Do you live in the light or in the dark?

"All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God."

John 3:20-21

Do you live your life in the light or in the dark? What do I mean by this? Do you hide in the dark because you claim to be a follower of Christ but you still do things that are of the world? OR  Do you live your life in the light because you know that you are whole heartedly living your life for Christ?  This is such a tough question to ask yourself but it is a question that needs to be asked and answered truthfully!

How are you going to answer this question? If changes need to be made..What are you going to do to make those changes?

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror"

James 1:23

Our lives are truly valuable in God's eyes and we should treat it that way each and every day of our life on this earth! 

"the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough"

Psalm 49:8

Who Has Your Back?

For you, God, tested us;
   you refined us like silver.
 You brought us into prison
   and laid burdens on our backs.
 You let people ride over our heads;
   we went through fire and water,
   but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66:10-12

The only word I have to describe this verse is....WOW!!! Such an eye opening verse that explains our lives as sinners completely. The God of the world created us to be followers of him in the beginning and where we went from there is another story. Some decided to follow Him and others decided to go out on their own and experience the world. With each step that was taken we are each struck with things that worry us, things that are falling apart, lives that are lost and a feeling of being all alone. We all have burdens struggles in this life on earth but how we handle those struggles is another story. Each and EVERY person has a savior, a father whose desire is to take them and put His arms around them and hug them. A man that is with them through everything. Whether you choose to follow Him is totally up to you.

I am so glad that I have made the decision to follow Him and allow Him to be the protector of my life. Will things always be easy? NO! Will my life be perfect? NO! By putting my trust in Him, a weight has been lifted off my back. Even though things may get hard and I may not understand the reasoning behind everything, I know that someone has my back.  Does someone TRULY have your back?

 

A Weekend Getaway to the Mountains

This past weekend my hubby and I celebrated our FIRST wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it has already been a year.  It has been an absolutely fantastic year and I am looking forward to many more! So to celebrate this momentous occasion we decided to travel back to our honeymoon spot in Tennessee! I think that we have decided that Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is going to become a family tradition for us because we enjoy it so much. Our trip wasn't a week like our honeymoon but four days away was perfect! The mountains are starting to grow on me even if that does mean dealing with the snow. 

My favorite part of the trip was not only getting to spend time with the love of my life but I also loved the hiking.  I feel like a totally accomplished a lot. On Saturday, we got out early and hiked about 3 miles to Laurel Falls and got to enjoy the peacefulness of the running water. I honestly could have just sat there and fell asleep .

  

 After we finished the first trail we moved on to Cade's Cove.  Cade's Cove is an eleven mile  driving/biking/walking trail. Nate and I decided to drive around it and just stop when we saw something that interested us.  Our next stop was to Abram's Falls.  This is an 5 mile hike to another beautiful waterfall. For those of you that don't know me...I am not a hiker AT ALL.  So the thought of doing five more miles after the three I just did earlier.  I felt such a feeling of accomplishment when we got finished with the hike and I was still alive and smiling!  Not only did I get to spend time with the love of my life doing what he loves to do but I also accomplished a big task!

 

The next day was filled with relaxation and some fun enjoying the sights of Gatlinburg! We had a wonderful brunch at the Pancake Pantry followed by the craziness of the Ripley's Mirror Maze and finished it off by walking around and looking through the unique shops. We enjoyed a wonderful anniversary dinner at Bullfish Grill!  It is probably one of my favorites!

I feel so blessed to have been able to spend our one year anniversary in a place that we love just enjoying each other's company!  God has truly blessed us and I look forward to our future and all the things that God has in store for us! 

 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:5-8

Do you have faith?

Lately as I have been enjoying my quiet time God has illuminated faith to me. Do I have faith?  Do I trust the Lord with my life? Have I surrendered all of me to him? As I ask myself these questions it becomes apparent that I don't always put my complete trust in him.  Why is that? I know that God can get me through everything and is always there, but I guess me being me just wants to handle it all on my own.  As I have studied and grown in my faith I have come to really admire Abraham.  I desire to have a faith like Abraham did.  Numerous times in the bible you read about how Abraham puts his whole trust in the Lord even when he doesn't know what is going to happen.  Can I do that?

"The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land I will show you.
  I will make you a great nation, 
       and I will bless you. 
    I will make you famous, 
       and you will be a blessing to others.
  I will bless those who bless you, 
       and I will place a curse on those who harm you. 
    And all the people on earth 
       will be blessed through you."

 So Abram left Haran as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him."

Genesis 12:1-4

Abraham or Abram didn't ask questions when God asked him to leave his country and go to some mysterious land.  He had no idea where he was going or what he would be doing but he went anyway with no questions asked. Wow! Talk about complete trust and obedience to the Lord.  Another place in scripture where Abraham showed his obedience and trust in the Lord was in Genesis 22 when God asked him to take his ONLY son and kill him and make him a burnt offering. This is the son that God provided to Abraham and his wife Sarah when they were very old in age.  What an amazing faith Abraham had!

As I was reading "Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss it was illuminated to me why it is so hard for us to surrender all that we are.  She says that our fears about relinquishing total control of our lives to God falls into 4 categories....

1)  Provision - Will I have what I need?

2)  Pleasure - Will I be happy?

3)  Protection - Will I (and those I love) be safe?

4)  Personal Relationships - Will my relational needs be met?

Abraham is an example as to why we shouldn't worry about the fears that we are having.  He shows us that if we put our faith in Christ that he will fulfill his promises that he has made to us.   So why not take this BIG step of faith and put your entire trust in the Lord.  I know I'm ready to take that step! 

A Year Already?...Where Does the Time Go?

On another one of my daily drives, I am worshiping the Lord and the song that comes on brings my husband to my mind. I cannot believe that on March 13th we have been married for a year! Such a great thought and a smile shines across my face.  God has truly blessed me with an AWESOME man of God! Nate is such a great encourager and is filled with a great amount of wisdom. I know that if I want to have an intense conversation about our Lord and Savior that he is my go to man.

Thank you Lord for my AMAZING husband, Nate! 

 

Has God put someone in your life that you have been blessed by?

Two people are better than one,
       because they get more done by working together.
  If one falls down,
       the other can help him up.
    But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls,
       because no one is there to help.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10