New Beginnings.

Here we are two weeks in to 2012. What a year this was supposed to be for me. This was the year I was to graduate college, find a career, move in to a place of my own, and finally become a grown up. Boy little did I know God has completely different plans for me. That just shows that our ways are definitely not always His ways. 

Instead, I know that 2012 is going to be an even more life changing year than I could ever have imagined. 

This is going to be the year I am not going to let fear over come my life. This is the year that I submit to God with everything that I do. I am not looking at all of this as "New Years Resolutions." To me that is too cliche, to temporary. I mean lets be honest, who actually keeps their resolutions? No one. I am not going to say I will do this one thing everyday. Its more like things in general, for example I plan to just be a better human being, a better daughter, a better friend, and most importantly a better Christian. 

In years past I have lived with such complacency. The mediocre, luke warm Christians pastors preach about not being, yeah that was me. I was that person who did only just enough to get by. I wasn't all in. I was in only as much as I had to be, or thought I had to be rather. Well where has this change in me to want to do more came from? Well this starts about in June....

I attend and serve at this small little church called Passion City Church. We are growing though. ;) I have been there for about one and a half years now. Well this summer we had a college gathering called Summer in the City. The prospect of this gave me incredible hope. 

I had recently came home from college in Tennessee and really didn't have many friends in Atlanta. When I say not many I literally mean three, yep only three friends, Megan, Taylor, and Jonathan. Jonathan doesn't really even count he is family. So for all intense purposes I had two friends. 

Anyways, back to the story. With Summer in the City, it gave me the hope that I would be able to find a group of friends to just build community with and do life with. This DEFINITELY happened! 

This was the amazing group of people that I met that have came to be my best friends, but more on that later. Now back to the change. 

I now had a group of friends to grow with, and so it gave me a reason to want to be more. This fall we had a series at church called Unusual. This impacted me like no other series I have ever heard. It was just about being an unusual Christian, and not living in normalcy. One of the notes I have from Louie is, "God's plan isn't counter to us being excellent at something." "Don't take shortcuts. When your doing what your doing now, God is preparing you for what is to come." These two statements rocked my world. I realized I have been average, normal, and ordinary. I was like this not only in my faith, but in my work, my friendships, and my family life. God showed me I needed to be giving my 150% in all that I do. 

I stepped up my game. I still failed in a lot that I did. And I will always continue to have failure, but I know that my God is sovereign and he has an extraordinary plan for my life. 

This January, the first few days, there was this little conference with about 45,000 of my closest college aged friends called Passion, I don't know you might of heard of it. To say that Passion was a life altering, mind blowing, slap in the face, feeling like I am drinking from a fire hydrant experience, well that is putting it lightly. I have no words for what I experienced in those short four days. God absolutely and fully rocked my world. 

When I say I want to be better everything in the year 2012, that is why. He showed me I have no choice. He gave everything just for me! Why should I not do the same for Him. He has called me to "DO SOMETHING NOW!" Not later, not next year. NOW!!! I will no longer be silent. He has great plans for me and I can't wait until I know what they are. As I go through what His will is and my life plan I will share with you. There are a few things that I will be sharing, but that can wait until next time. 

For now I leave you with this. 

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” EPHESIANS 1:11-14