I Asked For More

Lately, I have been asking Jesus to help me love people better. I never felt I was very good at it because I’m a task orientated person. I’m a thinker and most of the time I feel (teehee) like emotions are irrelevant to the decision making process. I feel like I walk too quickly sometimes to seem approachable; and I always look busy, when in all facts – I just walk REALLY quickly.

I asked Jesus to help me love people better and He didn’t make my heart any bigger – He just gave me more people to love.

I asked G-d for more creativity and for ideas to be downloaded into my heart and I feel like all I’ve gotten is more weird dreams. Not like, “I have a dream that one day… my future will be like __________” but like, I go to sleep and dream of a giant praying mantis in my bed or a mix of my cousins and people I used to work with in the same building treating porn as if it was a family movie night, or sometimes hiking on a mountain and suddenly I’m in a dentist chair and my teeth are falling out. But you can’t forget the classic Chilismare… you’re in Chili’s working but you’re working with the worst manager ever and none of your co-workers came in that day and the entire restaurant fills up at once and you’re slowly running your head off all while sinking into the floor, which is now quicksand.

I have CRAZY dreams; I asked Jesus for more creativity and now I find myself with more opportunities than ever to input creatively to the groups and people around me.

But what do I have? I have a giant praying mantis in my bed and random people watching porn*.

I have been praying for provision and a job, not like sitting and praying – I apply and chat with people about who is hiring and follow up with calls. So far I’ve gotten an email to tell me they went with someone else and a manager telling me he’ll get back to me. Oh! And I got put on a list of a future interview the next time they do interviews.

I asked for provision and it comes in the most last minute, random moment and in friends who care to make sure I have groceries.

I ask the Lord every time I post that it would find people in a timely manner and that G-d would use my words to encourage, inspire, and point someone to the only answer I know – Jesus. I asked for the Holy Spirit to move into my man-formed sentences and spelling errors and cover my ‘project’ of words with His own.

I asked for people to find my words AS THEY NEEDED. Yet, when I feel like I’m just typing into the internet and no one is getting anything from this… someone comes to tell me that what I’m doing has encouraged, inspired and moved them more towards Jesus.

But in THAT moment the timing is for me. It’s when I want to give up or stop bothering my newsfeed with yet another “Hey read my blog!” that Jesus reminds me this was HIS calling to me, and though it can feel redundant – my calling IS words – my calling is consistency. 

I miss the mark sometimes, but one thing I can tell you is how gracious and faithful G-d has been. He forgives and restores. My Saviour looks out for me and protects me and encourages me.

I find it SO odd how Jesus responds to me. It never feels like an answer when it is happening but very soon after I’ve gotten over myself, I can look back and see the beauty of His language and timing. I’m learning His language and I’m constantly learning to trust His timing but I also don’t feel bad that I still haven’t figured it out.

* I don’t watch porn, there was not ACTUAL porn playing in my brain – but you know how dreams go – you get that sense of what is happening even though none of the dream makes sense.
* (P.S.) I woke up that morning and had some serious Jesus time for those of you who read this and are still dealing with an addiction porn. I pray freedom and renewal for your mind. I pray that the intense bondage that might be over you be broken right now in Jesus name. I ask that every woman or man or child you’ve ever fantasized about would find a home and healing and that G-d world restore worth inside of them as it has been stolen with every thought that anyone has come up with of them. I pray that the people in the industry would realize the love of our GOOD father in heaven and that they would know inside of them that there is more for them. So much more love. I pray that you, as you read this would feel a release from the pull of porn and that you too begin to love people a little better. – Find Help Here

Love On Your Little Ones

Live your life with children, explore faith with them as well as the back yard. Love them innocently and fiercely because they get it. This #ThinkBackThursday brought to you by 5 years ago – Feb 2011
I can’t explain a lot of the feels I have in my heart for my sister. Sometimes one of my friends will bring her up because it changes my demeanor instantly. I wonder if G-d’s face changes when He thinks about us…
Be blessed, be new and thank you for having a look into the stories that make up my life.

Today was a day that Oklahoma decided to have good weather. I enjoy those. You could hear kids playing in the neighborhood as their parents called for them to come inside for washing up. I had a few friends over and for whatever reason I was parked behind them, so when it was time to say goodbye I had to move my car for them to get out. I pulled my car back and was about out of their way when I see my little sister running down the driveway crying. I’m a softie for her firstly, because she is my sister, but also because when something breaks her heart it usually breaks mine. This wasn’t a scared cry; this wasn’t a hunger or a pain cry even. She was running down the sidewalk shrieking, so I jump out of my car and run to her and hold her.
“Gracie, what’s the matter? What happened?” I start to cry simply because I can see in her 6 year old body, brokenness. Something is eating her apart inside and I can’t do anything. In a painful, sobbing voice I hear her scream, “Why don’t the little ones belong to Him?”

I couldn’t answer her.

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so

little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.

She was torn apart because she knew the kids in the neighborhood didn’t belong to the Saviour. The kids who most people just want out of the road, the kids who people look over and wonder what their parents are thinking letting them play in the street.

Gracie has taught me more than I could ever explain about life and about G-d. The story above was a dream I had one night and woke up crying to. Children have such a precious heart; they have such a strong faith that when someone tells them something is they believe it. One day Gracie wanted to stay home and watch TV while everyone else was leaving… I told her that it wasn’t safe and she had to come with me because no one would be there to watch her. She told me G-d would be there to protect her.

How do you argue with that?

I told her that if she got hurt there would be no one to take her to the hospital. She said that if she got hurt G-d could heal her. Who am I to tell her she’s wrong? That the faith she has isn’t always true? (I didn’t leave her alone but I had a hard time convincing her that she just WANTED to come with me).

I want child like faith. I want to have passion for the little ones who don’t yet belong to Him. I want more G-d… 

Who’s Your Daddy?

Just a little #ThinkBackThursday. Pardon any shortage on an image or formatting… we don’t have WiFi currently so I’m eating up my phone data.


I went to Office Depot today to buy little envelopes. I got through the checkout line and along with my receipt the cashier gave me a business card that was good for a free PC check up… I chuckled in my head as I saw it and almost offended I thought, “Hello… doesn’t she know who my dad is? He’s the biggest computer geek I know, why would I bring a PC into here when my dad could fix it? Doesn’t she know who I am?”

I’ve always felt this way about my dad, I’m 110% convinced if there is a computer problem my dad can fix it so I’ve never worried about anything when it comes to the computer. I’m not the most computer savvy person in the world that you will meet but simply because I am my fathers daughter I really don’t think too much about it.

Dear G-d, why can’t I think this way about You? Consistently? Yes, I know you’re big enough to solve my problems but even in the moments when there isn’t one why am I not constantly thinking, “Pft, no harm can come to be, no evil force can stop me, no nation will stand against me… don’t they know WHO MY DAD IS? He happens to be the savior of the world, the comforter of the broken, why would I let my heart become troubled knowing that He can fix any problem that comes up?”

Fact is – I’m human and struggle with doubt. I guess I don’t doubt my earthly father because I’m an earthly person and that’s what I understand… I’ve seen my dad in flesh and have seen him fix thousands of computer problems.

I feel like an idiot to admit that I’ve doubted my heavenly Father but I have; I’ve seen the work of His hands in all of creation, I’ve gazed at the stars knowing that He holds each one, I’ve seen G-d’s protective hand over my life and others and yet, because my mind is limited I have to still remind myself that He can take care of me.

G-d, please, help me to see the problems in my life as something that I don’t have to worry about because I’m YOUR daughter. Make my response to them as quickly as I would respond to a office supply store telling me that they’re offering me something that I know my earthly dad could already do. Change my doubting heart, G-d.

But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. “ – Romans.1.18-23(ish, MSG)

G-d, I’ve been with you a while, I know you well… help my heart not doubt so that I might not trade your glory for cheap fixes…

I’m sorry G-d.

Do you know who MY Dad is?

I Don’t Believe In Fear

 

Story Time With Laina at it’s finest.

Some tunes to read to

I’m on top of the world today, and by that I mean I swam under the world with giant sea turtles, massive stingrays and sharks ranging from 1-3 meters long. I couldn’t have been more excited unless you told me I had a dinosaur of my own.

We showed up and got (wet) suited up and were taken to a small pool where two turtles had already come by to say hello and make sure we were fully trained with our underwater breathing gear. We got in the pool and one by one were strapped in with an oxygen tank and handed a mouthpiece to start breathing through. I was given a mask that looked less than flattering on my partially Native American cheekbones and told it was time to start breathing underwater. We were told to put our faces under the water and keep our ears where we could hear them for the next bit of instructions.

Breathe Normally.

Breathe in and out of your mouth. I know that sounds simple for some of you obnoxious mouth breathers currently walking around the earth, but for me, trusting that I wouldn’t die if I tried to breathe in through my nose accidently was terrifying. I actually was given to a second instructor to walk me through one on one and talk through everything. She assured me of the facts that I already knew; that the mask wouldn’t fall off, that the oxygen tank had more than enough for our dive, that my natural survival instincts will take over and in the aquarium tank I wouldn’t even think about how I was breathing but my body in fact, would breathe.

Take deep breaths… 1, 2, 3, in… 1, 2, 3, out

The instructors made their way through the little manhole from the pool to the aquarium with the fish, turtles, rays and sharks and the other 3 people I was diving with went through. Right before the person in front of me swam into a 30-minute adventure – I got on my knees and tried to practice not dying underwater. I instantly wanted to give up. Then realizing everyone was already through my only option was to leave alone or fight fear.

Fun fact about me… I LOVE SHARKS.

For me, getting in a tank with jagged-toothed, 10.5 foot, and 350 lbs. beauties was easy. But trusting in what I was given to get there was hard. Sometimes fear comes not from what is ahead but from the equipment you have to move ahead. Sometimes I have issues trusting what I’ve been given to be enough for the journey.

You can sometimes see what is coming, we are diagnosed with cancer and told we will go through treatment, it will be hard but there are facts about what we can expect. We are dealing with the loss of a loved one and we are told to see grief coming but not to worry – there are steps that are known and trained help to get you through. We prepare for our university exams that will make or break our career choices and can see it coming by the date the teachers have set. We get a birthday gift to swim with sharks and research the breed to a make sure how tightly you can hug it before it gets irritated and tries to hug you back… with it’s teeth.

What is coming isn’t often as scary because we know it’s coming. But trusting that YOU have enough inside of you to make it becomes a risk. Are you strong enough to fight after chemo leaves you weak? Are you brave enough to plan a funeral and still let you emotions breathe and not shove them into hiding? Are we intelligent enough for exams or do we need to get a day job? Will the oxygen in the tank run out?

Are we equipped?

Do we have enough for the journey?

G-d, is Your Word REALLY enough?

I’ve recently decided that I don’t believe in fear anymore; not to say it doesn’t exist, but I’ve tried to redirect the emotions that I might have once called fear and accept them as something else. Am I really afraid? Or am I nervously excited? Can I call this something else so that one word doesn’t take a hold of what I am and how I function?

When you put your BELIEF into something you feed it. It gets bigger and bigger until it paralyses you from doing what you want or need to do.

I refuse to get there; I don’t have time to believe in something so strongly that it won’t help anyone. I don’t have time to be too afraid to move when the adventure is forward, and when the things ahead are prepared for. I can’t fall back simply because I don’t think I have enough.

I can’t fall back simply because I don’t think YOU have enough, Lord. I trust that what You’ve equipped me with is more than enough to carry me through. I KNOW there will be bumps along the way but I know that you will sustain me. My tank wont run out. You have me. 

 

Sucky Sound Systems, Surprising Stories, and Skepticism

G-d is actually beautiful.

I was thinking this morning about how doing #ThinkBackThursday is getting more challenging the longer I do it. It’s weird – I’ve used the majority of my old posts from Facebook (be my friend! If you mention my blog you get a 3% discount on being my friend!) and I was running out of material. I was about to start creeping through my 10 year old journal but, no one REALLY wants to read who I was crushing on at 14.

Lo and behold, I found a post from October 2010 that I don’t recall ever stumbling over in this last year. And wouldn’t you know it… it’s in perfect timing with what I NEEDED to hear this week.

I write for me.  I publish for accountability. I pray that somehow in the middle it might be the encouragement, challenge, blessing or honesty you need. I truly could never say ‘thank you’ enough if you pray for, support me or have been apart of reading my stories. Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday


 

Thursday we had a worship night at church and all was going well until Jesse and I here a loud pop in the monitors in front of us. Jesse was roughly 4 feet away from me so I casually and in the full attitude of worship lean over and ask if he can hear Kevin anymore or the piano.

“No”
wonderful.

You see, when we cannot hear Kevin that’s a bad thing. While I have attempted to train myself to just know what key we’re in and sing it in tune the whole way- there is still comfort in being able to hear the piano and KNOW you’re in the same key.

I couldn’t get the attention of our wonderful sound man Steve (thanks for the photo Steven B.) without making a scene so I felt pretty stuck, and then suddenly, the monitor popped back on.

This actually was wonderful.

Unfortunately, our sound system didn’t like leaving people feeling happy and fuzzy so again, the sound went out. I wasn’t sure what to do, there wasn’t much I could do, so instead I just prayed. If I remember correctly it was something like, “G-d, this might be a silly request but… I don’t want to create a distraction with not being able to hear correctly so if at all possible could You somehow make the monitor start working? I mean, I’ll still love You and do my best either way… it’d just be nice”

I felt in that moment like He was legitimately asking me if I’d be surprised if He did, He reminded me of the scripture in James 1.6-7 about coming to G-d with our requests, “Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way…” I felt like He was asking me if I was going to truly believe that He could; if I was going to believe that He would answer something so – in my mind – trivial. In an honest answer back to G-d I said, “I’m not sure.” I couldn’t tell Him that I w o u l d n ’ t be surprised but I remember thinking, “G-d, I don’t honestly know if I will be surprised, I just know that You can”.

((Before I completed my thought the monitor came back on. I smiled.

I don’t know what it was in my heart that shifted to where I just decided to believe. I still don’t understand why I can’t live there constantly. Where I ask G-d without doubt and know that He’ll answer if it’s His will. I’m ok admitting that in my almost 20-year-old mind I still struggle with trying to figure out why it seems G-d answers some prayers right away and on some He waits. All I know is to trust that His word and promise to me are true. And that I must be patient in not understanding because HE knows whats up.

I’m not perfect. I don’t have everything figured out. I’m learning. I’m accepting when I can’t do things alone. I’m committed to the only thing that has never let me down.

I’m His and that’s all I need.

CathaBaptiCostal Church

What is the church to me? I was asked this question recently in school and while I believe there are many answers for this question here are a few thoughts that I came up with:

 If the church truly is the Bride of Christ, shouldn’t we be the assembly of those preparing for the return of Christ? A bride spends all of her engagement in preparation for being forever one with her groom and we as well should be the ones who are getting ready for eternity. Our roles might look a little different even as we are all the bride, one might have the role played most by a pastor in preaching and educating the congregation on how to prepare, and others might just be in a role of being in the congregation and gathering more people to be included in the preparation. Either way we do all have a role to play and we have a mission to those who still don’t know about Christ to tell them our good news.

In another class this week we discussed the differences IN the church, and specifically Denominations. If I’m being totally honest they don’t make every bit of sense to me either but I think that I’m starting to get a hang of why there might be a zillion on the planet (there is really only about 33,000 denominations according to this random website I found on the Googles). A student in the class piped up and went on about the fact that ‘denomination’ comes from the root word ‘denominator’ or something like that, which clearly wasn’t a thought I agreed with because I hate math. But also, ‘denominations’ aren’t from the root ‘denominator’, but rather comes from the Latin word denominatio(n-), or from the verb denominare (denominate). Here I found our position as a denomination to be an action, it is to give name to or to be assigned a specific financial unit. To be “denominated” would mean that you are assigned a specific unit. Which would be assumed that being apart of a denomination means you’re really just one specific assignment the same as everyone else. You are apart to be spent for the Kingdom. You are to be used to grow the kingdom by giving yourself.

Things I’ve never understood about arguing which denomination is the “right” denomination:

  1. How do you know that you are right?
    1. What if you are wrong?
  2. Why do you have to be mean about saying you’re right?
    1. Don’t be mean
    2. No one will want to be your friend
  3. Have you ever thought that maybe the different denominations aren’t actually anything that separates people but actually includes more people?
    1. Wouldn’t giving the people an option of faith with convictions they can follow bring them closer into a relationship with Christ?
    2. Isn’t it all about your heart and Christ?
  4. If you think I’m wrong, help a sista out.
    1. I don’t have all these answers but rather I really have a lot of questions and thoughts.
    2. I’m also a little bit of a hippie and think if people just love Jesus and love one another it doesn’t matter too much if you’re non-denominational, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist or Catholic, or a cowboy.
Learn to love your neighbor as yourself.

Scrabit Be

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday. I’ve been in a very, ‘be still’ sort of mood again the last few days so this post highly reflects that. I think it’s the thought that school could be super busy and stressful right now but I’m choosing to just sit with Jesus through it.

Hey, it’s working for me.


Dear yesterday, let G-d cover your mistakes or you’ll never see your forgiveness.
Dear today, let G-d do what He wants or you’ll never see your fulfillment.
Dear tomorrow, seek to please G-d or you’ll never see your potential.

Dear child, believe in the King who has always been faithful with the sunrise and sunset. Seek after the giver of live who knows the flaps of a bird’s wing. Realize that no matter where you go He is in your heart if you allow Him to be.

I don’t enjoy making mistakes and feeling like I’ve failed but all that I can do is trust in a grace that is enough for me. Sometimes it’s intimidating to make a promise to G-d that you will think on Him throughout the day when you know how crazy everything will be. But my offer to G-d is that I’ll do MY BEST cause He deserves nothing less. As for my future… I’m terrified I don’t like feeling like G-d doesn’t hear my prayers and feeling like it isn’t time for Him to answer my questions. The world would say I should have this figured out by now and maybe I do, maybe I’m just worried that I’ll disappoint someone. Not for their opinion but for the opportunities I might lose.

Shoot… If I knew half of what I wanted to know right now, I’m sure there would still be something that was bothering me.

Lord, teach me to be content with what knowledge You’ve given me. Please.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

It’s just so good to remember HOW good G-d is. The beauty of who He is can be revealed in his many gifts that He blesses us with. I’m so thankful for His grace everyday.

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

14.08.2012

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G-d – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2.8-9

Birthday gifts are funny things; we receive them in a celebration of the day we were born. They aren’t given to return favors but almost as a, “congratulations, you didn’t die this year!”. We didn’t earn them nor do we by any means deserve them. This is the case with most any gifts we received.

Our salvation is a gift from G-d. Of all things to be ill-deserving of, He chose to give us eternal life and in that life all of our mistakes (the accidents and purposely rebellious things) are covered by grace. I don’t understand a LOT of things – “I don’t know” comes out of my mouth and is written by my pen more times than I could recall.

But how I understand grace is this: I’m alive today.

Despite going from a devotion yesterday morning straight to driving and bickering at all the morons who drive with less skill than I do, despite forgetting what I even read yesterday or sleeping through my alarm and missing Sunday school – I’m here and I’m given this moment to praise my King. I’m given this gift of salvation and (dare I say) “insight” into the kingdom that I might know the hope to which G-d has called me, the riches of His glory and His great power (Eph. 1.18-19)

If you take Christ and His sacrifice out of the equation, it’s likely that ink would have never filled this page. I’d never have been born, and my parents might not have met. Me alone without G-d leaves me dead in sin (Eph. 2.1) – a useless bag of gross that people should light on fire and leave on a porch somewhere.

Thinking of my life without G-d is awful.

LORD, Thank You for Salvation and Grace. Help me to fully realize how dependent I am on You and remind me daily of where I’d be without You. Your grace is a beautiful thing and though I don’t see or understand fully I am so grateful for this gift. Forgive me for all the time I waste and for how sinfully forgetful I am. Help me remember to reflect on and praise Your name and blessings.

I don’t understand why He chose a sinful man to pour all of this out on but He did; probably because He is just THAT wise. He not only handles our shortcomings but He can make them look like they were always in “The Plan”. He teaches us through our trials not around them.

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”

Ephesians 1.11

Who has two mighty hands and can work out EVERYTHING in conformity with the purpose of His will?!
G-d. That guy.

Everything. G-d, Creator of the Heavens and Earth picked us all first before any other creature offered on the little league team to be apart of His great plan. Not only were we chosen but we are given this Author who has the creativity that is beyond our favorite writers, painters, inventors and kindergarten teachers meshed together. We have a G-d who can move us into something of worth – even after our days filled with mistakes –  ALL for His will. And He actually KNOWS what He is doing.

Shewt.

Jesus, Your Word is true. I was dead in my sin and have been offered this salvation and grace and forgiveness and I want it. I’m going to hold You to Your word. Use my life and cover my shortcomings to allow me to fit into Your will. Help me to understand the hope You’ve called me to – in that give me rest. G-d, I’m not the brightest… can You remind me how much I need You? How much others need You and let my life be of some use for Your kingdom. Cause I know it’s ONLY by You that it could.

            I love you, talk to You soon.

Oh My Gosh, It’s September

2012 version of the day… This look back is brought to You by the simplest idea that what You did is enough for me. We spoke in class today about the attributes of G-d that we see the most and also the ones that are hardest for us to accept. For me, I think the one that I see the greatest is also the one that I can’t accept. What He did was enough. His grace is enough. It always has been.


Sometimes it’s hard to realize just how weak I really am; to look at my life and step away from mistakes and trust that His grace covers. Sometimes I allow my sins to look bigger than my G-d – Is the worst kind of sin idolizing sin? Who am I to think Jesus wasn’t enough? But I am a wretch so why should I let go? If I own my sin and repent then I’m covered but if that sin is all I think about and I am blinded to forgiveness then I’m allowing a fallen life to decide what my future looks like.

Repetitive.

There is so much pride in sin – holding on and thinking you can handle it or even worse, not thinking anything of it at all. Sin is delicate, it’s like removing cancer from the brain. Actually, that’s exactly it. Amateurs can’t attempt it because you risk more damage than good. Only the Savior can remove our cancer, our sin, and our human nature from our human self and help us heal. If we try ourselves we usually leave some, which will just come back multiplied.

Father bring me to the light. Walk through this fire with me, perfect Your love in me as I love and forgive others. Remove my pride, break every chain, and help me today to learn a little more of Your grace. Refresh my spirit and remind me of Your miracles, I am abundantly blessed and thankful.

When I Consider Your Heavens…

G-d has taught me a lot since my 18th year here on earth. But what He does for me still blows my mind and makes it hard to do anything but praise.

May I always sing Your praise

Enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday


23 July 2009

As much as I want to tell you how excited I am about You… I must admit that I feel inadequate to sing most of the time. I start praying and I feel like I’m stopped abruptly with thoughts of “you’re not worthy to praise Him. Nothing you could offer would repay”
While that is completely true, it seems as though you still accept everything I have to say to you. Why you take time to listen? Shoot, I’ll never know.

Psalms 8.3-5
“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.”

Shoot guys, did you catch that? G-d made us right under heavenly beings… like… you got G-d and Jesus and the trinity…. Heavenly beings… Then us?
Seriously? Why?

All I know is G-d is good…. and if that’s how He says it’s going down, you better take it and run with it.

I guess my mind is just blown right now so I’m not sure if you needed to read this… but I needed to write it.

((Hey, maybe someday when you really need it… it’ll be sitting here.