthily. Everything has to do with just trusting in Jesus.
EVERYTHING.
I'm learning this. You never are in a situation that cannot be bettered by trusting in the Lord.

So yeah. I have a lot to do, but I'm not going to stress and become weary. I'm going to work hard and trust in the Lord.

And that will have to be enough.

Blessed words to battle your day with:


On Jordan's stormy banks I stand
and cast a wishful eye
to Canaan's fair and happy land
where my possessions lie

All o'er those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day
There God, the Son forever reigns
And scatters night away.

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for promised land. 

No chilling winds nor poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore,
Sickness, sorrow, pain and death
Are felt and feared no more.

When shall I reach that happy place
And be forever blest,
When shall I see my Father's face
And in his bosom rest.

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for promised land.

Tuesday

Realizing that my blog posts don't have to be perfect and that they don't have to have lots and lots of insightful comments...I'm just going to try to post simple, day to day thoughts and randomness. 
Sorry if it gets boring...
I still like my life :)

Today is tuesday. The day after Monday.
I had a processes class that was a work day so naturally Jessica, Kenslie, and I ran around inspecting and buying Bainbridge board, having our postcards printed MULTIPLE times, and rolling around in our computer chairs (this girl loves her some roll-y chairs. they're super fun!). 

Soup+Homework+American Government+Math

and then back to the house.

soon.

Shower+Studio+Kenslie's dorm+Typography Homework+SLEEP

I'm overjoyed about socks right now.
Don't you just love socks?
I do. 
And you know why?
When you get to where them with boots...it's mean AUTUMN IS HERE.

and that is my life.

Photos I love:
(mostly from a past trip to Lee)









hot shower awaits.
and I am OH SO happy!

snapshots at the beach

Just one deep breath can change a day.
But when you add the ocean, salty air, and loved ones...now that can change an outlook on life. 
Humans need breaks and once I get one...I have time to change my outlook and rearrange my priorities. 

Being in God's creation (okay. it was slightly commercialized.) and around the people He has placed in my life always reminds me that there is so much more in my life besides school.

put it all on the table

sometimes when you get together with friends you should just tell everyone to forget about their phones and technology. i'm guilty of texting other people constantly while being with other friends.

i want to learn to just

.be.right.there.

late night thought

.balance.

I'm finding that the answer to pretty much any question in life...tends to be 'you have to find the balance'.

But are there set rules for all of these balances?

Another thing I'm learning about life...is how everyone will have different answers. And no, there isn't a right and a wrong.

There's a right for you. Or a best for you.

However.

That makes it sound as if life is all grey. It isn't. A lot of it is. But God clearly set some black and white guidelines for our lives. And these guidelines have everything to do with loving Him and loving others.

I struggle a lot with balance in time. I'm a relational person and I like to plant seeds of friendship and then I love to nurture those seeds and watch them grow to be beautiful, beautiful relationships. 

So the balance is between time with God, time with others, and time carrying out the everyday things that arrive with being an adult. 

So there's that...and then...I just struggle a bit (HA.) with time management. This downfall will seep into every part of my life and can cause strife. But I'm learning day by day to just take a minute at a time and budget how I must spend that moment. 

I'm thinking if I learn to do this more often, it puts me immediately in the moment and doesn't cause me to worry about what is to come and how it is to come. 

So yes, I'm bad with time. And I want to spend my time at home and I want to spend time with other people with whom I honestly enjoy spending time (I grow from these relationships). I also want to grow in my relationship with my heavenly Father, and grow in my talents and thoughts given to me by Him. 

I need more than 24 hours.

But through grace from God and from the beautiful souls I encounter...somehow I manage to make it through life without royally messing everything up. 

So one.minute.at.a.time.

p.s. sometimes I feel like I write this and no one understands what I'm saying (not as in 'no one understands me' but in a 'this is all over the place') but I just want to put these words out there. And maybe someone who reads this will just go 'yep. i know.'

so I don't have answers. I just have a story. 

and I feel like God gives us stories so that they can be told. Regardless of how relevant they are to anything.

Being yourself.

(from National Convention 2012. right here is a group of beautiful people who were created to do different things and love one another...and all of these people do a pretty dang good job of loving.)

At a young age, I started to live by the tried and true motto of:

Be Yourself.

Alright. So I did that. When I was younger...it made sense. I hear stories of kids who are told that and their immediate response is: 'Well who else would I be?'

Exactly.

Then you hit 13 or 14 and start question if 'yourself' is good enough. You start to believe 'yourself' isn't cool...and the game of comparison begins.
I was known as 'mini martha stewart' and at about that age...I began to HATE that title.

I stopped baking, crafting, and creating and started to aim for a life of well...whatever it is that teenagers are 'supposed' to do. Hang out, watch stupid movies, listen to stupid music, go to stupid places, and talk about meaningless things.

Is that who I wanted to be?
At the time, yes.

Then a couple years later...my life was changed. There wasn't any special event. I just remember being at a camp and realizing 'This is NOT what life is about.' To this day I do believe that the holy spirit was beginning to tug on my heart and then began the never-ending process of transforming me to be more like Christ.

Now, I'm learning to stand by that same motto.

Be yourself.

I know the whole 'love yourself' message can be overplayed and put into the wrong light. A lot of times, that message is used to embrace everything about yourself...sins, shortcomings, and a lot of stuff you should not be embracing. However, I do believe that God intends for us to see beauty in ourselves and in others.
Everyone is a sinner.
And everyone has lots of things that make them beautiful.
Yeah, it's a hard balance! Because we ARE sinners and filthy rags. But think about it...it's because we have dual natures that we have to preach 'loving ourself' and 'hating ourself' at the same time.

We should hate the sin in us, but we should LOVE the Christ in us.

I think what I want to come out of what I'm saying is this message:

Love one another.

I want to be a home to people. I want people to want to come to me because I shine the love of Christ. Will I ever be that way? I don't know. If it ever happens it will be by the grace of God.
But I'm tired of Christians judging other Christians based on legalistic, cultural differences.

Children of God should be free to be themselves without other children of God judging them. God makes everyone differently. And sometimes we will not understand the other person and why they are so different.
That being said...you don't have to accept things that are wrong in the sight of God. But regardless of if you agree with the person...we are called to love, not judge.

I'm not really sure what made me think of all of this. I just had the idea of loving one another on my mind.

So I guess I want to end by saying this:

Be the arms of Christ.
Go be a home for people who simply need love.


Hey,
God is love.

Believe in People

(morning face. ah. excuse it)

(I'm hoping this flips so you can read the coffee mug...not backwards)

I've been thinking about kindness lately.

The initial quote that keeps running through my mind:

'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.'

To me, this quote convicts me every time I see it, read it, or hear it.

We often act as if our problems are the only problems in the world.

Other people don't matter to us because their problems don't bother us.

As Christians...their problems should bother us. 

 'Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. Now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.'

-I Corinthians 13

I remember hearing a sermon on this verse:

'Let us not lose heart in doing good.'

-Galations 6:9

I think about everyone this week.

Finals week.

Yes. Everyone is fighting a battle this week.

I saw this quote when I looked up quotes on kindness...and I think I want to try this:

'Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.'

-Og Mandino

I want to be kind to people.

I want to believe in people.

I truly feel if you treat someone as if you KNOW there is good in their heart...they will show that good to you. I know this from experience. If people treat me as if they believe in me...I begin to believe in myself. 

So go out there...and believe in someone today.