Talk it out.

Well today I've found myself in a bit of a hard place. Just a lot going on! I kind of lost it today. And I found something that was really helpful for me so I though I would share it.
I was on my way home and it hit me. I just got really sad about something and just super discouraged. Doesn't even matter what it is, but I decided to cry literally cry out to God. I was alone in the car and vocally talked to God. I usually just think about my problems and hope God is listening, but tonight I just spoke to Him and cried. I found there is a huge difference, when you just think about your problems it's so easy for them to get stuck up there in your head! It may seem like really weird at first, it's like talking to yourself haha but it was so freeing! I just talked to Him the whole way home and then cranked up the P&W music and I was set. That's all it took. I still have these problems, but I gave them to God. It's in His hands and there's nothing worrying or being sad will do about it. It was just a very freeing night, knowing that God has got it all under control. There's just so much peace that comes with that. It's alos cool how God cares about the little things in our lives too. It's a comforting feeling knowing that someone cares about that stuff.
So maybe this could work for you? For me it's in the car when I'm driving alone at night, but for you it could be your own special place and just seriously TALK to him. I don't know, if anyone is desperate, try this. It works for me!

Faith is trusting in God even when you don't even understand His plan.

The Beauty.

Hey there ladies and gentlemen!
Today I am inspired by my  pastor. At church on Sunday, his sermon really touched and spoke to me. Currently we are in the study of Genesis and seriously my mind is so blown! Ah who knew Genesis would be so complex and amazing. SO good. Anyways, Pastor Steve just went into such depth about God and His creation. Just take a minute and think of your favorite place in the whole entire world. For me there is a lot of places, but one in particular is in Cancun, Mexico on the beach staring at the ocean with the sun beating down on me. That place is so special to me! So I think about that and then I think about how God made it all. Have you ever thought how much water is in that thing? And how many living creatures are under there. Ah man it seriously makes me speechless, literally I can't talk about it, I get too excited haha! And lets not even mention the sand and the sky and all that haha oh man. Okay so with that being said...



Cancun, Mexico. My favorite place in the whole entire world.

It got me thinking.. If God created all this FOR us.. don't you think He cares about us more than anything? He made simply THE best and most creative things FOR us.. His children. I just came close to the realization of how much God loves us and then I had to stop thinking because it got too crazy haha. Just think about it. Next time you feel alone think about that. We're supposed to appreciate His beauty, and that is how we give back to Him... how easy is that? It seems unfair.

In Revelation 4:11 it says..

Just take a look at it.

Worthy, O Master! Yes our God!
Take the glory! The honor! The power!
You created it all.
It was created because you wanted it.

and another verse..
Isaiah 40:25-27...


“So—who is like me?
Who holds a candle to me?” says The Holy.
Look at the night skies:
Who do you think made all this?
Who marches this army of stars out each night,
counts them off, calls each by name
—so magnificent! so powerful!—
and never overlooks a single one?

Yeah woah.. Ha
So all we gotta do is praise the one who made all this.. How easy is that?
He's a good God, Amen?

Ignoring His creation and Him just leads to a downward spiral... So just spend some time and admire God. Tell Him what you love about Him! Try it.

You ARE good enough

Do you ever feel this way? Like you're not good enough for anything? I feel like this all the time actually. It's so easy to compare myself with others.. I go to a school with a bunch of hotties haha and am just surrounded by such beautiful all the time and it's just so easy for me to compare myself which is SO wrong! It may be harder for guys to relate to this, but I know this feeling and have become to familiar with it. I've become to familiar with the thought that I will never be good enough. Even when you do reach your best, I feel like there is always someone achieving something even better. I know these are all lies from the devil, but it's hard to ignore those thoughts. I'm in this slow process in working with God to truly believing that I am good enough. Because we all are! If you ever need help believing that I would be glad to help you with that.
Just something that has been on my mind!

Anyone feeling alone tonight?

Don't worry you're not alone.

Right there with yah.

 

What's Next?

Do you ever wonder what's next?
I think that is where most of us get so caught up.
We don't know what's next. For me I am in that position myself. You have this story you are healed and you are whole, you have lived through the hard times and you want to share your testimony you want to spread the love and so badly for people to realize how good God is and all He has done for you. Okay we want that so bad, but we just stop there we get stuck in this place. You're healed and whole.. so what's next? Now that you have the nourishment, how will your brokenness play into your story or more importantly how does your story play into the greater story of the church?
We've set these milestones and we've seen them pass, we so badly want to forget about that shame and brokenness. But really these stories are a huge part of who we are and how we were shaped to who we are now. We should place monuments in remembrance of where you have been and how you made it through. Without that season you wouldn't be in this season. It's easier to pretend like you have been whole and are okay, but really we need to remember our story and move on and use our story to help others get to where we are. It's not easy, life is so hard I don't think I have to tell you that, but it's a consistent thing. We have to take up our cross every day. Sometimes we think after some sort of adversity in our life, that that is it. After that life will be grand, no you've got it wrong. Hardships WILL come. One after another, you have to take up your cross everyday and give it to God. Sometimes I feel like I've hit this block in the road, I so badly want to reach this point in my life where I feel truly alive! I think I'm starting to get the hint that that is what God wants, use my story to help others. That is the conclusion that I have made. And I will spend the rest of my life doing this.

Here we stand our hearts are yours, not our will but yours be done.

live by that and you're set for life.

His peace is like a melody.

God's peace is like a melody.

Remember God is with you and FOR you.

You face NOTHING alone-nothing.

When you feel alone, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving God out of the picture.

The remedy is simple: fix your eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.

Verbalize the your trust in God.

The living one who sees you always.

 

 

The point of your life is to point to Him.

Whatever you are doing God wants to be glorified.

Because this whole thing is His.

 

 



I was inspired today.

Hey there friends!

I felt inspired today. By so many things!

I had to get up extra early for work today, and I kind of had a bad attitude about it, but then it kind of turned around when I got in the car, I turned on "All Sons and Daughters" their song called "alive" and I've heard it so many times, but this morning it was especially beautiful, just because I realized, I am ALIVE. I thought back to so many times in my life where I almost lost it, I wasn't ALIVE. Truly I was lost and dead. I have so much to live for and God just reminded me of that this morning. It's good to know that someone cares about you that much no matter what you do. It blows my mind on a regular basis. Another thing about God that blows my mind is His grace. We are soaked in all the grace. He unchains us from ALL that we have done, His mercies rise like the sun on the horizon. We are alive because of His grace. We're alive in Him, without Him we are simply useless and dead.

Okay another thing was the beauty out my window! Holy smokes God was showing off. It's cool how he can make something so beautiful He is like the ultimate artist. Seriously, how ahh I have no words to describe Him, I become speechless.

Another thing would be my mom, I just like really realized how cool and pretty she is today. I love her to death! Really she is like my best friend. Ah man!

Another thing would be my faith was tested today. I was reminded how easy it is for the world to change you and how hard it is to change the world. Sometimes it really isn't the cool thing to stand up for God, or do what God wants you to do. It's really hard, but I was so reminded of the greatness and the rewards and the benefits that come with following the Lord and it's so worth it! Embracing God is the best thing we can do for Him, said in Romans 12. So embrace God in your life. I've been thinking about what that meant, what does embracing God really mean?

Embracing Him means not going with the world.

It means standing out and being different.

People notice different and when they notice you, they will notice God.

In the dictionary embrace is defined: to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly: to embrace an idea.

To receive gladly the blessings from God, but thanking Him for them and eagerly embrace Him with what you get.

Overly talk about God and love Him too much. Well you could never love Him too much.

Embracing Him means including Him in your daily life.

Make it know to other people that you follow and love the Lord.

It means not being ashamed of Christ.

That's what embracing God means to me.
 

 

 

I hope you all had a good day. (:

 Oh and P.S. one more thing, it just amazes me how much money is coming in for my missions trip. I know with everything in me that I am supposed to go on this trip because He is definetly providing everything. It's SO stinkin cool to watch God in action.

HE. IS. SO. GOOD.



When God speaks through music

Woah I don't know why I'm so excited about this, but God just spoke to me through music ha He's never done that to me before... kinda super cool! It's a song that I have listened to over and over so  many times, but today on my way home from church I really listened to the words and it was INSANE.

"Rainbow" by Josh Garrels

Somewhere over the rainbow
In a world without end
The old river flows down streets of gold
It’s the light of men
Come all you weary travelers and
Rest your bones
No trouble will beset my son
Who comes back home

Red was the blood that fell to the earth
The orange flames gonna burn all the dross and the shame
Of my selfish works
Yellow harvest gathered in the sun
The white winter will give way to the green growth of our love
Flood waters rise swiftly, deep and blue
O great wing of indigo healing gonna shelter you
*Black sky when the promised one died
Rejected and alone
Now rise to the Lord of the skies
Where he sits on the clouds enthroned

Somwhere over the rainbow
In a world without end
The old river flows down streets of gold
It’s the light of men
Come all you weary travelers and
Rest your bones
No trouble will beset my son
Who comes back home

Basically this song to me is talking about hope and how all the weary travelers (us) have a hope. That somewhere over this fake and broken world there is a life without end and there will be rivers that flow on streets of gold. (that's heaven) and all us weary travelers can rest our bones and there will be no trouble, this song is like how heaven will be. We will have rest in heaven.
God was rejected and alone, now He has risen and is Lord of the skies and everything where He sits on the clouds enthroned. WOAH. When you understand this song you'll understand the feeling I'm having right now. WOAH.

My Mom.

Well tonight I just want to talk about my mom actually. I've always know I've had the best one, but today it hit me in a weird way.. like I have the greatest mom in the whole world. Sometimes I wish people could experience how great she is the way I do, but then I realized it's so special to me. No one could ever replace my mom, no one can experience her the way me and my sisters do. That may sound selfish, but it's so special to me. I don't take my mom for granted ever, I really do thank God for her all the time. She is not like anyone I have ever met and she really isn't the typical mom haha. I promise.. I hope to be like her one day. I really really do. She is TRULY the greatest women I have ever known. My mom is the most special to me, I love when she gives me advice on my boy trouble. And gives hugs randomly, she doesn't give them too often, which just makes them that more special. I love how she loves me, sometimes I don't understand it, but I know she does. Ugh I just love my mom.

I'm so blessed to have a mom, let a lone the one that I do.

Understanding God.

I have found myself so frustrated with God lately. I don't understand Him sometimes and it makes me so mad. But who am I to say that I get to understand Him? No one said life is easy, but guys that doesn't mean that you give up on God and do your own thing. That is what I have found myself doing so much lately. I've finally had enough of doing my own thing and giving up on God. I and am completely surrendering myself to Him. It is one of the hardest things I've had to do, doing what God wants you to do when you want to do the complete opposite can sometimes be impossible. Honestly most of the time I don't understand Him, but I have to take a step back and realize who I'm trying to understand. God. Jesus Christ. The Maker of everything. Like that is even possible to do? Okay Paige. Ha I can be so stupid sometimes. I feel like trying to understand God is like putting his importance down a level. We're not necessarily supposed to understand Him, bottom line is that He knows what He's doing and all you have to do is trust Him. The depth of your relationship with God is up to you.

I started reading a book called "Lady in Waiting" today and it opened up my eyes to a few questions to ask myself.

• Has your faith been a lifeless ritual rather than a vital love relationship with Jesus?
• Do you know more about pleasing a boyfriend than pleasing the Lord Jesus?
• Does your commitment to Jesus cause those around you to seriously consider whether Jesus is Lord of their lives?

We serve a good God. Mmm I want to be known as the girl who was in love with her Savior. I want to be known as the girl who people said that they saw something different in me. I don't want to be like everyone else. I just want God. His plan is clearly different from the one I thought was right. It's the hardest thing to walk away from what you want. It's not easy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. God has something better. TRUST HIM. That's where I'm at. At the end of my rope, waiting, I'm done taking matters into my own plans. I'm giving this to you God.

P.S. don't forget to thank Him. For whatever situation you're in. You may not understand it. But just try to understand one thing. "He knows the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". It's not easy, but God loves you. YOU are His beloved. be LOVED.

Thoughts on this New Year.

Hey Everybody! It's kind of been a while. I just haven't been feeling very inspired lately and haven't had anything to write about. But then it hit me!

Well it's New Years sweet. So what it this year going to look like? I've just been thinking and praying about it a lot.

Just reflecting on the past year and just looking at myself as a person and how much I've changed, it's incredible and I have seen that it had all been for the better. Who I was a year ago is no were near who I am today. Just seeing how God used me and how He has changed me. Trust me it was probably the hardest thing going through those changes. I'm so thankful that God never gives up on us. Can I get an amen? I just wanted to highlight some pretty cool things that happened in my 2012..

1. I got my license (whooop!)
2. I got my very first job at American Eagle.
3. I went on my first missions trip to Mexico
4. I got high honor roll a couple times (it's kind of a big deal for me)
5. Relationships. I learned a lot. haha
6. I said goodbye to depression and sadness. (I've been free for 6 months now)
7. I've realized it's okay to be a dork and who cares what people think.
8. I've realized I am truly beautiful (woah that took a while)
9. My family became my best friend. And I couldn't ask for better people.
10. I survived.

The list goes on and on literally I have so much listed in my journal. To sum it all up.. GOD IS GOOD.

Alright onto 2013...
My thoughts on this wonderful New Year ahead of us. Oh boy, I really do have high hopes for this year. So much to look forward to. I love the feeling of a fresh start. I believe with everything in me that God has such BIG plans for me. Something that I realized is that with out God nothing is possible. Everyone wants a good year. But what is your definition of a "good" year? What do you want to accomplish? Don't do resolutions oh please don't haha those are stupid and never last. Make a list and on this night in 2014, read it and see what you've done. Kind of like a bucket list for 2013. Just an idea! Okay back to God haha I was in church on Sunday and oh boy was it good! A quote stuck out to me.. Apart from Jesus, church is nothing but a good habit, mission trips are nothing but humanitarian aid, and apart from Jesus we are nothing. Live your year off of that. We are NOTHING without Him. You can have an amazing boyfriend/girlfriend and be all happy with them, but that one thing should not be the base of your happiness. That is SO dangerous. Base your happiness off of something that will last forever and is eternal and you know you are secure in the Lord. Without God your year will suck, guaranteed. Instead of searching for things of the world, like boys, girls, good grades, money, success, love, happiness, shoes, clothes, etc.. Yeah those things are great, but just put God in front of all of them and your set. He will open doors and lead you to things you actually need and then you will truly be successful.

My 2013 will consist of..

• Embracing God:

My goal is to know Him deeper. I pray for a desire to know Him more. I want to be so lost in God that people see something different about me the second they look at me.

• Leading someone to the Lord:

This has just been a burning desire inside me. I want to have a heart to heart with someone about God and I want to be able to answer those hard questions about God. It's scary but I want to do it. Even if it's someone who is struggling with God and knows Him, but is lost and gave up.
(if your that person, I'm your girl.)

• Live Passionately:

Last year I was in such a dark place and wanted to die and was just lost. This year I want to live life appreciative and embracing the little tiny things. I want to stop often and just smile and embrace my favorite moments. Life is so precious.

• Pursue my dreams:

I have all these dreams, I want to start walking them out.

• Lastly, Be a world changer:

I want to be different. I want to stand out. I'm not of this world, who cares what people think! I want people to know God, really know Him and see the way He can change their life, like He changed mine. I want to share my testimony with as many people as possible.

 

I have high hopes and dreams for this year. It WILL be a great one.

With God ALL things are possible.