Tendency to Connect

All those that know me well know that I find great joy in parallels..

"A person or thing that is similar or analogous to another."

I find connections between everything and just about anything.

Seriously.

For instance, my favorite number, 23 is related back to just about everything in my life.

Anything good anyhow.

If the Packers score 23 points they are going to win and if their opponent scores 23, they likewise will win. Its just the way it works.

23 is representation of God's favor on my life.

I also relate it back to people, times, event, everything.

My family will hear me on a daily basis, "that's my favorite number, so so and so must be true!!"

I'm laughing as I write that because I know they think I'm ridiculous when I do that

but I will always do it.

I also enjoy finding parallels within the word of God.

For instance, peace.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hears and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

"Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:8-9

"For he himself is our peace."

Ephesians 2:14

God is our peace. So, when I keep my mind on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous & praiseworthy God will be with me and he will guard my heart and mind from everything that does fit the above filter.

"Peace"- Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility

So not only will I feel at ease with situations, but I will find from all disturbances. Meaning insomnia, for instance, something I've been struggling with the last twelve days; less than two hours a night.

I'm exhausted.

I know its a spiritual attack.

I believe with my whole heart, that God's peace will bring me quiet and tranquility again.

Just need to stand firm.

My breakthrough is approaching.

Love:

"God is love"

1 John 4:8

"Love is patient and is kind; love does not envy; love doesn't parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked and thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

So, if god is love then subsequently:

God is patient and kind; God does not envy, God doesn't parade Himself, He is not puffed up; God does not behave rudely, He does not seek His own, is not provoked and He thinks absolutely NO evil, He does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in ALL truth; God bears ALL things, God believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, endures ALL things. God NEVER fails.

Ah I just love that.

My tendency to connect has greatly aided in my understanding of who God really is

&

what his  promises really mean to me.

My personal revelation of Him

&

my personal relationship with Him.



An anchor for my soul.

As most of you probably know, I am quite the dreamer. 

One day, years ago, someone told me, "get your head out of the clouds"

(Now this wasn't brought to my remembrance until just today)

I hadn't realized how strong of a hold these words had over me;

From the point those words were said I had so much trouble seeing past the box of the carnal mind. 

My subconscious refused to dream-I didn't understand why I couldn't "see" anymore.

Now I understand. 

Those words deadened my soul. 

They made my cloud grey and low to the ground. 

My subconscious mind believed those words for the last three years-causing my sight to grow dim. 

Recently through the reading of God's word and books He has renewed my mind, soul and my spirit. 

He said to me,

"dream big and then dream even bigger;

return to the clouds,

I will be your anchor."

These words have given me so much life! 

Faith 

& 

Inspiration. 

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul."-Hebrews 6:19

He has revealed to me that as long as I stay rooted and grounded in his word that my soul-my cloud- can soar. 

He has also revealed to me that this is who my future husband is meant to be to me.

For husbands are supposed to love their wife as God so loved the church.

change that love to be:

My future husband is meant to be like what God is to me

- an anchor

Not to replace him, but to be in like mind with him. 

strong, secure, and someone who will support my dreams

Remember:

Dream big and then even BIGGER

A Heart Worth Sharing

I am currently reading the book "Captivating" by John & Stasi Eldredge-which I was gifted about six years back and hadn't touched until now- and to say the least it is powerful! 

I am getting so much out of it; it is truly amazing! 

I will be sharing fully on the revelations I have been receiving, but right now I just want to share a little something that I read from it today:

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it careful round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers. . . of love is Hell." -C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

I know it's a bit of a quoteception.

I had, at one point, locked my heart away completely in fear of loss and rejection and as I became closer with God he would reveal a key to me.

Each key was a better fit to the lock than the last; a new element in my healing.

Reading this though, has given me the courage to search for that key on my own, lead by God, and I have finally found it!

Now, I'm not going to go spill my heart to everyone-that would be unwise- but it is so liberating to know that I now have the strength to chose.

To be able to fully share my heart with the friends that want to know it and those that God leads me to reveal it to.

"God invites us to risk trusting Him and enter into redemptive friendships with others- to open ourselves up to the possibility of being hurt as well as the possibility of tasting the sweet fruit of companionship." -Captivating

Why fear?

His plans for you and I are good.

Your heart is beautiful, share it.

WORDS.

Letters alone are weak, a single word is strong, but when a word is strung together with others the result is powerful.

In fact, words are the most powerful force on this Earth.

They can either bring up or tear down

Inspire or depress

Give life or give death

I want to share with you some cherished words that have spoke life into me over the years.

Psalms 37:4

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light." - Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Our fingerprints never fade from the lives we've touched"- Remember Me

"I am not what I have done, I am what I've overcome."-What I've Overcome, Fireflight

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten"-Tony Robbins

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forgot how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him" - Jim Elliot

"If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint", then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced"- Vincent Van Gogh

"Just be you, because life is too short to be anyone else."- Step up 2: The Streets

"We become what we think about"-Earl Nightingale

"Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it."-John Maxwell

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

"When hope seems lost, down and lowly, I am here, with you always."- Always, Killswitch Engage

"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 a hope and a future."-Jeremiah 29:11

"Believe you can and your halfway there"-Theodore Roosevelt

"Once you chose hope, anything is possible."- Christopher Reeve

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible." -Arthur C. Clarke

Robert Frost

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do."- Leonard de Vinci

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."- Martin Luther King Jr.

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."- Eleanor Roosevelt

"And we know that in all things God works together for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

"We are the light of the world, we are the city on a hill."- We are, Kari Jobe

"God will never remove something from your life if he didn't have something better to put in it."

"We must be our own before we can be another's."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalms 73:26

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." - Roald Dahl

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."- Norman Vincent Peale

"If you can dream it you can achieve it."- Zig Ziglar

Do your words have a positive or negative effect on your life?

What about on those around you?

Do they speak the truth?

Chose them wisely.

Addicted to...

Yes, joy is what I am addicted to. 

These last couple week/ends have been filled with so much God, love, laughter and fun that I am now hooked! 

It's an amazing feeling; a high if you will. 

A feeling that I have been searching for.

Joy addiction=No withdrawal 

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."(John 15:11)

So as long as we have Jesus we have joy. 

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."(Matthew 28:20)

Jesus never forsakes us, so why should our joy?

According to John 10:10, "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy."

That includes joy!

"So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." (John 16:22)

The enemy can only steal what is unguarded, so if we take hold of and protect the promise of joy that jesus has given us we will never be without!

I know trials occur and the world can appear to be closing in, suffocating you with black.

I spent ages 14-16 in that darkness, never really feeling happiness. 

I faked it, while I let people and circumstances crush me.

Years 16-19 I've been learning how to feel; 

to believe in joy again

even when things don't seem to be going my way.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds."(James 1:2)

Sometimes I think, "If you only knew, Liah"

If I only knew that joy is mine through Jesus that no one, no thing is allowed to take it, then I could've spared myself so much heartbreak, 

so much numbness. 

But then I wouldn't be me

and I wouldn't know that light is never really gone, that although cloudy days occur and the sun seems to have disappeared, it's always right behind the clouds.

The value of this God-given joy is remarkable and should be taken for all that it is worth.

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness." (Galatians 5:22)

Chose today to walk in joy! 

No matter the circumstances 

"For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name." (Pslams 33:21)

Why spend another day in darkness? Depression? Sadness?

 Be joyful and trust Him in the dark and the light will soon reveal itself.

LIVE for Him, with Him; time is short.

Can you feel the urgency now?

Things are happening. 

 In Minnesota right now + the last couple years.

 Teenagers & young adults are dying by disease, by cars and by suicide.

Here one moment gone the next. 

It's sad to say that we, as humans, don't realize how important life really is until someone else loses theirs. 

We live our lives day to day thinking we'll always have a tomorrow, but life itself has no guarantees.

Jesus did, however, guarantee us life beyond the grave, when we live for him. 

One day I will have a headstone and it will read, "1993-_ _ _ _"

The numbers will mean nothing, but the dash will mean everything.

I find myself asking, "what am I doing with my life?"

"What is my dash going to be worth."

I wake up everyday and have somewhat of a routine. Same thing day to day and week week. Soon a year is gone and what have I done?

Sure I've grown in my relationship with God and I've made significant steps toward my own dreams, but have I lead someone else to find theirs?

Have I shared the love of God, the truth to anyone?

These people I see everyday have become so expected that I forget they may not be here tomorrow.

And people that I've encountered only once, I may never see them again, so words cannot be left unspoken.

I think to myself, "Could I be more selfish?"

This love that gets me through the day and promises me life in heaven is meant for everyone.

No one is supposed to spend eternity in fire.

If I truly love people, what on earth am I doing?

So today, I am choosing to never let a day slip through the cracks. 

To make my dash something Jesus would be proud of.

"Dear children, let us not love with words and speech, but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

Love 100%

Comfort Zone 0%

Life is so fragile.

Time is precious.

We are never guaranteed another moment.

Can you feel the urgency now?

Tick Tock

"When we wait for God's best it may be difficult at times, but when they-or that opportunity-come around we will say, 'you were well worth the wait'."

I lost hope for awhile in my dreams, and now I feel as though I am back on track. 

God is teaching me to keep my hope and trust in the waiting and I love that. 

A week of cooking adventures

This week I have done a lot of baking/cooking experimentation and it has all turned out successfully! 

Score! 

I will share a few. 

Portable s'mores

Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp butter

 1 bag large marshmallows 

3 cups golden grahams 

3 cups coco krispies

1. Melt butter in pan on low, add marshmallows and stir until well melted. Remove from heat. 

2. Add golden grahams and krispies. Stir in until well mixed. 

3. Press into greased 9" X 13" pan

4. Cool and enjoy. 

Not my photo, but close enough ;)

A nice twist on the classic rice krispie.

My brother really liked them. 

banana-pumkin-black raspberry muffin

We have a crazy amount of black raspberry bushes around our house, so I needed to find something to bake them into, thus the bpb muffin-just made that up.

Ingredients(Makes 24): 

2 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp stevia

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 eggs 

2 ripe bananas, mashed 

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

3/4 c coconut oil

1 c black raspberries

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or place liners.

2.In a large bowl stir together mashed bananas, eggs, oil, pumpkin and stevia. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon then stir into the banana mixture until just combined.

3.Fold in black raspberries. 

4.Spoon mixture into muffin tins and bake for approx 15 minutes or until tops begin to brown.

These were completely by experimentation and I love them! 

The taste is fantastic and they are low on the glycemic index, which is needed since I have adverse reactions to sugar.

The texture is very dense and I like that. Think of it like play-do, but not. haha

If you like the ingredients give 'em a go or do a little altering and swap a few things! 

Summer salsa/salad

Another experimentation due to the garden, but this time cucumbers! Seriously, we have so many! Good thing I love them. 

Last night I was making chicken fajitas, so I decided to create a salsa that could pair well. 

Ingredients: 

1 large cucumber sliced and quartered 

Red, yellow and orange peppers, chopped

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can Hyvee diced tomatoes w/ sweet onion

1 large yellow onion sliced and chopped 

Black pepper 

Sweet basil 

1. Mix all ingredients together, season to preference, cool and enjoy. 

So good and so refreshing! 

I added it to my chicken and fresh guac in my tortilla bowl and it was amazing! 

I added sweet corn into the leftovers for my lunch today; great addition.

Anybody have any 'garden recipes' they would like to share?

P.s. I need to take more pics next time!

My favorite place.

 My favorite place in the whole wide world is most definitely my room;

It is where I relax.

Just wanted to share a couple of the small details that make it what it is. 

 My globe which was revamped in "Transforming the World on Tuesday"

In front of my mural

 Tree, seahorse and candle votives. 

As you can see I like to double things for use.

 

This stand is, behind my bed and is actually a planter, for which I double as blanket storage. 

The blue plate is a perfect fit to the top. 

I was gifted this vase at my church's last ladies event; it fits amazingly well with the rest of my room! 

I picked the lilies this morning they are my favorite flower and my pop of contrast.

Ahh my curtains!

These are my most recent purchase, $10.00 at WalMart. 

Seriously, amazing! They are God-favored and perfect. (I had been wanting new curtains at a good price for only five days)

The blue from the curtain actually matches the first color of paint on my walls-before the metallic green. I love how the vertical lines continue from wall to curtain.

My TV stand

 Another seahorse with homemade glitter ornaments, a glittered shell and a beautiful jar of shells that was given to me by an amazing friend.

My ever-growing film collection. 

If you know me, you know why I had to share this. 

I find my 3d/blu ray section adorable. 

And then the many.

Now, one of my favorite parts of my room:

My inspiration board

Everything that is in print that I am inspired by is taped here.

Anybody experience any God-favored purchases lately? 

Doing any revamping?

Inspiration boards of your own?

Please share!

Highlights

Here are highlights from this last week:

When the junior highers are at camp team Doxa and Eklyo go to the beach!

It was a blast! Cookout and volleyball. 

Thrusday, PACIFIC RIM! 

Here's my two cents:

I have been looking forward to seeing this film ever since the trailer was released; I enjoy sci fi. From the trailer I knew there were giant robots, huge reptile-like creatures and a war that's pretty much it, so when entering the theater I honestly had no idea what the storyline was going to be. I am so glad they did this! Seriously all movies should have a vague trailer, it makes it so much more exciting! 

The storyline hit me very hard emotionally, which is probably why I like it so much. The characters/actors were great! Had the ones with tragic backstories, those who sacrifice and those who were comical; it was the perfect mix! 

The film itself-in 3d-was visually stunning. At times I found myself gaping at the screen. haha I was in awe! 

5/5 stars over hurr.

So brilliant! 

Friday=Redbox night! 

The call.

Found myself talking to Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin during the movie telling them exactly what to do to avoid danger; they didn't listen. 

lol 

I do that during every suspenseful film. Probably a good thing I didn't see it in theaters I most likely would have been yelled at ;)

Saturday, ladies event.

I am absolutely honored to have been given the wonderful opportunity to design the centerpieces for each monthly ladies event. Flowers are usually involved and this month we decided on Gerbera Daisy's! They are so pretty :)

Everything in this arrangement is already previously purchased except for the flowers. The mat, being a neutral is so versatile and same for the vases! 

I placed four tealights on the mat along with green 'mancala beads'(Not sure of their exact name, but that is what I have always called them). On the vase itself I zig-zagged some hemp that I found in my closet. Wasn't sure how it would look, but I like how it breaks up the vase and mimics the pattern on the mat. 

As for the flowers, I cut the stems 1 1/2-2 times the vase length and just placed them on opposite corners. When it comes to flowers I am big on simplicity. I don't like it to be too crowded. 

I so enjoy my church's ladies events, they are amazing!

Pastor Amy always has an incredible message and it always seems to be very relevant.

Seven steps on how To Receive your Miracle at the Midnight Hour:

1. Chose God Almighty as your God even in the midst of hardship.

2. Chose to be thankful, rather than bitter with God.

3. Do not fear.

4. Speak favor over your situation.

5. Be kind and polite to everyone you encounter

6. Seek out wisdom.

7.Give a sacrifice of praise.

Anybody see any movies lately? Do any decorating?

Please share!

Have a great week!

Independence Day Week/end

 It's already July?

Seriously, where does all the time go?

1st Man of Steel!!

Finally. 

I've heard very mixed reviews about this movie, either okay or bad. This surprised me to say the least. I have had so much expectation on this movie to be great...

I actually really enjoyed the narrative aspect of this film(most people didn't), it gave good background especially if you aren't familiar with the comic book. There were a couple lame parts, but the great parts made up for those.

July 3rd; the Broadwater Bash! 

Got lost not once, not twice, but three times trying to find the farm. (Something to laugh about in the future) Once we found it though, so much fun! Friends, laughter, volleyball, beautiful sunset, and smores.

July 4th was an exhausting day, but super fun. After getting a free car wash, working on the landscaping around our fire pit and a bonfire I decided to go to the fireworks.

To tell you the truth Rochester's fireworks seem to only get worse. I wish it weren't so!

Someone did let off lanterns though:

So magical!

I felt a little bit like Rapunzel; trying to get as close as possible. Sometimes I wish I could fly.

Friday I got to go to the Medin's! 

It was a wonderfully relaxing time. 

That relaxation continued on into saturday as well.

Bananagrams

Kitties

and concerts!

Concert was at the North Star Room in Mounds View, MN-just north of Minneapolis. 

Breakthrough + 6 other bands

It was so much fun! 

Marah in the Main Sail was one of the other bands. They are so great; I love how they give folk a punk vibe. Very creative.

 7th, church! 

"Unlocking Limitless Victories"

Praise is Jesus' love language.

The magnitude of my praise is directly correlated to the magnitude of my potential breakthrough's in life.

A thankful heart changes things.

Later; the Lone Ranger!

Think of it as POTC gone Western. 

Johnny Depp is fantastically hilarious and crazy as always and the storyline was definitely interesting.

Favorite moment: "Fear of cat"(If you go see it, remember that)

How was your fourth?

See any good movies lately?

Have a great week everyone!

Love.

 Heavy on my heart:

Love(noun) according to Webster's is a, "An intense feeling of deep affection" or as a verb, "A deep romantic attachment."

Love to God: Agape, "God's love for us-completely sacrificial"

The idea of love has become so corrupted and is continuing to become more corrupted over the generations. 

Today love is a feeling, a 'high' if you will, that we experience when we first become close to someone that we are physically attracted to. It's emotional, irrational and often blind. When in this emotional high it is difficult to see anything but the love we believe we have with that person. Time passes and that high fades and what is left is a dull relationship. We begin to notice each others faults more than anything and we start to wonder how we even 'loved' them in the first place. 

So many marriages happen within this emotion love-high, and within a year or two that high is gone and they don't feel 'the love' anymore, they eventually grow apart, divorce and fall in love again with someone else. 

This cycle is so destructive; leaving scars and ties all over the heart. 

Love is what Jesus gave us; sacrifice. He put everyone else, all of us, above him, even though above is where he rightfully belonged. 

Love is to be selfless. 

To chose to love one another.

Now, I'm not saying that a relationship that experiences a high and is romantic isn't really love, we just need to realize that once that high has faded we need to chose to love-the other person-to keep the rose-colored glasses on.

To chose to meet the others needs ahead of our own.

To chose to be enraptured at the quirks of this person instead of disgusted by their 'faults'

To chose to look beyond imperfection, to find beauty.

To chose to be selfless.

As Jesus was.

Misti Edwards, "Arms Wide Open" sums this up perfectly:

"

I once believed that love was romance, just a chance

I even thought that love was for the lucky and theBeautifulI once believed that love was a momentary bliss

But love is more than this

Then I sat down, a little frustrated and confusedIf all of life comes down to loveThen love has to be more than sentiment

More than selfishness and selfish gain

And then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking atMeI saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at meHe was looking at me, looking at Him, staring throughMeI could not escape those beautiful eyesAnd I began to weep and weepHe had arms wide open, a heart exposedArms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding

Love's definition, 

love's definition was looking at me

Looking at Him, hanging on a treeI began to weep and weep and weep and weep

This is how I know what love is

"