He is everything He says He is.

With joy in my heart I can honestly say that Jesus is everything He says He is. He is the Prince of Peace, the Giver of Life. He is the restorer of all things, the Father to the fatherless, the Lord of all creation. He is the beginning and end and is faithful in all His ways! Though I 'knew' these things about Him, its something entirely different when you 'know' it because He's shown you.

Friends, even when we are walking in obedience to what we feel the Lord is leading us to do, it does not mean it's going to be easy. It is possible to be in the center of His will and everything around you seem to come crashing in. It is possible to be in the center of His will and to the point of almost living in your car. It is possible to be in the center of His will, seeking His face, obedient to His leading, and life just being as hard as you've ever known it. It is possible.

But just as gold is tested in the fire, so is our faith.

How can the strength of something be tested, without resistence? How can you believe in something, without questions? How can you learn His voice, without silence? How do you learn to rely on Him as your source, without need?

I've learned to 'take Him at His Word' for so many circumstances I've found myself in, despite what I was feeling. "God, your Word says that you will NEVER leave me nor forsake me." "Lord, you provide ALL my needs." "You are FAITHFUL to finish YOUR good work in me." "You ARE my help in times of need." "You are MY shelter."

After a couple of years of increasingly difficult times, I found myself questioning God, "Why?!?! Why, when I am following after You, would you allow this to happen?!" His only response to me was, "Holly, am I still who you've been telling everyone I am? Am I still faithful? Loving? Compassionate? Am I still everything you've said I am?"

I want to encourage you, He IS faithful. Take Him at his Word. Trust in Him....because He is everything He says He is.

His Love To Me

Deep as the darkest depths of the ocean, the end of my love will never be found. No despair of your heart too deep, that my love can't soothe. You are the gem that I seek, the treasure I've found. My love will never fail. 


Over the vastest of deserts, through the densest of forests, I will search for your wandering heart. I am the breath that fills your weakened lungs, the life pumping through your veins. Like the deepest warmth to your frozen bones, my love wraps you tight. Come live in me, with me, through me. Bask in the light of the Son.  For you are the gem that I seek, the treasure I've found. My love will never fail.

I Pray So....

I think about you everyday, a tower so strong and tall.
How majestic you looked among the many brick fortresses surrounding you.
Honesty, Respect, and Humility were the unique markings of the entryway to which all were able to enter.
It was the climb of your staircase that revealed the crumbling hurts of your past. The first few steps were amazingly beautiful and strong, but with each step taken to the heart of this tower, the weaker you became. 
Wounded bird, what has crippled you? What has caged your spirit? 
Trying to find refuge through the love of your passerbys, you invited all to enter. Yet with each lover, scars remained tightening the chains around your heart.
Seeking refuge, you ran.  
Has far away brought healing to your heart? Has it brought freedom to your caged spirit?
I pray so. May healing come and freedom.
I think about you everyday.

I Sang a Song

I sang a song in chapel. Beautiful melodies surrounded me, caressing the words of how great, how powerful, how awesome our God is. As I sang it, I could feel my soul worshiping in unity with the words my mouth uttered. With eyes not seen by humans, I saw the things I struggle with laying down. So much smaller and weaker than I've known them to be. As my soul is worshiping Creator God, the words I'm singing become so greatly magnified against this vapor of a struggle. "Our God is great. Our God is stronger. God you are higher than any other..."


Perhaps this is one of the main reasons God tells us, continually, to worship Him. To bring thanks to His name. For somewhere in the midst of worship, we see the finite hold of our struggles and problems in the presence of the infinite Creator God.

Still, He Keeps on Asking

I know it's what You're asking, but it's harder than you think...
See, I've fell into this slump and all I seem to do is sink.


I'm focused on the big things, like school, the job and calling,
but You're asking me for the 'little things' ...and I just seem to keep on falling.


Falling short of what You desire, obedience in great and small,
yet for some unknown reason I feel the 'great things' should be all.


Very plainly You have shown to me, the picture of my heart
Disgusted and discouraged, I know I've failed "the part".


How can I give You what You're asking for, 
when I dont know where to start? 


I'm sorry for the way I've lived, selfishly complaining
when all You've ask me for are the things that damage greatly.


So with this prayer I bring to You, I ask You with all of me
change me Lord and have Your way, so I may please you in these things.


You alone have the power to change this heart of selfish gain.
So I do all I know and that is come to You again.

Hook-n-Sinker

Sometimes, life has a way rubbing us raw. Tons of demands, sickness, financial strains, concerns about things that we dont have the ability to change. They all have a way of hooking you and dragging you down. I've seen a trend in my life: happy and life is grand, something comes along that is difficult, its all I can think about, I become overwhelmed, then hopeless, discouraged. Here's the switch that changes everything: Problems surrounding me, feel hopeless, discouraged~ I look to Jesus and cry out to Him, He shines his light on the situation and suddenly it doesnt seem so hopeless, and despite the situation I find myself in there is joy. 


I'm going to admit, it took me WAY too long to see this and realize the obvious way to live is coming to Him at the first sign of trouble. Coming to Him right away for the thing that I know will hook-n-sink me. I've heard people say, "yes it's good to go to Jesus with your concerns, but there is a practical world and these issues are real." To that I would say, "God is as practical as it comes". Why struggle to control and allow the hook of discouragement to come in, when you can go to the One who can do anything about everything! To the One who can calm every anxiety and bring peace, hope, and joy for any situation. 


God is not a go-to for a feel good, while ignoring the problem. God is a solution, with peace.

Becoming More than I Know

Tonight at work, I just kept thinking of the examples Christ sets for us and the things He asks of us. Then I thought of how far I am from the woman God desires me to be....the "Christ like" person He calls me (every believer) to be. So many cultural saturations into my life, selfish blotches smothering me and yet, He wants me to go against those things. In many ways, He wants me to think in ways I have never thought before. How does one do this?!?! I began praying ,while riding up and down in the elevator, cleaning the bathrooms and lockerrooms at the Y. "Jesus, I dont know how to be the woman you are asking me to be. I dont know how to be something that was never ingraned in me growing up or to think in a way that is beyond my natural way of thinking. I dont know how to love like You, deeper and selflessly, more than I can comprehend." Honestly, I started feeling kind of hopeless. How can I do what I have never done before and be who I dont know how to be?!?! It was about my 5th ride down in the elevator that the verse, "He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it" came to my mind. 
Aha! That is how. Suddenly it didnt feel so hopeless anymore. All I can do is keep coming to Jesus, asking the Holy Spirit to keep me soft, that I would respond to His leadings. What He says He will do, He is faithful to do! He will complete what He began. I'm just a work in progress....