Created to HOPE. Created to LOVE.

There comes a point where you realize you no longer know who you are. In a very literal sense,...

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:58:40 -0500

There comes a point where you realize you no longer know who you are. In a very literal sense, you’ve lost yourself. You miss the you that loved. That laid back, grace filled, genuinely happy person. That person that was made happy by the small things like the sound of a child’s laughter, the voice of The Father and the love of family. Life happens and we seem to get ripped to shreds. We feel like our hearts have been ripped out and replaced with absolutely nothing—emptiness. Sure, the world is still moving on, the noise of everything is louder than ever, but still…it’s completely silent within you. Not that good silent. It’s nothing close to peace. It’s loneliness. Pure pain-filled emptiness. It comes to a point where you don’t even like yourself. The thought of trying to find you again is terrifying because what if you can’t? What if you’re lost forever? It’s intimidating. But its something you have to do. With the help of the Creator, you HAVE to start somewhere. Even if it means letting down your pride and asking for help. Tomorrow is not only new, but it’s brighter. It may be hard work and it may hurt, but it always hurts to grow. The end result is beautiful, though. There is always hope, there is always light in your darkness. You weren’t created to live in misery. Chains werent meant for you. Freedom was meant for you. Love was meant for you.

Beauty in the Breakdown: Once again, I attach these shackles to my hands and feet, the ones you...

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:45:05 -0500

Beauty in the Breakdown: Once again, I attach these shackles to my hands and feet, the ones you...:

misskellygee:

Once again, I attach these shackles to my hands and feet, the ones you have freed me from long ago.I tighten the grip of their hold, securely enough to make sure they won’t fall off and give me just enough space not to really live, but just survive. You tell me I’m free from all the things that…

morgandoggett: New original that i did with Hope Stribling!!...

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:21:41 -0500

morgandoggett:

New original that i did with Hope Stribling!! “All the Time”

Oh dear. I had almost forgotten about this. Wowww.

Transparency.

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:11:33 -0500

Lately, I’ve dealt with certain struggles. Things that I never dealt with until a few months ago. I’ve always wanted to be transparent with people, to not hide anything. Yes, I’m a Christian. But no, that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with different things. I’ve noticed in Christianity it’s become a big thing to hide all of your problems so people think you live in this beautiful, happy world all of the time. If you look in The word, you’ll see that it was through their failures and weaknesses that God used for His glory. I may be the only one who thinks this way, but I’m able to talk more openly to someone who is transparent with me. If I think you live in this happy little bubble and never have a down day, I would never even think about sharing my heart and struggles with you. If someone’s struggling, you shouldnt sit there and act like you have everything together. That’s when they need you to be the most real with them. Instead of saying “you’ll get through this”, how about sharing with them your flaws and struggles but also letting them know they can overcome it. I don’t find arrogance appealing. If someone can bend down, hold me and share with me everything they’re going through without hesitation…they automatically have my respect. I may be rambling, but I think it’s very important for Christians to understand…We were never called to act like we’re better than everyone else. We were called pick up the pieces of a broken world. To shine a light in darkness. And yes, that even goes for other Christians. Everyone, even the strongest Christians I know have struggles. The thing that matters is Who they put their hope in…their trust…their heart. I guess what I’m trying to say is, we’re human. We hurt sometimes. It doesn’t make you weak or less of a Christian. It’s just another thing for God to use. Your pain can help someone else realize they aren’t alone. And sometimes, that’s all someone needs. Conclusion: love. Genuinely love people. Unconditionally. No matter where they are or what they’re doing. Even if it may be wrong, the love you show them could be the exact thing they need to get everything right.

The other day, I was listening to the radio and a song came on I’d never heard. Don’t...

Thu, 10 May 2012 01:15:55 -0400

The other day, I was listening to the radio and a song came on I’d never heard. Don’t particularly care for the band, but I decided I would listen anyways. One of the lyrics really got me, though. It said, “The hurt and the Healer collide.” At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. It didn’t really register at that moment what that really meant. We deal with so much emotionally. A lot of us have hurt and pain we aren’t even aware of because it’s buried SO deep within our hearts from where we pushed it down and decided it was best to leave it alone and not deal with it. Either that, or we’ve felt like our pain doesn’t matter, so we just don’t speak about it. But then…there’s that moment when everything’s comes to the surface. It’s painful yet beautiful. It hurts, but it’s healing. Everything old that weighed you down needed to come out, so that new could replace it. This is when the hurt and the Healer collide. You take all of this hurt, this deep rooted pain and all those insecurities, and you give them over to the Lord. You finally realize that you can’t deal with all that alone. So the Healer stands there with open hands asking you to just give it up. He takes your pain. Not only that, but He is then able to replace all that pain you felt, with His love. He is then able to start rebuilding those ruins you call your heart. That’s when He can create in you something new and believe me, when my God builds something, He uses only the best materials. Everything is top-notch. Nothing of low quality. He uses the finest and nothing less for His children.

Top 5 pet peeves.

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:40:17 -0400

1. Incorrect grammar and/or spelling.
2. When you’re texting someone and they take ten years to respond. (Just tell me you’re busy. I won’t be angry!)
3. When people use words that they don’t even know the meaning to.
4. When people cancel on you an hour before you’re supposed to do something.
5. When people don’t capitalize the “G” in “God”.

That’s all for now. I’ll think of more later;)

Carolina tide

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:20:32 -0400

Hey girl, let’s go down
wash our hands
in the Carolina tide
Let’s go down and die
and come back like babies

Hey girl, let’s go down
wash our sins
in the muddy brown wave
Wash the world away
and come back again

All these scarlet stains
like the blood red clay
on the knees of our jeans
You can come out righteous
if you want babe
you can come out clean

hey girl drive all night
down to the water
and live like we’re alive
Let our sleeping die
and roll out of these graves

Hey girl, the water don’t know
the shore don’t care
who you were before
We’re not them anymore
you know we’re not the same.

All these scarlet stains
like the blood red clay
on the knees of our jeans
You can come out righteous
if you want babe
you can come out clean

Hey girl, let’s go down
wash our hands
in the Carolina tide
Let’s go down and die
and come back like babies

Hey girl, let’s go down
wash our sins
in the muddy brown wave
Wash the world away
and come back again

-John mark McMillan

I feel like I haven’t really blogged in forever. But through this time, I’ve gone...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:24 -0400

I feel like I haven’t really blogged in forever. But through this time, I’ve gone through quite a bit. Emotionally my life has been a roller coaster. I’ve felt more broken than I have in a very long time. Now I see that it hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing. Sure, the feelings I’ve felt haven’t been wonderful and at times I just wanted to give up but I haven’t. Through all of this, I’ve come to know the Lord in a completely different way. A way I had forgotten about. I think sometimes we get so caught up in His power and might, and forget about His gentleness and mercy. We talk about Him bringing life back to others, but we so often forget that He wants to bring life back to us as well. Not many Christians today, even people that have been Christians for a long time don’t really know the real Jesus. We’ve made Him who we want Him to be. Religion seems to have completely taken over and I can honestly say, it’s not good. All religion says is “no”, “don’t”, and “can’t”. It always focuses on what you “cant” or “shouldn’t” do. It condemns instead of convicts. Believe me, im not going astray. I still believe in Holy living but The more I get to know Jesus, the more I’m blown away. Can someone really Love that much? Can someone really look past all my flaws, insecurities and issues and be proud to say, “I’m proud to call her my girl. That’s my chosen one. That’s the one I love and gave everything for.” I find everyday more and more, that it’s true. He thinks I’m worth it all. Even when the world hates me, He loves me just the same. Now, onto another thing: why do we as Christians, treat people who aren’t believers, as lepers? If we know all about their sin, how their living and they don’t believe the same way we do, we get straight hateful. Not to mention judgmental. If I’m not mistaken, we are supposed to act Christ-like, and I don’t see Him shining people. I see Him inviting those people to sit with Him. Why? Well because, you can’t show someone Christ if you won’t even go near them. Christ loves. Unconditionally. Is it wrong what they’re doing? Of course. Do we all sin? Everyday. Does He love is any less? Not one bit! Our job is to love, not judge. Sometimes I think we push so much on others, we don’t give them time to process anything. You cant make someone believe in Jesus. You have to SHOW them Jesus and then they have no choice but to believe. But you have to give them time to believe it. You don’t know what they’ve gone through, what they’ve seen and what they’ve been told. All you can do is plant that seed of Jesus, that seed of Hope and watch HIM do the work. It’s not our job to judge. That’s His. It’s our job to love. Do that and watch miracles unfold.

"As we grow older together, As we continue to change with age, There is one thing that will never..."

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:16:27 -0400

“As we grow older together, As we continue to change with age, There is one thing that will never change… I will always keep falling in love with you.”

morgandoggett: New original that i did with Hope Stribling!!...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:58:58 -0400

morgandoggett:

New original that i did with Hope Stribling!! “All the Time”

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken...."

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:23:35 -0400

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

"Love doesn’t lie. It doesn’t feel the need to hide things. Love is being honest, even if..."

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:06:34 -0400

“Love doesn’t lie. It doesn’t feel the need to hide things. Love is being honest, even if it hurts.”

"Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to..."

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:55:19 -0400

“Why are you depressed, O my soul?
Why are you upset?
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. (Psalm 42:11 NET)”

Im falling And it seems I can’t catch myself So will you pick me up before I hit the bottom? I...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:23:24 -0400

Im falling
And it seems I can’t catch myself
So will you pick me up before I hit the bottom?
I know I mess up
And I fail You constantly
But my heart still longs for You
I’m just scared you’ll quit loving me
Although I know that’s not true
Because Your love never fails me
It never runs out
There’s not one thing I could do
To make You stop loving me

Just take me away
I’m tired of fighting
My strength is wearing thin
I’m always trying to stand tall
But with all this weight on me
I’m starting to feel so small
Sometimes I think I’m being crushed
By all the pain surrounding me
I know life’s worth living
I’m just having a hard time seeing why
And no, I’m not going crazy
Although I feel like I might be sometimes
Your love is keeping me sane
It’s the only thing that numbs the pain
When all these thoughts come rushing in
It’s You who I call
It’s Your face that I see
It’s You who I love

There’s nothing in this world that I want more
More than Your love
And although I already have it unconditionally
I don’t always feel it
So I guess what I’m asking
Is that You absolutely drown me in it
Where I can feel nothing else
But the arms of the Father
Completely wrapping me up in His embrace

"As long as you’ve got a heartbeat, you still have life. And as long as you’re still..."

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:02:35 -0400

“As long as you’ve got a heartbeat, you still have life. And as long as you’re still breathing, You’re gonna be alright. We can go through this war together.”

"I’ll take you as you are. Please, just take me as I am."

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:27:04 -0400

“I’ll take you as you are. Please, just take me as I am.”

What do you do when you have about 5 different emotions running through you at once, and feel as if...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:03:50 -0400

What do you do when you have about 5 different emotions running through you at once, and feel as if there’s no one to talk to about them for fear that they might just view you as whiny and needy? It’s the worst feeling when you bottle everything up. It literally makes me want to scream and partly at myself because I have no earthly idea why I’m feeling this way. Nothing is settled, I’m unsure of everything and extremely sensitive. Normally, in my blogs, I give the answers to these sort of questions. But I can’t quite find the answer tonight. This feeling of being unloved is overwhelming even though I know it’s not anywhere near the truth. I am loved. That’s a fact. But I don’t feel loved. Feelings are fickle, but they do matter. Getting them under control is the problem. But I guess this is just me learning how to cope and be silent which has never been hard for me up until now. Ignore my ramblings. Just had to write it out. If nothing else good comes out of this rant, hopefully someone out there feeling like I am right now will know that they, infact, are not alone.

Photo

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:57:41 -0400

"Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen..."

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:49:02 -0400

“Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”

Ever find yourself feeling lonely even when you’re around people? Or feel unloved even when...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:27:48 -0400

Ever find yourself feeling lonely even when you’re around people? Or feel unloved even when you know you are, in fact, loved? I think that’s one of the most aggravating things. It’s a fight between feelings and facts. Your feelings tell you that no one cares. No one loves you. Really loves you, atleast. They tell you that no one would care if they saw the real you. Every side of yourself. The serious side. The deep side. The silly side. The completely idiotic side. The needy side and every other side of you. But all of that isn’t true. There are people out there who will love every part of you. The good, the bad and the ugly. When your sweet, when your irritable, when your happy, when your sad. Those are the people worth keeping. They are the ones who really count. Those people are showing you Jesus when they love you no matter what. It’s almost like He gives us these people to show us just how much He loves us. The coolest part? He loves us ten million times more than any person could possibly ever show.