29 Random Facts About Me

Its my birthday today. 29 years of God's love and goodness. 

Even though it hasn't been all flowers and rainbows, I'm so thankful for every year. Each year that God has given me has been a gift. Full of adventure, craziness, and life. Every time I look back I can see God's hand working and moving even in the thorny times (many times even more so).

Today is a day of celebration. Here goes 29 random things that you may or may not know about me. 

1. I don't remember the exact day that I was saved. I was so young and for some reason I can't recall the specific day. However I know that when I was very young God called me to be one of His children. He brought me into His kingdom and He keeps growing me and drawing me closer to Himself. 

2. I have a teddy bear collection. 

3. I've gone by many nicknames. Including but not limited to Smurf, Rabbit, elephant, RaRa, Sunshine, and Ruth. 

4. I enjoy bike rides and long walks. 

5. I like pretty much anything chocolate unless it also contains coconut or mint. 

6. My first job was cleaning house for a neighbor. 

7. I drank dog shampoo when I was 3 and lived to tell the tale thanks to my mom.

8. I like flowers. Roses are my favorite (shocker) 

9. I'm not very good at drawing or painting freehand, but if I have lines or a pattern I'm good (coloring pages are my friend). 

10. I've cross stitched my mom a Nativity every year for Christmas for the last 12 years.

11. I enjoy leaving a song every place I go. 

12. I enjoy travel and seeing new places.

13. I've seen the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

14. I'm a 7th generation Texan. 

15. I've listened through my Bible so many times I've lost count.

16. I have seen the fingerprints of God on every part of my story. Even in the hard parts. Whether being excited over a new job, dealing with a loss of a relationship, walking in the sunshine with a good friend, crying over a friend walking away from me, playing in the snow, having a heart to heart talk with a mentor, you name it I can look back and see Him there.

17. I like to play board games. 

18. I'm not competitive. I prefer to work as a team. 

19. I have a bag and purse collection. You can never have too many in my opinion. 

20. I have worked on 4ish short films, and 2 feature films, and done promotion for 1 feature film. 

21. I have a large notebook that I use to dream about what I want to become, trips I want to take, or things that I want to accomplish. I call it my dream journal.

22. Never Give Up is one of my favorite sayings. It encourages me on days when I'm feeling down and want to give up on people or projects. 

23. I'm an avid Sight and Sound Theater fan. 

24. I've taken a spiritual retreat every year for the past 4 years. 

25. I have an ever changing favorite song. 

26. I enjoy sending cards and letters to friends. 

27. You can easily surprise me. I'm either gullible or unsuspecting or maybe a mixture of the two. 

28. I enjoy making people laugh. 

29. I'm 29 and so excited to see what God does with this year. Whatever happens I know it's going to be a wonderful crazy adventure. 

Rhythms, Routines, and Normal Life

Normal. Routine. Mundane. This week has been getting back into the swing of normal. After 3 weeks off of work, it was time to get back into the rhythm of set schedule and work. 

Part of me didn't want to go back to normal. I like vacation. I like being able to wake up whenever I want, do whatever, and enjoy a slower pace. 

Vacations are fun and they teach me so much, but I wasn't made to live there. I was made to live in normal life. In the everyday. In the common and mundane moments of life.

When I step back and look at the pieces that make up a normal day, none of them seem exciting at first glance. Yet I'm so thankful for all of the individual normal things that make up a part of my day. An alarm clock that works. Prayer time. Family. A morning commute. A job working with kids. Hugs and smiles. Lunch. An afternoon commute. Music. Texting friends. Bible study. Audiobooks. Eating. Getting ready for bed. Writing in my daily journal. It's all every normal things, but I am so grateful that God is in the middle of my normal life. I don't just get Him on vacation, I get Him in everyday life. I don't have to do something special, I get to have Christ as my constant companion throughout the day. 

He is the One who gives meaning to the mundane. Each day I can wake up with purpose and go about another normal day secure in the knowledge that God is weaving a beautiful tapestry out of the threads of normal. It may feel so small and normal, but placed in His hands it becomes a lovely masterpiece. 

Today I'm so thankful for the normal, mundane, and everyday things that God has giving me. For the opportunity to offer some more threads to the tapestry He is weaving. 

What are some of the normal things that you are thankful for? 

Keep Going

I know this season has lasted longer than any of us wanted. 

This season of shutdowns, unknowns, Coronavirus, fears, and deferred plans. 

In this season, God hasn't been still. We have seen Him working. He is actively pursuing us and drawing us closer to Himself. In the midst of all the chaos, He has been with us. He has been our strength and our refuge. 

This season has not been easy, but it has taught us much. And it's not over yet. It's easy right now to grow tired and quit. But you don't have to. 

Let us keep pressing ahead. Let us not grow weary. Let us keep running the race that God has laid out for us. Let us keep doing what we know is right. 

With Christ by our side empowering us every step of the way, we can do this. In Him and with Him.

Know that I pray that today you would be encouraged to run the race well and love those around you. 

I Was Afraid

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I stood at the window gripping the window frame. Trying to find something firm to hold on to. 

I was scared. I could feel God tugging at my heart. He was asking me to not hold back my love for a friend. He was asking me to trust.

"Lord, I can't. What if she rejects the part of my heart that I offer? What if I'm left with this huge hole in my heart and end up empty? What if..." I had loved before. I had held nothing back. I had given all. Then I had been hurt and rejected. I had been misunderstood and left feeling empty. I couldn't do that again. 

His loving voice broke into my fears. "Entrust yourself to Me first. Give me your heart. Then hold nothing back from your friend. She needs to know your heart." 

I gripped the window a little tighter and took in a deep breath. Slowly I let it out and released the control. I let down the wall that I had built out of fear. 

I began to share my heart with my friend. I released my heart to God first and then into her hands. 

What I found was love and acceptance. Instead of running away, she came closer. Instead of moving away, she moved in for a hug. Instead of being empty, I was made whole by heavenly hands reaching out through a friend. 

Fear will keep me away from others. Love will draw me to them to pour out the love that has been given to me. I can never pour out more than God has poured out on me. It's in entrusting myself to Him that I find freedom to love lavishly, fully, and graciously. Just like He does. Even if my love is rejected, I can trust that God will always be enough for the lack that people leave.

So today I want to love well holding nothing back. Because I am in Christs loving care, I am safe to love others. In Him I am loved, safe, and always wanted. Praise be to His Matchless Name.

She Dances Free

She who once was enslaved to sin is now free in God. 

She who once followed her own passions now submits to God's leading. 

She who once brought shame now is a carrier of grace. 

She who was once proud and rebellious now follows God. 

She who was once beat down by sin and the devil is standing strong in the Lord. 

She who was once chained now dances free.

How is the possible? By the blood of the Lamb. It overcomes the greatest sins. It cleanses her filth. It removes her shame. 

Praise be to Lamb. Because of Him, she dances free. 

The Weak One

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Sometimes I feel so weak.

I want to be an awesome encourager, sold-out God-follower, good friend, and a good daughter.

But so often I reach these pivotal points where I have to make a choice and I see the gap between my abilities and the task at hand.

I feel weak and insufficient to do what He is calling me too. 

That's when He reminds me, "I have chosen you. I'm going to use your weakness to showcase my strength. I'm going to take the weakness of your singleness and use it to display My sufficiency. I'm going to take your heart that trembles and use it to touch others with My love. I'm going to take your words that seem so feeble and use them to build others up. I'm going to take your hands that shake with fear and use them to touch people with My love. I'm going to take the areas that you feel vulnerable and use them to display Me. Will you trust Me in all of this?"

To which I reply, "yes Lord. Take my weakness and fill it with Your strength."

It's then that the amazing happens. He fills me with strength to do that which He has called me to. Now I can step forward (many times with shaky hands) and make the God-honoring choice. I can live the life He has called me to live. He enables me to do what I couldn't do in of myself. 

Today if you are feeling weak and inadequate, Praise God! It's only when we come to the end of ourselves and cry out to Him that His power can flow through us. This is our Christian life. This is who God has made us to be. 

Today are we willing to let go of our self-sufficiency and become dependent on His sufficiency? We cannot to do both. Oh, Beloved let us chose to become Gods weak little lambs that Christs power might be displayed in us.

In Your Eyes

3 years ago I was in a broken place. When my engagement ended, I thought the tears would never end. I thought the pain would be forever. I thought I had lost it all. I'm so thankful God proved me wrong. 

One of the hard things I had to do in picking up the wreckage was going back to work. But God and my coworkers were so gracious. God comforted me and gave me strength for each new day. My family drove me in most of the time so they could be close for support. My coworkers gave me space and let me cry when I needed to. A true blessing. Slowly God healed what had been broken. 

One day my boss told me that she was so thankful I came back. "It was so sad to see you after the breakup. You looked empty. I was so thankful I got to see Rose come back into your eyes."

It was true. I had lost Rose to get marriage. With that that was off the table, I was left with a shell not sure of who I was. Hurting and broken. 

The amazing thing in all of this is that God never left me. He kept pursuing me. He day by day would restore and heal what had been shattered. He kept renewing me and making me new. 

Today I look back and I can trace His hand of grace and healing. He remade my heart to be more like His. He had Rose come back into my eyes. 

I pray that today when people look into my eyes they see Rose. The Rose that is a reflection of Christ. The Rose that longs for more of the Living God. The Rose that has compassion for the hurting. The Rose that seeks to be a good friend. 

In all of this, He is good. In all of this, He is faithful. In all of this, He works a greater plan than I can imagine. In all of this, He is to be praised. In all of this, He is Holy. In all of this, He is the One who restores what has been lost. He is the One who made Rose come back into my eyes.