If you’re like me, you think someone telling you to wear a more modest swimsuit or to “cover up more” is offensive. You think modesty takes away your freedom (Galatians 5:13). After all, God created us to love who we are, why can’t we just show […]
… who feel lonely, bitter, or broken in the season of singleness. Maybe you broke up with him, maybe he broke up with you, maybe you know it was the right decision, or maybe you’re confused because you thought when he said forever, he meant […]
You feel lonely. You think you’re broken. You’re wishing you could go back to innocent carousel riding days. Does this hit you right in the heart?
I hear you. Your feelings are real, they’re valid. But listen, you’re not too far broken that the pieces can’t come back together.
Oh beautiful friend, I’m not sure what you are going through but I sure do know how these things impact your heart. Maybe you’ve lost your virginity and wish you could take it back. Maybe you fell into the wrong crowd. Maybe you feel as though you’re friendless. Maybe someone you loved was taken from you and you’re angry at God.
I guess I just want to encourage you that you aren’t alone in what you’re going through. Our God doesn’t just reign, He’s relational. Reach to him in your pain. He’s near to the broken-hearted.
Prayer is so much more than a one way conversation. In fact, it’s not one way at all. Maybe it feels as if you’re not getting answers. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable praying. But I’m here to encourage you to cozy up to the Lord like an old friend- He is listening, He is acting, He is shaping the life you live. Let Him into that dark and scary corner of your heart. He’s waiting to switch on a light and guide you to freedom. He’s ready to break all of the chains holding you hostage.
This freedom creates joy that surpasses the feeling you had as a kiddo on a carousel.
📸 by Jason Slater , JOY by Jesus
Have you ever felt sort of in between? The feeling that maybe you have one foot over there and one foot over here, but you haven’t committed to one thing or another. I’m talking to you if you feel like an in between Christian. Maybe […]
“The God who knows everything about us so loves us” – Pastor Mike Patz How could anyone love me if they knew every dirty part of my life, every hurt, every word I said, every single thing I did or said that I regret? No […]
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good man someone might dare to die? But God demonstrates his love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since his blood has now justified us, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! – Romans 5:6-10
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." – 2 Corinthians 5:21
— Cami Hall (@joybyjesus) August 9, 2017
Woah, that’s a lot of info so let’s break it all down. Jesus was sinless, meaning He never did anything wrong. He was perfect. He never gossiped, nor did he lie. He never was anything other than Holy. But they nailed Him to the cross, and He let it happen. Why? So we didn’t have to die for our sin. Why? Because He knew the plan of redemption because the prophecies in Psalm 22 were to come true.
Remember what He did for you. He died the death you, and I deserve so that we can be free. Rejoice in that but remember the cost of your freedom, His life. His suffering. Choose to live in freedom today, friend, for it is finished.
Thank you, Jesus, for the good gift of mercy and patience. Thank you for this Good Friday, for this gift that we discover in the resurrection. It is finished & Hallelujah we are free!
Have you been watching #ThirteenReasonsWhy on Netflix? It’s about suicide, and the main character tells you why she did it. Why? She didn’t feel loved. She felt forgotten. She didn’t know she was wanted. She didn’t realize she mattered. So here, my friend, is a […]
I used to think my faith depended on my knowledge of Christianity. The use of words like “salvation” and “intentional” were important for me to understand and if I could just “fill my cup up” and “pour out” I was really doing it right. I […]
Our trip was cold, really windy, and we spent two out of three days at sea.
Our day in the Bahamas was cloudy. I was cold, and I cried (lol). We had margaritas and burgers at Margaritaville because I wanted wifi to FaceTime call my mom…. instead of making the most of it I just whined to Jason that it was bad weather and I didn’t feel well.
If you want a lesson in how to be a “Negative Nancy,” just ask me!!!!!
Moral of the story: those pictures you see on Instagram aren’t the whole story. No one ever shows the world the dirty parts. No one ever shows the parts that make them (gasp) human.
Are you feeling down based on the highlight reel of lives you see on Instagram? I’ve been there. Are you feeling lonely or broken? Been there too.
Friend, you’re not alone. We are all broken. We all need a savior. And social media highlight reels can get us down only if we let the devil’s lies into our heads.
Crack open your bible and read Romans 15:13, James 4:14-15, 1 John 5:3
You don’t have to be on a fancy island with perfect weather, have a perfect boyfriend, the most elegant clothes, or the perfect body. Not even the perfect Instagram will bring you joy or help you feel accepted. Nope. Only Jesus can do that. Will you invite him in?
You’re invited. You’re loved. You’re a princess. You’re delighted in. You’re chosen. You’re all of these things because you’re you, not because of who you pretend you are.
College has changed me, but not in the way I thought. … ClichĂ©, I know. I thought maybe I’d grow out of being a “goodie two shoes,” maybe learn to cook a few meals, manage my time and discover what my future career would be. […]