My First Birthday

One year ago today, I publicly declared my faith in the Lord. After a lot of equipping, struggle and fogginess and questions in developing and coming into my faith, I finally had the opportunity and the courage to die to myself and truly live in Jesus. I have yet to write out and really proclaim the glory and how God rocked my world to the core a year and a day ago, so I feel it necessary to start there.

May 6, 2016, I was a wyld life leader and we had club that day, it all went fine, nothing over the top or really anything I remember at this point, but afterwards, me and a few of my very best friends went to a prayer and worship night. To be honest, I was really nervous, because I didn’t really know anyone there or what I was getting myself into, but WOW God sure knew what he was doing when he brought me there. To give even more background, the weekend prior I had gone camping and sprained my ankle pretty bad, so I was still walking around in a brace and icing it regularly, and I knew what I had to do with it because I have what I call rubber ankles- I roll them all the time, so this wasn’t that uncommon for me. That night though, May sixth, after some seriously revitalizing worship, prayer and God’s radical presence full of tears and joyous laughter, my friend noticed my brace and told me to take it off so they could see the damage. When they did, they saw how swollen it was and asked to pray over it and of course, without hesitation I said yes. As they were praying, I had about 6 or 7 powerful women laying hands and praying over my ankle, I felt the pain subside and honestly though I was making it up, I wasn’t. When they we done, we all looked down and the swelling was completely gone. Like WHAT? Yeah, I got physically healed and if that doesn’t make you want to jump up and down in joy while also sobbing at his magnificent power while truly just being awe struck- I don’t know what will. What’s even cooler than all of that, I have not sprained an ankle since that incident, when before it was an every couple of months kind of routine

So, yeah, that was pretty stellar if I do say so myself and I don’t think there has been a moment so potent in my faith in knowing how true and faithful God is, and right then, my sweet friend turned and said- “ We’re having baptisms at my house tomorrow.” and before she could even ask if I wanted to be a part of it all, I knew, and I agreed.

I was so amazingly in love with Jesus I could not imagine a day or situation better to declare my faith. I don’t know about y’all, but I had kind of been waiting for “a sign” or something telling me I should do it and in what situation, so God just punched me in the face with the most stunning opportunity. The next day, we were praising and singing, just consumed by the presence of God and it was so so so beautiful. One of the coolest things though was that I texted my dad and left it pretty open ended but I told him when and where and invited him to come, he does not really have a relationship with Jesus, but he came! He came and he said that he could feel the Holy Spirit, and still, as I’m writing this, I get teary eyed because that is just the coolest thing- to see people you love so deeply recognize Jesus and verbalize it.

So, the baptism. I got in the pool and just overcome by emotion and just God’s radical presence, I was prayed over by one of my dearest friends and a few others, and I was dunked. I died. I was raised. Now, FOR A FULL YEAR, I have been living in the light and submission to the Holy Spirit. This, this was the absolute best day of my life, where I was able to truly and confidently proclaim my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord over my life and wow- He has done some stellar stuff with it all.

Looking back over this year it has probably been the most full, changing and just incredible years of my life. In the past year, I have:

• Senior prom

• Graduated high school

• Lead at camp

• Worked at Frontier Ranch

• Met some of my best friends

• Grew SO MUCH spiritually

• Felt God overwhelmingly while getting my feet washed by my boss

• Started and now nearly finished my first year of college

• Went to counseling

• Mended relationships with my parents

• Healed my heart over a boy

• Found some of the best community of my life

• Went through leader training and met MORE best friends

• Got placed as a wyld life leader in the most perfect place

• Became head leader for that team

• Went to North Carolina to start the new year with my work crew bffs

• Got placed on summer staff on the other side of the country (Carolina Point)!!

• Became truly JOYOUS in being single

• Deeply rooted my worth in the Lord

• Discovered my desire to be on property staff one day

• Adventures

• Camping

• With friends/ family 5 (maybe more) times

• Solitude camping

• Grand Canyon

• Sedona

• Utah

• California weekend trips

• Throughout Los Angeles

• Tucson concert weekends

• Tattoos

• First time ever experiencing snow days

• Endless hammock days

• Spontaneous bonfires

• Late night Lowell star gazing

• “Let’s just drive” days

Like wowza Jesus, you have taken me on one heck of a wild ride this past year and I could not be more stoked to see what the rest of this life with you entails!! So yeah, this has been my year and I cannot even begin to explain how freaking good God is, like HE IS THE REASON for all of this good stuff!

To close this excessively long but praise filled blog post, I just wanted to share two bits of scripture that I read this morning,

John 1:14; And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, full of grace and truth.

Titus 2:11-12; For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live in self-controlled, godly lives.

The first was the verse of the day on the Bible app and I just love that verse because it reigns truth and hope, it says that Jesus came and “made his tabernacle” among us, which means, he set up camp with us. I don’t know about y’all but I just love that a lot, because for so much of my life I thought he was a distant unreachable God and that just couldn’t be further from the truth, he is here, HIS CAMP IS SET UP WITH ME!! (also I love that vernacular about setting up camp because it’s relatable, camping is my favorite and so having Jesus set up camp with me just gives me heart sparkles and makes me feel all bubbly!!!)

The second, I just read through Titus and in my study Bible it breaks it down and really emphasizes that grace TEACHES, yes it is salvation, yes it is unconditional, but that grace is emplaced to TEACH and TRANSFORM our lives. We are saved and MADE NEW, taught and transformed through grace because Jesus has set up camp in our lives. He is here, present and fully in it, knee deep in our crap and smiling because of it, because he just wants to be with us. BUT he is not going to encourage us to stand in that crap forever, he will help, guide and point out ways out of said crap. He’s in it all with us but he doesn’t want to remain the same, he is an ever creating God- allow him to grab hold of your life and run wild like he did with mine a year ago, I promise, you will not regret it.