0 Blast from the Past

Tonight we are going to take a trip down memory lane. Earlier this evening we attended our church youth "Wig Out" party and we had such a good time playing dress up. Raleigh and I love any excuse to put on a costume and it has been way too long! Here are some blasts from the past. Hope you enjoy!



This was the first time we dressed up. We had just started dating my senior year of high school and I was president of a social organization and it was our annual Halloween party. As you can see, Raleigh was an old man and I was his nurse! He really made me push him in that wheelchair most of the night! It was a great event to go to while we had just officially started "going out".





These pictures were taken in college at one of Raleigh's architecture parties. This was was an 80's prom theme and was the first time I actually hung out with all of his new friends that he spent many a nights around! They are such a fun group and they don't play around when it comes to costume parties. I remember dancin it up to Jesse's Girl and 867-5309!



For one of my sorority parties, we dressed up as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. We actually made Raleigh's costume all the way down to the feather in the hat. I had so much "fairy dust" on me that night that I couldn't get it off with my eye makeup remover! I walked around for the next day or two with left-over glitter in my hair and eyes :) There were other Peter Pan's that night, but I had the best dancing Peter Pan of the bunch!







These were the pictures from tonight's party. Raleigh was a Harlem Globe Trotter and I was his cheerleader. It was so funny...one of the girls asked Raleigh what team he played for. He said "East," and she was like, "Oh, from High School Musical?" I joined in the conversation and said, "No, like East Wal-Mart!" I'll have to admit...I was the oldest cheerleader there and the other girls actually had their real cheerleader uniforms on. I was rockin my Carver Middle School uniform and my Northview cheerleading shoes! I was just proud to have the zipper zip!!!!


Friends, I believe that it is okay to be silly and have fun with your friends. It was so nice to not think about any of the daily pressures of life for two hours tonight and just joke around and act like a Valley Girl cheerleader. Take time to laugh at yourself sometime soon!

Please feel free to share any of your dress up pictures or fun memories :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Lost & Found

This week I have been out of my normal routine. I was out of the office a lot this week and working late so I think I am just bone-tired. On top of being tired, I have been really forgetful. Typically, I am not a forgetful person and I rarely misplace things. But lately, I have not been myself and this forgetfulness has really started to drive me crazy!

Last Sunday, I took my journal to church to write the day's message in it. I either left it at church or it is in some mysterious place around the house but for the life of me I can't find it. Today, we searched the Lost & Found at church and couldn't find it anywhere. I feel like I have lost a part of me. The journal had some personal thoughts in there on top of some really great messages so I am so sad that I can't find it. I have been journaling steadily since college and I love to look back over my entries at what I was thinking or read over the teachings that I have listened to. I know I put my name in the journal but I don't think I put my phone number so who knows if I will ever recover it.

The second thing I lost was my cell phone. Not once, but twice. On Friday, I went to Mobile to check out our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk because we are doing one in Montgomery next year. I rode down with two of our state leaders and after we ate lunch in Montgomery on Friday I couldn't find my phone in my purse. We called the office and sure enough I had left it on my desk. So, we drove back to the office for me to get it. I was so embarrassed by this forgetful action but I knew they understood because we were traveling. We safely arrived at the Mobile office late that afternoon so I picked up my phone to call my mom and husband to let them know we were there. Well, the signal wasn't going through so I set the phone next to my computer to try again later. Soon after that, we packed up our bags and headed to the hotel. At dinner that night, they were all showing pictures of their families on their cell phones so I thought I would whip mine out to show off my handsome husband and precious puppy dogs. Low and behold, I couldn't find my cell phone AGAIN. I was beyond embarrassed. I was really beating myself up inside thinking, "Christen, you moron, why can't you keep up with your phone?!" The office was locked up for the night but one of the staff got it the next morning and returned it to me. I felt so bad because she had enough to deal with the event that had over 8,000 people attend to be worrying about getting my stupid phone.

Finally, we got back to Montgomery yesterday afternoon and when I was unpacking I realized I had forgotten yet one more thing. I had left my diamond cross necklace in the bathroom at the hotel. It was so dainty and simple and I wore it all the time. My stomach did a flip flop when I realized I had forgotten this piece of jewelry. I called the hotel and am still waiting on a response but I am pretty sure some cleaning lady got an early Christmas gift. I know it is an object, but it meant a lot to me because I always wore it to feel like I had Jesus right next to me. I know I have Jesus but still I really did enjoy wearing it.

So, now I am just beating myself up for being so forgetful. I have stopped saying negative thoughts to myself but I am just mad at myself for misplacing all of these things within a span of one week. Of course, these items are objects and can be replaced, but they were things I was responsible for keeping up with. Today, I was thinking about this and the thought came to my mind that I am responsible for more than things like books, phones, and jewelry. I am responsible for bringing others to Christ. It is my duty, my call to action.

I purchased a shirt yesterday that is super cute. It is pink and on the front it has a little white sheep and underneath the sheep it reads "He is my Shepherd." The Bible talks about shepherds in many places. In Ezekiel 34:2 it says, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?"
Friends in Christ let me say this: We are the shepherds of today. We should be taking care of Jesus' flock. There are so many people wandering around out there that do not know what it is like to live a life filled with God's love. How many people do we interact with on a day to day basis that are wondering around like little lost sheep?

For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice." - Ezekiel 34:11-13, 15-16.

Thank goodness that our Amighty Savior is always keeping track of us. He is always there and will always be seeking us. He won't forget, misplace, or lose us. He will continue to search for the lost, injured, and weak and bring them underneath his wing. I love my God so much that He cares so much about me. Take peace in this verse and find comfort in knowing that our God is omnipresent. If you are wandering around feeling lost today, please know that the minute you commit yourself to Him, He will be right there to herd you in with the rest of us. You will be apart of his flock, the body of Christ, and by golly that is the best place to be! He has been looking after you for a long time and He is so glad that you are not lost, but found.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 I Dare You

Last night, our small group started a series on marriage. We are each reading The Love Dare book that was written for the movie Fireproof. Today was day one and I really should have heard it on Tuesday instead of today so I could practice it! Below is a section that I really enjoyed:

If your spouse offends you, do you quickly retaliate, or do you stay under control? Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly? If so, you are spreading poison rather than medicine.

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don't get what you want and you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.

Patience, however, makes us wise. It doesn't rush to judgment but listens to what the other person is saying. Patience stands in the doorway where anger is clawing to burst in, but waits to see the whole picture before passing judgment. The Bible says, "He who is slow to anger had great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly" (Proverbs 14:29).

Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.

The last part of this segment is something that Raleigh and I have had to learn over time. For those of you that know us, we started dating in high school and continued to date for six years until we got married. I had to learn patience on multiple levels, primarily patience in waiting and then a close second was patience with my partner. Today, as a married gal, I deal with the latter on a weekly basis. Sometimes I get so frustrated by the smallest things around the house and I just blow up. Usually, if we get into an argument it is over something silly but then we quickly become angry and say things that we shouldn't say. When we argue I always walk away with regret at the words I chose to say.

"See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another" (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Being patient with your partner is a choice that we have to make every time we open our mouths. It is shown through our actions and through our words. As I mentioned in an earlier post, words are what hurt me the most. In return, I know my words have hurt those close to me. I am constantly learning how to practice patience every single day so my home can be filled with positive words and actions instead of negative.

Friends, I dare you to be patient today. Whether it is with your spouse, co-worker, family member or friend, choose to keep your mouth shut an extra second before you respond. I bet you won't regret it.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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1 The Simple Things in Life

Contentment has always been a struggle of mine. I am an overachiever so I naturally have my eye on the goal and then once I achieve that goal it is on to the next big thing in my life. The problem with this is that I don't take time to enjoy or take pride in my accomplishments. I give myself a little pat on the back and then onward I go to face the next obstacle that is in my way. But lately, I haven't quite felt like myself. Nothing specific has been wrong but I have been feeling a little off, you know? I've been in a state of non-contentment and have been very unmotivated to start the next task on my to-do list. It's like I have been just getting through the day and the months have just rolled together like one long, drawn out play of my life.

This weekend, Raleigh and I did not have a single thing planned except attending a wedding in town on Saturday night. Other than that, not a sliver of anything was on the menu. It was the first time in months that we have not had somewhere to go or something to fix up around the house. So, on Friday night we went on a date. We had a nice dinner and then went to the movies. I love my husband so much and I am the type of person that doesn't mind staying in but it was fun to hit the town together. He opened my door and payed for my meal like the perfect gentleman and it reminded me of when we were dating. It was fun not really having a care in the world.

Also, another thing that I have started to do recently is running. When I say recently, I mean like this weekend but still, it's a start. Let me rewind this convo a bit and let you know that growing up, I always ran. I was a soccer player so I was constantly running to condition myself for the sport. In college, I loved to go on short runs around the neighborhoods close to campus. When I lived in Birmingham, I had friends that ran half-marathons and I decided that was a goal that I would like to accomplish. So, I joined a sweet friend in her running club. They ran three miles in the blink of an eye and for the first time in my life I wasn't in first place. Not even a close second place. I was shocked that I couldn't keep up with them! Eventually, I started to run at my own pace and when we moved down to Montgomery I promised myself that I would continue to run to train for the big half marathon in Birmingham this past February. Well, while I was training, I ran in two 5k's here in town. They were in November and December and I was miserably cold. I mentally broke down and couldn't even finish the races without walking.

Not being able to achieve that goal was so frustrating to me. I couldn't believe that as physically fit as I was that I couldn't make it through a half marathon. So, for the past eight months I have barely made it past a light jog. I just gave up on the dream of running a half marathon and started exercising in different ways. But, recently I have noticed that my jeans don't quite fit the way they used to and I have been feeling a little jiggly in some areas if you know what I mean. So, yesterday Raleigh and I took the pups on a walk to enjoy the nice crisp weather that we have had. As I was walking, I got the feeling that I needed to put a little pep into my step. All of a sudden, we were jogging. And it felt good!

Lu Lu in her pink camo vest ready to go for a run!

Tonight, we went on a little longer jog. We still stopped and walked but all in all it was good exercise. My legs feel a little like spaghetti but overall my body is glad that I did it. I remembered what it felt like to just run. Not run for a goal but running for enjoyment. It was actually fun and not something that I dreaded.

Paul, while in the Roman prison, wrote to the Philipians to thank them for their gifts to him. He said, "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:10-13).

So, this makes me think that maybe I need to start to truly enjoy the simple things in life. Maybe I should take time to do the things that give me pleasure and not be so focused on achievements. It is by the grace of God that I accomplish anything to begin with so if I solely rely on Him to give me the strength I need to face each day then I can't help but be content because I know there is nothing greater than that.

"Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." - 1 Timothy 6:17

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 The Rainbow after the Storm

Don't you just love a holiday? I've got the day off today and it has been much needed. I got caught up on some sleep, did some laundry, ate lunch with a friend, and now I get to write another blog post. I call that a pretty good day. :) I just can't help myself, but today is another post about my weekend. Forgive me, you will probably see at least one more this week about my trip to Memphis. It was just too good not to share!

The theme for the weekend was titled, "Wild God Chase." Beth spoke from Exodus 34:1-9. The meat of that passage was this: "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7)

She touched on each of those topics but the one I want to share with you today is about forgiveness. Beth stated that God is scandalously forgiving. He forgives us for our wickedness that we are prone to do, our rebellion that we mean to do, and our sin, which we are bound to do. It is such a life lesson for us to know that God forgives us of all of our faults, whether we mean to or not, yet we often struggle with forgiving others.

Forgiveness is something that I have had to learn how to do over the years. For me, the thing that pains me the most is hurtful words. When somebody says something ugly to me or about me it is like a sword slashing through my heart. I cry out in agony and I suffer from those words. The wound is so deep and I am uncertain if it will ever fully heal. From the outside, I might look all clean and shiny but on the inside I am black and blue.

Beth spoke about how a girl commented on her blog that often she "fake forgives." We rip the band aid off before the forgiveness has mended the wound. I know I am a host to fake forgiving. The thing that has always bothered me about forgiveness is the fact that I have to forgive but it is hard for me to forget. I struggle with that saying because I know that God releases me from what I did and I am washed clean, but it is so hard for me to do that to others. For instance, when my feelings get hurt, I tend to not forget who hurt my feelings because I don't want them to do it to me again. I am guarded against that person. I usually start to not like that person because they hurt me. I also have these fake conversations in my head of what I really wish I would have said when they said something ugly to me. I just keep hitting rewind and I replay the scenario over and over and over in my head. It absolutely drives me crazy.

Friends, fake forgiving is neither healthy of beneficial to our well being. It does no good. To truly forgive, we have to take time to go through the healing process. Most of the time, the person that was ugly to me in the first place has no idea how deep they really cut me. I guarantee you that person is not losing sleep or having these crazy conversations in her head! I have just recently reached a point in my life where I understand the process of true forgiveness. In order for me to live a joyful, sane life that is not filled with garbage, I must forgive like God forgives me. I must be like Jesus on the cross and say, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34).

I know you have heard this a million times, but we have to pray for our enemies. This is such a testament of your mature life in Christ. When I began to pray for my enemy, the victim side of me began to kick and scream saying "She doesn't deserve your forgiveness! Don't you remember what she did to you? She hurt you so bad and now you are letting her off the hook?" Then, another side of me whispers these words of encouragement "Forgive her. Let it go. Stop letting her words eat you up inside." As I struggled with this wrestling match going on inside of my head, I finally just broke down and stopped fighting. I just prayed for God to show his love to me and to please help me forgive this person for what she did to me. After I did this, I was encompassed with God's peace and love. It is an amazing feeling to know that He is on my side. It was like seeing a rainbow after the storm.

This verse sums up everything, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Dear God

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me and for forgiving me of my sins. This weekend was great. Thank you for keeping Ashley and I safe as we traveled to Memphis to see Beth Moore. You have blessed me with her friendship and I am forever grateful to have had a companion like her over all these years.

Jesus, I want to apologize for not fully focusing on you Friday night. Forgive me for paying more attention to Beth than you. I was awestruck and excited beyond myself and I am sincerely sorry that I had a false idolatry when YOU alone are the one that I should be awestruck by. Thank you for giving us women a mentor and teacher like Beth Moore. She is not putting on a show...she is the real deal...the living proof.

Thank you for your love. By your love, grace and mercy I know that you are my Savior. I can't live my life without you. Thank you for your encouragement and for taking all of my fears. Thank you for wrapping your loving arms around me on day 2. I was fully into you on Saturday and my life has been enriched from that message.

Lord, take me as you find me. I can't live my life without you. I love you and I desperately need you.

In Jesus name,

Amen




Till next time, let your light shine

blessings, christen

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1 Magnificent

Today I come to you with tired eyes and a slightly scratchy throat, but the experience that gave me these things was exceptional. As I mentioned last week, Raleigh and I bought tickets to attend the U2 concert in Atlanta. Yesterday we drove to the big city and had an awesome time letting loose to our favorite U2 songs. Sometimes it is nice to have a break from the usual routine. I put on a fun dress and my heels and shook my groove thing on a Tuesday night! I encourage everyone to take time out of their usual schedules and do something a little different this week.

We had seats in the nose bleed section but it didn't matter. The tour is named 360 because they built this amazing set to become more intimate with the audience. You can see in the picture below, but they nicknamed their set the "spaceship." Basically, there are these huge spider-looking legs coming from the four corners and where they connect is this big 360 degree screen that hangs above the band. So, even if you are sitting in the cheapest seats in the house (like us) you still have an up-close and personal view of the band. It was really a cool experience.


One thing that I love most about U2 is that they are a band that sings with a purpose. All of their songs have such profound meanings. Last night, they played one of my all-time favorites, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and as I was throwing my fist into the air I really took time to soak up the words. Another song that they sang was "Magnificent." Take a look at some of the lyrics to this song:

I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh

As Bono sang these words, I was struck by the truth in them. This guy, this band, they are living out their purpose in life. God gave them the gift of music and they are using it to touch millions every single day.

I often struggle with the word purpose. To me, that word defines all that I am and all that God intended for me to become. I, like most of you, have read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and I know that my purpose in life is to glorify the Lord and to live my life according to Him. But, how exactly?

Romans 12:8 tells us, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

The word gifts comes from the Greek word charismata, referring to special gifts of grace - freely given by God to his people to meet the needs of the body. I think, if we take some time for intense self-observation, it is easy to recognize the gifts that God has given us. But, I think the part that makes it tricky is figuring out how to use these gifts to 'meet the needs of the body.' Going through our days, we have to remember to show our gifts of encouragement or service to others but we also should be making a conscious effort to plug ourselves into our gifts 100%. For adults, I believe that we should pick our jobs by using our gifts, not just working for the paycheck every month.

For some of us, is that easier said than done? How many people do we know that are unhappy with their current jobs? Or, they have been doing the same thing for so many years they don't even remember why they decided to do it in the first place? I know people in every stage of life from college to the age of 50 that wake up every day asking themselves, "Is this really what I am supposed to be doing with my life?" I think that some of us know what we want to do from an early age but many of us just end up in an unhappy place because we never really figured out what we are supposed to be doing. I know that sounds a little harsh, but I think it is a common struggle for many people. Or, I think some of us have dreams and we are too scared to drop everything and chase after that dream.

Friends, I want to give you this encouragement today. Do what you were born to do. We might not have all been born to be rock stars, but we were all born with gifts that are intended to be used. "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." - Romans 9:17.

God gave us gifts! He gave them to us out of grace and He expects us to use them to live according to His glorious name! Don't be afraid...I know it is so easy to worry about the what ifs of dropping everything. How am I going to pay my bills? Who will give me insurance? What if I fail? Is it too late to start chasing my dreams? Please hold true to this statement: God will provide for us. He provided for Moses and the Israelites when they needed food in the desert and HE WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU. Trust in Him and He will bless you abundantly.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 My Gain = His Loss

Isn't our Creator so cool? This whole week, after weeks of yucky rain, He has given us sunshine and fresh air. I am in LOVE with this weather! I heard it was supposed to rain tomorrow but be clear again this weekend. Warrrrrrrrr Eagle, hey!!!

Today has been a good day. I am pooped and my eyes hurt but I have been looking forward to getting this opportunity to sit down and write to you all tonight. This blog has been so good for me. I hope you are enjoying it and I hope it is giving you encouragement throughout your day. We got some motivating news today...Raleigh passed his fourth Architecture Review Exam (ARE)!!!! Please continue to pray that he will stay focused and pass the final three so he can be D-O-N-E. Thank you Lord for that answered prayer! One final thing about this delightful day - today is Obi's second birthday :) That is one lovable pup and he enjoyed getting his belly scratched this morning while we sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Alrighty, on with the show. Tonight I wanted to share parts of Philippians 3 with y'all. I taught this lesson on Tuesday night in our small group and it is so good I thought it was worth sharing twice. If you have your bibles, open them up and jot down some notes in the margin. I love to go back and see old notes when I am re-reading passages. Just a tip: put the date or who the speaker was next to your notes....I have forgotten to do that before and it can be difficult sometimes to remember why you underlined it in the first place!

I am going to start off with Philippians 3:4-6, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless."

These verses can be summarized into three main points:
1. Paul states that he has confidence in the flesh
2. Paul has confidence in his family name
3. Paul has confidence in his own achievements
Before Paul gave his life up for Christ, he walked around thinking he was a too cool for school. I can just hear the song "Bad Boy, Bad Boy, watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when I come for you" playing in his head when he strutted the streets persecuting Christians. He was Paul, an Israelite by birth, from the tribe on Benjamin for pete's sake! Who was gonna mess with him? He had zeal, self-righteousness and he was disciplined in the law. He was perfect in his own book.

How many of us walk around with our chins held a little too high? Arrogance and over-confidence are two words that I am so ashamed to call myself. But, I know I have felt those things from time to time. I also have a daily struggle with perfection. I try so hard for everything to be "just-so." Ladies, am I speaking to any of you?

What if we turned those three points around? Listen to these points and tell me if these alternatives are a little better:
1. Paul has confidence in the spirit of Christ alone
2. Paul has confidence in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
3. Paul has confidence in the works of our Lord

Verse seven is one of the most powerful verses ever written:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted lost for Christ"

He goes on to say,
"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:8-10

Talk about a change of heart. Paul says that all things that were gain to him - his confidence, family name, and achievements - are nothing compared to 'the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.' Friends, until we can admit that we are nothing without Christ, we are living our lives for ourselves and for this world. We need to start seeking Christ with every ounce of our earthly flesh and stop worrying about our own personal gain. To go even further, Paul loves Jesus so much that he wants to 'share in his suffering.' Are you willing to share the pain of dying on the cross for the sins of all man-kind?

Friends, I'm tired of my life surrounding around me. Instead of living a life trying to achieve perfection, a life of having things "just-so" I need to be "letting it go." All of this is trash compared to living my life for Christ. We need to make a conscious effort to practice humility, love, and grace in our every day lives.

Let's have a relationship with Jesus. A deep, personal, one on one kind of a relationship. He has already jumped in front of the gun and dodged the bullet for us...I think it is about time we do the same for him. I have faith and I believe in his resurrection. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my life is so much more full with him being the focus instead of me. I will stumble and fall from time to time, but I know my friend Jesus is right there to pick me up so I can continue to follow him down the path he has guided for me.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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