Christmas-A day in my life

     Here are some picture I took Christmas day. For those of you who didn't know; my Mom had just had knee replacement surgery a couple days prior. (So that explains the hospital picture.) For those of you who have been praying for her, THANKS! She is doing really well with her recovery. :)

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you're stronger, stronger than you know

Don't you give up now

The sun will soon be shinning

You gotta face the clouds

To find the silver lining

I've seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn't ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I've seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard

Impossible is not a word

It's just a reason for someone not to try

Everybody's scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water, it'll be alright

Life is so much more

Than what your eyes are seeing

You will find your way

If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn't ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

That's what faith can do :)

Have a good New Year!

In His Arms,

<3 D

His Forgiveness

     "My Father...is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand." 

John 10:29

     Two nights ago I had a conversation with a friend. This friend is someone I haven't known very long, but she means a ton to me. She has been through more than most people will ever have to go through, but her story is one that screams HOPE. Her story isn't finished yet, but I am so grateful that God allowed her story to mingle with mine. This girl is the bravest, strongest person I have ever had the privileged of meeting, but on this particular night, when this conversation took place, she was extremely discouraged. Seeing someone way stronger than me, yet on the verge of giving up is a scary thing. But as she spoke, the words coming from her mouth began sounding way to familiar. It reminded me of all the times I had messed up, I had known the truth, but I was unwilling to let it set me free. Until two nights ago I had always seen my relationship with God as something that I could lose. I had believed that salvation was not something you could earn, but a free gift, yet deep down I was terrified of messing up, of doing something wrong enough to be separated from Him. In my mind I had placed a limit on how much He could forgive me.

     Now this is where what I am trying to convey might get a little complicated, but please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say. God is pure and He is Holy, and it is true that He can't stand sin. Sin is the complete opposite of His being. But what I (and my friend) hadn't realized is that if we have a relationship with Him and yet fall into sin, it doesn't separate us from Him. He is still there. He is still our Heavenly Father. Yes, seeing us in sin breaks His heart, and no, we can't be living life in sin and think that it won't hurt our relationship with God. But as soon as you fall, in that instant He is right by your side, just waiting for you to give Him the okay to pull you back up into His arms. My friend was delaying getting right with God because she was ashamed. She "knew" that He would forgive her, but she was scared. I knew exactly how she was feeling, I had felt that way many times before. The feeling that you have messed up so badly that you put off getting right with Him because you don't even know if He is listening to you anymore. But two nights ago, God showed me and this friend that that is completely a lie from Satan. When Jesus died on the cross, He cleansed us from all our sins, not just some, not just the ones we committed before we meet Him. When you except Jesus into your heart, you are not only excepting His forgiveness for past sins, but you are excepting His forgiveness for the sins that you have yet to even commit. As soon as we establish a relationship with Him we are pure, we are white, we are clean. Nothing we have done and nothing we will do will ever be able to change that.

     *Deep breath* :) My God is amazing. Just to clarify a bit, if you are a believer forgiveness is something that you have already received. But there is something called the fear of the Lord. That is something that is vital to a believers walk with God. That is what keeps us on track with Him, moving forward. It's not the fear of passing a certain limit of forgiveness, but it is having a fear of losing the intimacy of a personal relationship with God, a relationship that holds no competing affections and no sinful habits.

I apologize for my lack of writing ability. My closing thought is this: I hope that you have found this post encouraging! I write of mine and my friends experiences in hopes that you will be able to live life without finding yourself where we found ourselves; believing Satan's binding lies. A special thanks to my friend for her allowing me to share! Babe, God has done a beautiful job writing the last chapters of your story! Don't ever be discouraged, He has chosen you. :)

Please! :) Be encouraged!
In His Arms,
<3 D

Peru: Sábado: Dia Siete

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

~1 Corinthians 10:31

     Peru trip three has come to an end. Leaving here...it makes me sick just to think about it. God did a lot this last week and I have been very blessed to be apart of it. The team was obviously hand picked by God, and I loved growing closer to each one of them. I will be looking forward to the next time that God allows me to come back to this amazing country. Until then? It's simple: I'm leaving my heart in Peru. 

Thank you all for your prayers, they were definitely felt!

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Viernes: Dia Seis

"...Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passeth though the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am thy God, the Holy one of Israel, thy Savior..."

~Isaiah 43:1-3

     Went to a hospital and spend some time with the kids with AIDS. It was so precious to be able to dance and talk with them for a few hours. It's amazing how open to the gospel Peru is. After the hospital, we had another meeting with the gangs-the Lord is doing an incredible work with the people of Peru. I am so unbelievably blessed to be able to be apart of it. 

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Jueves: Dia Cinco

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

~Hebrews 13:2

     Today I met an angel. A beautiful 74 year old women named "Blanca" came to know the Lord this afternoon. She shared bits and pieces of her story with me and it completely broke my heart. She was starving to hear more about the Savior, but when I handed her a Bible, she informed me with tears in her eyes that she couldn't read. After spending much time contently listening to myself and Hannah (one of my best friends) share everything we could think of with her about God, she humbly followed me in a prayer to receive Jesus into her life. Praise God we will see her again!

Please, keep Blanca in your prayers!

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Miércoles: Dia Cuatro

"And it shall come to pass, in that day, that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrows, and from thy fear, and from they hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve." 

~Isaiah 14:3

     This week we were very blessed to be given the opportunities to spend a lot of time with the V.I.P. of Peru. But my favorite part of Peru is not shaking hands with the mayors, or sitting around fancy restaurants eating plates that cost more than my bank account, it's not even meeting with the gangs leaders and the teens in there barrios. (Though all of that is amazing!) My favorite part of Peru, the part that completely stole my heart, are the kids. Every time we have to leave a shelter or an orphanage it's impossible to try and rip my heart back from those beautiful, brown eyes, and those dirty, little hands. 

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Martes: Dia Tres

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
~Psalms 118:24

     Today I fell in love with my Savior all over again. I love Him. I honestly and truly love Him. I'm crazy about Him. I think about what He has done for me, and I get all gitty inside. I think about how much He knows me, and yet how much He loves me anyway...I am so overwhelmed, so undeserving. Today, I wish He was physically in the room with me. I know that whoever sees the face of God can't live? But if I die, then I can look into His gorgeous eyes, hold His powerful hands, and hug His scarred and perfect body . Oh, to be dead. He is all I need. I am content with Him. 

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus...

...Look full in His wonderful face...

...And the things of earth will grow strangely dim...

...In the light of His glory and grace."

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Lunes: Dia Dos

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk you in it..."
~Isaiah 30:21

     Today the Lord blew my mind. He drew a doorman named "Caesar" to Himself. I ask God to work through me oh so often, yet I am always so surprised when He does. :) My God is so much bigger, so much better, that I ever give Him credit for. Today I learned something: Never ignore the promptings of the Lord. He will give you fruit, if you are willing to obey Him. 

Please, keep Caesar in your prayers!

In His Arms,

<3 D

Peru: Domingo: Dia Uno

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so."
~Psalms 107:2

     Today I realized the importance of FE. As I was sharing the gospel with a older gentleman named "Bob" on my flight to Lima, my heart sank when I realized that no matter how hard I tried, my faith wasn't going to be enough for him. My FE won't ever be enough for others, they must obtain it and know it for themselves. Everyone, at one point in there life makes a conscious decision whether they will take their intellect off the throne or whether they will step out with just mustard seed sized FE. FAITH, it's hard and scary at first, but it will be more than worth it in the end.

Please, keep Bob in your prayers!

In His Arms,
<3 D

"I am sending you to them..."

Ezekiel 2:4-8

"I am sending you to them...and you shall speak My words to them."

In six hours, I and group of twenty take off for Lima, Peru. Though this will be my third trip to the country of Peru, I could not have been more undeserving and blessed to be given this opportunity. I feel unprepared and very unworthy, but somehow by the grace of God, I think I'm ready. I'm ready to see what God is going to do and I am ready to watch the Savior call His beautiful people to Himself. 

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Joshua 1:9

 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared. I know that (for some crazy reason) God has called me to THIS country, on THIS trip, at THIS time, to speak of His truth and to tell His story. But I also know that we are called to be "Sober minded and vigilant, because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking out who he may devour." PLEASE, please, keep myself and the rest of the group in your prayers this week. The Lord has something unimaginable planned for this nation, these people and this trip, but Satan wants nothing more than to stop, get in the way, fight, distract, and hurt in any and every way he possibly can. 

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

God is BIG and I am expecting Him to do a mighty work in the nation of Peru. Only through His strength, not our own. May His perfect will be done. Be praying!

In His Arms,

<3 D

Imagine for a moment...

     Imagine for a moment, that you’re living a life that’s not your own. It’s a boring life. There is no real point to your existence. Every day goes on just like the ones before it. Again and again you try with no avail to bring happiness, contentment, excitement, passion, joy, feeling, anything into this life you lead, yet time and time again it all feels futile. No matter how hard you try to change, the outcome is inevitable, stuck in a never ending cycle. You don’t feel like fighting it anymore, because every time you do, you come out on the losing end. You barely feel anymore, all that’s left to your life is emptiness. 

     Now imagine for a moment, that in this same life, this same empty existence, that you meet someone. This person turns your whole world upside down. It’s the introduction of a lifetime. Soon after you meet Him you find yourself unable to think of anything but Him. He makes you want to change the way you speak, the way you think, the things you do. Not only is He constantly on your mind, but everyone, everything, falls into the background as you become completely consumed with Him. For the first time in your life, you feel everything you’ve ever wanted to, with just a glimpse of Him. You can’t stop smiling; nothing can kill the joy inside of you. You’re completely head over heels in love with this guy and He’s changed your life.

     But that’s not all. You want to show Him off. You want your family and friends to see the reason for your passion, the reason for your excitement.  You want them to meet the love of your life. You want them to know Him. You want them to see the way you look at Him, and they way He looks at you. You want them to overhear the inside jokes He whispers in your ear. You want them to understand why you’re so crazy in love with Him. You want them to see His beauty, because you know that’s all they’ll ever need. It was all you ever needed.

     Can you see yourself in this life? Happy, content, changed. All because of one person who made you become who you always wished to be. Can you feel the growing desire to bring Him home to meet the ones you love? Now imagine, for that last time, that your family and friends refuse to meet Him. You want nothing more than to tell them of His perfection, of all the things He has done for you, but they don’t want to hear it. Not only do they refuse to give Him credit for all the changes in your life, but they don’t even want you to speak of Him. You have finally found the love you have been waiting for your whole life, and they don’t even believe He exists.

     This post is to all those people out there that I love and yet refuse to believe. He is real, He is why I breathe, He is the reason I’m alive, and no matter how many times you tell yourself that the one who stole my heart is all in my mind, in that same moment that you doubt, He is calling you. Though you two have never met, He knows your name, He knows what makes you smile, He knows what makes you cry, He knows you because He created you, and He is calling you to be His child. He changed my life, and all He wants is to be able to change yours too. Just listen…

In His Arms,

<3 D

Matthew 14:28-29

 "Lord, if it's You," Peter replied, "tell me to come to You on the water."

"Come," He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat,

walked on the water

and came towards Jesus.

In His Arms,

<3 D

Being Weak...

 
     I am praying God will give me a lot of grace with this post, because I know exactly what I want to say...I'm just not quite sure how to say it.

     Do you ever feel discouraged? Do you ever try really hard to do the "right thing," but you don't understand why it's so hard? Do you ever feel alone? Do you ever find yourself trying to do something that you are sure God will be proud of, yet you find yourself struggling? Do you ever feel weak?

     The truth is most of us go to great lengths to disguised our weaknesses. We try and prove that we're strong, that we can handle anything that gets thrown our way...(don't even try to pretend this doesn't apply to you. We all do it.)

     During the past week, I felt very incapable. Very weak. Like I couldn't do anything right. I didn't understand why I thought I was on track with God, yet things were still hard. I felt discouraged. I felt weak. Last night my (heavenly) Daddy gave me answers to why this was. (He is kind of perfect like that.) Through a book, he gave me these words: "Trying to live the Christian life out of your own power is ridiculous. Why would a person do that? Why would you walk when you can ride? Being filled with the power of the (Holy) Spirit begins with an honest acknowledgement of our own weakness."

     After receiving God into your life, the next best gift He gives us is His Holy Spirit. I believe once you have surrendered your life to Him, you are given access to the Holy Spirit, all you have to do is..well, access it. :) This is what the Bible has to say about it:

• 2 Cor. 12:9-10 "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness...For when I am weak, then I am strong."

That was exactly what I was missing... 

• Acts 1:8 "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you..."

All you have to do is ask for it. And with His Spirit comes amazing grace (to do the hard things,) and this, this perfect unexplainable peace. (Apparently, "unexplainable" is not a word-says my computer.)

• Gal. 3:3 "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to obtain your goal by human effort?" 

Enough said? I think so. Well, one of my many weaknesses is my lack of writing talent, so I hope you picked up what I was attempting to put down. :) Blessings!

In His Arms,

<3 D

The Arms that hold the Universe

 

     I just got back from spending a week in the North woods of Michigan. I love it there...so peaceful and calm. I knew it'd be a great place to spend some much needed time ALONE with God. I headed up with some pretty big questions for God to give answers to, and an even bigger problem I needed His solution for.
   
     While there I spent a lot of time in prayer. Prayer is something I often overlook. But after this week, I don't know how people get through life without it. Prayer is the most humbling, intimate thing I have ever experienced. Being that open and vulnerable in front of the God who created the stars in the sky.
   
     I'm ashamed to admit this, but I am a huge worrier. (And the people who know me best, know that that is an understatement.) I worry a lot, about a lot of different things, all the time. I have always been a worrier. Ever since I can remember I've kept "Worry Lists". (Never heard of those before? For the longest time I thought such things were common.) By "Worry Lists" I quite literally mean a "Lists of Worries." Whenever I would start feeling panicked or anxious, I'd write down all the things that were worrying me, so that I could take time to worry about each one. I feel stupid for admitting that, but it's the truth. This week God really spoke to me in this area. I've waisted so much time worrying when I could of been praying. God gave me these verses:

• Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God..." 
• Matthew 6:25-34 "...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..."

     I've learned a lot this week, but it all sums up to this: My God is FAITHFUL. 

So be encouraged! Next time you got a worry, big or small, give it to the God who created life. He promises to carry your burdens if you let Him. He is faithful and He is strong, He can take it, He has already got the whole world in His hands. <3

"I know it seemsLike this could beThe darkest day you've knownBut believe you meThe God of strengthWill never let you goHe will overcome, I know
And the arms that hold the universeAre holding you tonightYou can rest insideIt's gonna be alrightAnd the voice that calmed the raging seaIs calling you His childSo be still and know He's in controlHe will never let you go
Through many dangers, toils and snaresYou have already comeHis grace has brought you safe this farAnd His grace will lead you home
You can hope, you can rise, you can standHe has still got the whole world in His handsYou can hope, you can rise, you can standHe's still got the whole world, the whole world in His hands"

In His Arms, 

<3 D

My Family

There are few things on this earth that are special to me. Those “things” are people. People are not perfect, in fact the people I know are the furthest from. People come and people go…I have much experience in this, and I know it to be true. Some people you slowly get to know and you slowly grow apart. Some people you bond with quickly and then quickly fall apart. Some people you don’t choose, but they are given to you, placed in your life for reasons only God knows. 

There is a group of people that are purely blessings I will never over look. They are the people who know me

best. They are the people I would give my life for. They are the people whose lives have intersected mine from the beginning of my existence. They are the people who the Lord has with precision and purpose placed in my life. These people are the most important things to me with the only exception of my relationship with God. I wouldn't be the same without them. I love them more than I love myself, and I thank God for them every day. They are my family. 

A couple weeks ago, I went home for a annual family vacation to Hilton Head, (a small island off the cost of South Carolina.) Sadly, my older sister couldn't make it, but it was amazing getting to spend time with the rest of my family and some much needed time in the sun! ;) I am very grateful to my Grandparents for making the vacation possible! Here are some pic's from the trip!

In His Arms,

<3 D