Party at Aunt Hollie's...

Last night Ivy was going to spend the night with me and we decided to invite her friends Tate and Ewan to join us. We met them at the mall with their mom (and my fab friend) Lynn. We ate dinner, went and picked out a toy at the Disney store and then came back to my place for a movie. They were so excited. It wasn't a great nights sleep but fun for the kiddos. Special thanks to my roommate Mandy for being such a trooper!

*Today I am thankful that I woke up to a sweet little voice saying "I love you Hollie" and a sweet little kiss.

Would You Rather Wednesday?!?!

Would you rather never be able to complete a thought or never let your mind rest? Things to consider: conversations with friends and sleeping.

*Today I am thankful for and overwhelmed by the way my friends love me. I am exceptionally blessed.

My Baptism...

I was baptized last night at Grace Community Church. It was aweome. The following was my testimony.

I grew up in a Christian home but never fully comprehended the extent of my sin or what the Lord saved me from. I was in church two to three times a week but never made Christ my own. I said I was a Christian but my actions and motives didn’t reflect a person who was truly saved and placing their faith in Jesus Christ. As I got older my desires and pursuits outweighed what the Lord commanded of me and what I knew His Word required of a believer. I said I believed the Gospel but my life and attitude didn’t reflect it. My mouth would say one thing but my actions would do something else. I went through the motions of being baptized in junior high but continued to live a life of sin. I would outright sin against God, knew what I was
doing was wrong yet continued to do it anyway. I lived a life of self-glorification, pride, lust, deceit, and anger to name a few. I never took responsibility for my actions and would look at others and blame them for my own sin. It wasn’t until I came out to California and was under solid biblical teaching that my heart and mind started to become transformed.

Being under the teaching at Grace Community and seeing how the gospel is lived out,
impacted me. God began to reveal himself to me in many ways. Psalm 49:15 says:
“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For he shall receive me.” The Holy Spirit was convicting me of my sin and my wrongful thinking. I began to understand what the Church really is and what it means to live a transformed life for Christ. My motives and desires began to change and Christ became a central part of my life. I began to see more of my sin and hate it! I can’t give the exact time when I was saved but I know without a doubt that I am.
My hope and trust are in Christ and Him alone. Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” My heart is overwhelmed with God’s love and goodness to me. I battle my sin daily and am overwhelmed that the Lord loves me and choose to save me.
I no longer seek my own sinful desires and wants but look to the Lord to control and lead me.
My thoughts, motives and actions are a reflection of loving, following and serving Christ.

Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.” Over the past six months the Lord has been leading me
towards being baptized. Today I am being baptized out of obedience to my Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.

*Today I am thankful for all my friends who came to support and love me!

Trials will come...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whevever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be complete not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
God has been so gracious to me lately. It is certainly true that he brings trials into my life to refine me and turn me to Him. It seems that lately I've seen so many people around me going through different trials and adversities. God has been really teaching me about my lack of faith and trust in Him. I have been so encouraged by His words and how he has fulfilled His promises to me. For example, Isaiah 26:3 says "He will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You." I love this verse because it's the Lord telling me that if I choose to trust in Him then He will give me peace if my mind is stayed on Him. This has been a hard one for me as I like to be in charge of all areas of my life. God has been showing me that I need to trust in Him and wait for him to direct my paths. As Christians, we are to pursue with diligence the will of God. To do this requires perseverance. Perseverance is the quality of character that enables one to pursue a goal in spite of obstacles and difficulties.

We must believe that God is soverign. Learning to trust God is a matter of will and is not dependant on feelings. It's a matter of faith. If you pursue that then God will give you perfect peace because our mind is on Him. I know this is a battle! Trusting God isn't a passive state of mind! It's a choice of the mind and soul where we choose to hang onto the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seek to overwhelm us.

We must always remember that God's character DOES NOT change! He is unchanging, eternal, wise, LOVING, kind, compassionate, just, patient, HOLY, jealous for his own honour, perfect in every way, and omniscent. He knows our trials because He allowed them for our good and His glory. We must cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7)

As we all continue to persevere through the different trials that He brings us let's not lose sight of the cross and His truths. Praise the Lord that we have Hope and that it's all out of our control.

*Today I am thankful that I can rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in EVERYTHING give thanks! This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us!

Can You Be Assured of Heaven?

PREACH IT J MAC!

*Today I am thankful for the Truth of God's Word.

Would You Rather Wednesday?!?!

Would you rather be three feet to the right of where you actually are or not exist on April 23rd of every year? Death is not an option. Things to consider: the feeling of never being in the right place and always veering towards the left and/or having your family and friends freak out every year when they can't find you (which could potentially cause them to send you to the looney bin).

*Today I am thankful for the cool air outside.

I had to share these pictures of the nieces and nephew. They are so cute.

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Today I am thankful for the promise of Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You; Because he trusts in You."