Overflowing Grace

2023 has been a year of unexpected twists and turns. We felt that our word for 2023 was connection. We wanted to dive into deeper connection with our friends, family, God, and with each other. I also felt that God was saying 2023 would be "the year of the Lord's favor" (Isaiah 61).  January started off strong with connecting with friends. We had vision for the year and motivation.  We decided that we wanted to try to start a family and on Valentines day, we found out we were pregnant! Daniel was very excited and I found myself feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous to take on a new role as a mother. I was also very nervous about having a miscarriage because my mother had one before I was born. At our first ultrasound my fears became reality. There was no heartbeat and our baby was measuring to be small. The doctor had us wait another 10 days to be sure that we had miscarried and at our second appointment on St. Patrick's day, the miscarriage was confirmed. We lost o...

It took a couple of days after moving in with my roommates in South Carolina to notice them. I was laying in bed when I noticed dim lights scattered all over my popcorn ceiling. I reached for my glasses and when I put them on, there were, in fact, tiny glow in the dark stars on my ceiling! They are invisible during the day, but in the dark, they glow like the night sky. In that moment, I felt so seen and known by God. He knows how much I love to look at the stars, and He knew that I would be in South Carolina, in this house, in this room, at this moment in time, staring up at these stars in the middle of a hard and confusing season. It felt like He had specifically placed them there for me as a sign that I was exactly where He wanted me and also just because He knew how much I'd love them. It felt like a secret gift that only I would enjoy as a grown woman.  I used to take a few minutes before taking off my glasses to look at them. They were brightest right when I turned off the li...

I've been set up. He knew all along and prepared the way without me even knowing. Let me rewind to back when I was getting my undergrad.  I changed my major three times in school. I began as a ballet major, then switched to pre-med for a year to become a pharmacist, and when that didn't seem right, I changed again and graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology with the intent to become a counselor.  I remember it was a big ordeal to change my degree to Psychology.  It took a lot to convince my parents that this in fact was the degree I wanted to graduate with.  It was always my plan to pursue my dance performance career and then once I retired, go to graduate school. After graduating,  I left Ohio and began my dance career.  I not only got to dance professionally, but my eyes were also opened to how I could use my dance to bless others.  I met amazing people that have influenced my life and marked my heart forever.  Dancing professionally open...

It was in the moments right as I began to wake up that I saw a Styrofoam carryout box.  It was closed and I handed it to the Lord, who was sitting on His thrown.  The carryout box was very clear, as well as the knowledge that the contents inside the box were the unknown pieces of my future.  As I came to, and started thinking about this image, I wanted to change the idea of the Styrofoam box to a nicer box, like a treasure chest, knowing that what was inside was very valuable to me, but in staying true to what I saw, I began to realize the depth of it all.   Our life is fragile. Very fragile.  We become dented and broken easily. And our life in perspective of the entire universe is pretty irrelevant.  Our life serves a purpose, but as it says in the Bible " You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14).   After a few generations, we are forgotten.  Sounds harsh, I know, but this is...

The other day I was walking to my car in a Dollar Tree parking lot, when I heard the wailing cry of a newborn baby.  The cry was so pitiful, my heart felt sorry for this innocent little thing, and I found myself thinking, "It's ok baby. I'm sorry this life is so tough."  The revelation hit me that a newborn baby's cry gives us a good depiction of the fallen world we live in. Most babies spend the beginning of their lives in the comforts of their mother's womb.  It's warm and cozy and safe.  But as soon as that little baby enters into this world, what happens?  They cry.  They are immediately hit with the cold hard truth that we live in a fallen world.  We no longer live in the garden of paradise.  Life is hard and uncomfortable. Bad things happen to good people.  We experience pain and loss and brokenness.  Is there any good, any hope in this life?  Is it possible to glimpse pieces of heaven here on Earth?  I think yes. ...

When my Aunt asked if I would be willing to house sit for her over spring break, I felt a nudge that it was from the Lord, but, at the time, I had no idea what that nudge would lead to. My boyfriend came to visit for the holidays in Ohio, and we stopped in South Carolina at my Aunt and Uncle's for a couple days on our way down to Florida.  I was going to be leaving from Florida to spend 3 months in Brazil, so when my Aunt offered that I could house sit for them and take care of their dogs over spring break, I felt that this was a gift from the Lord so that I wouldn't be worrying about my dwindling bank account while I was in Brazil.  And when she also offered that I could house sit for them again two months later, I was really thankful for an opportunity to spend time with them and for money that I would be able to count on, since my faith journey for the last year and a half had been so unpredictable.  I quickly agreed, and my Aunt bought me a new plane ticket back to ...

One day in Rio de Janeiro, my friends and I went to buy a few snacks at the grocery store close to our host church. When we went to the check out, a disheveled woman, holding a baby, came up to me and handed me a bag of rice and a few other items to buy for her.  As soon as I agreed, she went away and came back with a bag of beans.  She was so bold in the way that she just handed us her food to buy for her.   So many emotions went through my mind and heart.  I felt like a sucker being taken advantage of.  But at the same time, I had enough money to pay for her food, and scripture says that if you are able to help then you should. "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor.  If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." -Luke 3:11. "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.  Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow.'--when you already have it with you." -Proverbs 3:27-2...

I have been learning more and more that everything in life is by faith.  Every decision you make, every risk you take, every relationship you invest in, every single day you live.  We can't see the outcome of our decisions at the time we make them, and we don't know what the future holds, so we follow what we think we know and by what we feel in our heart and we step out in faith, hoping that we are staying on the best path.  It all depends on the level of vulnerability that you are willing to have to put yourself out there.  It can be as simple as starting up a conversation with someone you don't know at Starbucks.  It may lead to nothing or it could result in a new connection, friendship, or future spouse.  Or maybe you are taking a risk to apply for new a job.  Maybe you are thinking about starting a new relationship.  Nobody can escape this walk of faith.  Whether you put your faith in God or you put your faith in yourself, nothing is cer...

We will be starting week 9 of dts this week.  We only have 4 weeks left of our lecture phase and only 2 more weeks until we start our performances here on the island at a school, a prison, and here on campus. This time is so rich with new revelations, challenges, and growth.  I am learning so much about God, myself, and life in general.  The HeartBridge dts has the busiest schedule on campus (8am to about 9pm).  Our days are very long, but our weeks go by so fast.  I know that this time will be over before I know it and I want to savor every minute of it, soaking in as much as I can.   Our second week of dts, we were challenged with this question: "What are you going to live for?"  We have a limited amount of time on this earth so how can we make the most of our time?  We can't take any material things with us to heaven, but what we can bring with us are people.  Our time on earth isn't about us, its about a bigger picture.   For m...

Soooo goooooood!  These are the words that I have been continuously hearing from my new HeartBridge family and saying myself these past 7 days.   We have decided that it is turning into our HeartBridge slogan.  These 7 days really have been so good !  I love everyone in my dts.  There are 16 students, 8 staff, and 8 different nations represented within our group (USA, Canada, Brazil, Switzerland, New Zealand, Colombia, Korea, and Malaysia).   It's amazing how much you can connect with people in just a week.  I am so blessed by my roommates and everyones hunger to know God and make Him known through their lives. YWAM is such a special place of faith and community living.  I share a room with 5 other amazing girls (3 American, 1 South Korean, and 1 Brazilian).  I love doing life with different kinds of people and learning about different cultures.  It is amazing to see the unity that is on campus with so many different nations and cultur...