living on less // being grateful

Today, I would like to share with you my "Living on Less" challenge. As many of you know we often (especially me) take things for granted. Whether it be a comfy bed, or power we can get very upset when those things are taken away. I wanted to stop being so dependent on these things and start living with less.

What does that mean, you ask? Well, for one whole month starting tomorrow (March 5th- April 5th) I will be taking/limiting five things in order to live on less.

This is from the book "Seven", I hope to read in the near future. (source google images)

1. Only sleep with one pillow and a sleeping bag.

This might not sound like a lot but coming from 6 layers of blankets and four pillows (no joke), this will be tough and I am beyond grateful just to have a comfy bed to sleep on every night.

2. I will set aside four different outfits for the whole month. 

Even though I already simplified my closet but, it has grown again and it is time for me to stop taking clothes for granted.

3. Shower every other day. 

If you know me, I am a clean freak. Nice hot long showers every night. When I sit back and think about ways to stop taking my luxuries for granted this is defiantly one of them. 

4. No spending on excessive.

Ahhh, this is probably gonna be the biggest one. I had thought about doing this even before I thought of these other things, but now I am really doing it. For two reasons, I just spend a lot of money on IKEA (haha) and two I want to see how much money I actually save by not spending for a whole month. This will not include expenses that I may need to buy (ex. postage for delivering business packages). But, what this will included is food out and about I don't need, and extra shirt here and there, etc. 

5. No TV/Netflix

This is the last but certainly not least. I really want to start going to bed earlier and spending more time with God. I also want to stop staring at a screen every night before I go to bed (which is a habit I picked up after a year of not doing this, boo). This will help me be more creative and not feel like I always have to be entertained. 

By the end of reading this you are probably wondering, what my point is for all this nonsense. So here it is summed up. I have so many excess items that can drag me down and not keep my focused in life. By eliminating these five items for a short whole month, I really think my eyes will be opened to how much more there is that just the luxuries of life. But most importantly, I am looking forward to spending more time with God and enjoying the small things that I miss everyday. 

I will keep you updated with how it is going and what is new. I encourage you to do this as well or something similar. Thanks for reading. xo. 

giving up my future for Him...

    The last post I wrote was about being a true Christ-follower and today I would like to write about how giving up my future is totally worth everything.

    I am your typically young lady. I have plans to get married, go to college, have kids, etc. But I feel there is so much more. It has really shaken me these past few weeks and months. Up until a few days ago I thought my "American Dream" plan was fine, everyone does it, so it must be okay. My plan was to go to college, get married, and have kids, etc. While there is nothing wrong with this and this is God's plan for some people, it might not be for others. Maybe, I need to stop planing my luxury dream life for myself and remember who is in control. I have way to many luxury's to count (I am working on getting rid of them, that is a whole other post, maybe tomorrow). I never really thought that it might be a good idea to let God plan my future (I mean he did create the universe).

    I need to stop focusing on what is best for me and my future, but focus on serving people now and today in this moment. I want God to be in control of my future. His plan could be way different from mine. If his plan is to give up everything I have and go do missions overseas for a year or even forever, that is amazing! But, maybe it could just be to stay in my local area and focus on young people who need to hear God's work. Or even go to college and lead me in a whole different direction, these are all great.

Source

    See, the thing is I don't know what is in front of me. I don't even know if I will make it till tomorrow morning. So why worry about the future when today has enough troubles. Matthew 6:24 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

    The sole purpose of my life needs to be to worship, honor, love, and serve him and I am praying and will continue to pray intently for him to reveal his plan to me. I don't know what is ahead but God has a purpose and whether or not I think it is best doesn't matter. It is his plan, I fail everyday at this and am far from perfect, but I live to glorify him and need to put all my faith in him.

Thanks for reading. xo.

Why just saying your prayers, doing your devotion, and going to church doesn't mean you are "all in"

Oh I have been itching to write this blog post. I was in the middle of listening to a Francis Chan sermon and I just had to stop and write this. I feel like I need to share a few things I have learned these past few months and how much it has changed my life.

First off, I do not have all the answers, I am far from them all. But I really feel called to write this.

Over the past few months I have realized something incredible but also a little heart breaking. For the past 10 years or so I have been a "Christian"; I went to church, did my devotion, prayed, longed for God, was nice, etc. But not until recently I had a reality shock, I don't know what clicked, but God really opened my eyes. I thought what I was doing was fine. I was living a great life, great family, no problem.

I had heard a lot of stories of people with the same back story as mine but in the midst of it all they got a reality shock just like I did. But you I always thought to myself when I heard these stories, "no that is not me", I have a great Christian faith. Boy was I wrong.

Oh my,  I cannot begin to express what being a true Christ follower is and what a difference from what I thought it was. Let me just tell you there is so much more joy and hope than anything I have ever experienced. It all really made me question if Jesus where to come down on this Earth and approach me face to face, what would I say, what would I do, would I feel like all my life's work was for the glory of God or just to look nice and pretty, was I giving it ALL up for Him or just "enough" to look good.

These questions wondered my mind for many months, I listen to some sermons and read some books. It really had me thinking. All this time were all these friends I was surrounding myself with, were they all in for God, was I even all in for God? I honestly don't think I was. Do you know how much that scared me? To think all this time I was missing out on the true meaning of being a disciple of Jesus. It really shook me and still does.


See, I believe God wants us to stop trying to live this pretty little nice "American Church Dream" but just go do something to glorify him. Stop worrying about your future, your safety, or your savings account.  Really, if you are gonna be who you say you are stop faking it and live it all out for the only eternal person on this earth. Nothing, NOTHING on this Earth matters. It is all worthless, worthless, it is nothing.

Giving it all up for God, has given me so much hope, faith, and joy.


This American Church Dream I see so often, it is just a routine (that I was in for quite some time).  If you really want to know what it is to be a discipline for the one and only true King, step out of your comfort zone, make people question why you live in such a way. Really. Do it. I heard this message so many times, oh and it never hit me that maybe just praying, doing my devotion, and going to church was not enough for the one true, holy, worthy God.

There are so many people who I thought were "all in" for Jesus and now I am started to question, are they really in it for the long run.


 If you don't want to read anything else but this, just listen for one moment. I challenge you to really ask yourself if Jesus came down here on this Earth right now and told you to leave everything behind (I mean everything, family, career, etc) would you?  Would you die for him in a heartbeat? Every day and in everything do you live for his glory?


I still have questions and am asking myself these questions. I am still figuring it all out, but I know now more than I ever have that my Holy, Worth, Amazing, Incredible, God is worth so much more than I could ever fathom and He is worth every moment of my life. He is so much more worthy than I will ever be and his grace is incredible.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope all you see is Jesus through this post. It is all for his glory. Now go love the world and shine bright for Jesus. xo




Here are a few resources that really made me think: I highly recommend them. 

What do you need in order to be happy? Francis Chan (the best sermon I have ever heard)

Crazy Love Book  By: Francis Chan

Radical Book By:David Platt (while I am still reading this I have heard great things of it)