Oasis

Nobody likes to be thirsty. No one likes to be hot. With these two things, I'm not just talking about physically. I'm talking about emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. So many times in life we thirst after things that aren't good for us. We get in sticky situations, so we get hot and uncomfortable. Ever heard of the story of Hagar and Ismael? Well if you haven't, let me give you a simple summary. Hagar was Sarah's maidservant. Sarah couldn't conceive children, so she made Abraham go with Hagar and she gave birth to a son named Ishmael. Well years later, Sarah finally gives birth to Isaac and fufills His promises to her. One day, Ishmael is mocking Isaac and Sarah gets mad and tells Abraham that he has to send Ishmael and Hagar away. Can you imagine that pain of knowing you're never going to see your own son again? Well, that's exactly what Abraham did and God instructed him to listen to Sarah. While I was reading this story (it's in Genesis 21 by the way if you wanna read it yourselves), I kept on thinking how unfair it was for Hagar and Ishmael. You see, God is so sovereign. Sometimes in life, we are treated so unfairly and unjustly, yet God is working something out to our greater plan. We just don't know it yet. Back to the story though. When Ishmael and Hagar were sent out, they came to a point where death was upon them. Literally the Scripture says that Hagar went and put her son under a bush and went across the way, but far enough way that way she couldn't see him die. Can you even imagine the despair? The grief? Whew. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it and I don't have children yet. Well it says in Genesis 21: 17 that God heard the lad crying. He sent an angel and came down and told Hagar to lift up her eyes and see and grab hold of her sons hand and there was a well that God provided. I know you might be thinking okay..awesome a well. But don't you see? When we are down and are at our lowest of lows, Jesus grabs our hands, tells us to look up, and gives us Him. Our one and only oasis. So many times in life, we are in the desert (hypothetically). We are in an area of life that's uncomfortable. We don't see how we are going to make it through or what we are going to do. We are thirsting for more and better than what this life has to offer us. It's when we are in these times and feel like we aren't going to make it through that when we look up Jesus has provided Him. You see, through Jesus we will thirst no longer. We wont want what this world has to offer us. We will have the true thing that matters.


Here's some photos from a recent shoot of mine :)

For He Has Promised

Jesus just blows my mind sometimes. Seriously. There are times when I am so selfish and just don't appreciate Him, yet He continues to be SO faithful to me. One of the things that God is teaching me in my quiet time is just to trust God that He will fufill His promises to us. I'm going through an AWESOME devotional right now. It's call the Patriarchs and it's by Beth Moore. Seriously amazing! If you need a devotional, I would definitely recommend it! But anyways, my lesson today just really hit home for me. It's about Sarah and Abraham. I know we all know about these two, but I'll explain their situation. Abraham was promised that his descendants would outnumber the sand on the sea and the stars in the sky..however, there's just one little problem with that. You see Sarah was barren and they were old. One day, three men came and told Abraham (with Sarah eavesdropping..typical woman I guess) that they would give birth to a son. Sarah laughed. I mean..if someone told me when if I was close to ninety that I would be birthing a son..I would think it's pretty hilarious as well. You see ya'll, God is so faithful. Sarah earlier had tried to take the matters into her own hands by making Abraham sleep with Hagar her maidservant so she could have a son. Everyone knows this had to have been a struggle for her. Back in these days, that's what women were mainly used for. Even though Sarah wasn't patient and messed up, God STILL fufilled His promise to her. Don't we all have things within our own lives that we take into our own hands end up screwing everything up? I know I do. Whew! Too many to count. I sit hear blushing just thinking of what a fool I have made of myself. As it says in 2 Timothy 2:13, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." How beautiful is that? You see, we are frail human beings. Who are in DESPERATE need of Jesus. We fail. He continually picks us up and fufills the promises that He made to us..despite our impatience and sin to get to them. We might sit here and say..well I would never do that..but don't think so highly of yourself.  Have you ever tried to start a relationship that you thought was taking too long? Or maybe sped up a process because you were so impatient? Back to Sarah though. I think this verse is so so beautiful. It says in Genesis 21:1, "Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised." Ya'll, God is a God who sees. He takes notes of us. We hear countless times in Scripture where God is said to have heard a petition. Can you imagine how sweet that birth was? God's promise was fufilled at His appointed time. Today, if you are waiting for something to happen just remember God has got you. He is in control. He will fufill His promises to us. Take heart and give it all to Jesus. I'm sure if we could talk to Sarah now she would tell us how sweet the promises of Jesus are and how it was TOTALLY worth the wait. No matter how long.


Here's some pictures that I took at a wedding not to long ago! Hope you enjoy!!