The Quiet Place

Trust. Trusting God. It's the easiest AND hardest thing to do. The easiest because I know of God's faithfulness in keeping His promises. I'm sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I do not yet see. It's the HARDEST thing for me to do because like many humans, I like to be in control of my circumstances and do anything in my power to shape them the way I want them to go. This in itself neither good nor bad, but when presented with a situation where I need to trust God, I have to keep myself in check. I have to ask myself, "Are you trusting God, or are you trying to control the situation?". It's easy to drive myself crazy analyzing what has occurred, trying to diagnose it like a mysterious disease. So, I can't go there. I have to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. I do this by keeping my mind stayed on his Word; reminding myself that His plans for me are good, that he can bring good out of all things, and that God works for the good of those who love him...

"It's okay to not be okay. You just can't stay there." - TobyMac Facebook Status This quote was exactly what I needed tonight. This semester and past year or so has been a little tough in general. It's not easy moving to new places and making new friends. I have been learning that first hand. Although it has been hard it hasn't been all bad, don't get me wrong there. I just mean that I needed that quote tonight because I needed to be reminded that it's okay to feel disappointed or sad or angry, and to feel like your a hot mess. I have certainly had my fair share of those feelings the past year and a half. The important thing to remember is that you can't linger in it. Lingering in are bad feelings only makes us feel worse and become bitter or depressed. We need to take these feelings to God and ask him to help us.  1 Peter 5:6-11 6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.   7  Cast a...

I AM  in His hands. In His  hands I am FORGIVEN . I am SET FREE . I HAVE PURPOSE . I have a place. I am VERY  loved.  Ephesians 2:8 - 9 For it is by grace  you have been saved,  through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—   not by works,  so that no one can boast. THIS  is my identity through Christ.

I love it when God fills my heart to the top so far that the only thing that I can and want to do is worship him. I often find that God fills my heart through music. For example this Sunday in church we sang some old familiar songs that I haven't heard in a long time and I loved it. That day the Lord filled my heart and I was able to let it spill over and flow back up to him. It saddens me to report that this doesn't happen more often because I want to always worship God with a genuine heart. I think that sometimes I get so caught up in my own needs and wants that I miss what God is doing. This has been true especially lately. I've been so focused on my new schedule and getting things done that I haven't been taking the time I need to spend with God. If I would only let him fill me up I know that I would have better days and less anxiety. So let's work on letting God fill up our hearts today. I encourage you to take some quiet time today. Go in your room, shut the ...

This labor day weekend I would like to introduce something new to the blog called "Teachable Moments". From now on each week (give or take a few days ;) ) you will find a post from me discussing what God is teaching me. Simple enough, right? So this last Friday of August I would like to share with you what God has been doing in my heart. One of the things God has been teaching me is trust. I am constantly learning to place my reliance on God. This is a difficult thing for me to do. Not because God isn't trustworthy, but because I like to be self-reliant. I'll be honest, I feel much better when I am in control of things. Therefore, I am working on relinquishing my self-reliance and giving my trust to God.  Proverbs 3:5-6 Place your trust in the Eternal;  rely on Him   completely;      never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish,      and He will  smooth out and ...

But it's a beautiful ride.  This song is one of my favorites because it expresses the emotion of life's difficulties so well. When I've been having a tough time this song helps me release my emotions somehow. It's kind of weird, I know. If there are any true country music fans out there at all, you will love this song.  "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" sung by Gary Allen For the lyrics click  Here Anyways, this song was  my sneaky way of incorporating this month's beauty theme into my post for today. I feel like my life has had me all over the place lately. I've found myself getting discouraged, feeling lonely, being confused, and plain apathetic about some things. The answer to all of this? Gary Allen of course! Just kidding. Let's try that again. The answer to all of this? Overwhelmingly, God. Maybe I've been feeling/being all of these things because I haven't been following God's lead. I haven't been letting him...

Israel’s Only Savior But now, this is what the  Lord  says—      he who created  you, Jacob,      he who formed  you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed  you;      I have summoned you by name;  you are mine. When you pass through the waters,      I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,      they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,      you will not be burned;      the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the  Lord  your God,      the Holy One  of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt  for your ransom,      Cush  and Seba  in your stead. Isaiah 43:1-3 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Not only because of it's literary beauty, but because of it's meaning. When things get tough this passage reminds m...

Check out this video sermon on our mission verse!  Come to me,  all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,  for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30

Check out this video about embracing your season of life. iBelieve.com: How can young Christian women embrace the season of singleness? - Nicole Unice from ibelievedotcom on GodTube . A friend shared this link with me today and it goes hand in hand with this post. So, here it is!  Katie's Truth