Off to Savannah, GA I go with the girls. This is definitely how I feel in the spring with all the trips, weddings, and bridal parties going on! I wouldn't have it any other way. I love reuniting with my sweet friends every weekend. Is it bad that I leave my bag packed during the weeks and just add to it on the weekends? Whoopsies.

All my deserts are rivers of JOY.

Chorus:
You revive me
You revive me Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
You are the treasure I could not afford
So I'll spend myself till I'm empty and poor
All for You
You revive me Lord

Verse 1:
Lord I have seen Your goodness
And I know the way You are
Give me eyes to see You in the dark
And You race shines a glory
That i only know in part
And there is still a longing 
A longing in my heart

Chorus

Verse 2:
My soul is thirsty
Only You can satisfy
You are the well that never will run dry
And i'll praise You for the blessing
For calling me Your friend
And in Your name I'm lifting
I'm lifting up my hands 

Bridge:
I'm alive
I'm alive
You breathe on me
You revive me


If you have not heard this beautifully rich song by Christy Nockels on Passion's White Flag album, I highly suggest you do. It's absolutely incredible and just pulls at all the places within me. I literally have it on repeat filling my car and house constantly. 

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 

 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

 ³ he refreshes my soul. 

He guides me along the right paths 

   for his name’s sake. -Psalm 23: 1-3

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" {Isaiah 55:1}

sink deep your feet.

This past week I had the fortunate opportunity of heading to the Bay for a little vacation. I was so thankful for the time of rest. Aside from the week of fun and relaxation, the last day we swung by the beach on the way out of town just to get our little dose of sand waves. We were all doing our thing walking around, and I just down - something about the ocean just captivates me.

 I noticed this sweet, beautiful little girl with perfect blonde ringlets just standing there by the water. My first thought was goodness I miss that age. not a worry in the world. Carefree, depending on her parents for everything. Then I thought, where are her parents? Haha. But then I observed this little routine she had going on. She would run to her parents, then run as fast as she could, boldly to the shore right where the water would come up, and she would dig her feet deep into the sand, and just wait.... She would stand there waiting until a wave come a lightly rushed over her ankles. Then do it all over again.

This was so interesting to me. She wasn't splashing about, or building a sandcastle, she was standing strong, waiting. It really just sunk into me. Sometimes the Lord calls us to run boldly, and sometimes He asks us to just wait. Wait for the wave to hit our feet, then we will know it's time. The sweet little girl, could have stepped a few small steps forward and almost every single wave could have hit her feet, wouldn't that have been more fun, easier? But no, she always stopped where most of the waves never came but the one that did in the what seemed like long moments she stood there was the most joyous of things. I even felt myself rejoicing with her when that wave trickled up over her feet and she would scream with JOY and run back to her parents.

This was such an incredible encouragement to me, thank you Lord. The sweet, simple vision of this sweet little girl in so many ways resembled my life. For most of the past seven or so months I have been running boldly. Pursuing what the Lord has set forth for me, and I know He has been pushing me to make steps, calling me forward, dropping my net, my fear, and just going. BOLDLY to the shore.

photo courtesy: tumblr.com

Now, He asking me to wait until the wave reaches my feet. There, strength and faith is manifested. I asked the Lord at the beginning of this year to make me into a woman of faith, to be unmovable, unshakeable only for the sheer fact that my roots are deep in Him, that my feet are planted in Him. I don't know if I thought I was going to magically fairy dust to that place, but that's just not how the Lord works. He has taken me through some very unexpected trials, and deep faith lessons this past year, and is continuing to do so. But all I can do now is rejoice in them. Because I see what He is doing and His deep work in my faith I would never trade, because I can honestly from the deepest part of me can look at anyone and in the purest way say, "I KNOW the Lord is good. I KNOW He is faithful. He is FOR you." and KNOW it to be true, because I have seen it. He without a doubt is.

photo courtesy: flickr

So, now in this phase of life, which can be incredibly uncomfortable with making big decisions and not really knowing what the next step is, I wait.... I wait for the wave. Strong, deeply rooted, rejoicing in what He has done and will do, courageously silent, expectant because I know He who promised is faithful, and HE WILL SURELY DO IT.

I could not be more excited to go home to the family and just chill this weekend. Rest & downtime away from the hustle and bustle is exactly what I need.

Psalm 61:1 
“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.”

photo courtesy of tumblr.

she LAUGHS without fear of the future.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. 

{Proverbs 31:25}

A commentary about this passage, I recently read says,


 "Her heart is full of another world even when her hands are most busy about this one."

This passage has been etched on my heart for the past couple weeks. Over and over, seeing it come to life in different ways, and what does it really mean to walk in this mindset. To live it out. The future, this stage in life, can be daunting. I feel a lot like Peter, as described in Matthew 14: 28-32.

“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and begin- ning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when He got into the boat, the wind stopped.

I asked the Lord to tell me to "Come" and He did. Stepping out of the boat on to water can be quite the little feat, struggling against everything in and of ourselves that is saying, "You. Cannot. Walk. On. Water. Helllooooo. Wake up." Yet something bigger and deeper within us is fighting that "reality", fighting "this world" - calling us forward - saying, COME TO ME. Look at my face. There is risk absolutely, but peace overwhelms the fear in risk because we are familiar with and confident in the One who is beckoning us forward. So we step, however long it may take us, over the edge of the boat and put our feet on the water. However, even we get there, a whole other battle could begin. We could have a little freak out for a few reasons:

a). We realize we are indeed standing on water. Fear sets in.
b). The wind and the waves are swirling, daunting, and bigger than we imagined. No control.
c). We forget who HE IS who called us there in the first place, and are focused on our inadequacies. 

When this happens we, which I so often try to do, slowly start inching back towards the boat we left. Or we could be so paralyzed by fear that we neither go forward nor backwards, we just stand there. The thing is we have set out on the path of the impossible, a faith adventure. Not one thing where we are is of our own accord. Challenges and opposition from the enemy will undoubtedly come when we forgo our life in the boat. However, the safest place we can be is in the middle of the Lord's will even if that is on water.

I imagine that Proverbs 31 godly woman, confidently standing there looking at those waves and the wind- in strength, and dignity, and LAUGHING at them she knows who is before her. She knows who is calling her forward, and her hope is in Him. No sight of wind or wave could weaken what He has called unto her, and put so within her that caused her to step out in the first place. SHE KNOWS that He who promised is faithful and He will fulfill what He has spoken to her. Regardless of what is going on around her, her joy is not stolen, her peace is not stolen because her heart is FULL of another world, even though she is walking in this one.

I so desire to become more and more like this woman.