{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,

{by our love, we will be known}

Happy Monday my friends!

As it is Make-A-Difference Monday, I thought I'd start off with a story.

This morning I walked into my local coffee shop, a place where I frequently spend my time during the summer months. As I sat down at a corner table, a man who I've been sitting across from the past few days, engaged me in conversation. When I arrived, I had no intention of speaking to anyone because I had assignments to complete, things to do..I had a plan: to lay my things out on the table, plug in my headphones and tune everything, and everyone, out.

Enter, divine intervention.

After sitting down, this man (let's call him Bob), asked me how I was doing. I answered back, not expecting the conversation to last more than a few minutes. Little did I know that it would lead to over an hour of discussion and him sharing his heart.

Bob is a man after God's own heart and his words spoke life to me.

Where did I "make a difference" you may ask? Other than hopefully allowing him to see into the world of my faith, I didn't. Bob made a difference in my life.

He caused me to evaluate how I respond to people, how I interact and engage with them. Ultimately, he planted a seed, beckoning me to examine how I love people.

Towards the end of the conversation, Bob told a story of woman he knows, who personally changed how he loves others. He described her as a woman who truly lives out the love of Christ in situations that the world would say are least deserving of love. It was in that moment that I realized why I woke up, drove to the coffee shop and chose that table.

God's voice was clear.

My love for those around me, in actions and in words, is nowhere near the standard that Christ calls me to. I am slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to get angry. I pass judgment unknowingly and treat people out of that judgment rather than from a place of love. I am impatient and at times hold grudges. I act self-righteously and my pride swells to attain glory that it's not due.

When all of these thoughts came rushing to me, I suddenly realized how human I really am.

I've regarded myself as a Christian; one who serves the Living God and has offered the throne of my heart to the King of Kings..but how can I say that, with honesty, when my life has somehow found its way onto the path paved with good intentions rather than the straight and narrow path?

This Scripture couldn't explain it any better:

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  (Mark 7:6 ESV)

It hit me like a ton of bricks! What a hypocrite I've been! My heart so easily strays from God, while my lips speak His name.

My takeaway from this experience? My life, but more importantly my heart, needs to operate out of love, rather than pride. When I learn to love, or rather be love, only then can Christ rightly be glorified through me. We each need to be an example of Christ to a lost and hurting world, but when honest and pure love is replaced by so many half-truths and false feelings, we're left with a bigger wound and hearts that have turned away.

Most of us are familiar with John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

And Paul writes this in Ephesians 4:1-3:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Every person, every life that I encounter should be done in a manner that breathes humility, gentleness and patience. How can I expect to truly love someone if I'm not willing to bear with, understand and accept them?

Harsh words need to be cast aside. Forgiveness needs to be extended.  Ears need to be opened. Tongues need to be silenced. Anger and judgment need to be replaced with patience and humility.

Where does it start? A pure heart.

Love one another earnestly from a pure heart. (1 Peter 1:22 ESV)

Wrong intentions and personal gain will never give life to the righteous life that God has called us to. Love is born of God, and because of that, we must come to know Him and understand His heart so that our actions and words reflect His own.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7 ESV)

My heart rejoices at that thought. Each day that passes, and through interactions like the one I experienced this morning, I am coming to know God and understand His heart more and more.

Friends, let us love.

It is by our love that we will be known.

Blessings,

{heart of service}

With it being Make-A-Difference Monday, I thought I'd share something that happened today.

Over the past few days and weeks, things have been rocky in my family. My sister delivered her baby on April 28, and ever since then, there has been abundance of love, but also some tension. In my anger, I said hurtful things to my sister, and even though it was anger produced out of concern and love, it was anger nonetheless.

So skip forward to this morning. I got a text message from my sister asking if I would come over and watch my niece for her while she went to the gym. I was surprised that she was even talking to me, after the things that I said. I told her that I would be over, and quickly got in my car and drove the 10 minutes to the apartment.

Not only did I get to spend time with my niece, but my sister and I got along (which hasn't been happening too much lately). It was an intervention by God that made me realize how much I love my sister and how proud I am of her.

Aside from that, later in the afternoon, around 4 pm, I got a call from my mom, saying that she was stranded at work because her car wouldn't start.

Now if you know me at all, when obstacles are put into my life, I have a tendency to make a big deal out of them or complain, but today was different. I made it a point to serve my sister and my mother, because God commanded me to.

Once again, I got into my car and drove the 45 minutes to the hospital where my mother works. She was thankful that I came to her rescue, and I was genuinely happy that I could be.

It's the small things that we do that can make a difference in someone's life. Whether it be harsh words that were spoken or previous severed relationships, the smallest act of kindness can erase every negative experience.

Friends, we don't know the battles that others are facing, as they don't know the demons that we face. It is my prayer that we would approach every person and every situation with a Christ-driven humility and servant-hood that allows Him to be seen through our actions.

Father,

 Let every word that I speak come from a place in my heart that is connected to Your own. Let my actions speak of my Savior, that others would come to know Him through me. I am a vessel Lord; one called to serve with love, compassion and humility. Let me forgive those who have wronged me, and Father I ask that you would soften their hearts to forgive my wrongs against them. It is only through You, Lord, that I have the ability to accomplish these things.

I ask that you would prepare my heart for the changes that You are making within me.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.

Blessings,