In The Morning

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will prepare (a prayer and a sacrifice) for you and watch and wait (for you to speak to my heart.) – Psalm 5:3 (AMP)

I’m starting over. Again. It is way too easy for my priorities to fade away, to keep getting pushed further away until they are but a resemblance of what I once knew.  Lord, I need you to speak to my heart.

I have been a pseudo happy, lacking the joy that I know can only be found in you.
I have been living moment by moment, hoping that my morning coffee and my daily verse can get me through another day of the grind of life. But it can’t. It’s not enough.

Every single morning, I need you first.

Have I set time aside, prioritizing us? You and me.
Have I awoken with an aching desire to be with you; to speak with you and lay before you my cares and affections?
Have I offered a sacrifice of my precious time, a devoted moment where there are no distractions?
Have I watched and waited, for your voice? Have I eagerly paused for you to speak to my heart?

When is it your turn?

You cannot be replaced. Your words cannot be matched by the mumbling of the world.

But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.”- Psalm 59:16

That is why, each morning, I need you. It’s refreshing, it’s a new aspect of you that I’m learning, because you are so exquisite.

Exquisite- of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence.

I need you to be my one and only. My first and my last.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, their faces shall never be ashamed.”- Psalm 34:4-5

When I try to be beautiful on my own, I fail.
When I try to be radiant on my own, it doesn’t last.
I cannot be the wife, mom, business owner, and friend that I desire to be on my own.

I can surely try, but it leaves me exhausted.

What is the quality am I giving out if what is inside of me is lacking?

It’s His peace that transcends understanding, it’s the Joy found in him, it’s love deeply rooted.

If I have those things, if I have Jesus, alive and active in me (not living off of an old word and a stagnant relationship) then I will be radiant, because He will shine through me.

And that’s exactly what I need; Less of me and more of Him.

Make time this week to sit and pour out your heart before Him. Wait and see what He speaks to your heart. Write it down, dwell on it, and begin to live it out. 

 

Today Things Change

Today things change.

Today I will live a life worth living.

I will not be lazy.

I will give my all in everything I do,

even if I’m the only one who will know.

I will push myself:

Mentally- to have a strong mind that knows I can do what I think I can.

Physically- to have a strong body that shows I can do what I think I can.

Spiritually- to have a strong sense of morality to live how I know I can.

I will be an example of excellence:

No cut corners, nothing left undone.

I am capable because I daily renew my mind.

What I think matters because it determines what I do.

What I do matters because it determines who I am.

Who I am matters, therefore I will remember that my small, daily decisions produce the large outcomes of my life.

Today things change.

I married young

Liette's December 2014

 I have to tell you: I am in love with this man.

I am 23 years old, and he is 27.

We have been married for a little over 3 years.

(some would say I married young)

As one of my friends reminded me , we met in a parking lot at Southeastern University.

And I’m so glad we did.

Though, when I was a little girl I never dreamed of meeting my husband in such a romantic place.

It just goes to show , you never know where you’ll meet “the one”.

And I would love to hear stories of other crazy places couples met their spouse, so please do share!

I absolutely love being married, but it hasn’t been flawless.

 Life is not always easy, but it’s much better with your best friend by your side.

God has blessed me with one who constantly encourages me and adores me for who I am.

I’m so thankful.

And I finally realized something I hadn’t totally understood before…

Marriage is more than the feeling of love.

Love is beautiful, especially if you see everything with a deeper meaning like me.

However, marriage is a little more like being battle buddies, who stand side by side.

They walk through life together during the joyful times and the treacherous times.

Husbands and wives also remember together.

They remember all of the little things and laugh or cry.

Your spouse helps you remember why you feel the way you do, or why you are acting the way you are-

because they know you, they understand you, even when you don’t understand yourself.

You take on life together. Whatever comes your way.

It’s so much better than having to remember on your own, laugh by yourself, or fight battles solo.

I love Brady more than I did on the day that I married him because we’ve grown together and we’ve seen each others greatest strengths and worst weaknesses.

Yet, we still choose to love one another and encourage each other daily.

Love is a commitment. Marriage is forever. And it’s so worth it.

 

“We are friends for life. When we’re together the years fall away. Isn’t that what matters? To have someone who can remember with you? To have someone who remembers how far you’ve come?”-  Judy Blume

Pushing Past Disappointment

It was nearly midnight and we were cozied up on a teal couch in the beautiful city of Gainesville, Georgia. My husband, Brady and I were in a season of the in-between. We had been preparing to venture on an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries for what seemed like ages, but it had been about a year and half. Raising money, gathering all of our travel gear and watching endless episodes of Man vs. Wild. It was exciting.

What wasn’t exciting was the deep feeling in my gut of hopelessness and a lost path.

You see, it had been a month, 30 dragged out days of wonder and waiting. Where would we go next?

It was in this time that Brady and I were learning that God’s plan for us is sometimes very different than our own plan for our lives. Needless to say, we were crushed. Through quite the turn of events, after completely changing our lifestyles and extensive amounts of time devoted to The World Race, we failed. We made it to 2 of the 11 countries anticipated (though we had traveled through 8 countries total) in that six week period of time.

What we saw as the end, the Lord had planned as just the beginning.

startingline

As our dreams were crushed, our faith was being awakened.

For those 30 days, we were stranded.  We were not where we were supposed to be, and we certainly weren’t doing what we had planned. We were in Georgia and our squad of 53 other teammates were on their way to Romania. I wouldn’t exactly say we were thrilled, rather filled like smoke from a wildfire with jealousy, confusion and painful disappointment. I continuously asked myself, “why would the Lord bring us to do such an amazing thing and then strip it away from us? But at that time, only He knew.

God is the author of our story: It was well-written before the beginning of time, long before our first breath. He knew the path set before us when we were trying to run our own way. He simply picked us up, and re-routed us. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with The World Race, it was incredible for us, but instead of being the final destination, is was but a starting point. The white line on track where the guy with the gun says “Runners, on your mark.”  Then, the trigger was pulled. and my oh my, was the bang from the gun reverberating in my ears.

At that moment in time, He didn’t want us on the mountain tops of Bulgaria or in the sheep pastures of Albania, He wanted us reclined on the teal couch. Our ears and eyes wide open, our hearts longing for wisdom, for answers, for Him.

Road Less Traveled

He was calling us back to himself, calling us to follow him on the road less traveled. The one that made us afraid.

What was more unnerving than traveling around the world with just a bag on my back and knowing that I’ll  be gone from all that I’ve known for 11 whole months?  Disappointment.  The place where we believed that we failed and all that we’ve hoped and dreamed is over.

Disappointment tries to convince us to give up, but this is where we get to push forward despite our fears. This is where our faith is strengthened as we walk into the uncertainties of life with the One who knows all things. The One who’s always known.

What is holding you back?

Push past disappointment, shake off the dust and let your faith be undeniably awakened.

push past disappointment

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:18-19

It’s in the risks that there’s discovery. When you do something outside the bounds of what you’re used to doing, that’s where you’re most likely to learn something new about yourself. – Patsy Clairmont

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