I’m learning more and more that walking with God is no joke. The more I read Scripture, the more I see that there’s no fence. Either Jesus is Lord of my life or He’s nothing at all. It’s difficult at times, but the difficulties are worth it. I continue to learn that He is so worth knowing.

By the end of 2019, what would you like to say you’ve done? More importantly, who do you want to be by the end of the year? What do you want to be true of you?

May I propose some things?

If “rollercoaster” was used to describe one of my years, this would without-a-doubt be one of them. I’ve learned some things during this trip around the sun - some themes that I really hold dear. And because of those aforementioned new forehead wrinkles, I think that means I might now be able to impart at least some wisdom through these life lessons.

Following the story of the Israelites can be exhausting, quite frankly. They've gone through so much, have been obedient at times, questioning at times, rebellious at times, repentant at times, and joyful at times. Such a wide range of circumstances and emotions! It's been quite the rollercoaster. One of the main things I couldn't help but think as I got toward the end of the book was "Moses has GOT to be exhausted. He must be sick. and. tired. I certainly would've had enough of these people by now. Imagine LEADING them?!"

I have a handful of faulty core beliefs - we all do. These beliefs are ones that are not actually true of us but have been embedded in us from various life experiences. One of mine is that I'm not good or capable enough to handle something/take on a task/etc, so I should run from it or not even try. I would even say that many moments in my life have been marked by "I can't".

This post is honestly a little more unexpected. We're not going to pick apart a passage, and in fact, we'll only be looking at a small part of Deuteronomy. God simply met me where I was in this section and sent me on a bit of a journey to find some key things that my soul needed. So if you're willing to follow along with me, I'll invite you into how He did that as I made my way through chapter 19.

Multiple things are implied when someone tells you to "be careful". The person saying those words probably cares about you. They're probably letting you know or even warning you about something so that could harm you; they don't want you to get hurt. The words are probably being said in your best interest.

It would've been hard for the Israelites to see God as good through their many challenges. But their feelings about whether or not He is didn't change the fact that He is. Your circumstances don't get to decide the character of God. His character is set in stone. We can trust the One who is good, has shown us His goodness, is able to do immeasurably more (Eph. 3:20), and who desires to do us good in the end (Deut 8:16).

Deuteronomy is jam packed with many different themes and lots of repetition about who God is, the promises He's made, the disobedience of the Israelites, the blessings that come from obedience, and an emphasis on the importance of God's Word. Join me on this journey in the following five weeks as I take you through some of the main points God has been teaching me while reading this book. It certainly won't be exhaustive, and I'd love to invite you to dive in with me and take note of some of the themes that jump out for you.

“You were made on purpose and for a specific purpose (Eph. 2:10). What has been stifled in you that you need to let out? Or what have you yourself put off and made excuses for? What itch have you been ignoring? It's there for a reason. And it's worth doing these things to better figure out the unique ways God has gifted you + what ways He intends to use your creativity.”

“The older you get, the more you see the brokenness of the world. The more you see hardships. The more you realize how messed up people are. The more you experience pain from others' selfish choices. The more you realize the reality of what childhood seemed to shield you from. BUT. That doesn't mean all hope is lost.”

"How can we filter these messages the right way, instead of mindlessly allowing them to fill and shape our thoughts? How do we know what is true from what is a lie?"

"A few weeks ago, our time together consisted of making some of our favorite quick dishes. Since it was such a special time for us, and my tastebuds certainly glorified the Lord through the whole experience, I figured it'd be fun to share those recipes here, along with some pictures!"

"Boxes everywhere. The house is disheveled. Packing for what seems like forever, and yet it seems like there's always more. More transitions. More change. New things are coming fast and right now there's a number of uncertainties."

"There's always a notification popping up for some reason. Comments, mentions, likes, snaps, new followers, new video uploads, yada yada yada. Isn't it all just too much, when you really think about it?"