God Gives. God Takes.

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be His name.

I never understood how God could so easily bless me with such amazing, genuine people in my life, only to have some people just walk out of my life. From my first time entering high school, I began to be tested with finding friends who I could authentically talk to and be vulnerable with. Sharing one's heart is never easy, and at times, so scary. So for the longest time, I just wouldn't.

But things can change. Jesus has taken me on the craziest journey to get to where I am now. And still, I struggle each time I "lose" those I'm closest to, or those who truly treasure my heart. Yet in the blink of an eye, I know that God has something so beautiful, so unrepeatable planned. And it's in those small, impacting moments that I know I have to push through the pain. No matter how many friendships I go through to find those who will stick out the trying times with me, Jesus is immovable. He is my anchor.

So as I find myself here again, facing the confusion and pain, I look toward Christ. The only one who will never let me down. The one with which I am enthralled daily. The love of my life.

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to meet You on calvary again and again when I am faced with these painful trials. I trust in You always. Today, tomorrow, always and forever.

Thank you Lord. For it is in the giving and the taking away that I am drawn more toward You.

He is Constant

To authentically be yourself in a world that tears you down

is to overcome the biggest challenge.

To experience the sincerity of a stranger as you feel lost and broken

is truly God standing before you with outstretched arms.

To know that you are worth Christ dying for

is incomprehensible. 

You, my friend, were made for more.

You are strong.

You are courageous.

You can overcome.

To realize and understand all that you have to offer to this world

is proof that you are made in the image and likeness of God

To desire our Lord and Savior above all else

is ultimately the epitome of love.

To know that your heart is in the hands of a mighty, forgiving Father

is allowing you to be capable of vulnerability with our Creator. 

You, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, are worth the bloodshed of Jesus Christ.

And when you feel weak, He is strong.

When you become afraid, He is constant. Unchanging. Immovable. 

And when you fall to your knees in desperation, He will carry you to the ends of the earth. 

You are all that He wants. 

What a beautiful love story you have the opportunity to live out. 

Let Him embrace you with open arms, and a heart ready to love you to the fullest. 

Most Powerful Weapon

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." - Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Can we just take a moment to reflect on that statement for a minute? What a thought provoking concept, right? As I read that quote, I had to literally just sit back and let it sink in because of the crazy depth it contains! So here's what it got me thinking about.

When I think about a human soul on fire...I first and foremost automatically think of the desire of each of our hearts, whether we realize it or not, we are desiring Jesus Christ. Underneath everything is the desire for our Lord and Savior.

Following our utmost desire for Christ, we have our passions that are unique to each of us individually. God has blessed us immensely with various passions right? Anywhere from sports to theatre to animals to politics. We each have those things that just bring forth a burning sensation in our souls! It's absolutely beautiful and astounding the way that God made us to be! I just get so overwhelmed and excited thinking about it! But ok, getting back on track now, let's tie the two desires together.

Alright so we have Jesus, and our passions. And one common factor of the two is the way that they bring forth a fire in us...in our souls. The way I see it is that God has blessed us with those passions right? But not just to make us smile or give us something worthwhile to spend our time accomplishing. No, it's so much more than that! He gave us those passions and desires of our hearts to be a testimony! Each of us are living testimonies of Him and of His undying love for us! Which if we tie that thought back to the very beginning statement...we as living testimonies of our Lord, can be such a powerful weapon as we fight daily to grow in our relationships with God and to defeat Satan and his lies. Our very unique passions are our God-given "armor" per se. It is our duty to act on our passions and suit up in the armor at hand so that we can fight the daily battle against Satan as he tries, but fails, to win over our souls.

How incredibly exhilerating is it to think about how we, as simple human beings, can use our God given talents and passions to do extraordinary things! I want to bring forth a challenge for myself, and others. As we discover more of who we are, and what it is that brings about a fire in our souls, we should prepare for a journey of a lifetime. We have the beautiful opportunity to use our passions for more than we have ever imagined! I believe that God has blessed us with our talents and passions in order to authentically fight the battle of a lifetime, and bring as many people as we can with us as we strive to reach Heaven.

We have such a breathtaking role here on earth, and we have our suit of armor, passions, talents, and desire for Christ to stand firm against all that society tells us. We are capable of being radically different in the best way possible! So I challenge you, my friends, to take a stand. Embrace who you are, authentically use your passions to be witnesses for our Lord and Savior, and through Him, we will overcome all that Satan tempts us with.

With a fire in our souls like never before, we will set this world on fire and bring forth a desire for Jesus Christ that is stunningly contagious! We are called to stand out, so let us fear no more and finally take a stand.