grace and salt

i meet with a group of girls on Tuesday nights for Bible study. right now we are going through the book of James. we also did a little Zumba afterwards tonight...but thats besides the point. we not only did a kick booty workout tonight, but also talked about a section in James that is known to kick a lot of people in the behind.

the deceitful tongue

this gets me in trouble sometimes. it has however, gotten much much better than before. in the Bible it says:

"...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

Matthew 12:34

is that really what the overflow of my heart is? goodness gracious! i sure hope not. but how many times, do we as Christians completely mess up on this one. i mean, honestly, not a single person can go another day saying "oh that has never happened." because i don't believe you. we as believers need to put into practice the verse that says:

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Colossians 4:6

i wish i always put that verse into practice. the only thing i can do now is strive to live this verse out everyday. i can't promise i will be perfect in this, because i am human. but i will do my absolute best in this area. my only hope is that through my words, you see Jesus Christ and His unending love.  

 

will you join me in "seasoning your words"? 

no one else.

last week/this week was and is going to be hard. with my grandpa's passing last week, and my dad's open heart surgery this week, i am sure it will take a toll on me physically and emotionally. but even in all that, i am so glad for the opportunities to share Jesus with people.

the more i live out life, the more i find the humanity of it all. life is so temporary and fragile. in one instant you can be gone...without a say or without warning.

we spend so much time worrying about how our dad treated us when we were younger, and how much money we make, and what we will eat for dinner.

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

                                                          Matthew 6:28-34

¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

                                                                   Colossians 3:13

if you look through the entire Bible, God provided for everyone who believed in Him. the Matthew passage always gets me. if God cares enough about the birds, how much more does He love and care for me? holy cow! not only am i made in His image, not only did He send His only Son to die for my sins, He, on top of all that (which is already enough), provides for my every need. anything. seriously, i could not have asked for a better life.

so, if God does this all for me, in my very human state, He does it for everyone i come in contact with. that means, the bagger at the grocery store, or the teller at the bank, or the barista at starbucks. God loves each and every one of us, sent His ONLY Son to die for us, and provides for us daily? there is nothing or no one i would rather follow than Jesus Christ.

He. Is. It.

life in pictures.

my goodness. where to start?! i haven't blogged in soo long. here are a few blurbs about life recently!

 

i got to meet Kari Jobe! woo! super sweet! love her music and the way it just speaks to me. she is one talented girl!

i went to sea world with this precious little girl! love her and her family to death! seriously...love spending time with them!

i get to teach english in this region for a all of July next summer! needless to say i am overjoyed! i cannot wait to see what God has in store for me!

my pappaw passed away. he was always so funny! the last thing i remember is talking to him on the phone about the last car payment i owed him. he thought he was pulling a fast one over on my dad and i...and charged me interest. well...he ended up giving me the interest back and making my last payment smaller. i will for sure miss his train whistling he used to do. oh...and crickets too.

i guess thats it. you never know the amount of time you have with people...or how special they are to you. cherish what you have now. God gives and takes away, but oh my goodness BLESSED BE HIS NAME!