I was thinking a lot yesterday about how I can get so stressed out and worked up over the
smallest things and I realized I just need to give my cares, my worries, my all to God and He
will work it all out! I just need to learn to be content with where I am, proud of where I've been
and excited to see where He's gonna take me in the future! Not worrying about how I will get
there or what will happen when I get there, learning to just trust God whole-heartedly! I want to
throw my head back and laugh until I cry, dance in the rain until I'm soaking wet, learn to
appreciate my little siblings and the way they make me so happy. I want to thank God every
single day that He gave me the best parents in the world, friends who love me, and the ability to
share His love with others! I really just want to love every single moment of my life, even when
it's not going as planned, I want to learn to really live life to the fullest!

All these happy thoughts got me thinking of a music video that makes me smile and I want to
share it with you guys! http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3e7b175275c5e5ac997b I love that music video and Hawk Nelson, they both
make me really happy! I want to become that kind of girl, that the reason that I attract people
is because of my deep and unconditional love for Jesus Christ! I want to shine so bright for Him
that I just have to smile and people can see my love for Him and know He is the only one who
completes me, the only one who makes me happy! Sure, one day I will find the guy God wants
me to spend forever with, but for today and even when I do find him, Jesus Christ will still be my
all in all! He will always be my first true love, the one who showed us what true love even is!

I found something really good on page 327 in the book "Lady In Waiting" by: Jackie Kendall and
Debby Jones. It reads-

is not about finding the right man,

but becoming the right woman.

The Lady In Waiting

recklessly abandons herself

to the Lordship of Christ,

diligently uses her single days,

trusts God in unwavering faith,

demonstrates virtue in daily life,

loves God with undistracted devotion,

stands for physical and emotional purity,

lives in security,

responds to life in contentment,

makes choices based on her convictions,

and waits patiently for God to meet her needs.

Wow, that is so powerful and exactly explains the type of woman I desire to become! I want to
be a lady that is waiting on God's perfect timing for my life and not worried that I may not get
what I think I need or even just want! I want to be in the center of God's perfect will for me!

I also found some scriptures that really touched my heart, they're found in Matthew 6:32-34--

"...your Heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek, aim at and strive after
first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, His way of doing right, and then all these things
taken together will be given to you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of it's own. Sufficient for each day is it's own trouble."

Let us all learn to seek God's face and not His hands, and know that He will give us exactly what we need, when we need it! Well, I have to wrap this up now, may God bless each and everyone of you as you strive to live for Him! Because, Jesus Christ is the only thing in this world worth living for anyway!

Living to live for Jesus Christ,
~~Chick~~

I have been thinking a lot here lately and really searching for the heart of God and what He

wants for my life, which caused me to take time and write my thoughts on this whole subject of

waiting on His perfect timing to send me the right man, and I just wanted to share them with you

guys. I may just be posting this to make me feel better, but I hope it touches someone else's

heart to, so here it goes, from my heart to yours.

DANCING WITH GOD
By: Chick

Someone once said, "When you dance with God, He will let the perfect man cut in." but, I

sometimes wonder when I am on this dance with God, do I really let Him lead, or am I simply

holding onto His hand and attempting to drag Him where I want to go? Because, for Him to let

the perfect man cut in, He has to be leading the dance in the first place and sometimes I cringe

to think that in all truthfulness, I try to lead! I don't know why though, because I am horrible at

leading, I step on people's feet and make a mess of things as I try to prove I have it all under

control and that everything is just fine. I need to learn to let God play His rightful role as King of

my world and life, and I need to learn to be content to just be Cinderella, trusting that one day,

in God's perfect timing, He will allow my Prince Charming to cut in and take my hand. Knowing

deep down in my heart that He will only let me have his absolute best for my life, and that the

man He lets cut in will be my perfect prince! For today though, I will learn to be content to just

be Cinderella, dancing with the King of Kings!

All this talk of dancing with God made me think of the song "Cinderella" by: Steven Curtis

Chapman, (which by the way, was the inspiration behind my blog's name!) and I know that the

song is from an earthly father to his daughter, but I began to think about how that could be from

our Heavenly Father to us also! The song is just so beautiful, and the music video is even more

of a masterpiece, if you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet, you need to check it out:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=34ca44c1ad452e4bd42e

God has really been laying Matthew 6:21 on my heart here lately- "Where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also." It has become my prayer that my heart, my treasure will be

where God is, that I will desire the things He desires for my life and that He will make my heart

to break for the things that break His heart. I want to rejoice in the things that make Him

rejoice and cry for the things that rip His heart in two. I want to become God's hands and feet to

this world, to offer my life and what I may do for Jesus Christ, even if at times it seems like I

can't do very much, I still want to give everything that I have, all that I am to my Lord!

Today, I pray that something God has shown me will touch your heart, and bless you. If any of

you ever have a question, comment or thought about something I have said, please PM me!

May God give you all a blessed day, and teach each and every one of us how to dance with Him!

Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

I was talking on the phone last night to one of my friends and we got to talking about what

following Jesus really means to us, is it enough to just say we love Him, or should we show it

too? I believe that we should give Him our all, even when giving Him our all is hard! We got to

talking about the Jeremy Camp song-"Tonight" and I looked it up and found the music video for

it, it's pretty amazing! If you have time, give it a watch-

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cdb7caac8f7e64385674

The chorus of his song really sums up the point we were talking about- "Tonight, I will take my

cross. Tonight, I will count the cost. Tonight, I will realize to take hold of this very moment..."

Sometimes, we have to be willing to lay what's the closest to our heart, what we value the most

on God's altar, we have to get to that point where He is all that really matters in our life. I had

been struggling with this a lot here lately, I had two dreams that God had asked me to give up

about three years ago, one was the dream of starting a drama team in the area that I live in, I

want to start a drama team that travels around to different churches and ministers in that way.

The other dream was to find a good, Godly christian young man to date and one day marry, it is

something my heart has desired for a very long time. God had asked me to lay them both on

the altar, but I had fought with Him, it seemed like laying down my dreams would ultimately kill

them and they would never become a reality. But, about two weeks ago, I laid them down

completely, no more partial laying them down and then picking them up when I got up from my

knees. It hurt so bad, it felt like someone stuck a knife through my chest and then ripped it out

taking a chunk of my heart and very soul with it. I have really had a tough time with leaving

them there, but on Saturday afternoon at our Ladies Conference, God gave my dreams back!

We were praying at the altar and the speaker came over to me and told me that God wanted to

give my dreams back, that now was the time to start chasing after them! I immediately started

crying, it felt like God had not given them back to me, but He had also renewed the passion to

serve Him in my spirit, I felt so alive! And, it's stayed that way, I have had this peace in my

heart, no, I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future! My youth

pastor and I talked, we going to start the drama team the first of next year, seeing one of my

dreams so close to my reach is so exciting and just awe-inspiring to me! I also know that very

soon the right guy is going to ask me out, because God made a promise to me and I am

claiming that promise with all of my heart and soul, God only gives us what He knows is best for

us! There are NO mistakes in His plan for each of our lives, He is our loving Heavenly Father!

I realized that the scripture found in Matthew 6:33 is true-"Seek first the kingdom of God and His

righteousness, and ALL these things will be given to you as well." God didn't promise that

some of these things, or even most of these things, but ALL of these things will be given

to us if what we desire is in the will of God! We just have to be willing to lay down our all, take

up our cross and follow Jesus Christ no matter where the road may lead or where He takes us!

May we always remember that Jesus Christ is the only thing that is truly worth living for, not

money, not people, not anything this world has to offer, just JESUS CHRIST!!! May we all

learn to keep our eyes focused on Him and to let the world just fade away from our view, may

He become the only thing we could live and die for, may we live to live for Him!

Everyone have a blessed day and a wonderful week as we all grow in the grace and knowledge

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Living to make every single moment count for His glory and honor,
~Chick~

No God, No peace. Know God, Know peace.

I love that saying, God is the only one that can give us true peace in our heart and soul, so why

do I run, why do I ignore Him when He knocks on the door of my heart, begging me to slow

down and take time for Him? Why do I let the cares of this life, the things that continually drag

me down run my life? Why do I run from Him? This are questions I ask myself and I think the

Music Video for the song "Run" by Kutless makes a great statement of what God is saying to us-

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=57bbf7a5244815a90892

"Why do you run, why do hide? Oh, don't you know, I just want to be with you, to be with you!"

God desires to spend time with us, to be our closest companion, how can we run from that?

How can we flee from the only one that knows us completely and yet, still loves us? Sometimes,

I don't think we mean to run, we just let ourselves get too busy with life and the cares that it

brings our way, we need to learn to just slow down and listen to what God is saying to us.

When we pray, we can't always be the one doing the talking, sometimes, we need to listen!

In my devotion this morning I came across this beautiful description of how Jesus waits on us to

love Him by Basilea Schlick. It is found on page 210 of the book "Lady In Waiting" and it reads-

Waiting For Our Love

Jesus is yearning to have fellowship with us and to hear words of love drop from our lips.

He is waiting for us.

He wants us to be close to Him.

He wants to speak to us in our hearts, to cultivate love's intimate relationship with us.

Only in times of quiet when no one else distracts us, and nothing else draws us away, can Jesus visit us with His love.

Let him who wishes to know the presence of Jesus and who desires to enter into the bridal love

for Jesus keep his times of quiet holy and faithfully for Him.

Jesus is waiting for our love.

As important as our sacrifices and our obedience to the commandments are for God(the rich

young ruler sacrificed, and kept the commandments), they are not enough.

Sacrifices and obedience do not necessarily yield the "eternal, divine life".

Love does not necessarily pulsate through them.

Jesus is pulsating life and love and He wants to impart His nature to us.

Therefore, only our love, which stems from the divine, eternal life which He has granted us, is

the proper response to His love for us.

This love leads us to keep His commandments, which are His wishes for us.

It leads us to bring Him many gifts, and to offer Him sacrifices-but in a different spirit.

...Bridal love for Jesus is filled with delight.

There is no greater, happier, higher, richer love.


To know that kind of love, to feel Jesus close to me, that is what my heart truly desires and

burns for, I want to know my Lord in a way that takes my breath away from me! Sometimes, I

think I hold back because I am scared that God will require me to give Him something or

someone I hold dear to me, but He tells me in Romans 8:28 that-"We know that in everything

God works for the good of those who love Him." He didn't say some thing or even most things,

no, EVERYTHING works our for the good of those who love Him! You know what this tells me?

I can give Jesus my whole heart and all of my love, making Him the center of my devotion, all

the while knowing He will bring my heart it's true desires in return. Jesus yearns for all of my

love not just a part of it! And it is my deepest desire to give Him all of it, to know that I am

fulfilled in Him, that I don't need anyone or anything else to complete me! Jesus is my all and

He is everything I could ever need, I want to live every day under that conviction!

My God bless us all as we learn to seek to love Him with our entire being, with the very core and

soul of our existence. May He become EVERYTHING to us, and we will learn to love Him more

than life itself, because, what is life without Him in it...NOTHING!

Have a blessed day as you continue to seek God's face and not just His hands.

Living to live for Jesus Christ,

~Chick~

When it's dark and we can't see the path in front of us, do we choose to hold God's hand and

keep walking on the road He has made for us, or do we freeze in fear? Do we sometimes

wonder if where we are going is really where we should be, do we ever get scared that God

doesn't know what He is doing? If you don't ever, I know I sure do, I worry that this broken

road I am walking isn't going to lead me to where I should be going. Something that has

brought me a lot of comfort though is the song "Walk By Faith" by Jeremy Camp. It is a truly

beautiful and amazing song, if you haven't heard it or would like to watch the music video, skip

on over to
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=74c0d74c4466b3c9b441

and give it a listen, even if you aren't a Camp fan, you can't help but love this certain song!

My favorite part of the song is the first verse- "Will I believe you when you say, Your hands will

guide my every way? Will I receive the words You say, every moment of every day? Well, I

will walk by faith, even when I cannot see, because, this broken road prepares Your will for

me..." I believe that sometimes, God has to break us, to make us realize how small and weak

we are without Him before we can become all He wants us to become, we have to learn He is the

only reason that we can make it through the tough times, He has to become our life line! Any

time I am tempted to think that God isn't listening to my prayers or that maybe He has forgotten

about me or doesn't care about what happens to me, I am always reminded of Psalm 103:13-14

which says- "As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear

Him with reverence, worship, and awe. For He knows our frame, He earnestly remembers and

imprints us on His heart..." We are imprinted on the heart of the King of the Universe, if that

doesn't show me how much he cares for me, then I don't know what will! He loves me so much

that He took the time to create me in His image and to plan out every detail of my life, just

because He loves me and had a plan for my life that only I can fulfill! To have a Heavenly

Father that loves me so much just fills me with wonder and awe! May we all always remember

that God will never give us more than we can bear and will never take us to a place that He is

not right there beside us. No matter what we are going through, He is big enough to carry us

out of it and make us stronger through the fires that we must face in this life! May we all learn

to walk by faith, even when we cannot see, because God can see everything and He knows the

final outcome anyway, let us learn to fully trust Him with everything that we are, He won't let us

down! Have a blessed day everyone as we all learn that God is the only one who always gets it

right, He never, ever makes a mistakes, He does everything with a purpose in mind!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

"Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my

hurt? Who am I, that the bright and morning Star would choose to light the way for my ever

wandering heart? Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done. Not because of

what I've done, but because of who You are...I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone

tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. Still, You hear me when I'm

calling, Lord you catch me when I'm falling and You've told me who I am...I am Yours, I am

Yours. Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin could look on me with love and watch me rise

again? Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea would call out to the rain and calm the

storm in me? Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done. Not because of what

I've done, but because of who You are...I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone

tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind. Still, You hear me when I'm

calling, Lord you catch me when I'm falling and You told me who I am...I am Yours, I am Yours.

Whom shall I fear, whom shall I fear? 'Cause I am Yours, I am Yours..."

~Who Am I by: Casting Crowns~

Who are we with out Jesus Christ? We are nothing! I love this song by Casting Crowns, it is so

true and yet so beautifully put, I just love it! Without Jesus Christ, I would be totally worthless

on my own, He is the one who knows me completely and yet still loves me completely! I had a

wonderful weekend, I got to spend some quality time with my whole family, (Dad, Mom, and

sibs) something that doesn't happen very often anymore! I talked to the guy I have a crush on

last night, the steps we are taking to get to know each other better are tiny ones, but this guy is

so awesome, that if God wants us to be together, I would wait as long as I need to! And that's

something coming from the girl who HATES to wait for ANYTHING! I am a right now type of

person sometimes, something God and I are working on...LOL! Anyways, sorry to have to cut

this short, but I have college homework to attend to, so I will leave you guys with a verse and

then skip on outta here! The Bible says in Psalm 139:5- "You have beset me and shut me in-

behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me." If God is always with us and cares

enough about us to behind us and before us, then who shall we fear, why should we worry? If

the God of the Universe has time to care for us, then He has time to give exactly what we need!

May you all have a blessed day as we continue to draw near to the one who knows us all

completely and yet, still loves us all completely!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

Hey, guys! Well, if you haven't noticed, I have a lot of fun finding interesting and uplifting things

on Godtube, and today wasn't an exception! I found a video about Tim Tebow, the quarterback

for the Florida Gators. Wow, if all the christian young men, especially the one's that are

popular/or in the public eye would live their lives out loud for Jesus Christ like he does, our

world would be a better place! Don't believe me? Then give the video a watch-

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=a880b0ac05ffd02f43f6

If that is not one amazing young man, then I don't know what is! If we could all learn to live our

lives like that, to care more for others than we do ourselves, just think of how much better of a

place this world would be! Think of all the people that would come to know Jesus Christ, not

because someone pounded them over the head witnessing to them, but because they saw a

change in us, they saw that we were different and wanted to be like us! Every time I think about

this subject the song- "Looking For Angels" by: Skillet comes to my mind-

"Walk this world alone, try to stay on my feet, sometimes crawl, fall, but I stand up because I'm

afraid to sleep and open my eyes to a new day. With all new problems and all new pain, all the

faces are filled with so much anger, losing our dignity and hope from fear of danger. After all

the wars, after settling the scores, at the break of dawn will we be deaf to the answers? There's

so much bigotry, misunderstanding, and fear, with eyes squinted and fists clinched we reach out

for what is dear. We want it; we want...a reason to live. We're on a pilgrimage, a crusade for

hope, 'cause in our hearts and minds and souls we know, we need it, we need, we need more

than this! Going through this life looking for angels, people passing by looking for angels,

walking down the streets looking for angels, everyone I meet is looking for angels. So many

nations with so many hungry people, so many homeless scrounging around for dirty needles.

On the rise, teen suicide, when will we realize we've been desensitized by the lies of the world?

We're oppressed and impressed by the greedy, whose hands squeeze the life out of the needy.

When will we learn that wars, threats, and regrets are the cause and effect of living in fear?

Who can help protect the innocence of our children, stolen on the Internet with images they can't

forget? We want it; we want...a reason to live. We represent a generation who wants to take

back the nation, to let Love be our light and salvation. We need it; we need, we need more than

this! Going through this life looking for angels, people passing by looking for angels, walking

down the streets looking for angels, everyone I meet is looking for angels. I became a savior to

some kids I'll never meet, sent a check in the mail to buy them something to eat. What will you

do to make a difference, to make a change? What will you do to help someone along the way?

Just a touch, a smile as you turn the other cheek. Pray for your enemies, humble yourself, Love

is staring back at me. In the most painful of faces, angels show up in the strangest of places...

going through this life looking for angels, people passing by looking for angels, walking down the

street looking for angels, everyone I meet is looking for angels. And angels show up in the

strangest of places..."

It says in Proverbs 19:17- "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has

given He will repay him."So, are we willing to put ourselves aside for just even a little while and become someone's angel?

Sure, it may be tough to do, but remember that you may be the only Jesus that that person may

ever see. We can choose today to make tomorrow a better place to live in, we can stand up for

what is right, we can decide to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to this dying world!

As one of my favorite Christian martyrs- Jim Elliot said- "He is no fool who gives what he cannot

keep, to keep what he cannot lose." I don't want to be just another body taking up space on this

earth, doing what I want to do, I want to make a difference for Jesus Christ! And it is my prayer

that we will all make that our goal, to change our world for the Glory and Honor of our Lord!

Have a blessed day and an even better week as you live to be His hands and feet to the world!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

Have you ever wondered why God lets certain things happen, when you know He could have

prevented them? Sometimes that has crossed my mind and then I heard the song "In Better

Hands" by Natalie Grant, no sometimes we don't know why certain things happen, but we know

God will use them for good in our lives! I found the music vid for the song, if you would like,

you should watch it, it's really good! http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=84406f7b7686d9c10dae

I have been thinking a lot about this subject because, four months ago my cousin and best

friend was in a horrible car accident, the reason the accident happened was not good and I was

so upset when it looked like he might die, because I knew in my heart of hearts, he wasn't ready

to go. For you to fully understand the impact of this story I have to go back a few years and

kind of set the scene for you guys. He and I are two years apart in age, so when he was a

freshman and I was a junior we began attending high school together, at first we clashed like no

other, but over the course of the next year we became really close and good friends. We had a

lot in common and I liked spending time with him, it is safe to say by my senior year he was one

of my very best guy friends. Over the summer after I graduated, we talked on the phone a lot,

and he had big plans of becoming a youth pastor and going to ORU after he graduated in two

years. But, somewhere along the way he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and he just

changed. It was small steps of doing the wrong things, and little by little we began to drift

apart. It hurt, it felt like when someone is starving to death, only it was our friendship slowly

starving and wasting away. It all came down to one night on the phone and us getting into the

biggest argument we had ever had since we had become friends and we decided not to talk

anymore, or actually he told me he hated me and didn't want to talk to me ever again. So, for a

month, we didn't talk at all. Then, on the night of the wreck we happened to both be at the

same church function and he apologized to me, and we decided we were going to try and work

out the problems between us. And I begged him to please come back to what he knew was

right, and not get so far away that he forgot how to come back. He looked at me and with tears

in his eyes told me, "I'm going to make it right, but not today, later. Later when I'm done having

fun." He hugged me and he left with his friends and exactly four hours later we received the call

that they had been in the accident and that he might not make it through his skull cap surgery. I

don't think I have ever prayed so hard in my whole entire life, it was really tough. He was in a

coma for a month, we went up twice a week so I could go see him, I will never forget the day

when he was in a coma and grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go, it made me cry so hard. It

was like he knew I was there and like he didn't want me to leave and I promised him, right there

while he was still in a coma, that no matter what happened, I would always be there for him.

When he finally woke up from the coma, they took him to a rehab facility that was 16 hours

away, so I didn't get to see him all summer, which was really hard on me, I hadn't gone more

than two days without talking to him with the exception of when we were fighting. Once he had

been in rehab for a month I got to call him, and then got to start emailing him, which made it a

little easier. Then, last night, he finally got to come home! He still isn't all the way back to

normal and they warned us that he doesn't remember a lot of things, so don't get upset if he

didn't remember our names, so I started crying when they were getting him out of the truck and

he saw me and started shouting my name! He gave me a hug and wouldn't let go, it was so

awesome! The most awesome thing of all is the change in him though, he made them push his

wheelchair up to the altar so he could pray, I have never seen him pray out loud and he did last

night, it was amazing! And he keeps telling everyone he is going to walk again, he believes that

God is going to heal him, which is totally awesome and amazing to me, he hasn't talked like this

since last summer! God has done such a work in his life and while at the time I couldn't see

God's hand in this tragedy, now I can see He was there every single step of the way and He will

continue to be there until his full recovery! Because, we are all truly in better hands now! May

we never forget that God only breaks us to make us stronger and more like Him.

Living to live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

I have been thinking a lot here lately how people fall in and out of love so easily. One day she

loves him, the next she wants to choke him! And the sad thing is that the world has led us to

believe that this is normal, that this here today and gone tomorrow love is all that there is, but

you know what...it's not! And this was never how God intended it to be. With all this talk of

what "true love" is that has been floating around with some of my friends, I decided to really dig

deeper and think about this, and something that came to me was that there really are only two

types of love- "true love", the way God intended it to be and "infatuation" the way the world tells

us it should be. See, the thing is, true love is a slow, continual burn, where infatuation is a here

today, gone tomorrow blaze. Infatuation may seem more exciting at the time, but it's worth the

wait to find true and lasting love. Does it mean once we find the "One" for us that everything

will be perfect...no! I love the way that Warren Barfield's song "Love Is Not A Fight" puts it-

"Love is not a fight...but it's something worth fighting for!" If you haven't got a chance to hear it,

I would encourage you to take a few minutes and give it a listen, it is a very good song!

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1576405389dbed7a4e85

I decided to dig a little deeper and see what God had to say about this and this is one of the

scriptures that I came across, it is found in Ephesians 5:25, and reads- "Husbands, love your

wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." And it applies to everyone, not

just husbands, if we really, truely love someone, we will be willing to do ANYTHING for

them, even if it means putting our own happiness or even life on the line for them. We will do

whatever it takes to make sure that the other person is taken care of. So, somedays we may

be upset with them, or maybe not even want to talk to them, but the bottom line is...we STILL

LOVE THEM. May we all learn to fight for love and to never let it slip out of out grasp without

a good round of tug o' war! May you all have a blessed and wonderful day as we all learn to

love each other as Christ has loved us!

Living in Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

I found this video and it so so sweet that it just makes me smile, you have to watch it, I'm sure it will make you smile too!
True Love Is Forever...
It got me to thinking of all the things that do make me smile, a beautiful sunset, a baby smiling at me, the feel of raindrops cascading down my face in a rhythm all their own, there are so many good things that the Lord has given us that should bring joy to our hearts and a smile to our faces!

And yet, I think sometimes we get so caught up, so carried away by the distractions of life, by the things that make us upset or hurt us that we don't take time to fully appreciate all of the wonderful blessings we have been given. We need to learn to slow down, even if just for a little while and let all the beauty and wonder of what God has given us to truly soak into our souls!

I know I personally need to learn to be content with today and not worry so much about what tomorrow will bring, tomorrow will bring what it's going to bring, I just need to learn to love to live in the here and now, I need to learn to live for today! I need to remember that each and every breath that I breathe is a gift, and that any day could be my last!

When thinking of this subject the song "Every Breath" by Our Heart's Hero always comes to mind-

"Under open skies You whisper, it comes as no surprise to me. Thunder echos out this reminder, how beautiful You are to me. And it's blinding, when you find me...

Every breath that I breathe, is one that You take away. Hold me close to Your heart, when mine is ready to break. Every song that I sing, resounds with Your symphony. Every moment that passes, it's a miracle captured and handed to me...with every breath that I breathe!

Seasons come alive, Your heartbeat rides along the ocean breeze. Mountains cry out with Your fingerprints, this creation for all to see...

Every breath that I breathe, is one that You take away. Hold me close to Your heart, when mine is ready to break. Every song that I sing, resounds with Your symphony. Every moment that passes, it's a miracle captured and handed to me...with every breath that I breathe!

This sand will fade that You put beneath my feet, but You'll be, You'll always be...

Every breath that I breathe, is one that You take away. Hold me close to Your heart, when mine is ready to break. Every song that I sing, resounds with Your symphony. Every moment that passes, it's a miracle captured and handed to me...with every breath that I breathe! You're every breath I breathe..."

That song is so powerful and true, Jesus Christ truly is every breath we breathe!

It says in Ecclesiastes 3:4- "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance." Let's choose today, no matter what is happening in our lives right now to make today a time to rejoice and be glad in the Lord for all He has done and is going to do in our lives!

God bless you today and let you learn how to truly be happy in Him!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

Wow! Sorry that it has been so long since my last blog, college, family and church keep me pretty busy!
I have really been having a tough time struggling with God here lately, He promises that he will lead us in His path for our life when we put Him first, in Psalm 37:5 it says - "Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass." It had become to seem like my prayers were hitting a brass heaven though here lately, not when I prayed for others, but when I prayed for guidance for my life.

I was really searching to figure out why and God showed me that He didn't just want to be a love IN my life, He wants to be the love OF my life. Nothing above Him, no matter what it is. As I let Him in and started giving Him all of my heart, piece by piece, I could feel my heart throbbing as He slowly carved away the parts of me that are not of Him and I won't lie, it hurt. It still hurts, but I know this is the only way to touch God's face and not just His hands. I want Him more than I could ever express, and yet, there are these temptations that batter me every day and I have to fight just to keep myself on the right path.

I try to do things on my own, to prove that I don't need help, the truth is though, I really do!

I have had eating disorders in the past and slowly here lately, they have begun to try to resurface, and I didn't know why and then I realized, I had let myself slip back into my old habit of comparing myself to others. God has begun to show me though that I don't need to be a size 2 to be beautiful, I don't need to have a boyfriend, I don't need to capture anyone's attention, but His! He is the only one worth living for, the only one who knows me completely and yet loves me completely! I can admit that I am not perfect and I can know that I can't do this on my own because, God not only made me the way I am, He LOVES ME THE WAY HE MADE ME!

Try as I may, I can never escape His love, I can never hide from Him, He is the only one who will chase and pursue me even when I push Him away, He always will love me and accept me. As long as I repent of my wrong doing, He will pick me up, dust me off, and tell me that He loves me more than I could ever even understand or know!

The song "Escape" by Rush Of Fools puts it so beautifully-

Everybody crashes down, sometimes. Everything comes falling down, sometimes. I don't even know how or know why...the thing I can't escape is You, the promise that You made is You will pull me through. You're never far away, no matter what I do. The thing I can't escape is...You!

At times I try to hide from Your eyes, at times I'm covered up in shame from my lies. You sweep me into Your embrace and I cry...the thing I can't escape is You, the promise that You made is You will pull me through. You're never far away, no matter what I do. The thing I can't escape is...You!

It's You, Your grace...irresistible! It's true, it's true! Your grace...irresistible! The thing I can't escape is You, the promise that You made is You will pull me through. You're never far away, no matter what I do. The thing I can't escape is...You!

The thing that I can't escape or would I ever want to be able to escape is the love of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He is the only one worth living for, the only one I want to live for!

May you have a blessed day as you discover that Jesus Christ is the only one who will ever know you "COMPLETELY" and yet still love you "COMPLETELY"!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

Sorry that it has been so long since I last wrote, I have been going through a real time of searching to find who I truly am and where I am going in life...and you know what I found? I may be the crazy country girl who is loud, won't quiet down, and is somewhat strange, but I'm okay with it! I may not have a boyfriend, but since when is that our main goal in life? We need to strive to serve Jesus and everything else will follow! He is the only one who can quench that thirst inside of us, that need, that want for an everlasting love.

I have learned that while I don't know what the future holds and sometimes, I am scared, I know Who holds my future! And I know He loves me more than I could ever know and that He only wants what is best for me, and I praise and thank Him for that! Jesus Christ is AWESOME!
He loves me just as I am, I don't need to make myself out to be something more for Him, because He made me the way I am and He calls me beautiful in His eyes! And in the end, that is all that really matters anyways! Knowing that no matter what comes, no matter what happens, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS faithful to keep His promises to His children!

I love the Lyrics to this song, they always bring me such comfort-

More Faithful- by Skillet

All the things my feet thought to be firm
Are falling with urgency
Tearing back my false sense of security

Some say things change, nothing stays the same
But the sweetness in my ears
Safe in your arms speak the words I love to hear

You have been more faithful than the morning sun
You have been more faithful than knowing the night will come
You have been more faithful than the changing of seasons

All things I thought that I used to know
Are falling down again
Our disillusionment is how we grow

Some say things change, nothing stays the same
In a world of inconsistency
When everything's a lie,
What can cause my heart to believe

The music video for the song is pretty awesome too-More Faithful - Skillet

No matter what happens, no matter what tomorrow may bring for us, let us always, always remember that- OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! And no matter what, He will take care of us!

I want to leave you with this verse as an ending thought today-
"He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart." Isaiah 40:11

May God bless you all as we learn to trust Him completely!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

Hey, everybody I hope your week is going wonderfully! Mine is going anyways!

I learned the lesson once again that we HAVE TO GUARD OUR HEARTS, once again. As always, it was the hard way. I have to learn not to let a boy run off with my heart too quick, because it ALWAYS ends in heartache and headache. Why do I always forget that? Sometimes, I think God would like to hit me over the head with a 2x4 and be like- "How can you forget that I am the ONLY guy you can fully trust your heart with?" instead though, he is patient with me.

I was really looking through some scriptures last night and I came across this one in Proverbs 4:23-
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

I have to learn to do that, never let my heart get ahead of what I know God is telling me. Never run ahead of my common sense. When will I ever learn that lesson for good?

For a while, I am going to just let Jesus Christ be my one and only. I need to remember that I have to be COMPLETE in HIM before I can ever be in a true and meaning relationship with someone else.

I have grown so much this past year, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. I have so much more growing up to do though, and I need to learn to just take it all one day at a time. For now though, I just want Jesus Christ to be the CENTER OF MY WORLD! Nothing else, just HIM!

I love this song by Hillsong United called "All For Love"-

All for love the Father gave, for only love could make a way.
All for love the heavens cried, for love was crucified.

Oh, how many times have I broken Your heart?
But still You forgive, if only I ask
And how many times have You heard me pray, draw near to me.

Everything I need is You...my beginning, my forever, everything I need is You!

Let me sing all for love, I will join the angels song.
Ever holy is the Lord, King of Glory, King of all.

Oh, how many times have I broken Your heart?
But still You forgive, if only I ask
And how many times have You heard me pray, draw near to me.

Everything I need is You...my beginning, my forever, everything I need is You!

All for a love a Saviour prayed, Abba Father have Your way.
Though they know not what they do, let the Cross draw man to You!

Oh, how many times have I broken Your heart?
But still You forgive, if only I ask
And how many times have You heard me pray, draw near to me.

Everything I need is You...my beginning, my forever, everything I need is You!

I wouldn't be doing the song justice if I didn't give you guys the link to hear it for yourselves, so here it is - All For Love

It is so true, Jesus Christ is EVERYTHING that we could ever need! His is the Lover of my soul, my true Knight in Shining Armor and the ONLY one who knows everything about me and still loves me!

I was thinking a lot about why God lets us get broken, battered, and bruised. Something came to my mind though. In high school I played Volleyball, when I first started my arms would get so sore from hitting the ball over and over. The first week in fact, they were so bruised that they throbbed. But, as time went on they toughened up, it got to the point where they could take it and it didn't hurt. Now, I don't think God wants our hearts to get tough, that is not what I am saying at all, I think He wants us to realize that if we just learn to trust Him and come to the realization that EVERYTHING we need is Him and that we are much stronger than we think, we will get tougher and able to stand our ground. Even when we would rather just lie down and quit!

Anyways, that is just my though process for the day, hopefully someone other than me got something out of it, if not, guess I was just preaching to myself! LOL!

Have a wonderful day and an even better rest of the week, remember to be blessed and be a blessing!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

OI! I knew I needed to hop over here and update this, it was way too long this time!!!!!! So, sorry about that folks! LOL!

My year is speeding by, with the upcoming Christmas Musical at my church and the practices for that, college, and trying to stay a float, I haven't had much spare time in between!

I love this time of year and just the joy that it brings to our hearts, I am more of a giver than receiver, but that's just my nature. One of my friends was asking what I wanted for Christmas and jokingly I said a boyfriend! LOL! It got me to thinking though, can you imagine the disasters that would sometimes be caused if God really did give us everything we wanted? I shudder to think of some of the things I have begged and pleaded with God that if I didn't have them I would-"DIE!" obviously not true though, I'm still alive!

I think sometimes, we get so focused on ME, MYSELF, and I, that we forget that the reason that we were put on this planet was to serve and honor Jesus Christ. We get so caught up in chasing the "American Dream" that we forget His perfect dream for us, the one He had with us and us only in mind. Why do we let society whisper the lie that we have to have someone to be important? I just don't get it sometimes and yet, I let them tell me the same exact thing.

Another reason this thought came to mind was that I watched the Hallmark channel movie "A Boyfriend For Christmas" and I wondered if that was possible, to really already have met the guy and him even still be in your life and you not even know it. I was thinking that maybe, the perfect guy is already in my life and he knows he's the right one and maybe, we're just not ready for each other yet. The thing is, I can't worry about it, I can't stress about it, or I'll go crazy! I can only leave it in the hands of my loving, and all-knowing Heavenly Father!

I got some interesting advice on this subject the other day, someone told me-"Kylie, be yourself, always. Love everyone and don't be afraid to let people see the real you. Let your life be like a kiss to other people for right now. And when you find the right guy, you will know, because he will be the one who catches the kiss and keeps it, the one who pledges to guard your heart, not steal it."

I thought that was pretty cool, I have to learn how to love those around me before I can love that PERFECT guy God has for me to spend the rest of my life with!

So, if I or if I don't have a boyfriend this Christmas...that doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is that I have a joy and a peace knowing God is always in control of it all!

Well, I have homework, so I gotta scram, but have a wonderful day!

Living To Live For Jesus Christ,
~Chick~

As always, any questions and/or comments more than welcome, just PM me!

Wow, I feel terrible for getting so behind on this?! LOL! Oh, well! Promise I will try to do better.

I just want to share a few things with you guys, some stuff that has been on my heart here lately. God has really been moving in our church and getting us back to the heart of worship, to where He is the center of our universe and it has really got me to thinking, what is it to love God with all that I am?

In the Amplified Bible Psalm 119:2 says- "Blessed are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart."

That is the place I want to get to, where I crave, I seek, I want Jesus Christ more than ANYTHING else in my life. Last night, God slowly started peeling the layers away from my defenses, and slowly, I am getting to the place where I can once again stand face to face with the Lover of my life and my soul and feel Him in my being...it is truly amazing! I am learning more and more to search for God's face, for His heart, instead of just wanting to find His hands and everything He can give to me. I want to give Him what I can, I want to search for Him with my whole, entire being and when I find Him I want to give Him all I am, my WHOLE heart, not just a part of it!

The last month, I have healed so much, my heart is finally at the point that I can feel, I can be happy, I can love to my fullest again! It is the most wonderful feeling in the world too, I had been numb so long, like if I turned myself off to everyone else I wouldn't get hurt. Yes, feeling again has meant I have felt pain too, but the sting of pain is so worth the feeling of joy that comes from being able to love with every fiber that is in your very being and soul!

God has just done so much for me and I am on a fast right now with the rest of my church. I am not able to "fast", because of my history with anorexia and the fact that giving up food for me personally would not be smart, so I am going on a fast from all books except ones that are devotionals or my Bible, and my textbooks for college! LOL! I am a really big reader and I am bad about falling asleep with a book instead of spending that time with Jesus. The past few nights spending the entire hour before I drift to sleep with the lover of my soul has been absolutely AWESOME! He has been just drenching me with His love and reminding me how beautiful and special I am in His eyes, it has been some wonderful times.

Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have some homework to do!

Praying that you all have a blessed day and a WONDERFULLY JOYFUL week,
Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
Chicka

Our church has been fasting and praying this month for our Country, our Church, our Community, etc. and so far it has been so amazing! I am not able to traditional fast because of past eating disorders and the fact that it is so easy to slip back into bad habits and that my church family and family worries so much about me! LOL! But, I am doing a modified fast of eating a light lunch and spending time with Jesus every single night, rather than watching a movie or listening to music to fall asleep, I have been turning on my Hillsong CD (Love that CD!) and just talking to God and basking in His love and telling Him how wonderful He is to me and praising and thanking Him for all He has done and will do in my life! The past week has been amazing! He is showing me things about myself that I never knew, He has opened my eyes to see myself as He sees me, this beautiful, intelligent, and like-able girl who is going to be used in a mighty way for His glory because, she has made herself available to Him! It has just been wonderful!

I have come to see how much I love Jesus Christ and how everything He is to me is wonderful, amazing, and BEAUTIFUL! The song Everything About You by Sanctus Real totally puts into words how I feel about Him, especially the chorus that says - "Everything about You, it takes my breath away, Hallelujah! I tried this once with out You, and it was my great mistake, Hallelujah! Questions fade, You remain!"
And that is how I feel about my Jesus Christ, He takes my breath away, His beauty and the way He sees me as perfect in His eyes is awe-inspiring! Just knowing He made me and He wants me just the way I am makes everything else in life just seem not so horrible, even when the world is tumbling down.

I was having great questions about college and whether I would finish out or not and I just really got some clarification there and I'm going to. I'm not a quitter and I am smart enough to do this, even if some people don't believe I am. And besides, I REALLY want to be a teacher and I'm not willing to throw my dreams away just because I got a little scared!

Well, I guess that is about all that's new for now, well, except that God put the most amazing guy into my life and we shall see where that goes...I will let you know!

I want to leave you all with this verse -"O sing to the Lord a new song; for he has done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory." - Psalms 98:1and the thought that no matter what goes wrong or right today, always remember that Jesus Christ is always in control and everything will work out just fine!

Have a blessed day as you are blessed and in return are a blessing to others!

Living to Live for Jesus Christ,
Chicka~

Hey, this blog is going to be really short 'cause I'm in a rush, but we just found out that my mom has cancer.
She has had a spot on her tongue that wouldn't heal for a while and went in and got a biopsy last week and we just got the results today that it was cancer. I am still reeling in shock and trying to be strong for my mom's sake, but it's tough. She's my pillar and my best friend and this is really hard to swallow. Just asking that you will keep her in your prayers, I take her to the doctor on Wednesday and to talk about what the are going to do. So, just keep our family in your prayers..thanks.

Living to Live for Jesus,
Chicka