The Monday-est of Mondays

Today was a Monday. You know what I'm talking about. When Monday is the epitome of Mondays. That was today for me. I had too much to do. It was overwhelming me. It was raining. Monday.

Poor Casey just let me rant and complain to him. He offered me very good advice. I got mad at him because what he was saying was very true and I needed to hear it, even though I didn't want to.

After I got off the phone with him this afternoon, I had a good cry, sat down and got some of that to-do list done (it wasn't nearly as much as I had over-imagined it being), then spent some time talking to God. Then I found myself reading my journals. I have several. One of them is my personal journal where I write about what's going on in my life. The other one is labeled "God-captured thoughts." I use this journal to write prayers and anything I feel God is telling me or led me to during prayer and Bible reading.

After reading through both journals, the thing I realized is that God has never let me down. He takes care of me. He may not always answer my prayers the way I want them answered, but He takes care of things in His own way (and timing). It always comes back to... TRUST HIM.

Trust is my word for the year. Last year I realized I wasn't near as good at trusting God as I thought I was. And it's still a journey. A daily journey. Giving everything to God every day. Making sure I don't try to take back things and try to control my life myself. As it turns out, God is a whole lot better at running my life than I am!

The day ended on a high note. Through prayer and reflection upon how God has always come through for me, I was able to adjust my attitude. A few hours later, I called Casey back and we had a long phone call where he pointed out some really cool stuff in the Bible I'd never realized and spent lots of time reminding me he's always there for me. (I have a really amazing boyfriend.) Also I ordered a new Bible that I'm really excited about.

Monday, you won't conquer me. I've got Jesus on my side.

Photography Friday: Renaissance Festival

Still catching up on some editing from 2016! These are from November when a group of us went to the Renaissance Festival in south Louisiana. Gotta say I have an awesome crew of friends. 

Cookie Crazies

A few months ago, I was on the phone with Casey talking about how I needed to figure out how to raise some money for our upcoming missions trip. He told me I should sell my baked goods, specifically my cookies. Now granted, I hadn't been making cookies long, but people kept telling me me they were too pretty to eat. But I couldn't imagine people actually paying me for cookies. 

Thing is, Casey is really good at making his point, and his points are generally really good. "God gives you your passions and gifts, so you might as well use them for Him," he told me. "Besides, the worst thing that can happen is no one buys them and you have a lot of cookies to eat." That's hardly a bad thing! By the end of the week, I had created some Valentine cookie packages and took to Facebook to sell them.

My mind was blown. Absolutely blown by the response. I can still hardly believe it. Not only did that fundraiser go incredibly well, but I did another one for Easter, expecting way less interest. Instead, I got MORE interest. AND not only that, but people keep asking me to make cookies for events and parties. 

The Lord truly provides. 

Now I have a kind of sorta side business making cookies and the proceeds go towards my missions trips. (Yes, plural. I'm so excited!)

Anyways, here are a few of the cookies I've made in the last few months!

Speak Life

Words are powerful.

It's because of words that we are here on this beautiful planet today. God spoke. It happened. All things were created. With words.

Sure, we aren't God, but that doesn't mean our words don't have power.

...Whoever SAYS to this mountain, "be removed and be cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS.
Mark 11:23 NKJV (emphasis mine)

Wow. That says WHOEVER. That means me. That means YOU. Our words have power.

Makes you think about the words you say, huh? I know it does me!

It's really easy most days to say the negative things. "I look horrible this morning." "I can already tell today is going to be a bad day." "I can't stand her--did I tell you what she said to me last week?"

Positive words sometimes come harder. It's easy to talk about someone behind their back. (Especially now when we can stalk them on social media... guilty.) It's also easy to say negative things about ourselves, whether or not anyone else is around to hear those things.

How much do your words really matter? A lot.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21 ESV

The words you say contain the power of life and death. Positive words bring life. Negative words bring death.

Are you killing or giving life to your friends? To your situation? To yourself?

What are your words declaring? Are you declaring for God's glory or for the enemy?

It's time we train ourselves to not only stop speaking negatively, but to start speaking positively. This can take some work! But you can do it. And you aren't alone. I'm working on this myself! Ever since I've started studying more about the power of words (I highly recommend this book), I've been trying to choose mine more carefully and speak LIFE. Not only about the people around me, but also about myself and my struggles.


Application:

Train yourself to speak life instead of death.

Instead of "I can't do this," say "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Instead of "I'm ugly," say, "I am beautiful."

Instead of "I'm depressed," say, "I have the joy of the Lord."

Instead of "I'm anxious," say, "God gives me peace that passes all understanding."

Pray the scripture:

Lord, make me aware of what I speak over my life and those around me. Set a guard over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3)

Do not let unwholesome talk come out of my lips, but rather let my words be good and helpful, encouraging those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29)