Tick, tick, tick....

Tick.. Tick.. Tick

Seconds are constantly passing. Seconds you cannot get back. They may seem like only seconds. Nothing too special to pass up. But seconds are our whole life. 

Seconds turn into minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to months, months to years, and then 

just

like

that

your life is over. 

Tick.. Tick.. Tick

Time is passing and it doesn't stop for anyone. The world around us is constantly moving, constantly changing, and constantly pleading for our time. 

We 'allow' our time to be taken from us. but how often do we truly 'give' our time away? 

We let day after day pass so nonchalantly. "It's just another day" ...but what if it's actually your last day? 

Tick.. Tick.. Tick

I feel like the last couple years of my life have been a complete blur. I have a sting of regret over that time. Like maybe I spent too much of my time caught up in my own world instead of giving my time to those who were more than deserving.

Tick..Tick..Tick..

Here I am about to graduate High School. My little siblings are not so little anymore. My sister wears makeup now. My little brother doesn't run around in super hero suits. My older brother is getting married. Time slips away so very, very quickly, spend it wisely.

I want to remember my life as time spent that mattered. 

Time that mattered to me, to others, to my Jesus. 

Don't you want to look back one day and be proud of the life you lived? Instead of feeling guilt and regret because you spent too much time on things you only thought mattered.

Tick..Tick..Tick..

Time is fleeting and seconds are precious. Use them wisely. Live a life that matters. Give your time away, but don't waste it. Love others, enjoy your time with them. Invest in the lives of others. Smile more. 

Simply enjoy life. Because there is not enough time to not.

"..if your life flashed before you, 

what would you wish you would've done?

Gotta start looking at the hands of the time you've been given here

this is all we got then we gotta start thinking it.

Every second counts on a clock that's ticking

gotta live like we're dying."

The clock is ticking and you have a life to live and people to love on. Go do it.

3 Steps Toward Forgiveness | Sorry or Not

Forgiveness can be a pretty tough thing.

A lot of times we put forgiveness hand in hand with reconciliation. Ya know, when one person says they're sorry and we say "I forgive you" and then you move on.
Reconciliation with someone IS a beautiful thing.. But sometimes forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person. Sometimes it's just between you and your heart.

"Forgive them even if they are not sorry."

 (unknown)

Often when people don't apologize or show any sign of remorse for their words or actions, we think that validates us not to forgive them. We think we reserve the right to be mad and hold a grudge against them. We think we can treat them a certain way because of the way they treat us.

Today I read (Matthew 5 ) about how Jesus tells us to love our enemies. I was thinking about what that means to me because thankfully, I can't say I have a whole lot of 'enemies.' But I can say I definitely have had many conflicts big and small with various people.
So loving my enemies to me, means choosing to love and be kind to the people that don't always offer that behavior towards me. That's hard to do. I'm human, we mainly act based off of our emotions verses our true heart on the subject. I'm sure we'd all say we want to love our enemies and be kind to those who are unkind to us. It's in our hearts. But is it truly displayed in our lives?  As forgiveness has been on my mind here lately, I decided to write about 3 steps I find super important in forgiveness.

1. Making the Choice

I think the very first step towards forgiveness is making the choice to forgive.
People won't always seek you to gain forgiveness. I'd say that's pretty rare, actually. So when people don't seek me for forgiveness, that's when I need to turn to God to seek help with forgiveness. For he himself is a God full of grace and forgiveness. I have to make the choice to choose grace, love, and forgiveness over any action another extends to me no matter how hurtful.
I have to make the choice that I will not let their actions or words towards me determine how I am going to treat them. I have to choose to act on what I know is right, instead of simply reacting based off of how I feel.
Colossians says "forgive as I have forgiven you" not "forgive if your offender says they're sorry"
Jus' sayin'

2. Pray for the Situation

I think we really underestimate the power of prayer. Or maybe we think God is too big for all these silly little happenings in our life. But His word mentions multiple times how he cares for us. 

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 

Psalm 55:22 "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you." 

Psalm 68:19 "Praise be to the LORD, our God and Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

We serve a God who is alive and active in our lives. He cares about the little things that break our smiles and make our hearts hurt. He cares and He's ready to take a stand against them. 

3. Continue to Choose Forgiveness

Forgiveness isn't a one time choice. We have to choose to live a life of forgiveness. We are daily living in God's grace, as we should be daily living out His grace. When we make that choice to forgive, we have to continually choose forgiveness. 

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Lastly, I think the most important part is to be constantly pursuing God. If we want forgiveness and grace in our lives then we have to be pursuing the creator of forgiveness and grace.  

Like I said, forgiveness can be a pretty tough thing. But it is powerful just like our God, the creator of forgiveness. He can take any situation and any heart and completely change it.

So now I believe you have a choice to make! :-))

Continuously Choosing JOY ||

I wrote about joy and what it means to me in my very first blog post (Keep Choosing Joy) from October of 2014! But since it's been a while, I've decided to do a JOY UPDATE. YAY!

My blog is based after my most favorite quote in the whole entire world by Henry Nouwen:

"Joy does not simply happen to us. 

We have to choose joy, and keep choosing it everyday."

When I first stumbled upon that quote I decided to make it my life theme. But since then, I have failed many, many, MANY times at "choosing joy." It's hard. 

But even though I have failed, the choice to strive to choose joy has not. Yes, there are always going to be times I don't choose joy. I'm human, it happens. But having the mindset of striving to choose joy despite anything else has impacted my life tremendously. 

In case you missed my very first post and are too lazy to click the link above, let me share that mindset I'm talking about with you:

Joy is so much more than a word or an emotion to me. I'm not sure the exact moment God placed this word so strongly on my heart, but it was during a phase of my life that I was not joyful. I was not content. I was not seeking Christ and His joy, but seeking what 'I' wanted and what made 'me' feel good. 

I thought that the various things I wanted would fill me up and THEN I'd be content. I'd have joy. I'd have all I needed. But the things I wanted only left me filling empty and wanting more. It left me hoping that THIS next thing would maybe fill that void. 

But no, there wasn't anything I could do myself or get myself that would bring me joy and contentment. Only in Christ could I truly find fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) 

I didn't have joy because I was seeking myself rather than seeking Him. I was seeking what 'I' wanted, rather than seeking HIS will. 

He taught me that no matter what my circumstance is here on earth, I ALWAYS have reasons to be joyful in Him. A verse that really helped me when I was struggling with not choosing joy was Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

That verse has become so very important to me. I pray that he will fill me with His joy and His peace through whatever circumstance. I pray that He'll fill me up so much that I'm always overflowing with hope. I want to use the lesson He's taught me to reach out to others so they can experience the same joy, peace, and hope that I've experienced in Christ.

He has shown me perfect love when I was most undeserving. He suffered for me knowing all the times I'd shrink back instead of suffering for Him. He showed me love and grace, when all I deserved was death. How could I sit around and whine about my own personal troubles I face? He has given me so many more reasons to be joyful than I could ever come up with to not be.

My lack of joy was caused by my perspective. He taught me to make the choice to CHOOSE JOY. To choose to live in His love and His grace. Oh boy, has that decision made a big difference in my life. 

Of course there are still times when I struggle with choosing joy. I get grumpy and mad at the world for my own stupid reasons. But He constantly reminds me that HE is enough. 

In Him ALONE, I am finding what it means to be truly joyful despite anything else.

 I am learning to keep choosing joy day after day even when it's so very difficult.
I've made my decision, have you made yours?

With Every Act of Love

"God put a million doors in the world for His love to walk through. One of those doors is you." 

(With Every Act of Love, Jason Grey)

One of those doors is you. One of those doors is ME.

That line of the song always hits me hard. God designed me for His purpose. His love can be reflected off of me in SO many different ways if only I allow Him to work in my life.

Matthew 5:16 says "…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

One thing He has taught me is that sharing my faith doesn't necessarily always mean pulling someone aside and telling them all about Jesus and forcing it on them. But sharing my faith with someone can be shown just as easily as by simply BEING Jesus to them. Anyone can sit there and listen to facts about faith. Which yes, sharing the facts IS a part of it. But I think truly being the hands and feet of Jesus is the best way to reflect Christ in our lives.

When people are truly living out being a follower of Christ, it's going to show in every area of their life. People will look at them and think "What makes them so.. Different?"

They will want to know the source of your kindness.

A quote I hear quite often in my youth group, church, and various youth activities is "People won't care what you know until they know you care."

It's all about how we treat people. Another part of the song mentioned above that I absolutely love is: "Jesus let us carry You.

Alive in us, Your light shines through

with every act of love.

God IS love. So in every single act of love, big or small, HE is shining through. Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17)

So every act of goodness and love IS showing God because He IS goodness and love. (Pretty cool, huh?)

While I'm working the window at Chickfila, I've experienced MULTPLE times when someone will pay for whoever is in line behind them. Then when the next person gets to the window and finds out their meal is free, it makes my day by how happy they usually are. THAT is showing Christ.

That person may never see you, never be able to thank you, but they are able to feel the love and kindness you gave to them by something so simple.

The simplest deeds can speak louder than anything you could say.

None of this is to discourage you to never verbally share your faith. Definitely do that! Pray for opportunities to tell people of Christ and the work He has done in your own life. Pray for the right words to speak when those times do come. But also, never stop praying for opportunities to BE Christ. To BE goodness and love in someone's life. Because once they know you truly care, they'll probably be interested in the "why" and that's when you can tell them all about your Jesus. :)

I've decided this week to find one tiny thing every single day to show Christ in me through an act of love. I am praying God will show me this week exactly how He wants to use me.

Maybe by paying for someone's meal, by complimenting someone, or even just simply smiling at someone who looks like they could use a smile with their day.

I challenge you this week to look for ways to BE Jesus. Big and small. Pray for opportunities. Open your eyes to the broken world around us, and be a little healing in someone's life this week. It can impact someone a lot more than you think.

This blog post is also featured on my new friend Katy's blog :D

She has lots of neat encouraging posts and a super cute instagram account. (Be.happy_101)  Check her out and give her a follow! 

God bless, 

Carlie 

Waiting on God

Waiting. Pretty much no one in the history of ever likes to wait for something we want. Especially in the world today. We want, want, want! We want and we want it now!

Waiting is hard. Waiting isn't fun. Waiting takes patience, and who has time for that?? 

But waiting on God is a lot harder than waiting for your food to come when you're super hungry after a long day of work. 

Waiting on God is an art. Something to work at constantly. It takes patience, faith, trust, and truly letting go of whatever it is we need God to take control of.

I'm almost 18. Life is beginning to change for me and it's scary. I pray all the time for guidance of what decisions to make about my future and if the ones I'm making are the right ones. It's scary. It's hard. I pray and pray and pray, and for quite a while I thought I wasn't getting any answers. 

But then I realized I WAS getting answers, I just wasn't listening for them. I was only listening to what I wanted to hear. 

But God is like that one best friend you've had forever that has no filter around you and no matter what you want to hear from them, they're always going to tell you what you need to hear from them. 

God hit me right in the face with some stuff lately. He's taught me that it isn't at all about what I want and when I want it. (shocker, right??)

I'm learning to wait on Him. I'm learning the art of patience, faith, and trust. I am learning to fully let go of my life and surrender it to Him. 

My usual experience with "waiting on God" has been more of me praying for my wants every night and losing patience and getting frustrated when things don't seem to play out the next week or two. I want Him to work and I want Him to work now! 

But God is never not working. He is always doing something whether I see it or not. He is ALWAYS doing His part. So I need to always do mine. 

The song "While I'm waiting" by John Waller speaks to me SO much. I can name multiple times of my life I have listened to this song and did a little perspective changing on my situation.. It displays the attitude we should have while we're waiting on God. 

Normally when I share lyrics I only post a line or two, but this one is too good not to share the whole. Read through these lyrics and really soak up what they mean.

"I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You, Lord

I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You Lord, though it is painful

 But patiently, I will wait.

I will move ahead bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting, I will serve You.

While I'm waiting, I will worship.

While I'm waiting, I will not faint

I will be running the race, even while I wait.

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You, Lord

I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You Lord, thought it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait."

Aren't those lyrics touching? The story behind John Waller writing that song is about him waiting on God for seventeen whole years for something he thought he was ready for right then.

We've all heard a thousand times that God's timing is not our timing. 

So when I pray and pray and pray and still don't seem to get any answers, I will learn to serve Him, to worship Him, and to keep running the race even.while.I.wait.

I will learn to move ahead bold and confident, taking every step in obedience. Because as long as I am doing my best to put Him first in my life, He's going to let the rest play out. I don't need to know all the answers, I need to trust that my God's got it all under control. 

If you've read quite a few of my posts, then you've learned by now that I really struggle with fear in the whole "future" area of my life. Learning to let go and fully trust Him is extremely hard. It's scary not knowing what exact steps to take. But I'm learning just how much He really wants me to let go. He wants to take this burden from me. He wants to lead me. He wants my heart and my trust 100%.

All I have to do is surrender it all to Him. To say "You lead." 

He wants me to trust that He still hears me even when I don't hear Him. 

"I wait for The LORD, my soul does wait. And in His word I do hope." (psalm 130:5)

"Our soul waits for The LORD; He is our help and our shield." (psalm 33:20)

"Wait for The LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for The LORD." (psalm 27:14)

I'm waiting on you, God. Do ya thing! 

Love || Choosing it

In honor of Valentines day coming upon us, I decided to write a post about love and what love means to me.

If you were to ask me to describe what I think love is in one sentence, it would be to forget about yourself.

That's all love is, really. Forgetting about yourself and putting someone else above you.

"This is how we know what love is: because Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."

(1 john 3:16, NIV)

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" 

(John 15:13, NIV)

I've heard those verses a lot but I hadn't really thought a whole lot about them till lately. Whenever I read them, I only ever thought about the mission field, the army, and all the various areas where people were physically laying down their lives for other children of God. Which yeah, it fits for that. 

But I've learned that laying down my life, doesn't necessarily always mean literally laying down my life. But maybe just setting aside my own desires for the benefit of someone else.

My entire faith is based off of the love that was shown so graciously to me. But yet so many times I turn around and refuse to extend that same love that was shown to me. I am learning (slowly!) to lay down my own life, because Christ laid down His life for me.

I couldn't write a blog post about love and not include 1 Corinthians 13. The looove chapter! ;) I know you've probably all heard this twenty three thousand times. But while you read this, really think about what it means. Think about the traits of love and question yourself if you're living out those traits.

"Love is patient

Love is kind

It does not envy

It does not boast

It is not proud

It does not dishonor others

It is not self seeking (!!!)

It is not easily angered

It keeps no record of wrongs

Love does not delight in evil

Love rejoices in the truth

It always protects

It always trusts

Always hopes

Always perseveres."

Side note: That verse right there is why it really amuses (irritates, actually.) me when young couples spill out  "I love you" way too easily without committing to the traits in this verse.

Being IN love with someone and truly loving them are two very different things. Love is a big deal, people!!

But I'm not talking about mushy lovey dovey love. I'm talking about real love. A love that is full of grace, encouragement, truth, hope, and all the characteristics that were shown to us.

A love we CHOOSE even when 99% of us is nagging at us to take the easy way out.

But love is forgetting ourselves. Love is laying down those human characteristics and choosing to seek someone else instead. Definitely easier said than done. 

Below is one of my favorite quotes (I sure do say that a lot, don't I??)  

"We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."

-Madeleine L'Engle

Love is powerful. It changes people and it changes lives. I think a lot more emphasis should be placed for Christians to love. We should focus more on truly loving every single person God places on our path. Short term or long term. Love them. Love, love, love them. Because that is all we are created to do. To be a source reflecting back love Himself. 

Love is a huge choice to make. It's hard and sometimes every bone in your body will be resisting. Although it's hard, it is so very, very powerful. I can't say that enough.

A tremendous and perfect love changed the world many, many years ago on the cross and continues to change hearts to this day. 

What wonderful ways He can work in us when we choose to love despite anything else. 

When we choose to lay down our lives for others. 

When we choose to forget ourselves and love as Christ has loved us. 

In closing, one of my favorite, favorite, faaavorite verses! 1 John 4:8:

"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Choose love. 

Carlie

Everything will Always be Okay || My Reminder

Today I am in awe of how amazing my God is. I am in awe of His work; His beauty. I am in awe of the ways He touches my heart right when I need it. He speaks to me through His word. He encourages me. He cares for me. He LOVES me.

Today He taught me that sometimes I need to take a step back, take a breath, and just remember that everything will always be okay. This life is only temporary, anyway.

I have let doubts control me. I have let fear control me. When things like doubts and fear begin to take over, it's easy to let that destroy certain areas of your life. (Important areas)

I get so consumed with my "right now" I forget He already has the entire story of my life already written out word for word. So whatever I go through is all apart of my story and who He is making me out to be.
Not going to lie, that is super hard for me to remember. The "big things" in my little bitty world seem like huge deals to me. I stress, cry, and shut people out to wallow in my own discontentment.
But ya know, I've learned I just need to relax a little.

He has taught me that He is a God of PEACE.
The definition of peace is "freedom from disturbance"

I have FREEDOM from my doubts, my fears, my troubles, etc.
Yes, I am still going to have them. But I'm not bound by them.
I can have peace even through the phases of my life when I feel as if I can't hear Him. He has already made a promise to me I can always hold onto, even when I don't see Him working. That promise is from John 14:27 and John 16:33 where He says:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!

I have overcome the world."

That second verse has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. It has encouraged me through many, many various situations.

We are never promised that we won't have troubles. We are humans living in a broken world. Sin entered the world and we're cursed by it. But while we are living in this broken world, He tells us to take heart. For He has already overcome it! Isn't that something?

We could go through the absolute worst thing that we could possibly go through, and He's still already overcome it.

It doesn't mean it won't hurt. It doesn't mean it won't test us. It doesn't mean we won't still struggle with fear, doubt, anxiety. But it means we have a weapon against all those things. We have HOPE. 

We have a God who is ready to fight for us, lead us, and to ensure us that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:23) 

He is ready to work all things together for my good because I love Him. (Romans 8:28)

He is able and He is ready. He just wants me to trust Him. 

Today I was sitting outside on a blanket in my backyard with my bible and my journal. I was praying about some specific things that have been troubling me lately and He touched my heart in a way I can't even describe with words. 

I sat there alone in my yard holding my bible with the sun shining on my back and the wind blowing around me. 

I really felt His beauty. His presence. His peace.

As I sat there in awe with tear filled eyes, the only words I could think to write in my journal for today were: "It is days like today that you remind me everything will always be okay."

God is so good to us, and what a wonderful gift it is to be alive. 

Poem #3 | What Matters

Usually I keep the poems I write hidden away in a notebook under my bed for no one to read but myself. I've shared a couple of my favorites on here but still not typically one of my favorite things to post. BUT, today I was cleaning out my drawer full of ten million notebooks and I came across this one I wrote a few years ago.

It was one of the first few "real" poems I wrote, that actually made sense. 

It's not my best work, but I liked the message that was on my heart while writing it. So I've decided to share it with you guys. :) 

"She stood quietly, her hands folded tightly

Not making a move or a single sound

But somehow her presence screamed louder than the crowd

The slight smile on her face was priceless

Dirty clothes, dirty face, but she couldn't care less

Her pale skin stained brown with dirt and dust

But still, she shone. 

The poorest of them all, yet somehow the richest.

Others around her tried to shine too

But falsely with lies, leaving them with hearts broken in two.

Her hair was knotted and her body too thin

But still she was beautiful, for it came from within. 

No one else understood how she shone so bright

They had everything in the world, but their lives seemed alone, without any light

They were the richest of all, but somehow the poorest. 

Her heart sprang with warmth and laughter 

To her, money and gifts didn't matter

There was something about her that made every head turn

She had a way of making the coldest of hearts feel a burn

It wasn't her beauty and it wasn't her wealth, for her treasure was not there

It was her genuine kindness and heart full of love and care.

The poorest of them all, yet somehow the richest

Others sneered and laughed with pride, but she never even noticed

They pushed her down to elevate themselves, only bringing themselves the lowest

The richest of them all, yet somehow the poorest

They faked their kindness, building their own popularity

All in hopes of hiding their insecurities 

Making their own names known, in hopes of shining too

But still, she was the only one who shone

The poorest of them all, yet somehow the richest.

The others longed to know her secret

But she didn't even know it herself

For she was so lost in her creator, she forgot about everything else

Her life was full of love, and her heart was set above

Hardly any possessions of her own, but all she had was enough

Her secret wasn't really a secret at all

She was a selfless person and that is what shines brighter than them all

So very poor, yet somehow the richest.

It's easy for me to write about a girl like that but OH BOY is it so much harder to live out being a girl like that!! The world around us is constantly saying "build up yourself", "love yourself", "do what you want." "Get as much as you can"

But we serve a God that says "Give ME the glory." "Love me with all your heart, soul, and mind." "Follow MY will for your life." "I AM ENOUGH."

In a world that teaches us that it's all about ourselves, I'm learning to say "it's all about YOU, God." 

I'm learning that HE is always enough for me.
An art I will probably never master, but will never stop working at. 

I've written sooo many poems that I've never shared with anyone. Tell me what you think! Should I post more? Check out my new contact page to find out how to contact me. 

God bless,

Carlie :D

Moments |

Moments have always meant a lot to me. I think that's the reason I love pictures so much. When I take pictures capturing sights and people that make me happy, I can keep that moment forever. Years down the road I can look at an old picture and remember the happiness captured through the picture and feel that same happiness again.

It might sound kind of the cheesy but it's true. Little moments of happiness and beauty mean a lot to me. 

It's so normal to live for the big things in life. But when you think about what makes your heart the happiest, it's probably not the things you have: your money, your success, etc. 

It just feels like we forget the importance of our relationships and interactions with people. Life is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful but how often do we stop to realize that? 

My wallpaper currently is also my most favorite quote ever: 

I love that. If you were to ask me what makes me the happiest, my answers would be similar to what I wrote about in one of my first few posts: 

I love the colors in sunrises and sunsets. I love dandelions in the Summer. I love looking at the lovely night sky. I love road trips. I love singing lyrics at the top of my lungs with my friends. I love when my boyfriend randomly hugs me or holds my hand a little tighter than usual. I love laughing. I love family traditions.

All these things sound so small and stupid, but they're the tiny moments, places, and people that make life lovely. But a lot of times we're too busy to stop and recognize these things. 

Another one of my ALL TIME favorite quotes is:

I think we just get too caught up in our own business way too easily (@ myself!) 

But life is actually pretty lovely and beautiful and so are people and I think we should all spend more time simply enjoying it. 

I don't want to look back one day, and only remember pointless things that won't matter. No matter how big they may seem now. I want to look back and remember the beauty and smiles in life. I want to remember the things that are actually important. Not what only seems important at the moment. 

Another one of my resolutions for 2016 is to "live for right now" 

Not in the stupid, "you only live once" type of way. But in the smart "you only live once way" 

(It makes sense if you don't think about it) 

What I mean by that is simply that I don't want to look back and regret. We were made to seek Him and to live fearlessly FOR him. Seeking Him and seeking out the beauty He's created. 

I want to seek Him and live fearlessly FOR Him, instead of seeking and living for myself. Where's that going to get me anyways?

He has made this life breathtakingly beautiful. He's blessed us with lovely people and lovely places. Even though there's darkness all around, there's also a lot of beauty and light. (The light shines even in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome it!! See John 1:5) 

I think we just have to open our eyes and hearts and choose to see it. 

What moments did you let pass you by today? Don't make the same mistake tomorrow.

A few lovely moments from last couple of weeks:

Morning Jesus + chocolate milk (not much of a coffee person) 

Lovely sunrise while doing a parking lot check at work in the FREEZING COLD but it was worth it.

DANDELION MY FAV!

Super cool sunset.

ALSO follow my instagram: @keepchoosingjoy or click the link below or to the right to like my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/keepchoosingjoy/?fref=ts

Breaking the Negativity || Seeking the Positivity

What if we had a "Backspace" button with the words we speak? 

As I'm starting this post, I backspaced twenty thousand times because the words just weren't...right.

I was planning on writing an entirely different post, but something struck my heart and I'm going to go for it.

So, like I said, we don't have a "backspace button" for the words we say. Once they're said, they're said. So why is it that most the time, we're hardly even cautious with our words? We hurt and we tear down so easily without even a second thought sometimes? 

One thing I've noticed a lot lately is just how much negativity is out there. It seems like anywhere I go I see/hear people tearing down and there's not always a lot of building up going on. I've noticed how much negativity I have myself.

It is really easy and (unfortunately) natural to tear someone down. We are all imperfect people with flaws just radiating out all around us. So we notice those flaws and for some reason think it's perfectly okay for us to point those flaws out. It's not.

One of my resolutions for 2016 is to break the negativity. 

I hate how normal it has become for me to see the flaws in other people. I want to break that negativity. I want to demolish it completely. 

Going even farther than just "breaking the negativity" I want to be "seeking the positivity"

I want to seek the good in every individual no matter how weird that individual may seem to me. Because newsflash: They're still a child of God, and God values them as much as he values me.

I read this quote earlier that I thought was quite fitting: 

"Be careful with what you say. You say something hurtful in ten seconds, then ten years later, the words are still there" (Joel Osteen) 

Ya know, the tiniest little insults can actually hurt a whole lot. So I think it'd be a good idea to be more cautious of which words we're letting flow through our mouths. 

Philippians 4:8 "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS." (Emphasis my own) 

Fill yourself up with true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts, and that's exactly what you'll speak. It all starts when you make a choice to break the negativity. 

OK in closing, I have a challenge. A positivity challenge. 

Every time you think something negative and you want to let it out of your mouth, keep it in. But not only keep it in, but also, replace that negativity with something positive. Compliment that person. 

Mine was my resolution; something I want to work on all year. But set your own date, maybe even just for tomorrow. Learn to break the negativity and add to the positivity. 

Living Victoriously || Overcomers

Living victoriously. This is a really random topic that just popped in my head the other day on my way home from work. (Love when that happens!)

But I've been thinking on it for a couple days and decided to try to put these thoughts into words.

One of the notes I wrote down for this post was "Fighting through life" 

I've been thinking about our fight as Christians. We are fighting through life; fighting for the good we believe in. But I feel like we forget really easily that our fight has already been won.

It's easy to get discouraged at all the darkness in the world that seems to be rapidly taking over the world. But John 1:5 says "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it."

The darkness can't win. We've already won through Christ. 

So why aren't we living victoriously like a winner would? I don't mean being full of pride and a "I'm better than you" attitude. But an attitude of courage and boldness. We have won. Now it's our job to bring that light into the darkness in the world. 

It just.. really bothers me how comfortable we get. We play church and live mediocre lives and call it "walking the walk"

But we are called for so much more. We shouldn't be content just getting by. We should be living courageously and actually DOING SOMETHING to further His Kingdom and share His love.

I feel like our mediocre should bother us a whole lot more than it does. It really bothers me. But when I'm thinking about it, I think "Well. What are you doing about it then Carlie?"

John 16:33 says "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." 

He didn't say "For I WILL overcome the world." No, he said "For I HAVE overcome the world."

Already done. He overcame, which means WE are overcomers. We've won. So we should live like it, don't ya' think? 

Since a new year is here, I think a good New Year's resolution would be to "Live victoriously" Pray for strength and courage to really live as an overcomer through Christ.

We've already won the war, we're just not done fighting it. Let's live like it.



Also, also, also: Like my facebook page to the right! Or follow my instagram: @keepchoosingjoy
Happy New Year, friends! 

Isaiah ||

YAYAY time to write about a huge blessing in my life that makes me oh, so happy! :D

(If you don't like mushy posts, then you might want to stop reading now.) (That's a joke, keep reading anyways)

Look at this handsome fella! 

God works in the neatest ways, and one of those neat ways was that He brought this wonderful man into my life at just the right time. It's a sort of.. complicated story that I'm not going to share on here. (Feel free to ask me in person though) But my relationship life was something that I wasn't fully surrendering to God. For quite sometime I was holding onto what I wanted. Regardless of anything else. 

Literally RIGHT before I met this wonderful man pictured above, I finally had a long talk with God. Frustrated and eyes filled with tears I said "I don't want to feel like this anymore." and I surrendered that part of my life to Him. Then only a couple weeks later was when I met Isaiah and everything just kinda.. fell into place. 

OKAY SO NOW I'M GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL HE IS.

One of the things I really admire is that he's CHIVALROUS. Nothin' more attractive than a gentleman! But he is just very kindhearted in general and always does a good job looking out for me and taking care of me.  

He has great parents that raised a great Godly young man. I love how easy it is to feel at home with his family even from the very beginning. Props to Mr. and Mrs. Robinson for raising a gentleman that loves Jesus. It really doesn't get any better than that. 

Another trait I really admire is that Isaiah is a lot like my dad.  I've always been a daddy's girl.  My dad has showed me two very important things. Through his marriage and through how he treats me and my sister, he's taught us just how a lady should be treated. Through his life, he's showed us how a man of God should act. So finding someone a lot like him makes me super happy. 

ALSO he's hilarious and is always making me and everyone around him laugh constantly which is also a very good trait to have. I'm pretty much always laughing or smiling when he's around (Or glaring at him 'cause he's a punk sometimes.. But even then I'm glaring through my smile) 

Okay want to see cute pictures?? Even if you don't... Too bad. Take a look! 

Another one of my favorite things about him\us is simply just always having a bud (Is calling him bud friend zoning my boyfriend..?) around to just hangout and have fun with. Even just going to Mcdonalds is fun with him. Which is really good considering it's his favorite place and we seem to end up there a lot.. :P

We don't even have to do anything expensive or special, just hanging out and having random adventures makes me happy. 

I like that it's never weird or awkward around him. We can just be weird together and make each other laugh. I think that's one of the most important things to have in a relationship. Someone you can just be silly with. We're good at that:

See. He's a weirdo. ^^ But he makes me smile. :)

With him I've noticed that I'm more aware of "moments" They mean more to me than before. Really, really simple moments like just driving around while listening to music together, or walking and holding hands, sitting outside on the porch at night just talking. 

Even just lame things (Like going to Mcdonalds) are randomly really special to me with him. Not that the places are always anything exciting but just because he's special to me and his company just makes my heart happy. 

I'd be happy just to have him as a friend but EVEN BETTER I GET TO HAVE HIM AS MY BOYFRIEND AND HOLD HIS HAND AND HUG AND KISS HIM AND STUFF SO THAT'S EVEN BETTER YAY.

"The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you."

I LIKE THAT QUOTE AND I REALLY LIKE YOU. THANKS FOR BEING AWESOME. 

Another Poem || Scars

|| Sometimes the cuts once scraped upon the heart

Still haunt and torment you in the dark

You might wish for a hit to your flesh knowing that it will fade 

Because the wounds to your soul often remain for long after they were made

Our hearts will hurt and our hearts will bleed- but those scars are crying something lovely

They're saying "Look! I've made it this far!"  

All taking part in the story of who you are

They're proof that even though you were hurt, you still moved along

The tears once streaming down your face, built you up and made you strong

There's no reason to hide your scars, you're only to wear them proud. 

Tell your stories! Tell them loud.

Maybe you aren't who you were before your heart was hurt

You're like a beautiful flower, once growing up through dirt

So embrace the pain and let the wounds sting

for you never know the strength and beauty that this cut could bring. ||

Choosing to be Bold | Different |

Being different isn't a quality that typically gains a lot of respect.

No, being different in today's world is often looked down on and laughed at. 

Sometimes causing us as Christians to shrink away from our beliefs and hide behind our insecurities. We're human. We want to be accepted. 

Lately I've been learning about what it means to be bold. A verse that has been my "get me through senior year" verse is Hebrews 10:39:

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. But of those who have faith and are saved."

We are NOT of those who shrink back. That sentence alone gives me so much courage. 

Unfortunately, in most circumstances I'm probably better at shrinking back than I am at being bold. I mean sure, I've never directly denied Christ. But we all shrink back and deny Him in our own little ways every day. 

Like when everyone around us is talking about another person in a negative way. It's easy to "shrink back" and join in even when we know that's not the kind of person we are called to be. It's easy to find negative qualities in someone else.

It's not easy to be bold and stand up for that person. Or maybe even just walk away and refuse to be apart of it.

But it's the right thing to do.

Or in any circumstance that you're around others who may not strive to live the kind of life that you do. It's easy to shrink back. Sure, you don't have to take part in what they're doing/saying. But how often do we just sit back and watch what's going on around us instead of choosing to be bold and try to put a stop to it. 

I want to make a difference in people's lives. That's something I've been passionate about for as long as I can remember. 

But I'm learning that in order to make a difference, I have to BE different. 

I fall short of this all the time. It's all too natural to take the easy way out. But I'm praying He will give me a spirit of courage; that He'll teach me to be bold in all my words and actions. 

We have to make the choice. When controversial situations arise, are we going to choose to shrink back and hide behind our fear? Or are we going to choose to boldly step forward with a spirit of confidence, courage, and faith? 

Courageous by Casting Crowns is a pretty well known song from the movie Courageous that came out in 2011. 

One of the lines from the song that really stands out to me from that song is "may the watchers become warriors." 

 

In my own words, may the ones who shrink back become bold. 

This is something He's been teaching me for a while now. I am not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. But of those who have faith and are saved. I am called to be courageous and confident in Him. Boldy stepping out and allowing Him to shape me into a woman after His heart. 

I fail. You fail. 

We all fail and will continue to, but thank goodness we serve a God who doesn't hold anything against us. 

May you have the courage daily to wake up and choose to live boldy for our King. Even when it's not easy to be different. 

Decisions || Every Step of the Way

174 days till I am 18. Since I am almost an adult, I am facing a lot of the new challenging decisions and doubts that commonly come along with early adulthood. 

The biggest one being college. The decision that I've made I have only shared with a couple people. But to come out and say it, I've decided not to go to college. 

*gasp* 

I know, I know, that's not how the system works.. 

You're supposed to go to school kindergarden through graduation then continue on with your education elsewhere in order to be accepted by society. 

But frankly, I don't really care if society accepts it or not. 

What I think: 

Education is not bad. College is not bad. We are blessed to have so many different schools and organizations dedicated just to our learning. If I did want to go, I have endless options and oppurtunities. But it is not for everyone. 

This is something I have been praying about for a very long time. The last year or so I lost my pull towards going to college. Not out of fear, lack of motivation or anything of that sort. Some things simply can't be explained except for something I feel in my heart to be right. 

When I was making this decision, fear that I was going to miss out kept creeping up on me. College is such the normal thing to do that I could already hear all the comments people would make to my parents and I when they heard of my decision. 

But other people's opinions don't rule my life. 

No, I'm not going to sit around my house, bored out of my mind and call it a life. 

I'm going to create a life. It may not include professors, classes, school events and a dorm room.. but I will be content and happy knowing that my Jesus is leading me every step of the way. 

Once I made my decision the fear was still there. This time taunting me with "if you don't go, what ARE you going to do?" 

No one wants to feel like a failure. But the more I prayed and asked him to help me fully trust Him, the more He worked inside of me. He's been teaching me the beauty in letting go and trusting Him.

Earlier today I was looking back at some of my old posts and I read what I had written in my post "joy in confusion" 

I wrote: " I find joy and beauty in the mystery He is unfolding little by little right in front of me. 

When I am scared, I only need to readjust and remember, I am not in control. I don't need to know. 

For when I don't understand, I only have more reason to cling even tighter to my Jesus. To allow Him to teach me, to guide me, and to hold me through out my every move."

That's the mindset I want to keep. 

I am not in control. 

 I will never be in control. 

Not knowing what will happpen is perfectly okay.

 He's got me. 

So even though my next step is unknown at the moment. I serve an all knowing God that already knows my next step and the next thousand after that. Better yet, He is taking those steps WITH me. I have NO reason to fear, NO reason to doubt, and NO reason to be in control. 

Psalm 56:3 says "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" 

People are going to make unnecessary comments to me and I can't promise they're always going to sit well with me. But I will continually pray for courage, wisdom, and a heart ready to chase after His will for my life.

 I will trust that He is ALWAYS walking with me. Therefore, I will not be afraid.

I found this quote on Pinterest that I loooove.  

So I'm ready to jump into whatever He has in store for me. Whether it be something big or something small. I want to spend my whole life pouring myself out to serve my Jesus and all the people He puts on my path. I want HIM to accept my life. So whether or not anyone else does is.. well, unimportant. 

I just thought I'd share my decision and my story behind it. 

Anywho, like my Facebook page to the right or at the link below if you haven't already! :D  

https://m.facebook.com/keepchoosingjoy/

God bless! :)