A life that matters

hutchcraft.com

A life that matters...swewww...does that resonate with you?  I'm only 24 but I often think about how I want to look back on my life when I'm (let's say) 55.  I don't wanna look back and regret all the time I wasted, all the youth I wasted doing dumb things, etc.  I want my life to mean something. Especially while I don't have a husband (or any prospects in front of me) or kids or health issues or limitations.  Do I wanna be remembered for being a 20-something who spent her weekends hittin' the clubs lookin too fly for words? Or do I wanna be remembered as that chick who stayed at the throne of grace?

I've been trying to finish this book for years. I started it when I was 19 I think...then lost it...bought another one when I was about 22...and just picked it up again.  It is very convicting and reminds me that God wants to use His people to get His glorious news of salvation out and that we need HIM to do this.  Reminds me of the importance of prayer...and how much more time I need to spend praying and using my words to share the Good News.

Improving my Spanish

spanishlessons4you.com

I studied Spanish all throughout high school and college (actually started in the 8th grade...). Embarrassingly enough, I could not piece together a good, full paragraph without using a translator or dictionary of some sort.  For this reason, I tried to avoid telling people that I spoke Spanish, because it really wasn't true! I was a wannabe...as I often have been in many pursuits.

One day, about 5 years ago, while doing some evangelism in a mobile neighborhood (some people refer to these as trailer parks, but mobile neighborhood sounds better) my evangelistic deacon and I knocked on the door of a Spanish-speaking household. I really wanted to share the Gospel with them but COULDN'T since I, ya know, didn't speak Spanish. I think it was then that my desire to share the Gospel in Spanish started.

Here's to Hindsight

taraleighcobble.com

I haven't done a book review in a longgg time, (and this post won't be a review) but this is a great book!  Reading Tara Leigh's honest account of her life and her relationship with the Lord was so touching and like laying on the bed next to your best friends at a (20-something) sleepover sharing about your ups and downs, crushes and making yourself look like an idiot (in hindsight), and how you're growing in your relationship with God. Reading this helped me see the hand of God in my own life and grow in excitement of what's to come! Check it out! And visit her website to learn more about her ministry.

Labor pains

bucknell.edu

Look at these adorable loves!!! So a cousin of mine recently had a baby...WHEWWWWOWZA! She got to the point where she said that she was going to the hospital and not leaving without a baby. I thought about the pain that she..and every woman since Eve have gone through for child birth. Going through labor so that one (a baby; a new little life) might live reminds me of Jesus' sacrifice for us. Both are/were painful, but both result(ed) in a beautiful new life. Ours results in being new creations and inheriting eternal life. And oh, so much more! Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!

MLK Day

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!  As a Black woman from the southern part of Virginia, I thank God for Dr. King! His work influences the work that I do today - fighting against the injustices of our society.

New friend, Sasha!

This is how I felt with Sasha!

So I've been a bit M.I.A. lately as life as been pretty busy, but...I've come to the conclusion that Sashas are awesome!  Anybody remember that post about my accountability partner, Sasha? Well...I met another girl named Sasha about six months ago.  We finally hung out about two months ago and had a blast!!! I'm not really a cash-carrying shopper anymore - this means I'm more of a window shopper now - but we went out to lunch after church and went shopping!  The shopping was because my work pumps had become dangerous to walk in and I wanted to get a new pair. You ever had a pair of pumps were the heel had become so rounded that any moment on any surface that wasn't carpet was a time for slip-n-slide?? Yeahhhh....that'd become the story of my life. A couple of embarrassing moments but I'd tried to play 'em off.

Anyway, my new friend Sasha is great! We had so much fun hanging out the first day.  Even though she's such a fashionista, and I'm such a wannabe (but too cheap and lazy!).  We had a chance to talk about loving on people, work, her husband, church, and more! It was such a great day!

Be grateful for all the Sashas in your life!

He is good

yourhighercalling.blogspot.com

"O give thanks to the Lord"...appears so many times in the Psalms.  Why do you think that is?

It is usually followed by the words, "for He is good." 

Selah.

Well, it's written in the Book cuz it's true!!! We should give Him thanks...cuz He's good! All throughout my life, God has been good.  To me.  To you.  I'm definitely not saying that my life has been a bed of roses with sugar on top AT ALL, but He is good.

Even when I felt like God had forgotten all about me since things weren't going MY WAY (when this life ain' about me anyway!)...even when my uncle died from cancer...when my best friend got married and I felt all alone...when my brother was diagnosed with lupus...when a friend of mine was in an abusive relationship and wouldn't leave...when I didn't get a job right away after college...when people I loved did stupid, crazy stuff I couldn't understand...HE WAS STILL GOOD!

That summer

We climbed this! Table Mountain! book-a-bash.com

Happy New Year!!!!!!!  Usually the ending of one year and the beginning of a new year bring thoughts and reflections of the year that passed (or is that just on TV shows when they showcase the New Year's Eve party??). Anywho, with this chilly (or dare I say chilling) weather, my mind sometimes wishes for the heat of summer.  I can remember summers in college spent serving the Lord and others.  Such good times...full of new friends, adventure, and oh-so-much-growth.