Kentucky Fried Chicken and Other Unfortunate Events

We did it! We are officially in Kentucky. In a few short days we will have moved into our new home completely. In two weeks I will be moving out of that same home to live on campus and hopefully we live happily ever after. But before this sounds too easy, let me give you a little piece of the in between stuff.

Let me start with saying packing is not easy and neither is moving 800 miles away. So let me share with you some of the things I’ve learned this time around:

1. Don’t bring your favorite blanket on the trip, only to have your cat poop on it, in the car, on the way…

2. Keep a good eye on your underwear because you might end up getting to your destination unsure of where all but 4 pairs have ended up…

3. Pray for patience. I don’t know how many times I’ve said, “I’m about to slap somebody,” this week. (Not something I’m proud of.) For those wondering, I haven’t slapped anyone..yet.

4. Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn’t taste better in Kentucky. This was a let down. I just miss wawa.

5. I have to remember that New Jersey is the state I USE to live in not the one I currently live in. Still working on this one in my head.. So no one ask me where I’m from for now!

Now for what’s really on my heart (if you haven’t had enough honesty from me today).

I miss my friends. I miss someone I really care about. I miss my old house. I miss my church and my pastors. I miss wawa and jug handles. I miss the beach. I miss crazy adventures with my best friends. I miss consistency and familiarity. I miss it all. I never thought these words would come out of my mouth in relation to Jersey.

Here’s a recent entry from my journal:

Dear Lord,

I feel so upset. I feel like I’m just now beginning to doubt your plan. You knew I would though; you knew I would come to this place of doubt. You knew how you would be there for me through it to. I know you will be there for me. I know I can’t ask you to make this easier for me. This wasn’t meant to be easy. I only ask that, Lord, you be ever so near to me. That I boldly and without fear walk by faith. I am yours. For who alone can save me? I love you. Draw near to me. Slow down this dance that I may find my place again.

Sincerely,
Liberty

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Pretty is. Beauty does.

Pretty is. Beauty does. I heard this on a commercial recently and began to think about this. I mean, what could it possibly mean? Every girl wants to be pretty. We want to feel pretty and be told we are. But what about this thing called beauty? What could that be about? I hate to break it to some of you, but its not just about a girl who loves to read and ends up in a mansion with a harry beast, its much, much more! Lucky for us, we are to be called beauty too.

Recently, I was having lunch with some friends and we were talking about relationships. I confessed that I struggled with my definition of beauty. I feel as though I don’t have anything to bring to the table of marriage. I mean, what will I be able to offer my husband one day? I can’t really cook, neither do I care to honestly. I’m not very intellectual. I can’t talk on various subjects and don’t have profound knowledge on very much. I don’t always please everyone. I don’t always wear the right thing or show up at the right time. I certainly never say the right thing or respond the right way. So what could possibly be beautiful about me? Seriously. As my confession came to a close, I expressed what I am passionate about; however cliche it may be. Its the truth. I love people. I love holding orphans in Africa. I love loving people. I love caring for and helping people. I love being there for people. I love my family. There is nothing I love more than holding babies, any babies! But that’s all I have going for me and that’s my heart. My friends began to laugh as they looked at me puzzled. They obviously knew something I didn’t.

You see, I was looking at my strength as a weakness. I was forgetting the fact that I have loved. This then reminded us of what 1 Corinthians 13 says: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I gave away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

I realized the Bible says something quite differently about the beauty I possess. My friends also helped me realize that the very essence of my beauty is incredible. In fact, these verses greatly encourage what my heart longs for. The beauty the world asks of me is meaningless, its beauty that chases after the wind. What I gained from all of this? Who gives a rats rear that I can’t tell time backwards, recite the constitution or make French cuisine. According to Corinthians, if I have not loved, I am nothing. As a matter of fact, I’m not content with being nothing. I would rather love while I can. And that my dear reader, is my beauty. So whether my hair looks a hot mess tomorrow, my clothes don’t match or I don’t end up eating that great of a breakfast due to my lack of skill; I know that beauty is defined differently for each of us, because its defined by beauty itself.

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My Prince Charming?

I want a Job 29 man. Why? Let me tell you something. But first, go read Job 29 when you get the chance.

Now, why do I want to spend the rest of my life with a Job 29 man. Because he is admirable. He is proactive, not lazy or ill-mannered. He is responsible. He’s respected by all. Nothing but kind words come from his mouth. People call him blessed. He reaches his arms far and wide to those who need to be loved. He serves as eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. His heart has wholly been stolen by Christ. He is friendly to strangers and pursues relationships. He is strong in stature and in faith. Wisdom walks with him and others know this. He lives for nothing but to bring glory to God. He encourages others and sees the need for encouragement when one has no hope left. Children look up to him and he brings laughter to their hearts. He longs for God’s presence. He has faith that God holds all things in his hands. He desires his heart to be changed through God’s word. He is genuine with God and with people. He is honored, even by those older than he is. He denies himself so that Christ may become greater in his life. He turns the other cheek. If someone robs him of his shoes, he offers his shirt as well. He delights in the worship of his creator and worships as if he’s been waiting his whole life for such a moment. He is not prideful. He does not judge others. He is aware of his need for a Savior. He’s looking for a Proverbs 31 woman. He cares about my heart and the beauty that encompasses it. He is patiently waiting for what the Lord wants to give him. He believes in true love. He is a hard worker. He knows that nothing can be done in his own strength. He lives everyday walking in humility and by faith. I want him to love God more than he loves me. I want this man because I know he will lead me, love me, serve me, cherish me and honor me. I want this man because his biggest passion is to love the Lord with all his heart.

So there you go. That is the kind of man I am looking for. That is the kind of man God hopes for me. That is the kind of man I will wait for, and I will not settle for anything less. Now, are my standards too high? I don’t think so, after all, I have to live in such a way to honor this man. So with that being said, his standards should be just as high for me. Hope this inspires you.

Salutations,

Liberty Stripped of her Pride

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A Myth No More

Most of us have had someone tell us that phrase. Ya know, It’s one we hear when we’re struggling or having a hard time getting through something. It’s suppose to be words of encouragement, but at times it doesn’t sound so encouraging. So here goes…

God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.

Think about that for a second. There is nothing He can’t handle. There may have been a time in your life, when you felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Then those words come to your mind. More than you can handle? Right now life may seem too hard for you to handle, but when you think about it in terms of this. God must think you are pretty strong. He must believe in you more than anyone else believes in you and he knows you better than anyone else. If He has faith in you, you don’t have to worry about it. If His perfect arms are going to carry you through this, you don’t have to worry about it. If the future looks dark to you, but God knows what’s next, you don’t have to worry. Worrying only gives light to the lack of faith we have in His unfailing strength. His grace gives light to our unknown future. His grace is always there unlike other things that change in our lives.

Jeremiah says that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope. When was the last time you looked at life that way? Like it’s in His hands. Like you have every right to walk into the future blind folded, in faith, trusting that he knows what’s best for you. When was the last time you lived like that?

Best Regards,

Liberty Stripped of her Pride

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