abundance!!!!
a John 10:10 February
Hi friends!!
Wow, it has been a minute! The last time I officially did a writes was exactly a month ago today.
and boy, do we have a lot to catch up on!
Before we do so, I want to apologize to all my sweet, loyal, and bestie subscribers. I genuinely am so thankful for this space and want to steward it well. This is a true dream come true to write to you all here and have a special place to share what the Lord has placed on my heart. It just means so much to have you all here!
However, I made a list of rules for myself before I started to share more within this season of my life.
I did this to take the pressure off (which is something I tend to do…especially when it comes to social media)
This was necessary for me, as someone who feels called to share but is learning so much about the quiet place with the Lord. Who is wrestling with the noise of a busy world and navigating living a full life. Who used to struggle with striving and performance, so anytime it feels close to that - I choose to wait.
With that being said, February was a month to just be a sponge.
and I mean SOAK. UP. what He is doing in my life!
He is just too good, y’all.
I honestly don’t know where to start when it comes to getting back into the rhythm of these writes. I am overwhelmed with gratitude, goodness, and fullness of Him. Literally in tears writing this!
I would love to share some of my favorite lessons & moments from February - I mean if that’s okay with you guys??
LESSONS FROM FEB! 💌
Dependence is Actually the Whole Point.
I’ve said it once, I will say it a million times for the rest of my life - this life isn’t about you. (she said nicely-ish)
But real talk, we are to live our life in FULL dependence in Him.
I think often times we talk about dependence when it is the hard seasons, the difficult times and moments that require real faith. While yes, we are absolutely to depend on the Lord fully in those moments.
But we don’t talk enough about depending on the Lord in the good too, in the ABUNDANCE!
may we never forget the dependence we learned in formative seasons during full ones.
The beginning of this month I got to go home to surprise my little sister for her basketball game. It was such a sweet time home, and so so needed!
However, when I go home I tend to get off my “game.”
I mean, I didn’t post my writes, didn’t get my steps in or hit my protein goals. I didn’t even get in the Word.
Being home is back to the “go-go-go!” I get to catch up with my best friends, spend quality time with family, and share a bed with my 9 year-old little sister in her freshly painted pink bedroom.
But then came time to come home and get back into the “game.” (aka - the real world)
Which is always hard after a week when you get to put all the goals, habits, routines on hold.
Life started to pick up - all good things! But I started to lose the dependence. I could feel it. My heart was racing. My mind was wandering. I could tell my flesh was starting to pierce through a little more and I was definitely not getting my 10k steps in either.
and that only took a few days.
may I never forget the dependence I learned in formative seasons during full ones.
Bar Taco is Holy Ground.
Word on King street says at least…actually just me lol.
But no, I am honestly convinced! I have had some of the best conversations there this past month, filled with break-through, vulnerability, and people after God’s own heart.
Most of these conversations were in reference to a struggle I have/had with social media. This wrestle (as I have talked about previously) with being called to share but keeping things hidden with the Lord. Even being weary of performance, striving, falling back into old habits.
A big fear has been receiving credit for something I do not deserve.
(remember, this whole life thing is not about me!!!!)
Genuinely though, when I say the ONLY good thing about me is Jesus, I mean it.
However, this fear has also kept me from using a gift the Lord has evidently given me. To create and communicate the Gospel, His joy through words, pictures, and well - social media.
Here is what my friends had to say about that:
“If you’re truly an image bearer, then they will see Jesus in You. They might actually see Jesus because of You.” - friend 1
“The Lord is your DEFENDER.” - friend 2
“The Holy Spirit fights for us, on our behalf - His spirit is constantly working and those aligned in His spirit will be able to discern because He is fighting/defending on our behalf.” - friend 3
Keep in mind, these were separate conversations, separate WEEKS, all at Bar Taco.
The Lord knew I was not ready to hear what friend 3 had to say before friend 1 told me what she did. Does that make sense?
He knew this process of learning His character in defending us had to first be understood by knowing Jesus is IN ME. His Holy Spirit lives and dwells inside of me and others will see that!
And through His Holy Spirit, He defends us, He fights on our behalf. Because He knows our heart, our intentions, our mindset going into anything we might feel fearful of, insecure about - He is making it known to His people, that it is good because He said it was.
WHAT.
No like seriously, I don’t know if that is as ground breaking for you as it is for me, but wow, He is just too good.
Walk Before You Run.
Okay, let me start this one out by saying I am not a runner in the slightest bit.
So much so, that when I told my parents I joined a run club here in Charleston they laughed in complete disbelief.
However, I have been on this journey to learn the pace of the good shepherd (loyal subs you already know) and to slow my life down to live the way the Lord has intended.
I was encouraged by my dad to learn the physical side of pacing while I am learning the spiritual…which means I have to run…
but honestly, it was such good advice and I am so thankful for it.
As I have been trying to run, get my pace down, and grow endurance - I told my manager about my struggles and asked some tips and tricks.
She then proceeds to say, “ well do you walk before you run?”
…no?…
“You need to walk before you run! It gets your heart rate up and builds your endurance so you can run further.”
“Wait wait I’m sorry, you are telling me I need to walk first so that way I can run further?”
~do you see where I might be going with this?~
I watched a video from Tim Tebow the other day and Mr. Tebow said, “I do not want to get to heaven well rested, we have a race to run and I want to hear well gone my good and faithful servant.”
Woah woah woah, but what about all this pace of the good shepherd and slow living we’ve been talking about? (you might be asking)
You see, Jesus honors that hidden foundation, the secret place of refining, formation and sanctification. This is what shapes what is ultimately revealed, what equips us for the race we are set to run.
Slowing down isn’t a luxury; it’s fundamental. It sets the foundation, gets our heart rate up and gives us endurance to fight the good fight.
“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
We as followers of Christ can no longer be spectators. I refuse to sit back and watch the world do it’s thing when we are to consider Him, the work He did on the cross, Him taking my place so that I may live in freedom.
And I want to “slow down” having a cute, fun, girly, whimsy day in the life (nothing wrong with that by the way) but not tell others about Jesus??
I mean there are sinners in the world who are in need of a SAVIOR and I know His name!
I refuse to be complacent with my faith and keep it to myself. We have a race to run, a fight to win, until every tribe and tongue hear.
Rest in Him, Run for Him.
The Importance of Faithful Friends.
A sweet friend of mine came to visit last week. That sweet friend is named, Taylor! Taylor is full of faith, oh my goodness, I mean FULL of it!
Honestly, she made me rethink the way I pray. I am a very, “but if it’s Your will!” at the end of my prayers to tie all my requests up with a bow kind of gal.
But not Taylor! She prays boldly, like the kind of bold you know it is going to happen because she is praying as if it already did. BOLD.
The Sunday that Taylor visited, we talked about the importance of community at church.
In Luke 5, we see the story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man and how Jesus healed Him because of his friends faith.
I mean this man was carried in by four friends on a mat, believing with their entire heart that Jesus would heal him.
That is the kind of friends we need in our life! The kind of friends that pray on your behalf, intercede for you, and talk to Jesus when you do not have the words to say.
That is the kind of friend we are to be! A mat carrier, a pray warrior, a faithful friend.
Start praying bold prayers, pray in faith and pray for things. All it takes is a mustard seed.
And ask yourself this: Who are your mat carriers?
John 10. Nuff Said.
If you haven’t noticed, the word “abundance” has been on my heart so much recently.
This word takes me back to John 10 - a scripture that has covered me in this season. From pruning, to walking, and now living in abundance from Jesus.
John 10 talks about the Good Shepherd and His sheep. The sheep listen to His voice, He calls them by name and leads them.
This is a direct picture of what it looks like to be known and loved by God - called by name and lead by Him.
However, it also talks about in this passage how we are called to fully know and love Him as well. The sheep follow Him because they know His voice - so much so they do not even recognize any other voice!
I don’t know about you, but I will struggle to listen to lies from the enemy, doubts, and insecurities and not what the word of God says.
BUT JESUS!
Jesus is the gatekeeper, our shepherd, leading us to green pastures!
“I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture (John 9:10).”
I want to note that it says come “in and out” - which was actually pointed out to be my that sweet, faithful friend Taylor I told you about!
“In” - referencing the secret, intimate place with the Lord.
“Out” - into the World to tell others about Him.
What is seen by the world is built on what is being built in the secret place - and He is the gate to the secret place.
“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10).”
The passage goes on to talk about how the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep, and how there will be one flock & one shepherd. (in reference to the body - John 17)
He lays down His life on His own accord, and we have a responsibility to go out into the world to make that known!
“I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me (John 10:25).”
The definition of testimony is, “evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something.”
We as the flock, as His sheep, are to TESTIFY and be the proof! Tell of His goodness! Speak on His glory! To GO & TELL!
PHEWIE!!!!
Thank you, Jesus for a FULL life in you!
As I reflect on February, I am reminded that dependence on the Lord isn’t just for the difficult times, but for every season - whether in the quiet or in the abundance. It’s in these moments of surrender, vulnerability, and slowing down that we can truly hear His voice and align ourselves with His will.
From the conversations at Bar Taco to the lessons on pacing, I’m learning that everything is an opportunity to grow deeper in our dependence on God. It’s in the secret place where our foundation is built, and from that place, we go out into the world to testify of His goodness, knowing that He is our defender and our shepherd.
So as we move forward into March, I’m choosing to walk before I run, to pray bold prayers, and to rest in His abundance.
And I pray that you choose to do the same!
this was so sweet! i love your rules for creating content too, that you stop when it feels like a performance. im always so inspired by what you write, it hits me on Sunday nights at just the right time!
I absolutely loved this! 🥰 thank you for sharing your heart and how the Lord has been working through you ❤️🔥