This world is messy. It’s inevitable – we’re gonna roll around in a mud puddle more than once in our lifetime.

We are gonna get dirty.

Covered.

Gross.

That mud will soak into every nook and cranny that we didn’t even know existed. It will cover us, and the longer we let it sit – the harder it will be to get rid of.

But if we let Him, God will turn the faucet on and hose us off. That’s country talk for make us clean.

God is bigger than our messes. He is bigger than anything we’ve flung ourself into. He can – and He will – make us clean again.

“9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Bluebonnets. Sunflowers. Primrose. Indian Blankets. And my favorite – Daisies.

In Texas we do this thing where we pull over on busy highways and trudge through potential snake-filled grass – just to get the perfect picture.

A picture of intricate details woven together to create the most beautiful background – a field of Texas wildflowers.

The details that God specifically and on purpose placed right there for us – His artwork. His reminder.

In life things happen. Situations arise that were not expected. We may question how. We may question why. However, in the midst of those questions we have to learn to let go and trust a God that genuinely cares about the details.

We don’t have to fix it. We don’t have to try and manipulate the situation. We don’t have to worry. We just have to pray.

And in the meantime, we can drive down a Texas highway in Spring and look for the flowers. We can look for God’s gentle reminder that He deeply cares. We can look for His details.

He cares about the little things, and He cares about the big things. He cares about making things just right. He loves us that much.

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [l]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28-30

Don’t let this world make you jaded.

God’s bigger than the ugly. He’s stronger than the sins. And the story line isn’t changing – He wins.

So no matter what happens, no matter the situations you are thrown into, God’s there.

You may get flung into the fire, but you keep that chin up sister. You keep praising God in the midst of the fire. No matter how hot it gets, He is standing right beside you.

He’s gonna take you by the hand, and y’all will walk out together.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

I choose to be nice.

I choose to be nice not because I’m weak, but because Christ is strong – and He is living within me.

I choose to be nice because life is hard and people have gone through some rough stuff. That person that rubs you the wrong way – you don’t know what they’ve gone through this week. This month. Last year.

People don’t just decide one day that they are going to live a life full of sadness or anger. Something has triggered that emotion within them.

The person staring off into space.

The person not smiling at Walmart.

The person that pops off.

The mom that never interacts with anyone.

The angry child.

We don’t know.

Sexual abuse

Death

Abortion

Addiction

Adultery

Hunger

Bankruptcy

Disease

Exhaustion

Just life

Keep being nice, y’all. It’s a choice. It’s our choice.

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)

My dad and I rode to Houston together yesterday, which meant lots of good conversation about God. Listening to my dad talk about God is one of my favorite things in the world. I wish you all could just sit and chat with him. One thing he said that I really held onto yesterday was:

“We are God’s ambassadors. We don’t come with our own message. We come with His.”

Honestly, that should make you sigh – in relief. We don’t have to figure it all out. We don’t have to come up with a plan. We just have to say yes.

God’s agenda is way better than our agenda. God’s message is way better than our message.

My dad’s words – simple and strong – were an on-time reminder that God is taking care of everything here. All we have to do is say yes.

Yes, I will.

Yes, God can.

Yes & Amen.

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Stay at home mom

9 to 5 mom

Single mom

Pet mom

Homeroom mom

Lady that chose not to be a mom

They all have stigmas.

They all have unprecedented pressures.

Unrealistic expectations.

The world would love to drive us crazy with who they think we should be. But ladies, you don’t have to be anyone except for who God made you to be.

You don’t have to reach anyone’s expectations except for God’s.

And the sweet truth in that – the promise – is that God has already equipped you to be the woman that he needs you to be.

Y’all, God loves you. He thinks you’re amazing. You make Him smile. On the good days, on the bad days, on the days you accidentally wear your cardigan inside out – you are exactly who He wants you to be.

That’s good news. It’s freedom.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

FOMO [Fear Of Missing Out] It’s real, it’s relevant, and it’s running rampid among today’s society. It’s vying for our attention and is desperately seeking a first place trophy in our got-to-have-more worlds.

What are we really scared of, guys? Being left out or left behind? In retrospect, that’s a small price to pay to spend more time on what really matters – and that’s furthering God’s Kingdom.

If we’re going to be worried about missing out on something – let’s be worried about missing out on the best relationship of our lifetime.

Let’s be worried about missing out on Heaven and the blessings God is pouring down here on earth.

Let’s get our minds so fixated on things of the Kingdom that the things of this world don’t suck the very life from our lungs.

With God by our side we don’t have to be fearful of missing out on anything. We can live our best life right here – right now.

When it comes to God’s will for me – I don’t want to miss a thing.

[Side-note: I sang that last line like Aerosmith. Now you are.]

“As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV)

As of lately my brain is scattered. Like, thought process is all over the place.

I’m trying to write. I’m trying to study. I’m trying to research, and I can’t for the life of me focus. In the midst of the chaos, I can hear God whispering, “Chill out, girl. Be still.”

That’s hard y’all.

It’s hard to sit still – to feel still – when the pace of this world is flying by you ninety to nothing. It’s hard to stop your brain when you have a checklist of things you want to do a mile and half long.

It’s hard to chill when you’re excited or nervous or impatient – or just a woman period in this play by play Facebooking, Instagramming world.

If we truly want to slow our roll we’ve got to:

Say no to our thoughts

Say no to our phone

Say no to our schedule

And we’ve got to do all those things on purpose.

Find a quiet place.

Get still.

Be still.

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6

A broken world. A broken system.

Sometimes it’s just too much. Sometimes it’s just not fair.

We question.

We get mad.

We cry out.

We can’t fix it.

The truth of the matter is that we live in a broken, fallen world. Therefore, unfair situations are going to arise. It’s inevitable.

But we can pray.

We can hope.

We can cry.

We can be a shoulder to lean on.

We can love.

We can try to make changes.

And we can choose to keep our joy even in the midst of unfair circumstances. Even when it’s hard. Even when we don’t want to.

“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3

Some emotions that I’ve experienced throughout my short 37 years here on Earth are so raw and so real that I can’t even write about them. There’s no way.

Some hurts that linger, some embarrassing, are so painful that I wouldn’t even dare tell my closest friends.

But I can tell my Jesus. I can expose my heart to Him – lay it all on the line.

And He loves me.

And He comforts me.

And he wraps His arms around me.

And He holds me.

Y’all, if you have a deep hurt today, one you’ve held onto for way too long, start giving it to God. Piece by piece. Hurt by hurt.

It’s a process – no doubt. The pain will always be a part of your story, but with faithful prayer and praise there will come a point where it no longer dictates every minute of every day.

Give God the pieces. He’s waiting.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:6-7