Voice

All my life, I have said, "I cannot discern the Voice of God. God, please speak to me and help me to know it's you." Lately I've realized that I do know God's voice. I recognize what It sounds like, and I know what He's saying. It's just that most of the time, I am too afraid of what He is asking me to do.

I am letting go of my fear; fear that cripples and makes me lame. I am laying the confusion down. If there is one element I'm experiencing, it is that our God is not a God of chaos. (A point spoken by my mother time and time again.) He gives wisdom and discernment to those who seek these things. Today, this is impressed on my spirit:

Seek.
And keep seeking until you find.
Listen.
With an abandoned heart.
Follow.
No matter how scary or how high the resistance may seem against you.
Trust.
Always.
Trust.

Deuteronomy 30:20
"and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Battle

Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night with a loved one's name on your heart, with visions of this person's face appearing over and over in your mind? For me, this is not a common occurance. I am an extremely hard sleeper, and I do treasure moments spent in my big cozy bed. However, tonight is an exception to the norm. I woke up about two hours ago with a dear friend's name on my heart. In my spirit, I could tell something just wasn't right. This person's face kept appearing to me, and falling back to sleep was just not an option. I stumbled downstairs, got some water, headed back upstairs, laid back down, and finally realized I needed to go to battle for this person. I grabbed my sword, the Word of God, and headed back downstairs. After breathing this person's name in prayer, soaking this person in the Name of Jesus, I began writing what was on my heart.

Over and over right now, the words from Israel Houghton's song "Prayers of the Righteous" replay themselves, providing strength, encourgement, and a nice soundtrack to write along with. The lyrics are this:

"When we pray we believe we receive
What we ask in His name All things are possible
When we pray we tap into miraculous things
And victoriously we declare

That we know the prayers
Of the righteous availeth much
The prayers of the righteous prevail
Yes we know the prayers
Of the righteous prevail His love never fails
The prayers of the righteous
Availeth much
We are victorious
We are we are
You are miraculous
You are You are"

This song I sing over this dear friend tonight.

Recently I have been disturbed by my ignorance to my friend's needs. Sure, I try to chat with many of them on a daily basis. I check up on their days, ask how they're doing, even cook for them on occassion. But what my friends really need is for me to go to battle for them; to intercede on their behalf. I am reminded of this passage in scripture, Ephesians 6:10-13:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand."

The needs of my friends may be great. And everyone one of their lives encompass different circumstances and needs. However, one constant remains- God's POWER is GREATER than all we may face. No matter the circumstances, His power overrides. Stop fighting this battle by yourself. Pick up your sword daily and allow Him to fight for you. We are victorious because He is miraculous! I am absorbing these words as I type them.

Okay, I am finished preaching at you. For whatever reason, these are words placed on my heart tonight; I am only trying to convey their message. I pray this blog fills you with encouragement. If life is difficult at this point, know that this season of life is not the end for you. It is just the beginning. This will be your testimony. But pick up the Word, our sword, and rely on His power to fight for you. And know that I am going to battle right alongside you.

Most Magical Place

I have always held a strong love for Disney World. There is just something truly magical about this place! From the moment you arrive-from riding the monorail, arriving at Main Street, smelling the popcorn, and then turning the corner to see Cinderella's castle- one can't help but feeling the magic. I have always dreamed of celebrating my birthday at Disney Wold. However, due to the incredibly priced tickets, this has never come a reality...until now.

Thanks to Disney for offering a free ticket to anyone on their birthday, and thanks to Manatee High School's chorus department for providing free tickets for the rest of my family, we spent the day living up the magic and enjoying being together. Not only did I get to enter Disney for FREE, but they also pinned a birthday pin on me. Anytime I past a cast member, he or she greeted me with a smile and a "Happy Birthday, Mallory!" This may be a selfish confession, but I never tired of hearing this. Ha! Birthday advantage also took us to the FastPass line at Space Mountain even though they were out of these shortcut passes. We only waited in line for 15 mins. rather than 2 hours. On top of all this, one of my best friends, Nicole, drove down fron Nashville to be with us on this specia day. It meant so much to have her there. She's been the sister I never had since I was 4 years old.

The day was truly great- riding, laughing, and enjoying being with one another. And then, the best part of the whole day...the parade and fireworks. What a perfect culmination of the day! Despite the most frigid temperatures I've ever felt in Florida, we were captivated by the lights, music, characters, and tricks in the sky. Magic.

It may seem silly or elementary to be so enthralled by an amusement park, but that was just a mere part of the joy for me. I got to spend the day with my family- the ones that I truly love and the ones that truly love me. I enjoyed seeing them smile, hearing them scream on the rides, and watching them enjoy the day just as much as I had fun riding rides.

It was a great day, and an even greater reminder for me to count my blessings. I think it's funny that my dream of being a Disney Birthday Princess didn't come true until I turned 23 (that's right... I'm old!), but I was nevertheless captivated by the day's magic.

Family on the Road

My four years of college at Trevecca Nazarene University were filled with numerous memories that will last a lifetime. It would not be possible to compile all of these memories into a scrapbook or something of the like. However, I hold these memories captive in my mind so that normal, everyday occurances may trigger a memory and cause a smile, or in some cases, an audible laugh to be released. This past summer created countless memories of this kind.

Last summer was my final summer traveling in EverPraise- one of Trevecca's public relations groups. Being a member of such a group involved singing in Nazarene church services and teen camps; traveling with 12 other people crammed into a 15-passenger van for long durations at a time; playing some intense games of poker and phase 10 in hotel lobbies til all hours of the night; tubing down a river weighing-in at a mere 60 degrees for 3 hours, and somehow surviving hypothermia; spending days on the lake in South Carolina water-skiing, tubing, getting tossed around on the water, and then contemplating the seriousness of a concussion; twisting braids in one's hair and never realizing it; almost getting eaten by a huge water snake; being spoiled with some of the most delicious home-cooked food one's ever tasted; playing with African children and then crying when they wanted to go home with you; "owning" a Best`Western hotel in Gainesville; getting stuck in traffic on the interstate for hours, running out of gas so being forced to ride with the windows down, and then pouring rain causing you to roll them back up...again stuck in traffic for hours; singing karaoke in a podunk town Applebee's and being rewarded with free dessert for your whole entourage; jamming to some last minute coffee bar music by your sultry sounding band; rocking teens from around the state of North Carolina during a night of pure, heavenly, music bliss; the Jonas Brothers; mooning each other outside of Chilis; mooning truckers on the interstate; fighting tears while trying not to laugh everytime a pastor prayed "help us to everpraise you"; creating goosebump-growing music with some of the most talented musicians you have ever, and may ever, work with; watching God change lives all across a region; experiencing God's presence in a very real and intimate way; living with, singing with, and growing with 13 of the strangest, funniest, and most talented friends; becoming a family on the road with them; crying when forced to depart; never wanting it to end.

Last summer was the best summer for all of these memories' sake and many, many more. Every time this crazy group of people reunites, the conversation is overtaken by recalling good old times and laughing hysterically at secrets of life on the road. I would not exchange my days as a member of EverPraise for anything in this world. Many of the relationship formed with people across the Southeast Region are still maintained today. But the relationships among EP and the Grace Notes will last a lifetime.

I love you all!

This blog is called...

"Immeasurably more" refers to one of my favorite verses of scripture. This is not just a favorite Bible verse from my elementary Sunday School days. Rather, this passage speaks truth to me every time I turn a page and read it or hear it from another's lips. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," brings renewed purpose. I am reminded that no matter the plans I may anticipate for my life, God's plans are always bigger. He sees beyond the here and now, and He knows what is to come. Although life can be difficult, and doubt stealthily sneaks into one's mind, God's power is at work in my life. I have witnessed His power at work in amazing and unbelievable ways. Now I must claim that power to move in ways beyond my greatest expectations.