The Name Change:

I love the outdoors.  It has always been something that just quickens my heart.  That probably is so because my wonderful parents and grandparents took my two brothers and myself camping every summer.  It became a beautiful tradition that I looked forward to and for some reason summer was just not summer without the trip!

Each year I fell more in love with God's beautiful creation.  It called my name begging me to spend time in peace and tranquillity...to escape this chaotic world and just sit in God's presence.  Still to this day the hills beckon me to climb them and run around free of all the cares of this world.

Well.....did you know that at my school, Concordia University if ya didn't know hahahah, there is this hill right on campus....It was one of the things that caught my eyes when I first visited the campus during my senior year of High School.  At the time, it was brown, kind of had this look of, well, decaying plants...but I believed it could be beautiful...

Fast forward to present time,and boy is that hill gorgeous.  I have been adventuring all over it since the start of my second semester of college.  Every Monday and Friday I have a two hour gap between my classes, so I bring a lovely {healthy...still keeping this temple clean and ready to go!} picnic lunch, a brightly colored woven blanket, a lot of water{hydration is key...also I am still getting into this whole work out thing hahahah I'll keep you posted}, my journal, my laptop, my bright blue or bright orange running shoes, my phone{already connected to Concordia WiFi and playing pandora or Spotify.. don't want to go over my data plan}, and I hike up that hill like no other.

It's so relieving after a long morning to just escape, breathe, reflect, and change my perspective on what is going on.  My morning classes: Theology then Biology.  My afternoon classes: Cultural Anthropology and Psychology.  So, as you can see all my classes involve a lot of deep thought.  I love deep thought things and mind-boggling concepts or propositions.  I love the challenge... but I am also human and need a break every once in a while.  My hike is just what I need, and boy did God plan that out so perfectly...like He always does!

It's on top of that hill where I have been feeling inspired to write.  Having the view of not only gorgeous purple flowers, green grass, and the occasional birds, but also overlooking Irvine, Lake Forest, and Saddleback Mountan...ya it doesn't get much better{except from on top of Saddleback Mountain, of course :) one day!}

It is so humbling sitting up there and witnessing how big just a portion of Orange County is, which is just a portion of Souther Califonia, which is only a small part of the United States, which is only a small part of Earth! Which is only a small, water covered planet part of the solar system. Oh and our solar system is only a small speck of dust compared to the Milky Way Galaxy... Oh and all those stars you see in the sky... well actually some of those are other galaxies millions of light years away.  And then there is the Universe.  So much is unknown about the size, yet the beauty locked away beckons us to adventure into space and discover more about the amazing artist who painted all of this and us up one day.

So yea, we are small, but we are also the only creation that God desires to have an intimate relationship with!  He is jealous for you! For your time, your love, your tears, your joy, your pain, your sorrow, your baggage, your stories, your heart, your jokes, your quirks.... all of it... HE WANTS YOU!!! The very messy, yet beautiful and strong you!

Now I am wondering... Where is your Hillside?  Where do you feel called away to just enjoy the presence of God? Where do you escape the business of this world and experience perfect peace from the Perfect God?  Where do you go to reflect and change your perspective?  Where can you lock eyes with your creator and allow Him to lavish His love onto you?

If you know where that place is... go to it. Make it a routine to have time to pause and not only reflect, but also reconnect with God!  If you don't know of such a place, then start looking.  Search around your neighborhood, your backyard, in a tree, on a hill, anywhere where you can breathe and enjoy silence and just breathe in God's wisdom, love, and infinitely more!

My place is on the Hillside, so from now one...These will be my thoughts on a hillside.

"Come Have Breakfast." ~John 21:12a

In highschool, I used to do this thing every night.  When I got home from a late practice, work, small group, church, anything you name it...I would get out of my car and just look up.  The sky mesmerizes me and captures my heart!  I felt so close to God while staring at the stars {and yes I may or may not have a constelation location app on my phone... ahahha}

After a while, just five minutes wasn't enough.  I wanted to see God in more than just the stars.  So, I started going on hikes, walks on a nearby trail, listeneing to music, journaling, everything.  But something was still missing.  I wasn't   "feeling" God.  I knew He was real and loved me, but I hit this valley of not hearing God's voice.

It was really tough.  But then college came and God flipped my life upside down.  I have never had to depend so much on God for not only physical strenght, but menatal, and spiritual and all types of strenght.  My first semester was a huge growing season for me!  I started getting back into reading the Bible and learning more and more about our creator!!

One day while I was studing John with the amaizing online bible study SheReadsTruth, a verse popped out at me and struck a cord.

It reads:
"Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord."
     ~ John 21:12 ~

Now here is some background: Jesus had risen from the dead!!!! He had visited His disciples before, but in this moment they did not recognize it was Him at first.  It was the usual busy day trying to make a living for Simon-Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, and a few others.  There lives depended on how well the catch of the day goes.  And the day was not off to a good start.  It was early in the morning when all of a sudden Jesus pops up out of no where and asks the men, " Friends, haven't you any fish?"  They replied, "No."  Jesus said to put the nets on the right side of the boat and then they will find some.  Of course the men relucktainly throw the nets on the right side....then all of a sudden huge fish were everywhere = basically they were ritch now.  My favorite part is what follows.

"Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter," It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the warter."
   ~John 21:7 ~

I love how spontaneous Simon Peter's love for Jesus is.  He becomes overwhelmed by the love and joy he feels when in realtaitonship with the Lord and all that does is drive him to want more.  More of Jesus!

So, now I wonder.  What would it look like if we had breakfast with Jesus every day.  And think about it.  Breakfast time is the most raw time of day.  You are just waking up, probably still in your pjs, hair is a mess, still sort of in dream land, and the only thing calling your name and really pulling you away from your bed is a cup of coffee {seriously though!!!}  And yet God still wants to not only have breakfast with us, He wants to provide us with breakfast.  Now I am not talking about physical food {although that would be nice too...hahah food touched by an angel..I mean God}.  I am talking about spiritual food.  The only type of food that will last forever and ever.

If we start our days out founded on truth, our perspectives will change from all about us to all about God!  And if we sew truth, love, peace, beauty, patience, kindess, selfcontrol, gentleness.....all things pure in the eyes of the Lord, all that is left to be reaped will be blessings. Now I am not saying everything will be fine and dandy with butterflies everywhere and double rainbows.  This world is broken and we are broken people.  There will be moments when God throws out your comfort only because He cares more about your character and who you are becoming!

Each mornign is a brand new start, a new breath of life.  Everything from the day before is in the past now, in fact it is old history, and it can not be changed.  All that you can control is how you spend your time today and tomorrow.

Let me tell you, I have been doing this since the beginning of the new year, and I have changed.  I feel more comfort, love, courage, boldness, and strenght from God.  Through the Holdy Spirit I experience God's unimaginal power.  And the more time I spend in intimacy with God, the more power I am given.  After just a few days,  only breakfast was not enough.  I wanted even more!  So then I started adding in lunch, snack, dinner, and then I realized I can be in complete unity and in the presenc of God at all times.

As I have grown in my walk with God by devolping and practicing communion with God.
I have learned how to grow in the two types of Holiness: 1. I am set apart for God's special purposes. and 2.  I am seta part from teh world, dedicated for intamacy with God.
Finally when you add in Faith: believing God is genuinly eager for goodness of miracles and taking risks in order to gro.
 When you add all three of these components you end up with the Power of the Holy Spirit.  The more we grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit, the more we will grow in the Holy Spirit's Power{God's Empowering Presence}

I love what John Mark Comer, the pastor of Bridgetown church in Portland, has to say about the Holy Spirit and temptaion:
         "Every temptation you face, is a chance to grow in the power of teh Holy Spirit."

Every time you choose God over your own selfish desires, or choose to honor Him by doing your homework rather than going to a party,  you are growing int he power of the Holy Spirit.

So this week, try having breakfast with Jesus.  It may not feel that great at first, but after a while you will understand what I mean about never feeling like your thirst is quenched.  Let's run to God, and trust Him and His plan for lives.

Let's have breakfast with Him and with other believers.  Let's let God make us breakfast and fill our spirits to the point of overflowing with His Holy Presence{the Holy Spirit}, His love, His Peace, His strength, His courage, His boldness....Let's allow God to move inside of us and use us in ways we never new were possible.

He invites you every morning, every night, every day, every month, every year, every lifetime.
Will you RSVP?  Will you sit with your creator and breath in new life, comfort, and power?

Let's Be Bold

So this past week I made a very big change in my life.  I decided to do a 10-day detox in order to get my metabolism under control and to make sure my body systems and functions are all working great!

Tomorrow is day 10.  I will be honest, this week has been the hardest, and most challenging week for me to finish.  My house is always filled with lovely, tasty goodies..but not always the most healthy.  I love bread. I love meat.  I love sugar. I love chocolate.  I don't have a sweet tooth....all my teeth are sweet teeth.  But here I am, not perfect, but improved!  It was hardest on day one, and two, and three, and each and every day.  The only way I was able to stay strong and determined to finish this detox was when I gave it up to God.

That's right.  I learned that I was not going to be able to do this on my own strength.  But there is this really cool guy, who may be the creator of the world and holder of my life who is like almighty.  He is very helpful.  And it's so crazy to think that He wants to be a part of every aspect and moment of my life.

Now you are probably wondering why I am rambling about this whole 'new diet' thing, when the title of this post is "Let's Be Bold".  And here is the reason.

I want to be bold.  I want to be able to look into the eyes of my deepest darkest fears and not tremble and the only way for me to do that is to completely depend on God.  That's partly why I am changing the way I eat, the way I work out, and the way I look at school.  I have started to do these things as an act of worship.  I have changed my mindset, not to be self-empowered, but to be God-empowered.  (Also, this body of mine is a temple, and a temple is a place of worship, the dwelling place of the living God....so I want to keep it sparkling, glorifying, and at its best for my King.  )

This concept of being bold in every aspect of my life has been rattling in my mind this whole week! I want to be bold for Christ at school, at work, at home, anywhere and everywhere and at any and every moment possible.

This verse is what caused the mind-blowing changes in my life:

"Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia:  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
~ Galatians 1:1-5 ~

Now, this is a bold statement by Paul, and I love every single bit of it!  He first off proclaims that whom he serves is not from this world, but the God of all things!  He then gives glory to God and praises Jesus for saving us from our sins.  He finally blesses those whom he is speaking to.

What would it look like if we took this same approach in everything we do?  What if we re-write this with our own names?

Example:  Carly, a disciple--sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead--and all the brothers and sisters with me, To all who hear me:  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever ad ever. Amen.

Living this out almost demands us to stand a little bit taller, and say things a little more clearer and with more confidence.  We are not walking this life alone.  God gives us His strength and gives us the boldness to proclaim the Good News to all that may listen!

I pray you find somewhere in your life that you can be Bold For Jesus. And just watch, watch how He will change your heart and bless you in ways that are most special to you!

Let's Be Bold For Him Together!

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Encouraging Verses:

"I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies." -Psalms 18:1-3

"You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.  With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.  As for God, his way is perfect:  The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." -Psalm 18: 28-30