A life changing resolution.

As New Years approaches, the common occurrence is to make resolutions for the upcoming year-- exercise more, eat less, change your life for the better.  If you want to make a resolution that could really improve your life-the part that matters, resolve to spend more time in the Word.  David B. Curtis wrote, "Our spiritual maturity, or our deliverance from the destructive effects of sin is directly connected to the Word of God and our willingness to respond to it."
James 1:21 says, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
How you receive the Word of God will greatly affect and influence the way you live your life.
Lay aside any "filth" that is hindering you from hearing, learning and obeying the truth: having a "teachable spirit".
James 1:22 says "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself."
A commonality of Christians is to mark up their Bibles, highlight the important verses--the verses that "speak to us" or "sounded good".  We are not just to occasionally do the Word, we are to be doers of the Word, a constant action.
Don't be a spectator. Do it.
James 1:23-24 says, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was."
When we look in the mirror, we immediately see the flaws of our appearance.  Instead of walking away, we fix the flaws.  If you don't change something on the spot, as soon as you walk away, you get busy with life and forget about what you saw.
Deal with it when you notice it.  Don't hear the Word, be convicted, then walk away.  Make the change.

This year, make a resolution that counts.  Make one that matters and that will increase your faith and strengthen your walk.

Happy New Year!

A people undeserving.

And I know You gave the world
Your only Son for us

To know your name
To live within the Savior's love

He took my place
Knowing He'd be crucified
You loved, You loved
A people undeserving.



This blows my mind.

it can wait.

Today, my mom showed me this video.  It's one of those things where I tell her, "yeah mom, but I'm good at it.  I don't even look at my phone, I know where the keys are without taking my eyes off the road."  She preceded to tell me that it doesn't matter if you don't take your eyes off the road to reply, but its in the microsecond you look away to view the message that anything could happen. I take it so lightly. After watching this, I realized that it really is a big deal.  I am definitely guilty of doing it. I'm sure the majority of people will view it as "not a big deal" when in reality, it could cost you your life, or the life of someone else.  

It's one of those issues that I think, "that will never happen to me".  This is probably the worst way to look at it.  No one ever thinks that something will "happen to them".  

 I'm glad I feel guilty because I would be concerned if I didn't.

It could cost someone their life, or could cause someone to live with the guilt of taking someone else's life on their shoulders. 

It's a big deal.

Think next time you reach for your phone. 

It can wait.

Let it snow.

There's something about being at home watching it snow. Peaceful much?

Meant to live for so much more.

Genesis 2:4-25, 1 John 1, "Dive Deep".

In my devotions this morning, I read about how we were made in God's image; everyone. Each and every person on the earth was made in the image of our Father.  But what were we created for? What were we specifically designed to do? Each person has special talents and gifts and were created for a unique purpose.  Although we each have unique talents and purpose, there is a commonality that all humans share: the need for relationships. We wonder why it is so easy to get caught up in Facebook and Twitter and texting;  it is because we are trying any way to stay connected in social relationships.  That's not a bad thing, however it is important to invest in relationships in other ways, too.
So what do people live for?

What about those who live for getting awards?  From academics, to sports--all those are great, its good to have ambition and passions, but they're just not what we were all created for.

Some live life to make money, to have a high position in a company.  Having money is not a bad thing, but even if we plan to give it all away, its still not what we were created for.

The one thing we are all created for is a relationship.  We were all created with a huge need for a relationship with God, and with other people.  1 John 1:3 says that He created us to be in a relationship with him and with other believers  The word "relationship" means "connection".  This is one reason why God created the Church--to build strong relationships with others and to come together to worship our creator as one body.

Awards don't last.
Money doesn't last.
Relationships last.
Invest wisely.

A View from Above.

When you're 35,000 feet in the air, its easy to forget about everything and to marvel at creation.  On my way home, I gazed out over an ocean of clouds; I escaped reality.  For a second, I forgot about the billions of people down below me and even blocked out the two hundred on the plane.  They were experiencing a storm, as I was above it, taking in the sunlight- that I hadn't seen for days.

I sat. I stared.  The sight left me breathless.  Being caught up in every day life, its easy to forget that the sun rises and sets every day, bringing and leaving a new piece of beautiful and unique art work in the sky.  

Stop and stare for a while. Let the Lord take your breath away.

Photo by: Ron Barrett

Waking up in Coeur d'Alene

For Christmas this year, my parents booked tickets to fly my family up to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to visit relatives.  Arriving, the temperature was 13 degrees with a fresh blanket of snow.  We spent the week reading, drinking coffee, and relaxing, and watching it snow--first time being able to do absolutely nothing in a while.  Waking up to the view of the beautiful lake and spending time with my beautiful family made me realize, once again, how blessed I truly am.

"Before the mountains were born, or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God."  Psalm 90:2

Organized Chaos.

Excerpt from William P. Young's "The Shack".

“It was chaos in color.  His eyes tried unsuccessfully to find some order in this blatant disregard for certainty.  Dazzling sprays of flowers were blasted through patches of randomly planted vegetables and herbs, vegetation the likes of which Mack had never seen.  It was confusing, stunning, and incredibly beautiful.”

“From above it’s a fractal…” Sarayu said over her shoulder.

Every step he [Mack] took changed whatever patterns he for an instant thought he had seen, and nothing was like it had been.

“A fractal…something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified.  A fractal is almost infinitely complex.  I love fractals, so I put them everywhere.”

“Looks like a mess to me,” said Mack.

“That IS exactly what this is—a mess.  “But,” she looked back at Mack and beamed, “it’s still a fractal, too.”


My world is not all together--it's a mess actually.    
What happens after I graduate?
Where do I go to graduate school?
What happens next?
I don't want to grow up.
Through all the uncertainties, however, I know a few things as well...


I know that I am blessed with an extremely amazing family.
I know that the world I live in is breathtaking and has a Creator with a sense of humor.
I know that there is no place like home.
I know that He promised He will never leave me or forsake me.
I know that when I least expect greatness, something great happens.
And I know that things happen for a reason.


Looking at the life I have been blessed with...


It is confusing.
It is stunning.
It is incredibly beautiful.
It is a fractal.