Waiting...

Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."


     Have you ever prayed for something so hard, and felt that God wasn't answering? Maybe you were seeking direction or wisdom on a decision, but no matter how hard you prayed, you did not receive an answer. I have had this experience many times throughout my life, and it has taught me one of the hardest lessons to learn, Waiting.

     No one wants to wait! We get frustrated when the drive-thru takes more than 5 minutes, or when 3 people are in front of us in line at Target. Our world operates at a high speed, and we have grown accustomed to that speed in our own lives. Even the dry cleaners that I went to today offers same day service. As long as the clothes are in the door by 9:00 am, I can pick them up after 5:00 pm. We have learned to schedule every minute of our day and rarely leave any wiggle room! However, our heavenly Father has His own version of time, and it is so much more calculated than we could ever fathom. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that God's timing does not revolve around us, but instead we revolve around God's timing.

    When we pray we often ask for an immediate answer, or expect one within 24 hours. Sometimes, we think He works like the dry cleaners. As long as we get our prayers into Him by 9:00 am, we should have an answer by 5:00pm that night. Yet, nowhere in Scripture did God ever promise us a 24-hour turn around. However, he does promise to hear our prayers. 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Sometimes His answer is yes, sometimes it is no, and often times it is to wait and trust.

    Genesis 22:2  "Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him." I am sure Sarah spent many nights wondering if God remembered His promise to them. I can't imagine what she thought as year after year went by without a son. She and Abraham waited for 25 years before God gave them a Isaac. Abraham probably never imagined having a newborn after his 100th birthday, but God had a bigger plan than Sarah or Abraham could have ever dreamed. He kept His promise and they were blessed because of their wait.            

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations3:25-26



     If you are seeking an answer from Him today, and have not received it yet, do not give up. Take comfort in Isaiah 40:31! He is not ignoring you. He will answer you when He is ready. While you are waiting, continue to seek His answer, and use this time to grow and strengthen your relationship with Him. 

Remember, He created time. He doesn't need us to tell Him how to use it.

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Daughter of the King

     Throughout middle and high school, my dad would often write letters to me and place them in my gym bag the night before my basketball games. He always told me how proud he was of me, how much he loved me, and that he would be in the stands watching. Even thought I already knew all of these things, it was nice to have those words written down and tucked into my bag as I faced the day ahead. Our heavenly father has written those same letters to us in His word, but sometimes we forget they are there. In our busy lives we all need to be reminded that we are Daughters of The King. This is a letter of encouragement from God to you. Each line is based off of Scripture. I challenge you to look up a few of these verses and memorize them so that you can tuck them in your heart and carry them with you throughout your day. 

Daughter, 

      I love you! (Rom 5:8)  

I know you are juggling a lot today,
 but come to me and find rest. (Matt 11:28) 

I know that this life is not easy. (John 15:18) 
Let me be your strength. (Isa 40:29) 

You will face enemies today,
 but I will be with you then too. (Ps 138:7;  Ps 121:8) 

 Stop searching for approval and affirmation from this world, 

because I have made you beautiful and unique. 

You are my creation. (Ps 139:14; Ecc 3:11) 

I know you better than anyone ever will, 

and I love you more than anyone ever can. (Ps 139:16;  John 3:16) 

Do not exhaust yourself trying to meet the demands of this world, 

but instead find peace in me. (Gal 1:10; Ps 29:11)

 I am with you as you begin your day 
and as you go to sleep. (Ps 121:5-6)  

I will handle the pressures and challenges of your day, if you simply give them to me.(Ps 55:22)

 I love you,

and I will be with you today and forever. (Heb 13:5 ; Deut 31:6)

Love, Your Father

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Who am I to judge?

Matthew 7:1-3 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

         It happens in a split second. The power of just one glance, one thought, one word can cause scars that last for years. We know the hurt, because we have all been on the other side of that glance. We know what it feels like to walk into a room and be the object of judgement. Sometimes the judgement is based off of social media, sometimes it is the outfit you are wearing, or even what you believe. At some point in our lives we have all felt that sting, yet we fall into that same judgmental mindset more often than we realize.

      This sin is not anything new and has affected women for lifetimes. Ask any adult woman in your life, and she can tell you stories of how it feels to be judged. However, today's world makes judging even easier because we can judge from the other side of the screen. It is so easy to make careless judgments when you are not looking someone in the eye. This power can lead to many hurtful thoughts or comments that we would never think or say to someone if they were standing in front of us.

       As Christian girls, we can not afford to tear each other down. The Christian walk is difficult enough by itself. There will be many challenges in your life when you will need to be surrounded by praying friends. By pulling each other down we are making the enemy's job much easier, and our own lives more miserable. Satan wants to see us pick each other a part so he doesn't have to.

    I know in my own life I am quickest to judge when I am feeling insecure and need affirmation. Learning to detect these feelings before they spiral out of control has been a challange that I am still working on, but God has taught me that I do not need to cut someone else down to gain affirmation. I don't have to compare myself to anyone else. I am His daughter and there is no greater affirmation!

Pray today against the quick impulse to judge. Instead, treat everyone as a child of God. Think about WHO created that person that you are criticising. Do you really want to be the one judging God's design?

Photography by Kimberly Wynn

Who are you Reflecting?

"(She) had been the moon reflecting the sun's light in everything she said and did; she was not the light herself and never claimed to be"- Francine Rivers

     Growing up in a Christian home, I was often told to be a "light to the world." I love this instruction because light is exactly what this world needs (Matt 5:14-16.) However, I  would like to take this command a little further and challenge us to think about where our light comes from.
     As Christians, we have to be be careful of falling into the dangerous trap of being consumed with our own light. It is easy to become so focused on ourselves and what we are doing, that we begin to search for glory in our own lives and actions. Jesus wants us to be lights to the world, but He also wants us to remember that He is always the source that we should reflect. John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." I love Francine Rivers' idea of being a moon and reflecting God's light for two reasons.

• First, it challenges us to make sure that we are glorifying Him and not ourselves. Simply because our actions are right, doesn't always mean that our hearts are focused on giving Christ glory. Surrender everyday to the Lord, and ask God to get the glory from our lives. The minute we feel ourselves trying to be the source, step back and acknowledge that He is the only true source of light. Anything we do without Him will fail. Our light will only shine temporarily before it runs out of power, but His is an everlasting source. 
• Second, We can take comfort in the realization that we are not the source of our light. Sometimes the day ahead of us feels too challenging, and the pressure of being a light sounds exhausting. On those days, it is especially comforting to know that He is not asking us to be the source, but instead to be the moon that reflects the Son.

Who or what are we reflecting today? What do others see when they look at our social media accounts, the words we use, or the way we dress? Do we reflect Him in ALL aspects of our lives?

Reflect His light. Stop searching for your own glory, but instead ask Him how you can serve and reflect Him.

One Voice United in Prayer

Happy National Day of Prayer! 

Join our nation in prayer today. It is such a blessing to be able to talk to our God whenever we want, and it is exciting to see our nation still gather together for prayer! 

Psalm 145: 18 

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth!

Don't let this day go by without praying for our nation!

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior,

Timothy 2:1-3