THE UPS AND THE DOWNS AND EMBRACING THEM ALL
I’m already prepared for some to unfollow me after I share this post - I know it will happen. I know because of numerous conversations I’ve had or overheard in which some fiercely argue the exact opposite of me. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to someone fume during this season about how this pandemic and quarantine are the government’s way of controlling us, and how it’s unconstitutional that they closed down Christian churches, and that this is the first step at trying to censor us and keep us out of the church. I’ve been told this over and over, but as much as I respect those who’ve shared this opinion, the perspective itself doesn’t sit with me. I just can’t get behind it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there will come a time when we see the Christian church persecuted in America the same way we do in other countries; at least to some extent, anyway. And I can agree that there are those in our government now who don’t value making churches a priority during quarantine, or as we reopen our nation. But I can’t agree with the idea that the entire coronavirus pandemic is “just the flu” and that everything that has happened was a scheme of the government against the church. That doesn’t sit with me. But before I’m written off as young and ignorant, I’d like to share why. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and considering it from what I know scripturally about the church, and frankly I just don’t believe it makes sense that this would be an attack against us from our nation’s authority. First, just a friendly reminder that all houses of worship were closed down during quarantine - not just the Christian church. This means all churches, synagogues, mosques, and worship meeting places for any other religion. And while I can’t speak for states other than Kentucky, if you look back at the executive orders for closings and restrictions, churches were not singled out at all. On March 19th, an order was made by our governor banning “mass gatherings,” which included faith-based gatherings, alongside parades, concerts, sporting events, fundraisers, and other similar activities. And this was after the closing of schools, daycare, many government facilities, elective health practices, and restaurants and bars - meaning technically, church was prioritized during the shut down, and later in the reopening. Church leaders were given safe-reopening guidelines in the beginning of May, and were included in the beginning phases of reopening, prioritizing it again over bars, restaurants, schools, concerts, parades, sporting events, and many other mass gatherings we should expect to see if the church were being targeted. In fact, many churches delayed reopening out of their own choice - many pastors have made the decision to slow down the process of opening the doors again to ensure it’s done safely, accounting for capacity and safe distancing, childcare, etc. Very few regulations were placed on houses of worship by the government directly - the only one I can find specifically is a capacity limit, and again, that of the church is larger than that of most public places. Secondly, if you want to look at it strictly from a scriptural standpoint, churches were (biblically speaking) never closed at all. In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul reminds us that as believers, we are “the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Then if you fast forward to his letter to the Colossians, he says in verse 18, “he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church.” So if we believe the word of God to be indisputable truth, these scriptures make it very clear that the church is not simply a building we meet in, but the body of Christ - which was also clarified as meaning the body of believers. And from that perspective, the only thing closed were the houses in which the church meets and has community - and while we of course want to meet in person and see the house of the Lord as a holy place, I think it’s important to note that the church itself was never singled out in congregating. We were physically separated along with millions of other people (those of faith as well as those who are not) as part of a national, and larger global pandemic, and of course the measures taken to attempt to protect people from it. I’ve also heard it argued that we are failing, as the church, and not resisting enough as our freedom to gather is taken away from us. Again, I point out that our freedom to gather as believers was not singled out, but rather we were temporarily asked to suspend in-person services, as part of an executive order banning mass gatherings. And also, for those arguing this perspective with Hebrews 10: 24-25, make sure to include the verses that follow. “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:24 - 27) Now I’m no theology major, and I won’t claim to know everything about scripture, but when we look at this verse in context of everything being written to the Hebrews, this scripture seems to be speaking to believers who have heard the truth (the gospel), and accepted it, but go on sinning and choose not to be a part of community in fellowship. In other words, it’s more calling out Christians who believed they could have their religious beliefs and relationship with God without needing to be a part of the body of Christ and fellowshipping with others - and from that perspective, it’s not applicable here, because the body of Christ never shut down our community. Sure, our in-person services were suspended, but most Christian houses of worship that I know found ways very quickly to keep the body of Christ closely connected! Speaking solely from experience of the church I am a member of here in Richmond, our pastors and leadership worked incredibly hard to adapt and keep our people together in community. All of our services moved online, and eventually were live streamed; all small groups were rescheduled to meet virtually so we maintained direct connection with others, and were open to everyone - those from Vineyard, and anyone else we knew who was interested! Our student ministry moved to virtual meetings so we could keep in touch with our middle and high schoolers, as well as our children’s department, for which we had a zoom call set up and one of our leaders would teach a short lesson for them on Sunday mornings so they could stay connected too. At one point in May, one of our students was also baptized! He was so eager to make this profession of his faith that he just couldn’t wait until our church building was open again, and our pastor baptized him in a creek. Our whole congregation got to see photos after and celebrate with him from a distance. And just bragging on my pastor momentarily, He did Facebook live story time for our kids every week for essentially the entirety of quarantine, dressing up in character of a pilot and reading them a different book each time. And this is just the church I go to, y’all! I have friends from almost every other church in Richmond, and they have similar stories to share as well of how their congregation rose to the challenge of maintaining community during this pandemic. So no, we didn’t meet in person for about 3 months, and it was a major bummer. You best believe in-house worship hit different that first Sunday morning back, and has every weekend since! But I think all things considered, we continued meeting and participating in community to the very, very best of our abilities in this trying and unpredictable season. The Coronavirus pandemic will be a part of our history that we remember forever. It changed everything about our lives, suddenly and without warning, and without any idea of how to proceed. We had no choice but to adapt very quickly to something we knew nothing about, and it’s been a trying season ever since. People have lost their jobs, schools were closed - causing teachers and students to switch to distant learning at the drop of a hat, we couldn’t leave our houses to live our lives the way we once could, college students were sent home early and some even displaced with nowhere to go, families with loved ones in a nursing home worried for their well being, pregnant mothers worried for what would happen when they went into labor and needed to go to the hospital, childcare facilities were closed so parents who had to keep working had to work out alternative plans… our entire world changed, and there has been fear in that. There’s been financial, emotional, and physical stress placed on all of us for months, and although things are slowly reopening, we don’t know what our world will be moving forward. But I’ve also watched in awe as my community, both of believers and as a Richmond family, rallied around each other to keep everyone safe. We looked for needs and met them where we could, restaurants stayed open for delivery and carry out to serve people well, and overall it seemed to me that people were kinder. We were more patient and understanding with each other because we all had one thing in common - we just wanted to make it through this together, and there was this unspoken, mutual understanding that we couldn’t do that throwing hate at each other. Sure there've been opinion arguments as usual, but generally speaking I saw a kindness and love spark through my community that I don’t even see at Christmas anymore. All this to say, we couldn’t have seen this coming, and I’m sure anyone you talk to in a position of leadership would tell you they would do at least one thing differently in hindsight. But remember, the people who made those decisions are human, just like you and I are. They were presented with the same challenges of protecting and worrying about their families, jobs, and health, and they had to also find a way to lead well in light of something they knew nothing about. No one saw the Coronavirus coming, and its effect on us all was not a small one. But of all the things it has been, I cannot agree that it was a scheme against the church. In fact, I would even go as far as to say the church may have come through everything stronger than before.
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I was diagnosed with my anxiety disorder nearly a year ago. How long it had been a part of my life before that is unclear, but it had been causing severe hindrances in my life for a few months when my doctor made the official diagnosis. I was relieved to finally have answers and the confirmation from a licensed medical professional that I wasn’t simply crazy or overly stressed, but it also posed a new question within myself that I didn’t know how to answer - even after the medicine and therapy began to help my symptoms.
Is this going to affect my life forever? According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), anxiety disorders are currently the most common mental illness in the US and affect 40 million adults aged 18 and older every year. I personally have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (G.A.D.), which affects 6.8 million adults in the US; and fortunately, I’m part of the 43.2% of that population receiving treatment. My doctor and the counselors are incredible - they’ve worked so hard with me to develop a plan to treat my G.A.D. and get me to a healthier state. And even though I’m not cured, I’m now past the one year mark of when I first was slammed with the reality of anxiety disorder symptoms, and I can see such a great difference that I’m confident I can overcome it. But what does “overcoming” realistically look like for a disorder that doesn’t have a permanent “cure?” And how do I live my life to the fullest with this always affecting me and my story? Overcome as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary means “to get the better of,” while other definitions include “to succeed in dealing with,” and “to defeat an opponent.” And as I progress in my treatments and grow more into the person God has created me to be, I learn more and more about what this means in my own life - how I can live a purpose driven life in pursuit of my God and bring glory to His kingdom in spite of my struggles. Or even better… BECAUSE of my struggles. That’s what the past 10 months have really been for me - a chance to embrace my weakness and give it over to God for Him to use to His ultimate glory. One of the biggest ways I’ve done this was obediently applying to be on the BCM leadership team last spring. I remember being so afraid that I wasn’t good enough to be a leader - and then He reminded me I’m not good enough for anything without Him, but that He can move through me in mightier ways than I ever could alone. And when I was offered the Freshman Focus coordinator position, I worried that my anxiety and depression could discredit me. I worried that I wasn’t stable enough to lead well. But we’re nearing the end of the semester now, and all I’ve seen is God’s majesty and His hand in everything, making all things come together for ultimate good and glory to His name. The same disorder that was my humanity’s stumbling block is now the testimony that boasts all the more loudly of my God. And that brings me here - a year after diagnosis, still struggling with the effects of this disorder, but learning daily what it looks like for me to live a purpose driven life of following God and sharing the gospel. I may not ever be “cured”, but I’m learning to overcome. I’m learning how to manage my symptoms and work through them, loving well and sharing Christ all the while. It isn't always easy, and it doesn't always appear "good", but He is good. And that's enough. They say that you never really know what you have until it’s gone, and they’re right. All too often we become comfortable to a fault that causes us to not recognize the value of things in our lives, and unfortunately it often takes losing those things to realize how much they meant to us. Usually it’s relationships - we underappreciated the people in our lives and take advantage of the fact that they’re always there, until one day when we wake up and they’re gone. We’ve all been there; I know I have. But no one thinks about little things in this context - underappreciating and becoming so used to seemingly insignificant things in our daily lives that we don’t even notice most days.
Until they’re gone, that is. We always notice when they’re gone. Right now you may be thinking I’m crazy. You may be thinking, “how can you miss something if you didn’t even notice it was there to begin with?” Fair argument, I’ll admit. But if you think about it, these are the things we often end up missing most. No one really appreciates their 5-minute commute to work until they get relocated and end up with a 45-minute commute instead. No one really appreciates having a working laptop until it crashes and they lose all their important files. No one really appreciates having indoor plumbing until their toilet or shower is out of commision for a day or two. Because why would you?! It’s always there, right? We become used to our quick morning drives, reliable technology, and luxurious amenities, and they become concrete things that our minds no longer see as loss-risks. Then we get relocated, or our laptop crashes, or a pipe bursts, and we don’t know how to deal with it. For me, it’s the sunrise. I love mornings when I can sleep in until the sun wakes me up as it floods through my curtains, and I can just sit in bed and bask in its radiance and warmth. I love mornings when I wake up and see the sun lighting up my room in a hundred different shades of yellow, orange, and gold, and I just sit there smiling - nowhere to rush off to, no reason to close the curtains, nothing stressing me out. It’s my happy place, and no one ever warns you that it’s possible to lose your happy place. But you can… and I did. Back in January, I had one of these mornings. I had just moved off campus and into a new apartment with my best friend, I finally had my own room again for the first time in a long while, and since the semester hadn’t started yet, I had a lot of time to rest. I’m talking sleep in till whenever, no alarms, stay in bed till noon if you want kind of mornings. And since it was winter (dark and cloudy and snowy), I could get away with not even opening my eyes until 10 or 11 most days. But this day was different. I had forgotten to close my blinds the night before, and I woke up around 8AM with the sun bursting into my room like an athlete running through a banner as he enters the arena. Every inch of my room was filled with light in the most beautiful way, and I could feel its warmth as it hit my face. I smiled slightly and stretched out in bed, appreciating the sweet awakening and the fact that I didn’t have any reason to hurry around, but could instead lie there longer and bask in it without an agenda. There was a sweet, pure bliss I felt in my heart in that moment that I didn’t understand - a kind of joy I hadn’t felt in a while. A joy I hadn’t felt in almost 4 months, actually. Last semester was the most difficult season I’ve ever experienced. In addition to all of the issues I was having with my classes, I was fighting both generalized anxiety and depression. Only a few of my closest friends and family knew because I didn’t make my circumstances widely known, though pretty much everyone could tell by how differently I was acting that something was very wrong. It took everything out of me and completely wrecked who I used to be - even now, coming from the other side of it, I’m still not who I used to be. I suppose too much of my life and perspective has changed for me to ever be that same person again, but I’m surprisingly okay with that, because I know the changes were for the better. One major thing I learned from it all, though, is that there was a lot in my life that I didn’t appreciate. A lot of little things that I took for granted. I didn’t really appreciate having the discipline to get my work done efficiently until I couldn’t focus on one thing for more than 5 minutes. I didn’t really appreciate spending time with my friends at the BCM until social anxiety caused me to retreat for months. I didn’t really appreciate Sunday morning worship until I didn’t have the strength to sing. I didn’t really appreciate my short walk to class until I was too weak to get up in the morning. And I didn’t really appreciate my morning sunrise happy place, until I was literally walking through a rainstorm (on my way to class), sobbing and begging the sun to come back. I wish I could say I fully appreciated that bright January morning, but I didn’t. I was grateful for it, excited about it, and extremely joyful in the moment, but I didn’t really appreciate that the sun was back. I didn’t really appreciate it until this week, as I thought about the past few months, and how much things really are looking up from how low they were before. I didn’t really appreciate the sweetness of the ways God is healing my heart this year until he convicted me of how tightly I was holding on to the hurts of last year. I didn’t realize I was spending all my time waiting for the storm to return instead of appreciating that it had finally broken. That said, this is my advice to all of you: Pay attention to the little things that bring you joy in your day-to-day life. Don’t take for granted the people in your life, and how they love and invest in you. Take the time to love and invest in them, too. Let Him heal your wounds instead of dwelling on how badly they hurt. Don’t try to rush through one good season because you’re eager to get to the next one. Enjoy the slow and steady. Appreciate your happy place… don’t wait until it’s gone. I still remember that day. I couldn’t tell you the exact date, hour, or second, but I could tell you about the exact moment this picture was taken. I remember sitting in our friend’s house where we were staying in Uganda, and a sudden torrential downpour began outside. It had been a calm, relaxing afternoon, but I remember hearing the storm, jumping out of bed, and immediately running outside - barefoot and all. I can still hear my grandmother and our friend asking me what I was doing, and their laughter when I told them I wanted to dance in the rain.
There are few people who understand my fascination with “Uganda rain”, as I like to call it, and frankly I still don’t know how to explain it. Something about it is just a wonder to me - the freshness of the earth, the crisp and cool air, the breath of freedom that covers you with every drop that hits your skin… it sounds like I’m making this all up, I know. But it’s something you just have to experience to understand! When I told stories about Africa after coming home, I always mentioned dancing in the rain. I was 16 years old and it was the most magical, wondrous thing I had ever experienced, and I couldn’t even understand why. It was one of those “it is what it is” things for me - it didn’t make sense, but in my mind it was fact. The rains of Uganda were pure magic and dancing in them was like a sprinkle of pixie dust to my soul. I am a firm believer that there is nothing quite as beautiful and freeing as dancing in Uganda rain.... Or at least that’s what I used to think. It’s been about 4 ½ years since this picture was taken. Roughly 55 months, 1670ish days, and many seasons of life change since this moment, and that’s a bit hard to fathom. As I posed for this picture that my grandmother was taking, soaking wet from head to toe and overflowing with joy, I had no idea that it would be my last time in Uganda. I had no idea that it would be one of my last opportunities to soak in that pixie dust and dance like nothing else in the world mattered. I had no idea that I wouldn’t be coming back… and to be honest, by the time I did realize this, dancing in the rain was the least of my concerns in life. But time has passed, seasons have come and gone just like the rain, and now here we are. I’m 21 years old, soon to be a junior in college seeking a degree in elementary education… my life looks a lot different now than it did when I was 16 (as is expected, of course), but it’s also a lot more joyful than I ever could have imagined. Then tonight, as I was looking through some old pictures on facebook, I came across this precious memory. Not gonna lie, my heart ached for a second… but then I remembered another moment that I got to experience just a couple of weeks ago. May 6th, 2018 (I actually remember the date for this one. WOOT WOOT). It was my last Sunday in Richmond for the semester, and my friends and I were leaving a worship service at church. We were a few of the last people to leave, and by the time we were walking out into the parking lot it was basically empty aside from our cars and a few others. I remember getting to the door and groaning when I saw the heavy rain pouring outside, and the mental picture of my umbrella sitting on the floor in my dorm room frustrated me in a way I laugh about looking back. My friends and I all ran in the various directions to our cars, and by the time I got in mine I was soaking wet and trying my hardest to find a bright side to this unexpected “nuisance.” I began to drive off toward the restaurant where we were all going to grab a late dinner, and passed one of my friends in the lot. As I rolled up next to her, I jokingly honked and rolled down my window, at which time she smiled and told me to park next to her. I did, and noticed her taking off her shoes and throwing them into her passenger seat. I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this. Within the next 20 seconds, my two friends and I were running, singing, and dancing around the church parking lot, soaking wet and jumping in puddles just because we could. It was a moment of totally letting go of everything - finals, stress, anxieties… at least I know it was that for me. But what was even more beautiful, and what actually brought me pretty close to tears on the way to dinner, was thinking about this moment and simultaneously reflecting on that rainy Fall day in Uganda. I used to rush out into every thundery downpour during my trips there, because something about dancing in the midst of it lightened my soul - it had a way of shifting my perspective from the weight of everything else in my life and refocusing my heart to embrace the little blessings God had given. I didn’t realize this at the time, though, and because I didn’t, I also believed that Uganda was the only place where I could experience this kind of bliss. But my oh my, how mistaken I was - because as I twirled around that lot, singing praises to God and deep belly laughing with two of my dearest friends as we acted like 6 year olds, I found myself experiencing that same bright, beautiful, overwhelming, pixie-dust-type bliss that I thought I had lost when I got on that plane to come back to America. And in that moment, I realized how many of these joyful, blissful dances God had really been inviting me to engage in lately. Dancing in the rain looks differently in my life now than it did when I was 16, mostly in that it’s not necessarily literal anymore. Sometimes it comes in the form of spending a day hiking up a mountain and getting away from the stresses of reality, or taking in the beauty of the sunrise over Lake Reba with a sweet friend even though you’re both exhausted. Sometimes it looks like giving up study time because your friend invites you to an impromptu worship session in the lobby of her residence hall. Sometimes it looks like sweet life talks over Purdy’s coffee or Steak n Shake cheese fries, and sometimes it means breaking down your most obnoxious white girl dance moves at the BCM formal with 50+ other people who are all doing the same. The way I’m dancing has changed, but somehow I think I appreciate it more now. There’s been countless moments recently when I’ve had to pause and just take a second to look at everything God is doing in my life, and the realization of the abundant blessings He has poured over me leaves me speechless more often than not. And the even more beautiful part is that even when I get overwhelmed by the rain and storms of this life, and I forget to listen to the song my Jesus is singing over me, He keeps singing. He sings of freedom, deliverance, grace, love, and joy unfathomable, and He never stops. He never stops singing, and He never stops pulling me back into His merciful embrace, inviting me to dance with Him. Hello again, friends! It's hard to believe this is my first post in over a year. I've honestly tried to write so many times over the last few months, but one way or another I kept postponing my return to the blogging world. If I'm being totally transparent, part of my absence has been because I was nervous about how open I felt I could be in writing here - after all, this isn't a personal journal that I can hide away when I feel vulnerable. I've always tried to guard myself when it comes to writing things that anyone with the internet can view, but I absolutely love being able to share these stories with you all and to share what God is doing in my life.
On a related note, this is also my first post that I'm sharing from Richmond as a student at EKU! Y'all - it's been a wild year. I don't even know where to start when it comes to everything I've experienced since transferring here in the fall. But I can say with the utmost confidence, that this was one of the best decisions I ever made. Granted it wasn't my plan, it was God's, which is entirely why everything has worked out so beautifully - this, I am sure of. But even though I have experienced so much since coming here, that's a post for another day. Instead, I figured I'd just be super real and honest for this one. Cause honestly... I've kinda been a hot mess these last few months. I'd probably be safe to even say longer than that, but for the sake of retelling the story, we'll just focus on the time since I've been back from spring break. I got back to campus in mid-March after being away for a week, and seriously y'all, I was struggling hard. Aside from classwork and all of the responsibilities that go along with that, I was also not in the word like I should have been, not praying as much as I used to, and just battling myself and the enemy in other ways of which the details really don't matter enough to divulge. But I can tell you that I had been heartbroken for quite a while, and instead of praying through it and declaring the victory of Christ over the situation, I gotta admit that I spent a lot of time sulking and allowing my pride to get the better of me. But God is good! He's been so patient and persistent in chasing me down and reminding me of who I am in Him, and never once has he forsaken me. In fact, He's gone above and beyond to strengthen me and give me joy in this season - and going off of that, there’s been two apparent themes that God has been instilling in my soul throughout these last few weeks: the joy of the Lord is uncircumstantial, and it is my strength. I can still remember my breaking point as if it were only yesterday. At first it sort of came in waves, but the moment when I truly realized how heartbroken I was and that I needed help came on April 7th. I was sitting in my room doing homework, and something in me just snapped - I can’t fully remember what triggered it, but I do remember that it came on quickly, and I was crying and could feel my entire body being overtaken by anxiety and panic. It was honestly one of my lowest points (second only to one other moment that, to my “surprise”, would follow just a few days later), and as I sat there staring mindlessly off into space with tears streaming down my face, it was as if I could feel my soul cringing within me - it was in that moment that I knew I needed help. I ended up reaching out to a friend of mine, and a couple of days later she became the second of only two people (here in Richmond, that is) who currently know the entirety of what I’ve been dealing with. It was great to have the chance to be honest about what was going on and to have her encouragement in that, but what stuck out to me most is something she told me toward the end of our discussion: “Joy in Christ’s finished work is not circumstantial - rest in it.” Joy is something I treasure. It’s like waking up to sunshine when the weatherman predicted thunderstorms, or having spare time of a morning to go to your favorite coffee shop before class - only BETTER because true joy is found in Jesus, and Jesus is better than sunshine and Purdy’s (though I do love both immensely). Joy is something I desire daily in the depths of my soul, and experiencing that in Christ is the greatest thing I have ever known. But honestly, from about mid-January until just a few weeks ago, claiming the joy that Christ offers was pretty difficult for me. I just couldn’t seem to put aside the pride and anger in my flesh to see all that God was doing through my circumstance, and it took me a long time to realize that, although the circumstance was not my fault and my hurt was justified, my own stubbornness about it was hindering my ability to worship Christ through the pain and take hold of the joy He was offering me. However, as I mentioned earlier, God has been doing a lot in my life lately to heal my heart of this hurt and show me that He has a purpose greater than this circumstance was leading me to believe - and it all started with a mountain. No, literally… God actually had to force me up a mountain to get me to listen to him… the Pinnacles of Berea, in fact! I’m not gonna lie - there may have been a few moments on the way up when I was bent over panting and wondering “why am I doing this?!” But about halfway up, God began to shift my heart and perspective to see what He was doing all around me - the friends I was with, the majesty of God’s work in the creation around us, the hope that He had His hand out to give me… by the time we were going back down, after spending nearly an hour at the top, I felt like a different person. And I know that sounds cheesy and a bit cliche, but I’m not kidding - I felt like God had renewed my spirit and that I was leaving that mountain as a new creation. It was such a sweet embrace of freedom, grace, and joy that I actually spent a good 20 minutes sobbing to my roommate about it later when I got back to our room. For the first time in months, I truly felt free. From that moment on, God began to move like a wildfire through my life. Each and every day he's teaching me a little bit more about His heart for me, and the joy that He’s offering for me to embrace. Ephesians 3:17-19 says “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Something about this verse captivates me; it’s not talking about a conditional love that rests on our ability to be “perfect”, but about an overwhelming, extravagant, fearless, unconditional love that knows NO BOUNDS and would go to incomprehensible distances to reach you and me smack in the middle of the lowest valleys, driest deserts, and wildest oceans that we’ve ever resided in. Oh, the FREEDOM and JOY that must come with grasping (to quote Paul again) “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” and to be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” I know that’s something I desire for my own life, and for each and every one of you who are currently reading this. My circumstance remained when I came down from that mountain, but with God’s help, I left my sorrowful attitude about it at the top - and nothing has been the same since. I'm taking everything day-by-day, resting in the joy of the Lord, which - as my dear friend reminded me - is NOT circumstantial. Whether the sun is shining brightly and my entire day is full of incredible blessings, or I wake up to raging thunderstorms and literally have the worst day ever, there is a joy in my soul that I have the power to claim because of the Holy Spirit - regardless of my situation. Mind if I tell you a little about this joy to wrap up? This joy is, as I said, uncircumstantial. It's bold, and bright, and fearless. I like to think it's yellow - not an obnoxious yellow, but like a soft and happy yellow that just looks smiley. And it's a singing, dancing, laughing wildly kind of joy - it isn't soft spoken or timid. It isn't fearful or anxious, it isn't based off pride or self, and it isn't dependent on perfection. This joy is found in the largest miracles God has to offer, and it's also found in what seem to be the smallest day-to-day blessings. It's boundless and knows no limits, and it can't be taken away or destroyed. This joy is given by the creator of the universe, and therefore is a gift - and the great thing about a gift is that we have ZERO obligation to let ANYONE take the gift away... not even people we consider ourselves close to. You also have zero obligation to let the enemy ANYWHERE NEAR your joy - so don't let him! And finally, this joy is only found in Jesus Christ... it is our strength, it boasts of hope, it breathes life, and it reflects a greater love than we'll ever be able to fathom. I pray that you and I can rest in that joy today. Psalm 4:7- You have given me a greater joy than those who have an abundance of grain and new wine Take a seat, boys and girls – it’s finally happening! For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may remember from my posts (which I admittedly shared an excessive amount of over a two-day period) that I got the chance to start 2017 off the *right* way: I went to Winter Jam! I was at the Charleston WV show – the first of the East Coast tour – and it was a phenomenal experience! To be honest, though (and my friends can testify that this is 100% fact), I only really wanted to see one artist that evening; my favorite artist, actually. Britt Nicole. Now, I’ve seen Britt before (and I’ve been blessed to meet her, as well), but like I said – she’s my favorite – and when I heard she was part of Winter Jam this year, I lost my marbles. I even bought a Jam Nation membership to ensure that I would get in and have good seats, cause this tour is HUGE and it’s so hard to get in if you aren’t there early enough. ANYWAY: I shared a lot about this event on my social media accounts, but as I posted and shared little tidbits about what happened, a lot of people asked me to share the entire story of how and what exactly happened. SO HERE WE GO! // January 6th // After months of fangirling and squealing to my friends about how excited I was, the day finally came. Winter Jam didn’t start until 6:30, but Jam Nation members were allowed early admission, so I got all dressed up in my “Gold” sweatshirt and Jam Nation lanyard, and we (my parents and I) hit the road to Charleston. We got to the civic center around 3 that afternoon, my parents dropped me off, and I got in line. The doors for Jam Nation members opened at 4:30, but unfortunately, we weren't even allowed in the lobby until 4 (ended up being 4:15) … so me and about a hundred-other people had to wait outside in the windy, 16-degree weather until the security people opened the lobby doors. But we did get in (finally), I eventually got the feeling back in my toes, and around 4:30 I was scanned in and running towards the stage. I was in a good spot in line and ended up getting a seat about 3 rows back from the stage (SCORE!), and as it turns out, this event had REALLY nice security people who let us move around by the gate in front of the stage so we could stand closer. Like I said earlier, I was only there to see Britt (who didn't come on until almost the end of the entire concert), so I mostly just sat back in my seat until right before her set. But I'll tell more about that in a little while! After sitting in my seat and watching the videos on the big screens play on loop for a while, I decided to walk around and try to find Britt's merch table. It took me a while, but I finally found it in the lobby. I've attached a picture (below) of her new set up and merch (it's a bit blurry but you can kind of see it). I had so much fun looking through all of Britt’s merch! There were t-shirts, sweatshirts, beanies, jean jackets, CDs, posters, bags, framed pictures, iPhone cases – all kinds of nifty stuff! As I looked around, I noticed Victoria (who is a super awesome person, and Britt’s friend and assistant on tour). // SIDE NOTE // Okay, now this is the part where meeting Britt comes into play. A lot of you reading this may remember that I’ve had the chance to meet Britt before – twice, actually, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have had those opportunities. Both times I’ve seen Britt, she treated me like a friend she’s known for years and has encouraged me beyond words; even since the last time we met (November of 2014), she’s gone above and beyond to make me feel loved and special, and to tell me that I matter to her (which says a lot, because typically artists don’t even remember your name). Anyway, when I was positive that I was going to Winter Jam, I knew I wanted to have the chance to meet up with her again. A lot of the artists come out after the shows to sign autographs, but knowing that Britt only came out every few nights (at least on the West Coast tour), I realized that I might not have the chance. However, I also remembered a friend of mine mentioning that Victoria might be able to help me meet Britt, so I messaged her and asked if it would even be possible. I felt so bad asking, because I know a lot of people do, but she was SO sweet and told me that she would do what she could to work it out (Thanks again, Victoria!!!). // NOW BACK TO THE STORY // So like I said, Victoria was there at the merch stand, and as I bought a shirt (the “Good Vibes” tank top, for those curious – it’s SO COMFY!!), I introduced myself. This lead into what was the first of several nice conversations with her that evening, and she told me to come back after the speaker finished, and she’d have more info for me then about meeting Britt. So that happened, and I went back to my seat to wait for the show to start. The first part of the show was great – especially Colton Dixon (gosh, I coulda cried when he played ‘Through All of It’) – and after the speaker finished, I hiked back up to the lobby to meet up with Victoria again. She noticed me pretty quick as I headed that way, and she came walked over and explained that Britt would be coming out after the show, so I would definitely get to meet her. She gave me the info for where Britt would be so I could get there early and be first in line, and told me that Britt knew I was there (which, obviously, caused me to squeal internally). At that point the line wasn’t too long at the merch table because everyone was watching Andi Mineo perform, so Victoria and I just stood there talking for a while (and can I just say, this girl is so awesome! I feel like I made a new friend!) Okay, so I’m just gonna skip to the part where Britt came out, cause that’s the next big part of the story. I went up and stood by the gate as soon as Britt’s band started setting up (cause I was DETERMINED to get a good spot), and around 9:30… y’all. Winter Jam got REAL, real quick! Britt’s set was AMAZING! //Set list// Heart of Stone Through Your Eyes Work of Art/Gold Be the Change Fallin in Love I’ll also attach some pictures from Britt’s set for those who want to see. If not, feel free to scroll on! Britt’s show was absolutely fantastic. For those who don’t know, her live shows are always incredible – she gives it her all and doesn’t hold anything back. Anyway, I had a lot of fun! Britt even noticed me at the beginning and waved, gave me a shout out at one point, and even gave me a high-five! What? No… I’m not still fangirling… why? ;) haha! So, after Britt’s set was over (which I wish could’ve just lasted the rest of the night… that would’ve been amazing! Lol), I went up to where Victoria said Britt would be signing autographs. I waited a long time, but it was totally worth it, because when Britt came out, there were only a couple of little girls ahead of me. When it was finally my turn, I went up to the table and handed Britt the picture I wanted her to sign (a 4x4 picture from one of her photoshoots). She smiled and started to sign it, and when she realized it was me, she shot her head up and smiled even bigger. She said “hey babe!” and stood up to give me a hug (I kid you not, her hugs are the most wonderful thing ever), and then sat back down to sign my picture. She asked me about how I’d been, what I was up to these days, I told her a bit about college and thanked her for the gifts she had sent me a couple years back, and we just chatted for a bit. She even noticed that I’d done something different with my hair since the last time we met, and she said she really liked it, which totally made my night!!! Then I got to tell her about what her song “Work of Art” means to me, and I mentioned that I had an idea for the music video for it, and she said to message her about it (ahhhhhh!!!) After that I knew I probably needed to keep moving so other people could meet her too, and we took a picture before I left. (SIDE STORY: One of the security people said we couldn’t pose for pictures, and that we could just take one as we’re meeting her, but I didn’t have anyone with me to take the picture so I just asked Britt if we could pose for one [I’m such a rebel, I know] and she said yes so then I gave my phone to Laney [Britt’s dancer] and Britt told her security dude that she was gonna come stand in front of the table with me and then Laney took our photo so I feel like I totally won the fangirl game of life that night. LOL but seriously: I really do respect those security guys. They worked so hard throughout the show and kept us all safe, and that’s the most important thing… alright, rant over, back to the story) After that Britt and I hugged again and I headed back out to the lobby to wait for my parents. I ended up going back to the table and talking with Victoria another couple of minutes while I waited, which was super fun (We seriously became friends so fast, it’s awesome), and I also ran into Aaron (Britt’s drummer). Below is the selfie we took, and also a selfie I took with Laney while I waited in like to meet Britt (I wish I could’ve met Jeff [Britt’s other dancer] too but he didn’t come out). And I think that's about it! I had SO much fun at Winter Jam this year - to be honest, I'd go to another show if I could! It was amazing and incredible and I seriously hope everyone who is a part of this tour is having a blast and enjoying it as much as I enjoyed just being there for one night.
// CLOSING THANK YOU'S // Britt: Thanks for making my night so unbelievably wonderful! I had a blast dancing and singing along to your music, and it seriously blessed my heart so much to be able to meet up with you. Thanks for always believing in me and encouraging me to keep going, even when I really don't know how to. You are the ACTUAL best! <3 Victoria: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for everything you did for me at Winter Jam! I know I fangirled so much and you were super busy, but the fact that you went out of your way to make sure I met Britt and that I had a good time means more than you know. You're so sweet and I'm glad we got to meet! You. are. amazing. Emma: Literally, you put up with more of my fangirling than anyone else involved in my life, and I can't thank you enough for understanding (and fangirling with me) and letting me squeal for days on end. I feel so blessed to have a friend like you and to know that we can always freak out together over Britt and this rollercoaster called "being a nicgold." I seriously love you! // BACK STORY // When I was 7-years-old, my family moved from a small town in Western Kentucky to another (slightly less) small town in Eastern Kentucky. This town is known best for only a handful things, and one of them is the Community College that sits on a hill in the middle of the city. Because this blog is in public view and some of this story involves people close to me, I won't be sharing the name of the school or any identifiable information, but I wanted to start the story like this because no matter what else I say today, there's one main point that I want to make very clear (because it's what inspired this post in the first place). Community college is not what a lot of people think it is. I'm not saying this in the sense that it's less than what people expect it to be, but that it's actually more than that. Don't get me wrong, every college has it's problems - but speaking as someone who grew up a few miles from a school mostly known for it's technological and adult education programs, I'm very aware of the presumptions surrounding community colleges, especially from outsiders. To be perfectly honest, there was a time I thought people only came to this school when they couldn't manage to get in anywhere else (ridiculous, I now know) which is part of why I wasn't too thrilled about starting my college education here. I knew it was a legitimate and credible college that would get me on the right track, but I was afraid of what people would think when I opted out of the typical 4-year university route to start out at a Community college. Even so, I moved forward: I enrolled in classes, set up my financial aid, bought my textbooks, and on August 15th of 2016, I started my first semester.
And let me just tell you, my assumptions got kicked out the door by the end of the first week. Community colleges may be smaller and differ greatly from 4-year universities, but there are countless ways that they are exactly the same (which I gathered from comparing my stories to those of friends of mine). First and foremost, let's just set the records straight: Community college is STILL college. Students here, depending on their schedules and the effort they give, do the exact same amount of work as any student who ends up elsewhere. I have friends here that are in nursing programs, education programs, engineering programs, business programs - you name it! And though it's only a 2-year institution, that doesn't take a single thing away from the simple fact that you have to work your butt off to get what you want here - there are no "easy A's", no hand outs, no straight paths. If you want to pass the class, you have to do the work - and for some, that work starts rolling in before the semester even officially begins. I know students who've finished the semester with a hard-earned 4.0, and I know others who cheered of victory when they barely scraped by with a D in a class. So take away point #1 (and my first tip for freshmans) : College is college. No matter where you go, the work you're willing to do is what will determine whether or not you succeed. I could tell you more similarities between community and 4-year colleges, but because another part of this post is dedicated to graduating seniors who will soon be college freshman, I thought I'd share a few personal experiences of mine that have inspired some of the best advice I could ever give to new students (as well as advice that I wish someone had given me). Story #1: On my second day of the semester, my first class of the day was at 9:30 that morning. Knowing that it only takes me 5 - 10 minutes to get to the school from my house, I slept in and got to school around 9:15ish. That was mistake #1. What I did not know at the time was that on this campus, if you didn't get there by a certain time, you're left with no choice but to park in the overflow parking at the bottom of the hill. No big deal at first glance, until I discovered that the only direct way to get back up the hill is by taking what students here sometimes refer to as "the stairs of death". Okay... so I'm the only person who calls it that... but everyone HATES these stairs! They're extremely steep, zig-zag in a few different directions up the hill, and for a lot of people it's nearly impossible to hike up them without stopping half way to catch your breath (luckily the school has convenient tables at certain points along the path). I hiked up them that day (which also made me slightly late to class) but never again! From then on I made sure to get to the school earlier in the morning before all the lots filled up, and I never had much trouble from then on. But I tell this story because it inspires my second tip for freshmen. Whether you live on campus or commute, it's never a bad idea to get to school early. Especially the first few days of class when you're still finding your way around, it's always helpful to leave at a time that will give you roughly 20 minutes of time to kill before you actually have to be in class (That's NOT including driving time for those commuting). I know that may sound like a bit excessive, but trust me, it's always helpful to have those extra minutes to find the room your class is in (and catch your breath from the stairs of death). And if you have free time even then, then YAY YOU! Enjoy it, because free time is rare in college! Story #2: Before I started college, a lot of people told me that professors don't care whether or not you succeed in their classes. I often heard "they get paid either way and it doesn't affect them, so they won't give a crap". But to my pleasant surprise, I found that this is not the case at all! Obviously there are the "Scrooge" professors who hate everyone and those that just aren't very good teachers, but I had two professors this past semester that went above and beyond to do what they could to help everyone in the class succeed. In fact, one of my professors literally gave us opportunities greater than she had ever intended to because she wanted to give those struggling the chance to catch up. So, here's tip #3: Start every semester believing, until proven otherwise, that all of your professors want you to succeed. Unless every student in the entire school is telling you that the specific professor you have is absolutely horrific, never walk into a classroom assuming they're ready to watch you fail, because 9/10 times they truly do want you to do well! And until that teacher gives you actual credible reason to think otherwise, do what you can to set a good tone for the semester! Make your own effort to get to know your professors, their expectations and hopes for the semester, and do what you can to stay on their good side. First impressions in college matter more than just about any others in life, because often times you'll have to use them as recommendations and references in the future. And even if you don't, it never hurts to do your part in making sure that they know you're giving them your best of efforts. Tip #4 goes along with this story as well: "Help" is not a bad word - don't be afraid to use it. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have made it through this past semester without asking for help when I needed it. You're at a point in your life when every bit of information you get is new - no matter what you think you know, you're about to find out how much you actually DON'T know. But the good news is that you don't have to stay there! That's what college is about - learning and growing! My English professor last semester made it a point to make sure we always knew that she was available to help us whenever we needed. Her class wasn't an "easy A" but she gave extensions, feedback on essays before turning them in, countless resources to aid us in every assignment, and she made sure to give everyone an equal chance to succeed. In fact, it got to the point that if you didn't succeed, it was solely because you didn't put in the effort. She gave every opportunity for her students to do well and to help when she could. Literally, the only thing you had to do was ask, and be willing to try. I have so many other stories I could share, but in attempt to cut down the length of this post, I'll just share my last few tips without the whole back story. Tip #5: Studying is not a joke and, I assure you, WILL be the difference of whether you pass or fail. Tip #6: The library is your friend. Part of your tuition goes towards making the resources they offer available, so take advantage of them! Some libraries even have isolated rooms that cancel out outside noises and are ideal for finals week cramming, and they also have books and resources that (I guarantee) you will not be able to find on google or even in your local library. Tip #7: Make at least one friend in each of your classes. It's always helpful to have someone in your corner, plus finals come WAY too fast and study groups are extremely effect if you do it right. Tip #8: Do not attempt to eat pizza every day of your life when you get to college. As unbelievable and ridiculous as it sounds, I can assure you from experience that you WILL get burnt out. Tip #9: Don't be late for class every day, and don't skip class every day. This sounds cliche, but it's some of the best advice I know to give. If you're always late, your professors will think you don't care about the class and will be less likely to help when you have questions. And if you always ditch class, the same thing can happen, plus you risk missing valuable information. Also, if you're always in class, your professors are more likely to give you extensions and time for makeups if you have to miss for something that's actually important. And finally, tip #10 (and personally I think you'll appreciate this most of all) : Take advantage of student discounts! As a college student you get discounts that aren't available to anyone else. You can join Spotify premium for year at a discounted rate, Amazon prime is free for 6 months, and all Microsoft office programs are typically free to students through the campus bookstore as well (check with your school to verify). These are just a few options! These are just a few of the tips I've come up with in the short time I've been a college student. If you enjoyed this post and would like to know other tips for starting college, feel free to email me: [email protected] Plans are tricky parts of life. The older I get, the clearer it becomes that plans don’t always work out. And you can have back-up plan after back-up plan, but in the end, what’s meant to happen will always happen. Sometimes we refuse to accept the inevitable, but the fact of the matter is that it is inevitable, which means “out of our control”. Not convinced?
“Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21) “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This truth can seem intimidating and hard to swallow at times, but in reality, it should be a relief and breath of fresh air! I certainly haven’t always seen it as such, but the peace that comes when we realize that we don’t have to have it all figured out truly surpasses all understanding. We don’t have to know our path step by step to walk in truth and light. We don’t have to know every second of what the future holds to live in the purpose God has designed us for. We don’t even have to know what tomorrow holds – we can still live in confidence and security, knowing that God’s plan for us is set! He knew what our lives would look like long before he even created this world, and nothing that happens could ever cause it to waver or convince him to change his mind. I’ve been making plans my entire life, so I know firsthand that living in this way isn’t always easy. When I was 16, I was sure that my future was in Uganda – I was going to finish high school and move my whole life overseas. My plan was set; I would teach music or some other class in a local school, maybe lead a Sunday school class, adopt a child or two... I had it all figured out. Then during my 7-week mission trip to Uganda in 2013, a drastic shift occurred in my plan. Suddenly I had no peace in my plan, and even considering it made me uncomfortable. Not because I didn’t still want to be there and do life with these beautiful people, but because my plans weren’t matching up with God’s, and He knew the only way to make this clear to me was to completely pull me out for a while. I still believe he’s given me a passion and deep love for Uganda and the people there, and maybe someday he’ll take me back. But it’s become very clear to me that my plans were simply not the same as God’s. And truthfully, it took me a long time to get over that. Even when I got home and started making new plans, my heart still ached and I longed for a chance to go back. Somehow, though, I knew it wasn’t time. I knew being a full-time overseas missionary wasn’t what my future had in store, and after a while, the peace did come. This doesn’t mean I don’t miss it every day and hope a day comes that I can see them again, but God continues to give me rest in the fact that my mission field is right here. Fast forward to a little over a year later, and everything was different. And by different, I mean I had completely lost it. I had no vision of purpose, I felt worthless without clarity, I had no contentment, and I was so desperately craving insight to my future that not having a plan often felt crippling. I remember nights when I cried on my bible fellowship leader’s couch as we talked about how confused and lost I felt, and nights when I just sat in my car for hours because it was the only place I could really be alone to think. But as it turned out, I didn’t need to be alone. I needed community, and more importantly, I needed an upward mind-set. In fact, it wasn’t until I finally “let God have it” (i.e. my anger and frustration), gave up the driver’s seat, focused on Him, and dove into fellowship with the people he’d brought into my life that things truly began to change. Then on October 29th, 2015, God answered my prayer. He made it divinely clear that I was to worship him, and I felt peace for the first time in two years. Shortly after this breakthrough, I began making more plans – and that’s where things got muddy again. I took God’s call on my heart to worship and ran 100 miles an hour towards my presumption that he wanted me to be a worship leader. I applied to three universities, was accepted to all three, and eventually settled on what I referred to as my “dream school”. I set up an audition for the worship program, prepared my best, and I prayed for the best. To my great disappointment, however, I was turned away. They believed I wasn’t where I needed to be for their program, and although I was very upset, I see now that they were right. But still, I grieved. I felt silly for it at first, but looking back, I understand now that it wasn’t silly at all. It may have been God’s plan to take me elsewhere, but that doesn’t change the fact that I had invested so much of myself into this plan I had made, and I truly needed to grieve that. And once I came to terms with it all, I stubbornly kept trying to make my plan work a different way. I prayed and prayed for a miracle so that I could afford to go on to my dream school anyway, but God closed the door and once again, I was left heartbroken. However, this time was different in that God made it very clear to me – almost immediately – that this was the miracle he gave me. I had tried for so long to make things go my way, and I would’ve done almost anything to ensure it. But God didn’t want that for me; he wanted much more for me, so he intervened. It’s like when you’re a kid and reach out to touch a hot oven, and your parent yells and smacks your hand to stop you: it hurts for a bit, but they do it because they don’t want you to feel pain from the wrong choice you were making. And through his intervention I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my entire life. My plan was good. My plan was made with the best of intentions, and maybe I would’ve been happy. I’m sure God would’ve still used me where I had wanted to go, and maybe good things would’ve come from my path. But GOD’S plan for me was perfect – is perfect. And it was hard at times – I knew what the bible said, I knew God’s promises to me, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still doubt and worry. I doubted when the “best option” for me ended up being community college. I doubted when I no longer felt peace in being a worship leader, and I began to doubt that I’d even heard God say it at all. But in the end, I had such a narrow perspective on what God was capable of. He was calling me to worship, but he meant just that: He wanted me to worship Him. I took it and molded it into my plan, but all He was saying was "Taylor, I just want you. I'll bless you no matter where you work, but I want all of you." And in that, I learned that He want's me to spend my life worshipping him - not just my career. And looking back over this first semester, I also see why God kept me here... or at least I know part of why. I may never know the entire reason! But in this time, he’s blessed me with zero college debt, more time with my family (blood relatives and Christ relatives), professors and advisors who have truly gone the extra mile to make sure I was succeeding this semester, and most of all, he kept me where he knew I needed to be to grow in this season of my life. Right now, I’m struggling with things that I can’t fix on my own. Trust me, I’ve tried, and it’s caused more damage than healing - but God is working on me. He’s softening my hardened heart, and I see it so clearly now that he’s using the place I am, the people around me, and opportunities unique to this place and season of life to do it. So yes, my plan was good. Maybe I would’ve even been happy. But God’s plan was perfect, and in waiting for it to unfold, I have peace. It’s peace that far surpasses my understanding, and for the first time in forever, I’m not worried about my plan at all. Whatever the reason may be, everyone deals with the occasional nervousness or anxiety. For some, it's a serious issue that they deal with all of their lives. But whether you're facing worry over unknowns or dealing with severe anxiety, I highly recommend you keep these songs in mind the next time the battle arises. 1.Be Still (live) - Kristene Dimarco
2. Better - Britt Nicole 3. Breathe (2 AM) - Anna Nalick 4. Broken - Lifehouse 5. Carry Me (live) - Kristene Dimarco 6. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol 7. Fix You - (cover) Anthem Lights 8. Have Your Way - Britt Nicole 9. Holding My World - Kristian Stanfill 10. It Is Well (live) - Bethel Music with Kristene Dimarco 11. I Will Exalt - Bethel Music with Amanda Cook 12. Keep Breathing - Ingrid Michaelson 13. Letting Go - Bethel Music with Steffany Gretzinger 14. Lost In You - Austin and Lindsey Adamec 15. None But Jesus - Hillsong United 16. Panic - 1GN 17. Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift 18. Steady Heart (feat. Amanda Cook) - Steffany Gretzinger 19. We Dance (live) - Bethel Music with Steffany Gretzinger 20. You Don't Miss A Thing (live) - Bethel Music with Amanda Cook Hi friends!
I'm excited to announce a special addition to "Welcome To Living Life" from earlier this week- Our first ever guest post was shared on Tuesday! I can't believe it! This has been a work in progress for close to a year now, and it's finally official! I'm also thrilled to share that this post was written by my friend Carmen Hadley, who is a blogger herself in addition to being one of the three girls who make up the Christian/Pop group, 1GN. And for those of you who read that and recognized the name "1GN" from conversations with me, yes, I am still fangirling a bit ;) haha! But all of that aside, it really is an honor to have the chance to share Carmen's post here. Not only is she in my favorite band, but her blog is full of wisdom and encouragement that has stuck with me over the years. She is truly inspirational. You can click the "Guest Blogs" tab at the top of the page to view the featured post, or you can go directly to the post by clicking either the picture above, or this link right here -> welcometolivinglife.weebly.com/guest-blogs/goals |
'You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." AuthorTaylor Fletcher. 23. College kid. Just trying to explore and embrace life. Archives
November 2019
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