Great is Thy Faithfulness: 2014 in Review

Hey, y'all! Hope you had a most joyous and blessed Christmas! :) It has been a whirlwind season for me! 2014 has been a crazy year. I won't bore you with the details of everything from this year. I just wanted to share some lessons I learned this year with you! Here we go:

• There's Beauty in Everything: This year has been simultaneously the best and worst year of my life, to be honest. The best in the aspect of my spiritual life. Worst in terms of it being an emotional roller coaster. With the loss of my grandfather, I felt so helpless. I was a mess. Like for real, if you saw me at all during that time, you know I reached a low point. But God was there to be my safe place, comforter, refuge, restorer of my weary heart, and the one to put my broken heart back together. I got to know God in a way I never had before. I had to completely rely on Him and hold nothing back, and He loved me so fiercely in a way I never deserved. He revealed a glimpse of His heart and undying and unfathomable love to me. He made beauty out of the ashes of my heart. 
• FOCUS: In the storms of life, you can focus on your problem, your fears, your anxieties, your flaws, or God. He is bigger than anything life throws at you, my friend. He is bigger than any fear or worry. Reset your sight on what matters most.
• I don't need to have control: I'm a planner. It's just what I do. If I'm stressed, I make lists. I like to know exactly what's gonna happen. The events of this year taught me that isn't the way to live. In reality, I can't plan for life. I can't know what's gonna happen. My life isn't gonna be tied up in a pretty bow. Life is gonna be messy. Life is gonna be chaotic. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna be incredible and wonderful. My life is not in my hands. It is in God's hands. He knows what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year. He knows every single detail about my life. All I need to do is trust that He has control, because I sure don't. 
• I am not alone: God's faithfulness is beyond words. Not for a second has He left me on my own, even when it feels like it. He has worked everything for good in my life this year, and He will continue to do so. He will never leave me nor forsake me, and I don't have to fear. He knows my heart like no other, and regardless of what I do, He will stay with me. He keeps His promises to me. 

I hope and pray great things for all of you in this coming year. Thank you so so so much for going on this journey with me. See y'all in 2015!

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." -Isaiah 40:31

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". So I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." -2 Corinthians 12:9

Fix My Eyes Upon You

My life has been kind of a whirlwind lately. Between writing final essays, staying up cramming for finals, going to work, prepping for Christmas, unexpected bumps in the road, and fulfilling commitments, I feel stretched pretty thin.. You could say I'm a little stressed. Maybe overwhelmed is a better word.

I've let my priorities get all jumbled up. I find myself juggling more and more the closer it gets to Christmas. And that's just ridiculous.

The best way I can say it is that I feel like Peter on the ocean. At first my focus was all on Jesus. And slowly, my stress, doubts, fears, worries, and obligations started to pile up. And I fixed my eyes and mind on that instead of Jesus. And just like that, I started sinking. I just kept sinking as more worries and things piled up in front of me. I was letting temporary issues have too much control over me and become an anchor tied to my feet while I was trying to stay afloat. Honestly, I really don't like the feeling I have and the person I am when my focus isn't centered on Christ.

So I'm adjusting my gaze. Because Jesus is greater. He is bigger than my insecurities, worries, stressors, doubts, anxieties, conflicts and confusions. He is the only thing that is eternal, and the thing that matters most. He is my life source. I'm drained without Him.And I don't want to be a drained out, stretched thin, shadow of who I am meant to be. In fact, I refuse to be that anymore. It's time to get  back to balance.

 It's so easy to focus on the buildup to Christmas that we forget to meditate on the miracle of Christ. So, enjoy the season, enjoy the festivities, enjoy the baking, shopping and wrapping. Enjoy family and friends and the joy the time of year brings. Sing those Christmas carols loud. Snuggle up with a blanket and some hot chocolate and watch some Christmas movies.  But don't forget to keep your eyes fixed on the King of Kings and the reason for the season.

Unanswered Prayers

I'm a big country music fan. I grew up on a ranch with George Strait as the soundtrack. If you are ever in the car with me, there's a pretty good chance we will be listening to country radio. If there's a country concert in town, it's a safe bet I'll be there. One of my all time favorite artists is Garth Brooks. I've been singing (and occasionally mishearing lyrics to) his music for as long as I can remember. One of his songs is "Unanswered Prayers". Garth, I love the sentiment of the song, but you are way off.

There's NO SUCH THING as unanswered prayers. That would imply that A) God doesn't hear our prayers, B) He ignores our prayers, or C) He simply doesn't care.

Let me assure you, God hears EVERY SINGLE prayer you've ever prayed, He NEVER ignores you, and He DEFINITELY cares.

So often if God doesn't give us the answer we want, we just say the prayer went unanswered. Guys, God isn't your genie. He isn't a wish-granter, or a Magic 8 Ball, or anything of the sort. He is the sovereign Lord of the Universe who has a plan or a calling on your life. He intimately knows your heart, your needs, your wants, and your deepest desires. He loves you way too much to give you something that isn't right for you, or isn't what you need.

When He answers our prayers, sometimes the answer is "Yes". Sometimes it's "No". Sometimes it's "Wait a little longer". Sometimes it's "I've got something even better for you". But He is ALWAYS making it all work together for our good.