Hello There!

Welcome Blog Readers!

As you can see, I've made some changes. Over Christmas day, I got a lot of thinking done. God was working in me! Changing me; growing me. These past two years, my walk with God has grown drasticly and for that I am thankful to Him. I had been waiting on Him for a little while now, but now He's waiting on me! He said, "It's time," so I had to realize some things in my head that have always been in my heart. If you've ever heard of Lauren Alaina, listen to her song "Eighteen Inches". It's beautiful and makes so much sense to me these past few days.

I've also decided to make changes on this blog. I liked how it was before just fine, but even though God is out to "Change The World," and so am I, He is really just transforming our hearts to become more like His! So, I have a new name, a new picture, a new design, and I'm at a different point in my walk with Christ. 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas holiday, and I wish you all a joyous New Year! God Bless you all!!!

Your sister in Christ,
Jessica

Reflecting On A Season

Do you have a period of your life that you look back over and think 'Oh! That seems so long ago and things are so different now!'? I believe we tend to think of these times according to when they happened and what time of the year it is now. (Like a summer spent with friends at the beach would probably be remembered in a more recent summer where you didn't spend your time the same or didn't have the same people around.) Last year, from Halloween to Christmas Day, my whole world was turned upside down.

I had been talking with a dear friend from church about how I had just turned another year older and I still wanted someone to share my life with. I thought I was ready to let someone special into my life and maybe not get married or have children just yet, but just have someone to share with. So on Halloween, I gave a particular person some Blow Pops that Sunday morning. Then he started picking on me that night at church. EVERYONE thought we were dating right then! Truth was, we had not had a full conversation. Confiding in some sweet sisters later that night, we discovered I was TERRIFIED of the thought of having a "boyfriend". I'd (truly) never had one before. I was in the library a few days later looking for a book when he came in. God had his hands all over this because about 2 minutes after we started talking, I found the book. It was called LEAP OF FAITH! Oh, you know, those things that God sometimes calls us to do when His way is best?

We started becoming friends after that, and although I was still terrified, I did give him a chance. On December 11th, myself, this guy, and a friend of mine were going to the next town over to hang out. (Our little one-stoplight town doesn't have much, but a drive to walmart always does the trick.) They had both been bugging me to just give "dating" a chance, and after a little over a month of fighting it, I jumped in with both feet.

I had the thought earlier tonight that I want to be so far in Jesus, that any guy would have to go through Him to get to me. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? When two people get married, they become one with God. How can you become one with God if one of you don't believe in Him? I am a 20-something in the learning stage of life. I want to become the best light for God that I can and know that He has the perfect person for me already picked out. So, I'm going to do my best to take a "leap of faith" into God each day of my life, and I hope you will too. It's may hurt, and you will cry, but Jesus is worth it. He is worth it all.

Jumping In,
Jessica

p.s. I really have no idea why I HAD to write this at 2 a.m., but nonetheless I hope you receive encouragement from it! Be blessed :)

Back Into A Valley

So, you noticed I haven't blogged in a while, huh? I've come to realize that I blog more when I'm in God's word and doing what I should rather than when I let satan take over, and that's just what happened in the month of November. I am apart of an iStudy with some of my sisters in Christ and we email/text/blog almost every day, but a few weeks ago I felt myself slipping away. It was definately a Slow Fade! I started not really reading what they were writing to almost avoiding these emails and blogs. (I am honestly ashamed to admit that. They deserve better.) But I didn't just stop reading their encouragement, I stopped spending time with and trusting God. Things were happening in my life that I couldn't believe were happening again. It felt like things were going back to the way they were before I'd moved away. It felt like I was being swallowed by emotions. Have you seen the commercials on TV for an antidepressant helper called Abilify? How the woman has a cloak (house coat) of depression around her? That's what it felt like I was wearing. Mine was big, black, had a hood on it, and covered my inside, not just my outward appearance.

I wish I could write on here that I'm cured and I'm happier now and my spiritual life is better, but that would be a lie. I talked with my best friend about a week or so ago and she reminded me that I am not alone. I may not be with my "friendily" but they are always there for me. I can't stress the importance of finding a church family. They are the most amazing pieces of my life. There is no excuse for not going when you are convicted that you should. When I moved away, I was determined to go to church every chance I got. I went 3 times a week and hardly missed it. Now I have to be just as determined.

Crawling Again,
Jessica