I may not be on the fast track, but I'm still strapped in for the ride.

I have always loved the story of Ruth. One of my favorite ladies of the Bible for sure! What I love is that nothing about her life turned out the way she expected it to, but God still gave her a wonderful ending. It's like that with God. We think we have it all planned out until he comes in and changes everything. Ruth was a young woman with her life ahead of her, when unexpectedly her husband dies. She is left to care for her mother-in-law. I tried to put myself in these shoes. I cannot imagine losing my husband. It is a scenario I have had to think about. Vin is a firefighter, it is is passion. I think it is amazing, yet terrifying all at the same time. If something happened, and I was put in Ruth's shoes, would I have the strength to go on? Could I turn all my hurt and heartache, broken dreams and plans over to God and allow him to redeem my life's story into something all his own. Her resilience and selflessness amazes me. She could have hated God and blamed Him, but rather she trusted enough to follow the new path He set out for her. I love the book of Ruth, definitely a great read, even though it's only four chapters.



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Well, tomorrow we are going the St. Augustine area. Vin and I were given a gift certificate for a photo shoot with Sara Purdy Photography. I can't wait :) I bought us coordinating outfits. Yah, I'm a dork like that. We are having famly breakfast in the morning so I will be up making pancakes and eggs for my favorite peoples <3 Yay! It's gonna be a greaaattt Saturday!

17 days, 13 months, nearing the end of a week.

Well, well, well. . . so much to do and so much to talk about!

17 DAYS

Well,
Today was the seventeenth day of reading through the Bible in 90 Days. I finished up Joshua and started in Judges. The recurring theme, over the last few book of the Bible actually, has been the complete incompetence of the Israelites. (Sorry to be so harsh). Through the leadership of Moses, all the way through Joshua, the Israelites proved to me the most fickle, untrusting people I have ever seen. I look at their journey and see all of the incredible miracles the Lord preformed right before their eyes and the absolute grace that can be seen over them. However, throughout it all the complained over and over about leaving Egypt, about not having meat or water, etc. They doubted God at every turn. It seemed to me that every few chapters, either their leader, an angel of the Lord, or God himself had to give the Israelites a history lesson on all he had already done for them before they would press on any further. It seems completely silly looking at them from the outside perspective. However, if we take a step back and think is it possible the we do the same things?
Have we not all doubted God? Even if you haven't, you can bet their has been a time where you have a least questioned God, whether it be something He did or the methods by which He did it. How silly is it that God has to give us a little review over everything He has already done for us, which we can all say is a whoolllleee LOT of good things, before we will trust Him with the next thing, the next situation, the next decision. As I keep the story of the Israelites in mind, it gives the phrase, "Just give it to God" a whole new meaning. It is something I am going to focus on from here on out. I need not complain, God has supplied my every need. I need not worry, He knows everything from my beginning to my end. I need not grumble, His ways are higher than mine. I need not question, He is always right!



13 MONTHS


Todays marks my thirteen month anniversary with my best friend. Vincent Michael Hahr is certainly one of the good things God has done for me. I feel so unworthy to have been given such a blessing. I am amazed at God for bringing me someone who knows me better than anyone else ever has, without me having to explain myself. Someone who makes up for my weaknesses and knows just how to make bad days better. I don't think there are the right words to express how lucky I am, but I love my boyfriend that's for sure.





NEARING THE END OF A WEEK. . . .

Well, it has been a VERY full and fun week in East Tennessee. There is nothing like learning about your heritage, seeing where your family came from and spending some quality time with loved ones. I have loved everything about this trip. Although, I am sure that all this Southern cooking killed the five pounds I lost last week. Darn! Tomorrow, we leave and stop in North Carolina for a little visit before heading home. Boy oh boyyyyy am I ready to see some faces and not be driving this car!! So far I have taken about 1,200 pictures. It has been so much fun :)

Until next time, I love you all <3

On the Road. . .

Hello all!

I must say that i love love love summer timeeee <3

Before I blog, let me update you on my Bible in 90 Days challenge. We have finished Leviticus and moved into Numbers. After reading Leviticus, and the detailing of the requirements for sacrifices and all other matters, I must say how unbelievably thankful I am for the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior. We would never measure up, but we don't have to. Jesus paid the price; he did it all. I am amazed.

"God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?"

This passage is found in Numbers, and I just love it. Stop and think. "God is not a man." This is why our understanding of God can only reach so far. Our minds are trapped in our own reality. God is not like us, therefore it is hard for us to fathom the heights and depths of his grace and love. Everything he says comes true, and everything he promises will be fulfilled. What a mighty God we serve!

Well, I am in Columbia, SC staying at the swankiest Holiday Inn I have ever seen! Everything is too pretty to touch! We will continue our journey to Tennessee in the morning. Tonight we ate at OCharlies and my grandfather and I walked around the mall and visited a lifeway in the area. How addicted am I to my job that I feel the need to visit other branches while I am on vacation?! My grandfather has been so adorable. He was so curious and amazed by the mall. Everything was new to him, and it was so fun to watch. He is the funniest little man I have ever known :) He decided to hide in the closet at the hotel and barricade my aunt out of the room. A jokester for sure! I treasure this time with him more than I could ever put into words.

I leave you with some pictures from our last trip to Tennessee. I will post this years when I am back in Orlando :)

TTBI90D: Days 3-5 and some other happenings :)

The end of Genesis and the Beginning of Exodus!

We are currently up to chapter 15 in Exodus. I must admit that it feels like a milestone, as small as it may be, to have finishing the first book. I am just as committed to this journey as ever, and I am so thankful that two of the most amazing ladies I know are along for the ride. Check out "Lights. . . Camera. . . Ashley" for another great blog.

The end of Genesis revolves pretty much entirely on the story of Joseph. This has always been one of my favorite characters in the Bible. This is a story in which the hand of God is so clearly evident that is is mesmerizing to watch God orchestrate the events of Joseph's life. Joseph was the underdog. Misunderstood, under-appreciated, scorned, mocked, sold, imprisoned, etc. How many of us would have quit after our own brothers sold us into slavery? Or how about after he was imprisoned? So many things happened in Joseph's life that could have given him a reason to quit. However, he let God work out His master plan, and the man that was sold as a slave in Egypt came to rule over it. Such is the power of God. Great and mighty things happen when we let the Lord work. I also love the portrayal of forgiveness we see. When Joseph and his brother's were reunited, they feared he would carry a vendetta against them for all of their evils against them. Instead of payback or vengeance, Joseph forgave and reassured his brothers that they were the means God used to bring Joseph into a position to save the people from the terrible famine. How mysterious and wonderful are the ways of the Lord!

Now that I am getting into Exodus, I have begun reading the story of Moses. Another very familiar story to me, but one that brings to mind a quote I once heard.

"God does not call the equipped;

He equips the called."

Moses did not understand why God has chosen him to lead the Israelites out of bondage, and he made sure that he gave the Lord a full list of reasons He was not good enough. God simply replied that He would give Moses what he needed. After more and more excuses, Moses finally went. How many times does God call me to do something that I refuse or I explain that I am just not equipped to handle that calling?

I am going to Kenya this December! When I first felt the Lord calling me to go I thought, I can't do this! I can't raise that money, I can't communicate with the people, I can't go to Africa! and maybe I can't, but God can. God can bring the money and help me connect with the people of Kenya. I am going, fully expecting God to show up. Pray with me about this trip :)

Well, that is all for now. I am semi-caught up. :)

Five days down. . . eighty-five to go :)

TTBI90D: Day 2!

Day 2: Genesis 17:1-Genesis 28:19

Chapters 17 and 18 remind me that we serve a God who's ways are not our own. His master plan is something we don't always readily see, and even when he reveals it, we may not understand it. This is where faith comes in. We must have enough faith to follow God's instructions, trusting he is working it all out for the good. Abraham does just that. When his wife Sara heard that God had supposedly promised she would bare a son in her old age, she laughed at the thought. I love what the Gen 18:14 says,

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

What a slap in the face! One i think we all need, including myself. How many times do I get wrapped up in a situation or struggle that I feel there is no way it will work out. It just can't be done. Is anything too hard for the Lord? NO! So why must we always fret. Why do we still search as if He's not enough?

CH 18: This is a unique exchange between Abraham and God, one I find quite amusing. Abraham barters with God, trying to lower the price of God's mercy. After seeing nothing but wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah, God was going to destroy it. However, Abraham made a deal that if he found ten righteous men, God would spare the city. The interesting thing is that if Abraham had just reached his own family, the city would be spared. Abraham, Sara, his son and the woman who bore him, his nephew Lot and his wife and children, as well as their extended family (such a sons-in-law). It was not as if Abraham had to find complete strangers. If only his family had been righteous before God, the city could have been spared. Interesting thought I think.

CH 19: This is the big scene in which Lot's wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt. Just a glance back at where she came from cost her everything God had set before her. Isn't that just like us? God gives us salvation, second chances, yet we still have a hard time letting go of the things he has told us to leave in the past.

CH 22: I have always been amazed by the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac. What a beautiful foreshadowing of the sacrifice that God would give by allowing his only son to die. Oh, what I would do to have the kind of faith that took. A song says, " I wonder how it must have felt. Abraham with knife in hand was poised to kill. But God in all his sovereignty had bigger plans, and just in time, he brought a ram. You were there, you were there in the midst of the unclear. You were there, you were there always. You were there when obedience seemed so out of reach, oh you were there. You were always there."

CH 28: God is speaking in verse 15, and I am so encouraged by His words,

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."

You see, God has a plan, a great plan for each and every one of us. If we let him run the show, instead of trying to accomplish it by our own means, we are promised that He will be with us and finish the work he starts in us.

Loving this challenge, you should join us. Day 2 is in the books, and God is already blessing me tremendously!

Through the Bible in 90 Days Challenge: Day 1!

I am very excited to begin a new journey to read the Bible in 90 days. It is a commitment I am making over the course of the summer to commit to reading God’s word. My prayers is that I learn what I have never learned before and that who God is becomes that much more real to me. I want to learn as much as I can. As a result of my journey, I will be blogging about what I get from the reading each day. I would encourage anyone to join in with me. If you’d like to let me know! I ideally would like to blog everyday, but when that isn’t possible, I will still be reading and will catch up the blog as I can.

Day 1: Genesis 1:1-Genesis 16:16

CH 1: As I read the account of creation, I can’t help but marvel at our amazing creator. The intricacy of his design is enough to point men to a savior. I love that when he talked about creating the animals and other things he said to create an “abundance”. You can see Him as a master creator with a vision for His creation. When he begins to talk about creating man and making him in His image, I can almost hear the excitement and love in His voice. Charles Stanley’s study Bible points out a life principle during this passage,

“Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.”

How true this is! His desire for intimacy with his most prized creation is clearly seen in this account of creation found in Genesis. It is essential that we deepen that intimacy more and more. Our impact in this lifetime for the kingdom is directly correlated to the level of intimacy we have with God.

CH 2: How awesome is our creator that he knows our ever need and deepest desire. He saw Adam’s need for his missing piece. The relationship God forms in this chapter between man and woman is a beautiful thing. The account of God taking Adam’s rib reminds me of a quote the pastor said during my best friend’s wedding ceremony, “God did not choose a piece of Adam’s head, so that woman would be over him; nor did He select a piece from Adam’s foot, so that he would step on her. Rather, our loving Creator chose man’s rib, so that woman was taken from his side–to be his equal…from under his arm–to be protected by him…and from near his heart–to be loved by him.”

CH 3: One thing that caught my eye in this chapter is that the end is the first time we see “woman” given a name when Adam names her eve. This deception by Satan shows his very nature. He looks for our weakest moments (Eve was alone) and uses our deep desires (Adam and Eve sought knowledge and perfection) and uses them to draw us into sin. I see Eve’s reaction when God finds out about her sin to be much like many of our own’s. She automatically blamed someone else. Isn’t is so easy to say “The Devil made me do it.” rather than dealing with the issues at hand and our own failures before God.

CH 4: I have heard the story of Cain murdering Abel my whole life, growing up in Sunday school. It is so easy to say how awful and unfathomable his actions are, but when I stop to think, I am reminded that without daily walking with God and resting in his grace, I could quickly find myself doing things I never thought I would do. My sins are no worse in the eye’s of God than Cain’s were.

CH 5: I used to think geneologies of who begat who were beyond boring; but when I take time to look at it and really pay attention, there are many things to learn from it. Here we see the family lineage of Adam, which includes Noah himself, future boat enthusiast

CH 6: My favorite quote in this chapter, “Noah walked with God.” If God were to have written about us in his word, could that quote apply to our lives? Would our name be able to be placed where Noah’s is and the word of God remain truth? Now that is something to strive for!

CH 7: Fact, it wasn’t two of every animal that went into the ark. 7 of every clean animal, and 2 of every unclean animal. However, they did enter two by two How excruciating must it have been for a Creator to destroy is beloved creation. How gut-wrenching must it have been for God to look down and only see “wickedness continually” What do you think God is thinking as he looks down at us now, during our generation?

CH 8: I love this beautiful picture of God taking care of those who serve Him. In the midst of a world in chaos, God hand delivered his faithful people. How encouraging!

CH 11: In these geneologies, I learned that Abraham and Lot were descendants from the lineage of Shem, Noah son.

CH 13: What I find interesting about Lot’s decision of which way he wants to take his herd is that it was based solely on aritficial appeal. He did not seek counsel, but rather made a decision on the plains of Jordan because they looked good. Looks can be deceiving though, as we will later see that Sodom and Gommorah, home of so much wickedness and evil, was a part of the land Lot chose.

CH 15: I love what God says to Abram at the beginning of this chapter, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Those words are wonderful to me, and much needed at this moment!

CH 16: Sarai’s actions in this chapter show a tendency I feel many of us struggle with from time to time. She got to impatient to wait for God to complete His work in her, unfolding his perfect plan in His own time. Rather, she decided to take matters into her own hands, not trusting God to take care of things for her. Many problems start from this choice. I do it so often, I forget that there is a sovereign savior in control of every aspect of my life. There is not need to worry about tomorrow or try to work it out myself, God is already there and has everything set just the way he intends it to go if I will just follow Him and trust.

Wow, day 1 of this challenge was incredibly. I have a heavy heart about a situation, and there is nothing more encouraging than digging into God’s word and reading stories of provision and promise of God to those who trust in him. What a blessing.