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Smiles all around.

I recently went to a lovely tea with a group of women of various ages and one of the pieces of advice that stuck with me was what one of the ladies said to, “go to the throne, instead of the phone.” That tidbit stuck with me as I filled my days. As someone who likes to process externally and one that sometimes feels too much, I often talk to my mom or my closest friends about a lot of things. If I’m feeling a bit off, overwhelmed or excited I need to share it and often feel better once I have. But, one thing I’m learning is to go to God FIRST and then share. Sometimes, I don’t even feel the need to share because in my prayers, things get a new perspective, they shift.

Something amazing happens when you cast your anxieties and worries at the feet of the father, I mean, it’s like it’s biblical or something… That’s because it is. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? … Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”(Matthew 6:25-33, ESV)”

God has given me a sweet gift of rest this Summer and while I’m trying to make the best of it, this is the first time I’ve truly rested in a long time. Among many pressures, responsibilities and worries, I’ve learned to trust and rest in his presence. No, that doesn’t mean I have to spend all day at a beautiful church service or all day in my quiet space, it’s having that amazing connection with God through the Holy Spirit. It’s going to the throne before the phone. It’s telling God what I really feel, even if it can seem silly. It’s thanking God for what he has already done, and for what he will do. It’s as simple as believing that his promises are true when the world tells you there’s no way, not you. Rest has been reading, cooking and hanging out with my favorite people and bonfires at the beach. Rest has been trusting God and not putting too much burden on myself. It’s knowing that God gives me choices and I’m FREE to take them. It’s knowing that he doesn’t force me to do anything, yet gives me the option to, like a beautiful walk through a meadow, I can choose to linger or to walk through swiftly.

This weekend a good friend of mine told me how I seemed so happy, free and peaceful. I smiled. A long way from my anxious, talk over everyone to be heard, worried and stressed self. Here I am, happy free and peaceful. I used to ask God to help me talk less and listen more, to live free without anxiety and have peace in him. That day those prayers were answered. God is doing a good work in you if you allow him to. Talk to him, tell him how you really feel. Ask him to lead you in this intricate and delicate dance called life, he will, gracefully.

So if anything has caused such change in my life recently it’s to go to the throne first. That’s the best piece of advice I can give, and that I have been given. Pray, pray, pray. The more you communicate with God, the more you will have the eyes to see what he is already doing, and if you don’t see, you will be encouraged. I was feeling very discouraged and I prayed to God about this, honestly and tearfully. That same day I ended sharing with another friend all the ways that God has taught me to trust in him, and all the ways he has blessed me abundantly more than I even knew. I laughed in the car ride back home and thought, thanks God. It’s funny how on the days where you are feeling at your worst, God can use you, the same person to uplift someone else, and to be reminded all that he has already done. It’s a shame our memories are so short sometimes…

So, I’ll leave you with this. Cast your anxieties, your thoughts, your worries, your pain, your dreams, your plans, your excitement, your love and your doubts all to the Father through prayer and supplication. And then watch, watch how he transforms your anxieties into your victories, your thoughts into actions, your worries into peace, your pain into gardens of life, your dreams into reality, your plans, excitement and love into something so much more than you could even imagine. He never worries, never forgets, and never leaves you. Yet, he always does abundantly and infinitely more, even if that begins with changing your anxieties into peace. Smiles all around.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

Gifts.

Gifts of the Spirit.

This morning I was thanking God for the amazing gifts he has given me recently, both big and small. As I was thinking of thankfulness I was reminded that the most important gifts we can have are not gifts as we see them here, or as we monetize in our daily life, but more the gifts of the spirit.

These are things that are indeed gifts, little doses of heaven given to you in your soul and blossomed into fruits in the tree of your life. Wow, how beautiful, kind and wonderful is this God we call our savior. Up until this morning I thought of the gifts of the spirit as things we earned as we grew in our faith, maybe such as milestones we are rewarded as we go on this journey of faith, but no, they are gifts. We are given them out of God’s love for us as we live a faith filled life. Favor, friends, is fabulous.

The gifts of the spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

Often broken down into the categories of ethical and intellectual. These gifts are essential to a happy and healthy life. These gifts encompass all that we are body, mind, and spirit. In the day in and day out of decision making, responsibilities, environments, and circumstances. These gifts give us the ability to recognize our creator and all that we are incapable of solving without the holy spirit in us. It’s the relational that changes the circumstance. It’s having the ability to process without fear and loving thy neighbor. It’s going after your dreams with hope and conviction. It’s a smile and a hug. A hand stretched out or an ear to hear. It’s problem solving, and strategic planning with a heart. It’s being slow to anger and listening. It’s trusting in God in the midst of trials, pain, and tribulation. It’s laughter and community. It’s adoration to the one who empowers in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

I sit here this morning, awe inspired by this great love, and realize that Pentecost is just a few days away. The day that celebrates the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Jesus, and I thank God for the greatest gift of all. The Holy Spirit, and I pray to never forget nor dismiss the vitality of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Every day, no matter the situation, location or circumstance. He is always with us.

So, instead of thinking of Christmas day when you think about gifts, let everyday be a gift, after all Christ is among us every single day. The gifts are in and all around us, let’s celebrate!

February.

Let’s talk about the shortest month, and maybe the biggest impact.

February. Was both swift and sweet; a month that typically swings by brought so much impact to my year. Had a super fun Valentine’s Day with my friends. I said goodbye to one of the most amazing learning seasons of my life. I decided to be a double major, and added a minor just for funsies. I went to a concert I had dreamed about for a long time, and took my little sister as my date. It was awesome. I dyed my hair really dark. I played in the snow. I had an adventure getting home in a snowstorm. I changed bus routes. I met people. I cried. The elevator broke at work. I laughed and I saw God’s handiwork in my life directly.

That’s a lot for 28 days, and those are just the highlight reels.

All in all, February taught me to rest.

It’s easy for me to double or even triple book my schedule. “ I can do all things through Christ who lives in me”, is definitely one of my favorite bible verses and yes I might take it out of context, just a little bit. Over extending my time is something I thought of as “seize the day!” Yet, I’ve learned that my body needs to stop. It’s okay to stay in instead of going out. It’s okay to take a nap, it’s okay to put everything aside for one night and actually sleep for 8 hours. It’s okay to stop striving. It’s amazing how sleep will make you feel like your whole self again.

Yet, if I were to say the physical rest is the only thing I am learning, it wouldn’t even come close.

A few weeks ago I joked with a friend about how I stayed home and chose to take a Sabbath. For me that was a big change.

Real rest can only come from the soul. You might have a restful day, so you’re physical and mental self are rested. But, you’ve got that uneasy restless feeling inside of you and anxiety starts creeping in. Yup, been there too.

Real rest can only be found in the father.

^{Matthew 11:28-30}“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Real rest is hard.

To me it comes first hand with trust and oh boy is trusting hard. I have been blessed with incredible people I can lean on and trust in my life, I know who they are and I keep them close.

But to me, I can rest because I know that I can trust God. I have seen him work in countless ways for my good. Even in those moments that I didn’t understand, I knew I had to trust in God.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned how I recently decided to be a double major. I haven’t had a traditional college career, still in my undergraduate at 25. There were days where my go-getter personality would just want to get this done. I hated wasting time and seeing what I thought as the only opportunity be put on hold.

But, looking back today, and in that advisor’s office when she told me that I was able to take a double major in both of my areas of interest for the same amount of time and credits, even be able to add a minor, I was reminded of a word that was spoken to me a few years ago.

The word was given to me when I was broken hearted for having to put my education on hold. I was sad for not being able to go to my dream school, and that I had to take a break. I hadn’t told anyone but God and that day God told me I was going to have not one, but two degrees, and that the desire that I had for education was given from him. There were better things ahead.

That day I was instantly comforted, and thought wow, thanks God. I didn’t even think of the possibility of a double major, I thought instead of pursuing a master’s, or probably law school.

But God, he knew that I would move to Washington and end up going to an even better school than I was in Georgia. He knew the doors that would be open awaiting for me to walk through today. He knew of the opportunities I would come to be grateful of. He knew that I would one day be a Law, Economics and Public Policy & Media and Communications major. He knew, I didn’t.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of despair and hopelessness when the things we had hoped for don’t work out, or even when we try our best, they don’t happen. Whatever that may be in your life, always remember, if not he is still good.

God was still good through the pain and the hardship. God is still good through the days of joy and celebration.

It was worth the work of faith that God has produced in me, and the power of my testimony. It is beyond what I thought I would be able to do, and it is an amazing gift of grace. February reminded me what faith looks like, and how I can believe in the things yet to be seen. February reminded to rest in a good father, and comforted me with unexpected blessings and promise. February showed me that faith doesn’t have to be a long ordeal. It can be swift and sweet, after all, it’s just a five letter word. How hard can it be?