Attention Believers!

This has just been on my heart lately. I feel like it might seem a little bit like a rant. So please stick with me. This is something I really feel like God wanted me to say.


I have been a "Christian" I guess technically for about 21 years. I grew up in the church, in a Christian home, going to Christian school... basically in one big Jesus bubble.
Here is the scary part...I never got it.

I had the Bible spoken to me on a daily basis, and I never got it. It never changed me. It wasn't until I was about 23-24 years old that I feel it actually started to sink in.
The past few weeks I've been torn up inside about the selfishness of Christians who believe even more so...KNOW the truth, and have yet to let it change their lives. We are called to be different, set a part. I am not singling myself out here...this was the life I lived. I claimed to be a believer but never thought I needed to behave like one.

If we truly believe in the power and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, why has it not made a dramatic change in our lives?
I think it comes down to Grace. Now, I know this is sort of the "trendy" thing to say in Christian circles right now. With all the Gospel Centered teaching movements out there I understand this is an easy thing to say. But think about it. We believe GOD sent a HUMAN version on HIMSELF to come down and HEAL, TEACH, and SAVE us. He died, so we wouldn't have to...and rose again three days later.

WHAT?!! This kind of TRUTH calls for radical change, because we serve the GOD and the SAVIOR of the universe! I implore you to look at your life and see if it is a life that has truly been changed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
I promise it will bring CHANGE and it will be beautiful change. I know since I began to truly surrender my life to Christ, I was showered with blessings. I have a wondergful strong Christian man in my life, I have a beautiful home that I live with my parents in. I am truly fortunate. But the reality is, I know this is all from the Father. And no matter what happens with those blessings, He still remains.
My boyfriend could break up with me tomorrow. Something could happen to my parents. We could lose all our money and have to sell our beautiful home. But HE remains. And that is, in my opinion, the most important part of the gospel. No matter what GOD remains. He remains faithful, He remains forgiving, He remains omnipresent, He remains all powerful, and He remains true.
I hope this encourages some of you. And I hope That we can all learn what it means more and more each day to truly surrender our lives to Jesus. Because that is when life really begins.

God of Gifts

Phew! I made it through the Christmas/New Year season!

I wasn't sure I was gonna make it there for a while. I definitely let myself get too overwhelmed to easily. Something I'm continually working on. My friend Margot recently gave me this for Christmas.



How did she know? :)

Anyways, my plan this year, as many years before, was to make no New Years Resolutions. Why make some big plan that I'm just going to break? I sort of "didn't believe" in them. I feel like the last 2 years I've been on a major "self improvement" journey anyway, so why add another thing to the list?

Or I'm just afraid of failing.

So..this year I resolve to be thankful and enjoy the gifts God has given me on this earth instead of feel guilty for them. God does not want us to live lives of guilt and shame...He has FREED us!! And there couldn't have been a better reminder of this, than what I got to witness over break.

My two beautiful friends Brandon and Marianne got engaged. Apollo took some awesome shots...




If you wanna check out his blog, click here!

Watching this was a great reminder of God's amazing love for us, and how he provides tangible reminders of his love and providence for us everywhere we look. Yes, we want God to be our number one priority and for us to love Him above all else, but He also allows us to fall and love and live life a with another person? It just blew my mind to think about. Who are we that we deserve such a gift? But His glory can't truly be seen until we take off our guilt and shame and say, "Thank you Lord, you are good, this is from you. I accept your gift."

He is good.
Thank you Lord.
I accept your gifts.
To YOU be the glory!