To be continued... | Hallelujah Tuesday's

I feel too often I am beginning my blog with these very words, "Its been a while..."

I guess you could say life has been...well, life.  This past month has been everything I imagined it wouldn't have been. And this is my own fault. I set the bar too high.  Instead of doing exactly what I set out to do, I have managed and accomplished the exact opposite.  I've let my self down.  I guess this is normal, but it's taken me the entire month to realize this.  That falling is okay. Scraping your knee happens. And blood is real. This is LIFE.  Without the bumps in the road, and the Jeff Gordon turns, what fun would life really be? Right?  ::nods head::

God spoke to me,the other day.  As He does everyday, but lately, I've sadly been ignoring Him.  Not completely, but def to the best of my human ability. I feel like I've let Him down in more ways than I'd like to count or take credit for. He's been slowly tugging at my heart, and while in the process, I've been slowly and subtly twisting and turning in the opposite direction. He knows this. I know this. And THIS makes me question many many things... THIS, although not exactly what I had planned or rather expected, has been a new journey of mine.

I feel like Dora the Explorer.  Of course without the talking backpack and monkey friend. But, I'd like to think that her and I are one in the same...

1. She's got herself a nifty map. Me? Well, I don't have a map per say, but I get the gist... the map of life. Okay, I've got it. 

2. She's bilingual, and this helps her to open cool (talking) doors, swing over lakes filled with hungry (talking) alligators, and fly high in the sky with primary colored balloons.  Me? I speak The Word.  This helps relate MY life to the lives of those in the Bible.  This helps me overcome the enemy, temptation, and so on and so forth.  Keep in mind, however, if you've ever seen Dora the Explorer, you'll notice that at some point along the way (to her destination), she has to work just a little harder (this is usually @ her 2nd point, for those that don't watch the show), not to mention Swiper's always buggin', so naturally, this takes up her time, and not to mention her energy.  Me? Well, like Dora, I get "stuck" at certain points, and although I am equipped with everything I need, I too have to work a little harder to get beyond that point and on to the next one.

3.  She has these cute little critter friends that put on a parade every time she does something spectacular.  Me?  These critter friends are too my close and personal friends, except they don't play pint size instruments, and well, they're not exactly critters.  (you know who you are. Thank you.)

4.  At the end of the day/episode/destination/journey, she celebrates with the entire gang! After all SHE goes through, celebrating is DEF in store! I mean, c'mon, she's only a elementary school-aged girl who travels all over the world without adult supervision... mhmm...

5. And at the end of the day/episode/destination/journey, you already know, she's gearing up for the next day/episode/destination/journey.  And although each journey is different, she's equipped with the exact same gear she was equipped with the day before. It never changes... (unless of course cousin, Diego, tags along, but in my opinion, Diego has it easy... a transforming backpack???? c'mon now. Be a man, Diego.  Dora's back pack doesn't transform, but or course, like a woman, she's prepared for anything and everything, and anything and everything is magically crammed into her fabulously pastel purple backpack)


This is my gear (yours too, ya know): the full armor of God.
The Helmet of Salvation.
The Breastplate of Righteousness.
The Girdle of Truth.
Sandals of Peace.
The Shield of Faith.
The Sword of the Spirit,
and the Word of God.


Obviously, I am equipped with much much more than Dora is and ever will be.  God has so graciously provided me with EVERYTHING I need to travel this journey of life.  So, now its up to me...  to put forth effort, to fight, and to reach my destination; wherever and whenever that may be. The key is, I have to start walking... I can't just sit still and wait for God's mighty hand to physically come down and rescue me.  I've gotta reach back, grab His hand, and hold on tight.... I have to walk beside of Him, not behind Him.  He shouldn't have to wait for me to catch up, and I shouldn't have to make Him wait... He has wonderful plans for me, and I am putting a hold on them simply because I am afraid; afraid of taking the next step.  Too tired, too weary, too scared, too hesitant, too questionable.  But just as Dora puts trust in her equipment, I too need to trust that, yes, I do have everything I need, and God will carry me through, but ONLY, and only when I take that first step.




So, I'll leave you with this, today...


"Perhaps you too are dominated by fear, when the truth is that God is with you. He's saying to you today, "Those who are with you are more than those who are with them [[ read 2Kings 6:15-17]]."  Jesus said, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:20); "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Heb. 13:5).  You may feel that, because of your fear and because of what you see around you, there is no way forward.  The truth is, God is around you; angels by the dozens, by the thousands, are attending you."  -- "When God Shows Up" by R.T. Kendall

Talking alligators, cool backpacks, and HUGE love!
XoXo.
-Casey <3