Welcome to my blog! By now you probably know that I am leaving the country in July 2014 for 11 months on the World Race! Regardless of how you got here, I hope my story and upcoming journey across the World will encourage you to press on toward Christ.
To be honest, for a rookie blogger such as myself, writing an about me page is a surprisingly daunting task, so bare with me!
So… where to begin?? I’m 25 years old (will turn 26 a few weeks into July after leaving the US on the Race) and was raised in a Christian home. I became born-again at a young age, but didn’t fully grasp my salvation until many years later. In September of 2013 I was given the opportunity to move back home to Denver for a promotion and to live back home with my family! 6 weeks later, God called me to abandon this job. More on that later. I was born in Palm Springs, Cali and graduated from Oklahoma State in 2010 with a degree in Marketing and Finance. I am super competitive and love all sports. CrossFit, hiking, traveling, and coffee are a few of my passions!
………..But that’s not really who I am. Who I really am is a sinner saved by grace. Nothing I do or no amount of works I accomplish will effect God’s love for me. My true identity lies within my relationship with Jesus!
To be completely honestly with you, I am tired at this point in my life. I’m tired of wasting my life away trying to make a name for myself and not for Christ. I am tired of feeling like I am settling and living in superficial comfort and peace. I am tired of feeling stagnant in my walk with the Lord. I am tired of feeling like a lukewarm Christian. I’m tired of not living up to my full potential in Christ.
I’ve struggled with ambition for worldly success for as long as I can remember. There has always been a battle going on inside of me pulling me in two directions. There is this one side that yearns for popularity, approval, and money. The other side is God and the abundant life he has to offer. When I graduated college in 2010, I decided to chase the American Dream and by the grace of God I have not been able to do it with a clear conscience. God has convicted me so hard the last 3 years and over and over reminds me that being a Jesus follower means you can’t follow anything else.
Do you know that feeling when God is calling us to do a certain thing? Whether it is to witness to your coworker in the break room at work, or to go to China to become a missionary, he has called us to do something. It’s scary when you feel that tugging on your heart. It is hard to step out of your comfort zone. But at some point as a follower of Christ you have to get out of the boat. The Lord has sent me out on a boat and he wants to see if I am willing to step out onto the crashing waves to see more of Him. The decision to quit my job, sell my car, and leave my family was NOT easy, but it will be so worth it.
Whatever the reasons are, I feel led to go. I feel the Lord telling me over and over that I am supposed to be living a crazy life for Christ. Let’s do this thing God!!
A few key verses that God used to call me to the World Race:
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” Luke 9:23-25
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
