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I have had a fascination with New Orleans and Mardi Gras for a while now - the colors, culture, music, food and free spirited nature of it all entices me. Which is why it is somewhat sad that I never visited during my two year stay in Louisiana.However I am well aware that many of the goings on during Mardi Gras aren’t exactly Christian but I find it interesting to note that the season of Mardi Gras has its roots in Christianity ironically named “the ordinary time” in which one reflects Christ’s...  Read More...

    So this month we just started our series on “Breaching the Frame.” To be honest this kind of a subject is right up my alley. I love anything creative unusual or “out of the box” - weird things and people don’t exactly bother me  but instead I usually gravitate to them. I love change and despise anything monotonous the same or black and white.   Thats why when I went to contemplate what breaching the frame meant to me I actually felt sort of blank because it...  Read More...

     While reading my daily devotionals this morning I have to be honest I was a bit zoned out. I just got home after a week of traveling and I was pretty tired and didn’t feel like I had the energy to even focus on what I was reading. But after reading the devotional part it got my attention.   Read More...

Today I’m supposed to write a blog. Have something important to say that will inspire you or enlighten you.Today I’m supposed to be able to quote off scriptures that are great to reference what I’m talking about, which if I’m being honest, I’m not really even sure what that is.Today I’m supposed to smile (not just because I happen to look amazing today) but because otherwise people think something is wrong. Which, one could argue that something is in fact wrong but it would be a total waste of t...  Read More...

“To be content doesn’t mean you don’t desire more, it means you’re thankful for what you have and patient for what’s to come.” -T.G.I was talking to a friend this week and sharing with them some of my dreams and plans for life.  Well to be truthful I was actually complaining about God’s timing on things happening in my life.  I was wondering why God wouldn’t just let me have control of the timeline of events in my life.   Read More...

Last Sunday night Pastor Vicki taught on giving and she talked about having an abandoning trust in God. This phrase stood out to me - and I wanted to really grasp what that looked like. So I looked up the definition of abandon.1. cease to support or look after; desert 2. give up completely (a course of action, practice or way of thinking)    The scripture she referenced was Mark 10:21 - in this passage a man was asking Jesus how he could inherit eternal life.   Read More...

We have been having great discussions at our past few kickbacks! This last on in particular really stood out to me. Minister Ty talked about needing a new start and letting GOD take over.     There are few things I have found to be more difficult than to truly TRUST God with everything.   Read More...

Life is an unpredictable mess at times that's why learning to trust God is invaluable. I am realizing more and more that in my desire to be perfect and get things right I miss out on a genuine authentic and real relationship with God. By my not being completely honest with him out of fear that he might let me down like others have I am missing out on the true companionship and growth that our relationship has the potential to be...   Read More...

Last week at Kickback we started a discussion based on the book “The Comeback” by Louie Giglio.“There is no dream of yours that’s been dashed, mistake you have made, or tragedy you can encounter that God cannot redeem, restore and make new...but you have a part to play.” _ The Comeback (12)We talked about what it would take for us to be open to the comeback God wants to orchestrate in our lives. We shared stories we had heard where God completely restarted someones story. It was a great time of ...  Read More...

This new year has arrived and we are already well into the middle of January Maybe you have already been working on and achieving your goals or maybe you have just been chillen! LOL no judgements here! However this coming week and in the next few weeks I want to share with you what's been on my heart for this new year and what I believe God wants for each of us to live in this year - 2017! I believe more than anything God wants us to live with a sense of passion and creativity!&nb...  Read More...

When you've come to the end of yourself it's just the beginning: Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Matthew 5:3 (MSG) "You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.   Read More...

If you are like me you have many things stirring in your heart to do in this upcoming new year! God has given me great clarity in the past couple years about what he has called me to do and I am so grateful for that. However there are also things in my life that remain unsettled and unsure.   Read More...

Opened my bible to this passage today. Thought it might encourage you in your relationship with God. Living out this God ordained life with Him is completely opposite from a selfish self absorbed existence and yet it is a completely organic response to HIS amazing and completely captivating love for us.   Read More...

Proverbs 17:22 Gods heart is for you His desire is to bring you joy in seasons of sorrow Peace in times of turmoil This is what makes him such a good God As we enter into this holiday season Take time to reflect on all the good God has done in your life Surely there have been difficult and challenging times but don't forgot it was God that got you through them. Remember his goodness today. I personally am so excited for this season because I fully recognize how in love with m...  Read More...

God's heart is near to us and he knows just what we need. When we enter into his divine love for us it makes it much easier to love others. Even when life is challenging and loving others is challenging his abundant GRACE is right there to help us in our time of need; He is not far he is NEAR.   Read More...

Luke 6:12 “One day soon afterward he went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night.” Jesus prayed all night - the GOD of the Universe in human form felt the need to pray all night - don’t you think we need to take the time to pray? I am most def not a morning person but I’ve always heard scriptures quoted from Psalms about seeking God early in the morning - now this could heap condemnation on someone who barely ever gets up early much less to pray but the fact that even Jesus sp...  Read More...

Psalm 145:18 18 God’s there, listening for all who pray,for all who pray and mean it.- I think sometimes we put too much pressure on prayer. God simply wants us to call out to him like a child with a need in the most uncomplicated way. WE can TRUST HIM to take good care of us.   Read More...

Philippians 4:11 (MSG) "I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.   Read More...

What has been on my heart lately? Enjoying life Slowing down Hearing God in the stillness Quiet Currently I am at the park and it is so close to silent the amount of joy it is bringing me cannot fully be explained. God is found in stillness. When we take the time to slow down we can hear him more clearly. REST is one of the Ten Commandments for a reason. LIFE can be so noisy - full of emotional ups and downs and when we constantly ride this roller coa...  Read More...

Last week at Kickback Monday we had a really great discussion about what it means to have courage and  why it is important. We defined courage as being willing to put our vulnerability on the line. One of the things we talked about was expectations that we function under that hinder our ability to be vulnerable with others. There are times where we live and function in an façade because others see us as being a certain person who acts a certain way and doesn’t do this or is the sh...  Read More...

Isaiah 40:29-31 (MSG) Have you ever felt like God has lost track of you? Like he has so many kids to keep up with and just doesn't have time for you? Well that is just not the case. God is very aware of what you are currently experiencing and is there to help you and give you strength. Many times in my life I have realized after the fact that God was in fact speaking to me and trying to prepare me but it was so subtle. In the noise of this world it's easy to take th...  Read More...

So last night we had kickback and Minister Ty talked about being vulnerable. That vulnerability is courageous. So in an effort to do my spiritual homework I am going to try and be vulnerable with you. This past weekend I was tiredDRAINED!And it was the easiest thing in the world to go into a deep negative hole.   Read More...

One place you will see tons of people conquering their fears and things they never dreamed they could complete is at a Spartan Race. People of all races, ages, and sizes run several miles and complete a ton of obstacles in order to receive a medal and prove to themselves that they are in fact mentally, and physically strong enough to complete the challenge.  My favorite part of being a part of the Spartan race family is seeing total strangers be someone else's biggest cheerleader/teamm...  Read More...

Isaiah 43:1-4 msgBut now, God’s Message,     the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,     the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.    I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.   Read More...

What do you think we need more than anything in this generation? Looking around at the brokenness and confusion in our world today I believe we need a revolution of restoration. The anxiety statistics in 20 somethings is astounding - what more proof do we need than to realize we need a revolution of peace.   Read More...

Isaiah 31:1-3 msg1-3 Doom to those who go off to Egypt    thinking that horses can help them,Impressed by military mathematics,    awed by sheer numbers of chariots and riders—And to The Holy of Israel, not even a glance,    not so much as a prayer to God.Still, he must be reckoned with,    a most wise God who knows what he’s doing.He can call down catastrophe.    He’s a God who does what he says.He intervenes i...  Read More...

I love the vivid imagery in this passage. God spells it right out for us - he says I am not angry, I care. He is merciless in defeating the enemy while carefully tending to his vine.   Read More...

Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf will romp with the lamb,    the leopard sleep with the kid.Calf and lion will eat from the same trough,    and a little child will tend them.Cow and bear will graze the same pasture,    their calves and cubs grow up together,    and the lion eat straw like the ox.The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,    the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.Neither animal nor human...  Read More...

During times of terror, destruction and heartache such as what has recently occurred in ORLANDO - I have found that when I search my own heart it is a completely humbling experience. How do I respond? What could I have done differently?   Read More...

Warning. You may have heard this story…its widely told but rarely told this way…Sooooo…one year about 13 years ago at Kids Camp, I decided that I would prove to my leader that I could in fact successfully do a backflip. I had already completed 2 with my friend before my leader walked in.   Read More...

In light of the current events that unfolded recently in Orlando Florida I'm sure we are all experiencing a wide range of emotions. From shock horror disgust and sorrow for the victims and the state of our nation as a whole. I for one was thankful to be in church this Sunday and to hear an encouraging message from our Pastor.   Read More...

Recently I preached a message which I titled living in full color. Basically it was my testimony of growing up in a Christian home and eventually finding myself veering away from the Christian lifestyle because of disappointment and disillusionment and then finding my way back to God as he gently and lovingly opened my eyes to his goodness and his plan for my life.When I decided to follow him no matter what as a result of people's prayers I found that the lights came on. Suddenly I was awar...  Read More...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which plan to take.  -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) I can't tell you how many times I have read this scripture over the course of my life as a Christian.  I am such a perfectionist, aka, control freak, aka, person who thinks if they don't do something themselves it will not get done, or if it does get done, it will not be done "right."  If you are not...  Read More...

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 "Frame your world with your words." - Dr. Caroline LeafMany times when we are young, our passion for God burns bright and the desire to please God and follow after his will is pure. But in order to really accomplish the will of God for our lives it's important that we learn how to fight for it and how to fight well!Many times, the biggest battle we will have is the battle between our ears.   Read More...

 When it comes to fighting for the plan of God for my life or for yours, it is imperative that we learn how to pray. Let me start out by telling you about The Legend of Honi; I found this legend when I was reading an amazing book by Mark Batterson called The Circle Maker. In this book Batterson tells about his miraculous journey of faith in starting a church in Washington D.C.   Read More...

 Making the connection between divine healing and walking in love.  When it comes to using our faith for divine healing it can be incredibly frustrating to continue to experience symptoms of pain in your body. One thing that I have found that has helped me in the process of believing God for healing is keeping the right perspective. Many times we get caught up in the actual manifestation part instead of focusing on what is most important in our lives and that is walking in lo...  Read More...

  Father we thank you that you have called us for such a time as this! We are your set apart ones, Kings priests and ambassadors for you! Thank you Lord that this is the day that you have made that it is blessed divinely favored and divinely guided.   Read More...

BALANCE  Something that I am focusing on more in my life than ever before is BALANCE. I am now 25 years old and have come to the realization of the importance of balance by being just about the most unbalanced person ever. I realize that this is somewhat of an exaggeration considering there are many people in the world that are completely out of whack and yet when I look back at my early 20's I see a very unhappy, unbalanced Christian. I am adding the word Christian in there becau...  Read More...

If you don't already know this about me, I LOVE to put together puzzles!! It's a relaxing time for me and it gets my mind off everything else to help me focus on that one goal of completing the puzzle. And with a 500+ piece puzzle, it's gonna take several days.  So I work on it diligently until it's done and typically by then, I'm out of my funk and back to normal.So the other night I got home and was ready to work on my puzzle.  I bought this whole kit so I can roll them up and store ...  Read More...

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.  The mule fell into the farmer’s well.  The farmer heard the mule braying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.  Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him ou...  Read More...

Wanted to share a story for this weeks Monday Minutes! Hope it helps/inspires someone this week.This past week I made an uncharacteristic choice, I allowed my father to know all my weekend plans…or my lack of plans. I forgot to book a hotel for my out of town trip (insanely uncharacteristic for me), had no plan on when I was leaving for this long road trip.   Read More...

 So as anybody who knows me knows I am not and have never been a morning person! So this morning in my sleepy endeavor to read my bible and continue with my New Years commitment, I was upset to find that my bible was not in its usual spot! Immediately my sleepy head was filled with thoughts of annoyance that I will probably not share on social media and I was immediately aware of my need to read the bible!   Read More...