Infinitely Beautiful: The Poem

What an amazing weekend

filled with amazing friends.

What a mind blowing concept

that is infinite.  

Ephesians 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able, 

through his mighty power at work within us, 

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Now I pray

that we give glory to God 

in ever possible way.  

That we lean on him, instead of holding our own breath.

That we stop being someone we are not, just to be known.

That we stop walking on the path that leads to our death.

Did you know?

That God created the stars in the sky,

all the animals, plants, and trees on the land

just so that Adam, you, or I could lend a helping hand.

Did you know?

He gave us the world to spark our questions and start asking why?

And that why is the guy both 100% man and 100% God.

He loves you more than everything in our vast universe.  

He pours out his love for you in ever single Bible verse.  

He did that and so much more.

Every morning and night

He paints the sky in colors of orange, red, purple, and pink.

All just so that we know that we are adored and are taken in delight.

And did you know that He prayed for you?

Yes..He prayed for you. 

Back in the time when He walked on this Earth,

right before He was captured and sentenced to death,

He prayed for me and He prayed for you.  

He prayed for us to trust what He said to be true.

John 17:23 

Jesus {prays} this:

"I have given them the glory that you gave me,

that they may be one as we are one--

I in them and you in me--

so that they may be brought to complete unity.

Then the world will know that you sent me

and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Such beautiful words from our creator,

yet we sit on our couches saying, " I'll read the Bible later."

As if later will actually come,

but the weight of this world will bring us to our knees

and we will scream, " I AM DONE!"

I am done, holding my breath for what is to come.

I am done, trying to be perfect, when all that matters are the thoughts from the Son. 

I AM DONE.

And when you are finally done following this world, done following this world,

Jesus sweeps in and lifts you in His everlasting arms.

And whispers into your ear,

"You are not alone, my beloved, I AM here for you.  Stop living your life with hostility,

and start depending on my abilities."

For I, Carly Ann Wilke, will testify till the day that I die

That the God who created the vast universe cares for not only me, but for you.

Now it is your decision to choose, 

and I pray that you choose the one who makes all things new.

The one who loves us all with a love that is:

beyond dutiful, or suitable, in fact it is unusual,

and at times musical, always truthful, immeasurable,

irrefutable, and

INFINITELY BEAUTIFUL! 

Infinitely Beautiful: The Thoughts

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Last weekend I was able to attend Saddleback Church's College Ministry winter retreat, CM Summit.  All 80, give or take a few, of us jumped onto two busses and started our treacherous journey to Big Bear. One bus had air conditioning, and the other did not.  I was in the the bus from hell..... seriously I think I lost weight from how much I was sweating. 

But anyways, the weekend's trip was called INFINITE.  Our verse was Ephesians 3:20.  It reads,"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at worth within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."  This verse hit me, and still recks my thoughts today.  The concept that in and through us God is working every single moment of the day, is both a humbling and honoring thing.  And those two ideas don't go together all too often.  

For instance, today I decided that even though I had a stuffy nose and was still recovering from a cold, I was going to go on a walk.  There is this beautiful trail by my house that I have been running on lately.  (more often than usual!! Go exercise).  I was planning on running a small portion of the trail, but this verse kept popping into my head.  Along with John 19:11, "Jesus answered, 'You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."  

So on my walk, I kept going.  Every so often an opening came near and I could have turned back and still be proud I went that far.  But instead of depending on my own power, I leaned on God.  I prayed for strength. (and a good song to get me motivated....Shut up and Dance went on, I danced, of course, and looked like a fool to another runner, but whatever.) 

 Now if our power comes from God and He is the creator of the world, I don't think I need to be worrying about what I am going to eat for lunch, or what I am going to wear today, or what anyone thinks of me.  All that matters is that I look to God and listen to what He says of me, and what He desires for me to do.

He loves me, and He loves you. Compared to all that He created, we are pretty darn small. We are the ones guilty of handing Jesus over to the cross.  We are the ones, each day that hammer a nail into his hand.  But we are also the ones who bear His image and we are the ones that He loves the most. We are the ones that He sacrificed himself for. 

So what do you think about God's infinitely beautiful love?

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Stop Waiting

So just to let you guys know,  I am an over-romantic, easily excited college girl who dreams of having a family and living with my perfect husband ( who knows how to make me tic) in a beautiful home somewhere in the woods.  {woods= trees, so anywhere there is a grouping of trees}.

On top of that, I love reading romantic books that make every girl's hearts melt and drop...wishing the male character would be real and saying his romantic and eloquent words to me..... Also, I love romantic movies, now I also love action movies and Sci-Fi, but come on every movie has some sort of love triangle, sometimes more than a triangle, but you get the point.

I am in love with the idea of being in love.  And I can't wait to feel that way about someone who feels the same way about me.

If any of you have seen the movies Ever After, any of the Lord of the Rings movies, the Hobbit, Becoming Jane, Sense and Sensibility.... you will have witnessed what I am trying to put to words.

The women in these movies are dainty, lovely, bright, beautiful beyond just outer appearances, caring, talented, quaint, brave, courageous, lady-like, and they demand respect from men and those around them.  For so long have I dreamed of being Éowyn from Lord of the Rings, who not only is encouraging and caring, but she is a fighter and disguises herself as a man to fight for her kingdom, even when the outcome may be death.  She is jaw dropping captivating.  

The male characters also are gentlemen, though some are flawed, the ones we should care about are more than just boys dressed up to fight, they are men.  They learn as they go and grow into caring, strong, honorable, loving, intelligent and respectful men.   They are the knights any girl in this world dreams about at night.  I most certainly have been waiting for my Aragorn and Legolas :) hahah.

Now the problem to all these totally normal thoughts, is that while I have been waiting for my prince charming, true love has been staring right at me.  True love has been guiding me through my whole life.  True love has been comforting me when I am upset.  True love has been laughing with me.  True love has been wandering with me through this world.  True love has set me free.  True love died on a cross for me....

JESUS IS MY TRUE LOVE!!!  

Only He will be able to provide me with all the love, encouragement, company, and acceptance I need.  

So, when all I want is to meet someone who will make my heart skip a beat, who will constantly pursue me, who will bring me flowers, who will read to me, who will hold my hand, who will live life with me....The only one who can fulfill this desire is Jesus.  And boy does he do it well!

Every morning He shines His love for me with the beauty locked in a sunrise.  Each day He walks beside me as I go to my classes, go to work, go to work out.  You name it, He is with me.  He makes the leaves fall down in ways that just take my breath away.  He makes the hills so green that I can feel the beauty pouring into the very depths of my soul.  He captures my attention with every flower that grows in my front yard.  He grabs my shoulders lavishing his love on my with every verse I read and with every smile from others.  He hugs me so tight.  He loves me so much.  And his love is so beautiful.  It is never ending, never dull, never fake.  It is as if I am in the gardens of Eden walking with Him.  He is my everything.  

He can be your everything too.  He came into this world not to condemn the world, but to save it.  And not to just save it and say, "See you later good luck!"  NO!  He came so that he could personally love you and care for you.... So if you have ever dreamed of having that someone who loves you so passionately and so beautifully, get to know Jesus.  He is always waiting to make a difference in your life. 

I love this verse: 

"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." -Isaiah 43:1

God is jealous for your love.  He calls you by name.  Can you see him in the beauty of this world?  Can you hear him in the music that fills the air?  Take a leap and dive into the deep love of Christ.  You will never want to go back!!!

I AM READY; HE IS WITH ME!!

A New Semester.  A new journey.  I sit all ready to go to bed: damp hair, polka dot pajamas, two pairs of fuzzy socks on ( one knee high, the other fuzzy pair on top), my Pandora Hidden Garden Radio calls my name, and my snuggly bed is sending me to sleep.

I am ready.  Not only to go to bed, but to start a whole new semester of college at Concordia University.  We just started a new year, and now a new semester.  And I AM READY!!

I have a healthy lunch all packed and ready to be put in its cooler.  I have my schedule written out nicely and in bold I put where each class is located ( don't want to go to a room from last semester).  I have syllabuses printed out and waiting for me at the printer{DON'T FORGET CARLY!!!}  I have a cute and comfortable outfit planned out.  I have my new laptop bag ready with a planner, pens, pencils, paper, laptop cover, hand sanitizer, the whole shabang!!

SO YES I am ready, but all these preparations will have been done for nothing if I go to school with a bad perspective or a grumpy attitude.

I feel like a different person this time.  Last semester, I was still stuck in my High School thinking and perspective.  I said I loved God, but barely knew him.  Sure I knew the right Sunday School answer to give, but personally, I couldn't feel God.  I was lost.  On the outside, I was doing great!  Leading a small group, getting super involved at the college ministry at Saddleback Church, working part-time as a cashier/party hostess at Big Air Trampoline Park, and still somehow breathing.  Throw in choir, tons of homework, and you get my busy schedule.

I was so busy.  Busy with school. Busy with work. Busy with choir. Busy with small group. Busy with church.  Busy with everything.  Yet, I still was not hearing God clearly.

One day, while I was journaling, I realized God had been communicating with me the whole time, I was the one who was either not listening or, not paying attention.  On the bottom of every page in my journal is a verse.  Now being the very observant girl I am, I totally noticed these verses.... well actually it was on a normal Friday and I looked down and what do you know, a bible verse.  I am such a dork.  I read the verse.  I turned the page back to the one before and read that verse.  Then it hit me.  Each verse on the bottom of the page corresponded to what I had been journaling that day.

I remember sitting on the floor waiting for my class to start, when all of a sudden I couldn't stop smiling.  God was still there.  He had never moved....I had. And I was going to then move closer than ever and keep drawing close to Him.


So here I am.  Still Carly Ann Wilke.  But I have most definitely changed.  And for the better.

I have made time for God every day and have been falling in love with my savior!!! He has changed me so much in the allotted time of a month.

He has broken down my walls.  He has cleaned and bandaged my wounds.  He has saved me.

A year ago, I was not this close to God.  I talk to Him like my best friend.  I leave my prayers open until I go to bed because there is always either something or someone to be praying for!  I start my day with Him.  I read the Bible and soak in all the truth and beauty I can from what I read.  I enjoy God's creation by hiking, running, and looking up at the beautiful sky.

This semester will be different.  I have a newly rooted faith in Christ Jesus.  I have a less busy schedule.  Instead of going to school every day, I will be going to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I can't wait to see what God will do this semester.  I can't wait to see how he moves in my life.  I can't wait to learn more.  I can't wait to love more.

I believe God can move in your life, even if it is a busy one.  He will always work things out for His glory.  BUT, instead of confining God to your schedule,  work your schedule around your time with Him....wow.  Just think of all He could do.

So that's what I have done.  I have two full days free for God to do what He wills.  If that means me staying home and just spending time with him, then I will do it.  If that means going to coffee with a good friend, a new friend, a mentor, or a seventh grader, then I will do it.

 My prayer for this semester is this:

GOD USE ME, SPEAK TO ME, LOVE ME, TEACH ME, SAVE ME!!

I pray that this new beginning brings you all blessings and that you too, will take time to get to know your creator....Trust me, He is a rad guy!!!

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them every sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love our name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
     ~Psalm 5:11-12

The Wonders of a New Year

{Meant to be posted yesterday, sorry!!!}

Day one of a brand new year,

as I sip on my morning coffee,

 remembering the night before, 

filled with celebration and cheer.

I wonder what 2015 will hold,

I wonder what I will learn,

I wonder if I will be bold,

I wonder if I will stop every once in a while,

to smell a flower, and say hello to my King who does not walk this earth,

but rules it from above, for HE IS my one and only TRUE LOVE!

Will I stand tall and be the one God created me to be?

Or will I fall under the pressures that this world has dropped into my hands.

The calluses and bruises from the past year are almost healed, 

but the smallest pebble would cause them to bleed.

So I come to you, Lord, humbly I kneel.

Please take the shame, guilt, and pain. 

Lord save me from myself and 

Empty me of anything offensive.

For when I am emptied of myself and filled with your peace,

Nothing Will Shake Me!

For you are with me, and I am not alone.

ON the contrary, you have welcomed me into your home.

You prepare me a room in the Kingdom of God,

so here, this year, I will shine your love.

I will be a glimpse of your grace and joy.

I will forgive,

because you forgave me when I was unforgivable.

I will love,

because you loved me when I was unlovable.

I will serve,

because you served me when I was in need of help.

I will shine like the morning sun.

I will sparkle like the evening star.

I will proclaim your name saying that you are the one,

The one who came down from above.

To break our chains, and set us free.

You came down because you loved me.

2015 will be one heck of a year.

Your plans surpass mine, so what better way to start, 

than by leaving the empty pages

to be filled by the one who not only holds the pen

but who will forever hold my heart!

Christmas Cheer = A Wonderful Year

Christmas.

A time to draw near to family and friends.

And the celebration never truly ends.

Lights are seen inside and out.

People run from store to store, from house to house, from party to party.

But what is Christmas really about?

Is it about a man who brings presents to only those who are nice?

OR is it about the baby boy whose birth brought us peace!?

We hear the carols and sing along, 

but have you ever thought about that night described in every Christmas song?

Have you seen what the wind saw, have you heard what the little lamb heard? 

A song high above the trees, angels in the sky singing praises to the little King..

do you know what you sing?

Do you know what the little shepherd knows?  

Do you know this little child shivering in the cold? 

Have you given him a gift of silver or of gold? 

Have you prepared him room in your heart?
If so then,
 Say what the King said to all the people everywhere. 

Pray for peace, people everywhere! Listen to what I say

The Child, the Chid, sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light.

Goodness and light, that shines SO bright that the night is no longer night, 

but it is indeed a beautiful sight!
So sing with a full heart.
Sing each song with joy and peace.
And draw closer to the little king who
brought grace and who will never depart.
So do not move away, but instead
Love Him a little more and Know him a little better each and every day.
Don't let the Christmas cheer end here.
Just as Buddy the elf said,"Treat Every Day Like Christmas!"
Oh, if we did that, 2015 would be a wonderful year!