Thoughts of a 20-Something Woman

I’ve spent the last 3.5 years waiting for this moment. The moment that I can say I am just days away from graduating. What’s the rush to get out of college, you ask? Shouldn’t I soak in every great moment of college with all my friends and great sporting events before the "real world" kicks in? Well, chances are that your college experience was a little bit different than mine. You see, my experience in college wasn’t like the experience that most of my friends or family members had. I’m not going to walk out of college with a great, huge group of friends. I didn’t find my future husband. I am not going to leave with crazy memories of wild nights and wild parties. No, my college experience isn’t one that you’d see in theaters. But God has used my 3.5 years of college in ways that I never would’ve imagined. He used Freshman year to show me what having awesome, random Freshman roommates could be like. He used Freshman year to show me what staying up till 2:00 AM,

I haven't had a lot of time to blog recently. Summer has started and has kicked into full gear. I thought that I was going to have a lot more free time than I did during the school year, but that assumption has proven to be wrong. I've spent a week in San Antonio. A week in Nashville. And I will be leaving for Marco Island, FL in 24 hours to spend a week there. In between all of my trips, I've had many coffee dates, meals, and events with my students. And in between all of that---I've been attempting to balance two online summer classes, so that I can graduate a semester early. My schedule is hectic, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Although, I wish that I had more time to blog! There have been many different times this summer when something will happen and I'll think---I need to blog about that! Or that would be a great topic for a blog! But they've all fallen short of an entry, since I never had the time to blog. Well, this topic just couldn't

I've come to learn so much about my walk with Christ over the past year. How real, how genuine, how messy it can be. How I desire to walk through life in complete honesty and transparency with those around me. And how many people can't handle it. Most people won't be able to handle it. Because as Christians, we all talk a big talk regarding honesty and authenticity---until we realize how messy it is...and then we just prefer easy and we prefer perfection. We preach two different things . "Come to the church and be yourself completely!" But in the same breath, we say, "But don't be too honest! Or you won't fit in with us." We preach two different things . "Come to the church and expose your sin and mess. We won't judge!" But in the same breath, we say, "But if you could actually just put a nice bow on top of the sin to make it better, that'd be appreciated." We preach two different things . "Come to the

The past year of my life---I've been walking down a road that I never thought that I was going to be walking down. The long road to forgiveness . Over the past year, I've been betrayed, used, and cast out from those that used to be so close to my heart. Things have been said to me that can never be unsaid. Things have been done to me that can never be undone. People have accused me of things that they had no right to be the judge of. And all of these situations have left me with broken pieces to clean up on my own. Satan's lies were thrust at me from every angle. "Why aren't you a better Christian?" "Why can't you fix yourself faster?" "If you could just fix yourself, people wouldn't leave you." "You'll never be good enough." "You'll never be worthy of true love."  And then in Satan's crescendo he says to me, "Look at all the proof that I have against you!" ...People leave you

This weekend I was given the opportunity to volunteer with the Miss Amazing Pageant. I got to spend the entire day with girls and women that have physical and mental disabilities. These girls showed me what true beauty looked like. In our culture, we are so blinded by what the television shows and magazines deem as "beautiful." Beautiful means flat stomach. Beautiful means flawless skin. Beautiful means smart. Beautiful means long and skinny legs. Beautiful means perfect hair.  Beautiful means gorgeous eyes.  Beautiful means white, straight teeth. Beautiful means giving yourself to a guy. Beautiful means being popular. Beautiful means being a runway model Beautiful means being outgoing. Beautiful means never making a mistake. Beautiful means being perfect. Perfect . Perfect . You have to be perfect. Smile bigger...but not that big. Wear more makeup...actually---wear less . Wear a dress. But not too short ...and not too long either. Lose weight. But

I had the privilege of attending the Simply Youth Ministry conference in Indianapolis this past weekend with my co-worker, Shari. God absolutely blew my mind at this conference. I do not believe that our relationships with Christ are based on feeling, but I believe that God gives us seasons in our lives where we are able to feel His presence. Feel His arms wrapped around us. Feel His touch in our heart.  My relationship with Christ is not based on feelings, rather it is based on the truth that God is always with me---even when I don't feel Him. Even when I don't see Him. I trust that He is always near, He is always holding me, He is always listening. But every once in a while---in the middle of our lives, God does something incredible. He gives us a taste of His presence and we feel Him. At this conference, I felt the presence of God. And it was healing. It was beautiful. It was refreshing. James 4:8 says,"Come near to God and He will come near to you." What an a

One of my favorite songs by Jesus Culture is called "Break Every Chain." The song is simple. The main line sings, "There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain...break every chain...break every chain." Psalm 107:10-16 says, "Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains . Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron." These verses give an absolutely beautiful picture of what God can do in the lives of every person. Every . Person. "Some sat in darkness and t