YA’LL IT’S HERE! IT’S TODAY!
IT’S HAPPENING!
Hours from now, I will officially be getting dropped off at a local Atlanta hotel to begin the next 11 months of my life. The next few days are called “launch” in which we have more training sessions, discipleship, team time, worship, prayer, and a last couple days with our parents! My Mom (Barb) WILL BE AT PARENT LAUNCH! If you know what a miracle this is, then praise God with me that my Mom is joining this journey with her girl! And Mom, if you’re reading this, HEY GIRL HEY! Let’s watch God work together this year, whaddya say!?
I wanted to post this little update to just give ya’ll the 411 on what your prayers have been doing, and the miracles God has been working in my life in just the last few days:
My fundraising has been flourishing, currently at 63% funded and people donating by the hour. If you’ve been one of those people, THANK YOU! (Still needing just FOUR more people to partner with me at $20 a month to knock out 1/3 of my remaining goal! Click the “donate” link above and select “Monthly” before checking out!) When I say I wouldn’t be able to do this without you, I mean it. Every word of encouragement, every dollar, every prayer has made a way for me to go share the excessive overflow of light and love that is literally radiating out of my soul from the source of Christ. You’ve been a part of that. You’re standing in this miracle with me. You’re part of this story. You may not see the greatness of the impact yet, but I do… and God does… and my prayer is that you will see it through my journey if you haven’t already.
God allowed me the opportunity to serve at Passion Conference 2020 to bring in the new year on the choir team; literally praising His name as the clock struck midnight to end one decade and begin another– with my best friend Marissa standing by my side.
God timed the miracle of getting to pray aloud over my Mom for the first time in forever on the first day of the new year– to speak life and love over HER life and share in the joy of what God’s doing through mine together.
My best friend Abi flew in from New York City to surprise me during my last weekend in Atlanta– to attend my Aunt’s 80th birthday party and meet my entire family on the first time almost all of us have been together in 7+ years.
My year long prayers of getting to have Abi by my side at not just any church, but my home church, came to pass on Sunday morning– where I got to praise my God, hear my pastor preach one last time, and have the warmth of my best friends arm right next to mine the entire time.
God reconciled one of my closest family members who I hadn’t heard from in nearly two years for a coffee date that’s stunningly been followed by consistent texts, conversations, hangouts, showing up, and loving me in ways I never saw possible in the last 3 weeks.
My two best girlfriends Candace and Marissa threw me the most amazing going away party where I walked into my condo in Buckhead, filled wall to wall with every human being I love the most, southern comfort foods, and Chick-fil-a sweet tea cause I didn’t want alcohol there. NOT ONLY THAT– but it was a Sunday. Shout out to Katie Cathell for picking up the tea on Saturday and MAKING MIRACLES HAPPEN on Sunday! HA!
NOT ONLY THAT– but my 99 year old Grams got to attend that party too with my Mom and my Aunt Brenda. She got to sit on my couch surrounded by all my friends and give us life advice and wisdom as we watched a replay of Passion Conference on Youtube. That moment was the most surreal.
These are just a couple highlights of the miracles I’m standing in. Some call it coincidence. I’ve stolen my girl Em’s phrase of calling them “God incidents.”
I share all this to say that the prayers I’ve prayed all year (nearly all of them) came to pass in the last week. On HIS timing. Not on mine. I felt so clearly God whispering to me yesterday while driving down the streets of my city one last time, “Ye have little faith! Did you not believe I would do the things I’ve promised you I would do? Did you not believe I would move mountains? Did you not believe I would send you off on this journey with every ounce of peace I could possibly give you?” And I guess the answer was that I didn’t. I had doubts.
But God.
He not only moves the mountains, but he plants gardens in the middle of the foundation that sometimes only looks like rocky terrain to us. Not only does He plant the gardens, but He’s the source of the Living Water that keeps the gardens flourishing. And if THAT wasn’t incredible enough, He was the Maker that created the mountains… that spoke them into existence. That knows the cracks in the foundation, the flowers that need watering, and ones that are just sprouting as seeds to bloom into something beyond out imaginations.
God is good, ya’ll. He’s sovereign and His promises ARE true. If we believe that He will, then HE WILL do immeasurably more than any of us could ever think, dream, or imagine. He’s doing it through me, and He wants to do it through you.
So tonight I begin launch, with a stronger faith, and standing on a firmer foundation than I’ve ever stood on before. I’m stepping into this new season with more certainty, more joy, more strength, and more expectancy than I ever knew possible. My eyes are fixed on Jesus. I’m holding onto every encouraging text or prayer or word you’re each sending me. I’m holding onto the Word of life that God breathed into a single book I’ll carry with me every step of this journey. And I feel ready– I feel more ready and more right where I’m supposed to be than I ever have before.
So to each of you wondering how I am? I’m better than ever. More ready than ever. More grateful than I’ve ever been.
To all of you alongside this with me; thank you. Thank you for believing in me, believing in this gospel, and believing that with faith, and big dreams, and big determination, we truly can change the world. We truly can make a difference. Here’s to 2020– laughing more, smiling more, loving harder, being kinder, praying bolder, and changing the world with Jesus.
Love you big time, fam! Thank EACH of you for walking this with me! This is just the beginning! <3
