AGAPE

“above all keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 peter 4:8

the word earnestly in this verse can be interchanged with ‘intently’ or ‘fervently’, which means eagerly and passionately. we are suppose to love others in this very way. 

a clean slate. 

we all could use a clean slate, a do over, all of our spots washed away. good news, jesus did that for us, on the cross. he died for us to be made clean, a new creation. that is the best news i’ve ever believed to be true, i want everyone to know what jesus has done for us. part of me wanting every single person to know this good news, is to live a live full of actions that are christ centered, and pleasing to him. which is hard. i’m learning. i’m not the best, but i’m learning. i know that god has called us to love others just as he loves us. unconditionally, undeservedly, and never ending. 

this kind of love is based on actions, not words. agape love is selfless love. what i’ve come to learn lately is that you have to pour out grace on people and forgive in order to truly love selflessly. not everyone will accept it, that’s not the point. we must learn to humble ourselves, set our pride aside, and wipe the slate clean with people that we have ill feelings towards. that means, forgive them whole heartedly, for everything they have ever done to wrong you. forgive them for the past, and forgive them as you move forward in the future. wiping the slate clean means that you no longer bring up that thing they did 2 months ago to make you mad, or that one time they left you out last summer, the slate is clean. pure. white. 

to walk in christ’s foot steps, in my humble opinion, is to love people the way he loves us. this means, share the good news with them, love them through the muck of life, forgive them and continuously wipe the slate clean, and encourage them, build them up. 

it’s definitely the hardest lesson that i’m still continuing to learn. 

DEVIL'S DEN

⟼the drive up the the campsite, with low clouds. 

⟼3/5ths of the hammocks. 

⟼afternoon rain shower. 

⟼me standing on the edge of yellow rock realizing how tiny i am compared to this world. 

⟼a surprise ending to the trip, a treacherous downpour. 

this past week i went camping with the colorado family at devil's den in arkansas, 

it was the perfect week for relaxing, eating, and fellowshipping. i took countless naps 

in my eno, read my favorite book over again (the catcher in the rye), and had some 

pretty amazing heart talks with my favorite people. 

while standing on the edge of yellow rock, i was reminded of something important. 

i was reminded that my life is but a spec in time. i'm here only for a smidgen. i need to 

use this precious time to further the kingdom and to demonstrate christ's love. to show, 

not just tell. our lives are precious, our lives are short. we need to live each second with

purpose. don't take you spec in time for granted, you're important. your life in special. 

INK'D

august 1st. 

i got my very first tattoo. 

now i'm all for meaningful tattoos, and i'm also a fan of the ones you get just because they look cool, 

but, this one, this one means so much to me. 

the word and the placement.

hallelujah can be defined as: god be praised (uttered in worship or as an expression of rejoicing),

i chose to place the word 'hallelujah' on my left forearm just above 37 scars. 

reminding me daily to rejoice in being free from the bondage of self harm. 

this was not my doing, but god's. to him be the highest praise from my lips. 

this is the start to a beautiful collection of ink. 

i hope to have a half sleeve as soon as possible, full of meaningful ink and ink that just looks cool. 

but for now, i'm delighting in my simple, yet profound first tattoo. 

hallelujah. 

THE FOLKS CAME TO VISIT

my dearest family came to visit me in lil ole arkansas this weekend

here are a few photos from our journey to crystal bridges art museum: 

⟼the outside of the museum (freakin' gorgeous) 

⟼one of the hallways in between exhibits 

⟼my dad being a live art piece 

⟼me taking a turn 

⟼ally, chloe (my sister), and myself acting goofy 

⟼my lovely folks whom i love dearly

beyond thankful that my family drove from texas to visit 

BONFIRE

bonfire at my friends house, what a great night

i haven't forgotten about blogging, just the opposite has happened really. each day i don't blog it's usually because i'm busy working OR it's because my mind is racing through it's dreams way to fast and my hands can't type out the words fast enough. the second is most common. i'm working hard on some blog posts and a little poetry mixed in. life will slow down a bit soon and i'll get back to posting on a routined basis.  

SUN DAPPLED

fifty miles, that’s all it took for a moment to form. 

last night i got to shoot vbx at our campus in neosho, missouri (about 50 miles from our springdale, arkansas campus). i set out on the road at about 4:45 to make sure i’d be there by 6:15. as i began to drove up highway 49, i put my headphones in and put set a fire by will reagan on repeat. the drive there was good, i was busy watching the gps trying to figure out how to get there. now the drive back, that's when it became a magical.

it was roughly 70 degrees, dusk, my windows were down and the perfect playlist coming through my headphones. on the drive back i knew where i was going, i didn’t need to constantly look at my phone for directions, thus freeing up my attention to look at the road first and foremost, but the beauty that was lining the road as well. i had never seen this part of arkansas/missouri before, and i was left in awe. in fact, it was so beautiful to me, that i pulled over, turned my hazards on, and broke out the camera. i didn’t want to forget this moment, i didn’t want to forget how i felt. my thoughts had been put on pause, and i was present. i wasn’t in the past, nor future, but fully immersed in that moment. 

this may not mean much to a lot of folks, but i live for these moments. so i thought i’d share it with you. for you to enjoy, and for you to be able to enjoy these moments when they happen to you.   

RAINY DAYS

picture this: a quaint cabin nestled into the thick of the forest. the living room has the couch you found on the side of the road back in college, a large window right in the center of the outside wall, a record player spinning your favorite album, and a coffee table to rest your feet on. you’re sitting on the couch bundled up in your favorite pair of pajama pants, sweatshirt, cozy socks, and your favorite blanket. next to you on the table is a fresh cup of coffee, a candle that smells like memories, and a book. any book, but make sure it’s one that you enjoy. as you open your book and begin, you notice that the light is getting dimmer, clouds begin to cover the sun. you continue reading. soon after, the sound of rain begins to lightly tap the window slowly transforming into the perfect rain storm. the aroma of coffee, candles, and rain, the light pouring into your humble abode, the music beautifully colliding with the aroma. all creating a perfect moment. 

i’ve always been a fan of rain. i thoroughly enjoy the way it makes me feel. cozy. for me, rain brings moments. i live for the moments in life where the temperature is right, the elements match, the right song is playing and you feel. you feel everything. good or bad. rain is made to create beautiful moments.

it’s raining here in arkansas, more of a drizzle really, rain nonetheless. i’m working today, so i don’t have the luxury of sitting at home on my couch and snuggling up. quickly, i opened the blinds in my office, switched the lights of, turned a lamp on and sat. it put me in the mood to write, to dream, to wander. so here i am, at my ‘desk’, next to the window, local natives blaring through my headphones, writing.