Halfway to Heaven

One of my favorite country artists sings a song called 'Halfway to Heaven.' In it, he recaps a near death experience as a result of drinking and driving. The chorus sings "when you see life flash before your eyes, the good, the bad, the wrong, the right, fade into a bright white light, shining down on you, you're hangin' on by a thread, wondering which ones your last breath, knowing there's so much you have left to do, you live your life a better man, when you've been halfway to heaven." Now, I can't attest to ever being in a near fatal car accident like Brantley Gilbert, but I do share the same sort of experience as he does. I don't really talk about this incident too much, and I'm not sure even my close friends know, but looking back onto this night after listening to this song, really sparked something in me. Last winter I faced a multitude of health problems. Hospitalizations, wheelchairs, missing school...all that pales in comparison to this particular night, however. I had been having anaphilactic reactions to various foods and products. Pretty much everything ingested caused a serious reaction. On this November evening, I had just eaten one of the foods on the safe list, and was ready to head to bed. As I prepared to jump between the sheets, I felt my lips start tingling, a sure sign of a reaction. I felt "egg-funny" a term I coined as a child to express when I was having an episode. As these typical reactions go, it progressed to my tongue, then to my throat. I felt the severity of it and immediately look Benedryl...then followed up with my Epi-pen as the reaction had no sign of stopping. As it is custom, we had to go to the ER. At this point, my throat was beginning to constrict and breathing began to feel labored. I got into my mom's little gray Scion and she sped down the driveway. About a mile and a half into out trip, things took a turn for the worse. During these types of reactions, symptoms develop at rapid paces and minutes can make the difference. I remember my breathing feeling impossible. I was leaning against the car door, gasping for air. My mom was squeezing my hand saying hang in there Kaelee, hang in there. I heard her begin to pray aloud, asking the Lord to touch me. This whole ordeal became surreal. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it. I felt my throat closing completely, and air slipping away, one labored breath at a time. Now, I never knew what a true near death experience felt like..but let me tell you, it's crazy. I felt almost as though I was weightless. I remember my eyes closing, drifting off into unconscious state. I only remember glimpses of the drive from there to the meeting place of the ambulance. I had an overwhelming sense of peace, one in which has never been felt before. My life was coming to an end. This is a unbelievably strange feeling. I was fading away little by little. I felt as though I wasn't even in the car. I can't even explain it more than that. My mom was trying to talk to me, trying to get me to hang in there, but I can only recall brief moments of her audible voice. Like I said above, I felt at peace. I felt as though I was completely surrendered to the Lord. I was truly fading into the bright white light, not knowing which of these shallow breaths was my last.

Now, clearly I am still alive kicking...but that's only by God's great power. During that whole car ride from hell, my mom was praying like crazy! Before I lost the memory of some of that night, I remember my mother praying like the warrior in faith she is. Bless her heart, bless her faith, bless her hope in the power of Jesus Christ. I don't know if she, even to this day, realizes just what was happening in that car. Nonetheless, she never gave up! She held my hand, squeezing it, telling me to hang on, crying out to the Lord to save me. It's so awesome to know we serve that strong of a God. From a life slowly slipping away, to being brought back to consciousness, to being full of life today...everything is possible with him. The reason why I recalled this otherwise hard to talk about experience, is because that country song. It says you live your life a better man when you've been halfway to Heaven. I started thinking, why am I not doing that?! I have been halfway to Heaven and only by God's grace am I still here. Why am I not loving unconditionally? Why am I not reaching out to those less fortunate? Why am I not being as bold in faith as I could be? Why do I get caught up in material things? Why am I not out there living this crazy life to the fullest? After that night, I gained a clear understanding of just how precious life is, how it can be taken just like that. None of us know when our last day will be or even when our Savior will return to this Earth. All we know is that we have been blessed to live an incredible life, that we are called to witness to the lost, that we serve an almighty God. By God's grace we are saved. He died on that cross just to give us life. It's our duty to live for him. From selfless acts of kindness, to taking brave stands in faith, why not do it? There's nothing holding us back! Sometimes this world gets in the way, well actually a lot of the time it does. We need to be consumed with the Creator of everything, not just what is created. There's no set time of how long you and I will be here. Life is fragile. As saved believers, we have no fear in death, so I speak for a lot of us when I say whenever and however the Lord calls me home...I'm good with it. After being halfway to heaven, I realize that I oughta be living with no reservations, no fears, no doubts. From here on out, I'm making a vow to myself. I'm going to try darnedest to take advantage of every opportunity to help others, every chance to show kindness, and most importantly share the hope, love, and power of Jesus Christ with those who have yet to hear his name.

Hey Obama, this is the real kind of HOPE...

Any one who knows me at least a little, knows that I'm a realist. I'm not negative by any means, I just base everything on facts and common sense. For me, it's easy to look around at everything going on in this world and lose all faith in people. There's suicide bombers killing hundreds of military personnel and civilians, shameless rapers hurting countless women, reckless parents neglecting innocent children...bottom line, there's a lot of evil in our world, my friends. In all honesty, when I go out grocery shopping, my thoughts towards people are more of skepticism like 'gosh, you idiot, why do you have to be so irritating'...rather than of hope like 'that person is probably very nice and just under a lot of stress, just like me.' That being said, I had lost a certain degree of trust in humanity. Now, I know I serve an all powerful God who can change people, but I still let that small amount of pessimism and skepticism sneak into my mind. That stopped me from finding the good in people.

I'm going to switch gears and tell y'all about something that changed my way of thinking as stated above. Recently, I attended the memorial service of slain Washington State Patrol Trooper, Tony Radulescu. He was on a routine traffic stop and was shot in cold blood, thus resulting in his death. He was the type of guy that had a hugely positive outlook on life and was dedicated to protect and serve his community. Those negative thoughts crept into my mind as soon as I heard the tragic news. How could an outstanding human being like that be gunned down for NO reason? How could a couple drugged out pieces of crap be able to carry out such a despicable act? That is still a a mystery to me, however, my thoughts quickly changed as I saw the out pour of support, love, and hope from all walks of life. On that early Thursday morning, I got into my dad's patrol car along with a few other sheriff personnel. We drove to the meeting place to start the processional. We were right on time and as we arrived we were met with hundreds of patrol cars already lined up. As we pulled into our line, I looked around and saw deputies from numerous agencies. From way up north, to way down south, from rural areas and from large metropolitan ones...ALL these units were there to show support of one slain officer. These people, including our car full, had never even met Tony, yet were willing to give up valuable time to offer their respects for his tremendous service. The procession started a few hours later and about 1500 patrol cars took to the roads. One by one, cars and SUV's lit up like Christmas tress, paraded down the highway. From the beginning of the seven or so mile trip, people gathered on the sides of the road. Military personnel stood at attention, civilians crossed their hearts standing on sidewalks, and busy commuters paused their daily drives. As we traveled north on the closed off road, the southbound lane was filled with cars. That's normal right? What's not normal to see, especially in my realist mindset towards humanity, is to see people pulled off the road, just to salute the procession of a murdered officer. From soccer moms to truck drivers, business men to Fed-Ex workers, cars were pulled off on both sides of the road. People stood at attention for upwards of an hour, showcasing their respect and honor of Trooper Tony. Each overpass was crowned with emergency personnel, standing on firetrucks, waving flags. As we passed another small group of people who had paused their drive, a particular car caught my attention. It was an old, beat up, Buick, nothing special. What was special was the markings of Marine service on the back bumper. Outside that car stood a man, who at first glance looked down on his luck. No nice clothes, a rugged look, and a spirit of honor was all he had. He was standing tall beside his beat down car, American flag flying proudly in one hand, while the other saluted for the entire procession. This man probably never met Trooper Tony, but had enough respect for his service that he was willing to offer his time to proudly broadcast it. As this two hour procession wrapped up, we arrived at the center where the memorial was being held. It was filled with policemen and woman, their families, and community members. Rigorous tradition was followed for the service, tradition deep rooted in the the pride of WSP. People spoke, bagpipes were played, and tears shed. One particular speaker stood out to me however. Trooper Tony's best friend, a Romanian with a heavy accent, came up to the mic. With his sometimes hard to understand English, he spoke highly of Tony's character. He was "A trooper's trooper." He was a selfless man dedicated to protecting. As the speech was winding down, the man changed directions and spoke about not only his faith, but Tony's as well. Tony was saved a few years back and loved the Lord with all he had, stated the friend. As he continued with the kind words, he proudly told the audience Tony would want each and everyone of us to find the peace, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. Tony is now in heaven, living eternally, and the message of hope could not have been stated more clearly. Here was a man who had just lost his best friend, yet by the grace of God, had the strength to witness to the 2-3000 men and women within the auditorium.

The title of this post is 'Hey Obama, this is the real kind of HOPE,' and that's the pure, realist truth. It's not about the next big politician offering to swoop in to be our savior...we already a Savior far greater than anything this world can match. Real hope is found in men and women risking their lives daily whether it be military, fire, EMS, or police. Real hope is found in selfless individuals who hold honor and respect within their hearts. Real hope is found in those not ashamed to be bold in faith. These individuals, in teamwork with the Lord, put the faith into people. I was shown that day that not everyone is evil, that there are still good people in this world. My hope in people was re-found. Things look dim out there, yes. But we serve a God who has saved people dong his work, everyday changing some aspect of this fallen world. I realize that one police memorial and the out cry of support isn't going to change the whole world, but I can guarantee it changed more than just me that day. Maybe others who had lost hope in people had their eyes opened, or maybe someone struggling with this great loss felt the peace and joy of Jesus Christ for the first time. Needless to say,   brothers and sisters in Christ, let's hold fast to the hope God gives. Let's make it our mission to change this world, one small selfless act at a time. Proverbs 24:20 says for the evil of man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. This world is a sad place, but we know that we serve a greater God. Criminals and wrong-doers watch out, the men and women of law enforcement are on your six. God bless them and keep them.

It's gotta be more like..

Falling in love...something that happens every day in our world. Whether it be a woman falling in love with a man, or a daddy falling in love with his newborn daughter, it's a beautiful thing. Now I'd like to say that I've been in love many times. As a baby I fell in love with my dad, as a little girl with my first pony, and as a young woman with a boy. Each one of these loves has come with different types of feelings, benefits, and hurts. With my daddy, it's been feelings of admiration, security, and comfort. I've reaped benefits from the protection he has for me, but also experienced hurts from arguments or disagreements. With my pony, my feelings were more of trust and companionship. My Star was there to listen whenever I had a childhood problem, however that didn't stop him from hurting me by throwing me out of that saddle. As far as being in love with a boy, I had strong feelings of genuine love and passion. Being able to count on a significant other and have love shown to you on a regular basis is a wonderful thing. Hurts that come along with a love that ends however, are greater than measure. Now, in each of the given situations, I had ups and downs. It'd sure be nice to put all the awesome characteristics of these varying types of love together to create the ultimate love affair. Some of my greatest moments have been spent with my dad, pony, and boyfriends ...but I've also felt the greatest hurt with them as well. A girl just wants to feel safe, desired, treasured, appreciated, and loved. As I stated above, it would be so ideal to combine these types of worldly relationships, thus giving me the perfect one. Well, want to know a bit of good news, there's already that type of relationship out there, one that's better than anything this society can offer. Who's the lucky guy? Oh, just Jesus, you know, the Lord and Savior one. His love for each and every one of us is immeasurable. The safety and comfort that comes from being in a relationship with him is far superior to that of any man. I can make mistakes day after day, commit the worst sins, treat him as a low priority...his love never changes for me. He doesn't hold anything against me, doesn't bring up my past, doesn't lose hope for our future. I'm desired by him, the King. I am a treasure in his eyes no matter what outfit I'm wearing. If I get off track, lose my way, and forget to talk to him for a few days, I can call on him and pick right back up where I left off. He's always there for me. I fail daily, in all aspects of life. I can't even brag about my love for him cause that fails daily as well, however, I can brag about his love for me, cause it never fails. No matter what I'm facing, he'll hold my hand through it and is guaranteed to deliver me from it...according to his higher plan that is. There's no stronger love than that between God and his child. That's a fact. There's a Christian song sung by Jason Gray that says it all. He sings: 'It's gotta be more like falling in love, than something to believe in, more like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance.' To say you believe in God is one thing, to fall in love with his great presence, grace, and power is another. To simply state you're a follower and live according to 'Christian rules' doesn't do much, however giving your whole heart to the one who created it is a life-changer. Later in the song, it says 'Falling in love with Jesus made the change in me.' Personally, I say that calls for an AMEN! I can testify to that 100%, based on recent events even. Sure, I've held a degree of love for God my whole life, but it hasn't been until recently that I've taken the plunge, and fallen whole heatedly. There's been a marked difference in every aspect of my life since that day. I gave up trying to do things on my terms, and gave every bit of my heart to the Lord. From there, he changed everything. Feelings I thought could never be greater, suddenly became 10 times better. Fears I had about relationships were gone. The types of guys that I should be interested in were finally becoming evident. Falling in love with Jesus truly did make the change in me, and I look forward to that making a change in all my relationships from here on out. Any guy that comes along to steal that part of my heart and sweep me off my feet, will know that he's sharing it with the Lord. There's many types of love out there, and until I know the man that will fulfill the boyfriend-fiance-husband role, I'm grateful for the ULTIMATE love that my Lord and Savior gives me. 

Desired by the King

'Never let a man tell you you're not worth pursuing. For God became man, died & rose again just to pursue you. You are worth pursuing. You are beautiful. You are loved.'

This little phrase, in which I found on Pinterest, has really got me thinking lately. I've been thinking about guys, life, love, and relationships. I've been rollin' single for a few months now during which time I've learned a lot. In addition to learning more about myself, I have learned about the opposite sex. After being in a relationship for over a year, and close to a year before that one, I was not used to all the interest from guys. Now, I'm not saying I am the most attractive, cool, and desirable girl, but I have gained the attention of quite a few young men. By no means am I trying to sound conceited here, just talking about what life has thrown at me. I am definitely a fan of being in a relationship don't get me wrong, however being sought after by guys has been fun. As a woman, of course I crave attention from the opposite sex, so complaining about it wouldn't make much sense right? Well, I'm not complaining at all. However, I've realized a few things. They say guys are only after one thing. That's a bit of a stereotype, but it also has a bit of truth. Being called hot by a guy makes a girl feels great. I'll gladly admit to the fact that I like that. Being attractive, having a nice body, working what you got is always a goal for a gal. Obviously, positive affirmation from a guy it what we're all striving for..whether we admit it or not. Now this is where I start realizing a few things. I realized that attention from guys, fully based on appearance is pretty much worthless. Any guy can check you out, throw out a line, give you a an empty compliment...that's a normal thing. But not too many can make you feel beautiful while respecting you and noticing that little light of yours. I didn't really recognize my problem at the time, but now I can fully identify it. I've been caught up in being desired for worldly, shallow things. I was hooked on that feeling of being wanted for how I looked. (Again, not saying that my appearance is anything special.) Whether it be walking around in the grocery store, stopped at a gas station, or pictures on Facebook...I wanted to catch a guy's eye. For me, that proved I was doing something right. Because I wasn't used to this 'freedom' of being able to flirt and whatnot, this all of the sudden this attention made me feel great about myself...

I'm going to switch gears now. Clearly I was going for the wrong type of attention. Although the idea of being considered hot by a guy your age is seemingly harmless, it doesn't honor God at all. My mom always asks me this: even when what I'm doing isn't considered bad, she poses the the question of whether it honors God or not. Whether it adds to my relationship with him, or just keeps things the same. As a Christian, increasing my faith, building strength, and growing every day in my walk, is the goal. We're constantly faced with the concept of worldly  vs. God things. After talking to some guy about the same old stuff, you're hot, blah blah blah, you know the deal...I just took a step back. While yeah, knowing that a cute guy thinks my body is hot made me feel good for a minute, I asked myself, what happens after he gets over that, or sees someone with an even hotter one? Getting praise from these guys because I have curves is 100% skin deep, and frankly, a waste of time. No matter how tall, dark, and handsome a man is, he can never compare to the kind of desire the King has for me. God made me who I am, in his image. I don't know about you, but because he is the alpha and omega, beginning and end, created the earth, ya' know..it makes me feel fantastic that little old me was created in his awesome image. Y'all have probably seen devotionals, books, and shows about being a Proverbs 31 woman. For a Christian woman, this is where we find our standards. It wasn't until I stepped back and realized the problem with the attention I was getting, that I fully understood what being a Proverbs 31 woman was. There's so much value in Proverbs, but the most commonly used verse says beauty fades away, but a woman who serves the Lord is to be greatly praised. That says it all! Long legs and a few curves may catch a guys attention, but it's my love for God that will truly attract the kind of guy I want to be with. Beauty is fleeting, it simply doesn't last. Beauty deep rooted in faith, however, stands the test of time. In a society plagued with a woman's value being weighed on the tannest skin, whitest teeth, tiniest waist, and hottest clothes...it's a dang hard task to be yourself. For years I've not been comfortable in my own skin and I've chased that 'ideal' image. Obviously that was a fail. There's no way I can truly be something I'm not. It may last for a week, a month, maybe even a year..but there's NO point in hiding who you really are. God created each and every one of us in a unique, beautiful fashion. He makes no mistakes. I'm not that perfect 5'6" 120 pound female, I'm Kaelee. I'm tall, I'm different,and I love the Lord above all else. I refuse to be ordinary. This little light of faith inside me is far more valuable than anything this world has to offer me. Boys listen up, my Lord and Savior will always be number one in my heart. Period. End of story. One of my favorite quotes is "A woman should be so lost in God that a man has to seek him, in order to find her." Well, let the scavenger hunt begin because my heart is placed in the hands of God. My beauty comes from the quiet, graceful strength that can only be found in him. Outward beauty is important to me, of course I am going to try for it, but it's not the most important. Inward beauty is what I'm striving to be valued on. I'm holding myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. To be myself, not what this world wants to see. To be with the kind of guy that challenges my faith, not puts it on hold. There's a well known song that sings "let's give them something to talk about." Ladies, let's do it. Be radiant in faith and make them boys wonder about that little light that's shining within.

When you're down to nothing, God's up to something.

I can't say I've truly been down to nothing, but I have been through my fair share of times in which I felt like I was. If any of you have followed this blog, or even heard my testimony, y'all know 2011 was a year of struggle. Facing the diagnosis of two years of immobility and using walking aids posed a great threat to my future. Things were dim. But, as per usual, God delivered me from that awful sentence. Now, it sure would be nice that if after facing a struggle like that, overcoming it, then moving on, things would stay perfect...that is SO not a fact of life. Without going into great detail, I will say these last few months have tested my faith beyond belief. I have faced huge amounts of emotional and physical pain. Pain I figured I'd never encounter. My seemingly ideal plan for my life was slowly slipping away. Now I must say, at the time I felt like I was losing everything, but in all reality, God's plan was just unfolding. I had lost a relationship, a clear future, and basically all belief in myself. How in the world was this according to God's plan you may ask? Well, it took me a little while to figure that out myself. After feeling so broken, a down-turn in my health battle, and a sudden change of education...I found myself back in my small town. While yes, I do love it here, I never imagined being back so soon. There was my first mistake. I was baffled because MY plan wasn't working out. Little did I know GOD's plan was. During this challenging time, I saw struggles all around. From my new found friends facing hard, life-changing experiences to just seeing the pitfalls of college, I found myself facing one heck of a decision. Do I keep doing my thing, while I'm watching it crumble around me? Or do I surrender to the Lord, give him my life as a whole...hopes, dreams, and passions? Looking back, I'm saying to myself, "Why would you even question that decision?!" But in that time and place of course I wanted to stick to my plan. I thought I had drawn up a good one. After holding out for a bit longer, and having even more go wrong...I gave in. I was broken down to nothing. I cried out to God and little to my surprise, he answered me. Finding myself in a different school than I had planned, a different town that I had wanted, and different people than expected...I felt at peace. Seriously, for once in my life, I was, and still am feeling perfectly CONTENT. Content with my appearance, my friends, my relationships, my classes, my family, my home, my LORD. Hurts that I felt were non healable have been healed. Dreams that I thought were shattered are now gleaming with hope. Bridges that were burned are now mended. God did all this. All my life I've been taught that He has a plan for me, all my life I've trusted that. What I now realize is that I was trusting, but on my terms. I was saying I'll give you my all, God, if I can do it my way. If I can just get what I want. There's a little saying that goes "Want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." Let's just say I gave him a good ol' chuckle, knee-slapper if you will. From that, the good Lord broke me down, then built me right back up...stronger, better, and way more on fire for him. Most importantly, living my life according to his plan. James 1:2-4 has always been on of my favorite verses, but through this I can finally understand what it's saying. It reads: "My brothers ans sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and have everything you need." Well, if that doesn't sum everything up, I don't know what else will. I've faced troubles from all sides. God has given me a spirit of joy in dealing with them. Patience? I'm learning each day. And as far as showing it goes, I'm trying my best. People can judge and speculate, but I know that I can handle it with grace and poise. God has given me EVERYTHING I could ever need. I'm a blank page, God's the writer, and I just can't wait to see what story unfolds. God Bless <3

When this world fails you, God saves you.

Phil Wickham sings a song called Cannons. The chorus goes like this "You are holy great and mighty, the moon and the stars declare who You are, I'm so unworthy, but still You love me, forever my heart will sing of how great You are." 


Have you ever woke up just feeling a bit off? A bit strange? A little empty? Well for me, that happened just recently. I woke up feeling alone and scared. For me, a self proclaimed tough girl, this is not a normal thing. I had a friend spend the night for a girls relaxation evening, so when I woke up, it wasn't like I really was alone. I looked around from my blanket bed on the floor and just had a weird feeling. I had a friend over, so that alone feeling wasn't it. I live on a college campus, so it's not like lack of people was the cause it either. I pondered for a second and opened my laptop. I randomly checked an email account that I rarely use, but is linked to KLove verses of the day. I logged in and started reading all the scriptures from previous days. I tell ya, when the Holy Spirit wants to get a hold of you, He sure does it in a almost creepy because it's so accurate way! Verse after verse spoke to me and totally opened my eyes. The very first verse was Psalm 97:11, 'Light shines on the godly,and joy on those whose hearts are right.' It was made VERY apparent why I had woke up with a longing, a hunger, an empty feeling. For weeks I have been struggling with balancing college life with my spiritual one. In a town where anything goes and right and wrong pretty much goes out the window, it's tough staying mentally strong and guarding your heart. There's been days where I feel I am stronger with the Lord than ever, then others where I feel I have fallen completely short. For me the issue wasn't that I didn't know the choices I should be making, it was acting on that. God grabbed a hold of me a few weeks ago and really put life in perspective, I was on fire for Him! I'm the type of person who doesn't show pain or struggle, who rather make everything seem ok on the surface and hurt as a result, than to admit to any weakness. This whole mentality transferred over to my spiritual life. I had strengthened my relationship with the Lord, but then shortly after wouldn't admit to the struggle I was facing. As I've said before, it does no good to perceive yourself as doing fine and being strong in faith, while struggling on the inside and feeling unworthy. In the song I quoted above, it says I'm so unworthy, but still you love me. For me, that just makes me feel awesome. I realized in a short, couple hours, that my heart wasn't right...like right for reals. My intentions have all been in the right place, but because I didn't face my weakness, I just glossed over it and never faced it. God uses so many different things to get our attention, and this time, he used a perfectly good morning, one that I should have woke up feeling awesome, and made me question what the missing link was. Stress from school, finals, life, friends, relationships, have put huge amounts of strain on me. In my broken down state, my emptiness, God found me and restored me. Philippians 4:6 says Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. I realize that I don't have to go around with a sign saying I'm weak, telling everyone I know, I more importantly have to tell God. I can thank him for health and safety, school and friends. I can give him glory for intervening the way he did. And I can FULLY trust him to deliver my from this valley, to get me through finals...whatever my issue, I know he has my back. To God be all the glory! 

I'm starting this post of with a verse in the Message translation:




So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2 MSG

Now these past couple weeks at the University of Idaho have been pretty stressful. Schoolwork, exams, normal life things...everything was getting to me. Of course I know I should trust God completely, but actually doing it was a whole different matter. After a tough night of seemingly impossible homework, God came through for me once again. No shocker there huh? I could breathe a huge sigh of relief and all that was left to say was "Wow, thank you Lord!"

So where does tie into this verse? Well, we all get accustomed to living the way we want to, the convenient way. We take advantage of the little things that God does in our lives, even when we aren't giving Him much. I have been terribly guilty of this. This world that we live in does have some pretty fun, exciting, awesome stuff...but all of that doesn't compare to what God has for us. We tend to get into a routine of just going with the flow. My issue has been that I am a "strong Christian." My attitude is then "well if I do this one thing(whatever that may be) then I'm still fine cause I've already established my faith, I can just keep skating by with ok." That is ridiculous! God can't be our second option, the one we fall back on, our emergency break. Now granted He is always there for us when we sin, but that's not what I'm contending right now. I'm saying that we can't go out, live one way, then convince ourselves we are living another. Double-standards have no place here. This verse says offer everything to Him: work, school, eating, sleeping, walking around, everything! One aspect of our lives can't be right with him while we knowingly live another aspect the total opposite way. It also says don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you merely fit into it without even thinking. This means we can't just let the stuff we see everyday become acceptable. Whether it be bullying, wild partying abortions, cheating, or even discrimination, we can't just walk by it and say yeah, I know it's wrong, but hey it's a part of our society. This mentality is exactly what needs to change. Our projections of the perfect body, the perfect amount of money, or the perfect house must be torn down. No more letting this worldly crap get into our way of thinking. No more living one way, then acting another come Sunday morning. God is waiting for us to turn to Him fully so that He can lay out his awesome plans for us! I know I want to be more like Christ, and I know that He can change me! By simply giving up worldly stuff, stuff that won't last and really has no true meaning, I can shape my life to be one that others look up to. My goal from all this is that I can live in such a way that my peers can look at me and see my light shine and say I want what she has! God is simply waiting for us! How about giving up whatever is holding you back from fully committing to Him, and saying "I'm ready to give you EVERYTHING. I'm ready to stand up for what's morally right in this world and not simply accept it. I'm ready to see what awesome plans you have for my life and live them out in a way that witnesses to others!" To God be ALL the glory.