How to Predict the Future

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Be Bold

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Happy Monday!
Start your week off right
Be bold
Be confident
Be true
Be you

Recently the Lord has taught me a lot about being bold.
He is teaching me to be bold in prayer
bold in truth
bold in my dreams
bold in my hopes
and so, so much more!

This week I am making it my goal to be bold.
To kneel at the foot of the cross and to boldly cling to His truth.
I cannot wait to see what He has in store.
But until He reveals His plan,
I will continue to boldly pray for our dreams.
And pray that He will make our dreams even more bold
than they are now.
I pray that through us,
individually & as a couple,
Abba will be brought immeasurable glory!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

This is Being Productive

Happy Friday!
This weekend I plan on being productive.
The past few weeks we have spent countless hours on grad school
& our upcoming big change.
This weekend is going to be about fun with my man.
{yes, grad school & other work will sneak in there too… life doesn’t slow down just because you ask it to 🙂 }

What are your plans for the weekend?

Plan for success and you will find it! {Tweet that}

How to Embrace Life Now

{Joseph Mark Photography}

Happy Friday’s eve! Today I want to introduce you to one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. You might remember me introducing you to Bailey Heard in one of these posts when I was asking for you to pray for her and her sweet family while her husband battled stage 4 lung cancer. I want to encourage you to continue praying for her family, but the prayer request has changed.  A few months ago her husband Andrew joined Jesus in heaven. While his passing has been quite difficult, the Lord is using Bailey & Andrew’s story to further His Kingdom and for His glory. I could not be more inspired by Bailey’s strength, confidence, and most of all, her faith. Bailey is now being hired to speak across the country and to share the story God has given her & her daughter. Below is a preview into what the Lord has been teaching her!

{Glen Photography}

“Good morning! Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story with you today. September 2012 my husband Andrew was diagnosed with his second battle with cancer. When he was 18 he was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma went through chemo and radiation and was considered medically cured six years later.  He went on to play football at Texas Tech and then played at Baylor when he was in seminary at Truett.  I was a cheerleader at Baylor and was set up with Andrew by mutual friends. From that point on it was a whirlwind. We dated for 1 year and were engaged for 10 months. We married in 2007 and had our beautiful Ellie Grace in 2011.  Andrew let me know early on in our relationship that his cancer could come back possibly as Leukemia. In 2012 his cancer did come back, but as stage 4 lung cancer. Andrew never smoked a cigarette but we thought it could have possibly come about from all the radiation to his chest during his first battle with cancer.

I remember the day Andrew came home from a CT scan to tell me he had cancer. I just lost it. It felt like a complete nightmare. I called my mom bawling while trying to not cry in front of Ellie. From that point forward I had no idea the adventure God had in store for our lives.

I can say I really grew up this past year. I was stretched and challenged in my faith in a way I had never experienced before.  Today I want to share with you a few of the life changing lessons God taught me through this experience. My hope is that you would be inspired through what I’ve learned and that it will help you whenever you go through trying times.

{Glen Photography}

The Present is a Gift

I’m not sure if this mostly had to do with being in my twenties, but I felt like I was always either dwelling on the past or focusing on my future. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to reflect on the past or to prepare for your future. I actually think it’s a great thing, but what I was missing out on was the gift of being in the present. Once Andrew got diagnosed it was like I saw a timer on our foreheads. In some ways it was a gift to know that all I had was the present. It caused me to look at my life differently like I wasn’t invincible and those ones I loved weren’t either. I found joy in just being instead of constantly doing and analyzing. Of the greatest gifts Andrew left me was being in the present himself. On the day that he passed away he was present with all of us until the very end. His last words were that he loved me. It was both tragic and beautiful all at the same time.

One of my most vivid memories of Andrew and my time together towards the end was laughing. Even when he was at his sickest he was cracking jokes and making me smile. He was present. I love that in the middle of our darkest days there was such joy and laughter. His joyful and courageous attitude paved the way for me to follow in his footsteps. If he could choose that attitude with everything he was going through I could do the same!

{Glen Photography}

Begin with the End in Mind

Life became so clear for Andrew once he knew he was going to die. He wanted to leave a legacy of faith, courage and hope to the world. He always wanted to do that, but sometimes, like most of us, his doubts and fears got in the way. It was amazing to me that I watched Andrew wrestle with the details of his faith for so long and it was like the moment he realized life could be over in an instant the details faded to the background and his purpose became so clear. I watched as Andrew spent hours and hours writing his book “A Gray Faith” because he knew God had put a message on his heart to help Christians and non-Christians know that it’s ok to have questions and doubts. And that it’s ok to wrestle with God and don’t let anyone tell you that you are less than because you have questions.  In the end we will never know the answers to some of our most challenging questions but this we have hope in that Christ died so that we can truly live. That is what matters most of all.  I’m honored to help take Andrew’s message to wherever it may lead. I’m excited to keep sharing about our life and journey on my blog and I’m looking forward to getting Andrew’s children’s book that he wrote and illustrated for our 2 year old Ellie Grace published.

{Glen Photography}

Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway

I have to be honest, one of the only reasons I’m able to get up and speak in front of large groups and speak is because I watched Andrew’s courage as he faced one of the most difficult situations anyone can go through- so I tell myself if he can do that, I can do this. I always wanted to be like Andrew, a good speaker and a writer, but I always found excuses for why I couldn’t ever be as good as ‘so and so.’ I let the fear of my beliefs dictate my future. Andrew showed me through his life how to face fear head on and that when we do, we most likely will come out the other end better and stronger then we were before. I have found so much confidence and encouragement in the fact that I have now faced one of my biggest fears (losing my spouse) and knowing that I survived. And not just in the fact that I did it, but in the belief that we can all do it and come out a better version of yourself. It gives me a grateful and fresh perspective on life and on living it to the fullest.

{Glen Photography}

Live Your Dreams Now

Watching Andrew really taught me that we need to live our dreams now! Andrew’s biggest dream was to become a speaker and an author. I watched over the years as he put those dreams aside for other things that he felt obligated to do.  The happiest I ever saw my husband was the last year of his life where he was living his dream. He authored his second book, had a huge online platform, and spoke at different venues. He was finally doing what he was meant to do and he wanted more time to keep doing that. I know that Andrew would want me to live my dream and he’d want you to live yours too.   

Now, more than ever, I see that God has a purpose and plan for our lives. Part of mine, I believe, is sharing my experience and connecting with and encouraging other people who find themselves in a difficult season. I want to encourage you, if that is you now or if that is you in the future, to truly trust that God has a plan and purpose for your life. And be open to where He may lead you and know that you can & you will get through to the other side a better, stronger and a more confident you. My challenge to you today is to go after your dreams now (because life is too short), be present, embrace an attitude of gratitude for all that you’ve been blessed with, and finally reach out a helping hand because you will in return receive the greatest gift of all, love and community. Thank you so much for allowing me to share with you today.”

{Andrew’s book, purchase it here}

I highly encourage you go check out Bailey’s husband’s book “A Gray Faith.”  I promise, it is worth it!

If you want to hire Bailey to speak contact her here

Follow Bailey’s blog here.

This is Yours

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Anyone else love this?
Now it is definitely missing the most important thing-
follow Jesus
above all

But this quote does inspire me to pursue my dreams!

Life is a beautiful gift
full of many blessings
Live it
Enjoy it
Love it

Did anyone else notice our new sponsor?
I will properly introduce you soon, but until then go check out Urban Walls!
I’ve already got my eye on a few of their products!
AND if you contact tell them & let them know you found them through beyond blessed blog
you get a 20% discount!!

 

 

3 out of 10,000

I’m not going to lie- I’m exhausted. Because of some big changes in our future the next few months are going to be hectic. But I am learning there is beauty in that. God is doing a lot in our lives. He has prepared the way for some exciting changes. Are we nervous? Yes, absolutely. But even more excited!! He is walking with us and He is directing our steps. He is teaching us to rely on Him for everything. Direction, strength, wisdom, energy, and so much more. He is answering our prayers in ways that surpass my wildest dreams

Over the past month I have been writing in my prayer journal like crazy. I love looking back over past prayers and seeing how He works. This past weekend I read a lot of my prayers from the past two years. I was overwhelmed when I realized just how perfect His timing is. He has used so many different experiences to line us up perfectly for this next step. John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life and you may be aware of three of them.” And you know what? He is right! So many of the trials & blessings I have experienced over the past year have allowed me to be right where I am today. Ready to be His vessel. Ready to be used.

Whether you recognize it or not, He is doing the same thing in your life. You may notice a few of the ways He is working in & through you, but you may not be able to see the 10,000 things He is doing to prepare you for your future.

The more I read through my prayers, the more I see His divine hand directing our paths. I could not be more thankful. Ann Voskamp said, “when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me.” He is growing within me. The more I choose to recognize the blessings and give Him the thanks He deserves, the more I am blessed. Not necessarily tangibly blessed, but my spirit is blessed. Abba fills me with joy. Could there be a greater gift?

Time Will Pass

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Go Out on a Limb

Just a little reminder today to be brave!

go out on a limb
don’t let fear paralyze you
be bold
follow your dreams
do what matters
fight for what matters
dream big
love fiercely
pray big prayers
speak truth
live selflessly

Take risks.
What is this life worth if we don’t live it?
Live life rooted in Truth
and be brave.

Become Who You Want

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The Magic of Thinking Big

My parent’s have always raised me to believe I can do anything I want to. And honestly, I still believe it. I’m not one of those individuals who grew up and lost that mentality. Rather than thinking ‘why me?’ I choose to believe ‘why not me?’. The Lord has put many big dreams in my heart. So recently I began reading the book “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J Schwartz, Ph.D. Here are two tidbits I have learned so far:

A person is a product of his/her thoughts.

 If you believe big, you will grow big. Simple as that.
Your thoughts should be filled with encouraging & optimistic thoughts.
And pray. Always pray & give it all to the Lord.

  The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.

You will only be as successful as you allow yourself to be.
You are the only thing holding yourself back.
Remember that quote ‘Shoot for the moon; if you miss, at least you will land among the stars?’
Dream big. Believe big.

As I continue reading I will continue to share more! 🙂 I just didn’t want to overload you with too much goodness at once! Have a blessed day and remember to believe big!