Spring Break!!!

If you have read my blog for a longer period of time now, you may have noticed that I normally get all stoked to go to California to see my sissy, Michelle over Spring Break.

Sadly, this year that will not be occurring. My family is planning on going out there to spend Thanksgiving with her, and, let's be honest, plane tickets aren't what they used to be! Sooo, I am having to fore go my normally sun-filled, wonderful, beautiful, amazing (I could go on....) time in Cali with my amazing sister. However!! I ammm going somewhere, and even though it's farther north than I prefer to venture before April, I think it'll prove to be a good time. Considering the amazing-ness of the friends I am going to be able to see :)

I will journey to the Chicago-land area next Sunday, and get to see some people who I love sooo much! It always feels like it's been too long since I last saw them, even if it wasn't that long ago. There are some friends who come and go, but these few will remain forever. And, I can't wait to see them!
As for the sad fate of not being able to get a good tan this Spring Break, I am working on getting past that. I think I'm almost there! Haha! And, for real, it'll probably be 80 degrees here in a few weeks. I know I always have good ole' Kentucky crazy weather patterns to rely on :)

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! Also, if you have midterms this week, I feel your pain!! And I wish you luck ;) You can do it!! Only another week till break time!!

Grace and peace to anyone reading this!

Have a beautiful Sunday!

1855.

Yes, 1855. That is the year that I wish I had been born in! Before you decide I am a lunatic, let me explain. This whole line of thinking has come from reading a book called "Redeeming Love". The book is set in the 1850's, about the time of the California Gold Rush. As I read through the pages, I decided their way of life totally rocked!! I am sure that the book made it sound a lot cooler than it really was, but I am just going to go that it was amazing!

Think about it, you pretty much just claim whatever piece of land that you want, free of charge. And by you I mean, the beastly, attractive man that you're married to...Then you build a house, and the whole family pitches in with planting the crops, and helping to harvest them once they've grown! Then everyone just takes trips to the nearest big city (which hopefully would be about 30 miles away!) and sell your produce to them in order to make some money!

Of course we'd own horses and once the community was big enough, have a little school house where the women would all meet to teach the children, as the men do their work! Then in the evenings, the family comes together again, shares a meal and then just spends  time together. It would be so great!!

In all sincerity, I know I might not last in a lifestyle like that (maybe I would! Who knows!!), however, what I do love is the simplicity.  Life wasn't too complicated back then. You were born, married a wonderful person, took care of your husband (or wife, for the guys!), had some children, taught them to love the Lord, tended to your property and everything on it, and enjoyed the community of people you lived with. It just sounds so great!

I know I try to make all these great and epic plans for my life, and they're all things that are truly in my heart to do, and it is good to have a vision to go after. I do think though that my heart mostly longs for peace and simplicity, along with begin surrounded forever by those I love, and who love me.

To me, that's a great life!

Who are You?

 Sometimes we all go through seasons of thinking or wondering who we are, what we're about, what we're here for...Here is what I have learned as I've sought God with these thoughts and questions...

I am God's child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which lives and abides forever/1 Peter 1:23
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I am forgiven of ALL of my sins and washed in the blood of Jesus/ Ephesians 1:7
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I am a new creature/2 Corinthians 5:17-19
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I am the temple of the Holy Spirit/1 Corinthians 6:19
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I am delivered from the power of darkness and transformed into God's Kingdom/Colossians 1:13
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I am redeemed from the curse of the law/Galatians 3:13
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I am STRONG in the Lord/Ephesians 6:10
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I am holy and without blame before Him/Ephesians 1:4
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I am accepted in Christ/Ephesians 1:6&7
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I am BLESSED/Deuteronomy 28:1-14
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I am a saint/Colossians 1:12
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I am qualified to share in His inheritance/Colossians 1:12
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I am the head and not the tail/Deut.20:13
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I am above only and not beneath/Deut.28:13
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I am victorious/Revelations 21:7
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I am dead to sin/Romans 6:2 & 11
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I am elect/Colossians 3:12
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I am LOVED with an everlasting love/Jeremiah 31:3
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I am established to the end/1 Corinthians 1:8
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I am set FREE/John 8:31-33
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I am circumcised with the circumcision made without hands/Colossians 2:11
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I am crucified with Christ/Galatians 2:20
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I am ALIVE with Christ/Ephesians 2:5
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I am raised up with Christ and seated in Heavenly places/Colossians 2:12
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I am His faithful follower/Ephesians 5:1
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I am the light of the world/Matthew 5:14
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I am the salt of the earth/Matthew 5:13
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I am called of God/2 Timothy 1:9
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I am brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ/Ephesians 2:13
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I am more than a conqueror/Romans 8:37
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I am in Christ Jesus by His doing/1 Corinthians 1:30
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I am an ambassador for Christ/2 Corinthians 1:30
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I am BELOVED of God/1 Thessalonians 1:4
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I am the first fruits among His creation/James 1:18
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I am born of God and the evil one does NOT touch me/1 John 5:18
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I am a king and a priest unto God/Revelations 1:6
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I am a joint heir with Christ/Romans 8:17
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I am reconciled to God/2 Corinthians 5:18
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I am overtaken with blessings/Deut. 28:2
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I am healed by the wounds of Jesus Christ/1 Peter 2:24
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I am in the world as He is in Heaven/1 John 4:17
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I am a fellow citizen with the saints of the household of God/Ephesians 2:19
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I am sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit/Ephesians 1:13
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I am COMPLETE in Christ/Colossians 2:10
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I am the apple of my Father's eye/Psalm 17:8
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I am FREE from condemnation/Romans 8:1
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I am the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ/2 Corinthians 5:21
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I am chosen/1 Thessalonians 1:4
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I am firmly rooted, built up, strengthened in the faith and overflowing with thankfulness/Colossians 2:7
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I am a disciple of Christ because I have love for others/John 13:34-35
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I am built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief cornerstone/Ephesians 2:20
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I always triumph in Christ/2 Corinthians 2:14
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I show forth His praise/1 Peter 2:9
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I am a partaker in His divine nature/2 Peter 1:4
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I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works/Ephesians 2:10
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I am being changed into His image/Philippians 4:19
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I am one in Christ! Hallelujah!/John 17:21-23
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I have all my needs met by God according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus/Philippians 1:6
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I have the mind of Christ/1 Corinthians 2:16
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I have everlasting life/John 6:47
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I have a guaranteed inheritance/1 John 5:4
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I have the peace of God which passes all understanding/Philippians 4:7
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I have access to the Father by one Spirit/Ephesians 2:18
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I can do ALL things through Jesus Christ/Philippians 4:13
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I shall do even greater works than Christ Jesus/John 14:12
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I walk in Christ Jesus/Colossians 2:6
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I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God/Philippians 3:14
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I live by the law of the Holy Spirit/Romans 8:2
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I know God's voice/John 10:14
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Christ is in me, the hope of glory/Colossians 1:27
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God loves me just as I am/John 3:16
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I have this same love in my heart/Romans 5:5
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I am clean, whiter than snow/1 John1:7
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I am justified/Romans 3:24
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I am sanctified/1 Corinthians 6:4
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I am holy and blameless in God's sight/Colossians 1:22
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I am at peace with God/Colossians 1:22
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I have peace in my heart/John 14:27
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I am a vital part of the body of Christ/1 Corinthians 12:27
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I have a spiritual gift to encourage other Christians/1 Peter 4:10
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I am God's child/John 1:12
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I am the temple of God and His spirit dwells in me/1 Corinthians 3:16
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I am a complete person/Colossians 1:28
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I am God's own handiwork/Ephesians 2:10
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I was fearfully and wonderfully made/Psalms 139:14
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I am wonderful/Psalms 139:14
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I am constantly on God's mind/Psalm139:2
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I am secure in my faith/John 10:28-30
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I am seated in Heaven/Ephesians2:16
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I am free/John 8:36
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I am free from ALL fears/Psalms 46:2 & 34:4
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I need not fear any man/Psalm 56:11
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I am free from slavery to sin/Romans 7:4
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I am being renewed to the likeness of Christ/Colossians 3:10
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I am free from the Mosaic Law's bondage/Romans 7:4
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My thoughts and emotions are FILLED with the will of God/Hebrews 8:10
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I am Jesus' sister/Matthew 12:50
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I possess the Greater One in me, because greater is He that lives in me, than he that lives in the world/1 John 4:4
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I have received the power of the Holy Spirit, power lay hands on the sick and see them recover, power to cast out demons and power over ALL of the powers of the enemy/Mark 16:17
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But here is the thing. So are YOU through the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is who He made us through is undying love and mercy. We are powerful. It is time to believe it. 


I am NOT ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of GOD for the salvation of everyone who believes/Romans 1:16

I am a...

mis·sion·ar·y [mish-uh-ner-ee]

Show IPA noun, plural -ar·ies, adjective noun Also, mis·sion·er.

1. a person sent by a church into an area to carry on evangelism or other activities,as educational or hospital work.
2. a person strongly in favor of a program, set of principles, etc., who attempts to persuade or convert others.
3. a person who is sent on a mission. (definition from dictionary.com)

I am a missionary. Actually, so are you if you're a Christian. According to Matthew 28: 16-20:

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Since a young age, probably 12 or 13, I have known I wanted to be a missionary to other countries. To go to other cultures, live among them, build relationships with them, love them...and share the love of Jesus with them. As I've grown older, I still have the very same desire in my heart. God has shown me I have a calling to a lot of different countries, but He has also shown me the call I have to my own nation. The United States is in desperate need of the love of Jesus, just as much as any other place.

My first "mission" in State has been Kentucky. I didn't realize that is what it was until I had been here for a while, but then He began to show me how this truly was my first "missionary post" so to say. It was away from my family and home (for part of the time) and it was in a place that was different from what I was used to in ways. I learned how to relate to people on a new level, given the different struggles this region holds, and it's been so good!

I know there are more in State missions for me, and as I continue to grow and learn in this one, I hope that I take everything possible and expand my horizons through the process.

I know that every place I go, that my mission is the same. To live a righteous life before God and others. And I know I will fail at times. I have failed at times. But failure is not defeat. There is nothing to fear with God, there is no mountain to big to climb, there is no region too large to overcome with the power of God working through our lives.

Living out the Great Commission is a journey of leading others to the love of Christ through our actions and words spoken into lives. It is an epic journey, and I cannot wait to see more of my destiny unfold in it.