A Person Is A Person

Dr. Seuss left us with a quote often perceived as cliche... 

...but I would beg to differ. In fact, I'd like to add to this wonderful quote:

A person's a person no matter how tall, how wide, how thin, how educated, how light 

or dark their skin is (or anything in between)! A person's a person not because we approve of 

them, a person's a person because the Lord created them... in His image... 

with a plan and a purpose for their life. A person's a person NO MATTER WHAT!

Today my heart was stirred for humanity. And because of that I'm causing myself to recognize and remember that each person on this earth is deserving of being treated as a human being. Meaning what? Meaning they deserve to be loved, deserve to be encouraged, deserve to be cheered on by their family and friends. Every person deserves to have someone in their corner, running this race of life with them, celebrating with them in victory, and mourning with them in sorrow. Because a person is a person.

Today I witnessed something that has radically shaken my core. It is causing me to reach deeper inside of myself, break down comfort zones I have built up, and to remember that God's most important commandments to us were to love Him and to love each other. The story I'm about to share could be a trigger for someone, and so I want to warn that it pertains to suicide. If this is a sensitive topic for you, first, know that I am praying for you, second, PLEASE reach out to someone, and third, you may not want to read any further.

My morning started early, and on not much sleep. I got up and turned my Uber app on and I was out the door. I ended up picking up a couple going to the San Jose Airport, only for them to realize as we were getting off on the exit that they had put in the wrong airport and their flight was really from SFO. So I helped them get it figured out and we started the long drive to SFO. I knew I'd probably go in to the city after that because that's the norm for when I end up at SFO. But what I didn't know was that I would get all but 2 of my rides in for the day during that trek to SFO. 

When we reached SFO I dropped of the couple and had 2 people heading into the city in my car... just as I figured. I got to the city and picked up my last 2 rides and then I was done. Rarely am I ever done that early and so I was excited to be heading home to catch up on my lack of sleep from last night. I got to the bridge and something just didn't feel right... the only way I can explain it is that the atmosphere felt very heavy. I tried to shrug it off and stay excited for my nap, but I quickly learned why. 

The bridge had 2 lanes closed off and because of that traffic was backed up and moving slowly. I was driving with my windows down, as I usually do in the city. All of a sudden I was hearing screaming and crying and men shouting: "Ma'am please don't!" "Stay calm" and whatever else they could say to try to change the direction this moment was headed. As soon as I heard all of the chaos I looked to my right and there, on the ledge of the bridge, was a sobbing woman about to take her life. Just as I was passing the scene the highway patrol got ahold of her legs and were able to pull her off the ledge and to the ground. The last thing I heard as I left that moment were the most hopeless, hurt filled words I've ever heard; she began screaming over and over: "please, just let me jump; let me go!"

If you need a minute after reading that I truly understand... I needed several minutes after seeing/hearing it to breath. It was heavy, actually, it still is heavy. I cried. I prayed. I felt the Father's heart for her in her hopelessness. And then started remembering the many stories of people I know, or know of, that didn't get the intervention this woman got... and I cried all over again.

Man, we're missing something guys. We are missing a piece to the puzzle that reminds us that we need each other. We need to be honest and vulnerable with each other. We need to check in on each other. There are so many out there trying to fight these horrible thoughts about themselves on their own... and we just weren't meant to do that. And today something changed in me from seeing and hearing the cries of this woman as she almost lost her life. I don't know all the answers, but I know we need to pray and we need to be purposeful in loving each other... EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD and AWKWARD! Let's be available and let's even pray for the Lord to send people our way so He can use us to intervene. Because a person is a person, and they deserve someone caring enough to stand with them.

Lastly, I want to say to anyone who is reading this that is struggling with any thoughts that are negative about yourself... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE know that someone cares. I am here. And if that freaks you out I have attached the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 

(1-800-273-8255) and the link to their online chat site. Please reach out! I am praying you find the strength and courage to reach out, and for peace in your heart and mind. You are a person, and you deserve for us to care about you... and we do!

Link to chat with confidential support!

There Is ALREADY Victory!

Can I be vulnerable here for a minute? I am in a season of discouragement. I am not content with where I'm at, I can't seem to see the path the Lord has put before me to be able to move forward, I feel alone in my race, and I don't see the support of the people around me. That's what is going on in my flesh, HOWEVER, my spirit is saying "I'm not giving up, the Lord is faithful, I've seen Him do too much to forget it all, He's never going to leave me, and people will always fail me but this gives me the opportunity to really learn to love unconditionally."

I was chatting with my best friend the other night about where my heart, mind, and spirit are at. As I was processing through the conversation I reflected on the fact that this season always comes and goes, I'm guessing kind of like a thorn for me. There are seasons of ebb and there are seasons of flow. But one thing I am noticing in this season of ebbing is that, though it is difficult and frustrating, I KNOW it won't take me out. How do I know that? Why in past seasons of the same struggles did I not know that? What is different now? And the one word that sums it up is: testimony!

You see, the older I get the more God stories I have to look back on. The more I submit to Him, the more I die to self and let Him have all of me, the more testimonies I carry in my back pocket for seasons like this. When I look at all the miracles and works He has done in my life, and the lives of the people near to me, the more my faith is built; the more my faith is built, the more I am able to stand firm in His Word and my faith and trust can be sustained and grow exponentially.

There is a verse in Revelation (12:11) that talks about overcoming the enemy by the blood of the Lamb AND the word of their testimony. It really sheds light on what I'm saying here. First, we have Jesus' blood that has already given us the victory! Then, we have the testimony of the victory that blood gives us that helps us to overcome all over again. It's a cycle. It's a tool. It's freedom. It takes all the pressure off of us to perform or make breakthrough happen in our lives. Instead, we simply get to lean in to the Lord and remember all the things He's done for us. Gosh, that's amazing!

But He doesn't stop there, Revelation (19:10) makes this statement: "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Wow. When we are releasing the testimony of who Jesus is and what He has done we are releasing the spirit of prophecy into the atmosphere. What does that even mean: the spirit of prophecy? Through reading commentaries and looking up the Greek of this verse I have found that... it means just what it says. Real deep description huh? The spirit (or essence) of prophecy is Jesus, it's the testimony of who Jesus is.

So what does this have to do with being in a season of discouragement? Well, thank you for asking... When we testify of the goodness of God, the faithfulness of who Jesus is, we prophecy to our circumstance the truth of the victory we ALREADY have.

When we know that Jesus is the testimony of the spirit of prophecy and we know that we overcome by Him and the word of that testimony, we can STAND in a strengthened faith and our trust is deepened. Thus, we do not become overcome by the natural circumstances taking place. Yes, we still go through life with ups and downs... but the more we persevere the more our downs are overcome by our ups because of the testimony of the faithfulness we encounter with the Lord. HE NEVER FAILS, and when we allow Him to never fail in our lives we walk in His testimony.

So the encouragement to myself, and to you: Look at your situation, your emotions, your hurting heart and declare: "You are overcome because..." and begin to call out some of the testimonies of Jesus in your life. See what happens! I bet your flesh begins to shrink back and your spirit begins to rise. And when you have allowed it to do a work in your life, then share it with someone else. Because the blood and testimony of Jesus can also bring them victory!

The Impossible

I have been thinking on the subject of impossibilities lately. I have several dreams in my heart that, to my natural mind, make no sense and seem impossible to make happen. I have stretched my mind trying to imagine or create plans that could bring these things to pass... all in vain. And so I turned my mind in a different direction, in a better direction. I began reading the story of Gideon in the book of Judges.

As a Christian, a lover and follower of Jesus, I 'know' that nothing is too hard for God. I have read countless stories, heard thousands of testimonies, and actually seen Him do impossible things in my own life. Yet, it seems every new situation that comes along I am starting back at the bottom of the mountain, down in dry bone valley. It takes me allowing the Lord to stir up the seed of faith in my heart and mind until my perspective has changed and I am now overlooking the valley I was once in through the lens of hope. It's there that the Lord actually begins letting me see the impossibilities of the natural beginning to live and breathe; and it's there that I see those dry bones coming to life.

One of the ways I know to begin to stir up faith is digging deeper in the Word. In this season Gideon's story kept popping up all around me, and so I decided to do some digging. I am amazed at several things about Gideon. First, he was a normal human being. When God calls him a mighty warrior, he looks around at his current circumstances and does not understand how that can be truth. And when God calls him to GO he asks the very simple question of "how?". Second, when God tells Gideon that He is with him Gideon's human mind does not immediately jump on board, he asks the Lord for proof... and the Lord appeases his requests, not once, not twice, but three times. Third, his obedience to do the crazy things the Lord is asking him to do brings victory in his life and the lives of his people.

It is easy in the midst of an impossible scenario to give up, walk away, and try to forget about it. But here's the thing I am reminding myself right now: "If the Lord planted it, it's gonna grow!" Every promise He ever spoke will not return void because He IS truth. But Gideon does remind me that sometimes the fulfillment of the promise takes a response of obedience from me... from us. A lot of the time the watering of the seed, making sure it's getting sunlight, keeping the nasty bugs and critters away from it takes hard work, it takes diligence. The promised harvest, the sweet fruit, is really just a short time away if we'll put the effort in to protect and grow it.

BUT, there are also promises that the Lord wants to stretch our faith in. These promises just take (not so simple) yeses to the seemingly strange or unnatural requests. For instance, let's get back to Gideon for a second: When the Lord tells Gideon to defeat his enemy BUT that He wants to weed down the size of his men first, Gideon's response is not "OH Lord, we'll never be able to defeat them with only 300!!!" Instead he says to the Lord, "What would You have me do?" And then he does it. He takes his men and weeds them down twice in this story. First, he removes all the men who are fearful (and that is a whole sermon in itself... who knows that when we get rid of the fear around us we can accomplish so much more?!?!). And secondly, he takes the men to a place to drink water and the Lord has him keep the men who lap up water like animals, rather than the men who kneel down to drink. I am certain, because Gideon was human, that in his mind he was thinking "well this will be an interesting crew I am left with", but none-the-less he obeyed.

Ultimately, there was victory in Gideon's story because he allowed his faith to lead rather than his human understanding. And that is what I want to take away from this. Though my dream of ministry seems so far off and I feel alone in the push towards it, victory is already there. And I will choose to say yes, no matter how crazy the request or instruction of the Lord is. There is already victory in the simplicity of being obedient.

I hope today that if you have been questioning how or been having trouble looking through faith rather than the natural, that the story of Gideon would encourage you as it has me. And if it doesn't, go find one of the other hundreds of stories about faith in the Bible and let it do it instead. The Lord gave us His Word so that we could grow and be encouraged... we don't have to live in doubt and discouragement. I pray that as the Lord is stretching me in this walk of faith, may He also stretch you! And may the impossibilities of the natural become the launching pad for more faith, more testimonies, and more victory!

Something I've Learned From Uber

If you've ever taken an Uber (or any other share ride option) you have probably experienced what I'm about to talk about.... The silence! The awkwardness of knowing there are other people in the car but everyone acting like they are by themselves. You probably pulled your phone out to check your Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc for the twentieth time in a thirty second interval.

You're not alone. This is now the norm.

I have been driving with Uber/Lyft for almost 7 months now and I have experienced so many riders in these very shoes. The other day I had 4 strangers in the car at one time (a carpool). As they got in the car each one of them immediately pulled out their phones, even before putting their seatbelts on. I was astonished.

People just don't know how to interact anymore; how to have a good 'ole, small talk conversation and instead end up filling the void by creating things to do on their phones. They try at all costs to avoid the awkwardness instead of trying to move past the awkwardness by interacting.

Now let me clear something up... I am an extrovert! I am generally loud and obnoxiously nosey; I thrive when I am finding out information about people. BUT, there is just something about being in a car that calms me down. There is a mellowing effect that takes places. Ask anyone close to me who rides in cars with me often, I get quiet and pensive most times... it's weird lol!!! This doesn't mean I don't try to initiate conversations with my riders when they get in, it just means I'm not going to fight for your conversation when I could enjoy these quiet moments all the while knowing how uncomfortable and awkward the silence is making you. I know, I'm a little ornery. :)

But this blog is not even about me... well I guess in a way it is... it is about something I have learned through those awkwardly silent car rides. And something I feel we need to work on.

As a culture we have slimmed down the need for real life, human connecting and traded it in for robotized, overly processed, well rehearsed conversations via technology. And I feel like this is an issue.

You see, we were created for connection... yes, even you introverts who are reading this! And when I say connection I don't mean texts that took you thirty minutes to write and re-write and then remove anything that may be offensive (or in some people's cases, add things that are passive aggressive as to leave the text up for interpretation... yeah, I know that happens too!) Connecting is so much more than just words, it's body language and seeing raw, first responses to things. We have forgotten the importance of processing through life together. I feel as if this trading of people for technology is leading to us carrying so much more weight on our shoulders because everything has to be presented perfectly. We've forgotten how to have a conversation, filled with flaws, words said wrong, unprocessed ideas that others can become sand paper for and help us smooth our thoughts out... we've forgotten how humanity was supposed to be. We were supposed to be there for each other, supposed to encourage each other, be iron sharpening iron. We were never created to become robots who exist within themselves and the phones in their hands.

I'm sure you chat with some of the people you're closest to. I'm sure you have one or two people to in life that you open up to. But my warning is this... what is practiced most becomes habit. If we are habitual in turning to our phones instead of to each other now, what will the next generation look like?

I honestly don't mind a quiet ride in the car, but I can see past the car. I can see all the dinners where people are sitting around the table on their phones instead of enjoying each other. I can see the parent's on their phones while their children watch tv. I see us texting the people sitting 5 feet away from us. It doesn't just stop in the car. And I am hoping and praying that we will realize the problem with this technological epidemic and really work on learning how to love, interact, communicate, conflict with each other in a natural way again.

I wonder what problems might be solved if that happens? :)

A Call To Christians

This morning we learned of the passing of Reverend Billy Graham in to the sweet presence of the Lord. I did not expect that my heart would be hit this hard with this news, but it has been. I have spent all morning reading quotes, articles, personal posts, and testimony after testimony of lives changed because of the obedient life of this wonderful man. In the midst of reading all these words of acclamation, I've found my mind wondering where "America's Pastor" had struggles? It is easy in this time to think of him as above the human struggle, but from what I have read, I believe he would want us to remember that he was a sinful man forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, who chose to walk obediently in the call of God... and each one of us has the same opportunity.

You see, we all have sinned and have fallen short. But the message of Billy Graham's life was one of the grace given to us through Jesus. It's through Jesus' perfect, spotless sacrifice that we are able to be  alive. It is through the love of the Father that we are able to be saved through Jesus. And if you are someone that may not understand that Christian-ese lingo, I want to break it down:

"For God so love the world (us), that He gave His only Son (Jesus), 

that whoever (opened to ALL) believes in Him shall not perish (die a sinful death),

 but have eternal life (life with Jesus in Heaven and on earth)." 

John 3:16

(If this is new for you and you want to find out more about what Jesus has done for you, 

please message me or someone so we can explain and pray with you!)

Sometimes as Christians we forget that the simplicity of the cross and the Word is all we need to progress. We make it complicated, confusing, stressful, and hard to understand. But God is love, and He longs for us to love Him and the people around us in simple, tangible ways. It is the greatest commandment after all. And I am grateful for the trail blazed before us by a man that was not perfect, but walked fully in the grace of God, leading everyone he could to the feet of Jesus. 

And it sounds like I should be finished there, but I'm not. One of the biggest things that stood out to me in reading about BG's life was his stance in politics. I honestly don't know if we could ever find a Christian man more involved in the lives of presidents from generation to generation... And though he had all the opportunity in the world, he was not a man to turn his podium into a political rant. He was a man that understood the importance of praying for his leaders and offering Godly, scriptural counsel whenever he could. WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THAT EXAMPLE! 

I have seen so many posts by Christians on social media lately that are politicized and jabbing at those they would consider on the "other side"... but can I be candid? They aren't the enemy! And I would pose a challenge for us as followers of Christ to remember no matter how passionately we feel about legislation and politics that "we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

Can we grasp that word? Can we remember that yes, we can have opinions on things, but they should never cause people to turn their heads from Christ and distract from His great name because of how we represent them! My goodness, if we could only be as passionate about serving the Lord and each other as we are about guns and gun laws. Yes, I went there. Live a life that causes people to turn their heads to Jesus. Don't let your legacy be one of ostracizing people through your political stances. Because ultimately, it just doesn't matter.

With that, I am sounding an alarm. I am making a call for us to lay down our divisive politics and remember that we are NOT each other's enemies. And if we call ourselves followers of Jesus, we need to be reminded daily who our fight is against, and who we are called to love. We are in a season of urgency for the love of the Father to be spread in this earth and that will not happen if we keep allowing the enemy to bring division... why do you think he's trying so hard right now. So, rise up! don't give in to his schemes. Let's see the Kingdom of Heaven invade the earth in a reviving of His church to walk out the harvesting of those who just don't know His love yet!

Lord, may we be a generation that steps up to the legacy that has gone before us. May we walk in love and dedication to serve, and may we release our strong grip on the politics that have so easily distracted us. May we be united in You! May we walk in the grace You have given us! And Father may we see each other through Your eyes. Help us to remember who our enemy is, and give us the wisdom on how to combat his lies. Help us Lord to see the harvest and to have a heart of passion for those in need of You still. Let our priorities align with Yours fully. And Lord, please comfort the Graham family in a huge way as the begin the process of this mourning period. Thank you for their father who was always willing to point back to you. In Your holy and precious name, amen!

4 Reasons My Love For Christmas Runs Deep

Let me start by saying, Christmas is literally my favorite. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes could attest to that. And tonight as I was sitting here watching "Elf" (for the gagillionth time) I started listing in my head some of the reasons this season makes me so happy. Lucky you that I decided to share a few of those thoughts, huh? :)

1) Gifts are my love language - 

   Don't take this first one the wrong way... I enjoy receiving gifts, especially if they are heart felt, but the thing I LOVE most is giving gifts. People often laugh at me because I start my thought process for gifts in the summer. I begin to listen to what the people around me are saying they are needing, things they want, but mostly thinking about a way I could show them they are loved with a gift. I am not a big input person, mainly because I have a terrible memory, but when it comes to presents, I WILL remember something you said from 9 months ago!
 
  You see, it's important to me that people know I have been thinking about and praying over their gifts. I don't want this gift to be something they just use or put on a shelf, I want it to be something that when they look at it their heart is stirred. I want their gift to remind them of a memory we shared or encourage them in the season they are in. Not every gift is a super deep gift, but that doesn't mean I haven't put a lot of thought in to it.

  I feel so fulfilled watching my people unwrap their presents. And I am so thankful for a holiday that gives me an extra opportunity to say, "hey, you mean something to me. Here is a gift to show you I care!"


2) Jesus is being worshipped constantly - 

  This one is sooooo amazing to me! Every year it never fails to make me giddy thinking about this. Have you ever walked in to a store or restaurant in the month of December and stopped to just listen to the music? If you haven't, you should! There are songs being played throughout the world declaring Jesus as King; honoring Him as the Savior. He's everywhere and it's amazing!

  I do most of my shopping online these days (because duh, it's so much easier! lol), but I will make up any excuse to run to Target in the month of December. I love standing off to the side and watching people singing lyrics like "O Holy Night" or "Away In A Manger". I can imagine where they are in their lives and how impactful those words, that they may not even understand, are going to be in their hearts. It's a great opportunity to pray for them to open their eyes to the truths of what they are singing. It's a miraculous thing. I would even wonder if we did a survey how many people would say they began to feel a stirring for the Lord around Christmas time because Jesus is all around? Things that make you go "hmmm"!


3) People are just so much kinder - 

  This might have something to do with the fact that they are walking around singing about Jesus (lol), but people really are just happier. Strangers will hold doors. They will look you in the eyes and say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". There is a gentleness in the way the world communicates around this time of year. It's so refreshing. And every year I am grateful for it, especially in years where there has been a lot of heartache in the world like this past one. Something about the atmosphere of Christmas just brings out a tenderness.


4) It's a reminder of HOPE! - 

  This, too, probably ties in to the last thought. In a world where there is so much hurt and so many who are lost, this season is a constant reminder that there is still good; that God is still good! When we hear the story of Jesus' birth we are reminded that even though the Father knew there would be sons and daughters that still wouldn't love Him, He loves us so much that He sent Jesus for us. He gave us the option and opportunity.

  To me, this is the most special thought. This hope is something I cling to. Every year as New Years passes and we enter in to a new season, I think of all the good we just encountered. When the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I look back at all the people who sacrificed their time and money to serve the homeless on Christmas day; I think of the people who donated gifts to families that couldn't afford them; I remember the smiles strangers shared passing by each other... and I am reminded, God is moving. It may not look like Christmas all the time, but He has freely given us His joy, hope, and love all year long and we can share it with all of those around us. I am grateful to love and serve a God that really cares about us.


So, this Christmas, look for those amazing, joyful things and celebrate them. And then as we enter in to 2018, try to remember the good and let it be at the forefront of your mind through every situation. We can change this world one heart of Christ[mas] at a time.

Who Is He?

"Then he asked them, 'But who do you say I am?' ” 

(Matthew 16:15 NLT)

As I am reading through Matthew in my Bible I come to this verse and I stop. Because it catches my eyes and my heart. And I think, "who do I say He is?" I sit for a moment and ponder this question and then I continue to read.

After Jesus asks His disciples who they say He is, Peter's response comes quickly: "... the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus says to Peter that He did not discover this truth on his own, but the Father has revealed it to Him. And I stop again. It's a selah moment.

I ask myself, who has God revealed Himself to be in/to me? I think of so many circumstances in my life (some great and some not so great) and I look for Him in those moments. I recognize Him revealing Himself to me in many different ways, in many different circumstances. And I begin to make note of all the amazing attributes of God that have touched my life:

Father

Friend

Healer

Debt Eraser

Lover of my Soul

Provider

Confidant

My Constant

Comfort

Warrior 

Victorious King

And my list kept growing. You see, Peter knew who Jesus was because the Father revealed  it to Him, and the same goes for me. Through every moment in my life the Lord has shown Himself faithful and revealed a little more about Who He is to me. From the first encounter I had with Him and finding His love for me was not just an emotion, but love is His very nature! To seeing Him provide in miraculous ways in my life, to Him healing my body... and so much more. 

In every season there is a new thing to learn about who He is and who we are in Him. And when I think about the Father revealing to Peter the identity of Christ, I can also clearly picture the part that follows where He reveals to Peter who Peter is. It's so much easier for us to know who we are as individuals when we allow God to show us who He is first. Reminds me of a few chapters previous where Jesus says to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." ( Matthew 6:33) 

I think I felt like I needed to share this today because someone is struggling finding who God is and who they are in Him. And I want you to know that He is faithful to reveal Himself. Look for His hand at work in your life even in the smallest of things. And if at first you can't see it, look again! Because He is there and He is working and He will reveal Himself to you. When He reveals Himself to you, you will begin to know who you are and what you are worth to Him. And my prayer is that as He reveals Himself to you, you will fall so in love with Him and your life will be forever marked by the infinite awe of all He is!