Encouragement

Lovely.

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

I had a lovely dinner with an even lovelier friend last night, and naturally things we talked about sparked a few thoughts. As we parted ways, she voiced to me that she loved the enthusiasm I have for happenings in her life. I don’t share this to toot my own horn, but rather to make a point. As much as I appreciated her kind words, she noticed that characteristic in me because it isn’t found in all friendships. I don’t like that.

A friend should get excited about the things that ignite their friend’s passions, whether those passions are photography, design, sports, fashion or missions. When we see someone we love across the table beaming about something that brings God glory, we should encourage them to pursue those things in a full-out sprint. After all, I think that’s what friends are for.

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Not only am I blessed to call this precious woman my friend, but thanks to Jesus I get to call her sister. If you’re in Christ, she’s your sister too! How cool is that?! And it gets even cooler. She leaves for Haiti TODAY and you can play a part in the adventure that’s unfolding! Would you join me in covering Katie and her crew in prayer?

[Heart Fuel] Identity

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Yep, I’m a “pinner” and every once in a while I scroll across something that stops me in my tracks and gets me thinking. I like to refer to it as “Heart Fuel.” Be encouraged!

92d0892e95a125b91331a1a480d6bf3aI am a perfectly imperfect child of the cross. My beauty comes from the righteous robes of Christ. Through Jesus, I am empowered by the Holy Spirit and armed with the life-giving message of the Gospel to boldly live and love for a purpose greater than I could ever imagine. 

Your identity in Christ is BEAUTIFUL. Never, ever apologize for who you are or what you believe in. You are thought about, handcrafted and known by the Creator of the Universe. That is an INCREDIBLE identity. Embrace it!

We All Need Backup

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They say: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”

I’m 99.9% sure you’ve heard this phrase countless times after a breakup. Today I’m going to spin this overused quote a different way and apply it to community within the Church body.

In the past couple months community was hard to engage in. During college I found a church home that embraced me and all my strange quirks (obnoxiously loud and uncontrollable laughs being the frontrunner). They’ve loved me during life’s valleys, watched me grow in my faith, cheered me on in volleyball and so much more. After entering the “real world” suddenly making it to church on Sundays became impossible due to circumstances outside of my control. Accountability was out the window, worship seemed to lack luster and honestly I felt alone, vulnerable and left out for the wolves. When I entered back into community, I was immediately embraced and the relationships that were hard to maintain during my absence picked up right where they left off.

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I say: “You don’t know how important community is until it’s gone…”

There’s a difference between knowing and realizing something’s importance. I’ve known what scripture says about the importance of community, but thanks to a community-less season of life I now realize its importance. There’s a reason Jesus tells us He’s present when two or more are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20) and Solomon, in all of his wisdom, wanted us to know that one person can be overpowered, two can defend themselves and a cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Jesus prayed for the unity of believers (John 17:20-21) and Paul refers to believers as the body of Christ for a reason (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). We can’t do it alone. Satan wants us isolated so he can fill us with lies and make us turn from Truth. Jesus claimed the final victory, but there’s still a battle for hearts raging everyday and we all need backup!

If you are struggling and aren’t an active part of the body of believers, get involved…RIGHT NOW! Send a text, shoot an email, make a call. Do something! You weren’t created to enter battle alone.

Much love,

Meredith

myTunes Monday

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Music is one of the many things that stirs my affections for the Lord. My music library ranges from Christian hip hop to hymns and I’d love to share some of my favorite tunes with you in hopes that they stir your affections and bring you closer to the presence of our Savior. myTunes Monday is going to be a weekly post where I do just that! I’m giving you an all-access pass to some of the greatest music on the planet (clearly I’m biased)!

This week’s post features “Make” by Johnnyswim. Yes, Johnnyswim is the band’s name. You aren’t suppose to judge a book by its cover, so don’t judge this band by their name. Believe me…this husband and wife duo feature incredible harmony paired with powerful lyrics. Enjoy!

Trust Without Borders

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If you’re into Christian worship music, you’ve most likely heard of Hillsong United and one of their most recent hits, “Oceans.” It is one of my favorite songs to reflect on and has convicted me to the point where I’d consider “Trust Without Borders” my latest life mantra (yes, it also inspired my blog title). To trust someone is to believe they are reliable, honest and good. With that said, I’ve decided to dive into what it really means to trust God without borders.

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For those of you who know me or have read some of my latest blogs, you know I went to Haiti in March. That experience wrecked my life for the better and continues to do so on a weekly basis. One of the things I admire and envy about the Haitians I met is their reliance on God for everything. In the United States, it’s easy to make things happen for yourself without fully relying on God. If we’re sick, we can go to a 24-hour clinic and get the medication we need to get better. If we want to pursue a dream, many of us have the funds to do so. If we want an education, we show up to school. The amenities we have readily available in the United States aren’t as easy to come by in Haiti. Doctors and medicine are scarce, dreams are often crushed by harsh realities and school is a privilege. The irony I’ve realized in this assessment is that although we’re rich in amenities, Haitians are rich in trust. They embrace trusting God without borders because He is all they have. I thirst for that kind of trust and sole reliance.

We often say “if God is all we have, we have all we need,” but do we really believe that? Honestly, I don’t think so.

I’ve never been at a point in life where if God didn’t come through, I’d be at a complete and utter loss. That is, until now. I’m a college graduate, my internship is ending in less than a month, I’ve applied for 15+ jobs and haven’t gotten a single bite, my 91-year-old grandpa who I absolutely adore has aggressive kidney cancer, my family is tangled in a web of unforgiveness, my bank account is dwindling at a rapid pace and yet, I see God’s reliability and goodness in the midst of every curve ball Satan chunks my way.

According to the standards of the American Dream, my life is spiraling out of control, but trusting without borders means my standards are no longer set by the American Dream. Trusting without borders means that I believe that God’s infinite wisdom is greater than my finite wisdom. Trusting without borders means that I believe in God’s perfect record of faithfulness. Trusting without borders is the willingness to lay down my plans to become a part of God’s bigger plan, wherever that plan unfolds. Trusting without borders means it’s no longer about me, it’s about He. Trusting without borders means that I wholeheartedly believe God is using every circumstance to shine His glory. Trusting without borders means that when I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom, the world is at my fingertips because God has brought me to a place of complete reliance on His perfect guidance, protection and provision. Trusting without borders means that when I hear the call, despite uncertainties, I go.

And let me tell you folks, that’s a beautiful place to find yourself.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5-8

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'” -Jeremiah 29:11-13

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13

I’d love to hear what trusting God without borders means to you! Feel free to share in the comment box below.

Last, but not least, I’d like to send a BIG thank you to my friend, Whitney Rhoden, for designing the new graphic for my blog. She’s a rockstar graphic designer and you can check out more of her work here: whitandwonder.blogspot.com

Mo Isom: Freedom Redefined

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“You are not defined by your past or your plans. You are only defined by the scars on Christ’s hands.” -Mo Isom

Mo Isom, former LSU Soccer star and current inspirational speaker, redefines freedom in her first spoken word. The Truth in this video rocked me to my core and I hope it does the same for you.

Worth in the Cross

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Take a second to check out this pen. It’s worth one dollar. Suppose someone came to you and said “I really like your pen. I’ll give you $1,000,000 for it.” You’d probably contemplate this person’s sanity and then accept the offer. That pen’s worth increases from $1 to $1,000,000. 

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Something’s worth is determined by the price paid for it.

God looks at us and sees His children that He adores. Your worth is found in Christ who DIED for you. Do you know the weight of that? Jesus paid His life for YOU! You can’t put a price tag on the infinite worth of Christ. Praying this Truth encourages anyone struggling with worth. You’re a child of God, redeemed at the Cross. You are loved. You are treasured. You are WORTH IT!!!

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” -Romans 5:8