..:: i cooked brussels sprouts ::..

First of all, I've gotten into this weird habit of cooking. Who am I?
{My child self is very confused and weirded out by this.}

Second... not only have I been cooking more than normal {and actually enjoying it}... tonight I decided to cook BRUSSELS SPROUTS! WHAT!?!?! Seriously, though, WHO AM I!?

Funny enough, I actually enjoyed them and have decided that I'm a great chef (self-proclaimed... because I cook for an audience of one... me. Mom likes my salmon, though.)

I'd encourage anyone to try this brussels sprout recipe. Sorry it's not super specific... I'm one of those 'a little of this, a dash of that' cooks. :)



INGREDIENTS: Brussels Sprouts, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Fresh Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Buy brussels sprouts (how to determine which brussels sprouts to buy!? WHO KNOWS. I just picked a pack off the shelf at Publix... I think their produce is pretty legit)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash brussels sprouts
• Trim off the stem and cut in half long ways
• Place flat side face down in baking dish
• Lightly cover in olive oil, sea salt, fresh pepper and balsamic vinegar (whatever your little heart desires will be great, I'm sure)
• Toss
• Place in oven for 15-20 minutes
• About half way through, remove dish and flip brussels sprouts
• I decided to add a little extra of each of the ingredients at this point, but you probably don't have to
• Enjoy the delectableness and satisfaction that #1. You cooked. #2. You cooked Brussels Sprouts

WARNING: Your child self may be staring at you in disbelief. It's okay. We must all grow up at some point and eat our veggies.

..:: an open letter to younger people ::..

Dear younger people,

Today I was browsing on Instagram, which I do often. Being in Public Relations and Marketing, I'm constantly monitoring social media channels. I have a lot of people I follow {specifically on Instagram, but also on others} who are younger than me...

1. I work with the youth group at my church
2. I lead a small group for high school girls
3. I was in a sorority and have many younger sisters who I stay in touch with
4. I have a sister in high school - therefor I claim many of her friends as my own
5. I have many friends with younger siblings... and therefor I also claim them as my own
6. I've spent years teaching dance, dance camps, working with dance teams and working at summer camps as a counselor

I don't feel I need to justify that point, but the point I want to get across is that the age difference between us is very small {in the grand scheme of things}. The big difference is the phase of life I'm in verse the phase of life you are in. 

While I'm only 4-10 years older than many of these friends I follow or are connected with on Social Media, I've survived the awkward middle school days, made it through high school {alive}, somehow I managed to get out of college with a great degree, and have held 3 great positions in my field of study that have always been a step closer to my career goals. I've broken hearts, had my heart broken, lost friends, gained friends, made bad decisions, made awful situations worse, made great decisions, and seen God turn the most awful, unpromising situation into a glorious case that just proves His love for us. 

What I don't understand {and I constantly, and too frequently stumble upon} is why... oh WHY... do younger people find in necessary to cuss on social media, post pictures with alcohol, use vulgar speech and post half naked selfies? And please... oh PUHLEASE... do not think I am stereotyping younger people or saying 'all young people do these things.' Trust me... there are some younger people out there that live such a mature, amazing life, that it daily challenges me to be a better person and examine the situations I make in my own life. But it seems that the bad posts have stood out to me lately.

I've noticed that younger people like freedom and to express themselves at their will. {Note: Freedom comes with a price.} Of course we all do... and I am a huge fan of all the pro's that Social Media has brought to our society... but the way some younger people put themselves out there on their pages is just appalling. Is this an entitlement thing? Does it make you cool? Do you think you are going to grow into future leaders of your generation by posting these things? Does posting a sentence where every other word is a cuss word get you the 'hott guy' at school or the 'popular' girl? Does a half-naked selfie really attract the type of person you want to date? Does posting pics of you and your friends partying and drinking adult beverages make you cooler than the person who is just doing it without posting pics of it?... oh wait. Drinking underage is illegal... Oh yeah... there's a penalty for that which can go on your record permanently. Posting pics of it is definitely not smart. Moving on...

Even more... do you think your parents don't see it? Or do your parents not discourage it? {I guess that's another rant for another day} Or do you just... not... care...?

I don't know about you... but I sure would not say those things in front of my mom who has busted her butt to raise us... and especially not in front of my grandmother! Geez.

AND even more... let's look at the future, people... Would you younger people say these things in an interview? Would you say these things to your future spouse? Would you look a CEO of a company you desired to employed at and show them a picture of you dancing with your friends on top of a truck in a field with red solo cups {only filled with soda... of course} and repeat the words you posted {1/3 of them being vulgar and cuss words} along with that half-naked selfie? 

Everyone should consider those things... because that's exactly who will see those vulgar posts, those unnecessary cuss words and the exposing pictures {along with all the people whose newsfeeds you pop up in}.

Don't get me wrong... I've done enough stupid things to hold my own. I'm not better than anyone and I'm so thankful I serve a loving God who does not hold anything against me but freely loves and forgives. 

I'm writing this letter more as a challenge because it hurts me to see young people throwing away the potential they could have in the future because they are naive in thinking that their current actions won't affect their future. I just want to warn you since I'm going through life only slightly ahead of you. 

More and more companies are using Social Media as a free background check. Even with your privacy settings on, they can get the info they need. And if they can't, the bigger companies have connections with people that can. 

I may not be old enough to be your boss (or maybe I am...), but I am the person that would screen an application prior to a job interview. I'm the person that would write a resume for a sorority. I'm the person who is friends with the 'bosses.' I'm the person with connections at the schools and colleges you want to go to. I'm the person who has connections to the people you need to know, but would never refer someone to a position who I would not put my name on... and by some of the things I see posted on social media, I definitely wouldn't want my name on that. 

GIRLS... let's look at it from this view {we can stop for a minute on the uptight future school/career stuff} || DO YOU WANT TO PORTRAY THAT TYPE OF GIRL TO YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE? || Do you want to attract a guy who parties all the time and is going nowhere in life? || Do you want your body to be exposed to the world {because that can happen with social media} when that is supposed to be special to your future husband? || Do you not have enough respect for yourself to put some clothes on.... or at least not post half naked pics of you in those clothes? || Do you really think that the top women in business got there by cussing and posting party pics? || Do you think cussing is lady like? {Or do you not care...?} || I could go on... but I will stop.

GUYS... I can't look at it from your point of view... but what I can say is that you are called to be leaders. In your schools. In relationships. In sports. In many other ways. The things you say can help or hurt girls your age and you can be the difference, the leaders in their lives. You are their friends. You are their boyfriends. Encouraging words go farther than you could ever imagine. 

I don't want to sound like a prude. I had fun in high school and probably too much fun in college. And I have those memories in my head... not in my digital blueprint for the whole world to track my life timeline during those phases of life. I would hope that my future husband could look back at my social media timeline and be proud of what he sees. I would hope that my social media pages would be even more proof why an employer would want to hire me to represent their name, their company and their brand. I hope my online presence is an inspiration to others and a testament to my character. 

And dear younger people... just know that older people aren't perfect either. I constantly see people older than me post questionable posts with vulgar language and cussing as well. That saddens me. Social media can be a great thing... and it can also be a detrimental thing.

BUT I challenge YOU to be the difference. Make a change. Live your life to a standard you would be proud of when you look back 10, 20, 50 years from now... because trust me... unless the internet as we know it disappears, your whole life (or what you post of it) will still be accessible some way or another.

As I've been noticing how much it hurts me to see these posts by younger people, I've been examining what I post. Does it positively affect others? Will it help someone? Does it hurt someone? Does it represent my character? There's definitely past posts and pictures I've posted that I look back on and wish I hadn't. But you can't live in the past. You can only move forward and learn from your mistakes. And that's what I'm trying to do.

I love my position in life. I love speaking into the lives of younger people. If I've made a difference in just one life, I've lived a life worth living. I hope my life can be somewhat of an example for younger people and that younger people can take my mistakes and learn from them to avoid the road bumps I did earlier in life.  

Any decision in life will either have a negative or positive impact on your life... and broadcasting those decisions on the world wide web for all to see will only dramatize those decisions and leave a lasting imprint in the digital world. 

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Feel free to share or comment. No one is perfect but I hope we can raise a generation of young leaders who will positively affect others around them. 

Be awesome. Stay Classy. Love unconditionally. Change the world.

..::Pinterest Project::.. Repurposed Vintage Photo Board

BEFORE

I had an old photo board (which was sentimental and I didn't want to throw it away) that someone had made me when I was a counselor at Camp Skyline. {FYI: I'm really bad about letting go of sentimental items.} The board has since started to fall apart... the ribbon fell off, the cork has missing patches... and it doesn't match my room (therefor it sits under my desk). While it's currently serving no purpose and taking up space, I don't want to get rid of the board because I have such great memories from Camp!

AFTER

So... I decided to repurpose it and complete one of the MANY projects I have pinned to my ..craft.ideas.. board on Pinterest. I saw a similar repurposed board while browsing the 'DIY & Crafts' section of Pinterest (one of my personal faves)... and decided to make it my own.







..::Items Needed::..

• Cork Board with Frame
• Burlap Material (I used a burlap table runner from Michael's because no stores close by where I live sell it by the yard)
• Upholstery Pins (I bought mine at Lowe's - they are on the hardware aisle for all of you home improvement store virgins) - Choose a style to your taste... there are many styles. I went with a vintage-y looking pin
• Hot Glue Gun
• Extra Glue Sticks
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Decorations for Corners {NOT REQUIRED} - I decided to pick up a few burlap flowers for the corner of my board - you can find something similar at Michael's, you can leave the corners plain, or find something different that may match your decorating taste.

..::DIRECTIONS::..

1. Lay Cork Board flat on a large surface - table or the floor
2. Lay burlap fabric over the board (I laid mine diagonally to give it some extra flair since I didn't have one large piece of burlap)
3. Starting at a corner, push in upholstery pins (using ruler to measure distance to next pin). Keep pins close to frame to hold burlap secure
4. Once all sides of board are complete with upholstery pins, hot glue extra fabric to frame (I glued along the front of the frame and the sides) {CAUTION: Hot glue guns are HOT. Use caution when gluing burlap to the frame - it will seep through the burlap. If you are a child, have an adult assist).
5. Cut remaining burlap behind frame
6. Fold corners and glue frayed edges
7. Glue additional decorations at the corners (or preferred location) of your board

..::PHOTOS::..

BEFORE

Upholstery Pins - Found at Lowe's

First pin in corner to hold burlap

Ruler used to space pins evenly

Repurposed Vintage Photo Board

..::Yumm::.. Avocado Chicken Salad

Yes. I said it... YUM! Avocado. Chicken. Salad. YES PUHLEASE.

First of all, I LOVE anything with avocados. Second of all, I LOVE Chicken Salad... BUT, it's not always the healthiest option. Sooo...

I came across a similar recipe for Avocado Chicken Salad, but of course... I changed it up a bit. Below are the ingredients & the directions are simple. I've also included a few (very unprofessional from the iPhone) pics. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts (cooked & pulled)
• 2 Avocados
• 2 Limes
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro (Diced)
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion (Diced)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, add pulled chicken, inside of 2 avocados (minus the pit), cilanto & red onion.
2. Mix ingredients in bowl well, mashing the avocados with other ingredients 
3. Cut & Squeeze juice from limes into bowl 
4. Mix lime juice with other ingredients
5. Enjoy your Avocado Chicken Salad as you would any other Chicken Salad (I enjoyed it on a croissant)

On Time.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

I came across the following verse this morning:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the harvest if we do not give up.       -Gal. 6:9 (NIV)

This verse is one I've heard throughout my life and I always think of it as being a good 'christian' and to 'keep on keeping on...' in doing 'good things' in life. This morning, it hit me a little differently...

The 'weird' phase...

A lot of people my age are at a weird phase of their life. I wouldn't call it the 'awkward' phase of life (that's the teens...), but honestly it's just weird. At 25, you have friends who have been in and out of college and have gotten their 'big kid' jobs, you have friends who are still in college, you have friends that never went to college, you have friends that went to college and are doing nothing with their life and you have friends that have hardly any education and are making more money than 4 of your friends combined. On another aspect of life, you have friends that are married, you have friends that are single, you have friends that date and date... and date, you have friends that never want to get married, you have friends that ONLY talk about ever getting married... and they are the single-est of them all. And to add one more aspect, you have friends that are 25 that act and live like they are 25... you have friends that are 20 that live as though they are 29 and then you have friends that are 31 that party like they are 21. With all that being said, the mid-20's are just a HUGE transition phase of life... and it's just... weird.

Over the past few years, I've really taken time to get my life on the track God has set for me and He has placed the people in my life that need to be there. It's been a hard few years and my faithfulness has definitely been tested... and there have been so many times when my impatience has kicked in and I've jumped to make decisions and done things on my timing... that clearly weren't God's timing.

The past 6 months have been full of events testing my patience and faithfulness... whether it be work or relationships, it's been an intense, but wonderful, 6 months. Most recently something that I had been trying to be patient and faithful with was suddenly ripped from my hands (which I shouldn't have ever been holding in my hands in the first place) and turned in a direction that I totally was not expecting. It hurt. A lot. And it still does... but it really has made me step back and think a lot about TIME. When it happened, I just kept saying, 'I wish I could just take back the past 6 months,' so I could change the outcome.

On Time...

When I read the words, 'proper time,' in Galations 6:9 this morning, I remembered what I had been saying about taking back the past 6 months of my life, and I realized, the events that are unfolding in front of my eyes and in my life are not on my timing. They are on God's timing. And his timing is perfect. Maybe not to what our human brains can wrap our minds around, but because He walks ahead, behind and beside us, He knows what is next on the agenda and He can overlook the past and walk with us to guide us through those times.

As I was thinking about this, God said to me, 'I'm not early. I'm not late. I'm ON TIME.' Wow. It's true... God is ON TIME.

In life, we will experience hardships, we will have to endure tests and trials and we will at times be heartbroken and find ourselves in a place that we never expected to be at a time that we thought something would be unfolding a different way than it did. In these times, we can rejoice knowing that God is ON TIME when we are FAITHFUL and TRUST in Him and His master plan.

God has given us each special talents and gifts with a purpose to share those with others. In these times of brokenness, we are called to keep doing good and being faithful with the talents and gifts God has given us because despite our human 'feelings,' God is going to use your talents to bring about something during that time... you just may be too distracted by the events blinding you to see His plan unfolding. So, as Galatians 6:9 says, 'Let us not become weary in doing good,' we need to endure the tests and trials that life throws at us. On His 'proper time,' we will 'reap the harvest if we do not give up.'

As I continued to think about all this, I realized that my hurt and brokenness may be distracting me from something else God is calling me to do. Maybe God is protecting me from something or maybe He just has other plans for me... either way, I have to step back and lay that hurt at the foot of the cross and live in peace knowing that God is ON TIME. He will work out those situations on perfect timing and I can rest knowing this. Joyce Meyer said,

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won't give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God. The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you'll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out and let God be in your life.

This passage is so powerful and it's such a relief to know that we don't have to figure everything out. We just have to let go and let God work. We don't have to have all the answers we just have to live knowing that Jesus is THE answer and He WAS, IS and always WILL BE on time.

Whose time are you living on?

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing.       -James 1:4

I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.                -Jeremiah 29:11 (msg)

Stop. Step Back. Stand.

So a few weeks ago, I was in a small and intimate worship setting. The presence of God was thick and it was in that moment that although there were 30-ish other people around... it was just ME and GOD. I had this vision... {ok, let me preface where I am in life to better explain the significance of my vision}

I am for the most part very independent. I desire to be able to depend on someone else for things in the future, but because of some things in the past, I carry a lot of weight on my shoulders because of my independence. That can be both good and bad...

• The pros: I get things done. I know time management & money management {well... I KNOW it... I may not always necessarily PRACTICE it...}. I don't depend on anyone to make a decision for me and I don't let other people's decision affect me. I have a great job for a 25 year old (all glory to God on that one). I get to make decisions in my job and people respect those decisions...
• The cons: I take on too much responsibility at times. Sometimes I carry other people's burdens and hurt because I want to help them to things that I do for myself (even though it's not my responsibility). I don't always trust others to do things, so I do them myself therefor resulting with a HUGE to do list. I overcommit myself...

While there's many, many more... I'll move along and hope you get the picture. I'm independent, but I'm not I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T (like the rap song)... 'do you know what I mean?' {haha that's part of the lyrics - so I hope you get my humor and reference} Over the past 2 years (since moving to Destin), I have struggled to just 'let go' of things and give them to God. The more I've been able to do this, the more blessings I've received. They weren't always easy to see, but I look back over the past two years and they are so clear. {See a recent Facebook status below}

wow. I stand in awe of the faithfulness of God. Tomorrow I am running in a half marathon (13.1 miles) after years of being injured. I am blessed to be a part of a planning team for an awesome event (and more) in the works (details coming soon). In June, I get to travel to Guatemala on a missions trip to serve at an orphanage. I love my job. I get to hang out with the coolest family. I work with some really awesome youth at my church. I'm dancing again. My friends rock.-- I look back over the past few years and I have no answers but I give all the glory to God. Was it an easy walk? No. Are there still going to be challenges ahead? Yes. But I walk in faith knowing that God hears the desires of your heart and whether they play out like you had planned or whether He brings you to those places through a different route, He is faithful and walks the entire route with you. You just have to take that leap of faith and put your trust in Him. He has plans for you that are bigger than you can imagine... it just takes us committing to that first step and saying, 'ok God. Lead the way.'

Over the past few months, my relationship with God has grown so much. He's blessed me in SO many ways that it's just amazing. I've taken two years to really focus on the path HE has for me and it was hard, but here I am. I've been feeling that a season of change was coming and not in a bad way, but that these two years have really been prepping me for bigger things for my future. In the past 6 months, I've been blessed with an amazing job, great friendships and he has placed me in positions that I never saw myself in before, but I love it.

Even with all these blessings and great things God has done for me, my independence kicks in and I attempt to carry all of this weight on my shoulders. I find myself worrying about things at work or tasks for other stuff I'm involved in, or even things in my relationships. I attempt to solve problems out of my own ability then all of a sudden God reminds me, 'I'm bigger than that ______ (insert problem here)___.'

God says, 'I'm bigger than your relationship issues. I'm bigger than that obstacle at work. I'm bigger than your feelings that got hurt by what that person said. I'm bigger than the guilt from that mistake you made in the past.' THESE are the things that I (and many other people) attempt to 'carry on our shoulders.'

SO back to this vision that I had.... I was in worship and I saw the cross. God whispered to me in that moment and said, "all you have to do is lay everything at the foot of the cross. I want to carry that weight of {all those things I listed above... and more} so your arms are free. With the freedom of your arms, all you need to do is lift your hands and worship me." What a cool vision. It's so true. He's got the whole world in his hands... and all we do is try to worry about what someone says about us behind our backs (just one example).

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. -1 Peter 5:6-7 (MSG) 

wow. I love the Message version of this verse, 'he is most careful with you.' That's just amazing to think about. We are God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10). He loves us and cares about us. We are his prized creation. Why should we worry when the creator of the universe holds the future in his hands... I just can't wrap my mind around that sometimes (probably because my independence kicks in and wants to help with the creation, haha...)

But how true is it that we as humans constantly try to take matters into our own hands without listening to what God is telling us and how heavy do these burdens get and weigh us down. In those moments of heavy burdens weighing us down, we aren't down what we are created to do (worship God). We are worrying and trying to plan and trying to do something one way... which turns into an attempt to do the same thing (but another way)... and we are running around and around and around when all we need to do is Stop. Step back. Stand at the foot of the cross. Lay all of that burden, guilt, anxiety and stress at his feet. He will carry it for you. He WANTS to carry it for you and He CAN carry it for you. In that moment, of laying everything down at His feet, there's an overwhelming peace and freedom that you can't explain. It takes trust and it takes you crossing that line and literally saying, 'I let go of ______, and I trust that you will carry it for me and that you have amazing things ahead of me in my future.'

With that overwhelming freedom, you are back to your state of being able to just freely worship because all of those heavy loads have been lifted off.

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. -Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. -Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

Pile your trouble on God's shoulders -- he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin. -Psalm 55:22 (MSG)

The Message version of Psalm 55:22 is where my heart is. 'He'll carry your load, he'll help you out.' We just need to Stop. Step back. Stand at the foot of the cross and give it all to him.

2013 :: let go & let GOD

2013... Is this real life?

Seriously just yesterday we were prepping our homes for the turn of the millennium.... And 13 years later... Where are we now? As I look back on the past and forward to the future, it's truly spectacular to think about the blessings God has given me.

I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions for the past few days. In my 25 (wait... Is THAT real life...?! Haha) years of life, I have never actually written down my New Year's resolutions. But hey, if you want actual change, you've got to make actual CHANGES to your lifestyle. Procrastination and pondering on what you want to do does not produce changes.

My New Year's resolutions are all very simple but also will make monumental changes in who I am as a person, friend, sister, daughter, coworker and leader, but most of all child of God.

Lots of people have life themes: 'Live. Laugh. Love' (one of my faves), 'YOLO' (big on when you live on the coast), 'Don't worry... be Happy.' While all these are great and I refer to them often, God's laid on my heart a new one that has inspired most of my 2013 resolutions... 'let go & let GOD.'

let go & let GOD

It's simple, easy, free and transparent. At the same time, it's complex, involved, expensive and in your face.

I love the thought of letting go and letting God work in my life, use my talents for His purpose and molding me into the woman He wrote the story about. (Yes he has written each one of our lives before we were even conceived)

This thought I'm adopting does not mean sit back, be lazy and do nothing to better yourself as a person. While God wants to work in your life I truly believe you should constantly be taking steps (in His will) that will continually be molding your life to parallel His word.

I'm excited about 2013 for God has promised to move BIG in my life.

How is He going to move in yours? I challenge you to 'let go and let GOD' this year. What are you holding on to that God needs you to surrender to Him before He can bless you with the things He has planned for you? Believe in the promises of God, trust Him and speak truth over your life.

Proverbs 3: 5&6-
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

I loved the quotes on this picture I found. Maybe adopt a few of those into your life :)

Happy 2013!

Overcome

I just heard Jeremy Camp's 'Overcome' play while I was getting ready for the day. Just close your eyes and listen to the words. Remember that no matter what struggles you are going through or what obstacles and fire the enemy throws your way, Jesus OVERCAME a death that He didn't deserve so that we can overcome our struggles. With Him, we can conquer the battles that the enemy raises against us. Love this song. Take a second to listen to it. Such a great, simple but powerful reminder that God is with us. Everyday. He has conquered therefore WITH Him, we too can accomplish this.

After The Storm Came The Rainbow

Yesterday, the weather was a little crazy and one minute it would be sunny... Then the next would be torrential downpour. Needless to say, my decision to try and get a few miles of running in after work was not the smartest but I attempted it anyways. As I was running, the sky was growing darker but the sun was still shining on the beach so I kept running. About a mile in, I felt a rain drop and decided I should probably turn around. It wasn't two raindrops later when the sky fell. I'm not talking a gradual increase from sprinkling to hard rain. I'm talking one drop........ Two drops..... Monsoon! The rain was so heavy that I couldn't see a quarter of a mile ahead of me and I saw two bolts of lighting. So I kept running (shoes squishing and all) and found a public bathroom on the beach road close to a restaurant. I was met by a tourist couple and a local lady with her yorkie adorned with a pink bow. We stood there for a few minutes and admired the rain over the gulf and of course like normal gulf coast weather, it blew over within 10 or 15 minutes.

As the cloud began to move, I noticed a very distinct rainbow where the clouds were breaking and you could see the sun rays shining through the rainbow. It was amazing and got me thinking about the story of Noah and the Ark and God's promise to human kind. When I got home I wanted to freshen up on my rainbow knowledge and found an article on a site called answersingenesis.com. It's called, 'Taking Back The Rainbow' and the author breaks down a few things about the rainbow and what different people interpret it to represent. The coolest thing I got out of the article is that the author talks about how not only does the rainbow represent God's promise to never destroy mankind by water again, but the author says that the rainbow is a 'biblical covenant of Grace.' He backs this explanation with Genesis 9: 12-15 and his explanation is fabulous. I would take a minute to read this article and thank God for His promise and His Grace. Too often we see a rainbow (like many other gifts God gives us) and overlook it because we are going along with our busy day. I am thankful that it was raining so hard that I had to stop and think about this beautiful symbol of promise and grace.

Here is the link to the article I refer to above: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n2/taking-back-the-rainbow

Remembering Tuscaloosa :: One year later

Devastation at it's finest. Today marks the one year anniversary of the day that tornados shook my home state, devastated Tuscaloosa and destroyed many other parts of Alabama. Birmingham was finding debris from Tuscaloosa and they saw a tornado a mile and a half wide! In all, our country saw over 300 tornadoes in one day across many states and 344 people lost their lives (320 of those in Alabama) in what was known as one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in history. Below are just a few of the pictures I took when I went to visit and volunteer in T-town the weekend after the tornadoes. The pictures are merely a glimpse of the aftermath...They can't begin describe the awful smell of ruin and the sounds of tears, heartache and sadness of the people I came in contact with while I was there. If you have a minute, take a chance to browse through a few photos and pray for each of the families that lost everything they had -- including family members taken from them in a flash. We are blessed beyond belief, but are not promised tomorrow and this is a reminder that our life on earth is a gift and we must live every day to the fullest and thank God for what we have and stop complaining about what we DONT have... the people that lived in these homes pictured literally don't have ANYTHING. 

:: all photos were taken by me. if you'd like to see more, I can send you a link to an album ::

Colors :: So this season!

So I'm obsessed with COLOR right now! I used to be a neutral or black&white dresser... But I'm trying to branch out and add a little more color to my wardrobe and spice it up!

Speaking of color-- nails! I'm a big fan of being different (in an un-obnoxious way) so I like to paint my ring finger a different color. Normally I try to do a monochromatic theme but lately...it's just been random. I was at Target and discovered a brand of nail polish called SinfulColors Professional. It's FAB! It's in with all the professional polishes like OPI and ESSIE but it's literally 1/4 of the price of those big name brands! It's only $1.99 per bottle... And to make it even better, it comes in a large variety of funky, fun & fantastic colors! You can buy 4 different colors of the SinfulColors brand for the price of one bottle of OPI. Don't get me wrong... I still love OPI... But I've found a new love!

Also-- I'm really hard on my nails so within 2-3 days, half my nails are chipped or at least at the beginning stages. I painted my nails the colors below on a Thursday evening and it dried fairly quickly considering it isn't quick dry and didn't start chipping til the next Thursday! Even then, it probably wouldn't have started chipping then if I hadn't been moving furniture for a few hours that day! The SinfulColors brand names it's colors unique similar to the way OPI does.

To sum all that up... If you like fun nail colors (or are like me and trying to add more color to your life) at a good price, definitely make a little trip to Target. So worth it! Fabulous colors that won't hurt the finances :: I'm all about that!

COLORS PICTURED :: SinfulColors 'Mint Apple' and 'Lets Meet.'

How will YOU respond?

Heavy storm clouds hover over the bay while sun still shines on Destin, Fla.

'The way you respond to your circumstance is an expression of the trust in your relationship with God'

I saw this quote on a Facebook friend's status this morning and thought it was perfect for how my day started off. When the storm comes but you can still see what life was like prior to the storm, sometimes it's hard to stay calm and carry on. We often see those clouds rolling closer in the distance and ignore the warning signs until the second the storm clouds are hanging heavy on our shoulders and almost suffocating us.

It's easy to take the worldly route and think we are Superman... Thinking we can hold those clouds back on our own. Reality check: We're not. The only way to make it through the storm is to trust God an know that while we want to hold that cloud on our own...struggling an straining to peek through the thick cloud... He has the WHOLE world in the palm of His hand.

I really like this quote I saw this morning and just wanted to share. Hope that next time you have a hard circumstance that you will let God take those storm clouds in His own hand and move them when the timing is right... But also when you have those nice, warm sunny days in life that you will praise God an remember that God is good and all good things are from him.

'For the Lord our God is our sun and shield. He gives us grace and glory...' -Psalm 48:11

I love this. He is our sun and our shield! Just love love love that.

Praise be to God for being my sun and not only shining down blessings on my life but also opening my eyes to learn this lesson and showing me new things every day, but also my shield. He protects and defends for me. In His name, I can live every day worry free because He and His army of angels are constantly by me to protect me in all journeys of life...

The question is: in each circumstance, HOW will I respond? Will I step back and let Him lead me through the storm and trust that He can carry those clouds? Or will I try and carry myself through the storm? When I am blessed, will I open my eyes and see God through that blessing? Or will I go on along my day and consider it 'good luck'?

How will YOU respond?

"But I say to you who hear..."

Well God definitely had a lesson in his plans for me yesterday...

So some drama went down yesterday between some friends and someone said a few words that were very unnecessary, and some people got very wrongly accused... and some feelings got very hurt. Well, for me I'm one to speak my mind. For the most part I know when to keep my mouth closed but sometimes I really have to try not to say too much because as wrong as this is, I like to have the last word if someone has accused me wrongly. It's not normally an issue, but sometimes I really have to work and pray that God will give me patience and the right words in those types of situations.

'WELL HELLO!'... I feel like that's what God was saying to me last night... Jesus, the PERFECT, son of God was totally wrongly accused of so many more things and paid such a higher price than I'll probably ever in my life be accused of and I'll never pay the price he paid. So why am I so upset about being accused of something so little that has no matter in the grand scheme of things? Well.. to be honest... I'm human. I'm not perfect. I'm forgiven... but as a Christian I need to learn from this.

Yup. Wake up call right there. Thank you God for that reminder last night. In Luke 6, chapter 27 starts the 'Love for Enemies' section. Perfect. Because last night I was feeling like one of my best friends had turned into an enemy (well, not really an 'enemy,' but I felt like I had been wronged by them)... so I guess it relates. Anyways, This is what 27-36 read:

27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Well --  I think the most influential part of that to me is the part that says, "for even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is THAT to you? For even sinners do the same." It makes so much sense... how are we as Christians supposed to stand out in this world and make a difference if we act JUST like those who aren't Christians and Love those who Love us but Hate those who Hate us (or have wrongly accused us... in my case)?

God really laid that lesson on my heart last night as I was fired up about being accused and I was truly hurt. He told me that there is so much more to be concerned about than worrying about something so small but that as a Christian I am called to do these things above.

It's funny (well not funny or a coincidence... I know God had a plan for this lesson) because today is the day that I am focusing on the 'Pray For The Traffickers' section of the A21 Campaign's Prayer Guide. They declared Jan. 11-21 as a time of fasting and prayer and getting involved in making a difference for Human Trafficking.

I've really been focusing on the victims and praying and fasting on their behalf, but God says to, "Love your enemies." I can't make it any more clear than how the bible states it above. Technically these traffickers are not directly MY enemies... but they SO are! Geez -- the more I learn about Human Trafficking, the more I want to bust down some doors and kick some butt! I don't really feel like that's my calling, but who knows... maybe one day!

But the prayer guide breaks down praying for the traffickers like this: Pray for conviction, repentance & salvation; for criminal networks to dismantle; and for the oppressors to be arrested & prosecuted. Well those are pretty specific, huh!? But if we are all coming together and truly lifting these words up with one unified voice, that's when we will start seeing change! These verses always come to mind:

19 "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." -Matt 18: 19-20

If together as Christians we can all be praying with one voice, God is with them and what they ask for will be done. This is so powerful! I will go into more detail about the verses that go along with the prayer topics for the traffickers, but that will be another day. You can find them here.

I'm so thankful that I was reminded about loving my enemies (and people you feel like you've been wronged by) on the same day that I was focusing on praying for the traffickers. They are the enemy but they are also humans and as many awful or horrific things they do, God loves them and they CAN be saved! Think about a testimony of a trafficker once they have been saved and their eyes are opened to the dirtiness and darkness they were submersed in!? They may have never heard of Jesus! They may have no clue that what they are doing is wrong (which I'm pretty sure most of them know, but who knows-- maybe the culture they were brought up in taught them that slavery was okay). It's hard to understand this and obviously every time I hear another trafficking story, I want to bust out some Jack Bauer moves (from the TV show '24'), but right now I am being called to pray. For every aspect of this Human Trafficking cycle.

I hope that as Christians we can learn to be more loving to our enemies. I'm not saying we should agree with their acts or think that what they do is okay, but we can pray for them. This is a hard lesson but I know God knew what was happening when I was upset last night.

Thank you for those little reminders, God! May our eyes be opened to see them more and hear teach us more! The first words in the 'Love your enemies' section of Luke read, "But I say to you who HEAR..." Yes... we must be open to hearing and learning these things. If we don't want to, we probably won't.

Weapon of Warfare

 "The effective, FERVENT PRAYER of a righteous man AVAILS MUCH."-James 5:16

As the new year began, I know everyone has their New Year's Resolutions and those 'things' they want to do or those pounds they want to lose. But often times, those New Year's Resolutions are very selfish or focused on things of this world. Not that there's anything wrong with losing a few pounds... I'd definitely like to be in better shape!... But this year I really feel like God's calling me to grow closer to Him on a daily basis.

I've been in prayer and fasting for the past few days along with the A21 Campaign. It's been such a blessing as I've been in constant prayer and thought for these victims of slavery. Obviously it's not easy thinking about the awful crimes that are being committed and the acts of the traffickers, but there's just something freeing knowing that there is HOPE out there and even saving one life is a huge difference! It is easy to be overwhelmed by the issue of human trafficking and think that we cannot make a difference. But do not forget that each one of us has at our disposal the most powerful weapon of warfare -- and that is prayer!

The A21 Campaign has a prayer guide that leads you with scripture on how to prayer for specific areas of Human Trafficking. They list them like this: For the Victims, For the Traffickers, For Governments, Against Root Causes, For Increased Global Awareness, For the Church and The A21 Campaign. Under each section there are specific things to pray for a verses to go along.

Today I'm focusing on praying for the victims: For their Strength & Salvation, For their Protection, Freedom & Justice and For their Hope & Healing. Here are the verses (from The Message) that we can pray together:

FOR THEIR STRENGTH & SALVATION:

"When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me" -Ps. 138: 7 

"He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts." - Is. 40:29 

"For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."  - Luke 19:10 

FOR THEIR PROTECTION, FREEDOM & JUSTICE:

"Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." - Ps. 82:4

"God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet." - Ps. 103:6

"He always does what he says -7 he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners -8 he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen.9 protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked." - Ps. 146: 6b-9 

FOR THEIR HOPE & HEALING:

"1 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.2 He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip." - Ps. 40:1-2

"As for you, I'll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless." - Jer. 30:17

"There's hope for your children.' God's Decree." - Jer. 31:17 

These are all very powerful, but I think the one that really hit me the hardest was Psalm 8:24: "Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." Whew. That's a serious job right there. Especially when we think about how many human beings are enslaved today. The New American Standard Version reads, "Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." If we all truly stood up and focused on doing this, we would begin to see change at a more rapid pace. As Christians, we are called to LOVE others. God loved us so much that He sent His ONLY son to go in our place and rescued us from an eternal life in hell. If we are living a life under Jesus' example, we too should be rescuing others from evil. In this case, Human Trafficking is the evil and because we should love all, we need to stand up and speak for these victims who have no freedom to speak for themselves.

Our community has formed an outreach group called ECHO (Emerald Coast Humanity Outreach) and I'm so pumped that so many people (not just church members, but also police officers, lawyers, teachers and board members) have joined together to stand up to this evil that is lurking in our community. It starts with awareness and education and as people begin to learn about this crime, they begin to become more passionate about making a difference. I think what has really encouraged people to get involved around here is them hearing that it is happening in our hotels, restaurants and clubs in our backyard. Woah buddy... I've seen some mommas in the meetings ON FIRE to kick this evil out of here! Love it!

I'm so thankful that Christine Cain was able to speak at our church at such an important time and make so many more people aware. I've been involved and educating myself on human trafficking awareness for the past year and it is an answer to prayer seeing how many eyes have been opened and hearts softened for these victims. I pray that over the next few days of prayer and fasting along with the A21 Campaign, we will just see the beginning of what God is doing in our community and world and that we will see an exponential increase of change in the coming months.

Praise Jesus for victories! Even if we save one life, we have made a difference! One of my prayers is that prayer warriors will raise up and be the foundation of this effort going forth. It starts there. Because the chains of Human Trafficking are so deep, dark and twisted, this effort truly must be held in God's hands. As humans, we can't fight this battle alone. Continually be praying and using the strongest WEAPON OF WARFARE that we have been given and make a commitment to stand TOGETHER in prayer! Together we can fight for justice!