dream big.

whew. time is f l y i n g by.
it's almost been a month since i have been back in the states, which is crazy. i have been home, then in louisville, and soon i will be moving back to school. as much as i am trying, going back to school for my LAST year of college does not even seem like reality. i kind of forgot it was the last year, until my mom mentioned it the other day.
in the midst of everything that is going on around me, nothing has ever felt so right. something came alive inside of me while i was in kenya, something that i have never felt or experienced before. while i was there, i kept thinking of ministry and what ministry looks like in each person's life. and i kept feeling like our greatest ministry is in a place where our heart fully comes alive. like we were created to be in that exact place or exact job at that moment, and it makes us feel alive because we see the Lord most clearly when we are there. because i want my life to be a ministry. i don't want to wait until i'm done with college to feel like, "now i am ready to serve the Lord and start my ministry". so for me, i started thinking of the times where i have felt that way.
one- loving on and spending time with the kenyan children. it feels me with joy and excitement and passion in a way like nothing else can.
two- God has given me a heart for broken people and children.
three- i love to learn. i could read and listen to books and wise people talk for hours and hours. i thrive off of being in an environment where i learn.
four- writing. something i have always loved to do, but stopped for awhile. oh, the stories we can tell and the life that we can share through writing.

i say these things because of this:
i truly, truly believe that God knows these things about me. He knows what i love and knows what makes me come alive. there are probably many more things i could add, and over time, they will change in different seasons of life. God does not waste anything He has given us, and He uses our experiences to increase our ministry in so many ways. none of the things i wrote describe a job (at least not that i can see), or answer what i am going to do after college. but they are more important to me now than either of those things. because i want to be alive, i want to live with passion, and i want to do the things God created me to do. when our gifts and passions meet Him and are used for His glory, we can't even imagine His plans. they are bigger. and we serve a God who does big things...because He is big. so i will continue to dream big. dream big about what He is going to do tomorrow, what He has planned for when i graduate, and what He has planned ten years from now. and i am learning to trust in the fact the He sees all things, He knows all things, and He has all things in His hands.
the piece of my heart that came alive in kenya is still growing. God planted the seed and He is growing it. He brings His plans to fruition if we are willing to be used, willing to obey, and willing to let go of what we think is best.

i love to dream. dreaming big has been my phrase for awhile now, but it isn't getting old. because let's be honest, if the kingdom of God is going to advance, we need to start dreaming and praying about how we can be a part of it coming to earth. the kingdom of God needs us to come alive about the things that matter in this world- like the Gospel and truth and justice. and as the Body of Christ, we must dream about these things and make our dreams come alive. because by His power and His Spirit, all things are possible.

"now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21


"no eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love Him"

1 Corinthians 2:9