for such a time as this.

Sometimes, God will wreck your plans. Yes, straight up WRECK, and sometimes without warning. I use to think that when things didn't work out the way i wanted or thought they should, it meant that that "dream" just wasn't meant to be or that "God has something better". Perhaps wrecked plans are just tests that we are allowed to endure to stretch our faith and trust in God. If your read my blogs, you remember me saying how I told God I wanted to learn to trust him. Every since then, it's been a series of tests to learn to fully trust God. This week, I had the biggest test of my life.

In January, I planned my entire future out. I was going to graduate from one of the BEST nursing schools in the state in May 2017, work in an ER for a year, and then go back to school to get my masters and certification. It was perfect and it was gonna go just like that. Well this week, I found out I didn't pass one of my classes, pushing me back an entire semester. For three days I cried. I was angry, I was disappointed, etc.  WHY did this happen? I did everything right. I studied, I read, and I still failed. Some days later, I reached a place of absolute peace and contentment and God revealed a few things to me.

One of my favorite quotes is "Grow where you're planted". Maybe this was an opportunity to grow in a place where I didn't plan to be planted. Sometimes God will uproot us just so that we are where HE needs us to be. Nothing is more painful than growing in a place you where never meant to grow. I tell God all the time that for his glory I will do anything, and in this case it meant being uprooted and uncomfortable. I could have easily gave up and said "Oh, it's just not meant to be." But the truth is, it was meant to be. This is my calling... therefore nothing will hinder me from me doing that. It may not happen when I wanted it to happen, but it will happen in his time. I think sometime we get to consumed with the timing of things that we sort of forget that God is the author of time. We're so concerned with when we're going to get married, graduate, have kids, get a job, etc. that we forget to embrace and be thankful for the season we're in now. Each season of our life is essential to get to the next season, therefore, we have to learn and pass the tests in the season so we can get through the next. 

In Daniel 3:18, King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship their God or else to they would get thrown into the fiery furnace. The three men told them that their God would deliver them from the fiery furnace, but even if he doesn't... they still would worship HIM. God is still good, He is still perfect. His ways are perfect and his timing is perfect. Even though this happened, he is still good and I trust his timing over mine. I had to be intentional about not allowing the enemy to discourage me away from my purpose.

So at the end of that day, I know that I am positioned for such a time as this. I know that God placed me in this place for my good and his Glory. I'm so at peace and I know that his is doing great things. I thank God for wrecking my plans and showing my he loves me. I thank God for allowing me to grow more in this season. Most of all, I'm thankful for the people that God has placed in my life in this season. From the teachers that are cheering for me in my corner, to the friends that have held me while I cried, and encouraged me when I was down. God is so strategic about the people he places in our lives. Forever grateful.

Live purposefully, God has a plan. 

Romans 8:18.

xoxx. 

even if he doesn't...

One of my favorite songs right now is Intentional by Travis Greene.

He's intentional, never failing. 

God is intentional with us, so why can't we be intentional with him?

To be intentional means to be done with intention or on purpose. It means that you are purposely doing something. Our relationship with Christ should be intentional. We should be purposely and actively working to expand our relationship with Christ. We purposely pursue or relationships and or friendships, but what about with Christ? It seems like we become "intentional" about him when it's convenient to us. We love to acknowledge him when things are going great and we love to cry out when we need a breakthrough. But what about the season of obedience where God is asking you to do something that feels uncomfortable? Where's the intent then?

Our relationship with God is not about blessings. We don't praise God so that blessings come down, we praise him because he's God. He's GOD, he deserves our praise in any season. How intentional are you with Christ when things aren't going so good in your life? Are you still willing to praise him even when you don't understand him and your circumstances?  One of my favorite quotes is "even if he doesn't" Which came from the book of Daniel chapter 3.

King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship his King. As they were about to get thrown into the furnace, they said that the God the they serve is able to deliver them... but even if he doesn't, they were not going to worship their god. Their faith in God was so strong that they knew that even if God didn't save them and allowed them to go through this trial, that he was still their God and that he still deserved their worship.

I love that! God even if you don't.... even if you allow me to go through this situation, you are still good, and you are still worthy of my praise.

Lately, Christ has been pulling me closer to him. This season has been about trusting him releasing things to him and it's tough to release things that I've controlled for so long! It's causing me to move out of my comfort zone and into a place where he can use me. God cannot move when you're in your comfort zone. You have to brave enough and willing to move out of that place.

So often we just want to label of being a Christian and not want to do the work. Once saved, always saved, right? WRONG. Being a Christian is nothing more than a label. You can say you're a Christian, but how do others know you're a Christian? What sets you apart from the world?

Whenever I bring up Heaven and Hell or Christ coming back, people seem to get really uncomfortable. I hear a lot of people say that , Oh, I'm a good person,  I believe in God, I go to church, so I'll go to Heaven." Sadly, there a good people in Hell and even the devil believes there is a God. We cannot solely rely on the fact that we think we're a good person to be enough. Are we doing what God has told us to do? I challenge myself with this blog, because I have to make sure that I'm doing the very thing God has to told me to do.

We should get to a place where we are so confident with our relationship with Christ, that if we died that second, we know we would go to Heaven. Or if Christ where to come back right then, we would be raptured up with him.

Choosing to be intentional with God didn't happen over night. Personally, I got tired of the same ol stuff and feeling stagnant, on top of that I was experiencing spiritual warfare and I came to the conclusion that it was only God that could see me through this. I intentionally have to make time to pray and seek the face of God. And with the busy work and school schedule I have, I have to make sure I make time for God because I cannot make it without him.

Lately, I've been desperate for God and for more of him. I want more of him in everything that I do, I want him to involved. I wanna look like him in everything (which is tough). God promised that he would pour out his spirit in the last days and I feel like I'm crying out and seeking for more of him. I know that I cannot make it without him.

So my challenge is simple, join me in making a conscious effort to be intentional in our relationship with Christ. Be intentional about spending time with him, be intentional about praying daily and allowing him to speak to us, be intentional about being OBEDIENT in his word and things he asks us to do. We can do this! You never know what effect your obedience has on someone else.

Here are my tips that help me go deeper in Christ:
1. Watch your friends, they should be building you up to be closer to Christ. Have an accountability partner!
-Proverbs 27:17.

2. Make a scheduled time to spend with Christ.
God says if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. How can he get closer us if we don't allow him space to do so.
- James 4:8

3. Worship Music playlist.
Worship music helps me get to a place of peace.

4. Think on things that are like Christ.
This is hard for me because it's so easy to assume the worst.
- Philippians 4:8

5. Trust the process. Things don't happen overnight, be patient, but be intentional.
- Philippians 1:6

Don't get caught slippin'

Hey y'all ! It's been a crazy 6 months and I have missed blogging ! Well, as an update, I finished my first semester of nursing school! WHAT A SEMESTER! God was so faithful in getting myself and classmates through it! Needless to say... I was so busy! There were some days where I didn't know if I was coming or going ! (seriously, lol) 

Last day clinicals with our instructor. (she was God sent)

I heard a sermon today that really stuck with me about living for Christ. Y'all know living for Christ AINT easy, but it's so necessary.  So lets discuss this thang...

See it's time out for the feel good messages. You know the ones we like about how our blessings are on the way and all that. Granted, there is NOTHING wrong with that, but it's time we've graduated from those feel good messages and to those uncomfortable, CONVICTING messages. If you look at the news or even glance at social media, you see all the horrible things taking place in America and all over the world. Earthquakes, floods, blood moons, murders, and the list goes on. If we take a look in the word, we see that God said these things would happen in the end times. (See Matthew 24)

Jesus is coming back, SOON and we can't afford to be caught slippin' in these last days, y'all. The word says he will come like a "thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2 ) . The words says that we are to be ALERT and of a SOBER MIND because the our ENEMY the DEVIL is prowling around like a LION seeking for SOMEONE to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  Have y'all ever seen a lion that is hungry and strategic it is when it is hunting for food. It looks for the weakest or smallest animal in a heard, it looks for the one animal that is just out itself not aware of the evil that is lurking around it. That's how the enemy is looking for someone to get. He's looking for that one person that hasn't really been in the word like they're supposed to. He's looking for that one person who has their mind filled with worldly things. He's looking for a person that's ALMOST living right. But don't get distracted my brother or sister, don't get caught slippin. Your armor of God should be on in full gear the when the enemy sees you, he has to turn around because he knows he can't get you that way.

Being a child of God is more than just quoting scriptures, retweeting and liking "Godly" posts, and going to church on Sunday.  Being a child of God is confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We  cannot call ourselves children of God and live like this world. We CAN'T. The bible said that we are to be SET APART (Romans 12:2)! People should see something different in us ! It's time out for playing Christian. We love the Lord, but we still do what we want. We still get high, we still have sex, we still get drunk, we still lust, we still willingly sin, and then suddenly expect to be included in the will of God. Living for Christ is all or nothing. Either we let him rule all or nothing at all. We can't pick and choose when and what days we're gonna be Christian. 

Sin is so fatal (see my older post, the fatal root) and God didn't die for us to die in sin and live kinda right. Living almost right is living wrong. You don't almost fail a test, either you passed or you didn't. We have got to start living for Christ wholeheartedly. The sun is starting to set... time is winding down, we don't much time left to be running around here living almost right. 

So, I know this wasn't the pleasant blog you were expecting lol. But it was really on my heart to share this. Just know that you don't have to do this alone. 

xoxox,

Courtney Briana. 

P4CM - Almost Saved.