New Beginnings

It's interesting to me where life takes us, and how it seems like it was just yesterday that I was a little girl playing outside with the greater worries of the world, seemly a world away. And then something happens and you're not that little anymore and the bigger concerns of life that were so unfamiliar have somehow moved in next door.

I say all this as I think about where I was just a few days ago, Wickenburg, AZ in the middle of my junior year in college, not for vacation, but to visit my 18 year old sister who has, for the last 4 weeks been in a intensive inpatient treatment facility for a serious eating disorder. It was a "secret" that has been hidden for the last 2 years, yet in that time our lives have been tremendously effected for the worst.

But as I sit back and think about all the events and circumstances that have led up to this point, I have been able, thankfully, to stop questioning , "Lord, why have you allowed this to happen to us?" but instead, accept and say, "Lord, I don't understand why this happened, why we had to experience this kind of pain, but I thank you for your faithfulness, and ask that you use this time to heal our wounds, and help us live in freedom."

Even as I write this now, I am overwhelmed by the graciousness and Sovereignty of
the Living God. Experiencing the last few days with my family and little sister in Arizona have shown me the dramatic power of forgiveness, the beauty of accepting God's unconditional love, and the freedom that naturally flows from that. It is quite difficult to put it all into words... but I saw its joy in the eyes of my sisters, my Mom, and my Dad, as we sat together and were so real for the first time, in a very long time. I hope to never forget that experience, for those of that heart depth may only occur several times in a lifetime.

Of the many things that I learned this past week, I relearned this: God is the God of New Beginnings. No matter where we have been, or how deep the pain, God has in His Grace and love provided the way in Christ, through the life He offers us.

I love the verses in Lamentations that describe how God's mercies and compassions are new every morning... Even though Arizona isn't necessarily praised for it's amazing cacti, it has some of the most incredible horizons i've ever seen. Each morning I walked outside to a new masterpiece in the sky, and I was overwhelmed, all I could do was just take it in. What if we did that each day with His mercies...how much different our lives would be.....

To new mercies, and new beginnings.......

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, 
       for his compassions never fail.
  They are new every morning; 
       great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3: 22-23

A little reminder....

I love when the Lord does something to remind me He's there. Of course, when my spiritual eyes are open, I can see Him a lot better throughout the day in the obvious ways, like the beauty of His creation, especially when the weather's really good....a warm smile from someone who knows Him, and just the miracle of life each day. But it's those sweet little reminders that come out of nowhere that just really excite me, and make me realize, wow...God really is in the details of this very small life of mine.

It happened just this morning...I was going to get some coffee with my dad, and on the way there I was just silenting praying that I would trust God for my needs, and that I would have the patience to be patient....just really a quick, yet heartfelt pray of surrender.

So shortly after that, my dad and I sit down to wait for coffee and then the guy brings out our drinks in these two coffee mugs. I didn't think anything about it until my Dad pointed to the words on my mug and said, "Whit, look at that...that's pretty cool."

So I looked at it and read this:

"God knows exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.
It's because God knows there's a right time for everything,
and that some things are sweeter when they're slow in coming."


I almost couldn't believe what I was reading.....on a coffee mug of all things! God truly works in very interesting ways, I have discovered. He never ceases to amaze me with little reminders of His love for His daughter. I still smile as I think about it....
That He would continue to open my eyes of faith, and help me to seek Him above everything else that I can see.....knowing that He will provide....

Breath of Life

I love when the Lord reminds me of something important....something simple, but profound for everyday living. I was running yesterday at my favorite park, and the weather was surprisingly good, even in the middle of the afternoon. But as I was running down the path, like i've done probably fifty times before, just praying and enjoying the Lord's creation, He drew my attention to the trees constantly at my side. For the first time, in awhile, I thought about the importance of these trees...not only are they beautiful symbols of strength...but since they give off oxygen, they are source of life for us... without them, physical existence would be quite impossible...

I guess what I'm getting at is at that moment, I was immediatley reminded of what Christ said in John, that He has come that we "might have life and have it to the full." Yet the only way this happens is by walking with the source himself...

"I am the vine, you are the branches. If a a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit,
apart from me, you can do nothing."
John 15: 5

I like that last part, so straightforward.... "apart from me, you can do nothing."


Although a battle, my desire is that I would begin each day walking with the True of Source of Life....Christ. And although it's a mystery in many ways that my human mind can not begin to grasp, I feel like in that moment, the Lord reminded me that just as real as those trees were beside me, that Christ is with me, in every situation of my life, through the good days and the bad, through what I don't understand, and what I do...when I can't see the "big picture," and when I just need to be still, and stop thinking.... He's there, constantly offering His breathe of life to me....and oh, how refreshing that is....

A painting of Faithfulness

I know it's Thursday already, and this happened a few days ago, but I just feel the Lord urging me to write about it....
I was on my way to Auburn this past Sunday, and like almost everyday here, it rained off and on throughout my drive back to school. I don't really mind rain, unless I can't see out the windshield, of course. That could potentionally pose some problems...
But anyway, the clouds were amazing on that drive, huge dark clouds on one side of the road, and on the other, huge white ones. I love spending that time in my car with the Lord, reflecting on who He is, what He's done in my life and what He's doing now. As I think back on that simple drive to school, and the rainstorms that I went through, I remembered this.... I saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. It was huge, covering the horizon in front these enormous, dark storm clouds. I was literally taken aback by the work of the Lord's hands. As I was thinking about this rainbow, I remembered the story in Genesis of where it originated from...Noah and the ark, and how God flooded the entire earth for 40 day and 40 nights. And then a wonderful feeling hit me, that very rainbow that God created for Noah was, and still is today, a symbol of God's faithfulness to His people. And what a beautiful reminder of how through the storms in my life, God has shown his faithfulness to me...time and time again. I love the verses in Genesis 9 that tells of the Lord's convenant with Noah:
" And God said, 'This the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a convenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting convenant between God and all living creatures of every kinds on the earth."
How wonderful to see signs of the Lord's promise of faithfulness to His people, even on simple drive on a Sunday afternoon. My heart's desire is to dwell in the same assurance that Noah had in the Lord's ability to remain faithful to him....through what seemed like a never ending storm, and just as the Lord brought him throught that, no matter what I go through in this life, the Lord's promise of faithfulness is sealed, unchanging. How beautiful that day must have been when the Lord peeled back the clouds of darkness, and the sun's rays engulfed the world again....and in that moment, a fingerprint of the Lord's faithfulness kissed the faces of Noah and his family, and they too remembered the goodness of the Lord.

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your
love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies."
Psalm 57: 9-10

More Precious.....

So, I haven't written in forever....I'm working on that. My plan to document my entire trip to France didn't work out to well, but life goes on, and I 'm back now.

With the summer finally over, and a new year already begun, I find myself more and more reflecting what the Lord has shown me just over the last 8 months. I think it was Monday when I reading in Ps. 119 and came upon the passage of verses that I had never really metitated on before. (I'm a huge fan of Ps. 119, so this was really cool to me:)

Starting with v. 65:
"Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
YOur are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. It was good for me
to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The Law from your mouth is more
precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."
Psalm 119:65-72

This passage may not at first glance seem like anything profound, but as I read over it and over it, I developed an understanding of what I feel David was trying to relate to us. I love David's heart, his is like one unwavering wind, a hero of one who hides nothing from the Lord, and trusts relentlessly in His precepts. Yet I was caught by this, David's overwhelming spirit of thanksgiving to the Lord for his affliction. Yes, his affliction, not the Lord's blessings on him, but the trials God put him through, because it was that very affliction that brought David to the realization of who is apart from his Maker. Yes, David was afflicted, but in and through that he learned the most valuable lesson in life: that it is God who is most satisfying..."It was good for me to be afflicted that I might learn your decrees." That is amazing statement to me..... I think to myself though, as I look back on my life this year, and knowing that the Lord has, indeed, taken me through the most trying times of trial and surrender, I can now see that if for nothing else, it was to show me, teach me, and move me into a place where God is more valuable than whatever was competing to be most valuable before. I realized a deeper meaning of "blessed," I found that Christ is "more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold." What an amazing outlook that David possessed in his lifetime and relationship with the Lord. My hope and prayer is that I would always offer a sacrifice of praise to the Only One who is forever worthy.......

A Constant Heartbeat

So.....I actually thought that i had posted something when i got here...but apparently something didn't work right.

I don't why i haven't written in soo long. I guess i've been more busy than I thought.

So, I've been in France for almost three months now. I have a two weeks left and am actually ready to get home, but not ready
to start school a week after i get back. But i can't do anything about that.

The Lord has taught me so much here. It's really hard to explain. Through both the ups and downs of this trip, He has been my
the constant heartbeat.

More and more each day I feel like He's preparing me for something that i cannot see yet. My heart's desire is to seek Him and
let Him lead me.

O Mon Dieu, merci pour Ton amour! Merci! Tu est mon salut, tu me fortifé. Merci Mon Père, que tu connais mon coeur. Et tu
connais mon nom. Sois béné Mon Dieu........merci pour Ton amour!

Welcome to the Unkown

France trip, Day 1:
So…I am finally here, after a very long day of traveling, I’m know sitting in the Charles de Gaule airport, Paris, France…I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty tired. But it’s only 1: 35 am Dothan time. Here it’s almost 9 a.m. and a new day has begun as my family at home is probably just now going to sleep…that’s pretty cool. It was so cool to wake up to a 4:30 a.m. breakfast this morning, and then watch the Lord paint one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen…at least 20,000 ft high. I kept going back in my mind to the verses in Ps. 139 where it echoes perfectly what I felt the Lord telling me…
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are
familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely,
O Lord. You hem me in- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can 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.
If I rise on wings of the dawn, and settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
What an amazing passage from Psalms…written so long ago, but yet it speaks so loudly to me in this time of my life. I am so thankful for this opportunity, and hope that the Lord is evident in and through my life….in ways that I can’t even see. I am His…and He welcomes me to unkowns, knowing that with Him there are none.