Mornings

i love waking up in the mornings. as i lie there in bed, i am always eager to face the day ahead of me. there's something fantastic about having a whole 24 hours with nothing in it yet - a blank canvas, if you will.

the Bible says in lamentations 3:22-23 that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..."

how wonderful is that? his mercies are a renewable resource! 

"tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it." - lucy maud montgomery

xo eliza

(image via lucky mag)

Be Happy

look around and see them!

xo eliza

(image via tumblr)

Think on Those Things

sometimes it's hard to keep a tight rein on our thoughts. we live in a world that definitely does not promote pure thinking. have you ever watched reality tv? i'm sure you understand my point.

we need to make sure that the things we dwell on line up with God's Word. i won't pretend to always have the mind of Christ. sometimes i think something, and then a few minutes later i do a mental check and realize - (to quote the lovely joyce meyer) i'm doing some "stinkin' thinkin'"! in those moments i try to pull a u-turn, repent, and get on the right train of thought.

you have the power over your mind! trust me, nothing you think is new. it's been around for years. since the Fall, people have been thinking hateful, dirty, and just downright unpleasant thoughts. we, through Jesus, have the authority to get our minds under control until they're clean as a whistle. let's get there, folks. 

xo eliza

(image via instapray)

By Streams of Water

i love trees. they're so tall and beautiful, and they provide cool shade for all who rest under them. 

we should be like that. if we walk in step with God, we will become like a strong tree - unshakeable. people will be able to enjoy the fruit of our lives and feel at peace when they're with us. i want to be like that, don't you?

xo eliza

All That You Do

if we really put our 100% into the things we do, imagine how perfect everything would be. i sometimes find myself going through the motions of life. you know how it is - you have a routine and it's really easy to just let your week be one big checklist. i've been trying to experience each moment and put my all into everything i do. honestly, i feel like i've accomplished so much more when i do that.

God certainly put a whole lot of love into us. what if He had just haphazardly thrown us together? "eh - that's okay. i guess the arm doesn't look so bad by the nose..." He lovingly and carefully created each and every one of us. let's try our hardest to put the same devotion and thought into our lives!

what are some ways you can put love into your day-to-day?

xo eliza

(image via society 6)

Because He Cares For You

the subject of my Lord is near and dear to my heart. honestly, i could go on for hours. (i try to restrain myself to two or three paragraphs so that i do not bore you!) 

it is so amazing to me that God cares for us. for all our faults and difficulties, He wishes to be with us! a day never passes by that i am so thankful that He saved me - that He loves me. 

you can tell Him anything, i hope you know that. it's always nice to come to a dear friend or trusted mentor and tell them something that is troubling you - we serve a God who wants to hear us all the time, all day every day. He will never get tired of hearing from you, about every little thing or things too grave to tell anyone else.

i do hope that you know that you have a confidante in the Lord. He will always be there for you!

xo eliza

(image via ida pearl tumblr)

The Best is Yet to Come

we live on a beautiful planet, am i right? the special things that God created for our pleasure are to be celebrated and appreciated. sadly, we also live in a very corrupted world. it's all too easy to become swept up in the current of this society; to believe that this is it. we as Christians should be foreigners in the world. this is not our home - we are only visiting. 

please don't get the impression that we should be taking a leisurely vacation. this is a business trip! there is much work to be done for the kingdom - there are millions of souls that need to be saved. 

the best is yet to come. we're headed home after a long time away. it's a nice trip here, but i'm willing to bet that Heaven is so much better. 

xo eliza

(image via papery rain)

Habits and Intent

sometimes you get to a point where you kind of run on auto pilot. i'm sure a lot of you can relate. for instance, every morning for a long time now i have gotten up, brushed my teeth, made my bed, and then read my Bible before i start the day. that's my routine. it is all too easy for me to read through my daily chapter, check it off, and then get on to the "important stuff". i try so hard to not view that portion of my day in that light. 

my time with God should be the most important thing i do all day. i know that if i miss out on that, then i have to compensate for the rest of the day. even if it's only 10 minutes, that time spent with my Father makes me so much more ready to face all the stuff that the day holds. it's like i get refilled, ready to pour out into other people.

let's not treat spending time on God as a habit, or a "to do". it's great to plan a time each day to really just lay everything else down and enjoy being with Him, but i want to not view that as something that has to get done, or that i must do. i should be with Him because i want to be. it's so wonderful to know that God is always ready to just talk to me - He is always available, you could say. 

today i want to make God the first priority. i think it is safe to say that everything else will run so much more smoothly.

xo eliza

(quote via curiano)

A Little Bit of Happy

sometimes i just get caught up in everything. we all have those days - life is stressful. it brings me so much peace to know that God has a plan for my life - a good plan with no problems or glitches. we live in a broken world, so not everything is going to be a field of flowers. but God is with us, every step of the way. 

on another note, how adorable is that donkey? he's got flowers, people, flowers. 

have a wonderful thursday!

xo eliza

(image via plum pretty sugar)

Steadfast Love

i hope you are all having a lovely start to your week.

today i wanted to talk a bit about how much God loves you. you were created for a very special purpose. sometimes the world can make us feel really powerless, like we aren't important. it's all too easy to get into the "comparison game". when we see people who we perceive as better than us, we instantly start trying to see how we measure up against them. it's a slippery, slippery slope, friends. you won't end up feeling any better, promise.

you are loved so much by the Lord. He treasures you. you are not useless, or unnecessary. i am so thankful for each and every one of you - you really are the reason i keep on blogging. every day i pray for you, that you will accept the love that God keeps offering to you. 

don't ever let the world lie to you and tell you that you are "lonely", or "friendless" or "depressed" - there is a loving father just waiting to wrap His arms around you. He will never, ever let you down.

xo eliza

(hearts image source)

God-Sized Dreams

you're typically encouraged to follow your dreams, your heart, or your instincts. there are thousands of inspirational quotes that nudge you to reach for the stars. 

the very last thing that God wants to do is crush that desire to achieve. in fact, it was He who created it in the first place! however, we have to learn to understand the difference between God-given dreams and the ones that are planted by a different sower. the only dreams and ambitions worth following are the ones given by God. because, every time, they will lead you down good paths!

let's work on our hearts today. it's easy to let the world shape our hearts, but how about giving them to God? i promise, it will be the best decision you'll ever make.

have a great weekend!

xo eliza

(image via so shay)

Give & Receive

do you ever give something, and tell everyone about it? let's say that you gave a homeless person 50 dollars, and then you posted it on facebook, tweeted about it, and wrote a blog post about it. while it is natural to be excited about doing something good, there comes a point when you can get into the "bragging zone".

How He Loves Us

He is jealous for me. That one phrase just fills me to the brim. The Creator of the entire universe wants US to be with Him. He wants to be near to us! 

This is one of my favorite songs. It's by John Mark McMillan, an amazing musician. The love for God and the raw excitement is tangible in that video. I always laugh when I hear people say that church is 'boring'. You must be going to the wrong church! Psalm 33:3 says, "Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound." A loud and joyful sound! I don't think they mean quiet and timid worship. 

I am so blessed every time I watch videos or I go to services like this one. All of those people demonstrated a passionate love for their Lord. He loves us that way, so let's love on Him back.

xo Eliza

This is Love

This verse is really near and dear to my heart. Honestly, my favorite verses are the ones that speak of God's undying love for His people. It makes me feel so safe and secure in a world that often times is not.
God made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He sent His only Son to die for us, all because He loves us. For our sins, Jesus was killed. He had no sins - but He took ours. 
You are not unlovable. You are not useless. You are loved by the Creator of all things. His love for you surpasses any human understanding. 
I hope you come to accept His love. He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for you to open. Please open that door, and let the Lord enter your life. I promise you that you will never, ever regret it.
xo Eliza
(1 John 4:9-10 via Tumblr)

Refuge and Strength

There are days when I feel like wrapping myself up in blankets, shutting off my phone, and just hibernating from absolutely everything. (Especially these past couple of days; I have been fighting the flu - emphasis on the word fighting!)

The good news? We serve a God who is always there for us. He is a "very present help in trouble". I take so much joy and peace from knowing that my God will never leave me, that He is there for me wherever I go. When I am weak and tired, He gives me strength. He is such a good God!

Let's lean on God today.

xo Eliza

(Woods image via the wonderful Elena Morelli - seriously, her blog is visual joy!)

Get Quieter

We live in a very loud world. Not just audibly loud, but also subconsciously loud. Do you ever notice how when you try to do something important, you turn off your phone. (Maybe it's just me.) I can't get any serious work done if my phone is alerting me of every update. 

Sometimes you have to literally silence everything to truly listen to God. There is a great deal of wisdom in leaving your phone at home and finding a quiet place to pray. It helps you get more in-tune with God, and less in-tune with the things of this world.

With the New Year spread cleanly out before us, let's get quieter and listen.

(Image via Tumblr)

We Are Filled with Joy

As the Christmas season is so quickly approaching us, it's easy to forget to just enjoy it. With endless to-do lists full of invitations to be sent, presents to buy, and cookies to bake, we can get so very stressed and miss the true meaning of this holiday.
God has given us so much joy in that we can have a special time of year to appreciate our loved ones. This Christmas I got an early start on things and bought my gifts. That way, when it gets to be closer to Christmas I won't have to rush around and get everything done.
Let's just savor this time, and be joyful. Don't forget the real meaning of Christmas; to celebrate our Savior's birth and to be with the people we love. 
(Image via Joyce Meyer)

Direct My Steps

Sometimes, it's scary to think about the future. The unknown can be a very ominous place. Where do you visualize yourself in ten years? 

We Are So Blessed

I was thinking the other day about blessings. If you've ever watched White Christmas, you know about the song "Count Your Blessings". Sometimes we forget to be thankful for the things in our lives. 
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, let's start looking at our world with different eyes. We have so much to be grateful for. 
(Quote via Peony and Fig Tumblr) 

Nice Words

This is just a beautiful, simple reminder to be kind to people. It seems like everyone is mean these days. You can barely walk into a store without hearing someone be unkind; either to you or someone else. That grieves the heart of God.