Joy to the World

Christmas is just around the corner and I don’t know what you are going to celebrate, but I am ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Christ, our Lord and savior. Through many prophecies, the world already knew that a Messiah was coming to save them and that Messiah was Jesus. Jesus was God’s ultimate plan to save His unworthy, ungrateful, and sinful creation, us.

Have you ever thought about what “Joy to the world” meant? Jesus’ birth was the greatest joy given to us as a sign from God that we would one day be reconciled from our sin and be able to have a relationship with Him. Let us take it a step further because joy did not stop at Jesus’ birth. In fact, the rest of Jesus’ life became a message of joy, the Gospel. Therefore, whoever hears the Gospel should receive the news of great joy for there is hope of being saved from our sins.

Before Jesus even came into this sinful world, He was already destined to die. It sounds horrible and devastating that He would one day be sacrificed for us, but this shows how joy parallels with pain. Even though it was going to be painful, there was still joy through it all because Jesus was obedient and in the end, God was glorified and we were saved. From beginning to the end, from birth to death, and even after the resurrection, Jesus was and still is the joy given to us from God.

During Christmas we should rejoice knowing that the Lord loved and desired a relationship with us so much that He sent His only son to die for us.


May you all receive this joy and rejoice. Blessings.

No RaGRETS

In this season of my life, God has been tremendously working in me. In the past couple of weeks, God has been specifically revealing to me the regret in my life. There were many things in my life that I regretted. There were things I wish I had never said or done, but recently there was someone I regretted meeting. Going through my first break up, I told myself that I would not regret anything, but as the weeks went on and in the midst of pain, I found myself regretting everything. I found myself wishing I never met him, wishing I never loved, wishing that I was never hurt. As much as I wanted to be thankful for meeting this person, there was just so much pain and tears that I would have rather avoided it all.

A quote says “Better to have loved than not at all” and I would joke with my friends and say, “I disagree, I’d rather not have loved at all”. Now that was my regret speaking for me. At first, I thought it was just a funny joke, but then I realized that something deep down inside of me really meant it. If I knew how much pain I was going to be in after a break up, I would have chosen to not have loved to begin with. My regret was preventing me from being thankful for the work of God in my life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” I realized that it was also holding me back from seeing what God wanted to teach me through this situation.

Because I met this person and experienced my first break up, I learned that I had many things to be thankful for. I was able to experience and know God on a whole new level. I was able to see God mold me through the pain and hurt while revealing His glory to me. He drew me near to His heart and in the process I saw His astounding goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love for me. God also reminded me that my happiness and joy did not come from being in a relationship with someone. A friend recently asked if I regretted dating. If she had asked me a couple weeks ago my answer would have been yes. Now, my answer is no, I do not regret meeting or dating this person.


Heartbreaks are painful and I believe during the healing process there is regret because the glory of God is not yet seen in our suffering. Trust me, He will reveal Himself more and more. Once we see the glory of God in our pain and realize how much greater His will is, we will no longer regret anything that has happened in our lives. It is great because our God does nothing in vain and there is a purpose for everything we experience, both good and bad. When we are able to ask ourselves what we have learned from everything, then we are already walking towards a thankful and wiser heart. I am rejoicing because I can honestly say that I am no longer in a season of regret, but a season of thanks.

More than Just a Nice Girl

I was always conscious about what people thought of me. Sometimes (or a lot of the times) I was guilty of trying to live up to peoples’ expectations of how I should be or act. A friend encouraged me when she said, “I think you’re growing out of being a nice girl and really stepping into who God has called you to be”.

Many times I have been labeled as the nice girl, someone who does no wrong and is always happy. I was seen as someone who was soft and gentle, but that image and perception is not entirely right. I sin, I get hurt, I get mad, and I am not that gentle. Sometimes we have a certain “image” that we have been given and we feel as though we need to live and act a certain way because of it.

Sometimes I found myself trying to react to a situation the way I thought others thought I should be reacting. Being labeled as the “nice girl” has kept me from feeling and expressing certain things, such as anger. I tried to avoid showing my anger around others because I thought that someone who was “nice” should never be upset. I also thought I would be God honoring if I avoided it, but to be God honoring means to be honest with yourself and with God about how you feel and then trust that He will come through for you. Our labels will keep us from feeling and doing certain things because we think that it doesn’t match up with “who we are”, but we’re actually just limiting ourselves.  Someone may be labeled as an athletic girl, but that does not mean they always have to be tough and cannot like make-up or enjoy dressing up.

Let me ask you this, what do you think you are labeled as? Are you also labeled as the nice girl or perhaps you’re labeled as the mean girl, pretty girl, fat girl, flirty girl, shy girl, etc., maybe you feel like a combination of more than one label, but the list goes on and on. We are constantly working to change our labels or live up to them, but no label will ever truly define us. Whatever you feel or believe your label is I pray that you will throw it out the window and accept this truth; YOU ARE THE BELOVED DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH KING. It is not a label, it is a fact, a truth that is unchangeable. Doesn’t that sound comforting and relieving? Often times we take the words people say about us and tell ourselves that is who we are. We allow their words to define us, but we are so much more than those worldly labels.  The only thing that should define us is the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. This truth will set you free from your labels and burdens of being something or someone you’re not.

If you are struggling with this, know that you are not the only one. In fact, many people if not all of us struggle with this, but few will own up to it. We want to be liked and loved by people and that is because we are wired to desire deep and intimate relationships. Our desires for friendship and love should never put us in a place where we belittle and disregard ourselves though. The relationships that we have here on earth, in fact, should do the opposite. They should encourage, affirm, build us up, and allow us to grow and pursue Christ together. Our relationships should never make us feel unworthy, insecure, or invaluable because that is not the reason why God created us to have them. He blessed us with the opportunity to have relationships with one another so we can better understand His deep love for us by loving the people around us.


I do not think my friend realized how much she spoke into my life when she said that, but it made me reflect on a lot of things about who I was. Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” I confess that I wanted to please people and I was striving to be someone everyone would like and love by being a nice girl, but I discovered that I was more than just a nice girl. I am a beloved daughter of God and I only need His approval. I want to live life as His precious child and genuinely express myself and serve Him wholeheartedly. My heart is no longer striving, but I’m at rest and at peace with who I am. My prayer is that you will be encouraged to find rest and peace with who you are as well.

A Special Calling

I have been so blessed to be the older sister of five sweet brothers and Trustin is one of them. From a young age I have noticed that he has such a thoughtful and generous heart and I have been able to continue to see him grow into a fine young boy. I am always amazed at his love for people and how mature he is for being so young.

During the summer I asked him, “If you were to go to jail, what would be the reason why?”
I don’t know what I expected the answer to be, but he answered and said, “It would be because I believed in Jesus. In other countries people aren’t allowed to believe in Jesus.”

Immediately, I thought that this kid could be speaking prophetic words into his own future. Today is a special day because it is Trustin’s 12^th birthday, Happy Birthday, I love you!

Besides Trustin’s birthday, today also marks eight years since I have accepted Christ as my savior, I was 12 at the time as well. From the moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior I knew God had a special calling for me. On October 29, 2007, I told God that I would follow Him and would be willing to serve Him. Even as I think about this I can’t imagine how a 12 year old girl already knew so deeply in her heart that God was calling her.

During one of the chapels, the speaker had said that sometimes we hear God calling us, but it could take years before He uses us. It all depends on God’s timing, but within those years of waiting, God would be preparing our hearts. Up from when I was 12 to now, 21, I believe God has been preparing me and He still is. He continues to affirm His special calling in my life and I do not know where God wants me to be specifically, but I do know He is calling me to serve as a teacher.

In the last couple of years, as a college student, God has been confirming it in my life that teaching is how He will use me. Have you ever walked into a place and your face lights up with a smile and you know deep in your soul that is where you belong? I get that feeling every time I step into a school setting and work with children. I use to always wonder why I was not gifted in certain talents or why I did not have a heart for certain work fields, such as the medical field, but today I am so thankful God is calling me into ministry as a teacher! Some people may think that teachers just work with kids all day, but we, Christian teachers, are called into some serious ministry and I can’t wait to start!

From 12 to 21, I would have never guessed that I would be where I am today. There has been hurt and trials along this journey so far, but it’s crazy to imagine that God is not done with me because He is just getting started. Through it all, I have faith that God knows what He is doing in my life, even when I don’t know what it is yet. I am reminded of Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God knew what He wanted for Jeremiah and I believe that to be true for me as well! It’s reassuring to know that God knew me even before I was born. In His great timing, He will continue to reveal His desires to me and I pray that when He does, I will follow in obedience as I said I would when I was 12 years old.


Whoever is reading this, I pray that you will understand that God has a special calling for you as well. Whenever and wherever God calls you, I pray that you will hear Him and also respond in obedience and trust. In whatever career path you choose to pursue I believe that God will always be able to use you.

Spiritual Selfies

God says that no one can take our joy from us, but in our lives we can sometimes lose sight of it, especially when the enemy is hard at work and the enemy is ALWAYS hard at work. Joy is a choice and we often don’t choose it because sometimes we just don’t know what joy looks like anymore. In our circumstances and in the business of our lives we can forget how we look and feel when we’re experiencing true joy. I know that sometimes I can get carried away by all of the negative and difficult situations in my life that makes me forget about my gift of joy.

My pastor brought up this great idea of retraining ourselves to take spiritual selfies when we’re in the joy of the Lord. When we look back at our spiritual selfies and see the joy of the Lord in our lives, we definitely won’t want to be without joy anymore. Our spiritual selfies are reminders of all the good things the Lord has done in our lives and it gives us hope for all of the great things He’ll continue to do. Spiritual selfies will also remind us of what makes us passionate. Through my joy, I want to live passionately for God but I can’t do that if I live a life where I can’t even recognize when I’m joyful.
After reflecting, these are moments where I have experienced the joy of the Lord.
I have joy when I’m teaching and I just can’t wait to pour everything I can into my future students! The learning never stops!

I simply enjoy being in awe of God’s creation. Everywhere I look I see His beautiful creation, the world.

I LOVE to eat and I’m so thankful that I get to enjoy such yummy food! I’m even beginning to enjoy eating veggies and if you know me that’s a huge step because I thought I would never like veggies.

I simply enjoy being in awe of God’s creation. Everywhere I look I see His beautiful creation, the world.

Wow, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to have a lot to share, but now that my mind is going, there’s just too much to share. God really has been so good and faithful to me. I look forward to being more in the presence of His joy and taking more spiritual selfies as evidence!


Please, take time to reflect on some of your moments of joy too. I pray that your moments of joy are just as beautiful as mine and I hope that you can join me on this journey of taking spiritual selfies!

Disappointments and Letting Go

God never said, “Follow me and life will be easy.” In fact, we will experience many disappointments because in life things won’t always go the way we want it to. The word “disappointment” always sounded like a horrible thing to me, but it’s actually a healthy response to life when things happen out of our control. Our disappointments ultimately reveal the expectations that we had of something or someone and lately, I had still been feeling disappointed about my break up.

One afternoon I was sitting in class waiting for the professor to begin and he started the class with a devotion. It was a story about a little girl who dropped her coins inside of a vase and in her attempt to get them out she got her hand stuck. She was crying hysterically to her mother, but her mother knew that the solution was simple. Her mother asked her to open her fist and make her hand really slim so that it would slide out. The little girl cried and protested that she wanted her coins, she refused to let go of them.

“Wow, if the little girl only trusted her mom and let go she would be free and have her coins,” was the first thing I thought. Suddenly, it hit me, that little girl was me! I was holding onto something that would keep me from being free and from fully stepping into the great things that God was calling me to. This story was stuck on my mind for a couple of days as I continued to ponder the idea of letting go. On Sunday morning I went to church with a heavy heart and as they were worshiping I kept thinking, “God, can I really let go? How can I let go?” The worship ended and we sat down waiting for the message and to my surprise it was about joy.

John 16: 20-24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

Jesus was saying that in the face of everything falling apart we would still have joy and no one would be able to take it away. God doesn’t deny the fact that there will be sorrow, but one day we will know joy and all the pain we felt would be worth it. When we go through hardships we also have the opportunity to show God’s glory and our sorrow and pain will enhance the depth of our joy as a believer. Even though it hurts, God is making our roots go deeper so we can be stronger against the wind.

I felt as though the message was speaking right to me and I knew that I was going to be okay. At the end of the message the pastor mentioned that he sensed God was calling many of us into big things and he asked that anyone who wanted to live in joy to come to the front of the stage for prayer. I went up to the stage and the pastor had us repeat, “I am not God’s disappointment, I am God’s joy.” The pastor then said, “Let go of your disappointment so that you can have joy.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, my eyes began to water and I had a huge smile on my face, God was answering me right there. I love hugs and I felt as though God was hugging me at that very moment saying, “You can let go.”


What is something you have been disappointed about, are you ready to let it go?

The Beginning

When will you know joy and what is it going to take for you to realize you’re not in control of your circumstances?

At the beginning of the summer I entered into a relationship that was so promising and beautiful. Our belief, values, and hearts seemed to be on the same page and I couldn’t believe how much we were “clicking” together. This guy boldly pursued me and ultimately asked me to be his girlfriend, how lucky was I? Love is scary and can be risky, but he was asking me to step into a God honoring relationship with him, so of course I said yes.

After three short months my boyfriend confronted me about our relationship and we ended up breaking up. It crushed me. The first week after the break up was pretty ugly. I was trying to process my thoughts and pull myself together, but I was not being God honoring with my life at all. I would wake up early, lay in bed crying until 12 or 2 in the afternoon, wake up, eat one tiny meal, sit quietly in my room, and go to sleep and then repeat everything again the following day. When I was going through this it didn’t seem so bad, but now it seems slightly crazy of me and I’m quite embarrassed about it. Nonetheless, I survived those first couple of weeks through God’s gentle comfort and strength and I can’t forget my awesome support team, my family and friends!

The funny thing is, at the beginning of the summer I had prayed that God would show me what it meant to have His joy and by the end of the summer He answered me. I didn’t think that God would answer this prayer in such a heart wrenching way, but He did. Through this uncontrollable circumstance, God was tugging my heart closer to Him and putting a deep desire to truly know and have His joy. Although the relationship with this man ended I can honestly say that I have grown and learned a lot simply from loving and being loved by him for a season of our lives. The beginning of my joy began in the midst of heartbreak, but I believe God had me right where he wanted me, broken.


James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”