December 26, 2021
Good morning everyone! I pray that you all had an amazing Christmas! I want you to know I was thinking about you all day yesterday and asking God to bring you all peace and comfort throughout the day. Yesterday was a great day for me, I was able to simply relax all day long with my family. Now hold up a second, my relax may be completely different from yours. I find ease when I am cleaning (hint my OCD ;)! So I did dishes, folded laundry, cleaned my room, and so much more that left me feeling so accomplished for the day which furthermore put my mind at rest. I know you probably think I’m even more crazy than you thought before, but just a heads up, I AM! Hahahahha. Your day might have looked similar or completely different but whatever it might of consisted of, I hope you were able to feel God’s joy.
Now let’s talk about something that I felt would be very useful for this time. As family and friends leave holiday gatherings, and we have to say our goodbyes, many find this time to be extremely difficult. It can leave lots of people feeling alone and or left behind. But let me just give you this great news. Just like God promised the people a Savior was going to be born around 80 generations ago, He promises you and me that He will always be with us. In Deuteronomy 31:8 the Bible states that “The Lord himself goes before you and will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Now I don’t know about you, but this verse brings me so much comfort. I go from fearing isolation to realizing that no matter how many miles I am away from another earthly organism, God is always and forever at my side.
However, it is easy to say that we believe we are never alone but the question is do you really in your heart think this is true? That is exactly where we have to rewind and go back to the meaning of trust. While we cannot see God standing beside us physically we must trust that He is never going to leave us. Proverbs 3 verse 5 and 6 say that we must “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all ways we shall submit to him, and he will make our paths straight.” Once we give our all to Christ, we then have to accept His plan for our lives and trust that He will be with us through the highs and lows here on this earth. God sees and knows how hard trusting is. He fully understands that we as sinners have our doubts, yet this is why He doesn’t intend on us living life alone. You will always have people standing beside you with arms wide open. God is one of those and I am too. I am always here for you no matter the circumstances your are facing.
I challenge you next time you are going through something difficult to open up and ask others to support you. That may look like bringing you a meal, talking on the phone, or simply praying for you. God has purposely placed others in your life to be your crutches and to help you up off the ground. Therefore, use what he has graciously given.
If you only take away two words for todays update I want them to be “Never Alone” because the truth is no matter how distant we may feel, The King of the Word is always within arms length, ready to guide you. ‘
I love you all so much and am just another person here to support you. Please reach out to me if you are that person who feels alone, because I can promise you that you are not the only one and this feeling is temporary. I pray that each of you have a great week and come back next week for the new update!
December 19, 2021
Good morning! I pray you all had a great last week! I know it was the last week of school before 2022 for many and that is exciting. I cannot believe we have less than a week before Christmas. I feel like the holidays came so fast and I don’t even know if I am ready. Which means this is probably going to be the last update until after Christmas. Therefore this week I want to talk about joy. I know that the holidays bring many of us happiness and excitement however it is so important that we focus on the reasons for the season before getting carried away in all the gifts, food, traditions, etc. I know, trust me, this is so very hard especially when it comes to that fun morning the 25th.
A lot of times when we think about Christmas the first things that come to our mind is the cheerful morning when we wake up and see gifts under the tree. But in reality that cheer is temporary. After Christmas is over we loose that enthusiasm and probably wish we could do it all over again. Happiness and excitement are short term. Not long lasting. Joy on the other hand is lifelong. Joy is something that only The Lord can provide. Joy is a feeling of happiness like no other. It is dependent on who Jesus is rather than who or what is happening around us. Joy is forever, and once you find this joy no matter how much occurs in your life, nobody can take it away form you. Joy comes from understanding that Jesus was born in a stable and crucified on the cross for our sins. Because of His love for us we are able to spend the rest of our lives in heaven with Him.
When I think about Heaven, I immediately get a smile across my face. It is so crazy that one day we will be sitting in a Kingdom next to the Savior of the world. All because of His never-ending love for you and me. That is what Christmas is about, the amazing life-changing birth of our King. Therefore, I encourage you this Christmas to look for and hopefully find that joy Christ gives all of us. I promise once you put your arms around the Joy of the Lord, your Christmas season will never be the same.
I hope this lesson will change your vision of Christmas and give you the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate it more than ever. I love you all so much and pray you all have an amazing week and Christmas. I am still accepting B3 Box forms and if you fill out a form before Wednesday, I can get it to the recipient before Christmas. These would make an awesome surprise gift for loved ones. Please reach out to me if you need anything. See you all next week!
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December 11, 2021
Hey everyone! I know this is kind of late to be updating but I really wanted to go ahead and post this week! I feel like it has been longer than a week since we talked but maybe it’s just because we are on our last full week of school before Christmas break. Is it just me or do you feel like things that bring you excitement seem to take twice as long to happen than those that bring us nerves and worry? For me, this is true in all situations. Anyways, I pray that you have all had a good week whether it has gone fast or slow and are ready to start fresh come tomorrow. This week, I wanted to focus on something that can be a real struggle for many, however, it is approaching and I feel like it is only necessary to go ahead and prepare ourselves for the future.
I am sure you already know it, but we only have 14 more days until Christmas morning. Now let’s stop here, I know for many you are thinking Christmas isn’t a struggle yet, Christmas can be the most difficult time of year for many people. As we gather together with family and friends to celebrate, we come to the realization that there are gaps in our family. Maybe a loved one has passed away, maybe a divorce or separation, deployment or work. Maybe we are simply going through a trial and feel as if there is no time for rejoice.
Christmas can look different for so many. I believe it is important for everyone to realize that Christmas was made for those who are going through rough times. While at first sight, a King being born into the world that Christmas morning seemed as if nothing could get any better but, look nobody except Christ alone knew what was ahead. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 I think we so often get this miss conception that Christmas is all joy and happiness which, it should have these things in it because this was the day yours and my Savior was born. However, at the same time this day can leave many feeling alone, depressed, stressed, and so much more.
It is so important to come to a point in your life that you realize what God is here for. He is not here to sit back and watch us go through struggles alone. He doesn’t enjoy watching us face trials or go through rough patches but He does know we are going to get through those times by Him alone. One of my most favorite verses in the Bible that brings a smile to my face each time I hear it is Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is in your midst-a warrior bringing victory. He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing.”
As I come to a close today, I want you to understand that you are not alone. Whatever you are currently facing isn’t the end of your story. God is going to get you to the other side, I promise. You must trust in Him and give it all up. Don’t hang on to the “worldly attributes” lay it all down. Ask Christ to pick you up and carry you through. You are not alone right now and will never be, I know and believe that you are strong enough to overcome this. Believe, Trust, and have Hope in the ONE AND ONLY KING.
I love you so so much and I really hope this will bring you the smile it brought to me. Remember, I am always here for you and willing to talk anytime you need anything. Have an amazing week and don’t forget to fill out B3 Box forms this holiday season!
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December 5, 2021
Good morning y’all! How are you doing? I pray that you had a great week and have been able to get back into the groove of life after Thanksgiving! Speaking of Thanksgiving, can you believe we only have 20 days until Christmas? I don’t know why but I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that it’s about to be 2022. Mind Blown. Anyways this week I want to focus in on something I often struggle with. Perfectionism. As someone who struggles with more than chronic 😂😂 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I know firsthand how hard this concept is.
I want my room to look a specific way, I want the kitchen to be spotless before bed. I want my clothes folded a neat order, and I can’t stand for there to be a crumb in my car floorboard. I know, I know this sounds crazy, coming from a teen but it’s just the way my mind works. I am so type-a that when it comes anything and if actions aren’t carried out how I like it, you bet I’m going to redo it until it is. Which can cause lots of controversy and arguments amongst me and other people because I tend to also struggle with flexibility.
It happens so frequently that I forget who is ultimately in control. I loose focus on the idea that no matter what I do, God already has a plan and there is nothing I can do to change that plan. If I would remind myself of this more often and not get so caught up in my own feelings I would live a much more laid back life. It’s a working progress😉and I continue to struggle with it yet I am reminded in Psalm 46:10 to “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE EARTH.”
But my goodness let be honest here, being still is so extremely difficult. My mind is constantly running and reminding me of my never ending to - do list. I need to be here at this time and take this to them, I have to finish that and start those. We get so caught up in the world we forget to be still. God has a life planned for our future. He knows what, when, where, why, and how everything is going to happen and we don’t. We cannot let this fear of the unknown and future run our lives. Living in the unknown and being willing to let go of the reigns and let God take charge is so detrimental to who we are.
By letting go, we are showing Christ that we fully trust in Him. Psalm 116:12, “ WHAT SHALL I RENDER TO THE LORD FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS TOWARDS ME.” Everything He does and everything we face here on this Earth is for His gain. We will go through hard times and trials that feel constant but in the end, it is for the better of Christ and His people(YOU)!
I pray that by reading this, you feel the encouragement I felt while writing it. Please let me know if you need help with this or anything we have talked about in the past. I am here for each and everyone of you. It does nothing more than fill me with joy when I get to help someone in need. I want to be a source of support in your trials and I want you to all feel comfortable opening up and sharing what your going through. Feel free to message me if you ever need anything. I love you all and hope your have a great week!