Thankful.

I am very busy to say the least, but I want to give just a little highlight on all that God is doing in my life and reflect on it a little bit.

I am officially 3 weeks through with my senior year of high school, and I am very happy to say that they have gone by very fast. But going by fast doesn't mean it has been easy.

Needless to say, God is preparing me now for the future. No doubt about it. But I am enjoying the challenge.

I have learned that if God puts a chance for ministry in your life, take it, because it will bless you more than anything else in your life. He has given me a chance to befriend one of the strongest women I know and be there for her, help her, and build a relationship with her. Kristen is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me and we are both learning so much from each other. Please keep both of us in your prayers, that this relationship will continue to grow with each other and in Christ.

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." 

Colossians 1:10-12

Paul says in every way bear fruit, grow in knowledge, become strengthened with God so that we will be patient and endure, and give thanks.

Sounds simple. But do we even try?
Do we give thanks for all that He has blessed us in our lives, good things and bad?
Do we bear fruit in our lives by doing things for Christ and not for us to get the credit?
Do we try to read and study God's word so that we an learn and grow in our relationship with Him?
Do we really believe that God can give us the strength to have endurance to get through the day and patience when things don't go the way we plan them to or have to wait?

My goal is that one day I will be able to grasp these things and I don't want to stop until I do. I pray that everyday my relationship with Christ grows so that I will be capable of reaching this point.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Colossians 2:6-7

Overflowing with thankfulness. I am SO not thankful enough in my life. I take things for granted every day, and it has hit me more this week than ever that I really do need to be overflowing with thankfulness for my life. God needs to know that we are so thankful for the things that He blesses us with. This includes the bad things too. He deserves our thankfulness.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts."

Psalms 105:1-2

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I'm very excited to see what God does with the rest of this year. It's only been 3 weeks since school started and He has already done so much. Pray that I will continue to be a light in Peaster High School and in our community, and that God will use me in any way He can.
I pray that I will be able to grow in my relationship with Him every day and be thankful. For the good and the bad.

I pray that you will be given hope to know that Christ died for you so that you can have a relationship with God and live your life in His name. Showing and telling every one that what Christ has done for you, He has done for them too.

The Test.

2 Corinthians 13:5

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?"

This summer has been very busy and very eventful, and I have seen God work through so many ways. With my family, the church, and myself.
I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like, but I hope that it will change soon and I will be able to post more often. Thank you for your patience.

I think it's finally starting to kick in that this is my last year of high school. I'm so excited, but also wanting to make sure that I don't miss anything God is trying to teach me or tell me in the process. Sometimes I feel like I get so caught up and stressed about things that honestly don't matter, especially in God's eyes and that's something I've always struggled with.

With the verse for today, I want to test myself. I know that I cannot get through this year without God's help, and that's a fact, for several reasons. He's going to be the only strength I have to get through it. I want to test my ability to lean on God for every aspect of my life, because I don't know how I can do it on my own.
A goal this year for me is to read through the entire Bible before school gets out in May. I don't want God to not be able to use me to His full potential just because I don't know His Scripture, especially with the mission opportunities I have coming up. And one of those mission opportunities is school.

Please pray for me as I go through this next year. Pray that I will be a light for the students of Peaster High School, and that us as Christians will be able to make a difference and give fellow students hope. Pray that I will be ready and prepared for any way that God can use me.

Ephesians 5:15-17

"Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

I've been so blessed with the people in my life to encourage me and keep me going, I'm so thankful for each and every one of you.
I know that this will definitely be a learning year for me, and I'm ready.

My hope:
Luke 18:27
"Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.'"

Change in the Making-Addison Road

There’s a better version of me
That I can’t quite see
But things are gonna change
Right now I’m a total mess and
Right now I’m completely incomplete
But things are gonna change
Cause you’re not through with me yet

This is redemption’s story
With every step that I'm taking
Every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I'm a change in the making

Wish I could live more patiently
Wish I could give a little more of me
Without stopping to think twice
Wish I had faith like a little child
Wish I could walk a single mile
Without tripping on my own feet
But you’re not through with me yet

And this is redemption’s story
With every step that I'm taking
And every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
Every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be

From the dawn of history
You make new and you redeem
From a broken world to a broken heart
You finish what you start in everything
Like a river rolls into the sea
We’re not who we’re going to be
But things are going to change

I'm living redemption’s story
With every step that I'm taking
And every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
And this is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I'm a change in the making

I'm not who I'm gonna be
Moving closer to your glory.

His Hands.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"

These verses have become more real to me now than ever before.

I've grown up with these verses but never really grasped what they truly mean. Now, as I'm in the summer before my senior year, my life is beginning to change. I'm not the little girl I once was, and I used to think I would be scared of leaving high school, growing up, and moving on with life but I am so unbelievably excited I can't contain it.

I am starting to plan for my future, but realizing that God already has my future planned for me. I have hope that wherever He will lead me in life that it will be for His will and that I will be the happiest I've ever been, even when life does throw me curve balls.

Isaiah 42:16

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

When I think back to before everything really changed, and I handed my life over to God; I wasn't happy. At all, compared to now. He has blessed me with so much, and has me in a place I never thought I'd be, but it's absolutely perfect and I'm the happiest I've ever been. My hope is that it will be my drive.

I want others to be able to feel the same happiness, build relationships, and know that when life is in God's hands, there will still be problems, but no longer any worry because you know He has a plan and will give you the strength.

Romans 15:13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

It is truly amazing to see how God's hands are in every little detail of my life and it has become more real to me now than ever before.
Words can't express how important total submission to God has been in my life.
I struggle everyday, because yes, I am human, but at the end of the day I have a God who is merciful and I have learned that if I trust in Him, I become happier than I would have ever been if I had just done what was easiest.

Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

My prayer today is that in everything I do, God will be put first and that He will use me.

And I pray it will be the same for you.
I pray that you have hope, and know that God has a future for each and every one of us, and is just waiting for us to submit ourselves; give ourselves up and let it no longer be us in the driver's seat.

Isaiah 41:17-20

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it."



God's Natural Wonders.

As you know, a group of us from my school and my father just returned late Sunday night from Puerto Rico.

This trip was very special to me for several reasons.

One, I got to spend some much needed time with my daddy. He means so much to me and is by far the best dad in the whole world. I've been so blessed and I know that he has helped make me the person I am today. Without him I don't know what kind of person I'd be. I love him so much.



Two, it gave me the chance to see God in a way I've never been able to before. Yes, here at home I see Him in my yard, while I'm sitting out there doing my quiet time, listening to the birds and seeing the sun shine bright through our trees. But having a change of scenery and getting to see the amazing landforms in Puerto Rico just made Him all the more real. And it was incredible.

Let me just take it day by day.

Day 1:

8 hours of plane flying.

To me, there's only one good thing about flying.. the view from the window of the plane.

There's just something about seeing the clouds below you and seeing the sun shine that just gives you peace. Absolutely beautiful.

He also blessed us with save travels and little to no problems with our journey.

Day 2:

El Yunque National Rainforest.

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

The lush vegetation is incredible, and you know that only a God like ours could create something so beautiful.

We saw four rushing waterfalls, snails, and listened to the coqui frogs sing underneath the tent of thousand year old or more trees and pouring rain.

The rain was absolutely perfect because it kept us cool, and we got to see what makes the rainforest.. well.. a rainforest.

Psalm 19:1-6
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat."

Day 3:

Old San Juan/Ponce.

We got the chance to tour Old San Juan, which was absolutely beautiful.

I'm a huge history buff, so this was one of my favorite things to do.

We got to see the breathtaking view off of El Morro, which used to be the fort that protected San Juan, and looked into the vast Atlantic Ocean.

After that, we loaded up on the bus and were on our 3 hour journey down to Ponce, Puerto Rico.

The drive there was breathtaking as well. Beautiful, green mountains lined the highway.



Day 4:

Sight-Seeing in Ponce/Phosphorescent Bay.

In Ponce, we went and toured el Castillo Seralles, a castle built by the 4,000 acre sugar plantation owners.

It ws a beautiful tour, and had a view over all of Ponce.

We returned back to downtown Ponce where we visited el mercado, had lunch and did a little shopping.

We then went to the Tibes Ceremonial Center where we learned about the pre-Taino Indians and some of their culture.

After a long bus ride, we arrived in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The hotel was right on the water and had a gorgeous view.

Once it got dark, we loaded up the boat and headed to the Phosphorescent Bay. Being on the boat is one of my favorite things to do, especially at night. With the light breeze and lights from the island fading in the distance.. it was beautiful. That was just the beginning though.

We pulled into this small, round bay and anchored. After a few instructions from the driver, we all jumped in. The water was the perfect temperature, it was cool, but a comfortable, refreshing cool. As we swam through the water and moved our hands and feet around, we noticed glowing sparkles in the water. These were microscopic plankton that live in the bay. It was an amazing sight to see. And then I took a minute to look up..

First I looked to the sky, and saw about half of a moon shining down, with stars surrounding it. Then, I looked into the horizon. There was a little pink glow of the sun right above the mountains surrounding the bay, and I just had to take it all in. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life, and the peace I felt then was unbelievable. I just felt God's presence, and Him saying, "Look at what I've created, Taylor. Just so that you can see Me." That picture will forever be etched into my mind.

Psalms 23
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Day 5:

Snorkeling/Return to San Juan.

After breakfast, which we took out to the deck, watching the sunrise and waves of the Caribbean Sea, we loaded onto the same boat we took out the night before and headed to the coral reefs.

The water was again the perfect temperature, and we got to be hands on with a few of the sea creatures.

We were inches away from yet another of God's natural wonders and it was an incredible experience.

Day 6:

Camuy Caverns.

A two hour bus ride later, we arrived at the caverns. Yet another incredible scene, and to this day can't even grasp the immensity of it. Inside this huge cavern, which was so tall a 17 story building could be built in it, we saw the amazing limestone formations formed from millions and millions of years of water carving through it. You just have to step back and know that only a God like ours could create something so amazing, something where time is endless.

Our last night was very enjoyable. We went to Latin Roots restaurant, and I got the chance to learn a bit of Salsa dancing and enjoy some Daddy-Daughter dancing :)



The flight home was long, but was very thankful that we made it home safetly.

Alright, reason three the trip was so special. I was given the chance to learn a little bit about the people, and God has put it on my heart to return one day to Puerto Rico, but not for a "vacation".

I would like to return to Puerto Rico for mission purposes, and get the chance to share the gospel with the people there, whom are very special. I can't wait to return.

Psalms 24:1
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it;

the world, and all who live in it;"



"Your Love Never Fails"

1 Corinthians 13:2-7

"If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

With that said, let me share another verse with you.

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither  height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The God of all creation loves us unconditionally. And we have not done one darn thing to deserve it.
It's impossible for me to wrap my head around.

All of us that have grown up in church, we have heard those verses from 1 Cor. millions and millions of times, over and over.
But do we really understand what it means to be loved by God?
I know it's something that I don't think about every day.

I think about how I love my family.
And my friends.
The people that are a big part of who I am.
But I always fail to consider that the God who has my life loves me more that any person ever could.
If I could ever come close to grasping that fact, every day of my life would be completely different.

Love is a big part of my life right now.
I love my family with all that I am, even though I know I don't tell them enough.
I have been blessed with an incredible family that is close and has love that will never end.
No, none of us are perfect but I love all of you so much.
I love my friends just as much.
What I would do without them, I have no idea. I know that they will always be there for me no matter what.
But ever since God has been in control, everything has taken a shift.

I don't think about things the same way as before, I don't look at some things the same way as before.
There's no way to describe it other than I know I have a God who I can call to anytime of anyday, anywhere and I have comfort that he will be there listening. I know I have friends and family that I can go to and that I know will love me, but the honest truth is I have found that I can't get the feeling I get when I talk to God about my issues and troubles because human love can't come close to the love God feels for us. Too often we turn to the people in our lives before we ever think of turning the issue over to God, when that should be our first reaction.

Nothing can separate us from the love of our God, and even when we think he's not listening, he sends blessings to show that he is there for us and will reward our perseverance.

No matter what issues are going on in your life, always remember the love that our God has for us as His people, and call up to him continuously.

James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

He gives us issues in our lives so that we will draw closer to Him and learn to call on Him in everything that we do.
I challenge you, as well as myself, to call on God as a first instinct, not a back up plan.

---

I have been praying very hard about posting these blogs, and I hope that in some way they allow you to draw closer to God.

I leave Monday morning very very very very VERY early.. to head to Puerto Rico, so it will be awhile until I get to post again, but I'm hoping to have something special to write about when I return :)

Hope you enjoy this song. It's one of my favorite songs of all time.

Peace.

Buenos Dias!

So, I'm pretty sure there's no better way to start off my summer than sitting on my front porch, drinking my coffee, watching my dog chase squirrels around my yard, and spending some quiet time alone in God's word while enjoying the gorgeous day that He created. It's just about my favorite thing to do in the entire world.

I would like to share some Scripture with you from my favorite book in the entire bible, the book of James.
As I was reading through Isaiah, I was trying to decide what I would like to share for my first real blog post, and these few verses came to mind.

James 4:4-8

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

You might say, "Gosh Taylor, doensn't that seem a little harsh?"

No, no, it really doesn't.
James describes us as adulterous people.
We are, aren't we? We CHEAT on God with the things of this world.
We are SINNERS. And we are DOUBLE-MINDED.
Sadly, we have become friends of the world, even if we don't mean to.

On days like today, after a long week of school ending and everything going on, I know I haven't been giving all the time I should've to having my alone time to hear from God, so He can be in complete control. The devil has taken reign over that and gone crazy with it.
And I'm being totally honest with you, as I was with God.
He is a God full of mercy and love, and like His Scripture says "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"

Being changed through accepting God's salvation for my sins gives me the opportunity to make things right with God, even if I have strayed away for awhile. Maybe for a few hours, days, weeks, months, years.. whatever it is, God always wants us to come back, and if we ask him to, he will forgive us, no matter what. He knows that it is in our nature to be sinful people. But He also doesn't want us to continue in the sin we asked for forgiveness for, that's not the  point. He forgives us so that we can be cleansed and become more like Him, not so that we can continue to live our life in that same sin, continuing in it over and over and over again, never having an actual relationship with Him and striving to do His will everyday of our lives like He has called us to do.

This morning I have had the opportunity to sit outside, and just get back into the place where I have peace.
It has been a very long week, but I have peace that I have a God who is merciful and will forgive me for not giving Him the time He deserves.

And if you have a relationship with Him, He will do the same for you.
You just have to ask.

I could take these verses and go for pages and pages about what they mean for my life as a Christian, but I know that God's meaning is so much deeper that my human mind can ever grasp.

So I leave this with you, praying that you take this as you may and apply it to your own life.
I hope that you will find peace with God today and everyday of your life.