100 Things: Part One

While I was reading blogs today, I came across my friend Katie's Blog, where she had done a blog post of 100 Things. These 100 things were things that made her happy. She would post 10 things every Saturday for 10 weeks. I thought this sounded like a fabulous idea, and a great way to keep yourself positive. I will do 10 every Monday for 10 weeks-- Mondays just are not fun days for me so hopefully it will put me in a better mood. Let's begin shall we?

1. Singing

I absolutely love to sing. It doesn't matter if it is screaming Kelly Clarkson in my car, harmonizing with my sisters in the bathroom at home(great acoustics),doing karaoke over the holidays with my extended family or jamming out to Taylor Swift in the shower! I love to sing. It makes me happy.

2. Crafting

I am obsessed with painting. I may not be that good at it but it is just such a stress reliever! Turn the music on high, open the windows, and GO! Any kind of painting is good but my favorite thing to paint is canvases! I am in the middle of two right now and I am so excited to see how they turn out!

3. My Family

I have talked about them on here before but I seriously LOVE my family. Yes we fight... often actually.

.. but they are the most amazing people I know! The Lord blessed me with a father who is after God's own heart and has given huge shoes to fill for my future husband, a mother who is kind and will do anything for anyone, a sister a year younger than me that has become a great friend of mine over the past few years and who I can easily spend an hour on the phone with multiple times a week and another sister who is 6 years younger than me and who has a passion for people and the Lord that is contagious! Also, I can recently add a new bro-in-law who is so good to my sister and puts her above all others in his life, besides the Lord! He makes her laugh, pursues her and loves her unconditionally. I pray that I meet a man who not only will become great friends with him, but will do the same for me!

4. Accessories

I am obsessed with accessories! Any kind really: Jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets), scarves, purses, shoes, bags, sunglasses, hats, etc. I can spend forever in Charming Charlie's just looking around. I don't think I can or have gone into there without leaving with something! Even if it was something I wasn't going to find! I just love them!

5. Make-Up

I love make-up. Always have. My mother taught me at a young age--"if all you have is your lipstick you are good to go". Well, I don't always have lipstick on, but I do love me some mascara! And whenever the time and place is right I love to bust out the fake eyelashes!

6. Receiving Snail Mail

Maybe this is from all my years of working at camps and not being able to have my phone on so the only communication I had was snail mail but I get so excited when I get mail! I like writing people because most of the time they will write you back-- and everyone likes getting mail!

7. Laying Out

What is more relaxing than laying out on the beach? Or at the pool? Even in the grass in your backyard? I just love the feeling of the sun and love the way it bronzes my skin in the summer. I know, I know its not healthy but it is a guilty pleasure of mine!

8. Getting my Hair Washed

I enjoy getting my hair done but even more I enjoy getting my hair washed! You can't do it yourself--I have tried. It just feels so good having a deep hair cleaning! I would pay someone to do it every week!

9. Africa

For almost a year now the Lord has been preparing my heart for Africa! On June 26th I will step on a plane to take me there for two weeks! I will be loving on orphans and sharing Jesus with those who don't know His name or the JOY He brings!

10. Smelling Good

I love to be told that I smell good! This little baby helps that be accomplished! I just love Victoria Secret scents... they're all I wear!

My Valentine

Since Valentine's was yesterday I chose to do something that I can honestly say I don't do on February 14th every year! I decided to have a wonderful day! Crazy I know. It is easy as a single woman to turn to feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and sadness. However, just because that one area of my life is not exactly where I would like it to be, doesn't mean that I am incomplete. In fact I am overflowing with completeness. Not because of anything I have done. Oh no! Child, I am such an incredible screw up it is impossible for me to be complete-- without Jesus Christ that is! Because of my relationship with Jesus I am whole! He has drawn me up into His lap and taken me as His own. He is the creator of love. The ultimate pursuer. The one and only who has my heart in His hands and loves me unconditionally. He doesn't love me more or less when I treat Him bad ("This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” -1 John 4:10). He doesn't love me stronger when I do things for Him. He isn't impressed by my works and services to Him (Ephesians 2:7-9 says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.")!

He doesn't need me, but He chose me! He made me for one reason and one reason only-- to bring HIM glory. I was not created to be a teacher, or a worship leader, or a wife, or a mother, or a friend, or a camp counselor, or a sister, or a daughter... I was created to bring praise and honor to the Lord of Lords through those roles in my life! He fashioned me to radiate His goodness in a world that is in desperate need of a nightlight! He desired above all else for me to praise Him with my gifts and bring others to know my Lover because of those talents He blessed me with.

In a world where the "L" word is thrown around as simply and carelessly as a football at recess, unless you have seen agape love you don't know the true meaning of it! People LOVE their ice cream, they LOVE their cars, they LOVE their favorite movies and they LOVE songs on the radio! But what are they really feeling? Do they want to spend every moment with it? Are they satisfied by it completely? Do they desire to please it and yearn for its affection? No. So what we should say is... "Oh I really LIKE that candy. That outfit is cute. I LIKE it alot!" We should align our desires up with His desires and completely submit those to Him!

Because let's me honest: I LIKE sports, reading, traveling, singing, friendships and food.

But I LOVE: the opportunities I had while playing basketball to share Christ with others, reading my Beloved's love letters to me in His truth and learning more about Him each day, traveling to the nations to share the good news with people groups that have never even heard of Jesus, leading worship so that I can be used as a tool by our Father to help lead His child to the foot of the throne, and fellowshipping with other believers over dinner while being constantly stirred, challenged and refined!

So you aren't married. So you don't have a boyfriend. So you haven't even been on a date in over a year (shout-out haha). Life doesn't begin when all that happens. Life is what is going on right now! Life is what is going to continue to go on once you go on a date, or have a boyfriend or get married. There is a great book called Lady in Waiting and in it, it says: "A woman is not born a woman. Nor does she become one when she marries a man, bears a child and does their dirty linen, not even when she joins a women's liberation movement. A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be." How great is that? It is just constant reassurance that we are doing what we are doing because that is what God has called us and created us to do! So yes I long for the day when I hear that whisper tickle my ear from the Lord with the confirmation of "This is the one I have created for you to help do my Kingdom Work, Beloved"... but until then I will just continue to do my thing and help Jesus' name become like a wild fire. Out of control and taking over everything in it's path!