It's the Simple Things.

In my life, the simple things seem to bring such an abundance of happiness. Everyday, ordinary things bring such unexpected joy into my journey. Repeatedly, I am realizing the importance of taking the time to meditate on and be thankful for things such as these:

Sunshine warming my skin.
Wind blowing through my hair without a cloud in the sky.
A few extra seconds in the morning to sip on my coffee a little longer.
The aroma of something baking in the oven filling my house.
Creating something beautiful for my house.
Cooking delicacies (or easy dinners) for my friends.
My students greeting me with big smiles and tight hugs.
My students experiencing a break-through moment.
My favorite song (or one of them) playing on the radio.
Hand-written cards.
Unexpected evenings spent in the company of good friends.
Planned evenings spent in the company of good friends.
Talking to my mom on the phone multiple times throughout the day, and laughing harder with each conversation.
Receiving encouragement and advice from my Granny and Grandmother.
A text saying someone's thinking about me on that day.
Listening to one of my dad's three minute long voicemails and hearing love in his carefully planned words.
Good hair days.
Realizing my brothers and I live in the same city again, and stopping by just to see them.
Singing with my extremely talented brothers.
Reading a book that moves me through its words.
Feeling my Maker's presence surround me, from the first steps of the day until the last.
Meeting genuinely sweet people.
Cooking in my kitchen while blaring jazz music.
Reliving traveling adventures by flipping through pictures.
The setting sun peering in the windows.
The Living Word reviving me with my Father's words.

What simple things bring happiness to your life? Take the time to be thankful for these things.

Morning

I love morning. There is just something about waking up to a brand new day. I especially love being the first one awake. In the stillness of the house, while the rest of the world is sleeping, I am ushered into God's chamber. I thank Him for a restful night of sweet dreams and for His continued protection. I thank Him for blessings so abundantly flowing into my life that I am entirely undeserving of receiving. I breathe my friends' and family's names in prayer, and pray a special blessing over them. I thank my Heavenly Father for His amazing love and grace that He offers anew every single day. I must remember to merely ask. Therefore, I humbly ask that He continue to walk this journey with me. "Please give me Your grace today," {some days I must request a little extra (grin)} "and fill me with Your love so that in my presence Your love abounds, everywhere I may go, whomever I may encounter."

I was not always enamored by morning. Don't get me wrong- I love my sleep! And honestly, in the midst of a busy week and waking up extremely early for work, this peaceful rising does not usually occur. However, a noticeable difference extends throughout my day when I begin the day with my Maker. Rising early each day to spend time with the One who makes each day is something I am striving for.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8

Attached are snapshots of my favorite morning visions: My kitchen ablaze with the morning light. Coffee (a "must-have") alongside toast and jelly. And my Word- my true bread for the day.

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.