He is HERE

hello again. it's me. once again procrastinating, just like always.

tonight I went to a worship and prayer night at the Summit (my church in raleigh- I've been so blessed by it. if you're looking for a good Gospel centered church, try it out!) as yet another act of procrastination. to be honest, I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary- a time to worship Jesus just like on Sunday mornings at church.

well, this chick was wrong to expect little. very wrong.

I arrived about twenty minutes late (I hate being late to things like that and having to walk awkwardly in front of everyone) and tried to sneakily make it to the second row where my seat was saved (thanks hales and jessica!). holy. cow. I had barely heard five words and I had chills; goosebumps were all over the body. the Spirit was alive and moving; I could physically FEEL God's presence. isn't that incredible?! honestly, I don't remember a word either person said for the next ten minutes because I was just sitting there in awe that the Lord blessed me with a few minutes of being able to feel His presence and feel Him draw me close.

....which gets me to the point of this blog post. it blows my mind how personal God is. like, I can't wrap my head around it. He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He knows the most intimate depths of our souls, He has our names ENGRAVED on His hands (isaiah 49:16)! oh, how He loves us! I can point out little, tiny details of each day that are gifts given to me by Him that delight me! today my gift was definitely being able to feel His presence and get a tiny iny miniscule taste of what heaven will be like, praising Jesus for all of eternity.  don't put God in a box and confine Him into heaven. He is HERE, around us, always present! He is ALIVE and living among us- don't forget that truth!

do you really believe that God loves you personally? do you seek Him and His hand in your life daily? can you point out His 'little gifts' to you each day that He uses to woo your heart towards Him? do you know Him personally?

if you answered no to any of those, then I challenge you to seek Him daily. He LOVES you! He constantly pursues our hearts and yearns to know us, and yearns for us to know Him, our Creator and Savior! 

"The Lord your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness; 

he will quiet you by his love; 

he will exult over you with loud singing." 

-Zephaniah 3:17

matters of the heart.

this topic is oh so appropriate for this week and the looming shadow of Valentines Day. (aka singles awareness day - SAD if you will ;) ) this year is the same as every year - I feel like singles are hyperaware of the absence of love in their life. our hearts are made for someone...but that someone is God!

okay, forgive me for the cheesiness, but let's be honest. He is the Creator of our hearts, and He has made them to be satisfied in Him. our hearts long to be loved, protected, cared for, pursued, and so much more. God offers that to us- to everyone!! it is only in Him that our hearts can be at rest and truly satisfied; it is only from HIM that our thirsts can finally be quenched (John 4:14).

last summer, I made a split-second decision to be single for a year (yes, by choice....) and to actively pursue the Lord and discover who I am in Him. it's kind of a foreign concept, right- choosing to be single? yet one of the best decisions of my life. I've grown so much. I've learned so much. I'm more comfortable with myself and confident of who I am in Him.

I know many people struggle with not having a companion, and I have been there myself (and continue to go there sometimes). but these past several months have been some of the sweetest months that I've experienced in my life. it's actually TRUE- you don't need a boy to be happy! cherish the season that you're in. if you know Him, He holds your heart in His hands. He is ABLE to guard that which we entrust to Him- our hearts and souls (2 Timothy 1:12). Have you entrusted your heart to Him? if you haven't, then I urge you to begin the journey of knowing God.

so...take heart, singles! I challenge you to find satisfaction in Him this valentines day...and every day following that. be HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY! (to quote duck dynasty :D) you ARE loved! He is the lover of your soul and wants you to know the width, the height, and the depth of His love for you! knowing His love is so much better than being worried about your status of singleness - promise!

whether you believe it or not, He can use you in your single season of life. let Him!

let's chat.

alright, so I've had a crazy idea.... to start a blog. I don't know what's spurred on this decision- blogging is new territory for this chick. the most frequent interaction I have with the world is limited to 140 characters. but, I do hope that this blog- where I share my life, my ideas, my opinions, my walk with Jesus- can be an encouragement to whoever decides to stop by here and read for a little bit.

so, let's get on with the basics. who am I?
I am a college student who has no idea what she wants to do with her future. I am a perfectionist. I am confused. I am emotional. I am a planner. I hate sweet tea. I am genuine. I worry....a lot. I am a control freak. I love hugs. I love traveling abroad. I am a procrastinator (this blog is definitely a product of that). I love to speak Spanish. The way to my heart is through conversations over a cup of coffee. I am one of the few who love cold weather. I am not perfect. I am very, very awkward. I am a sister. I'm terrible at making decisions. I am short (no, I still don't like short jokes). I am a sinner, saved only through the grace offered to me by Jesus Christ. I am a daughter of the King. And I yearn for my life to reflect Jesus' love.

you've got to be wondering why in the world I chose this name for my blog...
In Scripture, we are referred to clay and God as the potter (Isaiah 64:8, to be exact!). There is something about that metaphor that stirs the deepest workings of my soul. The clay mentioned has not been made into anything- yet. "We are all the work of His hand..." He has formed each of us individually, with the deepest love and care. Actually- scratch that. He IS forming us individually, with the deepest love and care. He's not finished. He promises that He isn't done with us yet! "...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6) I, for one, absolutely cannot wait to see how He continues to mold me, to use me for His glory for the rest of my life. So, there it is. The inspiration for this title. I am a pinch of clay in my Heavenly Father's hands, an unfinished work.

like I said, I hope this blog serves as an encouragement for you. I struggle, I laugh, I mess up, I make things awkward, I forget, I dream, I love ...and I hope to share a glimpse of it with you.