How would you BEHAVE if you really BELIEVED that God is CURRENTLY working on your behalf? Hey, I know it’s rough. I’m the first one to admit that waiting can seem like the hardest thing at times, especially when we experience pain, suffering, and frustration. But the truth is, I have never felt closer to Jesus than when I LITERALLY PHYSICALLY got down on my knees and begged for Him to help me through the day, every.single.day. That season seemed miserable, but God produce

"Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14 Let ALL that you do be done in LOVE. Yes, ALL. Let that resonate. My mind immediately brings forth tens of scenarios when it seems almost impossible to respond with what I see as love. So I ask Jesus, “but what if they’re being irrational, or annoying, or hurtful, or hateful? How do I ACTUALLY show love? No, seriously God....what does that look like?” There is no secret trick when it comes to becoming more like Jesu

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS? Do you ever find yourself repeating patterns of conversation topics with your friends? When you’re not listing off complaints about your busy schedule and how little sleep you’re getting, you’re talking about whatever man is in your life at the time. What we talk about shapes how we feel. Before my relationship developed with the Lord, there were many times when I felt empty after having conversations with my girlfriends. Although

Have you ever been in a relationship in which you felt you were giving 90 and the other person was giving 10? You put in so much effort to make that person feel confident or loved & that person completely took you for granted. They talked. You listened. But nothing was ever reciprocated. Before my relationship with Jesus changed, I used to say half-hearted prayers before I went to sleep. They were, for the most part, apologies for how I had come up short and cries for help to

“You cannot slander human nature; it is worse than words can paint it.” -Charles Spurgeon You’ve probably heard that our human nature can drive us to do selfish things. Our culture rewards people who take matters into their own hands. Those individuals who refuse to "settle for less" and who take control of their own destinies are praised & promoted. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The problem with this reward system is that our society has removed God from the pictu

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."--Romans 12:2. Every day is a new day. Give today to Him. It all starts with those #babysteps #haplous #haploustribe #workingirl #workinprogress

How many memes do you scroll past on a daily basis that say something along the lines of “Yeah, I AM a mess-and I’m perfectly okay with it.” And how many of those memes do you double tap because, yeah, you feel like you’re kind of a mess right now; you can totally relate. I get it. And I don’t have a problem with being self-deprecating. In fact, I think making fun of ourselves, to a certain extent, is good for the soul. It brings us back down to earth. But I also can’t help

Jesus Said: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”--Matthew 23:12 I once heard a story about two young men applying for a job at a prestigious company in Manhattan. The first man had all of the right connections, the Ivy League Degree, the flashy wardrobe, the distinguished list of internships--everything he needed to kick him straight into the position. The second man had none of those things, but he had extraordina

“ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”--Matthew 18:20 Do you feel like you’re in a “gray area” in your faith walk? When you first decided to become a Christian, you felt excited & hopeful, but since then your relationship with Christ has come to a stand-still. You don’t really know what you’re supposed to do to nurture that “connection” that you see other Christians have. If this is you, do NOT feel ashamed. I lived in that gray area for years, not

In college, the administration would periodically send emails touting how our university was becoming more competitive every semester. They were raising the standards for grades, ACT scores, volunteer work, etc. It dawned on me by junior year that if I had applied two years later than I had, I probably wouldn’t have gotten in. Transitioning into the real world proved to be even MORE competitive. Sometimes it seems there are endless hurdles to overcome in order to achieve our

“When you have eaten & are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God..otherwise..then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness..to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.”--Deuteronomy 8:10-16 Sam & I just returned from our wedding & honeymoon,

I’ve now spent four summers in New York City. My first summer, New York kicked me in the butt, in the very best ways. I learned the value of TRUE hard work. I lived with four girls who taught me that Christian girls lived the ACTUAL life of joy. And that Christian girls still have wine night. My second summer in New York, I fell madly in love with Jesus. God blessed me with a friend who reminded me of myself, but who had an inner light that  inspired me to offer Him my heart

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 Sounds pretty simple in theory, right? I mean, I’m a lovie person. I like to make others feel loved. So yeah--CHECK! But then I consider this quote by Mother Teresa: “Your true character is most accurately measured by how you treat those who can do ‘nothing’ for you.” Wow. THAT is not so easy. So it go me thinking. How do I love those who are DIFFICULT TO LOVE? We all h

Life is full of endless obstacles, and with those obstacles comes frustration. If you’re like me, you might verbally process your way through these obstacles. Full disclosure: this might be one of my BIGGEST downfalls. I vent CONSTANTLY. I do this not because I want to be a negative person, but because on some deep psychological level I feel like I get to the root of my frustrations by “talking things out.” So what’s wrong with that? Right? That’s what I tell myself. Maybe yo