The Bigger the Bag, The More Fabulous the Junk!

I like big bags.

I do. (And big earrings!) In style or not, I really like big bags! You know the purses that can also hold gym clothes, your lunch, and even an occasional rain boot? (yes, i've done all 3!) Those are the ones I like. The bigger the better! But there is a strange phenomena that comes along with big bags....junk!

The other day I was switching purses, and as I started transferring the 50lbs of stuff from one bag to the other, I decided to look through some of it. JUNK! It turns out I didn't lose that ipod 2 months ago, it was in the bottom of my bag! And I had enough breakfast bars to feed our youth group in there! Bills that have already been paid, headphones, notepads, 4000 pens, 6 empty gum packages, 3 cds....the list gets longer and more embarrassing as I go!

My point is, I was carrying around so much junk! And it got me thinking....are we like that in our daily walks with God?

Here are the 3 things we do with our Big Bag of Life:
1) We carry around junk we don't need!
1 pen is useful. 2 pens gives me one to loan. But 4000 is just extra weight in my bag to slow me down!! What are we carrying around in our spirits that we just don't need???

2) We carry around important things that we forget we have because of the junk!
I was so surprised to find several things in there that I had been looking for! We are not being the effective Christians we CAN be when we aren't using everything God has given us to use because we can't find it in the midst of the junk! God has called you to such a time as this, but you have to know what you're packing! What has God given you to use that maybe has been hidden behind some junk in your life lately? 

3) And last, we carry around stuff we didn't even know we had!
Maybe you are carrying alot of junk that you don't remember picking up....from hurts, disappointments, etc. God wants you to not only be aware of what you're carrying, but throw out anything that would keep you from His plan for your life! Throw off the junk that hinders you! Throw out distractions, strongholds, and even people that are not getting you closer to Him! If you took a good look at your life bag, would there be any surprises you've been avoiding dealing with in there?

Praying for you this week, and that you know there's a big big love in God's big big BIG bag!!!! : )

Much love!
Jessica

Time Out!

Time Out.
You ever feel like you need one?

That thought hit me this morning. I was following my normal routine: getting ready for work, brain going ninety-to-nothing with plans and to-do lists, problem solving issues in my life, etc....and I felt God just say "Time Out. Time Out, Jessica. Stop what you are doing, and take a minute to spend time with me."

So on my way to work I spent a little time worshipping with Brian and Katie Torwalt (if you don't have this cd you need it!), and in just that small amount of time, I felt myself literally take a breath and just begin to lean on God. And an actual weight was lifted. What an amazing feeling from just 5 minutes with Him!

It's an overwhelming thought that God desires to spend time with me. And it's even more overwhelming that, despite all the stuff He has on His plate, He cares about the issues in my small little life.

I encourage you to Time Out with God this week!! I'm right there with you! : )

Much love!!

Catching Up.....

Ok....so my bad.

I can't believe my last post was in September!!!! Worst blogger ever.

In my defense, here's what's been going on....

In October, life was normal in Omaha. Blaine and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary....

In November, I started crazy travels! I travelled home to Louisiana for the first 2 weeks to attend my cousin's wedding and spend some time with family. I also attending a women's conference that was AMAZING, and really changed my life....but we will get to that. Blaine and I travelled to Arkansas for Thanksgiving for some time with his family....and that was pretty much the whole month! : )

In December, I went to Austin to spend time with a sweet childhood friend, celebrated another cousin's bachelorette weekend, and then we made it home to Louisiana for Christmas, etc.

In the meantime, like I said, the women's conference changed my life. I felt God speaking things to my heart in a HUGE way. Then that Sunday I visited my "old" church in Lafayette, where a guest speaker just confirmed a few more things in my heart. (I was quite the emotional, encouraged, excited, and overwhelmed basket case!) Then, a txt from Pastor Tessy at The Family Church in Lafayette set a ball rolling that we totally didn't see coming. And so, in the middle of those November and December trips and day to day life, we also squeezed in tons of phone calls, prayer, and a quick trip for an interview.....and then accepted our new jobs as Youth Pastors at The Family Church back home in Louisiana.

It's just truly amazing how God works. Things that Blaine and I never even considered starting rising up in our hearts in a big way. His timing is just so awesome. Blaine had been secretly feeling "over" the construction industry, I felt like God was pushing me towards working with teenage girls and was frustrated with our inability to serve anywhere due to our moving, etc....and then BAM. The next thing we know, we are both on the same page (rare....) and ready to move 14 hours home to start a profession we really know nothing about! hahaha

We packed up that Omaha apartment so quick....I never even went back after Christmas. Blaine had to finish out the month of January at his old job, but joined me in Lafayette February 1st. So here we are 2 months in, and I'm just catching up to my old habits! : ) But in those crazy 2 months we have stayed with friends while we found somewhere to live, bought a house, moved into our house, painted our entire house, started new jobs....and lots more!!! : ) It has been an awesome ride, and I know we are just at the beginning of the adventure.

All that to say....I'm so completely overwhelmed at the goodness of God in my life. My favorite scripture is that "God will give you the desires of your heart," and that has never been more true than in this season of my life. But the part I never understood was that sometimes you don't even know what those desires are until He gives them to you. Amazing. I pray that we would each live our lives in a way that is open and trusting to God's plan, believing that He knows what's best! ; )

Much love!

Jessica