Guess what I saw?!

Have you ever wondered what the Kingdom of God looks like?

Well this past Sunday, I had a chance to get a glimpse of it and let me tell you, what a sight it was!

Dave and I went to Church Under the Bridge.

It's pretty self-explanatory...church...under...a bridge.

No walls. No air conditioning. No heating. 

A group of people worshiping God under a bridge in Waco. 

I had always heard of this unique church setting and I was finally able to experience it!

We parked in a hotel parking lot, walked across the highway access road, and found ourselves in a little bit of Heaven.

As I looked around, I saw chairs set up in rows. I saw animals on leashes and animals without leashes. I saw food being shared. I saw people with disabilities. I saw smiling faces. I saw pain. I saw people with raggedy clothes. I saw people with nice "church" clothes. I saw hugs being exchanged. I saw people of all colors. I saw people of all ages. I saw kids playing games. I saw people serving. I saw people receiving. I saw families. I saw individuals. I saw people being reunited. I saw people's eyes opened. I saw people's lives changed. I saw joy. I saw new beginnings.

I saw the Kingdom of God. 

I saw a lot, I felt a lot, and I knew that Jesus was smiling down on that gathering under the bridge on that windy Palm Sunday.

Once we sat down, a sense of uneasiness rushed over me and my eyes began to water.

"If only more people could experience this, maybe our world would be different" I thought.

"Why can't more churches be like this?"

A place where people of all circumstances are welcomed. 

No expectations. No rules. No walls. No judgment.

Simply, a group of people with dirty lives meeting to learn and worship God.

A safe haven for all where all are fed, both spiritually and physically.

I'm so glad I was able to get a snidbit of God's kingdom here on Earth.

I pray that more churches like this begin to pop up around the world, because I know it is pleasing to God and life changing for many.

While we were there, Dave and I ran into one of his friends. She used to be homeless, but now has her own place and a husband and continues to come to Church Under the Bridge. Please pray that she continues to succeed and more importantly, delves deeper into her relationship with God. It truly was a joy to meet her and witness the impact of Church Under the Bridge on her life.

May we all experience the Kingdom of God everyday. 

In my mind: Sick and tired of it all

Some of you may know that I have Lyme Disease and maybe you don't (that's okay! If you'd like to learn more, check out my story and Lyme Disease Awareness)

I'm going to be really real right now.

I hope this doesn't seem like a whole bunch of complaining on my part...

usually I'm all about giving a positive message, but

my main objective is to give some insight into what a person with a chronic disease often feels.

(It may sound really negative and I'm sorry, but I promise, my motive is positive.)

Maybe you know someone who is living with a chronic disease or maybe you're the one living with a chronic disease, so in either case, I pray that you find hope.

Maybe you'll find hope in understanding your loved one a little better or maybe you'll find hope by knowing that you aren't the only one feeling this way.

In a few months, it will be 2 years since I've been on treatment, 1 1/2 years of that being aggressive treatment, and over 10 years of symptoms.

This is how I feel about that...

I'm sick and tired of just feeling crappy all the time.

I'm sick and tired of the majority of the medical community being ignorant of this disease that wreaks so much havoc on so many lives.

I'm sick and tired of being a 23 year old and not being able to act like one with my own place and career. 

I'm sick and tired of worrying about if a certain food is going to make me feel worse.

I'm sick and tired of worrying about doing something that might make me feel like I've been run over the next day.

I'm sick and tired of searching for words (serious brain fog and word block often come with Lyme...lovely, huh?! Sorry for that sarcasm haha).

I'm sick and tired of always thinking about what medicine I need to take next.

I'm sick and tired of people saying it's all in my head.

I'm sick and tired of being attached to my heating pad (haha true story).

I'm sick and tired of being the friend that has to cancel 80% of the time because of how I feel.

I'm sick and tired of feeling like I'm on a rollercoaster ride (rollercoasters are fun for the most part, but moving from highs to lows can get old haha).

I'm sick and tired of feeling like the person that makes things difficult for everyone.

I'm sick and tired of Lyme Disease stealing my tears.

I'm sick and tired of people not understanding.

Whew, that was a lot. Sorry I had to unload on you like that. Let me end on a positive note (I always like to be positive ;)

I'm thankful for the people in my life who do love me for all of me...including this yucky disease. It doesn't define me, but it is a part of my life right now. They make life easier for me...what a blessing.

I'm thankful for my doctor...that he has taken the risk to treat despite ignorant rules of the medical community.

I'm thankful for other lymies like myself, for creating such a supportive and encouraging community that gives me such comfort to know that there are some people who actually understand how I feel.

Most of all, I'm thankful for God and His everlasting presence and hope in my life (even when I'm upset and don't understand). I'm still thankful for all that God has taught me during this time and is continuing to teach me.

I hope this has helped you understand my thoughts a little better.

Also, I hope this hasn't made you feel different about me or my writings.

As you may be a friend/loved one of someone who suffers with a chronic disease, I challenge you to be there for that person. If she/he cancels on going out, maybe say, "That's perfectly okay...can I come over and we can watch a movie?" Or simply asking, "How are you feeling today? Don't say okay, but I really want to know how you're feeling...emotionally and physically." People may ask me how I'm feeling physically, but I hardly ever get asked, "How are you feeling emotionally?" Although you may never really understand, all that matters is that you try to understand.

As a person who suffers with a chronic disease, I pray that you know that you aren't alone in this struggle. I pray that you find hope in the only thing that you can find true hope in...God. I pray that you have people in your life (or at least one), that attempt to understand...cares for you...and uplifts you.

My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

Psalm 62:5

Check out dear friend Alisa's (the first person I met with Lyme & my first lyme friend) video and her song about lyme.

My next post will be part of the Following in Your Footsteps series...stay tuned!

ps- thanks for stopping by and hearing me out (if you're new here, my posts aren't usually like this)...it means a lot :)

Reading Plan

Today: Psalm 21-25

Tuesday: Psalm 26-31

Wednesday: Psalm 32-35

Thursday: Psalm 36-39

Friday: Psalm 40-45

Saturday: Psalm 46-50

End Times

 

So today was the first day of the 10 week series about the End Times at church.

It was mainly a foundation of what we will be learning in the following next 9 weeks. I'm excited about the series since we are studying the book of Revelation in the year long reading plan. Many people debate on whether or not, the book of Revelation is literal or figurative. Another common debate is when exactly is Jesus coming back? Not only does the book of Revelation tell us about the end times, but many other books in the Old testament like the book of Daniel and in the New Testament such as 1 John.  

I figured I'd share a few points with you...

 

• Because my hope is in Christ, I can be confident in the future instead of fearful.

If we listen to the media, it can be pretty easy to become fearful of what is to come, but we need to remember that God says He will never leave us. We also need to remember that He knows what is best.

• We don't need Mayan calendars, all we need to know is in God's Word.
 
• We may be right about the facts of the end times, but we may be wrong about the timeline. It's in God's timing, not ours. So we are wasting our time worrying about the future.

1 John 2:28 says, " Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming."

 

Don't worry about the future, be confident about the future!

 

Don't forget our memory verse!

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trouble with temptation

Hey everyone!

I'm back from a few days of Christmas recovery.

 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

This month I've been keeping myself busy with some DIY fun.

These are my latest creations:

 

bookpage wreath

 

Bible verse coasters

 

3D wall art

 

decorative tray

 

Those are just a few things that have kept me busy this month.

 

I've also been doing a lot of reading lately.

Ever since my last post, I've thought a lot about the many different reasons why God became human through Jesus.

In today's reading, Hebrews chapters 1-6, something really stood out to me. It stood out so much that I felt the urge to write about it.

Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Now, I've known this truth, but honestly, I sometimes forget about it, because it's just so hard for me to imagine. Why? I don't know.

I mean, Jesus was a human so of course, He would be tempted.

I guess because He was perfect, I just tend to think He was exempt from temptation, but that's not true.

 

Hebrews 14:5 tells us that He was tempted in every way possible, just like us.

Think of all the things you're tempted to do in a single day.

It may not seem like a lot, but I bet we are tempted more than we even realize.

Jesus faced every temptation, however, He did not follow through like we often do.

Wow. I don't know about you, but that gives me hope.

Jesus can sympathize with us in everything we face.

He must know how hard it is to be tempted.

This shouldn't give us an excuse to follow through with our temptations, but it should motivate us to rely on Him.

 

When we are tempted to shout out in anger, 

Jesus says, "I know how it feels, but rely on me and I can help you resist."

When we are tempted to find pleasure in worldly things,

Jesus says, "I know how it feels, but rely on me and I can give you true happiness."

When we are tempted to give up on our dreams,

Jesus says, "I know how it feels, but rely on me and I will give you your heart's desires."

When we come to Him, His strength can help us resist our temptations.

Disappointment

So last night I was catching up on the book, Mended by Angie Smith. There was definitely a reason why I pushed "pause" on this book and pressed "play" last night. It was perfect timing for me. God is good.

 

Something in the chapter stood out to me...Isaiah 49:23. When I read this, I was like, "woa, hold up, wait a minute!" I know I've read it before, because I've studied Isaiah, but it was like lightbulbs had turned on. So I'm sure you're wondering what Isaiah 49:23 says...

"Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." The last part really got my attention..."those who hope in me will not be disappointed."

 

I think why this verse flashed red lights at me because just a few days ago I was disappointed in someone. Unfortunately, this disappointment really affected my attitude. Not proud of it, but it's true. So when I read this, God used his Holy Spirit to convict me. I realized that I was disappointed because I had put my hope in a person and not God. If I would have looked at this situation in a different light, I would have not been affected in that way. That got me thinking of all the times that I've been disappointed...well, not every single time (because my memory isn't great & I would be thinking for a longgg time). I'm pretty sure that my times of disappointment have stemmed from me not putting my hope in the right person. When a person disappoints me, I shouldn't be surprised because we are humans and we mess up, instead I should put my hope in God. 

 

People can disappoint, but God doesn't. There may be times when I don't understand what God is doing in my life, but that doesn't mean He disappoints me. He has a reason for everything.

 My hope is in Him and no one else.

 

Check out this song...it's one of my favorites!

Cornerstone by Hillsong

 

Also, here is the reading plan I've been following (just in case I miss a day to remind you):

 

 

 

 

Day 6 In Him we find

 

Well, it's the big day...election day!

Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about who I voted for (although you could probably figure that out), who you should vote for, or anything like that.

So no matter what side you are on you might be afraid what the future holds. Even if you are reading this from outside of the U.S., you are probably afraid of something right now. However, I'm going to challenge you to NOT be afraid. That may be hard, but then again, it shouldn't be. Yes, this is a huge day for America, no doubt, but we have to remember that God knows what is going to happen. He has it under control and He has a purpose for everything, no matter who becomes our president. We should not put hope into man, but we should put our hope into God. He is the only one who can really give us hope. Now I believe that He can bring hope through a person, but ultimately He is our one, true hope. Humans mess up, but God doesn't. Now I'm not saying, don't worry about voting.

As citizens, we should vote and we should pray for God's will to be done.

So no matter who wins, God tells us to "Fear not, for I am with you...(Isaiah 41:10)". Psalm 112:7 (NLT) says, "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them." So don't fear, but be confident in God's promises.

 

In Him we find confidence.

 

Check this video out! Mike, the lead singer from Tenth Avenue North talks about fear. Yep, another Tenth Avenue North video. What can I say, I love them!

 

This is the song that goes with it...

So fear not, be confident that God is strong enough to save!

 

The scripture for the read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Luke 21-22.

 

 



Need a little hope?

I just finished a book! Don't you just love finishing a book? I love it when I finish a book. I feel so accomplished, especially since most of my life, reading has been a struggle for me. It may have only been about 260 pages, but hey it was a book! Anyway, I'm sure you're just dying to know what book I read. The book is called "Fools Rush In" by Janice Thompson. I was browsing the free books (nothing's better than free!) on my Nook and came across this one. It's a romantic comedy about a wedding planner from Galveston who has yet to find her own true love. The book tells a story of how the wedding planner, Bella, stumbles upon something different. It was cute and witty, but there was a reoccuring theme for the book that I really enjoyed...hope. 

Credit janicethompson.com

Bella's Italian family hangs onto this one phrase whenever they face obstacles..."finché c'è vita, c'è speranza." Don't worry I'll translate for you..."as long as there is life, there is hope." I don't know about you, but I think that's deep! "As long as there is life, there is hope." This one statement got me thinking.

In the Bible, John 14:6 says, "I [Jesus] am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." You see where I'm going? Jesus is life. We find life in Jesus. So as long as we have Jesus, we have hope. No matter what. As long as I'm keeping Jesus in the center of my life, I will always have hope. This may not seem to be a revolutionary thought to you, but it is to me. 

Of course, I've always known that I find life and hope in Jesus, but I guess this fictional book made me think of it in a different light. With Jesus there is always hope. If I am living for Jesus, I have hope. So it seems simple to me, if you feel hopeless...seek Jesus. He is the only source that can give you life and hope. Nothing else can give you hope. Worldly things will fade away, but Jesus is eternal.   Presidents, jobs, and money can't give us hope. 

Jesus is the only source that gives us eternal hope.

Today's scripture for read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Mark 15-16.

Have a wonderful day!

Who is your defender?

Hey everyone! I'm back again today! I didn't just want to talk about blog awards,

so I wanted to share with you a song that I keep on hearing. I love it! It's called, "Defender" by Chris McClarney. His voice is so unique and soothing...so check out this video and really read the lyrics and try to live like the song.

 

"Resting in Your promise
I will rest within the knowledge that You care
I put my trust in You
Deep within the darkness
Though my enemies surround I will not fear
I put my trust in You

And when I don't know what to do
I will fix my eyes on You
You’re my defender
I hide my hope in You
You are the loving arms my broken heart can run to
I will remember
That there is nothing You can't do
For You are God, You are good
And I surrender
You're my defender

You are strong when I am weakest
You're the peace that passes everything I see
I put my trust in You
I'm surrendering completely
Laying all my cares here at Your feet
I put my trust in You

A mighty fortress is our God
I will not fear, I will not fear
Safe and secure here in Your love
I will not fear, I will not fear"

 

Here's the video :)

 

 

My favorite part of the song is, "I will remember there is nothing you can't do".

Let's fix our eyes on Him!

What's your favorite lyric?

Comment me :)

 

 

P.S.- Scripture today is Mark 4-5...it's pretty awesome! :)

"That's MY story & I'm stickin to it!"

So I made it to church again! 2 Sundays in a row for me and I hope it keeps going! Last Sunday, I blogged about the sermon because I felt that it was great information for us and today is the same. Maybe every Sunday my blog will be my perspective on the sermon I heard that day...hmm "Sunday's Sermon Notes"...I like that.

Anywho, the sermon today was about sharing your story. No, I'm not talking about sharing your funny story about your dog eating your homework or when you spilled spaghetti on your pastor (yes...I've done that...oops!) I'm talking about the story that God has written specifically for you. Did you know that God has written a story for you? He has your complete story on His bookshelf, while all you've read is the current chapter you're in and the previous chapters. I know, I know, all you want to know is how your story ends, trust me, I do too! However, I hate to break it to you, but you can't. No fortune teller or psychic can tell you how your story ends, but God can. That should be encouraging though because remember Jeremiah 29:11? It says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" I know I use that verse all the time, but it is full of hope and I think we all need some hope every once in awhile.

You may be thinking, "Why do I need to share my story? Who cares about my life?" Well, God made you for a reason. There is a reason that you are alive today. When we put our faith and trust in God, He turns our bad story into a good story. He wipes sins away. He gives us a new start. When He does these good things in our lives, we should shout it from the rooftops!

Maybe you're thinking now, "Well, my story isn't interesting...I'm an ordinary Joe." I've got news for you, it doesn't have to be interesting! God can use anyone and anything to show people His love, grace, and mercy. He can use any ordinary Joe. In fact, I think maybe He prefers to use ordinary people. Think about it,He used an ordinary man to build an ark that would save them from the flood. He used an ordinary teenage girl to be Jesus' mother. He used Moses even though Moses claimed he wasn't a good speaker. He used the twelve disciples who were uneducated fisherman and other tradesmen. These are just a few examples, but you get the point...God isn't looking for the most educated and skilled people to use, but He is looking for the ordinary too!

So think about your story right now. Think about how God has provided for you, protected you, changed you and so on. If you have trouble thinking about those things, I can for sure tell you one thing...He has kept you alive! Yes, you may have faced some hard times and things may not have gone your way (remember life on Earth can't be perfect), but I know that God has given you something to be thankful for. Pastor Doyle said, "we should all be able to say that even though we may have an ordinary story, it's extraordinary because God's in it." So think about ways and people you can share your story. God can use you when you talk about your life! Someone may be going through what you went through 3 months ago. Use what God has given you and share it with others. I'd love to hear your story!