The Answer To All Of Your Problems:

Jesus.

I've recently started my second semester of college and the first week in has no doubt been the hardest. From a loaded week of classes to trying to make ends meet financially for a missions trip, I have been nothing less of stressed... and this is only week one.

I've asked all the questions and have felt all the emotions.
- Why aren't my efforts to raise money good enough?
- Why am I in this major instead of that one?
- Should I really be minoring in this?
- God, give me peace about this situation.
- God, where are you?
- Am I supposed to go on this mission trip or that?
- God, give me clarity and point me in the right direction.
- God, I'm so frustrated with you!

Ok. I think you get the point.

But whether it's stepping into a storm, being in the midst of one, or walking out of one we've all felt these emotions and asked these questions on some level.

My best friend and I have seen God work in such miraculous ways over Christmas break and into our first week of the new semester and sometimes (actually all the time) we find ourselves looking to one another or texting one another throughout the day and just saying- "Jesus." 

Why "Jesus" you ask?

Because even while my mom was in and out of doctors office over break and even while my best friend was struggling to maintain her focus on God in a secular workplace and while I've struggled with breaking free of my past over the break and even while trying to get my finances together for my missions trip, Jesus has never failed to show up and show out.

He. Never. Fails.

     Is my mom getting better? Yes and the results were better than we expected thanks to Jesus.
     Did my best friend seek Jesus in her workplace over break? Yes and she even got to tell me a cool story of how her witness and Jesus in her affected her coworkers.
     Am I set free from the past that home brings me back into? Yes and now I'm closer to Jesus because of it.
     Am I getting closer to meeting my financial goal for my trip? No I'm not but Jesus IS and He's showing me to lean into Him and trust Him more and more and give up my control and He IS coming through and He IS providing.

You and I don't have the same circumstances. We're not going through the same storms or dealing with exactly the same things but we do have one thing in common-- Jesus.

Jesus is BIGGER than our storms.
Jesus can and WILL provide in any circumstance.

Romans 8:28 says "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."

This is one of my FAVORITE verses.
Let me just break it down for you.

     "And we know..."- We KNOW!!! Ok, how great is that?! We don't have to think Jesus will do something or hope that He will because we are given the peace to KNOW that He will always come through and provide.
     "...that God causes everything to work together..."- You might ask why I'm stopping here but just bear with me. This little bit right here means that God is always working in our lives. He doesn't give up on us!! Ever. God has not and will not ever stop working in your life as long as you love and serve Him.
     "...for the good of those who love Him..."- I know you're getting tired of me breaking this up into fragments but we're almost done! Okay so we KNOW that Jesus is ALWAYS working in our lives but then sometimes we ask in the bad circumstances "God, why did You let this happen?" Well in this fragment here in Romans, we can KNOW that God is ALWAYS working in our lives for our GOOD. When Jesus says no to a prayer or to an opportunity that's given to us, it isn't bad for us because Jesus only has our BEST intentions in mind and He is ALWAYS working to BENEFIT us and for our greater good. 

So yeah, your circumstances aren't the best. The storm you're walking in right now may feel like it's unbearable but DO NOT GIVE UP. Keep leaning in towards God and putting your faith, trust, and control in Him so that He is glorified through even the hardest times that you walk through.

Now that has all been said and done, go click on a JESUS link and enjoy the song :)

Being Used? That Sucks.

I hate being used. 

No one likes being used if they don't get something out of it too, right? Plus being used usually sucks. You get hurt in the process or you end up (intentionally or unintentionally) hurting others. Whatever the end result, it's usually always bad.

But that only happens with people.

People have the ability to use us and hurt us but you know what? I LOVE being used by God.

I mean as Christian that seems kind of obvious right? For some people, yeah. But for others "being used" comes with such a negative connotation that they get scared and stuck in complacency in their live or their walk with God.


But get this: 
Being Used By God Only Brings Good To Yourself And Others.

If God is using us to build His kingdom, what better use for my life? What better used for my life than to glorify Him in everything I do? Our entire lives, our struggles, our battles, our storms, our stories are meant to be used; but, they're not meant to be used by other people in ways that are not glorifying to God or serving His purpose. People can use our stories if it's used in a way that's reaching others far from God that think they can't be used. However if people use our personal struggles to hurt us or manipulate us, that's not okay. If we're being used, it's only meant in a way to better and build God's kingdom.

You might feel stuck in your life right now. Christian or non- Christian, it happens to us all of us. But what better way to get unstuck than to let God use your life to glorify Him?
I mean come on how cool is it that Jesus wants to use YOU in His divine and ultimate plans? I personally think that's the best thing ever.

Knowing my struggles and hard times in life can be used by God for nothing but good gives me hope and motivation to keep going and not to let myself become stuck.

Let God use your life and your story to bring hope to other around you, to build His kingdom, to let others know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is Jesus waiting with with open arms calling you home to safety and to having abundance in Him.