Merry Christmas: The Light of the World!

Merry Christmas! I wake up this morning in complete Joy and Thanks! Today I only have a few verses that I wanted to share with you and to encourage you in reflecting on the "Real Reason for the Season as I know soon my family will be waking up to share in each others company over some hot coffee, treats, and much laughter!!! WHat a blessing this is! Today GOd gave the biggest gift anyone of us could freely accept, that is Jesus Christ!

" FOr God, who said, 'Let there be Light in darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the Glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus." 2 Corinthians 4:6

" Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up His divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." Philippians 2:6-8

"You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. THough He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Be encouraged. Be Joyful. Be Thankful. Love Others. FOr you have the Light of Christ in You! Shine bright this day!!

Merry Christmas and don't forget to spend time with the best gift in the Whole Universe, Jesus Christ!!

Back to the Basics of Christmas!

Yesterday on my flight home I began to write in my journal. Feeling inspired and full of thoughts as I finally had time to sit back and reflect on this Christmas season! I had the blessing of sitting in-between two young 18-20 year olds, a young girl who was sweet as can be to my left, and young boy to my right who seemed very intrigued with my writing. I immediately began to pray for the opportunity to share with him the words I was being inspired with. Soon enough he pulls out his ear buds and turns off his Batman movie and turns his head slightly left and says, "you are quite the writer, I think you have already written 7 pages!" I giggled inside, thanking the Lord for this opportunity! I stopped right there in my writing and said, "yeah well my professors never thought so!, but I do enjoy writing out what means the most to me!" He then becomes bold , "so what are you writing about?" and if any of you know me at all, I don't hold back when given an opportunity to share the gospel and what is on my heart so I quickly ask the Lord to give me the right words, and then I began, "well right now I am writing about the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ, who came into this world to save us all from our sins and die on the cross and how we as americans have let the real meaning of Christmas get fogged over by gifts, decorations, and santa! BUT I also LOVE blogging about women's self/body image, self-respect, and how the Lord sees  them, as beautiful...even when the world tells them differently! I write these things to encourage women in their faith!" I don't think this young man was quite expecting to hear all of that and the look on his face was priceless and he goes, "that's interesting!" and I go, "I KNOW ISN"T IT!?" He didn't ask any further questions, but I will tell you it was such a blessing! I have been praying that the Lord would help me to see others and engage with those around me instead of being so focused and involved with myself playing on my phone or closing my eyes to listen to my music! We are called to LOVE and pour into others...not ignore them...it's a push out of my comfort zone, but I am learning with the strength and love of Christ! ..NOW I will share with you my journal writings! 

"Before them mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2 

So I have been running into a writers block lately. That is why i haven't written in a couple days and I am not quite sure what the Lord is asking me to write today! As the holiday season is in full swing I want to try and wind things down as everyone is rushing to get those last minute gifts and rushing to make travel plans. Let's freeze all that the world tells us is important these holiday seasons: gifts, family, travel, decorations! What would Christmas look like to you if all of that was taken away? what if all we were left with was the sole celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ? Malls would be empty, houses would not be lite, and families scattered! Would we still have the same excitement as the day of His birth approached?! It is weird to think of...going back o the basics! 

It is so hard to focus our hearts and minds on the real reason for the season. Our minds are fogged with what to buy, what to cook, tinsel, lights, trees, and Santa. I will be the first to admit that it is so easy to lose sight of Christ in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. I just wanted to take some time to rest and relax at the main reason for this holiday and that is Jesus Christ, the greatest gift anyone could FREELY receive!! 

Sometimes I wonder what it would 've been like to be one of the wisemen, to see baby Jesus, knowing that the little infant I was looking at is the Savior of the World! WOW! It blows my mind! Then it makes me wonder, what gift would I bring?What do you give to the Savior of the World?! Well...I can tell you that this Christmas the perfect gift would be to give Him your heart in Faith...that is the gift He prays and pursues everyday and you have the chance to do that at any moment! There is no need to have to clean yourself up or try and wrap yourself up in pretty "wrapping paper" to cover up what is inside...He wants you just as you are!" Jesus, the Savior of the World came into this world as a helpless little infant, so that He could walk amongst His children and relate to us! He freely chose to humbly live! Furthermore, what truly boggles my mind is that He came into this world for the sole purpose to die for us! OH what courage that is!! Even as a young child to know your purpose is to die for those that hate and despise you! OH what LOVE that is! It is UNFATHOMABLE!! 

I will be honest that I have become so caught up in work and the stress of it all that I began to lose sight on what this season is truly about... it is a vivid reminder of what our focus should be 24/7. He Loves all of us so much we should be able to give Him this time, but we humans still can't accomplish that small task without going back to worrying about gifts! Working in retail the past few years I have seen some of the godliest people, by the worlds standards, become some of the most hateful, impatient Christmas shoppers! It blows my mind that people will get so upset about a silly leather wristlet that costs, $80, but probably is really worth, $5 ( I have also worked in wholesale) that they become the natural sin prone person that they are, and this truly tries my patience and I have to pray that I will treat them with respect and not do what would so naturally come to me! ;/ 

Ok so I think I digressed a little bit and not quite sure where I am going with all of this. I just wanted to take sometime and bring back some perspective to myself and anyone willing to read this! Let's go back to the image of what Christmas would look like without all the pretty lights, decorations, without Santa, or all the gifts! Let's be honest with ourselves, that sounds pretty depressing! That would be our initial thought! I can't be more honest when I say that it is a selfish thought! When did celebrating Christmas become about "us" and our needs?! The fact that a gift less, decoration less, and santa less Christmas depresses us is proof that we can be selfish in our pursuit of holiday cheer! 

Let's change our perspective! Instead of seeing the gifts and decorations as a means of self-gratification, let's turn it around and see all these things as an act of worship and thanks to the One who this season is about! 

When you go to buy your next big gift for that special someone, instead of huffing and puffing because the cashier is taking forever, STOP and be thankful that you can even afford such a gift,  whereas there are starving and neglected children all over the world who would give anything for a hug and an "i love you"! 

When you go to put the lights on your house, instead of nagging at your husband or children to help, STOP and be thankful that you have a house over your head to decorate, whereas there are thousands of people that will go without a roof over their head this Christmas! 

This is the posture we all should take not only this season, but in everyday life! This kind of thankfulness will then turn into an act of worship to the One who gives all blessings! I am not saying this will be and say feat...we are only human after all! Christ is the reason for giving because He first gave His life to hopefully gain ours when we give HIm the best gift of all....our hearts! Turn the Light on this Christmas and slow down to give thanks for all the blessings He has given you! 

That is all I have for now! My heart is full of love for you all! Have a very Merry Christmas! 

" Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as member of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful! " colossians 3:15

Plan's Battle

I woke up this morning with the annoyance of a lingering cough and now I sit here cozied up with my warm beverage pondering on what it is I feel inspired to write! My dearly beloveds I will have to be honest my inspiration is not flowing as freely as most days, but considering the day and the New Year right around the corner I feel compelled to write about the ever changing world of our "Plans." You see beloveds there is something very important you need to know about the "plans" we write out for our life, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."(Proverbs 16:9)


I have experienced this verse firsthand throughout my life! I have planned out my life: to where I would go to school, my career, my family life, to where I would live and I can sit here today and tell you with an open heart that NONE of which I have planned for my life as come to pass! HA! I look back and have to giggle, because I was so sure of what I was supposed to do in this life, but God has continually thwarted my plans in other directions and I can't argue with the directions that He guided me, whether it was through my own failures, mistakes, or the mere fact that the doors never opened in the direction I thought I was to go, I can stand here and tell you that I am thankful for every twist and turn! I remember a time when I had no idea where I was going to live and didn't have a job and as I told this to a very wise mentor, she looked at me and said, "what an adventure?"...what an adventure INDEED! When we let go and let God you will be greatly surprised at what He has for you around the corner  and the closer that you grow to Him, the more His desires become your desires! My plans before God brought me here writing this blog where fleeting and self-seeking, my eyes and motives were on worldly wealth and recognition and then through trials and tribulation, rejection, and closed doors I drew closer to God continually giving over my own plans to His! This brings me to the verse in Proverbs that says,

"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. All a man's ways seem innocent to him/her, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:1-3

Your motives in your 'life plan' may seem innocent to the world, but under His watchful eye He sees the bigger picture. He only lets us see our feet in the moment, but as you draw closer to Him and spend more time in His Presence in prayer and in His Word He will slowly shed light in front of you as you take each step of faith towards His purpose for your life! This is such a beautiful picture! He has a perfect time for you, it is never too slow or too quick, be patient basking in His present Light! When I reflect on this i picture a young girl stepping out into the darkness of the night holding a lantern in one hand that only shines the light right around her feet and as she takes one step at a time into the unknown world the Light slowly grows bigger and wider revealing her path one step at a time!

" He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." ecclesiastes 3:11

I will end with this verse! My prayer for you today comes from Psalm 20:4 " May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." I encourage you to take the time each day to rest in His Presence, the closer you draw to Him, the clearer His plan for you becomes! What a blessing!

Here are a few more verses you can check out!

Psalm 33:11; psalm 138:8; proverbs 19:21; Proverbs 21:30; Jeremiah 10:23; Jeremiah 29:11

Be blessed today!

The Peace that Surpasses All Understanding...

In light of the past week, a lot of questions have been asked, a lot of hearts have been searching for an answer as to the ways of this world! One question that came to my heart to sum up all these searching hearts was "Where is our HOPE?!!"

Is our hope in people? is our hope in a government? is our hope in laws? is our hope in our financial security? is our hope in our career?

where are we putting our hopes, dreams, and desires? wherever it is, will greatly result and directly affect how we react in the situations and circumstances in life, whether they are good or bad!

this last sunday at church my pastor made a great statement of "man cannot solve man's problem." the heart of the problem is indeed the heart of everyman and man can't solve the problem of the heart! and this is where I answer the question, "where is our HOPE?"

we have one hope and one hope only and that is Christ!! Only Christ can enter in and change a heart as it says in Ezekiel 11:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:17  "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.", " therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" what a sweet promise and truth! The truth is that the reality of this world is harsh, yet the reality of Christ is HOPE, JOY, LOVE, and PEACE!!! Our call is to love what is difficult to Love, just as Jesus did and still does! The gospel is the hope of the world! Remain in Him, by putting your hope in Him and the cares, worries, and burdens of this world will be lifted up!

One of my prayers for you and I is in Luke 24:25 and Hebrews 3:13 that the Lord would open our minds so that we could understand the scriptures and draw nearer to Him and that we would encourage one another daily so that we might not be hardened by sin's deceitfulness ! I love you all so much! Go out today and love on others and be blessed!!!

Dear Princess,

It hit me hard this morning-- Jesus YEARNS to participate in my life!!!---A moment of silence--then tears began rolling down my cheeks! "What does this mean? Better yet what does this look like?" I began to ask myself.

How sweet is this truth? In this moment I felt Jesus' sweet touch then His tender voice say to me,

"My Princess (insert your name), I am here. I want to be next to you through every part of your life. I want to know all of you, your heart! I want to be the on who wipes your tears and catches you when you fall; I want to be the one to hold you when you are sad. I want to be the one who laughs with you, I want to be the one who is by your side through your successes and your failures. I want to be your FOREVER because I love you more than anything or anyone in this world. I want to be your prince charming...I have been right here the whole time!"--Jesus

As I lay there in silence listening I realized that my whole life up until this point I have been praying and wanting to find a man who would love me this way and we would fall in love together and get married. As most women do, I became so wrapped up in this idea of finding the worldly version of true love when the entire time I had the real thing right in front of me, fighting for my affections since I was a little girl! That was Jesus!

He finally broke my walls down! Ladies, have you ever pictured yourself in t he arms of the one you love with his hands gently holding your face and gazing into your eyes like he can see your soul? Are you hoping and wishing you would find him someday? Well I am here to tell youthat He is already there and His name is Jesus Christ! He already knows your soul; your deepest needs, your deepest fears, what makes you happy, what makes you sad, what makes you laugh! He already holds your face in His hands and holds you in His arms! He yearns to be the one to know Him more, and do you yearn to spend time with HIm? Just as He loves you, He wants and hopes you will love Him back! He is fighting and pursuing for you affections! I pray that you realize as I did that your Prince Charming is right there waiting with His hand stretched out waiting for you to turn around and take hold and His name is Jesus!

Welcome!

I wanted to welcome you to my new and improved blog! I will keep all my old posts just to remind me of the journey God has taken me the past two years, but it is time to change the mission in my blog! God is faithful and has done a lot of pulling and tugging on my heart the past couple of years to really dig deep into what it is He is calling me to, and even though I don't know 100% what that entails, I am starting this blog as a step of faith, hoping you will join me in this incredible and exciting journey!  I know my main purpose and calling in life is to be a light leading others to Christ by showing them love and how to LOVE!

After spending much time talking to God about everything, it was such a sweet time to just openly and out loud tell HIm everything is on my heart and truly talk to Him about the desires of my heart. My BIGGEST passion in life is to bring young women to Chris and to be a light for them, to speak to them about their value that it isn't in their outward appearance, yet its in their heart, it is in JESUS. I want women to see that they are a blessing, everything about them is a blessing, their hair, their nose, their feet, their eyes, their hands...are all blessings from God and that they are to be valued and respected not only by what they put in their body, but what they put on their body. There are no clothes or no amounts of surgery or makeup or hairspray that will cover up whats in the heart and if we could just turn that light bulb on in women's he arts to be able to see their hear and see how God sees them and the TRUTH His Word provides! If I could create and invent a "God Mirror" that would show women what they look like to God, that would be amazing! As I was talking out loud to God about this I began to cry and I got fired up about it, this made me realize this is my biggest passion. I have had so many visions of conferences and events to reach out to young women about these issues and encourage them to be fierce princess warriors of the Kind, I get chills each time I think about them and then to hopefully see how the Lord would work through them! God has given me a creative mind and at first I thought I was to use it for Fashion Design and my main pursuit about 2 years ago was to be a hugely known Designer that would bring Christ to the runway, then He shifted my desire to focus mainly on the ministry side of it, using my gifts in design and my nutritional studies background to reach ou and relate to women, with the possibility of having events and benefit fashion shows raising money for missions and christian organizations. This is only a small glimpse into the things God has laid on my heart. I now can see and believe that the Lord has given me a passionate heart for a reason and it is not to let my fears of speaking or of man get in the way, it is to push myself beyond myself trusting the Lord will guide me through it all!! (1 corinthians 1:25-31, 2:1-5)

With all this said here is my blog and I hope you enjoy it!