Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Life: A Day in Pictures


Life: Jesus is a movin'

Alright so...today has been awesome to say the least. There were a few really stinkin awesome things that Jesus did today that I'd like to share with you guys. Jesus is a movin'.

1. So last night I had a dream about the holy spirit. This is the first dream I've had like this. I was in a room with a couple friends and we got on the subject of Jesus and his forgiveness. One of the people in the room with me, lets call him "Charlie," got really turned off when we started talking about it. I asked why and came to find out that he rejected that forgiveness because he couldnt forgive himself. He had alot of shame and guilt built up inside of him because of it. I talked more about that forgiveness but he couldnt accept it. He wouldnt, because he didnt believe he could be forgiven. All of a sudden the holy spirit came into the room in what seemed to be a gust or a wind. It was so strong that we almost got knocked over. At that, I tried to lay my hands on "Charlie" but he resisted it and tried to move away, but that only made me hold him with my hands. I held him and looked im in the eye and said "in the name of Jesus you are forgiven." Right after that there was a calmness, a peace. Charlie stopped struggling and stood in stillness. In that moment he had accepted that forgiveness.

I woke up and thought the dream was AWESOME. I had never dreamed of the holy spirit so vividly before. So I texted everyone that was in my dream and just told them what happened. It spoke to a few people.

2. So, fast forward a few hours, and I'm in my sociology class. This class is HUGE. Like 300-400 people. We have a professor, and 4 teaching assistants that lead the class. Today I was sitting in class and my eyes were drawn to one of the TA's. He just had such a look of sorrow and concern on his face. I could tell something wasnt right and I felt the need to go pray for him. As soon as I felt that, fear crept in.
(Side note: the teachers of this class are VERY liberal and openly express their disapproval of religion.)
Is he gonna laugh? Will he disregard what I have to say? How would he respond to this? Of course, as humans that fear man's judgement, we fear the disapproval of others. But God spoke so clearly to me. He said "Blake, you are not in this school for grades, you are here to love my people and to reveal Me to them. You are in the school of the spirit."
So, dang. I knew I had to. So I walked up to him and asked to talk to him. His name is James. I proceeded to tell him that I felt like he had alot of saddness and was going through something and felt alone. I told him that Jesus wanted him to know that his arms are full of comfort that he is waiting to pour out upon him. That he is the object of His affection. That Jesus wants James to know him.
Now, there wasnt a big salvation prayer done after this, but I James was receptive. I expected rejection, but the look in his eyes told me that he needed this word from God.

3. SO, that was cool. A couple hours later I was leaving my public speaking class. I was walking to the elevator and heard grunting behind me. I turned around to see a man on crutches. I asked him what was wrong and he proceeded to tell me that he had dislocated his knee from moving furniture with his brother. He couldnt walk on it. We got in the elevator together and talked a little bit more about his injury. After leaving the elevator, I opened the exit door for him, told him I hoped he felt better, and started to walk away. As soon as I turned away from him, I turned right back. I know this wasnt me, because I never have had the courage to do this, but I approached him again and asked him if he believed in healing. I told him how I had just gotten healed in my leg this past weekend, and that I'd love to pray for his knee's healing if it was alright.
He told me he was a christian as well and gave the ok for prayer. One hand in his, the other on his knee, we began to pray over his healing. I prayed for restoration of this injury and for Jesus to illuminate his love. After the prayer I asked him to try to move his knee. He could move it! It wasnt completely healed, but it was moving. I really felt that God wanted to do more, so I asked him if I could pray again. He said yes. This time I got down on my knees and put both hands on his knee cap. I prayed. I felt the holy spirit. (Ah thank you jesus). After praying, I asked him how he felt. He said the pain had decreased!!! YAY. I proceeded to talk to him about how sometimes God heals gradually & he has to proclaim that healing every day. I told him I'd be praying for it and I just know God is gonna completely heal his knee :) We hugged and parted.

SO YEAH. Freaking awesome. You may be reading this and thinking "great. you prayed for people". But no. Like, that is so not me. It takes alot for me to go up to someone I dont know and give them a word from God. It takes ALOT for me to pray for healing over someone I dont even know. I prefer relational evangelism. Jesus brought me to a whole new level today.  One of my biggest struggles is to obey the holy spirit for the HARD things. And for some reason, my mindset today was "WHY NOT?!". Thank you lord. I know that was the holy spirit in me! Ah. Sooooo yes. I challenge yall to pray for courage! Pray for strength! Pray for knowledge of the power living inside you! Pray for obedience to the spirit. Pray for new eyes that can see brokenness. Pray for ears to hear what God is trying to say!! Dont be afraid. This is why we are here! This is why we were saved!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Life: Tuesday Thank You's

Well, I'm officially back in school-mode. I absolutely love being home, and no matter how sad I was to leave, its refreshing to have a home away from home. A place to come & be on my own, make my own schedule, be by myself, etc. Tuesdays are my day off, and my favorite part about Tuesdays is the fact that I get to spend my morning with coffee & Jesus...for as long as I want. And God so honors the fact that I set aside Tuesdays completely for him. He taught me so much in our time together, and just revealed his love in a new, refreshing way. I'm so thankful. Here are my Tuesday Thank You's:

1. I'm thankful for coffee. How lame is that? But I am. Theres just something about sitting down and just enjoying a cup...or two. I love the smell and the warmth and the taste. Yumma.
2. I'm thankful for the times when my lipstick leaves a little imprint on my coffee cup. Its stupid and small, but it makes me feel a little more like a woman than I did before. I like it :)
3. I'm thankful for the people on this campus that love Jesus. No matter how alone I feel, I know theyre here. And just that knowledge gives me peace in my heart. 
4. I'm thankful for God's heart. I'm thankful that he is after YOUR heart as much as he is after every heart that ever was and ever will be. He loves with such an intensity that he isnt satisfied with just one heart, he wants EVERY heart to know him and recieve his love. He loves you so that you can love others, so that the people you love in his name will love even more people. Its a chain reaction. His love is meant for everyone to experience
5. I'm thankful for change. I'm thankful that everything happens for a reason. I'm thankful that God gives and takes away. I'm thankful that he takes the time to teach us, to comfort us, to love us, to guide us, to just be with us. 

What are you thankful for today? Count those blessings :)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Life: Your Whole Life week 2

So, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say thanksgiving week was not my most healthy week. I was expecting it. Being home means lots of celebratory meals, obviously our calorie-packed thanksgiving meal, & my birthday dinner. I've come to the conclusion that I should just void last week. Yeah, I think thats best. SO, on that note, this week will be week two in "Your Whole Life". If you missed my explanation of the book & what it entails, you can read about it here. UPDATE FROM WEEK 1: I ate well, but there were a few slip ups during the day (ex, a cookie after lunch). Which, I dont think is really that awful. I'm eating healthy, not depriving myself. I dont think the way to loose weight is to cut off all the food you enjoy, rather eating those things in moderation and excercising self control. Instead of having, say, a small cookie every day after your meal, limit it to half a cookie twice a week. Or, a small reward like a hersheys kiss at the end of the day to satisfy your sweet tooth! I worked out 4/7 days. This was my biggest let down in myself. I didnt reach the 5 day goal. Oh well, this week we will! Overall I feel like my first week was a success. I lost a pound, only to gain it back this past week that I was home. My heads up though, & I'm going to be alot more driven.

Week 2: 
The theme for this week is Discipline and the verse to memorize is: 

"Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yeilds the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."-Hebrews 11:12

This Weeks Goals:
1. Drink water every day
2. Eat breakfast every morning
3. Plan meals a day in advance
4. Get to the gym at least 5/7 days
5. Get at LEAST 30 min of cardio in each work out.
6. Loose 1 lb

Pray for my success and submission to God as he teaches me the importance of self control. Hopefully I'll do well enough to have a cupcake on my birthday :)

Life: Birthday Dinner

So, my birthday is coming up (December 3rd), but since I wont be home for my birthday, all my friends got together for dinner and together time this past Saturday. I couldnt imagine a better way to spend my birthday. I dont know how many times I can say it, but I seriously am so blessed. I have the best friends in the world. Theyre incredible, god fearing, selfless friends. I'm so incredibly humbled to be a part of their lives, and that they let me be a part of theirs. Friends, thank you so much for celebrating my birthday with me. You guys have such a special place in my heart. Irreplaceable. 






Happy Heart :)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Life: What I Wore

*Flannel: thrifted, tank: PAC sun, skirt, f21, belt: thrifted, satchel: 90s Coach, boots: DSW*

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Life: A Day in Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday with yummy food & family!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Life: Work


So, today was supposed to be my 'day in pictures,' but 1. I had to work all day so that isnt very interesting, nor could I take any pictures, and 2. I figured thanksgiving would be a much better day to capture in pictures :) So, I started my new seasonal job at Sephora yesterday. I came in with my normal make up and they let me know I should start playing with different kinds. So I did a smokey eye today and it turned out pretty nice. I mean, considering I've never really been one to play around with makeup. It was a fun challenge for me, & I thought I'd share how it turned out: 


I used bare minerals foundation & blush, Givinchi "Peach Plumetis" face powder as a highlighter, Givinchy "Showy Black" for the base color (its a palette of 4 dark grays and blacks), Bare Minerals "Gold Blue" eye shimmer for the inside of my eye, Nars Black Glitter Pencil as eyeliner, & my lip color is Paradise Pink by Givinchy

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tuesday Thank You's

"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done."
1 Chronicles 16:8

With one of my favorite holidays coming up in the next couple days, thankfulness is heavy on my heart. I have so much to be thankful for. The longer I have blessing, the more I get used to it, and forget to give thanks. Sometimes I forget to compare where I am to where I could be. I am so so so so unmeasurably blessed. I dont deserve it one bit, but my Father doesnt withold his goodness from me. One thing that Thanksgiving this year is showing me is how little I give thanks. I become so accustomed to blessing that I forget what it is: a blessing, a gift I need to be thankful for! Chronicles 16 says to not only have a thankful heart and express that thankfulness to God, but it says to "let the whole world know what he has done". Saying "thank you" isnt always enough! We are called to make his glory known with our gratitude! The blessings of god produce uncontainable joy, so why do we contain what is meant to overflow? As thanksgiving approaches, I challenge you, as well as myself, to not only live with a thankful heart, but to proclaim why youre thankful. 

1. I'm thankful for the friends I have who know me inside and out, who would lay down their life for me, who understand and love me immensly. You enrich my life. Thank you, Jesus!
2. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be home for the holidays. Nothing better than being surrounded with familiarity. I love being home. I love that I am able to be with my family. I'm praying extra love and comfort on those who have to spend the holidays alone. 
3. I'm thankful for my seasonal job. Seriously. Being in college has run my bank account dry. I am beyond thankful that I am able to work during the time I'm home. So so thankful.
4. I'm thankful my bed. Theres nothing better than coming home and sleeping in your own comfy bed. Thank you Lorrrrrrrrd!
5. I'm thankful for the freedom there is in worship. The freedom to sing, to yell, to dance, to jump, to laugh, to cry, to come straight to the feet of Jesus and just be. Nothing compares. 

Life: Best Friend Visit

Hello blogger friends! Its Tuesday and I havent been updating, but for a very good reason! 3 of my best friends came to visit me in Arkansas this past weekend! AH! It makes me smile just to think about it! Hands down one of the best weekends I've had in a while. I am beyond blessed! Every second I spend with them brings more joy and color and vibrance into my life! I cant believe they came all the way to Fayetteville to spend time with me! So thankful. Okay, enough of the sappy stuff, we had a blast (does anyone say that anymore?). Regardless, it was awesome. Lots of laughs, lots of food, lots of coffee, lots of hours in the car, lots of smiles, not alot of sleep, and lots of love :).

Macypoo. Love her.
Chrizzle. 4 years of friendship with this guy. Love him.
Of course, since were all together, theres going to be lots of music :)
We all roadtripped up to Ozark, Missouri to see Hillsong Live. Amazing worship.

And heres a little video capturing the highlights of the weekend. Enjoy :)


Thursday, November 17, 2011

In This Life

In this life, never doubt your efforts. Never regret. Dont wish away your days. Dont think that any moment is a moment wasted. Remember the value of your existence. Acknowledge that there is a purpose in the world that only you can fulfil. Realize that you are one of a kind, that there is no one else like you, and will never be. Rest in the fact that you were hand crafted & made with precision. Understand that although the love you give may not be reciprocated, love given is never wasted. Open your eyes and see that the day is yours, that victory available in every situation, that an abundant life is at your fingertips. Unveil your face, dont be blind to the opportunities in front of you. Remember that perfection is not obtainable, but perfect love is put to action when imperfection is accepted and cherished. Hold onto the hope that there will be a tomorrow, there will be a second chance, there will be new mercies each and every morning. The sun will continue to rise, the stars will continue to shine. No matter how deep a hole you've dug yourself, there's always a hand waiting to pull you out. Recognize your passions and pursue them. Never stop doing what brings you joy. Ask questions, search for answers, and have faith enough to be content in the fact that not every question will be answered. Cherish the sadness as much as the joy. Accept the fact that our way isnt the only way. Love others where they are at, instead of where they could be. Learn to see past the bad, & straight to the good. Illuminate a room with your presence. Speak kindly, but speak sparingly. Let your words be an overflow of the love in your heart. Smile. Take every opportunity to share kindness. See that each day is not for ourselves, but for others; so that they may see a glimpse of the goodness that we have obtained. Be faithful. Be obedient. Honor others. Dont be afraid to love. Dont be afraid to be real. Grasp the reality that you are someones miracle. Be bold. Be loving. Be selfless. Be the change.
The world needs you. 

Life: What I Wore

So, Thursday's I'm gonna give you guys a "what I wore" post. Yay!
*Dress: Urban Outfitters, Cardigan: H&M, Necklace & Combat Boots: F21*

Delicate - Damian Rice - O


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Life: A day in pictures

Ah Wednesday. Today was the coziest, chilliest day I've had so far here in Arkansas. Below are moments captured throughout today. 

Jesus forgave me today. He reminded me of his mercy and redemption. He reminded me of my need for him. I dont know where I'd be without that love and forgiveness. He doesnt love me any less when I mess up. He is faithful to the unfaithful; he cant deny who he is.