Thrive

Casting Crowns "Thrive"

"Just to know you and to make you known, lift Your name on high,
shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide,
we know we were made for so much more than ordinary life,
it's time for us to more than just survive, we were made to THRIVE!"

Can't wait for Casting Crowns new CD "Thrive" to be released next month. Love this song off of it!

To Be Truly Human is To Be Truly Known

"We weren't created to do it all by ourselves. To be truly human is to be truly known."

"We were created in the image of God, and God is a community."

"Joy is at stake and it only happens when we let the guard down."

"To love at all is to be vulnerable."

Enough is enough

A friend recently said to me, "Enough is enough." When will I reach that point? When will I truly be able to let go and let God? When will I stop gripping so tightly to something I care so deeply about but is filled with unfulfilled promises, delusions, and hurt? There is no happy ending there. None. It's all in my head. I keep hoping and wanting more, but it can never be. But I still don't want to let go. Is there a breaking point? If there is, and I haven't hit it yet, goodness gracious, I don't want to see what that will look like. There is so much fear and so much hurt. But I still care...deeply. The Lord says He will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). I feel that, believe that, and know that to be true. I feel His peace deep down inside; it's the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling. It may just be a glimmer, but I know it's there. He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), at least beyond what I can bear when I am walking through life in His strength. I do believe He will allow us to be broken to the point where we are pushed towards full reliance on Him. He can turn anything for the better; He can make all things new (Revelation 21:5). He can never restore or heal that which I have not fully released unto Him. There is a lot of hurt, confusion, depression, questions....but I will not let my faith falter during this time. I will not turn my back on God. He is my ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). I love Him with every ounce of my being. I desire to have my every breath be for His glory, my every word to bring life, my every action to further His Kingdom. I want to be wholly abandoned and emptied unto myself, so that my life can be filled with everything of God, so much so that it overflows to others. I want to become lesser, so He can become greater (John 3:30). Lord, hear my cry. Know my heart. I am not giving up this fight. I will hold onto my faith and seek You. Though I may fail, though I will fail, and make mistakes, Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy, and your unconditional love and forgiveness. I am so not worthy. Lord, I love you. I so deeply love you. When will enough be enough?

I Need Thee Every Hour

Just discovered this beautiful harmonious song on GodTube.com a week or so ago. It is absolutely breath-taking. When I can't describe life's circumstances through words, I just let worship music speak for me. I am not meant to do life on my own strength. I need the Lord every single hour and moment of everyday. I need His strength, I need His grace and mercy, I need His forgiveness, I need His unconditional love. Through the struggles, He will not leave me and not forsake me. I feel His peace deep down inside of me even when the storm rages around me. I need thee, Lord, I need thee....

Where Feet May Fail

My roommate introduced this song to me a couple weeks ago. Absolutely love it! It's currently my favorite worship song.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED

Look Through Each Other's Eyes....At Least For An Instant

The message in this video is so compelling. I have watched it numerous times this week. You never know what people are going through...what struggles they are enduring, what burdens they are carrying, what flaws they have, what mistakes they have made, what sins they are still making. As the video says,

"If you could stand in someone else's shoes,
          hear what they hear,
                    see what they see,
                              feel what they feel,
                                        would you treat them differently?"

I think we all would.

In Him, All Things Hold Together

 

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:16-17

I climbed Humpback Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past Saturday with a bunch of friends. I love being outdoors in nature, whether it be hiking, camping, kayaking, at the beach, etc. Being in nature is just a way for me to bond with my Creator...the Creator of all. Once I got to the top of the mountain, I stared out at the expanse of the rolling hills and mountains and endless stretches of green trees. It was breath-taking and left me in awe of God. Every inch of this earth has God's fingerprints and authorship all over it. What a talented, masterful artist! Everything that I gazed upon was made by Him and for Him. I really don't know how people can look at awe-inspiring sights like the one I saw on Saturday and not believe in God or a divine Creator. That type of beauty doesn't just happen by chance, it is magnificently and perfectly designed and created by someone, and that someone, is the one and only Lord of all. I like how Colossians says it in Chapter 1, verse 17, that "in him all things hold together." God holds all things together. As I stood on the top of the mountain, I thought to myself, God is holding all this creation in the palm of His hand, watching over it, protecting it, loving it. Then I thought, God was even holding me, His creation, together. Oftentimes, I feel like a mess, like I am always unraveling in confusion, hurt, doubt, sin, and depression. Sometimes, the only thing holding me together is God. Without my Creator holding me together, I would be a lost cause. I am so grateful that I believe in a God who carefully designed all his creations, and so compassionately holds them all together in the palm of His hand.

Outsiders, Not Insiders

"Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.” Luke 5:31-31 MSG

My Pastor, Stu Hodges, from Waters Edge Church (WEC) preached on these verses above during our Everybody sermon series this past month. As soon as he read them, I thought to myself...."THAT'S WEC!" I grew up in a United Methodist Church for the first 18 years of my life. That church taught me everything about the Bible, Jesus, and the church, and it is where I initially grew my Christian faith. I greatly respect that church and cherish the memories, teachings, and amazing Christian mentors I met there. However, once I started attending WEC four years ago, I saw a huge difference between the two churches.

Gospel Prayer

I just finished the book Gospel by JD Greear, the pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh, NC. The whole book is written around this prayer as a way to bring the Gospel to the center of our lives and hearts. It was a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone.

"In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more,

and nothing I have done that makes You love me less."

"Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy."

"As you have been to me, so I will be to others."

"As I pray, I'll measure Your compassion by the cross

and Your power by the resurrection."

The Gospel is not about the things we can do for Christ. It is about responding to what God has done for us. I pray that I will keep the Gospel at the center of everything I am.

"The Lord Our God"

"The Lord Our God" by Kristian Stanfill
"Lord our God is, ever faithful, never changing, through the ages. From this darkness, You will lead us, and forever we will say, You're the Lord our God!"

Lord, I Need You

"Lord, I Need You" by Matt Maher featuring Audrey Assad
I can't get enough of this worship song. So beautiful.

Worth It All

"Worth It All" By Meredith Andrews

"I let go of all I have just to have all of You
And no matter what the cost I will follow You
Jesus everything I've lost I have found in You
When I finally reach the end I'll say
You are worth it all
You are worth it all"

From Above the Clouds

So, a few weeks ago, I went on a 4 day trip to Chicago to visit my best friend Camil.

Everytime I fly on a plane somewhere, I always make sure to reserve a window seat. I love being able to stare out the window and view all of God's beauty and creation while on my way to my destination. This past trip, when I was flying out of Newport News, the day was kinda crappy weather - gloomy, overcast, rainy. It's just one of those days where it's harder to roll out of bed and you drag yourself throughout your day. But I was amazed as I watched our plane gain altitude in the air, we went through this entire level of clouds. As a plane flies through clouds that are filled with rain, it always causes a little turbulence, but it's to be expected.

Then, right as we reached the top of the cloud line, we surfaced to a whole new world. It was no longer a rainy dreary day - the sky was blue, the sun was shining bright, and it was a beautiful day with a beautiful view! It's amazing how just going through those clouds completely changed my perspective from a dark gloomy one to a bright shining one.That made me think of life and how it's all about our perspective on things. Even if we are in a period of our life that is gloomy, dark, and dreary where it is hard to drag ourselves out of bed and get ourselves through the day, you have to think that just on the other side of those clouds is a day of bright, shining positive joy. It's all in how we view things, and how we think about things. (Phil 4:8) If I just focus on the rain and darkness that I am in now, I will stay in the rain and darkness. But if I focus on the fact that there is hope, opportunity, healing, and joy just through the clouds waiting for me, my whole day and life attitude will be different. It might not be easy to get to there, because there is still that thick layer of clouds to get through with turbulence to be expected, but at least you know that what is on the other side is something to look forward to. Be hopeful. Be faithful. Focus on the positive. See through the clouds to the brighter day.

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

Sometimes I can barely breathe...

Sometimes I can barely catch my breath when I think about what has happened in my life in the last 4 years, the struggles and strongholds I have had to overcome (and am still overcoming), and the people I have lost in the process. It's super painful and sometimes even still a little unbelievable to me. I remember growing up and always hearing my friends and people in my church talk about these crazy, life-changing testimonies they had after they became saved and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. They would have these intense life situations, sins, or addictions that they had to overcome through the blood and love of Christ. I was never one of those people. I grew up in the church from a baby and gradually learned about the Bible, the Gospel, and God/Christ through weekly Sunday School classes, church services, and youth group. I remember in middle school and high school feeling like perhaps something was missing to my testimony, wondering why I didn't have that big life change. By the time I graduated from high school, I simply accepted and acknowledged that every person has their own unique testimony, and I felt blessed that I didn't have any huge life situations or hurdles I had to face in my life thus far.

In Awe of His Glory

Every day, whether I'm having a good day or a bad day, I am reminded of God's glory and promises. There is just something about nature that connects with me and gives me a deeper connection with God. Every evening, when I'm driving home from work, I love staring at the sunset. (I know they say never stare straight into the sun because it will damage your eyes and vision, but oh well.) There is something so captivating about a beautiful sunset that leaves me in awe. What glory and majesty is revealed in each setting sun. This evening, I drove to Denbigh Docks which is just five minutes from my home to watch the sun set and spend some time just sitting silent in the presence of my Lord. It was beautiful. And breathtaking.

 
If I go out after work and come home much later in the night after the sun is already set, I always get out of my car and just gaze at the moon and stars in the sky. For some reason, I feel like the night sky has been so open and clear the last couple months, or maybe I have just been more observant of it recently. When I get out of my car, I stand in the middle of the road or in my driveway staring at the beautiful constellations. How vast and beautiful the night sky can be....I literally feel like when I lock my sight on the shining, bright moon, that the Lord speaks to me and reminds me of His presence, His faithfulness, and His promises. He is always there, always loving. The One constant source in my life. I am so thankful for these daily reminders of His glory.

Elevation

Last weekend, my friend Blaine and I road tripped to Charlotte, NC to visit Elevation Church.

It was a phenomenal weekend and trip. We both follow the church and Pastor Steven Furtick pretty closely, so it was a privilege and exciting experience to get to be there in person at their church. We even got a behind the scenes tour of their production rooms by one of their volunteers at their Blakeney campus, and I got to talk first hand with their Producer about how they do multi-site, etc. Their band, Elevation Worship, is extremely talented as well. Their latest CD, Nothing is Wasted, came out very recently. Here is one of their songs off that CD and that is also on their For The Honor CD called "Give Me Faith."

Burning Lights

Road tripped with three friends of mine from WEC to Baltimore on February 22nd to see Chris Tomlin in concert on the Burning Lights Tour to promote his recent CD release. What I love about Christian concerts is that you don't just go there to be entertained and performed for, you go there to participate. It's more like a super large worship service where you get to sing and worship your heart out with thousands of other Christians. I made sure to listen to the Burning Lights CD enough before the concert so I could sing my heart out to every song. It was phenomenal. I have been to a handful of concerts, but this one was by far my favorite. Why? Well, cuz Chris Tomlin is my favorite music artist of all time! Time to check that off my bucket list...

Greater

I just finished the book Greater by Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church. It was a great book. I didn't choose the book based off of the topic, but by the author. However, once I got reading into the book, I saw the topic was quite intriguing and made me realize some things about my current faith walk that I didn't realize. If you are feeling like your life or faith is stagnate, or like you are missing something greater in your life, I would recommend this book. Here are some of the powerful quotes that I liked from it:

"I find over and over again that my greatest enemy of the greatest life God has for me is...me."

"You can't step into your new life until you first set fire to whatever is tethering you to your old life. Before you can go forward into the life God has for you, you have to offer Him every part of the life you have."

"The cost of following Jesus is great. The cost of not following him is even greater."

"Your greatest limitation is God's greatest opportunity."

"If you've walked with God any length of time, you know that sometimes He asks us to do the one thing we absolutely don't want to do."

"The key to walking in freedom is often connected to obedience in the areas of our lives where we're locked into patterns of resisting God's Spirit."

"The starting line of humility is obedience."

"DREAM BIGGER. START SMALLER. IGNITE GOD'S VISION FOR YOUR LIFE. STRIKE."

Nothing is Wasted

Can't get enough of Elevation Worship right now. Check out this song by them called "Nothing is Wasted" just recently released from their latest EP.

Philippians 3

I have been studying Philippians one-on-one with one of my friends from my Community Group this month. It's very difficult for me to stay in the Word by myself, so I have found that I am most successful and disciplined when I have a sister in Christ to keep me accountable. So in the past 10 years or so, I have participated in many different Bible studies with friends where we read through and study a book of the Bible. My friend recommended we study Philippians, and I am glad she did, because it is such a powerful book of the Bible. This past week, we just finished studying Chapter 3 and I wanted to share some of Paul's powerful words and messages from this chapter. Enjoy.

Exalted One

One of my favorite worship songs from the past few months is called "Exalted One" by Elevation Worship. I was so excited when I got to be the volunteer Producer for the services at WEC today when our worship band was teaching that new song to our church! It's a song originally written and sung by Elevation Worship, the band of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. Elevation is an amazing church that I have been following since just before Thanksgiving. Their pastor, Steven Furtick, is a truly passionate and anointed leader, speaker, pastor, and Christian. I have been listening and watching his sermons online for the past couple months. In addition to the pastor being amazing at Elevation, their worship is off the chain. I absolute love the worship they host at their church - so on fire, unrestrained worship of our One, True God! You can see how passionate they are in their worship by watching the video below. A couple friends of mine have been listening to Pastor Furtick's sermons too, and we are planning a road trip to Charlotte to hear him preach in person and to attend Elevation. I can't wait!!!!

Meet #1 Man in my Life!

Meet Forrest Wesley Cory IV, my nephew, born January 22nd at 8:39am, 8lbs 2ozs, 20 3/4" long. I am now Aunt Lolo. ;)

It's amazing how much I loved him before I even met him, before he was even born. Now that he is actually here, my love for him has multiplied tremendously! I would do anything for this little man! I can't even imagine the love I would have for a child of my own - I can't wait to be a mother one day!

Hope's Anthem

A friend of mine recently gave me a worship mix cd with a bunch of great worship songs. This song, Hope's Anthem, was one of them. Such a great song!

Verse 1
He's awakening the hope in me
By calling forth my destiny
He's breathing life
Into my soul
I will thirst for
Him and Him alone
Pre Chorus
He has come like the rain
That showers on the barren plain
So my heart and tongue confess
Jesus, Christ the Hope of man
Chorus
My hope is in you, God
I am steadfast
I will not be moved
I'm anchored, never shaken
All my hope is in You

God of Angel Armies

I just bought Chris Tomlin's latest CD "Burning Lights" last week. Chris Tomlin is my favorite music artist of all time. His worship songs and lyrics are some of the most powerful expressions of my sentiments to my God in times of great joy, grief, depression, or any situation really. I am super stoked to be finally seeing him live in concert in Baltimore next month with three lovely ladies from WEC. I don't even think the word "stoked" expresses the intensity of my excitement. I am going to be listening to his new CD, Burning Lights, constantly from now until the concert so I can sing along to all the songs! Here is his hit single off his latest CD called "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)." Enjoy!

"I know Who goes before me

I know Who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always on my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a Friend of mine

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side"

Breathe Death to Life

Passion 2013 is going on right now from January 1-4 in Atlanta. Passion Conferences are more than just conferences. Passion is a movement raising up college-aged kids across the nation to spread the fame of Jesus Christ around the globe. I was watching the first main session tonight live online here (http://livelink.268generation.com/). The passage that Louie Giglio used in his message was the story of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37, when God breathes life into the dry bones. As I enter into 2013, this is a great theme passage for my life. I believe in a God that can breathe life into death, breathe life into addictions, breathe life into brokenness, breath life into depression. I believe it, and I will declare it over my life in 2013.