water

Here is my latest revelation……
So the other day I was reminded of how much I need to drink water. I was at work, then went to the gym after work. I hadn’t really drank any water and didn’t really feel thirsty – so didn’t think much of it. I meant to grab a bottle of water before I left for the gym and forgot…no big deal.
So I get a quick drink from the drinking fountain and then hop on a machine and run for awhile. I get thirsty when I run – but its not terrible…so when I forget water – I just kind of suck it up and get a drink when I’m done.
But here's where the regret kicks in…cuz after I run and am on my way home I get SO thirsty. I mean really really thirsty. And so when I get home I get a drink (or a few) and I get a little less thirsty but I can just feel my body craving water so much. like lots of it.
And I drink water – but every time this happens I just hate it cuz i have way too much water just sitting in my body but i'm still so thirsty...(haha...does this happen to anyone else?) because my body needs more water in that moment than I can physically give it fast enough. So it just stays thirsty until I can get enough water in it. and its just uncomfortable. and it makes it worse knowing that i could have prevented it - by just drinking a little more water!
So here’s my thought…
In my life if I’m digging into God’s Word, praying, constantly looking for Him in my everyday life – its like im drinking water all the time. And so when something comes up – something big or difficult or overwhelming – it might still be tough, and it might still hurt – but I’m gonna bounce back a LOT faster. But if I’m not in the Word daily, not leaning on God and I haven’t been drinking Him in regularly…I’m going to be thirsty. And when the hard times come - I’m going to try to make up for lost time by grabbing for Him and trying to shove in all the “God stuff” I can to prepare myself for what i know is coming – but there’s no way I can learn and soak in ENOUGH of it FAST enough so that it doesn’t hurt for a little while.
Sure it’ll cushion the hard time and God will eventually teach me what I need to know…but the whole time I’ll be thinking –
why didn’t I just do this little by little all along?

Timothy 4:15-16
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Mark 24:44
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him

-ALIVE

believe

ok...so i went to {em-pou-er} conference today. all i can say about it is...wow.

God showed up today. His presence was SO powerful. the main speaker we brought in was Grace Johnson. she is a potter and an incredible woman of God and she shared her story while on stage and made pottery while she was speaking. it was incredible to watch. and so beautiful because she talked about how she is the potter molding this clay like God is the potter molding us, His clay. and so as she works with the clay - she speaks to the clay like God speaks to us.

one thing that i want to share that hit me really deeply was when she was talking about how amazing it was that God could love on her, and touch her, and move her. and then she talked about a time when she asked God about it - and asked how she could touch Him, love Him, move Him the way that He does us.

and God told her -

"believe."

believe that He is everything. believe that He will fulfill His promises. believe that He will come through. and believe that He is so deeply in love with you.

and believe it enough to let Him mold you.

and she spoke those words like God was talking directly to me...and it was like God was standing in front of me, asking me to believe. "just believe in me. i just want you to trust me, i want you to show me you love me by trusting me"

that's powerful stuff.

have you ever thought of what it means to God to know that you trust Him with your life? that you really do believe with everything in you that He is going to take care of you?

His love is just too amazing to fathom. and He is OUR GOD. let that soak in...He created the earth, He is a king above all other kings. He has a plan for each and every one of His children...and He loves me. deeply, powerfully, and initmately loves ME. and you.

so just take a second or a few and let that sink in.

and start believing Him...

and He will mold you into the breathtaking masterpiece He designed for you to be.

God proved Himself faithful in so many ways today. and i am beyond grateful for every single one of the many ppl that volunteered to run sound, serve/prepare food, clean up tables, ALL of it. i am just in awe of the body of Christ and i know i take them all for granted. so today i just really really want to appreciate them. to say thank you and to say that i love them so much and love their hearts to take up their saturday morning to serve their sisters in Christ. it was amazing.

-ALIVE

{em-pou-er}

hello again friends! :)

i know this is not technically ALIVE related but its been a huge part of sarah and i's lives for the last few months...:)

haha...but TOMORROW is the ladies mini-conference called {em-pou-er}. it has come together in such a crazy way and we've spent the week setting up and finalizing details and its just truly TRULY amazing that we are not here...the night before...and its all ready.

steph page and i met with the speaker tonight and helped them set up and oh. my. goodness. this woman, in a matter of literally 5 min, just reminded me of the sheer awesomeness of being able to enter God's presence.

i mean - powerful stuff people! but i tell you this because we have an AMAZING group of women coming to Edinbrook tomorrow and i just ask that you PRAY. pray pray pray. God is going to do amazing things - i feel it. and i am beyond excited.

He is just so so good.

-ALIVE

Just for fun

I just downloaded this super cool app onto my computer, its just like a paint app, but it has a lot more advanced sort of photoshop type stuff. I just made this and thought i would share it :)

God Bless!

-ALIVE

what will kill you if you don't do it?

So I have been reading the book Primal by Mark Batterson. And its this really great book just getting back to the very base of our faith. Figuring out what is God and what we have made up ourselves. Its pretty intense stuff.
But one of the chapters talks about a man who went to Africa on a trip, saw that a lot of the kids weren’t wearing shoes. So he knew in that moment that he had to get as many of these kids shoes as he could. And then said the sentence that we have all heard many times before… "I will do this if it kills me.”
And then Mark asks this question…
What will kill you if you don’t do it?

Now for the last few years I have been all about figuring out the dreams God has placed in me, the gifts He’s given me, and where He is leading me – but that question I read, thought about, and realized I didn’t know. No idea.

and it continues on to ask more questions – get you thinking more on it…
“what puts a holy smile on your face? What makes your spirit sob uncontrollably? What makes you pound your fist on the table in righteous indignation? Because when you find that, you find your God-ordained passion. Or rather compassion. Because you are feeling what God feels.”

Crazy to think about, huh?
I just sat there and went through those questions and really thought about them. Really thought about which of my passions bring me the closest to God’s heart. And there were a few.
I still don’t know for sure how to answer that first question…but it’ll come.
For now – I am just really loving being able to work in His ministry. to have gifts that I truly love to use.
One thing that I am learning about myself is that I LOVE to create…to be creative. Which I always knew I liked…but didn’t know how much I really loved it. It just makes me feel so alive every time. No matter what else I am feeling that day. and it amazes me every time.

God is good, friends. He has gifts He wants us to use. He has dreams He wants us to take part in. and He wants us to experience His heart in a way that truly moves us to every version of tears. :)

So take some time…go through those questions…really think about the answers. Let God speak it into your heart.
And then pray that He will place in you a passion to answer this question… "what will kill you if you don’t do it?”


-ALIVE