Thank you for the encouragement and I hope my followers are encouraged as well. It's so important to be open about our struggles! To bring stuff into the light because that's where we find healing. I'm so glad and humbled in the ways God uses this blog. Thank you friend.

So many! Lol. The ones I have read lately that have really impacted me are:

When Godly People Do Ungodly Things by Beth Moore (This one is about understanding the schemes of the devil and how to fight against them. It rocked my world!!!)

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning (This one I am currently reading and have read the first chapter four times because it is so good and I want to make sure I grasp it! It basically redefines the gospel of grace and focuses on living in His grace and not by works)

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst (This one outlines how to make wise, godly, everyday decisions and how to prioritize well.)

Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst (If you struggle with feeling left out or alone a lot, this book is for you! It talks about finding your place in Jesus and not in people. So good!)

Seated with Christ by Heather Holleman (This book drastically changed my perspective on identity! If you struggle with insecurities and finding your identity, read this book! I won’t even give anything away by describing it. Just read it.)

I Am by Michelle Cushatt (This a 60-day devotional that I am still in the middle of that basically focuses on who you are in Christ and not in the world’s standards)

This is Our Time by Trevin Wax (This one is especially good for young adults because it is about our current culture and social media and how to live a godly life in spite of those things)

All of these books are exceptional tools in your walk and any of them are a great choice to read! But just remember to always go back to the Word and don’t let these books be the only Scripture you are getting. Happy reading!!

The thing about anxiety, worry, fear, and things of that nature is that our human nature is not capable of dealing with them. We are not strong enough to push those things out of our mind in our own strength. We have to cast it on Jesus. Don’t get caught up in thinking that self-discipline and willpower are the key to defeating our earthly struggles. They are most definitely not. The answer is not to try harder, but to stop trying. You are not meant to. The Creator who created you is meant to take those burdens from us. So in those moments when you feel overwhelmed and overcome, set your mind on Him. And allow Him to take those thoughts from you and ease your mind. Open His Word and just read. Pray for wisdom and just focus on Him. He is meant to deal with those things, not you. 

Girl, can I just say that I love that you are asking this. These are good questions, and I would encourage you to go to the Lord with them too. I wonder about these things, as well. But honestly, the past few months, I have not thought about them as much and I will gladly tell you my secret.

I literally began feeding on Jesus. I know that sounds weird! Let me tell you what I mean. I began to seek Him every single day. No matter how I felt. It began with a book I began to read that really spoke to me and made me study the Word, and a true love for His Word grew inside of me. To where I would crave it. Daily. I NEED to spend time with Him. If I don’t, I miss it. I miss Him, like I miss a friend. I speak to Him about everything, I read His Word and ask Him to help me understand it, I journal my thoughts, I read Christian books about life, and I’m learning so much! The Lord is flooding me with wisdom and with His presence, and it is beautiful, gentle, kind. He speaks to me so clearly, now. I can hear His voice and know in confidence that it is Him. 

I want to shout it from the rooftops! The answer to a godly life of peace is just seeking the Lord with everything in you! Who knew? So seek Him, sweet friend. Pursue His heart. Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you. Make time to read His Word. Yes, at first it will be awkward and weird and maybe even boring. But keep asking Him to reveal things to you. Be obedient to Him. Look for His presence and His purpose in your life, and you will start to see a change. Suddenly, you won’t be thinking about a future husband but you’ll be thinking about what else you can learn from God. How else you can begin to live out what He is teaching you. Let Him be your satisfaction. Let Him fulfill you. He wants to! And once He does, you will find a freedom like you’ve never known. I cannot tell you how sweet this season has been for me. But it has also been difficult. Because as I seek the Lord, I become more like Him, and you know how that happens? He reveals sin to me. He reveals things in me that need to be healed. And this is painful at times. And it is hard, but the reward is greater because I know that He is not just going to reveal these things and leave me there in my guilt, shame, and sorrow. He reveals them to me and is faithful to work in them, to heal them, and to show me the way out. It is incredible. And I want this for you. I want this for everyone. Seek Him, friend. He is waiting to be found by you!

James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.“

This is where personal conviction comes in my friend. There are some things that the Bible does not outrightly tell us what to think about it. So, don’t listen to the voice of men. Go to God, ask Him what He would prefer you to do, and if you ask for wisdom and He gives it. you should obey it. Don’t go to the Lord with your mind made up. Go to Him with an open mind. If you seek His wisdom, He will give it. So just ask. 

I think we should be praying for each other for sure. I would avoid praying together with this guy, but I would say it is totally fine to tell him general things to pray for. For instance, if a guy asked me, I would say, “Pray that I can be humble, that I can be gentle in my words, and that the Lord would give me His wisdom.” You don’t have to tell him your whole lifestory but if he really wants to pray for you, we can all use all the prayer we can get! Lol.

It is personal conviction, my friend. Listen to the voice of God and not of man. What has He called you to do? Ask Him and then do it. 

Hi sweet friend. I have the same struggle. I LOVE rules. Give me a rule and it will be my pleasure to follow it. This is why I struggle with legalism in my personal walk with Jesus. I think that obeying the rules will make God impressed with me, but the truth is He loves me whether or not I follow those rules, and He loves those around me whether or not they follow the rules too. When it comes to a life partner, I would not analyze their obedience of the Christian rules so much as their heart. Is this man following Jesus with everything he has? Is he serving the Lord and others? Is he loving people well? Does he treat those around Him in kindness? Is he consistently in the Word and learning about God? Is he open about his faith and willing to share his downfalls? If he is pursuing the Lord, odds are that his actions will reflect that. When we got caught up in judging people by their obedience to rules, we can miss out on their heart. I had to realize that through experience. 

When I came to my church, I started going to the young adults group and got invited to go on a weekend lake trip with them. I thought, “I’m going to go, but if one person is drinking or cussing them I’m leaving, and I will know that church is not right for me.” This thinking was so destructive. I went and, luckily, none of them did those things that weekend, but I formed friendships and as I hung out with them more, I realized they did drink. A couple of them even cussed a little bit. And I thought...huh. I know these people. I know they love the Lord. So how in the world can they be ok with this?? And then I realized... I love the Lord. And yet I sin all the time. Being a Christian does not mean being perfect. It actually means accepting that we are sinful and that we need a Savior. I realized that all these rules that I held in such high esteem actually meant nothing because we cannot follow enough rules to earn God’s love. He loves us and we can do nothing to make Him love us any more or less. I felt such freedom when I was able to let go of my legalism. I realized that I was putting so much importance on things that the Lord did not really deem as that important. He looks at the heart. 

Now, I do drink with my friends occasionally. We don’t get drunk, but I love having my girls over for a glass of wine and we can sit there and talk about God! We can go out for margaritas and talk about what the Lord has been doing in our lives. I have a friend of mine who is a student pastor at a university and he cusses occasionally. Some of my other friends do too. Does that diminish the work the Lord is doing in their life? Absolutely not! I am learning a ton and yet I have moments of being prideful. We have to step out of this perfectionist mindset and start living our lives in the grace of God and have grace for ourselves and those around us. Follow the Lord, seek His wisdom, and pursue His heart. Don’t get caught up in legalism, friend. You are free from that.