"She Believes" - Book Review

Have you ever read a book and just wanted to share how amazing (or not so amazing) it was? In an effort to start reading more, here is something new I am going to give a try...reading and writing reviews for books, specifically Christian-living books! So here is the plan, every so often, I will be posting a review on book I have recently read. I will provide some insight on the author, the book and then give a star rating. If you have read any of the books I am reviewing, or plan on it, I would love to hear your comments!


"She Believes: Embracing the Life You Were Created to Live"
Debbie Lindell, Susy Flory
272 pages
Baker Publishing Group
Click to purchase

The Author
Debbie is the most positive and encouraging author I have read yet. Her uplifting attitude, biblical segments and personal connections throughout the book were relatable and inspiring. She truly desires to connect with your heart and soul; to encourage finding purpose in the life God created you to live. She does not claim to be the perfect Christian example, but uses her personal story and past to provide insight on living a Gospel-centered life.

The Review
Organized in five short and sweet sections, Debbie takes her life experience and passion for helping others to the next level. Her heartfelt words of wisdom and desire to follow the Lord provide the perfect path to kick-start your own personal relationship with God. Her writing style is straightforward, honest and down to earth as she reflects on the meaning of being a Christ-follower. She uses passages from the Bible to relate to current life situations, in hopes her readers recognize how important the scriptures guide us in our daily lives. Each chapter takes you on a journey to evaluate your faith, determine your strengths and weaknesses and discover a life full of purpose.

The Rating - ★★★★★

I give 'She Believes' a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend to fellow readers. Overall, the book's message was clear and relatable. It was a quick read, very refreshing and suitable for any aged woman, whatever walk of life they may be in. With all of the love and positivity flowing from each page, you will never want to put this book down.

Dealing with Change...

Since my last blog post (way back in June 2013), my life has been full of change and 'all things new'! I graduated from college, worked at Walt Disney World in the Disney College Program, got engaged and then married, started my first big girl job and built a brand new house with my husband. I would say I have experienced more 'life-changing milestones' in the matter of a year than deemed normal for recent college graduates!

Growing up, I was never good with change. Whether it was moving schools, trying out for a sports team, attending a kids Bible study or going to camp, the anxiety of dealing with something new was very overwhelming. My mind would be overtaken with negative thoughts, nervousness and unwavering worry. While I still struggle with this issue every so often, it comforts me to know that I'm not the only person wrestling with this daily battle. I'm also comforted by the fact that I have a God who is aware of my struggles, loves me for who I am and always has my back in times of need. 

His word teaches us, supports us and, in this case, comforts us no matter what season of life you find yourself currently in. As you process and deal with the changes you're experiencing in life, don't forget to turn directly to the scripture for ultimate guidance and reassurance. Here are some of my favorite verses and passages (that I was comforted with as a kid) to lean upon in a time of worry about change and the unpredictability of the future: 

1 Peter 5:7-9 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Matthew 6:25-34 - Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear....But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Philippians 4:6-8 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excelled or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Just remember: 

1. You are not alone in your struggle.
2. You are stronger than you may think.
3. Stay focused and maintain a positive mindset. 
4. Seek the Lord in everything you do.

After the last year and a half I've had, I'd say I'm a certified Pro at dealing with change and have definitely come a long way since my childhood tendencies. I've learned that even though life is unpredictable and full of unexpected moments, we can find hope in the truth that God wants each of his children to flourish, and not be harmed. (Jeremiah 29:11) It is my prayer that you find strength in times of weakness, love in times of inadequacy and peace in times of trouble. Don't let change take over your life, instead, take hold of the change and keep your mind open to the new opportunities and new experiences God is placing in your life.

~Kel

Finding Your Worth...

Society today believes that attributes such as outward beauty, wealth, and popularity define and measure the value of our lives. So where do you find your worth? Is it found in the closet full of designer clothes and handbags that you wear in order to 'fit in'? Is it found in the amount of money you bring home on your paycheck to buy expensive things? Is it found in your popularity at school or work? Is it found by the amount of 'likes' and 're-tweets' you get on Twitter and Facebook?

It is so easy to get caught up in the worldly desires that non believers around us partake in. Now don't get me wrong; having nice clothes, a substantial paycheck, and tons of friends is by no means a bad thing...but once you turn over your life to the matters of this world, finding Christ above it all becomes harder and harder. You begin to only focus on what others think of you and forget the only opinion that truly matters until its too late. But here's the catch, it is never too late to turn to God. He always has his arms wide open to catch us when we fall and will never turn his back on us.

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

From a girl's perspective, we easily find our worth in attention we receive from guys, whether they are believers or not. Instead of turning to God for our value, we turn to imperfect, heart breaking, and disappointing guys who judge us based on our outward beauty, not what is shining on the inside. We become brainwashed by an opinion and continue searching for approval from people who have no right to tear us down. So girls, I know how you are feeling, I know the toll it takes on you and I'm here to say that we have a heavenly Father who sees our imperfections as perfect. We have a God that loves us no matter what we look like and he will never leave us for another girl (or person).

Being followers of Christ, our eyes should not be set on how the self indulgent world views us but rather how the world views Christ through us every day. God created us in his image, an image that was and is always going to be beautiful according to His standards. We shouldn't rely on the standards of this world and allow that to depict who we truly are. Rather we should focus on our inner selves and the beauty we have through Christ. 

Britt Nicole just came out with a song called 'Gold'. Seriously, it is an awesome song and definitely encourages me when I'm down (or not down and just feel like jamming out). The lyrics are so relevant to what people go through today with self doubt and not feeling like they are worth something. In God's eyes, we are worth more than Gold and that's all that matters.

In the end, the opinion of this world is irrelevant once we enter the gates of Heaven so don't let anyone try to tear you down because they see you as worthless. Shine bright for Christ and live a life that pleases him alone, not for others around you. Just know, we aren't loved because we're valuable, but we're valuable because God loves us.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed

How Busy is Too Busy?

As you might have noticed, I haven't posted a new blog entry in quite a few months, not since August! Life has just been rather hectic and crazy lately. I'm back at good ole NC State ...studying hard, making new friends, leading a Bible study of freshman girls, and above all, trying to live a life for Christ. These past couple of months, while challenging, have been such a blessing from God nonetheless. Less than a year ago I was debating whether or not being Bible study leader was what God was calling me to do. Now I praise God every day for introducing the 35 girls we have in our group to me and not only allowing me to teach them but learn from them as well. We've already had so many awesome memories and I truly can't wait for the many more great times to come as we all grow closer to God together!

One of the things that has been on my heart lately is the amount of time I am devoting to God on a daily basis. This thought came up in Bible study the other day after this quote was shared..."If you're too busy to spend time with God, then you're simply too busy." While studying, working on homework, and getting to know my girls is important, it's far more important to spend time in the Word and meditate on scripture daily. I find myself to always be going going going when really I need to slow down and reevaluate why I'm always going and is this 'going' stopping me from spending time with God.

As a Bible study leader, I believe it is rather crucial to get on a deeper level with those you lead, love on them, and show them how much you care about their lives. I heard this analogy the other day, which really opened my eyes to how we should be living our lives as Christians when it comes to pouring into others.

The analogy went something like this: We are like teacups. When we pour into other people, we think we use the tea that is already in our cup. But that causes the tea to run out or get really low. How do we try to get more tea in our cup? The truth is, Jesus is our tea and there is no way we can fill our own cup. As he pours his love, wisdom, grace, and overall presence into our lives, our cup begins to fill to the point where it even overflows. The overflowing tea is what is used to fill the cups of others while pouring the truth of Jesus Christ into their lives.

These thoughts have been a good reminder that while pouring into others is good, it's also good to be poured into as well. That occurs through things like spending time in the Word daily and being discipled or mentored by an older, strong Christian male or female.  It's not a bad thing to be busy, but when you get to the point were your busy-ness is too overwhelming and is interrupting time with God, it's time to take a step back and evaluate your priorities.

A great example of this in Scripture is found at the home of Martha and Mary when Jesus came to visit in Luke 10 verses 38-42.
(38) As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. (39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. (40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (41) "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but few things are needed -- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."

I can definitely relate to Martha in this instance in that, just like her, I busy myself with what is good but don't focus on the bigger, more crucial picture sometimes. My challenge these next couple of months, through the rest of the school year, and throughout my life, is to live a life like Mary. No matter what is going on around me, devote time to Jesus Christ and give him all the attention he deserves. Through this, in the end, I want to be able to look back and see my tea cup overflowing with the love of Jesus Christ. The only way to do this, keep Jesus Christ as my focus, my drive, my all in all.

~Kel

Running the Race...

I don't know about you, but for the past couple of weeks, my family has been glued to the TV, sitting on the edge of our seats, cheering for the United States in the Olympics. While I love watching Misty May and Kerri Walsh beast it up on the beach volleyball court, I enjoy watching all the events that a U.S. athlete is competing in!

One night I got to thinking, who are these athletes 'running' their race for? For their country, their family, the fame, pride? Whatever the reason may be, they are giving each event their all, only focusing on one thing...winning at the finish line!

So we may not be Olympians with a gold medal around our necks, but have you ever wondered who you are running the race of life for? Who you are living each day trying to praise and please?

Ponder the verse below:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
- Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

God calls us to run for him. To run with perseverance and fix our eyes on Jesus, his son, who died on the cross for our sins. Reading this verse makes me want to ever so passionately live and run for Christ, and Christ alone.

At all measures of the race, it is crucial we keep our eyes set on him. Things may cause us to slow down, stumble, or even fall, but just look toward the finish line, for the reward is great and worth the many hardships. No one ever said the race would be easy, for it takes a great level of endurance, patience, and focus. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, anything and everything can be accomplished, including finishing the race.

Sometimes we may want to give up, throw in the towel, or dropout. Just remember, God designed our races knowing what we can handle and according to his perfect will. Now the question turns to you...who are you gonna run the race for? Yourself or Christ? Only one of these choices can give you true happiness, and I will tell you this, it isn't yourself.

~Kel

Dealing With The Unexpected...

Oh the mystery of the unexpected and the unknown. I recently encountered something 'unexpected' that, by many, was seen as unfortunate and unpleasant, but I chose to have different view on the matter.

My family had been planning a beach gettaway for a week, using a relatives timeshare in North Myrtle Beach. All packed up and ready to go, we began driving, excited for the week of relaxation and tanning ahead! My first piece of advice, do NOT EVER rely on a GPS to take you the fastest way to your destination...that was our first mistake. We found ourselves riding in the back country, surrounded by corn fields and limited to a 35 mph speed limit. Anyway, we finally made it to our resort and came to find that the timeshare week we had available to us was not the week we got there...but for the week after. So what did we do, we packed up the car and headed right back home, this time not listening to the GPS and taking a better route.

If you've ever been in a situation like this, you were probably angry, upset, on the verge of tears...who knows, but feelings like that are only natural after you take off a week from work to relax in the sand and find your plans to be ruined. I could have very well become overwhelmed with anger and frustration, but instead, for some strange reason, which can only be explained by God working in my heart, I was rather at peace and grateful for what had happened. Yeah, it was rather tragic that we drove 3 hours to then turn around and drive back another three hours, but I am so grateful for the fact that we didn't miss our vacation, we only just arrived a week too early!

All I could think about, while driving back home, was the fact that God is in control of all things, has a plan for all that happens in my life, and knows what I can and cannot handle! We can't live life expecting things, events, plans to go our way and end up perfect. If we did, how would our faith grow? How would our dependence on God get stronger? Our faith wouldn't grow and our dependence on God would only weaken. We wouldn't need to turn to God in our times of need and wouldn't rely on him to get us through rough situations.

I know a simple ruined beach vacation isn't necessarily as important as say choosing which college to attend or deciding who you're going to spend the rest of your life with, but for each and every one of those decisions and events, God knows the final outcome and planned it according to his perfect will. So the next time you find yourself in one of these aggravating times, decide how you are going to react before you let your emotions get the best of you.

 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

~Kel

Trust in the Lord...

Trust: (n) reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; a person on whom or thing on which one relies on.

Trust is a part of life that one cannot be without. Everyday, we trust that the chair we are about to sit in holds us up and doesn't fall, that our car will start up and drive us safely to work, that the locks on our houses will keep us safe from any intruders and burglaries...but let me ask you this, are we trusting God with our lives everyday? Do we trust that He will provide us with all our needs, wants, and desires? Do we trust that He will protect us from harm and evil? 

I don't know about you, but I sure have a harder time trusting God than say, the chair at my desk. Why is that? I'm not at all saying that my chair is all powerful and deserves more worship than God. But I find that the reason it's easier for me to trust my chair is that I can see it. With my two eyes, I am able to watch myself sit into that comfy rolling chair whereas with God, I don't physically see him next to me but have to rely and trust that He is with me. Now don't get me wrong, I know God is there! I look at his beautiful creation every morning when I wake up and see him working in my life constantly throughout the day.  It can be difficult handing God my life pen but the fact that I know he has a perfect plan for me that is better than anything I could ever dream of makes me want to trust him with all my heart!

From experience, when you put all your faith and trust in the Lord,  it will feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders! God will make something beautiful out of our lives, but he needs us to trust the fact that he can do it! Yeah, there may be bumps and roadblocks along the way, but God knows what we can handle and will be with us every step of the way.

I like the way this person put it, "Learning to really trust God in the way that He wants you to fully trust Him is an all-or-nothing principle. You are either going to fully trust Him with every area of your life or not. The minute you start waffling and trying to straddle the fence post with Him on this issue, you will then become what the Bible says is a wavering and double-minded man who will become unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8)

Bottom Line - fully surrender and just "Let Go and Let God". To have peace, joy, fulfillment, and happiness in this life, we need to trust the Lord completely! Don't hold back...after all, He's got our back, could anything go wrong?!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your path straights." -Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Until next time...

~Kel

The Way God Works...

God works in mysterious ways. I've heard this all my life, in church, at Bible Study Fellowship, from my parents, during AWANA...but never really knew to the full extent how God works. For starters, I will never know why God makes certain events and circumstances happen,  but I do know this, He has a perfect plan, without error nor mistake, and it is way better than any plan we could ever dream up.

As a kid, I always dreamt of becoming a ballerina, a gym teacher, a restaurant owner, a writer, etc, etc...the list goes on and on. Looking back, yeah some of those dreams were childish and a far stretch, but now I know that God can do anything he wants in my life and through him anything is possible. Who knows, maybe one day I might write the next best seller or a series more popular than Harry Potter and The Hunger Games (once again, far stretch but hey, it could happen). I don't doubt it will because God is in control of my life and nothing is impossible with God on your side.

There comes a point in your life where you have to make a decision. What is this decision? It is simple...who is going to write your life story? I don't mean literally (unless you decide to write your own autobiography or a biography written, then hey go for it) but are you going to take control of every aspect of your life or turn it completely over to God. The thought of not being in control is scary...at least for me it is! When it comes to planning a party or event, I'm your gal! (Seriously, call me up, I got your back!) Even though a simple party planning isn't harmful, when taken into another extreme, such as your life, that's when there needs to be an intervention.

A youth pastor of mine used this analogy a lot during Wednesday night youth group. It went something like this. You and Jesus are sitting in a bar...no no no, just kidding, but on a serious note...You and Jesus are sitting in a car. At first Jesus is driving, you are in the passenger seat and life is great and worry free. Eventually you take reigns of the wheel, put Jesus in the passenger seat, and start relying on your own memory to take you to your final destination. As the road trip continues, Jesus keeps moving further and further away from the wheel and you now are relying on a GPS for directions. The pattern continues with Him sitting in the back seat, then the trunk, and all of a sudden, Jesus, the man that died on a cross to save you from your own sin, is left in the dust on the side of the road as you drive away. Woah now, hold up, wait a minute...I think you know where this analogy is going and are probably saying to yourself, 'I never put Jesus in the backseat, he's always driving.' I hope that Jesus is always driving your car, but doubt he always is in control. I constantly have to remind myself that Jesus, my Lord and Savior, has to be the only driver in my life car for He is the only way to reach the final destination, which is Heaven.

We can continue living our lives going to church, maybe a small group or bible study, and reading our bibles daily, but if we don't fully give our everything over to God, then what is the point of doing all these things? To learn about God? Because there's nothing else to do? Because I'm forced to by my parents? In the end, we will be judged by God, do you really want him saying 'So while you were living on earth, why didn't you trust me with your life? Am I not capable? Am I not worthy? Did you think you could have a better life without me?' I don't know about you, but I sure don't know what I would say to God at that point!

I hope that what I've written has made you think a little about who's taken control of your life! Please don't think I'm judging you or calling you out! I've been really convicted on this subject lately and realized I just needed to share my thoughts!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." - Proverbs 16:3 NIV

Until next time...
~Kel