The training wheels are off!

    Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? How about when your parents decided it was time to take the training wheels off and you had to learn to ride like a big kid? I remember that day quite vividly. My mom put the huge responsibility into my dads hands. I was about 5 or 6 at the time and was quite confident in riding with my training wheels. A part of me wanted to take them off but a huge part of me wanted to keep them on. After all, I could ride my bike with no hands with those puppies on!

    Finally, my dad began to take the training wheels off. He kept reassuring me that he would make sure I didn't fall and that I would be riding like a champ in no time. You can probably imagine what happened next. There I am, little blonde-bobbed-hair Liza crying on the pavement. Yes, gravity does have a way of getting a hold of you and the second my Dad let me go, I crashed.

    Of course my dad felt terrible and was struggling to come up with a way to rebuild my confidence. Next thing I know, he had put one training wheel back on and left the other one off. It was the perfect solution-just ride with one training wheel. Fail. I believe I crashed even harder the second time (okay so I don't remember all the details but enough). At this point, I thought I would be the only grown adult with training wheels on my bike.

    Never fear, I am 22 and do not ride my bike with training wheels (I can be quite dramatic at times...I think I missed my calling in life). Finally, my dad pushed me off and I didn't crash! And boy, did I love riding my bike; it was my new BFF.

No, this is not me but I thought this was presh!:)

   I would be lying if I said moving out to Colorado has been all roses. Has it been nice to see Jordan on a regular basis? Absolutely. Do I love the mountains and my new apartment? You bet I do. Is growing up hard? Hard is an understatement. Moving out to CO for the second time has felt a lot like it did when I took those training wheels off. It is not very comfortable. It is hard to be away from family and life long friends. Not to mention it is tough learning how to finance your money (I am learning to embrace Dave Ramsey).

  I think the hardest part is "feeling" like I don't have a community. When I went Liberty, I was surrounded by thousands of college students my age. Likewise, when I went to FLI , I met awesome people who I took classes with, did an internship with and lived with. However, when you move somewhere without having a guaranteed community, it is very different.

  Thankfully, I can always have confidence in God and His word. He has brought me comfort, security and assurance on days when I've doubted why I moved here. A decision made in faith has to be carried out in faith. I have seen God's faithfulness in providing my rent (to the dollar) the day before my rent was due, allowing me to become a part of Bible Study Fellowship and having Jordan and my roommates here to encourage me to cling to God's promises. I have food, shelter and clothing. I am abundantly blessed!

  Getting on that bike without training wheels was scary but boy, I am glad I took the risk. Mema sent me a excerpt before I moved that sums it all up, "When you're in a moment that has the potential to alter your future, trust God, step out in faith and move forward. Don't let your dream die inside you because of the risk involved. With God, risk is the bridge that gets you to where He wants you to be."

Change

Change–you do it everyday. You change your clothes, hair style (maybe), diapers, what you eat, the channel you are watching on T.V....you get the picture. Not only are we constantly changing but we are being bombarded with the promise of change. Do you ever use a word so much that it starts to look funny? That just happened to me...sorry, I am a little ADD.:)  Promise of change in the government, a city, a church, a relationship, just to name a few.

It seems to me that (and many of my friends) the college years are years of many changes. I personally have experienced a lot in 2010-2011. Many of those changes I was not anticipating according to Eliza's little planner (which I might as well throw out). However, they were necessary ones to make. In case you weren't aware, in the past year I have:

1. Left LU due to medical reasons
2. Moved back to Jax
3. Got a job with Brighton
3. Moved to Colorado Springs to do FLI
4. Moved back to Jax
5. Started dating Jordan
5. Started back at Brighton
6. Applied to finish school online (with LU)
7. Decided to move back to Colorado Springs in October
8. Will start and finish the 15 credits I have left in October
9. Transfer to the Brighton in Colorado

If you have been a little confused about where I am and what I am doing, it is ok because I have been too. Ironically, I thought that I would go to LU, finish, and start a job (possibly grad school). I mean, that is what our society tells us we are supposed to be doing at the age of 22. But is that really a mandate? Whose rules am I living by anyway?

Don't get me wrong, school is important. However, I am so thankful now for all the changes that have gone contrary to my plans. God has taught me a simple yet important lesson that HE directs my path. Not Eliza Harper. Gulp. Swallow pride. 


After a lot of prayer and counsel, I decided that God is calling me back to Colorado. When Jordan and my future roomies approached me with the idea, I didn't think it would be possible. I thought I was supposed to stay in Jacksonville until at least next summer. However, I knew my answer had to be yes to where ever God was calling me and that I must ask in faith knowing that He will answer.

God sure did answer! Within a week, Brighton agreed that they would transfer me to CO, I had roomies, and a set date to move out to Colorado (October 8th). I wish that Colorado and Florida could be neighboring states. I will miss my family and friends here immensely (also the south and water). Nevertheless, I know that I was called to go in faith.

Everyone and everything is constantly changing but it brings me comfort to know that God never changes. What a blessing!
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."- James 1:17

The most dangerous thing I could do...

It has been a blessing to be a part of a small group (we call it a gospel centered group) on Tuesday nights. This past week was only my second week but God has already begun to work in my heart through the scripture we have been studying.

This week, we discussed the judgment of God in Zephaniah 1 & 2. I'll be honest and tell you that #1, I have never studied Zephaniah and #2 it is hard for me to grasp the judgment of God. However, you cannot understand God's love and grace without God's law. By God giving us His law, He is gracious and loving.

In Zephaniah 1 God says,
 ⁴" And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests;    ⁵ and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, that swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam;
   ⁶ and them that are turned back from following Jehovah; and those that have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him."
 Phew! Those are some pretty hard words to swallow. When we read this passage, our group talked about the saying that "God hates the sin but loves the sinner". However, after studying this passage can we say that is true? It seems to me that God hates the sin and the sinner. God is righteous and glorious. The fact is that a person won't understand grace until they understand their need for grace. 

Zephaniah 1:10-13 was what really struck me though. It says,

"On that day," declares the LORD,
   "a cry will be heard from^(T) the Fish Gate,
^(U) a wail from^(V) the Second Quarter,
   a loud crash from the hills.
^11(W) Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
   For all the traders^[c] are no more;
   all who weigh out silver are cut off.
¹²At that time^(X) I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
   and I will punish the men
^(Y) who are complacent,^{[d]
   (Z)} those who say in their hearts,
'The LORD will not do good,
   nor will he do ill.'
¹³Their goods shall be^(AA) plundered,
   and their houses laid waste.
^(AB) Though they build houses,
   they shall not inhabit them;
^(AC) though they plant vineyards,
   they shall not drink wine from them."

He will punish people who are complacent  and those who say in their hearts, The LORD will not do good nor will he do ill. As a believer, we should continually be striving to conform more into the image of Christ. This does not mean we will reach perfection. At the end of Paul's life, he still claimed to be the "chief of all sinners". However, each day we should continually strive to be more like Christ (with His grace and help), refusing to be complacent.


The most dangerous thing that I could do is fall into complacency and rob God of the glory He deserves. It is a daily battle but should be one that I continually fight with God's help. At the end of our GCG, we were left with the statement, "If I didn't have __________ I wouldn't be content". What would fill that blank in your life? Can you be content in Christ alone or have idols formed in your heart that have caused you to fall into complacency?

Fav Friday

I thought I would branch out of my blog box and share a few of my fav things as of lately...


10. My new IPhone. Yes, I caved and got one. I'm not gonna lie...it is the bomb and was well worth the money spent!

9. Instagram. This Iphone app will rock your world if you are into taking pics on the digi. Actually, forget the digi...after discovering this app on my phone I hardly ever use my other camera. 


8. The Voice. This show aired in the Spring and its now one of my favs! The talent for the first season was remarkable. 

7. Pinterst. Thanks to my dear friend, Kels, I was introduced to pinterest. If you don't know about it, you need to. It is basically like a series of virtual corkboards of cool pictures, do yourself crafts and much more. I've already used several ideas on here. If you want to join this awesome site, let me know and I'll send you an invite!


6. Real Simple Magazine. I was introduced to Real Simple a couple years ago thanks to my friend, Hannah Swanson. I just love when the new one comes out! I believe my dream job would be to work for them. :)

5. St. Augustine. I rediscovered my love for St. Auggie when Jordan came in town. The history, shops and seafood are all wonderful! 

4. Sending packages/ letters and cards. I know one of my fav things is receiving packages and letters. However, even more than receiving...I love sending them! :)

3. Having all my friends back in J-ville! Brit and Kels are back from LU, Han just came back from Africa, Towny graduated and all of my other j-ville friends are here too. It was been such a blessing spending time with them! I'm so thankful for each one of them and the impact they have made on me over the years. ( Just wish Rach Dee and Rachel Stimler would move back!) 

2. Family coming to visit. Chad, Tina, Aunt Sassy and Hannah came down last weekend. It was so fun to catch up and of course to see sweet Hannah!

1. Ocean Isle Beach. It wasn't until recent years that I realized how rare and precious it is to be able to go to OIB every year with my family. I haven't missed a year since I was born! My grandparents always rent out a house for all of us and we have a blast. The highlights every year are relaxing, going out to eat at night, putt-putt (boys vs. girls) and Calabash Creamery (the best ice cream ever). I'm so thankful for Mema and D-daddy renting a house every summer for us!

Timing is everything

A Kansas boy. Never in a million years did I see myself dating a Kansas boy. As a matter of fact, I never saw myself dating an Air Force boy. God always has an unique way of bringing two people together and for Jordan and me, it was no different.

As many of you already know, Jordan and I met in Colorado Springs when I was out there attending Focus Leadership Institute. Ironically, he was not attending FLI but was at the Air Force Academy that happened to be 5 minutes away from our apartment. Jordan's best friend, Caleb started coming over to my neighbors/friends apartment because his roommates (Dan) girlfriend (Aimee...a dear friend) invited him over. After coming over a couple of times, Caleb went back and told Jordan, " you have to come over to Aimee's apartment...there are 8 beautiful Christian girls there and I have never seen anything like it...and they actually listen to me when I go on and on about space".  Naturally, it didn't take long for Jordan to come over.:)

So that is how we met. Jordan, Caleb, Dan and a couple other AFA guys would come over just about every weekend. We would make dinner, play games and look at nerdy space stuff. We always had such a great time hanging out.

Then, it came time to start asking girls to the AFA Ring Dance. Little did I know that being able to attend Ring Dance was a pretty big deal. I also didn't realize that Jordan had been waiting to ask me for a few weeks. He says I was intimidating which I think is crazy!

Finally, he called me before he left for Spring Break. After an hour long conversation, he asked me.:)  I came back at the end of May for the Ring Dance and along with some of my other friends who went as well. We all had a BLAST! Prior to Ring Dance, I began to pray that God would make it clear in my heart and in Jordan's as to if we should date. For the first time, I was more concerned about hurting the guys heart than anything else. The minute I saw him in the airport, I knew and had a complete peace that Jordan would lead me towards Christ and that I could trust him and allow him to pursue me.

That weekend it was evident that we both wanted more than a friendship. Although we knew long distance would be difficult, we knew it would be worth it. Jordan has far exceeded my expectations. His love for the Lord, faithfulness, hard work ethic and deep country roots are just a few things that I love about him. :)

Through my relationship with Jordan, God has reminded me that His timing is perfect. Jordan and I both know that our meeting was not luck or coincidence but rather the grace of God and His perfect sovereignty. I believe Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 3:11 have been displayed in our lives in the past few months, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end". 

Here are some pictures of Jordan's first visit to FL in July.:)

In St. Augustine at the Fort

Jordan, my mom and me

 Jordan and me at the Shuttle Launch

Don't point your finger at me....

Attention: This is for all the nanny/baby-sitters/moms out there...


It is raining outside, the kids are getting antsy and time is crawling by. Don't know what to do?   Never fear...your finger puppet friends are here! Who said making finger puppets aren't fun? I decided to pull out some felt, glue, eyes and other crafty materials and get Matthew and Megan to join me in making some finger puppets. 


I wasn't sure if it would be a hit or a bust but thankfully, it was a hit! So, it is time to pull out your creativity,  your kindergarden education and your imagination and begin this fun craft!


Materials:
Felt (all different colors)
eyes
Glue (either the really hefty kind or a hot glue gun...just make sure not to let the kids use the hot glue gun :))
Feathers 
Pipe cleaners


Here is a picture of the finished product...

And here is just one of the 3 of us...

Just being silly:)

You never stop learning...

I 've always wanted to be a mommy one day. I really do love children. However, it wasn't until recently that I have a deep desire to have a family in the future. What a privilege it would be...to raise children for God's glory!

This is why I am thankful for the opportunities I've had to baby-sit/ nanny over the years. Baby-sitting has allowed me to learn how to discipline and love as Christ would. I am far from knowing what it means to be a mom. However, my mom graciously reminded me the other day that you never stop learning as a parent. When you stop learning, you stop being affective and humble before the Lord.

What made me realize that parenting is a difficult task? Well, it was through a sweet boy, Matthew that I baby-sit (or as he would like to say "kid-sit") twice a week. Matthew loves baseball and he is good! Needless to say, Matthew loves to be outside and active.

The other day, Matthew was begging for me to pitch to him. Lets face it...I've never been Miss Athlete. As much as I try, God just didn't make me that way. However, I was willing to play a little ball with Matthew. So, we head outside and I began to pitch to him. It started out pretty well. I was actually decent at pitching to him and he was making some great hits. Then, the tables turned.

The ball we were using was a little too light. So, I suggested we get a harder ball. He hesitated but then said okay. He picked up a tennis ball and I began to pitch to him using the tennis ball instead. Next thing you know, he slams the ball and where does it go? Yep, it hits me right in the nose. All I can say is this boy knows how to hit a home run!

Now Matthew had no intention of hurting me so I was trying my best to not make it a big deal. However, the blood started coming and I knew I wouldn't be able to hide how much it hurt. Matthew was so sweet as he rushed in to get me paper towels and make sure I was okay.

I am happy to report that my nose fine and I lived to tell the tale!:) Looking back, it was a comical experience. God has a sense of humor! I am doomed if I have all boys. Nonetheless, thanks to my mom, she reminded me that I will never stop learning and God will give me the strength that I need (or I will toughen up in the process)! Here are a couple pictures of Matthew and Megan. They are great kids and I enjoy kid-sitting them!

Life from Above

After deliberating for a couple of weeks, I decided that I am going to keep the blog going. Originally, I was just going to have it for my time at Focus. However, I do love to write and decided that I would keep it up. I also have to give credit to Jordan, Hannah and my mom for encouraging me to keep writing.:)

I've been doing a devotional by Kay Arthur and David Arthur called Lord, Teach Me to Grow Stronger in 28 days. One of the days was particularly convicting to me. David gave an analogy that was so profound and thought provoking. He began the day with the question, "is your life more like a train of a hot-air balloon?". Then, he proceeded to explain the differences:

"A train? Well, it's a series of connected cars, constructed of hard steel, moving in a linear direction and inescapably bound to a rigid track. And maybe, in a similar fashion, you find yourself headed om a certain direction, not necessarily by choice but perhaps by circumstances of life has dealt you. Perhaps you see yourself as an indivdual who has bent, hardened and shaped by life that you have simply lost the freedom to chose the path ahead. Have you lost your ability to be flexible? To adapt to changing environment? Have your patterns become hardened into habits that are nearly impossible to change ?" 

Phew. If I am being honest, I have to say that I had become a train. I was letting my circumstances shape me. It is something I constantly battle and know that on this side of earth, I will continue to battle until I see Jesus face to face. But here is the good news, the challenge that David gave:

"Or maybe you 're more like one of those huge, marvelous hot-air balloons we occasionally see drifting majestically  over the sky: soft in form, flexible in shape, easily changed in direction and letting the wind take you where it may. You have no control over your path each day; you are simply taken where the wind currents decide you should go. You're light, free and you owe no obligation to the rigid tracks far below you."

I want to be a hot-air balloon. Sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading. I want to respond to His current, His nudges and His moving. I want to live an adventure each day- of not necessarily knowing where I'll go or where I'll end up. I want to be flexible rather than rigid. I want God to shape me and to fully cooperate with that shaping process.

It is only through God's grace that I will live life like a hot-air balloon. But, I hope you will join me in the process. As I wake up each day with the goal to live life from above. :)

"FLI" away

"Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so they may take hold of that which is life indeed." -1 Timothy 6:18-19

I believe Paul's exhortation to Timothy was exactly what took place at FLI. The professors and staff instructed us to do good, to be rich in good words, generous and ready to share. We stored up for ourselves treasures of a good foundation for the future so that now, we may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Now, it is our turn to instruct others to do the same. It is time for us to "carry the torch" and "pass the baton". The ways each of us pass the baton will look different. Some of us, will be going overseas (yay Berkeley!), others will be heading back to school and many are waiting for God to reveal the next step. However, we all have the duty to speak in Truth and love and instruct others to as well.

Our graduation was such a sweet time. I'm so thankful my mom and Maddison were able to come. It was so fun to show my mom where I had lived, interned and took classes for the past 4 months. Of course, we got a lot of site seeing in as well! It was a blast.

Yes, it may be the end of FLI but it is merely the beginning of the challenge set before me. I am excited to see where the Lord leads next. Thank you for all of yours prayers and support the past few months! I'll leave you with a few pictures from graduation and mom's visit!

I will miss this beautiful view from my window!

 Our class gift..."The most winsomely attractive class ever"

 My awesome life group who I will miss!!

 And these would be my crazy FLI friends:)

 This sums up our relationship pretty well...:)

 Everyone at FLI knows the significance of this picture...

From the words of Jeremy, "FLI has been great but I'm at my 'Whit's End'!". :) It is great to be home sweet home and I'm so excited to be able to go back and visit CO at the end of May!

Bitter- Sweet

I can't believe we are at the end of the semester. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was flying into the Springs, scared out of my mind. The Lord has done a work this semester! It is hard to fully articulate all that I have learned in the past 4 months. However, I tried to capture a little bit in a slideshow.

Following up with my last post, God has taught me the huge importance of seeing the bigger picture. He has caused me to look around and see those He has placed there to encourage, edify and sharpen me. He has begun to show me the importance of taking a step back to take in the bigger picture and to gain His perspective instead of my own finite perspective.

I'll sum it up in one of my favorite quotes, " We are half-hearted creatures, feeling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to u, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased". 


I hope y'all enjoy the slideshow!

The Big Picture

As I hung onto the rock for my dear life, I began to let the thought consume me that I can't make it to the top. The only thing visible was the rock directly in front of me. No footholes, no place to go...I was stuck; hopeless and defeated. My friends below kept encouraging me by saying, "keep going, don't give up" but it didn't sink in. Why would they say that when it is obvious that I am stuck... at least from my perspective. 


Little did I know that I was only a few steps away from the top. But why did I neglect to see I was so close to the top? After sitting (or hanging) in the same place for over 10 minutes, I began to grow weary and tired. It was that point that I began to ask for help. Thankfully, my friends below graciously helped me (despite my stubbornness) to take the last few steps to the top. By the grace of God, I actually did it!


As I repelled back down and set my feet on solid ground, I looked up at the rock I had just climbed. Then, my friend pointed out where I was stuck and how close it was to the top. It was so much closer that I thought, I just couldn't see past what was right in front of me! I couldn't see the big picture.


In Proverbs 16:9 it says, "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps". He sees the bigger picture. In the midst of struggle, it is hard to see past what is right in front of us. We get so fixated on the circumstance that we neglect to see what God is doing in the process.


The good news is that we are not alone! We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). God made us for community. To encourage, sharpen and to share in grace and truth the bigger picture. It is then that the fog lifts, the chains are loosened and we are able to see who we are in light of who God is. We begin to see the struggle we are currently faced with as a small "dot" on our timeline of life. We are free to keep climbing and persevere. 


My dear friend, Maddison shared this verse with me tonight and it was so pertinent to the lesson God has been teaching me about seeing the bigger picture, " O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will give thanks to Your name; For you have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness". That is what our God does...He sees the big picture and works wonders with perfect faithfulness! 


Here are a few more pictures from my first rock climbing experience...

Waiting our turn to climb!

The hardest part was getting started...

I believe this is when I said, "I can't do this!!"

All the guys waiting for their turn...

Meet Brody... This is our little FLI mascot (kinda). He is Kaley's little helper and it was so precious to watch him watch her as she climbed. He was a concerned dog!

Justice for All Outreach: Reflections

Hurting people hurt people. As we began the day on the Auraria campus, I quickly saw this statement portrayed. A flood of emotions swept in as people approached the huge JFA exhibit. The reality of abortion was displayed for all to see and the responses ranged from sorrow to vexation. Needless to say, it was an exhausting day. Nonetheless, I believe I walked away from the JFA outreach with a deeper desire to loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free.

After an hour of dialoging with students, my friend Aimee approached me and asked if I would go with her to talk to a rather large guy standing close by. No joke, this guy looked like Vin Diesel. Naturally, I was a little skeptical. What if this guy is pro-choice? He could knock me out with his pinkie! Thankfully, Aimee was sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting and we went over and began to talk with him. Ironically, this guy was a giant teddy bear. As we stood with him, we could see the tears behind his sunglasses. He was broken. There are no coincidences. 


Aimee and I stood there heart broken as we heard Eric's story of his girlfriend contemplating abortion. He had just found out this weekend and now he was standing in front of an 8 week picture of a fetus in tears. She wouldn't return his calls and refused to see him. He so desperately wanted to keep this child. 


Phew! What a tough situation. It is hard to see hope in the midst of darkness. However, God was there! Aimee and I were able to encourage Eric to not be passive and to take a stance for the life of this child. We suggested writing her a letter and he agreed that he would. Then, we were able to pray with him in the middle of a campus where Christianity was non-existent and relativism was rampant.  God showed up, He is so good! 


We were able to exchange e-mail addresses with Eric and hope that he will keep us posted. We haven't heard the result yet but are continuing to pray that Eric's girlfriend would choose life. Would you join us in praying for him and his girlfriend? 


I believe I could sum up the JFA Outreach with the words of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners" (61:1) . We are called to be a voice to the voiceless, to set the captives free. Why? Because were once enslaved and in darkness but God intervened and brought us into His marvelous light! 

Justice For All Outreach

Tomorrow, I will be heading to Denver with the rest of the FLI students to do a Justice for All Outreach. Justice for all is a pro-life organization that seek to show their concern for all humans in and out of the womb by balancing truth and love. JFA goes to secular campuses all over the United States and educates students about abortion. They strive to dialogue with students about the significance of every human being. 


I would ask that you would please pray for me and the other students at FLI as we go to the campus in Denver tomorrow. Please pray that the weather would be good (it is an outdoor exhibit), we would have boldness to create conversations; to listen to understand; to ask tough questions, lives would be saved and have opportunities to share the gospel. 


I look forward to updating y'all soon! 


11 Corinthians 5:17-21, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." 

Being Still

Ever stop to think why nothing is so loud as silence? In this day in age, silence is a rarity. We live in an age of constant noise. So much so that we do not even fully understand what it means to be still before the Lord.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do a "stillness experience" with my internship. I know, I have an amazing internship. Basically, we all headed to Woodmen Valley Chapel for an afternoon of stillness. Our supervisor Tim, gave us three hours to be still before the Lord. The only stipulations were that we must turn off our cell phones and Ipods. He gave us an article entitled, The Surprising Rewards of Silence to help direct us and then we were free to be still before the Lord. For me, this was the most humbling experience. I wanted to share just a few things the Lord taught me during this time.

We've all heard the passage, "Be still, and know that I am God" but do we really understand what David was saying? As I began to read over this verse, I looked up what the word "still" means. Still means to stop striving, let go or relax. For me, this gave the verse a whole new meaning..."Relax and know that I am God". It was then that the Lord began to convict me of my restless heart.

Why are we so afraid to be quiet before the Lord? Is it because we want control? Or maybe it is because we are fearful that we will realize our total depravity. A. W. Tozer once said, "Very few of us know the secret of bathing our souls in silence." We fool ourselves into thinking that we are in control. But in reality, we are not in control. Being still before the Lord causes us to relinquish all control.

In Tim Sanford's article he asks a thought provoking question, "Is Christianity just words on onionskin paper? Or do we want something more, something real and living?" Knowing God and being still go hand in hand. True Christianity stems from knowing God personally. So what can be gained from sitting before a God we cannot see? The very things we try to get elsewhere but cannot. We gain wisdom, humility, peace, faith and intimacy.

So I challenge you to be still before the Lord. Let Him speak to you. Just as Job says, " I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I have put my hand over my mouth...I have no answer-...I will say no more."
(Job 40:4-5)

Make new friends and keep the old...

Words cannot begin to describe how much God has blessed me with amazing friends. My mom always used to say, "make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold". As cheesy as that may be it has become one of my favorite phrases.

This past week, my sweet friends; Maddison, Mel and Rach came to see me. That is right, they flew all the way from FL and CA to see me (and amazing Colorado). As you can imagine, they are pretty legit friends! These are the girls I have known since elementary school. I always know that we can pick up right where we left off even if it has been a while since we have seen each other. They sharpen me and challenge me to continue to be conformed into the image of Christ. It is always a joy to spend time with them!

We had a blast sharing stories, exploring beautiful Colorado, catching up and challenging one another. We also were happy to be able to go see Carlee in Greeley, Colorado. It was fun to see her adorable apartment (she will be helping me decorate one day) and see where she has lived the past year!

It was also a highlight to introduce Mel, Maddison and Rach to my new friends at Focus. It is amazing how close you can become in a matter of months! I'm so thankful for the community that has been established here.

Needless to say, it was an epic week! Here are a few of the pictures of the awesome time we had...

Garden of the Gods- a must see in the Springs

Haha. Looks like Jeremy won't be climbing:)

The 4 Amigos!

After Garden of the Gods, we headed to Manitou Springs for dinner

Then, we went back to Garden of Gods to see the amazing sunset!

On Friday, we headed up to Greeley, CO to see Carlee. She gave us a wonderful tour of  UNC!

The campus is beautiful!

On Saturday, we headed back to the Springs. Our first stop was Pikes Peak. We went up 13,000 feet with our sweet rental car. When they got the car, the guy said it was our lucky day. haha. This car is not exactly what you would expect to see 3 girls driving...

Pikes Peak is absolutely breathtaking!

We made it to the top! 

One time, I went to Cracker Barrel 

All of us!

Rachel was finally able to catch a flight and arrived Saturday afternoon!

Needless to say, it was an amazing week with the FL girls! Ironically, right after they left, it started to snow. They apparently brought the nice weather and took it back with them!