Journey of Faith

Is it just me, or has this year absolutely flown by? I'm sitting here, still trying to grasp the fact that we are half way through December. It's just been a completely insane year. I'm not going to lie, this has been a hard, hard year. My family has all had to deal with some rough health issues. A precious 4 year old that I know lost her battle to cancer. My best friend was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I realized half way through finishing my degree that I hated the field I was going into. I quit my management job that caused me more stress than any job should ever have to cause. Honestly, the list goes on and on. But man, has God been so good. My family is all alive and kicking. That 4 year old outlived her life expectancy by two years and fought a darn good fight. My best friend is CANCER FREE. I'm currently in a degree program that I love and will still graduate early. I've become a nanny to the most wonderful, crazy little boys. My life is amazing. And ...

Ever have those times when you just feel as though you are in a boat that is constantly tossed upon wave after wave, with no end in sight? Lately, that has been me. I have felt so completely overwhelmed by all of these crazy circumstances in my life and it has caused me to become an anxious, nervous wreck. I had been praying through Philippians 4:7, where it says, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I kept wondering why that amazing peace seemed to be so consistently eluding me. I mean, come on! I am a daughter of God, I read my Bible, and strive to live in His Will for my life. And then the Lord showed me something. In Philippians 4:6, Paul writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Did you catch that? IN EVERYTHING by prayer... WITH THANKSGIVING. I need to be constantly praying in...

Have you ever had one of those days? One of those days where, by the time the day is done with, you just wish you could give up all together? Because, as I write this tonight, I'm fighting off the tears. Tears of frustration. Anger. Hurt. Some days, you may feel like you're out there fighting to change the world and it's completely awesome. But then when you want people to join in and come alongside of you, they just don't appear to care. At all. And on those days, you have to fight your flesh big time. On those days, I have to remind myself of a few things. I have to remind myself that everyone's journey looks different. Some people may not be remotely passionate about the things that I'm passionate about. And that's okay. I have to remind myself that sometimes people do care about the things that I care about, they just may not know how to show it. And that's okay. I have to remind myself that sometimes people forget, or that they are just so ov...

Idol: "Any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion (dictionary.reference.com)." "You shall not make idols for yourselves...for I the Lord am your God." -Leviticus 26:1 One of the things that the Bible is pretty clear about is that God should be the number one priority in our lives. Our God is a jealous God, and He does not want anyone or anything to come before Him. This is something that I would've said I was doing pretty well on. I wake up and do my quiet time, pretty consistently every morning. I'm really involved in ministry within the church. My boyfriend is a Godly guy, but even still, if the Lord told me to break up with him, I would do so. There are no "things" in my life that come before God. Except...maybe my time. Sure, God gets time every morning. Maybe He even gets time throughout the day. But the question is, what do I think about more? Him? Or all the things that I have to cram into a da...

Disclaimer: I'm not single. I have a wonderful boyfriend that I'm in a committed relationship with. So don't think that this is the saga of a single girl, singing her woes of not finding a man. Now, I've grown up in the church, amongst a wonderful community of believers. I gladly claim a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have had the blessing of learning from some incredible men and women of God, and have sat under some great Bible teaching in my lifetime. However, I have to say that I've started to notice a pattern, inside and outside of the church, but especially in the communities of Christians that I have grown up with. And I have oh-so-cleverly decided to dub this pattern "single shaming." Many of you already know what I'm talking about. "Oh you, know Claire is beautiful girl, has a wonderful job, just lovely. But...She's 25 and she just can't seem to find a man." "Well, we thought for sure that when Amanda ...

It's just like any other morning or evening. You're about to climb into the shower and the dreaded moment happens: You walk by the mirror. Everything exposed, you cringe at the first glance. Then the more you look, the unhappier you become. When did those stretch marks get there? Have I ALWAYS had that cellulite? Do I have a double chin from every freaking angle? Why are my thighs so massive? Is there ANYTHING good about this? To this girl, I see you. I am you. Not too long ago, I took a look at myself in the mirror and honestly started crying. I was so miserable with the way that I looked. It didn't matter what other people said about my appearance, it was awful to me. And maybe that's you too. Maybe you've felt doomed since the day someone you loved told you that you were gonna be fat just like them. Maybe you've starved yourself, fighting and straining against that fate. Maybe you've never felt like it was okay simply to love yourself. ...

Lord, I honestly do not know where to begin. Tonight, I come before you truly broken. I've stared at this screen not even knowing what to type. Tomorrow morning, it's going to happen. A baby is going to be in your presence. Normally, this would be a joyous occasion. Sadly, it isn't. I'm in tears simply thinking the word. Abortion. It's never hit so close to home. A dear, dear friend of mine ending her baby's life tomorrow morning. I know, I know. There are those of you reading this that are simply going to tell me it's just a fetus. But does a fetus have a heartbeat? Does a fetus have a brain? How about eyelids? At this point in that baby's life, he or she has all of those things. Please don't mistake this as hatred towards women who have abortions. I love everyone and have even gone through a grieving period with a dear friend over this very choice that she made. But it was indeed a grieving process. Little did she know how much she wo...