Hi friends! 
I will be moving to HAITI in just a few months. I want to invite you all into my journey! Please visit my Fundly page to keep up with the preparation process and fundraising. If you would like to help support me this page is where you will find all of the info! 
May the Lord bless you and cover you with His love today :)

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

-Matt. 19:21

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

-1 John 2:15-17

I was reading in 1st Samuel and this prayer of thankfulness and praise that Hannah prayed to our Lord after he graciously heard her prayer and gave her a son. It gripped my heart this evening. I highlighted a few of the verses that really stood out to me. 

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah’s Prayer

 And Hannah prayed and said,

    ”My heart exults in the LORD;
    my strength is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
   because I rejoice in your salvation.

 ”There is none holy like the LORD;
   there is none besides you;
   there is no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
   let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
   and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
   but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
   but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.
The LORD kills and brings to life;
   he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
   he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
   and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
   and on them he has set the world.

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
   but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
   for not by might shall a man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;
    against them he will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
   he will give strength to his king
    and exalt the power of his anointed.”

I have been working on a research paper for my Human Sexuality class on the topic of gender roles in marriage. While doing some research I came across an article that stopped me in my tracks. It compares the roles of both husband and wife to the movement and partnership that happens during Salsa dancing. I found it to be a really beautiful example. I hope you too enjoy it!

Gender Roles in Marriage: What it Means to Lead and Follow

“Like a growing number of Americans, we’re finally taking dance lessons. You could give both of us a drink with Sodium Pentothal in it and we still couldn’t tell you why, after 15 years of talking about it, we finally bought those special shoes and threw pride to the wind. Perhaps we weren’t ready to push aside our fear of public humiliation, which was actually kind of fun.

Though we still don’t know what got us over the hump and onto the dance floor, we now possess a deeper insight into what it means to lead and support each other in our evolving marriage thanks to some stunning visual displays.

Tango is by far the most arresting dance we’re learning. By arresting, we mean what other couples accomplish through unique roles, not what we are able to stumble through. These roles of men leading and women supporting, properly executed, give the impression that there are no roles at all. It’s not obvious that anyone is leading or supporting. What you witness is the fruit of their abilities, which is delicious.

You witness two people mustering their talent, power, and sensuality to create a level of physical and emotional intimacy that cannot be created by an individual dancer. He steps forth and leads with intention; she supports his intention, enhancing their shared desire to create something grand. He leans into her, and she into him. Technically it’s leadership. But practically, his behavior looks more like guidance, provision, and care with style.

Advanced tango dancers, as in advanced marriages, ad lib their way across the floor because there are no shoe prints outlined in white to follow. They move by the impulses of their hearts, by the room’s physical borders, around others in their path, and by the direction of his firm hand and her receptive body. As in marriage, someone has to guide, or they will fall on one another. It would just be a matter of time before everyone on the dance floor fell into a heap of twisted ankles and angry words.

Her support and receptivity are not degrading. She glows with dignity. She honors him with donations of her trust. His lead is not stern or overbearing. He exudes reverence and, in doing so, cherishes her.

He does not fall into the sin of domination; she doesn’t cower and become a passive accomplice to such ugliness. That would be heartbreaking to witness: He pushing her around the floor with a scowl on his face, and she retaliating with spiteful words and punitive glares. A creation with so much potential for beauty would become a foul display, another gender-war skirmish and hash mark on the wall of sexual disillusion. It would be like watching an anti-miracle of wine turned into stagnant pond water.

I sometimes stand on the edge of the floor and juxtapose the elegance and harmony of our instructors’ display with how poorly we Christian men sometimes understand leadership in marriage. I’ve heard some crazy ideas as a Christian talk show host from callers regarding this pivotal issue. I’ve heard even crazier ideas from Christian men over dinner about their role as leader in their home. Substitute the word leader for fearful dictator, and you are closer to the real story.

One of these men, I’ll call Bill, had a “biblical” answer for every problem in his marriage, much of which revolved around his wife’s inability to “submit.” Remarkable how his “biblical” answers helped create one of the messiest divorces I’ve ever seen.

I stand on the edge of this clean dance floor, water in hand, some sweat on my brow, and I wonder how they would fare. Not whether or not they could dance well because no one does at first, but could they treat each other well on this wide and somewhat slippery metaphor of life where the weakness of rigid roll play is easily exposed.

But Bill is not the dancing kind. Dominating men don’t bring their wives to places where something blessedly unexpected might happen. Fear owns them, and fear does not suffer the company of freedom (and with it growth) well.

I also think that the marital insights gleaned from dancing would be lost on him. Such men are transmitters of self-serving information, not receivers of richer insights. As I would see two people creating something inspiring, he would focus on whether she were submitting to her man or not. Such men see what they want to see and in doing so, see hardly anything at all.

When a Christian husband leads well and a Christian wife actively and creatively supports his lead, you don’t notice who’s doing what because roll play is not the main point that lingers in your mind. What you notice is what kind of fluid and God-glorifying life they forge together. When done well, it’s a powerful, graceful, and intimate creation of gender harmony that is uncommon and electrifying. It makes others want to know your secret of your engaged marriage because the blessings they witness are palpable.”

- Article by Paul Coughlin

http://www.crosswalk.com:80/family/marriage/gender-roles-in-marriage-what-it-means-to-lead-and-follow-1412081.html

Pumpkin pie frozen yogurt from Perkits with wonderful friends!! Perfect! (Taken with instagram)

This song powerfully brought me into the Lord’s presence yesterday. I’ve been addicted to it since :)

Mmm thank you Jesus for bubble baths! (Taken with instagram)

Oh, I love the way You hold me, by my side You’ll always be 
You take each and every day, make it special in some way 
I love the way you hold me, in Your arms I’ll always be 
You take each and every day, make it special in some way 
I love You more than the words in my brain can express 
I can’t imagine even loving You less 

Lord, I LOVE THE WAY YOU HOLD ME!!!

[Mark 1:16-20] I want to behold all that these disciples saw that caused them to leave Everything and IMMEDIATELY follow Jesus. No turning back. (Taken with instagram)

Someone left these on my doorstep today… Thank you to whomever it was! I have a feeling it was one of my wonderful prayer sisters :) (Taken with instagram)