life. unscripted.

6:00- the alarm goes off.
6:30- meet Jordan to run off the extra cookies I ate last night.
7:00- head home to get ready for school.
8:30- leave for class
9:00- listen to a lecture on social sciences.
10:00- second class of the day; learn how to sustain the environment.
11:00- stop by my office.
12:00- head home.
12:30- homework.
4:00- work.
8:00- finish up any loose ends.
11:00- fall into bed.
6:00- do it all over again.


Schedules, schedules, schedules. We all have our planners, blackberries, and Microsoft outlooks that itemize our agendas for the day and don't really leave any "white space" in our lives. The schedule above reigns pretty true in my own life. I get so caught up in my scripted world that is filled to the max with workouts, school, work, friends, projects, and appointments; but, have you ever noticed that God works in pretty unscripted ways? Let's look at this past week in my own life. I'm in the middle of school and working on final projects, running errands, and trying to squeeze in a work out when I realize that I have an orthodontist appointment. At my appointment, in preparation for surgery they placed four spacers in-between my molars. If you have ever had orthodontic work then you know just how painful spacers really are! I was in so much pain and had to head to CFCC for class! On the way to school, I was talking with a friend and we decided to meet at Starbucks since we were both running a little early. We each bought a drink and talked for a little bit.....totally unplanned, but probably the highlight of my day (especially after the spacers!). On Wednesday, my sister asked me to go to lunch at our favorite BBQ restaurant. I hadn't planned for this while I was mapping out my week, but it made my day just spending time with KT and getting to hang out with her. The same thing happened today! After class some friends wanted me to go to this cute, little Mexican restaurant with them....so, I stopped my scripted plans for the day and went. Not only was it delicious, but I made some great memories!


God brings people, circumstances, situations, and events into our lives that we don't plan for. Life happens. Ever heard the saying, "Everything happens for a reason"? I believe it does. We can learn and grow from everything in our lives--no matter how painful it may be. It is so easy to fill up our lives with all of the minute details that we can all too easily forget about the mighty God who is supposed to be the Lord of our lives.

I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all--oh, how well I remember--the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope; God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits; to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Lamentations 3:19-30, the message remix.

Sometimes our "plans" get interrupted by an invitation to lunch, a phone call, a friend who needs help, an unforeseen problem, or even the God of the universe knocking on the door of your heart saying, "It's time to talk." What do we do in these situations? I mean, come on! We have a schedule we must attend to....people to see, places to go, things to accomplish! Hold up. What did the verses above say?

1. Remember where you've come from (vs.19-21). Where are you today and how did you get there? Are you growing and going in Christ? How has He changed you over the past six months? Remember where you have come from and thank God everyday for what He is doing in and through you.
2. Keep a firm grip on HOPE (vs.21). What is HOPE? According to Hebrews 6:18-20, HOPE is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline that reaches past appearances & straight into the presence of God. That sounds like a lifeline that I want to grab onto and never let go!
3. Embrace the love of Christ (vs. 22-24). These verses in Lamentations specifically tell us that God's love is "loyal" and "merciful"--they don't dry up and can't run out! I don't know about you, but I am thanking God with everything inside of me for His never-ending, unbiased love!
4. Stick with God (vs. 24). Stick with God. Let Him be the author of your life. Once you and I allow Him to be our everything, what's written in our outlook isn't top priority anymore.
5. Passionately wait for God (vs.25). Just being honest, I don't like this one! Have you ever wanted something so badly, yet have to wait?! It's like the anticipation for Christmas morning. Verse 25 flat-out tells us that God is good to those who passionately wait. Waiting doesn't have to be boring (hence the passionate part). Actively wait for God's timing and purpose. Let Him guide you.
6. Diligently seek God (vs. 25). This one requires work. We have to seek God actively, not passively. We can't just think about God and assume that's what a relationship with Him looks like. A true, vibrant relationship with God is not only total dependence on Him, but also us actively seeking His face.
7. Quietly HOPE. Back to our lifeline here. Hold onto it firmly, yet quietly. Humbly wait for God. Don't yell and scream at His face angrily reminding Him how busy you are or that you just don't have time for this. Wait for Him. Hold that HOPE in your heart and don't let it go.
8. Go off by yourself (vs. 28-30). I know life gets busy and we do have duties and obligations; however, we need to create that white space in our lives. It is extremely important that we can have a time and place to go off by ourselves and talk to God and merely just sit in His presence. Honestly, this time happens the best when you don't plan in out. God works in unscripted ways; be open to what He is doing.

What plans are being changed in your life today? Who do you need to call and meet at Starbucks? Do you need to sit in the presence of God and just hold onto HOPE? Is there white space in your life? If not, what can you do to make some? Are you passionately waiting, diligently seeking, and quietly hoping? God works in unscripted ways. We tend to write a script for our lives: mapping out schools, future careers, who we will marry, etc. God likes to take that script, throw it out, and simply ask, "Do you trust me?" Are you willing to throw your script away to allow God to work in your life?

Please Note: I am not saying you should never make plans, live out of your car, flunk out of college, or marry whoever waltzes into your life saying they are God's next best thing for you. I am saying that while we plan for the future, we need to allow God to hold the pen. He works in unscripted, out-of-the-ordinary ways in our lives. We want it all figured out asap. He lets us know in His timing. Follow where His pen leads. He does write the story of our lives, but we must choose to accept it--in an unscripted way.

What Does HOPE Mean to You?

"Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops...at all." ~Emily Dickinson


What is hope? Type that question into your Google browser and you will discover over 460,000,000 possible results. For one little four-letter word there are virtually endless possible definitions. How in the world could you ever narrow it down?


What comes to mind when you see the word hope? Dreams of the future? A fresh beginning? Unrelenting vision? Opportunity? OK, brace yourself for a paradigm shift here: Hope is not a feeling, but rather, a choice. Society repeatedly tells us that hope is a feeling. The literal definition of hope according to the dictionary is, "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." Trust me, if hope was a feeling, there wouldn't be too much of it in the world!--and I am not a pessimistic person; however, it is fair to say that if hope were entirely dependent upon our feelings, it would be pretty scarce.


If hope isn't a feeling, but rather, a choice, how can I choose to have hope? Let me ask you a question: have you ever seen the look on a woman's face after she has lost a baby? Utter devastation floods her entire being as her heart breaks inside her, yet there is still a tiny spark in her eyes. She is completely crushed, but there is still hope. In First Samuel, Hannah begged God to bless her with a child. Annually her family made a trip to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to God. She was barren and desperately wanted God to give her a son. In the midst of her pain and heartache, she went to the temple and cried out to God. First Samuel 1:10 says, "Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried--inconsolably." While she sought the face of her Father, she promised to dedicate her desired son to the Lord. She was so distressed that the priest thought she was drunk! But when Hannah left, she was a changed woman. Verse 18 tells us that she left with a "radiant" face. How could her outlook on life be this positive already? So she spent several hours pouring out her heart to God......she wasn't pregnant yet! How could she already be "radiant"--because she basked in the presence of her Savior held onto hope.


"Hope itself is a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords; but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain." ~Samuel Johnson


We all are on this dusty trail called life. Each and every one of us faces different things in our lives. Hannah desperately wanted a son. Maybe you are struggling with wanting to know what your future holds. Or maybe you have been endlessly searching for a job. Maybe you just want God to bring that guy/girl into your life right about now. Maybe you are wondering why your parents decided to get divorced after forty years of marriage. Maybe _______________ (you fill in the blank). God gives us an immense seed of hope in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future." God is holding you by the hand and wants to lead you along His path for your life. He already knows what your future holds, where your next job is, and who your future spouse is. God is telling you to grab onto hope and not let it go. "Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier" (unknown). Feeling like doubting or not believing God right now? Choose to take a hold of hope and believe that God has it all planned out. Cry out to God like Hannah did. She walked away from time spent in His presence with radiance glowing on her face. So can you.


"He rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope." 1 Samuel 2:8, the message


What does HOPE mean to you?

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my Hope is found. He is my Light, my Strength, my Song. This Cornerstone, this solid Ground; firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All-in-All, here in the power of Christ I stand.

At the end of the day, if Christ doesn't show up, it's game over. That is my reality and I firmly believe it with everything inside of me. I can never satisfy myself. My family can never satisfy me. Friends come in and out of my life. A boy can never complete me. Life has its ups and downs. Trials come. Schedules and timing fluctuate. The only constant is Jesus Christ.

The God of the universe says that you are more beautiful and precious to Him than a galaxy of stars. Now I don't care what some guy tells you, nothing can ever be more romantic than the God of the ENTIRE world telling you those words! No friend can ever give you a nicer compliment. No family member can ever give you a bigger dose of confidence. Yet why do we look to God as a last resort? It's so easy to always run to our friends and family and ask for their advice or just make a quick decision on our own. But rarely do we stop, slow the process down, and ask God what He wants or what He thinks. He loves you and me so much that He sent His only Son to literally die for us. This is not some magical fairytale story set in a distant far-off movie script. This is real life. Jesus Christ died because He wants to spend eternity with you and me. That is powerful. The best part is that once we accept Him into our lives, He empowers us! He gives us the Holy Spirit to help guide us. We should be running for Christ's help all the time and through every situation! We literally stand in the power of Christ. All we have to do is actually live like it.

It's like learning how to dance. You spend time preparing in the studio learning and studying new moves; however, your art does not just stay in the studio. You take everything that you have learned and apply it when you are dancing on stage. That's everyday life. In the morning, you can prepare by studying God's Word, talking to Him, and journaling. This sets you up for the day. Then you step out of your house, put the keys in your car, and drive to school. At this very moment you need to begin applying what Christ is teaching you. When you walk to class, live what you learn. As you talk with your peers, live what you learn. As you exercise, live what you learn.

No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

How do we live out what we are learning? In Christ alone. Let me shoot straight with you: you can not do this thing we call life on your own. Did you read that correctly? Yep, but just to make sure read it one more time: YOU CAN NOT DO THIS THING WE CALL LIFE ON YOUR OWN. Need an example? OK, let's take a look at my life. Whenever I try to control or direct what is happening in my life, I end up failing, feeling miserable and less-confident, and getting completely discouraged. Why? Because when I try to take the reins in my life, I come up short and will always come up short. At the end of the day, if Christ doesn't show up, it's game over. I am really beginning to see the power and truth in those words. They are truly my reality. If Christ did not show up, I would be over with. I can't do this thing called life on my own, but that's the beauty of it. If I simply choose to rely on the One who can complete me rather than trying so hard to find fullness in myself or in others, then God will show up in a great and mighty way and this world will never be the same.

"Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything through the One who makes me who I am." ~Philippians 4:12-13, the message

You hear the gentle whisper in your ear, "Dance with me?" Don't hesitate. Jesus wants you just as you are because when you begin to dance with Him, you will start to dance like Him. And that is the power of Christ in you.

What Could You Accomplish If....

What if you said "No" to checking your facebook for ten days? What could you get accomplished?

This past week it feels like life was running at a hundred miles and hour and it didn't matter if I had the energy to run along with it. Have you ever had a day like that? A week like that? So, wondering why my world was so jam-packed, I looked at what was taking up a majority of my time and reviewed what my priorities are. Looking back at my planner and to-do list, there are several things that 1) I should have said no to, 2) should have done later, or 3) should have done right away. What is one major thing that consistently aids in my procrastination? Facebook. Trust me, Facebook is a great networking tool, but it can distract you from your priorities very quickly. The same is true for many things. You know what distracts you from studying, cleaning, working out, writing that thank you note, and spending time with your family. These distractions aren't even necessarily "bad" things, but if misused, they can have negative impacts on our lives.


Where To Go From Here

1. Make a list of goals for yourself. A renowned example of this is through the University of Florida Quarterback, Tim Tebow. Tebow will unashamedly tell anyone who asks what his priorities are: "faith, family, academics, football."
   
2. Look back over this past week. What primarily consumed your time and energy? Did this activity/project correlate with your priorities?


3. What distracted you from living by your list of priorities? Why or how?


4. Make an action plan for next week. What are some things that you know that you need to accomplish. Know that you have a test coming up? When will you carve out time to study? Need to wash your car? When will you schedule time to do it?

What would happen if you said "no" to the core distractor in your life for ten days? For me, that means not checking my Facebook for ten days. Seem like a long time? Honestly, it's not. Just think of all the things that you can do by eliminating that distraction. After the ten days is over, you may not even want to engage in that activity as much! You just never know!