Beautifully Broken

He has shown all you people what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  (Micah 6:8) In light of the election last night, there are some very strong opinions across the country.  This post is not meant to be political, and I will not be sharing my political beliefs, but after seeing multiple harsh posts-coming from people of all parties- I needed to write to get my thoughts together. The verse above comes from Micah, where Israel is experiencing a great amount of turmoil and running from the Lord.   Before I start addressing the verse, I want to point out that Israel originally did not have a King or any kind of ruler in an earthly sense; in the beginning, they solely followed the Lord in everything that they did.  This point is definitely not to say that all forms of government are corrupt or that we shouldn't have government, its just a simple reminder about...

This week has been crazy.  It's had some pretty extreme highs and lows already, and as always, I know this semester is going to be in need of a whole lot of coffee and Jesus! Last week at vertical, TA asked us what we are hungry for: love, acceptance, good grades, rest, significance . Wow.  I didn't realize until that moment how much I hunger for significance.  Without realizing it, I feel like this craving was affecting so many different parts of my life. As a senior in college, here are a few areas that I let the need for significance take over: Friendships:  I'm really good at doubting myself.  I have some of the most incredible friends, but I take the small things to heart.  This can be good when the small things are positive, but I overthink the negative.  I know that words of affirmation is one of my top love languages, but I began to use that as an excuse to start doubting my value as a friend and questioning what I actually have...

I'll start by saying the last two weeks have been a whirlwind for sure.  I've been reading through Ezekiel, and I hate to say this, but sometimes I get stuck on parts of the Bible that I just don't think relate to my life. (But as always, I am SO wrong-but I'll get back to that.) So as many of y'all know, I was in a pretty scary car wreck on Tuesday. Literally every part of my car was destroyed-except for the front of the driver's side, which I was able to walk out of. That in itself is a testament to why God has the greatest timing, planning, and protecting possible.  The wreck was terrifying, but in reality it was one of the lesser hardships of life. Personally, I have dealt with losses that make losing my poor little car look like nothing. I was asked the day before the wreck at a retreat "When all is said and done, how do you want to be remembered?" I said that I want to be remembered for choosing to find joy through Christ.  The week before the wr...

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". (Jeremiah 29:11) If I asked you to list some verses that you might describe as a "coffee cup" verse, I'm guessing Jeremiah 29:11 would make it somewhere on that list.  Not gonna lie, that's one of my go-to verses when asked about my favorite scripture, and that's okay! If you're not familiar with that phrase, it describes verses that can typically be seen on a mug, painted on the wall, or in other visible locations.  I think this is great, and Jeremiah 29:11 is a fantastic verse to decorate your homes with!  However, it's important to know the context of these verses instead of just decorating your homes with the out of context ideas the verse "could" mean. This Monday will mark the 8th year anniversary of when my dad passed away, so Jeremiah 29:11 is on my mind quite frequentl...

image from 123rf.com So today was a big day: I finished my last Spanish class of college!! One thing God is showing me is that He can be found everywhere. My Spanish professor (shoutout to Profesor Spinks!) gave a speech on an awesome perspective about studying, learning, and respecting other cultures, but I think it also gives a beautiful picture on looking at our faith as well. Here is a list Profesor Spinks told us to write down: Remember: -Spanish is hard. -It sometimes wasn't fun. -I had to think hard while trying to put a new concept into action -Sometimes I made the same mistake over and over -Sometimes listening to my teacher and concentrating was hard -Speaking in Spanish with my level of knowledge was scary -Realizing these difficulties I experienced should allow me to have compassion for others -We have freedom in our own language Okay from reading this list you may or may not see some patterns that align pretty closely with us as Chris...

If you've read any of my past blogs (or even just the title), you'll know that embracing the beauty that comes with brokenness is something God has really been teaching me.  I was able to help out with a D-now in Sonora this weekend, and God reminded me of this truth even more. One example that was used over the weekend was a glowstick.  In order for it to work, you have to break it so that it will shine.  God uses us in the same way; He sees our brokenness but He never hides from it or abandons us; He meets us where we are and is able to shine through our mess. Being vulnerable.  Loving all.  Standing up. These are three truths that I have learned this weekend through the speaker and the small group, and I would love to share what God has shown me! First of all, being vulnerable is scary.  It's laying your heart out for someone to see, knowing that your imperfections and faults are visible.  It's about giving someone access to the darkest ...

Rejection stinks.  It doesn't matter if it's a relationship, an internship, a job, or a friend.  No matter the source of the rejection, it stings.  It makes us doubt who we are and our own self-worth, and it can lead to even scarier thing. I don't know your story, and I don't know the struggles in your life.  What I do know, however, is that in my struggles as well as your individual ones, God has a plan.  The world is so easy to get caught up in, and it can seem completely suffocating.   We were made to love and be loved, this is obvious in the Bible: Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8) With this being said, since we are created to love one another, we crave that love back.  We want to be noticed for our talents, our hearts, our looks, and our intelligence.  One of my strongest love languages is words of affirmation, so receiving the exact opposite...