“I’m choosing solutions over slander.

I’m choosing prayer over pessimism.

I’m choosing hope, guys. I’m choosing hope.”

I bet I wrote that over six months ago. I don’t know why {but I know there is a why} but today is the day I’m supposed to post it.

Maybe you know.

If you do – if this is for you – I’m praying you choose hope and optimism and kind words. I’m praying you choose to lean on God.

Don’t let the ugly parts of this world infiltrate your soul. Speak life. Speak hope.

Be God’s girl.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV) Colossians 4:6

It’s Monday.

The way this week goes is up to us. God has given us an assignment, and it’s our choice to embrace it in it’s fullness.

Can we confidently say we are exactly where God needs us to be? If we are, then we’ve got work to do. If we’re not, then we’ve got work to do.

I pray today that you will recognize where God needs you. Like a small child on the first day of summer, I hope you cannonball into that pool unabashedly. I hope you know how much you are needed. I hope you know how important the fruit that your bear is to furthering God’s Kingdom.

Don’t shy away from your assignment today. God gave it specifically to you – for a reason.

You are His.

He needs you.

Dive in.

“1 Blessed is the one

    who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

    or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

    whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Jesus saves.

The most beautiful promise of all. What He did on that old, rugged cross – for us – is unimaginable to me. But He did it. He endured it.

He loves us that much. He cares about us that much. And if you accept Him today as your Lord and Savior you will never be alone again. He will be by your side through life’s ups and downs – a constant confidant to lean on every single day.

I pray that you will. I pray that you will join me as a brother or sister in Christ.

God gave.

God rose.

God reigns.

God saves.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

This verse.

So sweet. So true. When you delight yourself in God – then all you will ever need is God. Accomplishments and shiny things will never fully quench that insatiable thirst that humans encompass. Without a true, 100% all-in-kind-of-love for God, you will always be reaching for something unattainable.

Fall in love with Him. When you do, you will start seeing your heart change. His desires will become your desires.

Serving Him.

Serving others.

Loving Him.

Loving others.

Worshipping Him.

Ministering to others.

Your heart will be satisfied. At peace. At home. And guys, that’s a good, good place to be.

God loves.

God changes.

God gives.

God promised.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

The valley.

We’ve all been there and done that. You may even be there today. It’s not an easy place to be – certainly not somewhere that you want to be alone.

Although everybody’s valley is vastly different, there is some sameness to be found in the following fact – God is God of the valleys, too.

So no matter how deep or how wide your valley is today, He is there. He didn’t leave you.

And don’t forget – things do grow in the valley, y’all. Things flourish. Things rise up.

Take heart. Look up. He’s right there.

God hears.

God holds.

God grows.

God promised.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It doesn’t matter how naturally intelligent you are, how many degrees you may have or what alma mater you sing along with on game day – if you are not looking to God for true wisdom [everyday] then you are in fact going the wrong way. Trusting God’s will and God’s way for your life is the smartest thing you will ever do.

He didn’t promise it would be easy, but He did promise He would be with you. From the smallest decisions to the biggest, He wants to be a part of every single detail.

We can’t see the big picture, but He can. We don’t know our future, but He does. Staying in God’s word and daily communicating with Him through prayer and worship will help ensure that you do recognize His guidance and plans for your life.

Don’t place your trust in a website, a self-help book, or even your best friend for instruction. Look to God. Fact check it all. Pray for discernment.

One thing I’ve learned by diving into God’s word is that His timing is so amazingly cool. He truly works things out in a way that our small human minds could never fathom. His paths aren’t always paved with perfectly smooth concrete – in fact sometimes they are so uneven that we stumble and fall over and over again – but you can know without a doubt that His path will take you exactly where you need to be.

God knows.

God leads.

God guides.

God promised.

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

Adultery. Abortion. Addiction. That’s just three of the many transgressions that satan tries to hold over us. Maybe you can’t forgive sins you’ve committed. Maybe you deem these sins – and yourself – too far gone.

That’s a lie. That’s a lie that satan is whispering in your ear – maybe screaming – to stop you in your tracks. To make you remain stagnant.

Don’t believe it.

God promises in 1 John 1:9 that He will cleanse us from any sin we’ve committed. We have to sincerely repent. We have to want forgiveness.

We are never too far gone for God. There can be beauty from these ashes. Even though it seems impossible, God can wipe our slates clean. We really can start fresh this new year.

I’ve seen it. I’ve seen marriages healed. People healed. Addictions gone. Hearts broken. Hearts mended.

God can.

God will.

God has.

God promised.

Hurt.

Happiness.

Grief.

Gladness.

Pain.

Peace.

All intertwined together making me cling to God tighter than ever. Looking back through my 2018 journal I see God’s hand. How He works. How He healed.

He’s good, y’all.

Even in the midst of storms – He’s there. He cares. He is working.

If I’ve learned anything this past year it’s this – where there is hurt, there is hope.

Where there is devastation, there is a dream.

And wherever God is, that’s where I want to be.

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

HOPE.

Maggie wrote this in my journal yesterday during church. What a beautiful reminder as we start the new year.

Help others in every way possible.

Help ourselves by growing closer to Christ.

And love on PURPOSE.

On purpose. Intentional. It’s the only way.

We are human, and we are hard to love. We mess up. We get on each other’s nerves. We rub people the wrong way. We come from different walks of life. Act different. Have different beliefs. It’s easy to just write people off.

We are human, and we need love. Even when we mess up. Even when we spout off rude words before thinking. Even when we let people down – way down. Even when we are different. We need the love of Christ.

I want to be intentional about loving people the way Jesus did. The easy to love. The hard to love – people who think I’m hard to love. People who think differently. Just people.

True love isn’t easy. As we grow older we tend to become jaded from the storms of life. That’s why in Matthew 18:3 Jesus said we need to become like little children – childlike faith & childlike hearts. Sweet Maggie. I can turn in my journal to her acrostic as a reminder to love like Jesus – on purpose. Every single day. Every single person.

He gives us HOPE. He gives us strength.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 (NIV)

I’ve been going through a Bible study on Esther for the past nine weeks. Today’s study mirrors Esther 4:3 and Esther 8:16. Please go read those verses.

Look what God did and can still do in our circumstances today:

Mourning -> light

Fasting -> gladness

Weeping -> joy

Lamenting -> honor

Emotions are raw, and emotions are real. Our circumstances can make us or break us without God in the picture.

Let God in.

Whatever you’re going through let God be the center. Whatever you’re going through let God hold your hand and your heart.

He didn’t promise it would be easy, but He did promise He would be there.