Live Like You're Dying

Faith is not about everything turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out. It's no secret to those who know me that I am going through a rough patch right now.. But it's interesting when I take a step back and I'm able to see things differently, I realize that the people AROUND me are a big factor. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed When I was in Dallas last weekend I had a GREAT time with my girlfriend Audra and her fiancé Bryan.  They are both just so positive and encouraging.  Then that Saturday, I had the pleasure of hanging out with some of my girlfriends I've known since I was 15 or so at my girl friend, Jordan's wedding.  You could tell that everyone there was really into the bride and groom and not just there, you know what I mean? Then, this past Thursday I got to spend some quality time with m

"Ruth may have been a lovely, strong woman, but it is to her unrelenting courage and vulnerability and faith in God that Boaz is drawn. Esther is the most beautiful woman in the land, but it is her bravery and her cunning, good heart that moves the king to spare her people. This isn't about dresses and makeup . . . Don't you recognize that a woman yearns to be seen and to be thought of as captivating? We desire to possess a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are. We want beauty that can be seen; beauty that can be felt; beauty that affects others; a beauty all our own to unveil." ( Captivating , 16-17)   The desire to be beautiful is an ageless longing. Much like my blog, Fairytales , we as women grow up wanting to be like the pretty princess we see in all the Disney movies.  Beauty can be described in so many different ways and become an idol with out us even realizing it. (Do you like having your picture taken

By the grace of God, we cannot quite pull it off. In the quiet moments of the day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment, a hunger for something else. But because we have not solved the riddle of our existence, we assume that something is wrong-not with life, but with us. Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What's wrong with me? We feel guilty about our chronic disappointment. Why can't I just learn to be happier in my job, in my relationship, in my church, in my group of friends? You see, even while we are doing other things, "getting on with life," we still have an eye out for the life we secretly want. When someone seems to have gotten it together, we wonder, How did he do it? Maybe if we read the same book, spent time with him, went to his church, things would come together for us as well. You see, we can never entirely give up our quest.  My world has been turned upside down lately and I say to myself, as a Christian, my joy shouldn't be