{endings are beginnings in disguise}

Well my friends, we've said goodbye to 2011..but we've welcomed 2012!

God blessed me beyond measure last year and I am so very thankful. I started my photography business - Aysha Nicole Photography, my niece was born, I found out I'm having a nephew, I'm closer than ever to finishing my Creative Writing degree, and so much more.

How did you bring in the new year?

This year, as with previous years, I stayed home and spend it with my grandparents. Nothing fancy, but definitely my kind of night.

Yesterday morning, on January 1st, I went to church. It was the first time that I've been there in a year and a half because of being away at school, and it felt like walking back into my home. I loved seeing all of the familiar faces! I also had the chance to bring my 11 year old sister, Hannah, with me :)

After church, I brought Hannah back to my house and we cooked lunch together - Chicken Parm :)

Here are a few pictures I snapped as we cooked!

 

I'd love to hear what you did :)

xo, Aysha

{fire in my bones}

With the new year upon us, this is my new year's resolution:

That I become weary with holding in the name of my God; that I would feel an all-consuming fire within my bones at the thought of not being able to proclaim the truth that God has revealed to me; that I would be passionate about seeing the work of Christ here, in my life and in my home and in my city and in my state and in my country and in my world; that my heart would be burdened by the things that burdens the heart of my Lord; that I would meditate on His Word, day and night; that my life would be a place in which God's glory is displayed, for His glory alone.

As a student at a Christian university, I've had the opportunity to read large portions of the Bible, take classes where I learn (in-depth) what it means, learn from prominent scholars in the field, and worship with other students at Chapel.

I've been blessed, to say the least.

But my heart longs for so much more.

One of the major prophets of the Old Testament, Jeremiah, was ridiculed by his people for His trust in God. Yet He remained steadfast. He understood that God had given him a job to do: to warn the people of Israel that if their hearts remained hardened against YHWH, that they would be handed over to their enemies, that they would enter exile.

This is his response:

    If I say, “I will not mention him,
        or speak any more in his name,”
    there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
        shut up in my bones,
    and I am weary with holding it in,
        and I cannot.

(Jeremiah 20:9 ESV)

Have you ever had something so powerful, so empowering to tell that you would tell anyone who would listen? Something that you would gladly hand over your life for, so that the secret didn't die with you?

This was Jeremiah.

His resolve came with waiting upon the Lord, trusting in who He was and who He is - filled with His spirit to go forth and do the things that God had called him to.

This has become my prayer. To have such a fire within my bones, a fervent desire to see the Kingdom of God come to earth, to see His glory displayed here, that I literally become weary from holding it in..so that I cannot.

xo, Aysha

{another moment etched in stone}

Yesterday was my birthday.

Blessed and favored doesn't even begin to cover it. It still amazes me that God would extend grace and mercy, let alone blessings to those of us who least deserve it.

I was surrounded by friends and family, laughs and the telling of old memories.

I celebrated my twenty-second birthday much like many other Americans do, but unlike so much of the rest of the world. I had the choice of where I would eat. A bill printed for $105 signified good food and full stomachs. What could have fed a distant family for a year was devoured in a little over 2 hours.

Again I will say; I am so very blessed.

When I was younger, birthdays were a race of sorts between my sister and I. Who got the most presents? Who got the most expensive presents? Our birthdays are 22 days apart, and with that came a battle (a fun one of course), to see who reigned supreme.

Looking back on those birthdays, as I sat at dinner with my family last night, I was reminded of how much of God's favor has rested upon me. My family has been through hard times, but at the end of the day, we always made ends meet. We always scraped up enough to pay the bill or fix the car. We've always had food and a roof over our heads.

My birthday, full of love and extravagance, humbled me.

I could have been given any other life. Different parents, different schools, a different living environment. I could have been born with a handicap. I could have grown up in a life of alcohol and drugs.

But I wasn't. I was perfectly placed in the life that God planned for me, all for a reason.

I don't intend to be unappreciative of my blessed life. I intend to soak up every minute and be grateful to God, while taking the blessings He's poured on my life and pour them into the lives of others.

What good are blessings if they go unshared?

Another moment of my life has been etched in stone.

As I enter the life of a twenty-two year old college student, this is my self-reminder:

• Be grateful - Moments pass by all too quickly
• You can never love someone too much...never
• Bless others as you've been blessed
• Above all, love God

Blessings my friends,

{in loss, there is hope}

Good Morning everyone.

I pray that you're having a blessed week, wherever you may be. I'm sure many of you are aware of the devastating impact that the tornadoes have had on much of the country these past few days (particularly in Joplin, Missouri and parts of Oklahoma and Texas).

It breaks my heart. Lives are being lost, homes are being ruined.

But in all of this loss, there is hope. And that hope is found in Christ.

With so much heartache going on around the nation, I ask you this: What are you doing to make a difference? Whether it be prayer, or hands on help, we are called to be there for those who cannot make it on their own.

Property of Aysha Gerald

Across the world, people are crying out for help, but here in our own country, we can soften the burden.

As we call on the name of Jesus for the fallen, the sick, the hungry, the hurt and the heartbroken, lives will be changed. Scripture says that as we do for these, we do for Him.

What a beautiful thought.

Today, I challenge you to pray. If you are unable to help the areas that have fallen, pray for those who can't find the words to speak, pray for those who are suffering.

Our brothers and sisters need us.

This post is linked to Ann Voskamp's...

Linked to Internet Cafe Devotions...

 And also linking to: http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Blessings,

{blessed are those who mourn}

Psalm 30:5 -- Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Early this morning, a member of the Cornerstone community passed away.

Ryan Davis.

It is with a heavy heart that I ask for prayers, both for the Davis family and the community at Cornerstone University as well.

Although I didn't know him well, I did feel the warmth of his smile as he passed on campus. His love for the students will carry on through the years, for it has made an impact on everyone.

As people grieve over this loss, there is also hope laced within. We will see Ryan again, whether our time on earth ends sooner than we had wished, or when we are all taken to be with our Lord again.

Matthew 5:4 -- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Friends, it is my prayer that we would remember that every moment on this earth is a gift from God. Let us not waste it on the things of this world, but let us press hard towards our goal.

We are not promised tomorrow, but our hope is eternal.

Revelation 21:4 -- He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Blessings and prayers today,