You Have Been Invited...

It's an hour til Christmas Eve.  Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart plays sweet melodies in my ears, as my eyes are lit by white lights.  I hear the sound of peace, and it rings quite loud in my spirit.  I can close my eyes and feel many rhythms pounding on this heart. It's quiet, and it's crazy.  It's loud, and peaceful.  I am deeply grateful for both.
In just a little over a day we will be celebrating Christmas.  I love everything about the Christmas season... The lights, the smells, the rush of buying presents, the cold (well, not here in North Carolina with barely getting below 50 degrees), the smiles & food.  But as it comes closer & closer, I believe the Lord has been allowing me to see things that I, on my own, wouldn't go looking for.  But when He shows us things out of the ordinary, even when it's heart to see, His peace follows us there.
It has really saddened my heart to see people struggle, to see them deal with something that is so much bigger than themselves while thinking they can control it, or they will just have to deal with it, when they could have absolute freedom and redemption, and a road marked with thanksgiving and joy rather than despair and heartache that will never be mended.
And since being home I've seen & felt so much in just 3 short months.  I've seen the peace that surpasses all understanding, I have felt the touch of my Daddy that completely destroys every other desire unworthy of my heart.  And I have seen the heartache, I have felt the despair, I know what hurting & loss of heart feels like.  And sometimes it's just in our nature to question, to ask why things have to be the way they are for some people and how we can be the ones to bring hope & joy & life back into their eyes & hearts.  But I was there.  And you've been there.  Maybe you are there right now...
But let me ask you this, would the good be as good if there was never bad?  Would the hopeful be as hopeful if there was never hopelessness, and would life be as beautiful if there was never death.

We have been saved from something.  Not just hell, or eternal damnation.  Yes those are incredible things to be saved from!  But we have been saved from a life without relationship with Jesus.  We have been invited into a life with Jesus... The King of Kings has sent a handwritten invitation, sealed with His very own sons blood... and inside He asks you to come.  To dwell with Him, to feast with Him, to live & breathe & rejoice with Him.  He doesn't tell us we have to get dressed up, or we have to fix things before we come... He's not looking for  the things we can we can do for Him or give to Him... He just desires us.
We have an invitation to see life like never before.  To see colors that don't exist to the natural eye.  To feel a hope that never brings disappointment.  To be in an eternal story.  To be Loved by Love Himself.

My hearts desire this Christmas, or my "Christmas Wish", would be for everyone to see the beauty of the Father, for them to see His desire for them, and to accept the invitation to be loved on for eternity.  Yeah, there will still be bumps in the road, and sometimes it may seem like nothing is getting better.  He doesn't promise us a perfect life.  But He does promise us peace and love, joy and freedom and redemption.  He gives us strength when we have none, and He calms our mind when we feel we've gone crazy.  He's so close and sometimes we forget He's even there.
I am so thankful for Jesus.  I am so thankful that He was born, that He loves so deeply and He isn't scared to get messy in my life... That despite the pain of His crucifixion, He died so that there would be no separation, so that He could have full relationship for eternity, so that His bride would marry the King.  How crazy awesome is that!

I know this is a little all over the place.  I feel I have so much in my heart that it's sometimes hard to get it out.  I guess my heart is just trying to say that Jesus loves you, so extremely much.  And He wants your heart to be free & alive.  And all the bad stuff that may have happened to you wasn't Him doing it to you... but He wants to use that to bring you closer to His heart, so that you can know a Father and a Love like no other.
You are loved & treasured and He enjoys being with you.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!  Love on the ones around you like crazy.  And rejoice in everything... the big, the small, the good, the bad.
And let the Lord love on you, cause He loves to.

love & peace to you.

 Oh Yes, and please enjoy this beautiful winter song by my life friends - Johnathan & Melissa Helser

Moving as the Spirit leads!

Well hello my lovely friends :)  it has been quite a while since we chatted.  I wanted to write you and update you on what the Lord is doing next in my life!  Enjoy & I promise I will try to update this more frequently :).

Ever since I was little, I was a planner.  I loved knowing what was going to happen next & plan how I could prepare myself in every aspect for what was in store.  I believe part of this is a gift and blessing from the Lord on how He made me... but I also believe that it can be taken too far.  I leaned too much into my own understanding of things & trusted too much in "plans" which natural made it so I wasn't trusting enough in God and who He was.  Over the past few years, the Lord has been breaking me of this.  Every time I would plan something, and even in good intention, somehow it would not work out.  He is so gracious though to always have something else for us, which is better than we could ever imagine or plan ourselves.  And that's where this next season is going for me... I am walking into the unknown, without a strategic step-by-step plan of what I will be doing... but I have never felt so at peace and so alive and so expectant for the spirit to do what He does best!  I am learning to bend but not break, to be blown by the spirit while being grounded at the same time.  And with each season He takes me higher with Him, and brings me lower in myself, giving me freedom, revelation, restoration & love.  I have no reason to doubt His goodness or to loose hope or trust in Him.

About a week ago I had a plan, and the plan was to return to Hawaii to do an internship with a department there, and then to staff another DTS with the same incredible people I staffed with last time.  But several weeks back, the Lord starting to shift something in my heart.  At first I didn't understand it, and was honestly scared to even pay attention to it because I still had unbelief, doubt & fear in my heart of the unknown, and the "what if" that resided in me.  After 3 weeks of ignoring the nudging of the spirit, I gave it.  I listened, and I began to dream with Him.  I spoke to some incredible people for wisdom and advice... but in the end I knew I just needed the word of the Lord.  Because when all else fails, the word of the Lord does not... it is sturdy, He is trustworthy & someone you can stand on no matter what is going on around you.  So I listened, peacefully expecting the spirit to speak... and He did.

So I am embarking on a new season... I am staying home in North Carolina :).  It is crazy because I've never been excited about this place.  It's always been "get me out!" but when the Lord moves you somewhere, when He speaks things to you, your heart begins to come alive with the things that make His heart come alive... and for now it's this place.  I get to invest in my life, I get to dive deeper into relationships, I get to discover the unknown and sink deeper into Intimacy with the Father in a place where before I was scared to stay.  Isn't He incredible?  He has a perfect love that casts out all fear and He gives me peace that surpasses all my understanding AND it hearts my heart and mind in Him.  He has given me Truth to stand on!
I still don't know practically what it will look like being here, but I have no doubt in my mind that He has it all under control, and He is teaching me to trust Him in places I wouldn't let myself before, and to really become one with Him in ways I didn't know I could.  I am excited! I am expectant! and I am hopefully for what He has.

 
You can  follow more of these types of
posts about everyday life & what the
Lord is doing by visiting my "Travel Blog"

http://www.shebegantofly.blogspot.com









Love...

The Small Things Make All The Difference

Good mornin' my fall friends & family!  Wow, it has been a fantastic week.  I seem to finally be in the right time zone & no longer suffering from 6 hour jet lag.  It has sure been a long 2 weeks getting over that, but it is finished :).

Every time I return home I am quickly reminded of how much I enjoy the small things in life... a smile from my niece, a Chai Latte with a shot of espresso, the warmth of a hug from my parents, the cool fresh air [& of course boots]... It's the little things that make up the big picture, don't ya think?  Here are some small, but good memories, from the week so far.

  

 [Pastries filled with Nutella & Marshmallows baked with Cinnamon Sugar & Brown

Sugar on top, drizzled with Sweetened Condensed Milk... Tastier than all get out!]

  

 [My lovely neighbordhood on the fall as I drive home to make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup!]

 

[Always a funny face being made with the bro]

       

 [Starbucks with Bells & creating a rock wall, teehee]

[Cozy Day]

  

 [Pumpkin Ale with Brown Sugar Rimming &

my beautiful new Steve Madden boots!!! I couldn't be more stoked about them ;) ]

Now if I do say this makes for a pretty good week entering into fall.  Wouldn't you agree?
Proverbs 13:7 reads a pretty great verse about living simply... Here it is in The Message:

A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
   a plain and simple life is a full life. 

Have a beautiful day & remember to appreciate the small things & to count your blessings :)

Love... 

Welcoming the fall.

Hello love bugs!!  Here we are and it's Thursday.  I realize that I missed another week but I have some exciting things to share with you.  It has been quite a wonderful week, filled with many surprises, lots of fun, lots of friends & family, and lots of Jesus :).
I was planning on going home to North Carolina (from Kona, Hawaii) in the middle of November.  Well... I had a little plan, I called my dad, let my best friend Erin in on the secret, and bought a ticket home for the last day in September.  My moms birthday was Friday, so I was able to have one night of sleep at Erins house and then surprise my mom at breakfast!  It was beautiful & priceless.  I walked up on the back deck of our house, tucked around the lake, and just as suspected her eyes began to water & mouth dropped as nothing came out but shock & excitement.  I was able to surprise the rest of my family as the day continued... it has been so good to be home!

I am home for a lovely 3 months and I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to do, in & through me, while I am here.  I am excited to relax, to have fun, and to sink deep into the love of those around me.  I have not been disappointed thus far :).  All the thoughts of comfy fall clothing, warm drinks, movies, & laughter have definitely come to pass... and I can promise there will be more.

I have realized my heart is entering into a new season.  No obligations, just love.  I love that Jesus doesn't love us out of obligation, yet He loves us ALL of the time no matter what we do to Him.  He is constant, He is faithful, & He is not a man that He should lie.  I can always count on Him!  As I am back home, I want to invest my heart in the things that last.  I love coming to you each day and sharing what is going on, but I am going to step back a bit this way what is posted can be fully from the overflow of my heart, and not out of obligation :).

I hope that you still feel inspired, are filled with hope & joy, find out more of who you are... but most importantly discover Jesus... His love & mercy, His faithful & joy, all that He is and all that you are in Him.  It's the most valuable treasure you will ever discover and I am excited to go on this journey with you!
Enjoy some of the photos that have been taken on this journey of being home!

[Journey Home: HI-CA-CA-TX-NC with beauty & coffee in hand]

 [With mom & dad at breakfast after the surprise... right back to be goofy, hehe]

 

[my best friend in the whole world, Erin (:]

  

[lots of tea, lots of coffee, boots-skirts-leggings]

 [My sweet nephew & niece after I surprised them at home]

 

[sushi for moms birthday @ J.J. Wasabi's]

  

 [At the party for the September babies, in the park]

 

[A comfy outfit for Wednesday night]

[Going to Sam Ash Music Store with my three good friends Erin, Zach, & my brother, Chris]

  

 [Jammin' out at the music store]

[Another beautiful niece who I missed so much!]

  

 [Abi Liv... I finally got to meet my beautiful new niece!  She's a doll!]

[Wind-Blown]

 

[Doing what we do]

  

 [Making brownies & of course a good #breakfastforchamps]

[Chillaxin]

[My moms most amazing Chicken & Arugula salad with Boiled Potatoes & Fresh Shredded Parmesan]

 [Bruschetta with fresh cheese & crackers with grapes & raspberries... Moms home-made cookin' is the best!]

[Erin & I spent the afternoon with these beauties]

I hope you enjoyed this photos as much as I did!  Remember to soak in every moment with the ones you love & Carpe Diem!  Have a beautiful Thursday and I will see you lovelies very soon :)
Love...

Straight From The Journal

After yesterdays post, Remember, I got on a roll of reading through some of my old blog posts.  For those of you who do not know, I am on staff with Youth With A Mission.  My job  is basically to bring daughter of Christ closer to His heart & lead them to the place where they are fully alive in Him & walking in their destiny.  It couldn't get any better than that right?
Well I am at the end of this 6 month journey that I have been taking with the Call2All Discipleship Training School.  The students graduate next week and it's just pretty crazy that I've been running with these people for 6 months now.  I was reading through some of my old posts on my other blog, She Began To Fly, and was overcome with joy & victory at what the Lord has done.  There were hard times, there were easy times, good times & sad times, but in the end... we walk victoriously!!
Here is an entry that I posted on the travel blog that I took straight from my journal, during the first week of the school.  If you would like to read it on the blog, Click Here.



"Saturday afternoon. 3pm. Dried. Sandy. Just returned from Samples at Costco & the beach.  Surrounded by hungry daughters and sons - craving to be loved & accepted, wanting so badly to know Truth, and some of them don't even know it - and we are all in it together.  The waves crash... I look at a few of the girls through my aviators and we talk about life... I sit there, I look - my eyes begin to water behind the lens and my heart begins to feel broken & satisfied.  I know how they feel! I know the aches & pain & questions & insecurities & wonders & hopes & joys & losses ... And I know the freedom and restoration, healing & victories that are coming! "This is what I was made to do" I thought to myself sitting there.  Love God . Love people.  Jesus Knew, God has it figured out.  As all three of them were communing, living community out, fellow-shipping in the fullness, they knew our most fulfilled thing in life would be to Love God and to Love People.
In my opinion, one of the best things to do is to listen to hearts.  Because not only do you get to see the reality of a person, not only do you get to see another side of God... But in those moments, however long or short, that daughter, or that son, is trusting you & in that they are allowing themselves to become vulnerable, making room, believing in and hoping for Truth to come, Healing to become a reality and love to saturate there lives because they know it's possible and everything within them desires to keep hoping it'll come their way.

The beauty about this season for me is that I can watch it all, I can be the hands and feet of Jesus!  I can sit there, eyes and ears and heart open and be what they need and usher them to the feet of Jesus, and war for their freedom.
My heart is so alive.  I am so happy.  The Lord is showing me so much as I just allow Him to use me without me having my own "opinions" getting in the way - because I realize they just get in the way, and I don't really care about my opinions at the end of the day - I just want the fullness of Jesus.  I could not have dreamed to be anywhere else.  He knows what He's doing and I am so glad that I can trust Him.  No matter what it looks like, He is trustworthy, He is true, He is truth."


Jesus is worthy of all praise.  After reading this I am even more convinced of His goodness & faithfulness.
Have a super blessed day!
Love...

Remember...

Good morning beauties!!  It is Monday and I am super excited!  I have another day off ahead of me, which I feel so blessed to have, and I get to share with you some beautiful things today!

I love the word remember.  Now rolling off the tongue it may not seem to be the most elegant word.  But I think it's such an important thing. There are many bible verses where it says "lest we forget".  I think many times in life we have incredible things happen to us and we say we will never forget them because they mark such a pivotal time for us.  But then years down the road, it slips our mind and without us even realizing it, we have forgotten.  I have been so challenged to remember the faithfulness of the Lord in my life.  Not just in recent years, but since I was a child.  It' such a fun game to play with your Papa!  See how far you go back where you can remember specific times of Gods faithfulness to your heart, and I think He will even allow you to remember things you thought you'd forgotten :).

Today I am going to share one thing that I (sheepishly) forgot that I loved so much.... photography.  I was asked to do a shoot for a lovely friend and nerves whelled up in me because I hadn't picked up my camera in about 6 months.  As soon as I clicked the first photo, BAM! it was back :)  All the joy came flooding through, I could feel myself coming alive again & I could have done it for hours.  Then I got to the editing process, and it happened again.  After one photo was finished, I just kept going.  So here is one thing that I did fail to remember, but that the Lord was so faithful to remind me of how much He loves that I take pictures with Him.

Enjoy this photos... Whether they are of the shoot I did with Kandi Holt, or just other random shots I did the same day :)

 

   

  

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this :)  If you would like to see more of my photos, please check out my blog, Elizabeth Anne Photography  when you get the chance.

Love...