~Peace~

Well it's been a while.

I just had a great talk with an old friend. And might I just say it was the perfect way to end this day. God is doing incredible things with incredible people. So we all know by now that the past month hasn't been an easy one. But so much good has come out of the bad. James 1 tells us to consider it pure joy when we face the testing of faith, b/c the testing creates perserverance and perserverance makes us complete and wise in God. I NEVER understood this until recently. I was constantly saying, "Where is the JOY in this?!?!?" I wasn't seeing it AT ALL. At all. But then it hit me. When the person who caused all of this pain said to me, "Kayla, you're STILL helping me grow in my faith. Even through all of this." And I was like DING DING DING!!! There it was. The joy in my suffering. If I can, by my suffering and pain, help someone realize that GOD is the one carrying me through this then AWESOME. I'll suffer until the day I die if it brings you to grow in your walk with our God. With the God who never walks out on you, who never stops loving you, who never fails you.

This whole concept is just baffeling to me. It's so beautiful in such a twisted way. By MY pain, you come to know God. By JESUS' pain, you came to understand God's love. If we are supposed to be like Jesus... there you go. I'm not saying I'm like Jesus or anything but it's the same concept. Endure pain and suffering so that other people's eyes may be opened to the pouring out of God's unconditional and unfailing love. Wow. WOW.

And through this experience SO much good has come. I will list:
* I am growing in my faith
* I have made OODLES of new friends. Really awesome ones.
* I have helped others grow in their faith.
* I have made two EXCEPTIONALLY wonderful friends.
* I am no longer afraid to speak up and speak out about my God.
* I am (hopefully) going to Australia to work in a church this summer.
* I have spent more time with myself, God, my family, and my friends.
* I have realized GOD comes first and foremost in my life.
* I have reconnected with old friends.
* I am overcoming my anxiety.
* I have become more involved at school.
* I am NOT afraid to worship loudly.
****ETC..... ETC.... ETC...****

So here is to all of you who are facing difficulties. Who are struggling. Who think hope is lost. IT'S NOT. You WILL pull through. God is carrying you. He is yearning for you. He is waiting for you to completely give Him ALL of you. He is calling you for a greater purpose. He has a greater and more perfect plan for your life than you could ever hope to have planned for yourself. He loves you. Perfectly, unconditionally, whole heartedly, & FOREVER. He is never going to leave you. Let Him in. Let him engulf your life. Let Him consume your heart. Let HIM be the center of everything you do, and I PROMISE YOU; you will feel more complete, more whole, and more loved than you have ever felt before. Surrender to Him. Love Him, b/c He will never stop loving you.

I love you all. Everyone who reads this. I love you. Come talk to me. Facebook me, I want to talk.

John 15:1-17

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now reamin in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down is life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointd you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."