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How are we already a week into December! I’m in my final push with photography for the holiday season and I’m feeling the full weight of pouring myself out beyond my capacity once again. Which means extras like posting on my feed keep getting pushed aside. However, in the midst of it all, I keep trying to be faithful in the little steps. Like drinking my water! Finding moments to rest. Being obedient to reset when I think I’m the one that has to get it all done in my power. I’m reminded of Matt 11:28 and how Jesus’ burden is light and to keep turning to him whenever I think my burden is too much for me to bear. 💕
So easily do I fall victim of wanting everyone to like and approve me. Fearing the thought of being alone. But as I read in Jeremiah this morning, the life of a Christian can often feels lonely. We have the truth the world needs to know, but we’re existing in a world that doesn’t want to hear it. Think of Jesus. He would be around huge crowds and feel loneliness in the middle of it. People didn't get it, they didn't get him, but they wanted what he had to offer. In the same way, we can get lost in the offering of ourselves for the wrong reason. Putting something out there hoping anyone would just accept it so we can be approved. But we need to know approval comes from an audience of one, Jesus. If we are lonely with that audience, our affection for Jesus must grow so we can have great joy in this place of solitude. Not thinking we're missing out on the approval of the world, but rejoicing that your Father, the only one whose eyes matters is watching you and can't take his eyes off of you in adoration. #first5app #wordbeforeworld #biblestudy #jeremiah15
Two weeks ago I reached what felt like the end of what I had left in me. I was overwhelmed by where my “yes” led me. As I was waiting in between sessions I was left just proclaiming God’s faithfulness over and over. This past Sunday, I wrap up what was my busiest weekend of the year, they sang the song Great is Thy Faithfulness at church on Sunday in light of this season of thankfulness. Now on the other side of being overwhelmed I’m reminded how intention with my schedule allows me to be faithful. And when I fall short in this area, God never withholds his grace, but once again invites me in and reminds me that great is His faithfulness. 💕 #greatisthyfaithfulness #gratitude #thankfulness #coffeecupgospel #wellwateredwomen
Happy Thanksgiving!!!! May you be reminded of just how much we have to be thankful for and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!!!
My battle with the addiction to my phone isn't an easy one. I never imagined this would be what God would have me wrestling with as I study Jeremiah with @first5. The conviction over my idolatry is what God keeps bringing me back to. The term idol is not one we easily connect within today's culture. I like to think of it as, what I choose to go to instead of God. For me, it's my phone. What my heart believes the world has to offer and the pride I carry in regards to what I think I have to offer. As I worked to bring this into the light, I thought about the obvious reasons why I turn to it. What came to mind was what we as a society like to call FOMO. The fear of missing out. This morning, I heard God ask me, "why do you not fear missing out on what I have for you? Could that not be more true. It was so powerful to hear and exactly what I needed. May we practice the presence of God and get our hearts quiet before the Lord to see what he's calling us into. Instead of rushing to the next thing, working hard to stuff down whatever he's working out of our hearts, may we be open to him exposing our idols. My guess is there is something you're clinging to in fear when God is calling us to cling to him instead.
If you had a chance to check out my blog post yesterday, you learned that I’m an avid goal planner and I learned over the past year I haven’t been faithful with my goal planning. I approached it from a position of being in control and then swung to the other end of the extreme and almost quit goal planning all together. This past year God helped me see that He’s the ultimate goal planner, and in fact he already has specific goals in mind for us that we are to walk in. This should dramatically change the way we goal plan. I’ve fleshed out so much in regards to how faith-based goal planning is different than traditional goal planning and I’m so excited to get started! I have an email series beginning at the end of the month they will walk through five verses on how God has spelled this out faith-based Goal Planning in his word. I’d love for you to join us! Link in profile!
🌟 NEW BLOG POST 🌟 Check out my most recent post, How I Got Faith-Based Goal Planning Wrong. Link in profile! Except: “If you’re like me, you give in to the temptation of both extremes. One day trying to figure out God’s plan for my life, and the next wanting to be free from all expectations and pressure to perform. This yo-yo way of goal planning has been my life, and I’m ready to walk in the way God has for me.” At the end of the post I have my sign up for my five-day faith-based goal planning series that will be out the end of this month!! Share a fun emoji below if you plan to join in!
No quiet for this gal this morning. After having such victory with getting up at 5 AM last week, starting my Monday at 7 AM has me so bummed out. It makes me think of the ways I’m failing God in my disobedience and what I’m missing out on. Yet I’ve learned when my heart instantly goes to a place of being defeated there is often something deeper worth exploring. A disappointment comes from an expectation that often points to a idol and way I’m not living in the freedom God desires. As I reflected I realized when fail to wake up early, or do whatever I set my mind to, I see my desire for routine and consistency going from a good thing I’m responding to in freedom to an act of religious duty. I become disappointed with myself because I make something part of the equation of what I need to do to worship God. The enemy wants nothing more than to take what God is giving in freedom and make it a box you have to check so you can feel like a failure when you don’t check it. This is the problem with my agenda and my goals. I end up living disappointed when God is simply calling me into something different for that day. Does he love when I wake up at 5 AM and spend time with him? Of course! He wants every moment of my time. But I’m the one who puts my quiet time with him in a box and says it needs to look like a specific time, sitting at my desk with my heated blanket and tea. While God designs rhythms of life to help us hold onto the the disciplines of faith that we are to cling closely to. God desires us to walk in obedience free of guilt and shame. If that’s true, we need to walk in agreement with Him and not create structures that dictate an output in our life. Because my self-sufficient desire to check off a box on my habit tracker isn’t an act of worship. Carrying shame from failing at a spiritual discipline is the last thing he desires So today, I wake up late in freedom because God desires to use my life for his purpose. Hebrew 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out f