2 more weeks...

I seriously cannot believe that this day has come. I officially have two weeks of work left. If you would have told me a year ago that today I would be writing this blog, getting ready to leave a job that has been very good to me to pursue an education in a different state where none of my friends, family of boyfriend would be...I would have literally laughed at you.

Isn't it amazing how God works??

This blog post is more a prayer request to you guys. I'm planning on leaving California in exactly 2 weeks and 2 days....and I still have no place to live. I've been looking around at some apartments and even almost had a place to live with three other girls that are also going to New Life, but God closed that door and I'm believing that it was for a reason.

I was always told that when you pray, you should be specific with God. So please pray that God will provide a great place for me to live, that's close to school (so I don't have to use lots of gas), and that is pretty cheap! Right now that is the only thing that I am stressing about.

Daily Devotional Scripture of the day:

“The Lord has hidden Himself from His people, but I trust Him and place my hope in Him” (Isaiah 8:17 TEV).

I was telling Shane the other day that I'm starting to freak out a little about moving. It's all happening so fast and I feel so un-organized about it all. I sometimes feel like God said "Ok, I want you to go to school in another state" and now I'm getting no other instructions from him!

You know how when you were a kid it was always fun to count to three and on three let the other person jump in to the freezing cold water, but you stay on the ledge of the pool?? That's what it feels like God is doing to me sometimes.

And then I read scriptures like Isaiah 8:17, he may feel so far away, but I still place my hope in him.
Just a little lesson for the morning.....Something to get me through the day.

Love you all!

Jess

Waiting...

Its been a while since my last blogpost. Sorry about that. This summer is bringing a whole lot of stuff with it...4th of July came and went...and it was the best one ever! :)

Vacation Bible School is next week and we've been so busy trying to get that all together. My days begin and end so fast that I havent had time to think, let alone write down what I think.

I can say this. God is really testing me. My move to Colorado is FAST approaching. I'm still waiting on information from school, and I can't do anything until that info comes. I still don't know where I'm going to live, or how I'm going to pay for everything and I very quickly want to panic and say "God, come on!! When will the pieces start falling into place!??"

I've pretty much decided that I'll be leaving on August 12, late at night. Which gives me exactly 4 weeks from last night left in California. I thought about that this morning, and just about flipped!!! I have 4 weeks to figure out where I'm going to live, pack and move!! Not to mention saying good-bye to everyone!!

And then God stepped in, like only he could.

I got an email today from Shane's mom. It was a daily devotion on Habakkuk 2:3. I loved whatever version they used.

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" (Habakkuk 2:3 LB)

Have you ever seen that V8 commercial, where one person is looking at something that's not so healthy to eat, and then the other person with them slaps them on the head because they know it's not good for them, and you hear that konk noise?

I swear God did that to me, and I heard the konk noise!

Why am I so worried?? Do I have valid reasons for being worried about where I'm going to sleep and how I'm going to pay for small essentials like food & gas?? Yes I believe I do. But my God is bigger than my worries and my fears. After all that God has brought me through in my life, why do I still question him??

I really hope that it's a lesson that I will learn soon. I don't like getting konked on the head by God.

I have a friend who asked me to sing at a ministry kickoff event last weekend. It was and awesome night and I'm so thankful to have been apart of it.

Brian and Laura Warth are doing some amazing things within the prison ministry.
Check out their website at http://www.youngmanarise.com/ for more information.

Even though it's too late...I'm sorry...

Today someone that I've known for a long time, died. Death in itself is tragic, I've been through enough of them to know. But this one hurt in a way that I've not known. Unfortunately, I can't say that I cared about this person the way I should have. 

We hear and talk so much about how we should be a people who care for others, despite their faults. But in reality we don't. We live our lives like we are better than others, better than the people who don't know as much as we do or act like we do, or like the same things we do. And we think that because they walk away from us, it's their fault. Today was a realization for me. It wasn't their fault they walked away. It was mine. If I had treated them like the person that they were, maybe things would be different. Maybe a life could have been saved. I don't know why this happened. I don't know what God has planned for this. 

But there is something that I have been challenged with. I want God to give me the desire to love people. Not just say that I love people, but truly love people, with no conditions. And not just my friends, but also the people that have hurt me and have annoyed me. I want to love the people that make it hard to love. 

I hope I never have this feeling again... I hope that maybe this blog post will reach someone and they won't ever have to feel this either....

And that's where this one ends....

Even though it's too late.....I'm sorry.....

Wow....

For a long time last night, that is all I could think.....Wow...

Do you ever have those moments when a light bulb goes on over your head and you grasp hold of a concept and you just sit there and....wow!

I had one of those moments last night. I got the opportunity to lead worship last night and I ended up pulling the song "Amazed". Church started and we went throught the set, people were worshipping and we get to the second chorus in "Amazed" and it says : You paint the morning sky, with miracles in mind, my hope will always stand, cause you hold me in your hand"

I got goosebumps when we sang the last line, so much so, that I had to sing it again, "My hope will always stand, cause you hold me in your hand"

I got this picture in my head, it was me, as tiny as could be sitting in this HUGE hand, just me sitting cross-legged in the palm of Jesus' hand.

Worship ended and we went on with the rest of service. The scriptures that Pastor spoke on was Philippians 4:6 and Matthew 6:25-34. As I read those scriptures, I thought about the picture that I saw as I was singing...."My hope will always stand, cause you hold me in your hand".

I really think that God is trying to tell us something. We live in a scary world, where people are losing jobs, families are falling apart, children are growing up before they are supposed to. It's natural for us to worry about things everyday. But in his word, God says, "Do not worry"
I especially like the Matthew 6:30, "And if God cares so wonderfully for the wildflowers that are her today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you, why do you have so little faith"? That verse alone was a "WOW" moment for me. If you think about it, flowers are beautful for a few days at most, and then they are gone, but God still cares "wonderfully" for them. How can we as human beings that were created in his image, think that he wont take care of us?


This post didn't really have much to do with Colorado, and there will probably be a few posts like this, me just sharing something that God is revealing in my life. To me it was just confirmation of my pervious blog post. God is good. All the time.

My prayer for you today would be that you will have"WOW" moments like these. That he will continuously amaze you everyday, through even the littlest things.

My Soul Waits...

I've been trying to do some kind of devotionals everyday. I need to make it a point to read my bible everyday so I can know the word like I should. I thought about just starting in a book, reading a few chapters and then picking a verse, but I think I need something that will give me a scripture and help me pick it apart to understand it better. So I did what almost everyone else does.....I turned to the Internet. If any of you are looking for some kind of devotional to do, let me tell you..there are TONS online. There are some that will even email you everyday with a new devotion!! Seriously, there should be no excuses for us NOT to read our bible everyday.
Anyways, today's devotional for me was on Psalm 130:5-6.
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning".
It is so hard for me to wait on God. I grow so impatient and feel that I must know all that's going to happen before it does. This verse to me means that I need to trust that God's word is true no matter how impatient I get. My impatience isn't going to change that fact. I know that God will provide, but only in his time. He knows what's best for me.
I'm slowly starting to see God provide in my going to Colorado. He has already provided a TON, but I'm seeing little jobs that he's providing me with. I was asked to sing ONE song at an ministry kick-off event. It's a paid gig, but more than that it will be a chance for me to use the voice that he gave me to reach this world. So not only is he providing, he's giving me a chance to use what he has provided me with.
Another example, I was asked to teach piano to one of the boys in our church. Also a paid gig, but now I'm helping to teach the next generation how to worship God and who knows what plans God has for this kid, but I'm excited to be apart of even just a little bit. I love sitting back and watching what God is doing in my life. It makes me excited for this next part of my life. I feel like he's finally fitting puzzle pieces together

OK, so now that I have written A LOT!! Here's my challenge to you:

I challenge you, be continuous in your prayers. Don't give up. Believe that God will provide ALL of your needs, not just some. Keep reading his word, and wait with expectation, knowing that he will come.

And when he does answer those prayers, come back and tell me about it. I need to be encouraged just as much as you do.

Have a great day!!!

The start of....a blog..

So last night I was thinking about how much my life will be changing in a few months. I thought about all the people that I will be leaving behind and how it might be very hard to keep all of you informed about what is going on in my life. I mean, so many of you people have helped mold me into what I am today. The least I can do is keep you informed, and even though I have MANY social-networking sites that I can keep you updated on (myspace, facebook, twitter) this seems like the best way for me to keep you fully in the loop. This will also be a great way for me to chronicle (get it....the name of my blog.. :) my journey to Colorado. I want to be able to look back and see what I've accomplished and see how amazing it is when I allow God to work in my life. I hope that most of my family and friends will read this and get some insight. Also, I hope other people who may not know me personally will read and be encouraged.

P.s.-You can follow me on twitter @galleria143 or find me on facebook or myspace.