Screen Shot Moments

sweet vanilla chai in my cup
music playing 
people passing by in a rather busy coffee shop

laughter
chatter
hustle
bustle

Seems like the perfect setting to let my mind wander.
Thinking to myself:
"I am 23. OH MY GOODNESS."
where does time go?! It passes so quickly. I think of all the adventures, 
the up's the down's, the crazy moments, the God moments...

What sticks out to me is that at the root of all my life happenings, God has had His hand on me since day one. That there was no place I went that His spirit didn't go with me. Whether it was in a bar, in a coffee shop, in Seattle, in Canada, in San Diego, in Oklahoma, in my bedroom, in a hotel, in my kitchen while I was cooking a dinner for 1, moments with my best friends, time with my family. Everywhere. 
I can't say I acknowledged Him every place I went, but looking back I can see His caring, grace-filled, loving hand every place my feet walked.  

I glance back at photos and in an instant I am taken back to that very moment captured. 

Much like this God has really taught me that He keeps photos of every moment I have with Him. He keeps track of the moments I have cried to Him, the moments I have wept at His feet. The moments I have smiled and lifted my head in amazement of all He has done for me. The moments I was worried for a test and said a quick prayer. The moments I lead a small group and laughed with some amazing young girls. The moments I went to conferences to just be with Him. The time my parents got a divorce and I wanted to abandon Him. The times I rejoiced even in my suffering.  
He captures every moment. And He never forgets. He never forgets the time when you cried to Him instead of getting on the phone and venting to a friend. He never forgets the moments when He took your breath away and the sunset He painted for you. He has every moment almost like a scrapbook in Heaven. 
When I get there I hope there is not just a few pages and that was all my life was with Him. The rest were just me going to church on Sunday and that was all. I hope my life is moments with Him that i can look back and see how that moment took me to the next moment and deeper and deeper with Him. How I grew from faith to faith as He walked with me. I hope this scrapbook has an unseen member in our family photo one day. That in the comings and goings that God is always that unseen member. 

I hope as life moves on and moments are being created that you and I remember that God treasures the time you spend with Him. Not just on a Sunday morning (although those are vital of course) but the moments you can just be raw and real with your Creator. He takes note and takes a screen shot of the precious moments you spend with Him. 

:)

The Power of Prayer

 head bowed

fingers inter-locked, 

heart open...

Here is where I find strength. 

There are many things in life that try and take you down. Bills, work, stress, relationships. So many things prying for our "Awe" and attention. The more I think about the power of prayer the more I realize I can go from "Panic to Peace" just by bending my knees. 

Some of the most raw, real relationships I've ever had have come with being so open and honest in prayer. Times I will never forget crying before God and asking for peace and strength to make it through. I think the biggest misconception about prayer is why should we? Does God really listen? What happens when nothing happens? 

“You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart…” Jeremiah 29:13

This verse brought me so much comfort in knowing that even though I don't have all the answers that I serve a God that I can just talk to (prayer) and He can bring me peace in the storms, and calm the anxieties of my soul. The essence of prayer is to become more like Jesus. That as we pray we begin to know Him, intimately. 

How beautiful is a heart that is surrendered to Him, and that admits we NEED His help! He is there in a second. The second we call on His name He is there. God WANTS to be apart of your everyday life. He wants to be involved in everything you are doing. The coming, the going, the up's, the down's, the overwhelming times, the heart aches, the tears, the joy, the laughter. He wants to be there. 

Run after God today. Surrender and seek Him, and see how He moves in your life! 

What can you thank God for? What are areas do you need His guidance and help in?

My First Blog!

So I thought I should try this out and see what happens!

This blog serves as a purpose to post about my "nanny diaries," thoughts, devotions, some Jesus, some pics, something just fun! I hope you all enjoy and learn more about me as I blog about my crazy, amazing, adventurous, fun life!

For my first blog i thought i would write something that has been on my heart these past couple days.

"God loves you." I grew up a youth pastors kid followed by a dad in leadership in the church... the amount of times I heard that phrase is more than the number of Starbucks you have had in your life. I have always known that God loves me. Never a doubt in my mind. Been to countless Conferences on God's love, heard so many sermons on love. It was almost like i could predict what the preacher would say before he said it.Until that phrase became a reality in my life it was almost just words I knew in my head, but my heart never had a true encounter with the Love of God. I felt like I had to earn His love. The more "good" I did the more He loved me and the more I messed up His love would be less and less. That is the biggest lie and unfortunately is a main factor in why people fall away from God, or never even want to be involved in the first place. This battle was hard for me because as I sinned and messed up I felt like I was further and further away from Him.You know when you were younger and when you disobeyed your parents you got "the look?" My parents always had a look that would strike fear right to my very core when I knew I was caught in something i shouldn't be doing. That's how I felt about God. I felt like He would be angry and give me a "look" every time I sinned and fell short of His standards. The closer and closer I am getting to God, the more i realize He has a permanent smile towards me. His countenance is always joyful when He thinks of me. He sees Jesus when He thinks of me. His perfect son who took  my place. I no longer need to hang my head when I fall short but I can look up and know that He still loves me the same. That doesn't; however, give me the license to do whatever I want... but it makes me want to do what pleases Him because I know He is happy with me. This confidence keeps me going. This confidence is something worth living for. The fact that i have a God who is FOR me and loves me unconditionally. No matter what. What else do I need?! The verses I leave with you are ones that remind me of His perma-smile towards me! Never forget that He loves you and He is smiling from Heaven down on you! 

Your God is present among you. Happy to have your back, He'll calm you with His love and delight you with His songs. - Zephaniah 3:17

God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He's rich in love. He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over earth so strong is His love to those who fear Him. And as far as the sunrise is from the sunset He has separated us from our sins. - Psalm 103:8-12