Burning Hearts

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103)

How do we get back to the place where our hearts were only about Him? How do we get to the place where we have burning hearts for the Lord? To the place where our hearts are eager to know our Creator and love Him with all that we are?

We are human, and we are broken. We seek security because we like to be in control of our lives, and we find security in all the wrongs things. We want to fit in with the world and our culture. We fight for success and happiness over truth and joy. We forfeit things for the King to be “cool” and appear that we have it all together. So how can it be that the pursuit of our Creator is still so strong? He is constantly seeking us out.

Picture this:
A little boy is learning how to ride his bike. He starts off with training wheels and everything “feels” balanced and comfortable. He can control how fast or slow he goes because either way he won’t fall over... the training wheels have him! Hold up... now all of a sudden there is an option that he has to learn how to ride his bike with no training wheels. The boy complains and claims it is risky and wonders why anyone would want to ride without training wheels. Technically he could fall over and get hurt or ruin his bike?! But there is his dad who is telling the boy he will guide him and lead him and follow right behind him through this new “risky adventure.” The boy no longer has the security or balance that he once controlled. What made the little boy choose to take a risk when he didn’t know what would happen? He knew his dad.

We are all like this boy with the training wheels in times of our lives… maybe all of the time. We want to be in charge. We put our hope in ourselves and the security we have created. We fill our lives with things that are meaningless, yet we are held back from freedom that Christ is offering us. We play it safe, and we are hesitant to change. But what if we actually knew our perfect Father? What if we were reminded of Him or even came to know Him for the first time? What if we began to fully trust him? What if the church had burning hearts for the Lord and wanted to take risks KNOWING that He is before us, with us, and behind us? There is wonder and adventure when we decide to follow God with all that we are.

My challenge for myself and for you is to really dig deep into who we believe God to be… to ask God to reveal Himself to us… to pray for an encounter with the Creator of the universe. To find out what it means to fully trust the Lord wherever He may lead us.

That is going to change us. That is going to set our hearts ablaze.

(Jesus set our hearts on fire
for You and for Your glory.
Bring us to our knees and fill us to the brim
so that we are overflowing.
Reveal to us who you are
so that we may find out who we are.
Create in us a burning heart
that desires You and trusts You.)

P.S. this is a BEAUTIFUL song by Bethel that inspired me to write this blog- give it a listen!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3-TDdD1pM

Tearing Down the Fence

Today I’m tearing down the fence.

Lately I have been feeling weak. I am run down physically due to a couple of injuries and left feeling weak and emotionally drained. I have fallen to my knees praying to my Father because I am discouraged by so many things that are out of my control. I find myself not trusting Him. And then I close the gate and stay inside the fence I've built around myself to hide any brokenness that I may have.

We hide ourselves and our brokenness and we put up a fence. At first we think this fence is protecting us. We think it may protect us from the world or from people. But then the fence turns into a cage. The things that caused us to put up the fence initially become bound to us. How can we experience freedom if we are locked up? When we lock ourselves in we are unable to receive what God desires to offer us in that very moment.

Peace
Understanding
Grace
Comfort
Healing
Love
Hope

What if we were able to allow ourselves just to talk to someone and acknowledge our struggles? What if we asked a friend for prayer? WHAT IF WE FELL ON OUR KNEES AND ASKED THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE TO HEAL US. To intervene. To be our perfect Father and our Shepherd. To take this brokenness aside and make SOMETHING out of it.

We can all admit that we are broken. I know I will never reach this “level” of good. All the days of my life on this Earth will be a journey of the Lord molding me into the little girl He created me to be. He wants to make me new. And it never stops. Because He fully loves me. Because He fully knows me. He has a high goal for me to be conformed to His image. And our Lord has the same plans for YOU.

Jesus came for the poor, the brokenhearted, those who mourn, those with a faint spirit, and those who need healing. Jesus promises us that He will carry out into completion what He has started in us. Jesus will turn your brokenness into something glorious.

If we let Him… if we tear down the fence.

Time to Fight

{Hallelujah it is finished.}
{Hallelujah it is done.}

The past six weeks I have been working at Pine Cove camps doing Camp in the City. I realized very quickly that Pine Cove didn’t need me and God didn’t need me, but I needed Pine Cove and I needed God. God uses Pine Cove to transform the lives of others for His glory and His purposes, but also transformed mine as well. I felt like a sponge soaking up and learning so much from God and from my team. I was able to witness the faithfulness of God. I got to share life with a community who served, challenged, and encouraged me for a month- and for that I am grateful!!!

One thing my senior counselors pushed on us this summer was truth. Stopping the lies that we believe and taking back what the enemy has stolen. Truth is a big deal to me. I HATE LIES! God chose people to speak truth to me freshman year of college and it changed my life forever. This summer I further realized the importance of truth.  I recognized lies I believed and how the enemy was using my past to mess with me.  But Jesus came for me and shined light on the darkness. And where there is light there can be no darkness.

There is a saying I hear too often and it goes like this: “I struggle with _______.”  Insecurity, self-control, pride, depression, approval, idols, lust… We all have different struggles. We tend to have a “pocketed struggle.” A weakness we are aware of that feels too hard to overcome. So we keep doing what we’re doing. Each time we mess up we blame it on the “pocket struggle.” When people ask us what we struggle with we pull out the “pocket struggle.”

This breaks my heart that we continue to deal with something instead of fight to overcome it. That we continue to be believe any lies from the enemy. Christ was sent to set us free.  If we are men and women of the Lord then lets freaking fight! We don’t need to revel in our weaknesses because His power overpasses them.  So lets fight with truth and scripture and prayer. Lets hold on to the promises that the Lord has given us!!! I will fight to follow the Lord because he has set me free. In John 8 Jesus tells us “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Its time to fight with the belt of truth. His perfect love cannot be overcome.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery/” Galations 5:1

Daughter of the King

Identity. noun. the fact of who or what a person or thing is. the qualities or beliefs that make a particular person different from others.

We hear this word a lot. Identity. Who are you identified with? What identifies you? What is your identity?

I have struggled so much with this word, “identity”. In high school, all of my worth came from my popularity and my acceptance from others. How many people knew who I was? How many friends did I have?  What sport/activity was I doing? How many people liked the person I was? What boys liked me? How many people looked up to me? Am I good enough?

In college that word followed behind me. “Are you in a sorority?” “What sorority are you in?” “What is your major?” “What are you involved in?” “Who do you hang out with?” How many followers do I have on Instagram? What do I do on the weekends? What does my time go into? What do I look like? Am I as pretty as the girls around me? Am I good enough?

 About a year ago I was searching for my purpose in life. I was sitting at the Bizz “studying” trying to answer this question and I couldn’t.  I was lost and confused and full of myself and this person I was. I was trying to find my acceptance from other people, and they failed me. I started to wonder about so many things, including Jesus. I began to search and become interested in this Jesus guy I had always “known” and he started to change me from the inside out. I decided to deny myself, deny the identity I had and was pretending to be and FOLLOW Jesus.

Maybe you put your identity in finding acceptance from others; maybe you don’t. What is your identity in? Is it in what sorority or organizations you are involved in? Is it in a leadership position that you hold? Is it in social media? Is it in school? Do you put yourself in a category as “not good enough”? Is your identity in a specific sin or struggle? Is your identity in your past or your future? Is your identity in what you do and/or who you know?

(Don’t get me wrong I think that being involved and having certain priorities is very fun and important!) But there is a difference I have found from pulling away from these ~things~ that make me “WHO I AM” and truly discovering WHO I AM in Christ. I am a child of God! I am made perfect in His eyes because I am covered by His grace. I am captivating. I play an irreplaceable role in this world; I have a purpose.

Now take a second to watch this video.... (MUST WATCH!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU

Lord, thank you so much for your Love and your Mercy! Thank you for making it part of our design to want to be delighted in! I pray that we may delight not in the things from this world but in You God!  That we may not find acceptance from others but in You alone! Thank you for giving each of us a purpose. Thank you for giving us this life to live! I pray that we may use it for Your kingdom and Your glory. Lord I know that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy my soul like you do! Thank you for showing me who I am because of who you are. In your precious name I pray, Amen.

WHERE IS YOUR IDENTITY! I am challenging you!! I want you to think about your identity. Where does it come from? Is it authentic? Do you know who you are because of WHOSE you are?

Love, MC {daughter of the King}

Chasing After

I haven’t written in a while. I guess I have been busy and overwhelmed this semester. But really I can’t seem to get myself to finish a blog. I have started about eight entries since my last post and deleted them all. I write because I love to share what God is doing and teaching me. It helps me get through things and it is my hope that others reading can relate or will learn from it. It is me becoming vulnerable because of the One that I love.

This year has been different/fun/adventurous! It has been really good and sometimes bad but God has always been good. He has been the only thing that is constant. It is so evident to me that he will never fail me, here’s why…

I have seen people set free, and He is the reason. I have been caught in sin, but found in grace. I have been AFRAID to the point where I couldn’t sleep, and then comforted by His love and shield. I have been confused and doubted, yet He has shown me light and truth! I have wandered, but I am sealed by His spirit. I have not felt good enough, but He has shown me my worth. I have called out His name, and He has answered me.  I have been in a valley, but found a river running through.

We chase after things and we are run by our emotions and imagination (what I am currently learning in my English class thanks to the “romantic period.” Haha.) But it is so true people! Picture this:

You are in a valley. There are things you are looking up to and climbing/running/trying to get to. Things you are chasing after that you want or desire. Even things worth taking a chance on, things that you know could hurt you in the end. Yet you try anyways. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you make it but then you fall back down eventually. You see a river running through, it is pure and intriguing, but you ignore it and continue to look up to the flashy things of this world, the things that you want.

I think we can all agree that we find ourselves in a valley in parts of our lives. Here’s a secret… I was in a valley. I remember praying and asking God for contentment and he answered me.

Molly, do you believe that I am constant? Do you think I am enough?  Yes Lord, You are! Then why are you chasing other things?

Dang. That was my problem. I kept trying to attain certain things. I wanted more of what I knew was not enough! I was chasing worldly things instead of Jesus. If there is one thing I believe in my heart it is that God wins in the end; I know what He is capable of and that He WINS. So why did I continue to overlook him and go my own way? I wanted to lead my own life and failed.

But then I found a river running through. I decided to give it a look and I found it was a river full of life, joy, and peace! A living water. And I began to follow it. As I began to follow, it delivered me from the valley and brought me to a place of abundance. Jesus came to my rescue and I can’t stop singing His name!!!! All the time I was chasing these things, my creator, was chasing after me.

There are times in our life where we are on a mountain high and times in our life when we are deep in a valley. Where are you? What are you chasing? I want you to think about it and answer! I want you to ask yourself if you just “know” that He is constant and enough or if you BELIEVE it.

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
Psalm 139: 7-8

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Whether you are on a mountain top or deep in a valley
He is chasing you. He is after your heart. (!!!!!)

Burning With Passion

A few months ago I went to a Love Does conference in Austin, TX and I listened to speaker after speaker talk about something they were passionate about and how they act out on it. These people are pretty legit (Bob Goff, Donald Miller, John Richmond, and more) and they spoke about Jesus and love and encouraged us to find our passion and do something about it. I learned about measuring God versus measuring ourselves, and that we can do big things because we serve a big God! But I had no clue what I was passionate about or still what I wanted to do “when I grow up” (lol still a teenager). I remember on the way home thinking and wanting to have a heart burning with passion every day because of what I do!

I’ve been praying for over a year to find out what I am truly passionate about. What makes my heart stir and what brings me joy. I found an old journal where I prayed over and over asking God what I was supposed to do with my life. I knew I would follow Jesus wherever he takes me, but being in college I need a ~major~ and a ~ job~ I will thrive in eventually.

After a year of praying and a semester still not happy in my marketing major I began to find what I truly love most and want to use to fight for His kingdom. I have always loved kids/teenagers (awk middle school girls are my fav) and I switched my major to education! I know I will wake up every day and be so excited to work with kids and influence them while they are still young.

But what I am truly passionate about is what I want them to know. I want them to know they belong to someone who loves them more than they could ever imagine. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THEIR WORTH AND THAT THEY HAVE A PURPOSE. I want to teach them about their identity and what true beauty really is. I know for all the days of my life I will be speaking truth into women and children of all ages. It is my biggest passion and what sets my heart on fire!

I went to a bible study last week where we were asked to share our passion (perfect timing lol). Every single girl said something so unique and I loved every answer. Some were passionate about orphans while others were passionate about being a mom. I think it is so cool how God created us with different talents and desires in each of us. He gave us these talents and dreams for a reason!!!! He created us so perfectly giving us different spiritual gifts and different talents. 

Maybe you are an encourager and are meant to speak life into all around you. Maybe you are an athlete who has the opportunity to perform and give glory to God and be a role model to others looking up at you. Perhaps you already know what you are passionate about, or perhaps you have no clue. What if you have more than one passion or maybe your passion will change over time. As believers, he wants us to join in. He wants to use us for His purpose! We are all called to be disciples and follow Jesus. How can we live a life full of adventure? What is your passion? What do you have to offer to use for the glory of God?

“May you have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:18

Jesus,
Let us be a generation full of your holy spirit! Let us be a generation of people who know your love. Who know your holiness God. A generation marked by your love. A generation purified, set apart, wholly unto you God. Let us be a generation burning with passion.

For all my ladies!!!! (MUST WATCH!) This video is too good and pretty much sums up my passion and what I want every girl in the world to know!! You are worthy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU

Beloved

Do you believe in grace? And do you believe that God’s grace covers all of your sin? I do. I know that there is nothing I can do to make Him love me more or less.

This year one of the biggest things I have strive for is to view people the way God views them. I think it is a good way to share Jesus with people when you meet them right where they are instead of expecting them to fix some stuff before they can come and stand with you before the King. The reason I have wanted to focus on this and meditate on it because I have actually had conversations with people who don’t understand grace and how God truly sees them. It breaks my heart and I just want to shake them and say YOU DON’T GET IT!!!!!!!! You can’t earn grace people, it’s a gift. You can’t change the way he thinks about you.

The other day I was in Oklahoma City when it started to snow.  I was so cold, walking and finding my car was miserable, and I was getting frustrated fast. When I got in my car it took forever to warm up and I was getting even more aggravated.  I then realized I never ate lunch and I was starvingggg. So (naturally) I found a chickfila and went through the drive through. It took about 20 minutes and I was in such a bad mood because I was so cold, starving, and impatient! I pulled out to a stop light and saw this homeless man holding up a sign and it looked like he was shivering to death. The first thing I thought was I wonder what he did to get in that position. I wonder if he had been into alcohol or drugs or what got him there. Then I was so disgusted with myself for being so ungrateful and upset about being cold and hungry when this man had no warmth and no food. I rolled my window down and handed him my chickfila, and as he grabbed it thanked me. But then I realized something way worse. I had just judged him right of the bat. I saw him and put him in a place “far from where I was at”. What makes me better than him? What makes me more deserving of knowing Jesus than him? I realized I had judged him and saw him the way man sees him.

 But how does God see him? Man thinks a person like that would be unreachable. God just waits patiently.

One of the things that keep non-believers from truly questioning and experiencing God is them not having a clear understanding of how God actually views us. They have been told lies all of their life, and the negative circumstances in life just verify those lies. So we see people for their rights and wrongs. We classify them as “unreachable.” But Jesus approached people from all different places no matter where they were in their life. He focuses on the relationship rather than the right or wrong. He is compassionate. He doesn't discriminate. He meets you where you are. How sweet is that?

So how does God view us? I cannot even begin to comprehend his love for us or imagine what he thinks of us. But there are two things I really like that I know he does see in us.

Children. You have probably heard the saying “child of God.” But what does it mean? It means we are his beloved. His son or his daughter (keyword HIS!) One of my favorite stories in the bible in John is when Mary is washing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and oils and the men in the house are questioning her for doing so. And Jesus responds with “Leave her alone.” We are his children! He has so much compassion and unconditional love for us.  He will even stick up for us!! He fights for us because we are his. He is our father and wants to give us freedom and life.

Blameless. This is the hardest thing for humans to grasp. How could a God so just view us as blameless? Even in God’s wrath, his mercy compared to it is astounding. That’s the thing about Jesus. He has unending grace. He wants us to not get caught up in right and wrong and focus on the relationship instead. I have seen God do crazy things and redeem people in ways so cool I can’t even explain it. And it is when we focus on the relationship that we find a life worth living.

I can pray and strive to view people for only the good and not the bad and I might get better but I can never come close to the way God sees them. That is so powerful. How different would you be if you strive to see people the way God sees them? God is way bigger and doesn’t see people as “unreachable.” And he wants us to meet people where they are just as he met you where you were.

If we believe that we are his beloved and we see that God’s grace has covered all of OUR sins, how can we not see it cover other people?

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18