To 2012…

I’ve been seeing a lot of “2012 Recap” posts floating around this bloggy world. Gosh, it’s like its 2013 tomorrow or something :p Anyway, I‘ve read posts about DIYs, outfits, travels, and other memories. While these are all exciting and truly wonderful, I have something a little different in mind. This past year, my relationship with God has been nothing short than crazy! I went from thinking I had everything together to realizing the brokenness I have in my life. I started to see how life-giving and life-altering an uninhibited walk with Him can be. This year…has been a learning process. It has been exciting, convicting, challenging, uncomfortable, joyful, and fruitful!

Here’s my short recap of God’s work in my life in 2012:

~He challenged me to pursue outreach

~I accepted the role as a small group leader and was humbled in my leadership

~I got out of a non-God-honoring relationship and released my life to His plan

~I took a leap of faith and started this blog to document my journey

~I became consistent in my daily time with Him, and grew exponentially

~He broke my heart for the needs of others around me, and I started to learn to be selfless with my time

~He showed me that my value needs to come from Him alone

~I reassessed and restructured my prayer life

~I started to see the beauty and joy of a relationship founded on His love

~I was challenged to be bold around my non-Christian peers

~He revealed the ways I need to grow in the relationship I have with my family

~I began taking time to be thankful for the little blessing in my life

~I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and choose a new church home at school

~I learned (and am still learning) to trust….in Him alone

All that being said, I know I still have so much growing to do. I could go on and on about everything God has done for me and in me this year. It has truly been unbelievable how He gripped me and revealed to me so many aspects of my life that needed to change and I needed to release to Him. As I enter the new year, I come excited and expectant for His work in my life. I know He has mighty plans for my walk as I embark on this new season. My hope is that I can continue to be emboldened to do Christ’s work in my life.

So here’s to 2013: May it be a year that we are filled with His power & grace! Thanks 2012, it’s been real.

Worthy Export

Currently many of my friends are joined by over 16,000 other students from around the globe at InterVaristy’s Urbana 2012. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Urbana is a global missions conference held every three years that engages students in a multicultural setting on how to bring God’s kingdom here on the earth. I am so excited for the experiences they are having, and I cannot wait to hear about it from all of my sweet friends who are being met by God in some pretty cool ways.

Although I was unable to attend this year, I have been following along with the live feed (you should check it out!). God has already been challenging me as the speakers delve through the gospel of Luke. The first night Calisto Odede, a pastor from Kenya, spoke on Luke 4:16-30, when Jesus was rejected in Nazareth. Some of Calisto’s words really gripped me:

“Many of us would rather go to total strangers and share with them about our faith and Jesus Christ rather than turn to our friends, to our colleagues, and our family members where we are known. We’d rather keep quiet about Jesus Christ. Not so with Jesus. Well if you cannot share it with people who are nearby, you cannot share it with people far off. If it is not good enough for local consumption, it is not good enough for export!”

Woah. Prior to hearing this, I was putting away laundry while listening to the message. But then I stopped. Literally. I  stood there, rewound the video, and let those words resonate. I felt convicted.

I have always struggled with this aspect of outreach. Even in my youth group, this was the common theme among us. We hated sharing the gospel with the people who knew us best. But Jesus, He knew this to be true. Verse 24 says “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in His hometown.” But that didn’t stop Jesus. He revealed Himself as Christ, as the fulfillment of all the prophecies. He told them what He had to tell, and He told them what they needed to hear.

Our excuses are always the same. “They’ll judge me” or “I’ll lose friends” or “They won’t care”. but honestly, when did it become okay to write our our friends’ need for a savior? They are just as broken as we are. Why would we want to keep them from true peace, from true joy?

Jesus was literally thrown out of His hometown for speaking truth, but He did not back down. He embodied the truest example of missional living: unadulterated selfless passion for people. And He calls us to do the same. To live dangerously. To live uncomfortably. To live missionally. What would it look like if we stopped caring about our image, and started caring about the image of God? What if we saw the value in what we are consuming from Him, and had the courage to export His truth?

This is what I’m praying over today.

White as Snow

As I sit here writing, I glance outside and see the wonder and whimsy that is a snow storm. The first true storm of the season. And all I can think is that God is good. He is truly the greatest artist. I cannot understand how someone claim claim snow to just be science. It is beauty.

The way it falls softly to the ground.

The way each flake is perfectly shaped; an original in itself.

The way it makes everything so fresh, so clean.

God is good, He is perfect & pure…and yet wants us. The dirty broken people we are, and He doesn’t leave us in this state. I am awestruck by this truth.

By the end of this past semester, I felt drained. Drained physically and emotionally, and it started to affect me spiritually. Since break began, I have been searching for His peace again, longing for that passion I know He’s given me. And as I sit here now, I am starting to regain that peace. He is making me fresh and clean. He is washing me white as snow.

So friends, as this busy season is winding down, take moments to pause in His glory. Look outside at the wonder of the Artist’s grand painting. Allow yourself to be refreshed by His grace, because with the new year comes new opportunity for us to be used & molded in His plan.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
~Isaiah 1:18

The Girl Behind the Blog: Holiday Traditions

As you read this, I am probably driving back home for winter break…wahooooo! I’m so very excited for this time to spend with family & friends. Today I’m linking up with Ashley & Kerrie for this month’s vlog!

Hope you enjoy :)

Currently…

Loving…the frosty ground outside this morning

Listening…to “Of Monsters And Men” radio on Pandora

Reading…the Advent devotional plan by #SheReadsTruth

Eating…gingerbread men & double spice chai tea

Studying…organic chemistry. Wahoo pre-finals week.

Wearing…

Memorizing…

Thankful Thursday

This week has been stressful….that may be an understatement. It seems like all of my professors want to cram as much material in as possible before the exams, and I am most certainly not a fan. Between assignments and studying, I was overwhelmed these past few days and I felt tired and drained. But, I did title this post “Thankful Thursday” and that was no mistake. As I sit here at my computer, I am overwhelmed with peace, despite everything this week. Peace from God that has led to my thanksgiving.

Today I’m thankful for…

Texts from friends saying they were praying for me.

Sweet hugs that were shared.

Sleeping in on Tuesday morning.

A surprise letter of encouragement from my friend Lacy.

The Advent plan I started this week.

That feeling after my orgo test was done.

Date night silliness including a thrift store run for ugly Christmas sweaters.


Some awesome time with God reminding me of His power through all situations.

Only two weeks separating me from winter break!!

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  ~Psalm 61:2