World domination or something

Something about me you all may, or may not (which is why I'm telling you now), know about me:

I absolutely love fashion.

I was the girl who spent at least 40 minutes getting ready in the mornings before school back at East (short for our high school: the Greenbrier East Spartans).  I can still hear the basketball chants and see the scrambled hallways during a class change. You had your big trucks that always parked at the bottom of the rocky, gravel parking lot (which was sure to ruin any good shoes you had).  The cafeteria was famous for spotting the latest drama since you sat with the same people practically every day.  If someone moved to a different table, there was trouble.  My AP English teacher taught me so much.  I hated writing back then.  Now, I find myself a public relations major with a blog.  Weird, I know.  The science hall was distinctively placed at the bottom of the newest portion of the building.  Anatomy class taught me the reasoning: cat dissection lasts for weeks.  Headaches were received by simply walking past the hall. Oh, and my favorite time of the year was football season.  There was nothing like it.  But you probably don't care about my nostalgic rant, so back on task.

I discovered my new love and obsession with cowboy boots this summer.  

Why yes, I did buy a pair.  And yes, I do wear them with everything.  

After actually breaking them in - they killed my feet at first - I discovered I had this new sense of world domination when I wore them.  

So yes, I love them, but even more, I love the feeling I get when I wear them.  Call me crazy, but undoubtedly, I really feel in total control as I slip the first one on my foot.  Ok, let's be honest.  The word "slip" is not the best verb to use when I put them on.  It's a struggle.  And getting them off is even worse!  Just the other day, I had to have my cousin Jessica pull them off for me.

#embarrassing

If you are of the female gender, you can relate to this whole cowboy boot scenario when you wear those favorite pair of pumps, or that little black dress you've been saving for that perfect occasion.  Have you noticed it's not the dress you love.  It's not the pumps (that in reality kill your feet) you have an obsession with.  It's the overwhelming sense of beauty and power you receive.

So It came to me.  Why do we need that thing to make us feel that way?  Why do we find ourselves trying on dress after dress in the fitting room of our favorite store simply to be rejected by the length, cut, or even more miserable, our own body.  I hate this feeling.  It's awful.  And makes me love my boots even more.  My body can never be too curvy, too rod-like, or imperfect enough to be rejected.  And you wanna know something even better?

You can never misfit God.

I think David give's us the same description in Psalm 5:11:

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.  

God is all we will and can ever need.  He can be our strength and power.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

And even if we don't want to, we stick out.  We're different than the world. And with purpose.

That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15)

Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. (Isaiah 60:1) 

So why not embrace it?  Why do we try so hard to cover up the fact that we're different? When in reality, all we want is to stand out.  To be noticed.  To be complimented.  We have all that. God is ready to take you (all of you) as his personal project.  He will make us feel more empowered than those cowboy boots ever will. 

Just let your light shine..

Your boot-wearin' friend,

Elizabeth 

Stuck in the Mud

This is probably the sixth blog I've tried to write...

My mind has been rolling in mud for the past few weeks, along with my soul.  They've been stuck in this muck, continually collecting bits of debris while slinging the grime with each and every attempt to escape.  I've felt as if I can't return to a normal state, the happy-go-lucky mindset that springs from my character most of the time is trapped beneath all these overwhelming thoughts.

Where am I going to get a job?

Should I move to Boone or live at home?

I made the wrong decision.

I need to MAKE a decision.

What relationships should I, or shouldn't I, be in?

I should be skinnier.

I should dress nicer.

I should probably reach out to that friend more.

Who are my true friends?

I hate homework.

Why did I choose PR?

Did I make a wrong decision?

What should I do this summer?

And on. 

And on.

And on...

If you think that's bad, that's only about one-thousandth of my constant thought process over the last few weeks.  It can be draining.  OK, not just draining.  I can easily suck every inch of life out you have left in ya!

So do you have the picture yet?  Are you in my world?  Or maybe, you don't even need this explained to you.  Maybe you are experiencing this very same thing.  This process of over thinking and then being anxious about it.  Everything gets harder.  Homework becomes a exhaustive chore you can't make yourself even semi-concentrate on, family issues seem ten times bigger than what they are, your job is so tedious that all you can think about doing is getting home so you can change into sweats and snuggle up with a big mug of hot chocolate and veg out watching TV.  And then after the anxiety of it all, you can't bring yourself to think of anything.  You can't be useful in the least bit.  And you think to yourself, "This is ridiculous! What am I doing?"  Yet, you can't seem to fight it.

So maybe you're not in this state right now.  You're on Cloud 9!  Life is great, the kids are well, your parents seem to be getting along just fine (financially and emotionally), you smile as you sit in church because you know you're life is good.  You know you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing.  Or are you?

Whether you're in my position, riding along on Cloud Nine, or somewhere in between the two (just getting along), you are wasting time.

I can hear you now, "What do you mean, Elizabeth?".  Well here's what I'm talking about...

As I was waddling (goodness, I hope I don't waddle...) along the other day (in my very depressed/anxious/focusing on everything that is wrong in my life), I read a devo by Blackaby called Pressing On.  The verse associated with the devo is Philippians 3:13:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead... 

My favorite book of the Bible is Philippians.  I have found it to be so encouraging and challenging right when I need it.  Whether I need a pick-up or a kick-in-the-butt, I have found it in this book.  But the funny thing is,  I hadn't read it in a very long time.  A long time being at least two or three months (which is a long time for me).  And something else I realized, I hadn't been as diligent with my devos at all.  I hadn't been diligent with my prayers.  I hadn't even wanted to focus on things of Him.  You know why?  Because I was mad.  I was upset at my decision to follow His guidance because it's HARD.  I was giving up...


Here's one of the quotes I stumbled upon:

The people of the world focus on what they are overcoming.  Christians focus on what they are becoming.

It hit me like a ton of bricks... I thought, "Elizabeth you have been so self-consumed.  So oblivious to what God is doing in your life because you are focusing on the wrong thing.  You want to focus on the past and what was and what could have been without even taking God's timing and guidance into consideration.  Where has God played a part in your life lately?"

A couple of my good friends use the phrase "Wow..." (drawn our to its extremities, with a semi smart-alack tone).  This is what played in my head as I realized I was way off the beaten path.  Far from where God wanted me.

In the verse above, I bolded the part I want you all to focus on.  

...Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those thing which are ahead.

BAM!  Did ya feel it?  It's like God is graciously slapping you. 

A little bit of background to keep ya up to par, Paul is the dude writing this book (as well as a bunch of other books you can look up).  Something most people don't realize, he was in prison writing these letters.  He was locked up.  Away from family, friends, food (oh geeze!), the entire outside world.  He was in a place where most, loneliness was his only friend; yet he says to forget your past, forget your circumstances, forget the crummy things in your life that just seem too big to handle, and PRESS ON!

I know what you're thinking, "There ain't (yes, I said ain't) no way I'm gonna be able to let go of this one.  It was a doosey."  But I promise you, you can...

Remember that mustard seed story?  The one about moving a mountain?  Well he says in Matthew 17:20:

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."

We can do anything with God.  He's already forgiven us for alllll of our sins (check out the whole book of Romans).  He's even forgiven or preparing to use that moment in your life in which no one knows about. No sin or circumstance is too big for God. 

So whatever it is you're trying to let go, whether it be a moment of darkness or a loss of friend, just let Him have it.  Give the issue to Him.  Because if we remain focused on what has been we may lose the opportunity God has for us.  

And if you're not in a rut and life is great, make sure you're pressing on towards HIS goal, not your own. Otherwise, we may miss a step in God's awesome adventure in our lives.  And I don't know about you, but I do NOT wanna waste life's precious minutes.  I wanna live life to its fullest, led by a loving God who has amazing plans in store. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (jeremiah 29:11)

I'll be right by your side.  Pressing on towards the goal: a heavenly prize and an awesome adventure!




In your shoes,

Elizabeth 

The Flannel Wearin' Lady

As I've mentioned before, I have discovered I am quite the introvert.  

I enjoy my time alone.  So on my Friday night of homecoming at Wesleyan, what do I decide to do?  Go to Panera and Target by myself to enjoy some quality time by myself while exploring the female wonder: Target.  Really though, is there a woman you know who isn't amazed by Target.  Not saying men don't love it just as much, but for some reason, I can walk around that store and look at toiletries (like the little glass dispensers and cute metallic soap holders).  

Yes.

That's what I

looked at tonight.

Anyways, this is usually what I find myself doing (the whole Clarksburg trip not toiletry shopping) when I'm sick of people and just need to get off campus.  It gives me time to think.  You'd be surprised how inspiring a glass toothbrush holder can be... 

Just pickin'!  But it does give me a chance to think.  Actually, this very moment I'm sitting at Panera.  My intention was to get some homework done, or do some thinkin'.  Or blog in  this case.  

So what would you wear on this adventure?  I chose to wear my oldest AE jeans (I think I've had them since I was in like 10th grade), my favorite Life is Good shirt ("The little things in life are the big things"), and my over-sized Walmart flannel.  Might I add that my hair is thrown around in a messy braid and I haven't put makeup on since this morning... Goodness, I am one mess.  Not hot, just a mess.

These are the days when I usually don't feel good about myself.  When I am feelin' all good about myself, I'll wear a dress or at least a cute top or something flattering.  This was not that day...

Yet, I manage to get hit on.  TWICE!  I'm pretty sure God wanted to prove something to me as He laughed one of those snorty laughs and probably got teary from it.  I was in shock and have a way of not knowing what to say or do in those situations... So I simply smiled and passed by (I was probably red).  

But as I started driving, I was pondering on the comments they made.  One was something like, "Hey girl, you need a ride?".  And then of course his guys thought it would be cute to chime in and make a scene.  Whistling managed to slip out, too.  And of course, the famous wandering eyes.  

I was slightly sickened.  Not because I took offense to it.  No, it was kinda funny and even if it is not in a very polite way, it still makes ya feel pretty good about yourself at first.  I thought about all the girls who would hold their worth in what those cocky, undeserving guys thought.  

Some girls would probably have kept up the conversation.  Or taken what they said to heart.  Or even sought out further recognition from them, no matter what they have to give to get it. 

This bothers me.  And I'm not knocking those who do.  I just hurt for them.  My heart breaks for them because that was me at one point.  I would have smiled and remembered that moment for a long time, expecting that's how all men should treat me.  But it's not...

Girls, we are God's prized possession (James 1:18).  The dude who made the Earth in SEVEN days...

Prince of Peace

Lord of Lords 

Our Rock

Salvation

Jehovah

Morning Star

Deliverer

Sacrifice

I could go on forever... This guy is completely astonishing and completely intrigued with every single inch of our being.  He created us for goodness sake.  

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body    and knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)

How cool is that?  This loving Father is also the lover of our souls.  He yearns to have a relationship with you.  One that should be the cornerstone of the relationship you have with your future husband. 

In my saying all this, I want each of you lovely ladies (sorry guys) to seek after His fulfillment rather than the fulfillment of the attractive guy who lent you a compliment.  Is there anything wrong with the compliment?  No, but don't expect to find soul-fulfilling commitment in this guy.  God can be that to you.

From another stance, GUYS!  WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!?  Whistling at the girl walking past you is no way to win over a lady.  That's what we are you know, "ladies".  We like to be pampered and shown respect.  We'd rather you tell us we're "beautiful" than "hot".  We love it when you initiate conversation by asking how we really are.  We seek after a guy who's not afraid to be different and stand up for what's right (that's a total turn on, haha).  We want you to lead us by praying for wisdom.  We want you to love Jesus even more than us (and that truly is a sacrifice).  And we want you to love us because we are everything you could have ever imagined God would prepare for you.

That's what we want as "ladies".  And girls, you gotta want it, too.  Don't expect them to want you for your gentleness without being willing to show them you are.  Seek after Christ and He will show you how to be.  I promise, I'm doing it myself. 

Well for those of you who don't know where you get affirmation to those who just want to find the right man, I am praying for you.  And I'm here for you and I can promise you this...

Search me, O God,

and know my heart; 

try me, and know my anxieties; 

and see if there is any wicked way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting. 

(Psalm 139:23,24)

 

 

One scruffy "lady",

Elizabeth  

Twiddly Dee

Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Do you look at God, with that awful, whiny voice that you used to give your mom when you wanted something and you weren't getting your way, and tell Him that you are just so sick of waiting?  I have.  Actually, I'm doing it now.

I've heard this verse over and over, but yet it's never been as convicting as it was today.  A big shout-out to Jeremy Camp for posting it today and making my self-pity seem minimal.  

  

What's that song?... "While I'm Waiting"?  

It's a song by John Waller.  

I fell in love with it when I was in high school 

and sent it off with a friend 

who didn't know what to do with his life.  

I wasn't quite at that stage yet, 

but I knew one day I would be...

like now.  

So as many of you know (if you don't yet, you will soon discover), that I am a huge advocate and lover of studying one verse over and over.  I guess it's my PR skills that have taught me to be detail-oriented and analyze everything!  Or maybe I'm  just a nerd... But either way, I always look at every word in the text.  

First line:

Wait patiently for the Lord.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm already at that stomach-twisting point when you see the verse and you know you need to read it, but you also know that as soon as you really get into it the Jesus in ya is going to come around with that still, small voice and remind you of something you'd neglected for far too long.  Because I'm in the whiny state, that is not what I wanted.  But this morning, I didn't knock Him.

Wait: key word right here (mark it down). 

I hate waiting, I am so impatient (just ask my mom or my friend Kelsie).  Waiting is just such a bummer!  And here God is tellin' us to wait patiently (um ten times harder).  It's like you're all pumped up, ready to go, and them you sit... and think of all the amazingness you could be experiencing if you didn't have to rely on the other person to get their junk together.  Maybe it's my independent nature.  Well, sorta independent.  I like to know what's going on at all times, but I hate to make the decision.  

My mom always had a schedule when we were growing up.  If I was going to have friends over that Friday night, I needed to let her know at the beginning of the week so she could get snacks, prepare beds, etc.  Spontaneity isn't really in our nature.  Though looking at me now, I am very glad she prepared me to be that way.   Now don't get me wrong, we can still have some good random fun, but we like to know what's included in the fun.  

What is it your waiting on?  

Keep whatever it is (or they are) 

in mind while reading the rest of this.

So we know we've gotta wait patiently, but don't leave out the second part of this which says to "wait patiently on the Lord." 

There are so many times in our life when we get me and I in a position of priority.  Sure, we need to have a good head on our shoulders, definitely pray for wisdom, and act accordingly.  But I think we leave out a very valid point when we wait for what we want to happen rather than wait on what He wants to happen.  

How many times have you prayed for something (or maybe you didn't even get that far) and when something good happens, you automatically assume its "the right thing"? 

I've been in this position oh so many times.  I wait and wait and I take the first encouraging sign as a definitive answer, rather than waiting around to make sure it's what He wants.

I think there is a lot you can accomplish while your waiting.  Besides the obvious attributes we hear all the time ("learning patience" being one of the most obnoxiously common one), you might just discover yourself along the way.

The past year or so, I've been waiting.  I waited and waited for a friend that just got me, direction for my future career, enthusiasm and opportunity to shine for Him, and many other situations in which I am still waiting (it sucks).  But one thing I have discovered along the way is that I am finding out who I truly am.  

Elizabeth Wickline:

The independent

stubborn

introverted

family-centered

beauty-seeking

easily distracted

conflict fleeing

ditzy

eating disordered

self-conscious

fashion-loving

craft guru 

with a heart for teen/college girls who struggle with prizing themselves in God's eyes

and love's love stories.

It's been a very bumpy ride.  Like at least 100 miles of pot holes.  But one thing I've learned, if I don't wait on His timing, I will get lost on a side road and miss out on the adventure He has waiting on me. 

It comes back to that word we all love so very much: trust.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Trust that all the waiting and nail-biting is going to be worth it.  Don't get distracted from the adventure He has for you.  I promise you, when you receive that overwhelming peace, you'll know which direction or decision is right.  No more twiddling thumbs or aimless wandering.  Just total and complete contentment.  

So I realize that I've only touched on the first line of this verse.  Guess what this means?...

To Be Continued 

(I've always wanted to do that)

From one twiddler to another, 

Elizabeth 

Becoming

What's that quote again? Something about...

Oh [shoot] I've become my mother.

Well I found it to be true once again the last few days.


As I was figuring out what in the world my plans were for traveling to North Carolina today, trying not to fall up the stairs in front of everyone for a third time, turning in papers, going to classes in which I didn't do my homework for,  packing (my most dreaded chore), traveling to and filming a glass blower artists work process, and keeping my smiley, happy I've got this under control persona up, I was forced to attend late lunch today. 

I sat with my iPad in hand while I ate some carrots and cucumbers and this amazing peach minding my own business.  Actually, I think I might have been the only one in Aladdin (our cafeterias proper name).  One of the workers came up to me and asked me about my iPad and what it did and how big it was and if he could watch "the game" on it and on and on and on we chatted.  Every time he walked by he would make a different comment.  I was trying to be nice, yet I had so much to do.  And my introverted personality forces me to need just a tad bit of recoup time, in which I wasn't receiving.  But after about the fifth time he stopped by, I thought about the cool witness I could be to this guy.  

The only thing I really even said was that I use it to help in my bible study.  But ya know, I can't help but think maybe my kindness to him was just what he needed.  Maybe he needed to see that someone was there to listen.  Maybe that's all he needed to know.  


Then there's this elderly man in the cafeteria.  He is the sweetest little old man.  If you know me very well, you will know I lost my Pawpaw a little over a year ago.  He was my rock.  He was the rock of our family.  He was an amazing witness (with over 700 people at his wake) and stood for Christ no matter what the cost.  He was also a jokester.  He would always point to something on the floor.  Then right when you looked down, he'd catch your nose with his finger and say, "Gotcha!".  He was a keeper.

Well this little 'ol man in Aladdin reminds me of Pawpaw.  He never ceases to ask if I've been runnin' (he saw me in my runnin' gear one day and I guess he's never forgotten).  I have now become accustomed to talking to him.  However, I noticed at the beginning of the year that he was missing from the scene.  But then one day out of the blue, he came up to me and told me all about getting his job back.  He'd been in and out of the hospital with his back.  But the doctors told him to walk.  So he figured this job would be good for him.  

I could tell he really wanted the job.  However, I don't think it was just the walking he needed.  He needed faces, smiley faces.  He wanted to be able to have a conversation with someone besides the doctor.  Maybe he has a family... But he's never mentioned them.  How convicting is it that I could be the bright spot in his day.  I could be the one person who he comes to work for.  I could shine a little Jesus in his life and show him that there is a big, big God waiting for him.  


Tonight, I was putting some laundry in the machine when the janitor lady came a hauling up the stairs.  She asked me how I managed to do that multiple times a day and "why in the world I would ever apply to live on this floor?".  I told her it was a way for me to live in peace and quiet and have a big enough space to actually do something.  She didn't agree, but smiled.  I had to help her put a shower curtain in the room of this other girl so that she could say she didn't steal anything.  Then we discovered we had the same name.  She told me all about her four brothers and one sister.  I know all of their names now.  We talked about my class schedule and what I want to do when I leave.  She smiled through her words of advice; I could tell she thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.  I did, too.  When we said our goodbyes, she said, "Good luck with your ministry and all.  I think that's gonna be awesome."  
Her kind words meant more than she would or will ever know.  


Maybe Pawpaw was right.  Maybe I DO have a calling on my life, a big one.  I want to shine Jesus into the lives of these people.  If it takes the only five minutes I have from one class to another, I am determined that it is worth it.  

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

"Lord, help me to be the witness you would have me to be.  Help me to pursue your strength and wisdom so that your fragrant love may flow through me.  You are my all.  Thank you for dyin' on that old rugged cross. Amen."




Shining bright,
Elizabeth 

Sunday Mornin' Joe

So here I sit, this Sunday morning around 10:18 am with my coffee by my side (well to be honest, I've already had two mugs of coffee, and now I am working on some Ovaltine (which I have become extremely fond of).  If you could only see me now... No makeup, hair in a funky bun thing, big 'ol baggy sweats, and a t-shirt from like five years ago.

When I first came to college, I knew there would be some decisions I would have to make as an individual  and as a believer.  I couldn't base my beliefs and convictions on those of my parents or my church.  The only thing I had to guide me was Christ.  His convictions for my life were of utmost important now.  Sure, I made some mistakes along the way, but ya know what?  He already forgave me of those about 2,000 years ago.  Now, in no way am I saying I think you can live in sin or do the things which we know are wrong, knowing that He'll forgive us.  He will.  But that's not what conviction is all about.

Have you ever had that gut feeling and you just knew something wasn't right?  You just knew that you were in a wrong situation or weren't doing something you were supposed to be?  I have definitely been there.  And when you get to the point where you know it's wrong, now that's conviction.  This is a point when your heart hurts from the sin. Or you get so uncomfortable, that you can't live with it.  The Holy Spirit is livin' right there, facing every situation, feeling, or physical affliction with you. I have discovered multiple convictions that God has placed on my life.  I believe that He is keeping me pure and building my character through the stomach-binding moments when I know I'm being convicted.  Don't get this idea incorrect either...  Convictions can be about something your NOT doing just as much as something you are that you shouldn't.  Did that make since?

Anyways, I have discovered that it is not my conviction to be in church on this Sunday morning.  Come on, I come from a Southern Baptist way of thinking where it is church on Sunday, eat a big lunch, take a nap, then get back up in time to be back at church that night.  I know what it is like to be "faithful".  But as I have discovered, Jesus isn't just in the church.  He is everywhere I am and He is even more where I seek Him out as a broken and starving soul.  For instance, this Sunday morning I believe He is right here with me more than anywhere else.  I have found Him more in the places where I am vulnerable to His word than many times I have in church.  This isn't to say that I don't find Him in church.  Believe me, He has spoken to me in church time-and-time again.  But I want my life to represent Christ ALL the time.  Not just in church on Sunday morning.

My mom always told me there was this light surrounding all His believers.  She said that we usually stuck out like a sore thumb without the sore part, more like a constant firefly. I love this verse:

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Does it not totally describe what I'm talking about?  Let me tell ya, my mother can be in Walmart and the cashier will just start telling her all about the problems she has been having with her family, or her mom, or her dog, or the management, and sometimes it's not even the bad things.  The topic may be about how her husband just got home from being in Iraq, or her daughter just graduated college and is teaching at a Tennessee university.  I mean the topics range wide and far!  But I have always wondered why.  If you know my mom, she is a talker.  We both laugh because I am much more like my dad.  I am introverted, only talk when I need to, can sit in a room for hours upon end without saying a word kind of person.  Mom, on the other hand, will be the only one talking in our family room while we're watching a movie (we don't even have to respond).  But as I tell her, God has given her that gift, and He has given me mine.  We probably wouldn't have the amazing mother-daughter relationship we do now if we were the same.  So even if she is a talker, other people still start the conversation.  And I believe with all my heart that it is Christ they are attracted to and that is why they can pour their heart out to this person they don't know.

I laughed.  This summer I worked at a camp and had to run errands every now and again for some unexpected things...like a golf-cart battery.  So here I go, battery in a box in my back seat, heading for a town I've never been to, using my unreliable GPS system on my phone, going to a place that they don't even know I am coming.  But ya know what, I eventually found it (after passing it about three times).  So I walk in and tell them where I'm from and what I need done.  Now the man I worked for is pretty well-known and highly respected, so when you tell them that you work for him, they will start talking about camp and willingly do whatever the need is (this was extremely handy and definitely taught me that reputation does mean a lot).  So, as I was saying, I walk in and tell them what I have, so Nathan (the owner) goes to get the battery.  I sit inside with his mom and start talking.  ME!  I started the conversation!  We talked about camp and what I was doing and her daughter's missions trip and her son's wedding and then there was this other woman who told me all about her hot flashes and what NOT to do when I'm 50 and how I should try to do everything I want to while I'm young because menopause hinders you from all the fun.  It was comical.
When everything was done, I headed down the road and couldn't help by laughing.  I had been my mother for a bit.  I was able to shine a little bit of Jesus into those ladies' lives, even if it was just for a minute.  It was cool to see God work.  He can use us in the most unexpected moments.

This is what I mean about being faithful.  That is the kind of faithfulness I want to attain.  I want to live out Him in my every day life.  I want to be that fragrance that people thrive from.  If if can be a light to those who don't know Jesus, or simply brighten the day of someone who does, then I know I have found Jesus' place for me.  In the little moments of life.  In the quietness of my room or the check-out line at Walmart or the run to grab a battery.  These moments might forever change the life of someone else.  And you will find, these moments deepen not only your faith but your heart for those who Jesus loves.

"Break my heart for what breaks yours." (Jesus Friend of Sinners, Casting Crowns)

Let this be your cry today!  Church or no church, allow God to move through you even in the sucky hurtles of life and unexpected minutes.  You only have one life to live, don't waste it.




From my Ovaltine morning to yours,
Elizabeth

Fishing for purpose

I am realizing, now, just how ridiculously powerful He is. 

At Bible study the other night, one of the girls asked to pray for her because she was struggling with surrendering Her entire life to Him.  She just wanted to be used by Him - no matter what the cost.  I sent her home with a comforting warning and a laugh, knowing just what she was getting herself into.  It took me back to this past spring as I tearfully sat in worship surrendering my all.

I had been struggling for months.  My heart and my head hurt from trying to figure out what was wrong with me.  Not only was my struggle emotional but it was physical.  I ached.  My body was resisting the pressure I was putting on it.  I had been sick several times that semester.  But something you don't know is the fact that I am a work-out-aholic.  Literally, I love to push my body to new limits.  Control is a struggle for me.  I like to be in control, know every plan, and tend to thrive from stability.  So keeping my body in shape is a way for me to know at least part of my life is in my hands. 

However, I was tired.  And when I say tired, I mean exhausted from thinking, doing, and over thinking every area of my life.  That's something about me, too.  Over thinking is an awful habit I picked up.  Well, maybe my introversion has something to do with it.  Either way, my brain was fried.  I had no plans for the summer, my family had been chaotic for the last year or so with my Pawpaw's sickness and then death, my best friend was hours upon hours from my reach, and my mental state was numb.  I don't even know how to describe the agony I fought.  I needed help.

I sat right there in the auditorium of our FCS meetings and poured my heart out.  I told Him I would do anything He wanted me to.  I would go anywhere He needed me to.  I would face any circumstance in order to be in His will and help the hurting.  I was stupid.  Totally Kidding!  But it was the most critical, heart wrenching decision I have ever made.

From that point forward, God has used me.  And I'm discovering, it comes with mighty costs.  Have you ever reached that point where you feel you have nothing left?  That He has taken away the ones you love, the comfort of home (or wherever you find peace), the ability to have control of anything?  I'm here now.  I am at a point of vulnerability that I never imagined I would reach.  The slight pinch from a friend could probably bring me to tears.  Yet, I know I am being strengthened.  

I read a cool quote the other day...

Reaching the point of a break down is not always a bad thing.  It brings you to a point of staring over.  Being able to be whatever you want.  

Well obviously it's not perfectly quoted, but in my own words, that's what I read.  I liked it.  Some times we feel the need to be so strong, so immovable, so hard, so dry from any ounce of salty tears that we forget its OK.  We forget that having a momentary, or extended, freak-out is alright.  God wants us to be weak.  He wants to rid us of any of our own strength so He can fill us back up with His strength.

Being called "His" has a huge responsibility.  He can form you into whatever you want to be.  And we can resent the change as much as we want, but I promise you, He only wants to give you the desires of you heart (Psalm 37:4).  The future He has in store for you is exciting and adventurous (Jeremiah 29:11)!  

Remember, I'm right in your boat.  I am sitting right next to you fishing for the invisible fish (or so it seems).  But one day, we're gonna catch the big one!  The one we have waited our whole life for.  The one that we can proudly tell our grandchildren about.  The one we can bring home with pride.  It's all about one thing: patience.  This is something that is difficult to obtain, but well worth it.  

I can't say that I'll ever be "patient".  I am a slightly impatient person, and I have decided that God made me this way.  But I can learn to be content - as can you.  Contentment comes when the waters are still, the fish aren't biting, your miserable, but when you glance up too see the bird flying overhead, you notice the most beautiful sunset, right over the mountaintop.  It's then you realize that had you actually been "slaying bass" (as my brother would say) then you would have completely missed the beauty of the moment sitting right in front of you.  Don't miss the beauty while your waiting on adventure.  Waiting is simply part of the journey.
Trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).  He knows what He's doing. 



Watching the wait,
Elizabeth 

Learning to Trust

What happens when you rely on your own strength?

Fear.

Depression.

Regret.

Freak-out moments.

Tears.

Pain.

Memories.

Ice-cream.

Low self-esteem.

Nail biting.

Seclusion.

Discontentment.

And the list can go on and on and on.  Even though some of these things are comical, they are perfect examples of fear.  If you are human, you have related to at least a few of these unwanted actions or ideas.  This is because sometimes we rely on our own strength and not that of God's.  I have been having lots of these moments.

Then, in one instant of realizing how silly I am, God showed me that He has got this whole thing (that little thing known as "my life") under His control.  My whole being is in the palm of his hands.  

A few nights ago, I was reminded of this love when I read an insert in Sheri Rose Shepherd's book His Princess Warrior:

It's time, my warrior, to surrender your fears, your insecurities, your pain, and your loved ones completely to Me.  I want your whole heart and mind and soul to be worry free.  I want your complete trust so you can focus on your faith and be free from the spirit of fear controlling you.  Give up the fight of trying to figure it all out.  Don't let your circumstances hold your heart hostage or cause you to lose your confidence in Me. I am asking you on this day to answer this one question: In whom do you place your trust? (p. 134)

This is what I read on a night when I was totally relying on my own understanding.  I don't know what you are dealing with right now.  Maybe it is the prison of depression, a unsettled marriage, a broken relationship, a lost job, a hopeless family, a scolded friendship, or any weight that is holding you from entrusting your thoughts to Him.  Don't be ashamed that you have come to this point.  We are creatures with an ability to learn.  God sometimes wants us to realize we have nothing without Him.  However, if we continue without His guidance, we risk a mediocre life - barren from any and all of God's goodness.  Surrender your fears today.  He is waiting.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NKJV)

Your Trusting Friend,
Elizabeth

 

 

 

 

Vulnerable Strength

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1 KJV)

Ya know, I was reading this verse last night before I went to bed and it hit me the two words He specifically placed in this verse...
  

REFUGE

 and 

STRENGTH

I looked up the definition of refuge some could understand it better.  Refuge means "anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape".  I don't know if you are like me, but I try to constantly be strong.  Throughout any hardship in my life, I try to stay strong for those around me (even if that means becoming a hermit until I have gotten over it). I don't like breaking down.  However, sometimes those hardships are just too much to take, and that's why I like this word "refuge".  

God can be our relief for a bit if we simply let Him.  For me, this involves an afternoon of listening to sad songs, cleaning out my closet of things I'll never wear but reminiscing on when I did, and bawling my eyes out for a few hours.  But this is OK.  If we rely on our own strength to get through the situation, then we really aren't handing it over to God.  I believe with all my heart that sometimes He wants you to be vulnerable so He can show you something magical at your weakest moment.  This magic is His overwhelming strength.

God's strength.  Think about how awesome that has got to be!  The One who created the universe wants to pick you up off the tear-moistened carpet and become the strength you need to pick up your bags and head onward in your amazing journey.  I don't know about you, but I want more than anything in this world to be held by His big 'ol arms, wrapped so tight that I can't feel the pain of the world any longer.  When we have the faith to grab Him, He will use us in spectacular ways!

I encourage you today to become vulnerable to Him.  Allow yourself to become weak in your own might, so that He can incur His strength into you.

Holding on tight,

Elizabeth 

Faith from a Sunset

A wonderful friend of mine once said that she believes God gives some of us a special gift to see His beauty in such a way that it fulfills a deep longing in our soul.  I have believed in that thought ever since.
I am a runner.  Some people don't understand the most amazing release and fulfillment of body, mind, and spirit from running.  Now, I can't say that while I'm huffing and puffing up the monster hill by my house that fulfillment is what I'm thinking about, but one in the same, it brings realizization that I can do what I thought I couldn't.  Anyways, I refuse to run on a track or any place that is vacant of beautiful landscapes.  It doesn't have to be an amazing view of a mountain side, a sunset or a fiels will do.  But I want to be able to take in all of God's creation for that particular area.
One day, I was running from gate-to-gate at the high school and middle school I grew up in.  It's got this killer hill!  I think it's something about the way the hill is swerving at the same time the incline is increasing (or maybe I'm just a baby haha).  But anyways, after I had ran it once, I decided to trek back up the hill.  When I got to the top, I turned back to admire the view.  And you know what?  The sunset was magnificent!  It is definitely on my list of my top five most beautiful moments.
I think my gift for beauty is one of the most precious gifts God has given me.  I take almost every moment of my life and try to turn it into nostalgia.  I prize those beautiful moments more than others because I see it as a chance to strengthen my faith.  It helps me to know that a great big Guy with a great big heart sees my achy brokeness and is ready to help me heal with a beauty beyond anything man could ever alter or produce.  It also brings me to a point to know that I am part of his precious creations and there is nothing I can do to make myself any more enter than He already has. 
As I thought about this moment, and many more that followed, I believe God places them in each of our lives as assurance to each of us.  Usually, they appear right when our faith is weary and our strength is drowning. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 

That first part of this verse says exactly what I understand.  "God has made everything beautiful for its own time". So this is cool, right?  God DID make that alluring sunset specifically for me on that very day at that very time.  The last part says, "People cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end".  We can not and will not ever be able to comprehend God's timing, but we can hold the faith to believe He performs little miracles for us.  A beauty in itself.  
Watch for God's little moments for you as your days grow weary and find a reason to celebrate His love for us.



With all my heart,
Elizabeth

Possibilities

What we think, feel and do at this very moment influences both our present and future in ways we may never know. Begin. Start right where you are. Consider your possibilities and find inspiration... To add more meaning and zest to your life.
Alexandra Stoddard

A very dear friend to me sent me a package the other day. It had a book of inspiration in it (she knows me all too well). As I opened it this morning to read my daily dose of joy, I read this quote and fell in a state of imaginating the possibilities of the future God might have for me.

Ever since I was old enough to start contemplating my future, I have wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I argued with my dad for a while on why I needed to go to college if I was just going to be a housewife. It was simply a waste of money. Even now, my forever calling will be to provide a haven of comfort and love to my future husband and children whom I will one day be responsible for. However, God has shown me that He has gigantic plans for my life. And as steadfast as my heart is set on being stationed in my home, God has revealed that I am going to have to make room for both. Had I not went to college when and where I did, I would not be on the path I am today. Isn't God just unbelievably amazing?!

Check out this verse:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

Wow! Are you blown away, yet unbelievably gracious to the King of Kings? This verse is telling us that He already knows what you will do with your life! He wants to give you hope! He wants to give you the adventure of a lifetime! Will you take Him up on it? You see, God has a perfect plan for your life that will allow you to bea vivid light for Him. He wants to use you. But the problem is that most of the time we get to busy or to let-down to stay focused in the One who loves us most of all. Maybe you ask how I know this? I have walked down this path.

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Proverbs 16:3 KJV)

I can tell you with all sincerity my heart can bear, joy will not consume you until you are willing to go all out for the Lord of Lords. I have accepted my perfect adventure. I am ready to take on the world as a shining light for Jesus Christ. Are you?

Resolve to start your adventure today full of joy and hope and trials. I promise, God will allow it to be remarkably worth it.



Livin' with joy,
Elizabeth

HeartFull

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

There isn't much more to say about this verse.  A wise man, Dr. Whipple, recently said, "Don't destroy God's words with the words of man."  Meditate on this verse.  It will be a blessing.  I know it.








A servant for Him,
Elizabeth 

Faithful and True

Faith. Wow. Have you ever realized how deep this word is? Have you ever realized that in order to even obtain the strength to say you have it involves some intense surrendering. This past spring God definitely revealed to me that this word is radical. It involves a total surrendering to Him.

You will, if you havent already, come to a point in your life when you know there is more. Whether your saved or not, God is calling you to more. There are way to many people who live in this mundane world, fixated on their own needs. They refuse to serve the One who was hung by His limbs upon a splintering cross with thorns placed upon His head. How selfish are we? I don't understand how it doesnt sicken people to live their normal life knowing that deep down, And believe me, I was there for a very long time.

The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 talks about faith. But two of my favorite verses are Hebrews 11:1 and 6, which says:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Verse one is pretty much the biblical definition of faith. We'll deal with it in a minute. But verse six always hits me hard. God is telling us that we can not, in any way, shape or form, please God without having the faith that He can accomplish it. You must first believe that He is. This means that you believe that He will take care of your situation no matter how complicated it may be.

Sometimes we give things to God, but we lack the faith in believing He WILL take care of it. How many times have you (because I know I have) given something to God and then in the back of your mind, you think, "I need to fix it" or "There is no way I can ever get over this". Have you seen your problem yet? The word "I" has come up. I can do this, and I can fix that, and I just need some time to figure it out. No. God is the only one who can heal the pain or the discontentment we struggle with.

So the second part of this verse, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligence is probably the most important word in this section. We sometimes get this mindset that if we give our life or problem to Him once then everything will be a-okay! Wrong answer (as my dad would say)! Having faith that Christ loves us and wants more than anything to take care of us involves daily trust and quality time with Him. I have a friend who has struggled with her salvation for a very long time. She believes that Christ saved her, but everyday Satan pops his head back in her mind and creates doubt. The other day I told her that she needs to remember that beleieving is a one-time deal. She needs to have faith in His never-failing promise on a daily basis. She might have to diligently seek Him daily.

Luke 9:23 says:

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23 KJV)

Even Jesus himself said we have to make a daily surrender to follow Him. Constantly surrender to Him.

So back to this whole faith thing. It says that without faith, you can not please our Lord. It's saying that if we don't completely surrender to Him everything we own spiritually, physically, and emotionally, then God will not use us. I'm not sure about you, but I desperately want God to use me with every ounce of my being.

This morning I read my devo in His Princess Warrior by Sheri Rose Shepherd. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The quote I prized the most was, "Your trials will lead you to an abundant life of effective and everlasting ministry if you will allow Me to carve in your character a true reflection of Me while you are in the fire where your faith is being tested."

I guess what I love most about this quote is that our trials are not endured invain. God is preparing us for the adventure of a lifetime. When we truly surrender to Him, we will be tried and tested. Honestly, we may go through the most sudden, heartbreaking hardship we ever have! But we can be confident in faith that God is going to use your hardships to shape you into the ministry your life will lead. However, it takes faith in knowing that you are being molded in order to persevere.

So I'm asking you, and myself, today. Do you have the faith to believe He has an adventure for you and faith in the fact that He is strengthening you for the road He has set you upon?




Smiling with you,
Libbie