Transition

The last few months have been a time of transition for me. I've had to cut off relationships that weren't healthy, ditch a lifestyle, finish up my sophomore year of college, get ready to move into my first apartment, make new friends... Everything I've known my whole life has been turned upside down and it hasn't been easy.

I've had a really hard time trying to figure out where to go and what to do. I've felt so torn. Part of me didn't want to leave what I've grown up with, and the other part of me felt like I needed to. My heart has been physically hurting from trying to decide what my next step in life should be. I've been praying for God to give me clarity on what to do and for him to just lead me to where he wants me to be. Until tonight, it still wasn't clear.

It's 3am, I logged onto Twitter before going to bed, and a tweet from Darlene Zschech (one of the greatest worship leaders of all time) came up on my newsfeed. It said,

"Don't let your heart get caught in the PAST of transition, but dream and be inspired for all that the future holds."

This was the clarity I've been asking God for.

I finally feel okay with where I am now. I no longer feel like I'm not being loyal, I don't feel like a traitor, and I don't feel bad... I know this is where God has called me to be. As hard as it's been to accept all of this change, I now know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has directed my steps to exactly where I am today. I still have a long way to go in this journey, but I know that he holds my future in his hands. He's blessed me with some awesome people to do life with, and I am forever thankful for that.

I don't deserve any of this and it continues to blow my mind daily of how blessed and favored I really am by him. Thank you, Jesus.

Just a reminder...

God loves you more than you could ever know. No matter who you are, what you do, what you've done, where you're from, what you believe... He loves you sooooooo much. I used to think that there was no way God could still love me after all the crap I've done. I didn't even love me! But the awesome thing is, I was so wrong. He loved me at my darkest, and he chose me when I didn't believe. And the same goes for you.

play it out

I stole this from Steven Furtick's blog, but I think it's a good read for anyone struggling with temptation! His blog can be found here: http://www.stevenfurtick.com/personal-development/play-it-out/

There’s a simple exercise that can reorient your perspective for any struggle or temptation you’ll ever face.

One of Satan’s greatest weapons is to get you stuck in the moment. The moment of your pain. Your trial. Your temptation. He freeze-frames your current situation and makes you forget everything that you have to gain from it. Or everything that you have to lose from it.

When you face these situations, the best thing you can do is get out of the freeze frame and fast forward to the end. Take a moment and play it out.

Play out your struggles:

If I suffer…I’ll get more reward.

If I experience pain…it’s not worth comparing to the glory awaiting me.

If I die…I’ll be with Christ.

Or on the negative side, play out your temptations:

If I do something unethical…I’ll lose my job.

If I look at porn…I’ll lose my ability to see God clearly.

If I have an affair…I’ll lose my family.

Yes, it’s simple. But it can make a profound impact on nearly every circumstance you’ll ever face in life.

Start taking your situations or temptations to their conclusion. See what incredible possibilities might be in store for you because of Jesus. Or what horrible ones might be in store for you if you neglect Him. There’s more potential in your pain than you can possibly imagine. There’s also more travesty that can come out of your temptation than you can possibly understand.

Don’t let the limited perspective of a moment dictate your life. When you find yourself in a moment of struggle or temptation, stop for a moment. Play it out. And then move forward towards the conclusion God wants for you.

Hell: We Can't Afford to Get it Wrong

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

As Christians, we're not called to live a comfortable life. We're called to be bold, push the boundaries, reach out to the darkest places, bring hope to the world! What's the point of living your life for Jesus if you're too scared to take any risks for him? By staying in our comfort zone, we're limiting what God can do in us and for his kingdom. Once we can push past the initial fear that's causing us to not move, LIFE begins. I challenge you to take a step of faith and break out of your comfort zone today. God's waiting to use you!

“It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace…God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.” -Francis Chan

how he loves