I'm not chasing the American Dream

   So this title might be a little deceiving. I love America, and everything that our founding fathers stood for. I love having life and liberty, but I no longer want what we call the pursuit of "happiness". I don't want to climb a corporate ladder, work 9-5, become famous, or even the perfect house with a white picket fence. This week in my time with God I've been pretty convicted about the comfy life I live. The things society tells us we have to do in order to reach the world's definition of successful: a nice car, the latest apple product, a four year college degree, the list goes on and on. Our purpose in life is so much simpler than all of that, He just wants us to love. God tells us that the two greatest commands are to love Him with all our hearts, our souls, and our minds, then He tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). This is obviously easier said than done, as I have grown up hearing these verses time and time again, but it's like a new light has been shed on them. 
   Even more so, I admire what Paul writes to the church of Thessalonica about the life we are to live. He tells them:

    "About brotherly love: You don't need me to write to you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers to do so even more, to see to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, emphasis added)

  If we are loving God with everything that we are, we will then love others, and not just those closest to us. In fact, we are told to do so even more, so that outsiders will notice. We will grow to love the girl that keeps to herself at school or work, the man who is homeless on the side of the road, the widows, and the orphans. Oh how we will love those who are less fortunate than us, how I pray that my heart will be overfilled to see their needs! 
  Now to be clear, I'm not saying to give up getting your college degree or your 40 hour a week job just to fulfill this purpose. Because if you look at the passage above Paul tells the church to work with their own two hands. God is going to use what you are doing, and the people you encounter everyday for you to fill His two greatest commandments. And in time, the things you thought would give you the happiness will fade away, and He'll start to align things in your life to give you joy, everlasting joy. He will give you those blessings you need when you need them, in His timing.
  I'm also not saying I have it all figured out, far from it actually but, I am looking to Him and His abundant love to flood my cup so that I can love on others. My heart aches to just do something more than just sit in comfort, and while I do not know what exactly that entails yet, I know that I'm starting somewhere. After praying and searching through Compassion International's website, Joel & I have sponsored a little girl from Togo. Her name is Shalom, which means peace, and derives from a root which means complete, perfect, and full. I am so in love with this precious little girl whom I have never met, and may never get to meet here on this earth. I pray for her daily and for all those around her to just teach her about our Father and that her needs are met. God is using this little one to break my heart for so much more than I can currently fathom. I am praying, willing, and waiting for Him to use me for His purpose of loving others because it is so much greater than chasing after the temporary that is the American Dream.

Home Sweet Home

   I have been a terrible blogger. And while I would like to update y'all on everything that has gone on, that would take entirely too long. So, I'll keep that part of my post short. In August, we came home to visit family for two weeks. It went by way too fast, but I was so very thankful that we had time to relax and enjoy time with our loved ones. September was spent packing our little house into a storage unit and spending every little moment possible together. The day I was suppose to come home turned into a three day weekend for Joel, so I was unexpectedly able to stay an extra few days. I came home to surprise my family a day early and then Joel left less than a week later.
   Moving back home, I've wasted no time whatsoever when it comes to getting back into the chaos that is a big family. It definitely makes me miss the quiet that I've grown used to back in Texas. However, I love seeing my siblings everyday and being around my family has made the past seven weeks pass by so very quickly. One thing I've started to realize in this season of life is that God has placed so many wonderful people around me to listen, support and just be loved on by. I am so beyond grateful that He knows what I need before I do, and blesses me with it before I even think to ask. The past five weeks my church has been doing a series called BLESS in the book of Nehemiah, and it has been so awesome to see how this series has just lined up with things I am going through in my week with God using other people to bless me. I have learned so much and I am trying so very hard to let God use me as a blessing to others, which is one of my greatest hopes in the difficult season.
   I know this was a pretty short post compared to my previous ones, but take a listen to the link I have up above, and I hope to be writing more often over the next few months!

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26