Author: admin

A few years back Kate Spade committed suicide. A few months ago, I heard about Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst, committing suicide. When we look at these women they seem like they had it all together, right? They were successful. They were beautiful. They were “happy” it seemed. They “had it all.” 

Recently, I was at a bible study that I am leading for 11th and 12th graders and their friend tried to overdose. It has been 10 years since I graduated high school and the amount of people that have taken their lives since then is very heartbreaking. 

It breaks my heart so much hearing about any suicide. My heart hurts thinking about the pain someone must have been experiencing at that moment and season of their life. 

I have personally dealt with depression. I went through a very hard season of just living in constant darkness around me. The feeling of tight pressure in my heart. This feeling of constant ache haunted me. I genuinely do not know what I would have done in that season without my faith in Jesus Christ. Without my faith in knowing God works it ALL for good of those who love Him and are called according to their purpose, I would have been in that dark hole and I don’t know if I ever would have come out. 

Something I realized is no matter what, everyone, and I mean everyone is struggling with something. Behind closed doors all of our hearts are breaking someway and somehow. 

I cant imagine the pain, the struggle and the feeling of being so lost that would push someone to take away their own life but what I want to make sure of is this, you know you’re not alone. It is okay to not be okay. It is okay to have problems because who the heck in this world doesn’t?

Everyone is struggling with something. 

I want you to know, you’re loved. You’re not just loved by me, but by Jesus. He loves you so much He died for you. 

And as my girl, Jordan Dooley would say, “Your brokenness is welcome here.” Because it is. We are all a little broken, someway, and some how. But, what I have 100 percent belief and faith in is Jesus is the only true way to happiness in this fallen world. He is the only way to fill that void in your heart.

No amount of money can bring you happiness. 

No amount of fame can bring you happiness. 

No amount of success can bring you happiness.

No amount of beauty can bring you happiness. 

No amount of anyTHING can bring you happiness.

No human being can bring you happiness. 

Maybe these things will bring you happiness for a short amount of time, yes. But what I am talking about is not just temporary happiness, but something lifelong. Something everlasting. Something eternal, not just transient. Something that does satisfy. Something that does fulfill and that’s Jesus.

Jesus can bring that contentment you’re longing for. 

Jesus can bring joy to your life you never thought was possible. 

Jesus can bring you peace you’re so desperately needing.

Jesus can bring you purpose. 

Jesus can bring you life.

Jesus died on a cross 2,000 years ago for you and I to find life in Him and to LIVE and LIVE ABUNDANTLY. 

So let’s love one another just as Christ has loved us. 

John 13:34

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Let’s not just love the good, let’s love the real, and the raw. 

Let’s be gracefully broken together. 

Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

I want everyone to know I am here for you. You’re not alone. In Galatians it tells us to bear each others burdens together and I want to do that with you. 

Galatians 6:2 “Bear each others burdens, and so fulfill the law of christ.”

I am praying you soften your heart to Jesus, if you haven’t already. I promise you will find joy, purpose, life and freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.”

Another post coming soon on the power of our stories/testimonies and the power in sharing them with each other 🙂

Looking back at my life, especially the last 6 years, so many emotions, so many changes. I look back at the choices I have made. Some of them selfishly made, some of them I had no control over, and some were 100% Gods direction over my life.

But, I see Gods hand in it all. 

So much growth over the years, that I wouldn’t have experienced if it wasn’t for these choices. Without them, I wouldn’t be walking in my God given purpose. Some choices led to struggle and pain over the years. Some led to joy, and peace. Some were very humbling. Some I still battle with today. But even so, I have seen the goodness of God in every aspect.

I have seen and felt the supernatural joy & peace God brings into ones life right in the midst of it all. 

Through my times of suffering, I have seen how God uses them as testimonies to deliver others from their bondages. 

Through my pain, I have immersed myself in scripture and have seen the transformation God brings to your heart, mind, and soul.

Through my suffering, it’s humbled me and given me a new perspective. 

In the Book of Philippians Paul said, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel……..my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Recently, I have been saying this to myself,  

“Lord, what has happened to me, and whatever is going to happen to me, good or bad, let it be for a purpose. And let that sole purpose be to advance the Gospel and point others to You.”

And what a joy that is to suffer for a purpose for Christ. 

What a joy it is to suffer so others may prosper through your story. 

What a joy is to suffer so we can advance the Gospel. 

What a joy it is to know Him, and to make Him known. 

What a joy. 

I am currently in this liminal space in my life. I have no idea where God is calling me next, or what the next step is but what I do have is confidence, not in myself, but in God. Confidence He is working it all out for not only my good, but for the good of others. He is leading my steps and I am wide open arms for it

Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for who is called according to his purpose.”

#Godfidence

This life, it’s a beautiful thing and if you’re reading this you have had the privilege of experiencing this life too. Some do not, based off of selfish reasons, or simply because it wasn’t God’s will. (Refer to my “Thankful for the ashes” blog)

I am here to bring you good news.

No matter what you decide to do on this earth, God chooses you. He chooses to love you and guess what? I will too.

John 13:34 “As I have loved you, love one another”

There is no sin too deep for His grace to not overcome. His blood has already overcome your past sin, current sin, and future sin.

Abortion. My heart hurts so much thinking about it. It’s not right. It’s 100 percent not right.

But neither is sexual immorality and this girl right here, guilty. Neither is lying, guilty. Neither is disrespecting our mom, guilty. The list could really go on and on. All of these hurt my heart and they really hurt His heart too.

Sin is sin but God’s grace is God’s grace and His grace will choose you, you just have to choose Him too and then all that sin will be washed away by His blood.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is slow to fulfill his promises as some count as slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any should perish but all should reach repentance.”

He wants ALL to reach repentance.

Even the one who chose to take their own babies life and even the one that chose to have sex outside of wedlock. Even the one struggling with sexual preference or the one struggling with a porn addiction. He wants all to reach repentance. Even you and I.

He chooses to love you anyway. He chose to love me for all the sin I have sinned and for that I am eternally (literally) grateful.

I pray over you today if you’re thinking about abortion. I pray for your salvation. I pray you will come to a place of repentance. I pray for the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and unveil your eyes to really see Him. I promise Jesus will not only change your eternity but He will also change everything in the here and the now. He will change your life and possibly the little ones life you’re thinking about taking. God has such a purpose for you and that little one. God loves you, I love you and that little person inside of you, they love you too.

Amen.

I get it. No one wants to read the super super long post.. but maybe the words that are about to be read will bless your life in some way or maybe they won’t but I do encourage you to read. 

I decided to read the whole book of Philippians out of the New Testament & how humbling it is to read. How humbling it is to read any part of His truth. But I’m about to share Christ’s example of humility. 

Philippians 2:3-11

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

What!!! 

Fully human but fully God.. HUMBLED himself all the way to the point of becoming a servant, to the point of torture, & even death on a cross. 

That is the definition of humility. 

I read this and am just in awe of Gods love & His humility. 

Y’all, He is God. If anyone had the right to throw the stone or magically make everything better by the snap of a finger, didn’t. 

He chose to endure the worst of the worst for sinners like us. To display a humility no one will be able to match. To display a love no one will ever be able to beat. 

These past 6 years of my life have been extremely humbling for me. 

The girl who was a virgin till she was in college and wore that like a prideful banner, wasn’t one anymore. 

The girl who thought she was a “goody good”, fell into the worldly things of drinking, partying, promiscuity, etc. 

The girl who thought she was so healthy & young, & losing a child would never happen to her, lost her baby boy. 

I don’t know where you’re at in your life but y’all, I pray that your life isn’t easy. I know you’re prob thinking, “What Haley?” No, I mean it.  

James 1:2

“Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” 

I almost welcome struggle in my life. I welcome heartache. I welcome them. 

I know Gods using them for my good and well being. He is using them to forge His character inside me. 

Romans 5:3-4

“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope.”

I pray this life is humbling you. 

I pray your life is taking you through some hardships. 

I pray it’s making you come to the end of yourself & it’s pushing you to grow in knowledge of your Lord & Savior. 

I genuinely pray you’re.

Because y’all, that’s where you truly start living. 

In that place of full surrender, when you come to the end of yourself, you truly see what this world is all about & it’s not about ourselves. 

It’s about Him. Sharing His love. His light. His truth. His humility. 

My prayer is we are all humbled more and more every single day. That we will grow in knowledge of His truth.

The answer to every single issue in this world, is Jesus. 

& I pray you come to know Him. 

Lord, humble us more and more every day. 

Lord, may we all come to the end of ourselves and know we are in desperate need of You. Lord, may we rejoice in our sufferings knowing You are using it all for our good. Lord, thank you for not leaving us as You find us, but changing us, so we are not lacking in anything. 

Amen.

I read this app called “She Reads Truth.” It’s super practical and relatable app if you’re looking for a daily scriptural reading!!! I was reading 1 John. It was talking about darkness. 

The truth is we alllllll have darkness in our lives and I think we all can agree there is plenty of darkness in the world. 

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 

The study said, 

“If you’re not actively battling darkness, it isn’t because darkness is not there, it’s because the darkness has become comfortable.” 

Whew. Idk about you, but that is a scary thought. 

“Darkness becoming comfortable”

In a world trying so hard to compromise His Word and lead us all to a place where darkness is comfortable.. 

I pray we will not look to the world, but to His Word. 

JESUS IS LIGHT. 

1 John 1:5 “God is light. In him there is no darkness at all”

Jesus is the LIGHT we need to expose and demolish this darkness, not just in the world, but in each of our lives. 

Lord may we not become comfortable with the darkness but may You expose the darkness in each of our lives with Your Light and Love.

When I think about love, worldly love, people love expecting something in return. We love because we want that love reciprocated. In some cases a person might have some ulterior motives. It’s sad really, the worldly “love.” The world has truly perverted the meaning and idea of “love.” I looked up the worldly definition of “love.” It means to have deep affection, whether that affection is for something or someone. The world is running around “falling in love” with tons of people and things. One person comes into ones life, and they just fall so deeply in love so fast, and before you know it, you fall right out of love just like that and on to the next human, right? Honestly, we have mastered the worldly view of love. We “fall in love” with some shoes we just bought and a week later we already fell out of love with them. What I am getting at is our version of “love” is so transient. It’s so temporary. And honestly, selfish. Humans have deep affection for a lot of things and sometimes a lot of people but normally for a small amount of time.
But what God has been speaking to me about the past two days is not so much worldly love but Godly love. (Side note- the Holy Spirit is so freaking cool.) God expressed His godly love through Jesus. God sent his son, Jesus, down from the purest place to live a life we all never could. Jesus came down to serve, not to be served. Mark 10:45 Jesus came down to literally die, nailed on a tree for all of us. Jesus came down to express a love KNOWING that His love would be denied by so many. As I think about that, gosh it’s so powerful. I don’t know many people, if any, that would love anyway or better yet, die, for someone KNOWING they would not get anything in return. As I sit here and write this, y’all my heart, I’m wrecked by Gods love all over again, like the first time I fell in love with Jesus.

Gods love is steadfast. Never-ending. Forever. And ever. It’s not transient. It’s not just a “deep affection” for a short time. It’s eternal. Gods love is not selfish. Gods love is sacrificial. Gods love doesn’t shift or change just because we did something wrong. His love remains. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:39.

I know we probably all have heard this verse but it’s never resonated with me so much till now.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”

1 John 4:7-11:

“Beloved let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

These are just a few TRUE definitions of love. And there is plenty more where that came from. Tons more nuggets in His word ( the Bible ) place where true definition of love is shown. If we want to know the purest form of love, then we must study who God is through His word.

GOD IS LOVE.

We must know God to truly know love. We must know Gods love to even have a slight shot at truly loving.

Man, if there is one thing I want to do in this life, is love. I want to love just like Jesus does. (side note-the song, “like Jesus does” by Eric Church one of my freaking jams.) And you know what, I can. I can love like this only because I know Gods love. Out of His abundant love for me, I can extend that same love, forgiveness, and grace to every person I come in contact with. Not expecting anything in return but genuinely expressing a love that Jesus has expressed to me.

“We love, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

In 1 corinthians it says, “rejoices with truth.” We cant rejoice if we don’t know truth. We can’t know truth ( love ) if we don’t study His word.

My prayer for whoever reads this, you will run, not walk, to read your bible and really get to know who God is through His word and with doing that, you will experience a love like never before. I am so thankful to know Gods love.