A New Morning...

I woke up before my alarm went off this morning....this never happens. It's usually the opposite actually. I hit snooze like 3 times before I finally decide to jump in the shower...but today was different.

I woke up, feeling peaceful. Feeling optimistic about my future.
Jumped in the shower, got a beautiful text from a friend Sarah that encouraged me first thing.
Then another text from someone very important in my life. Short, sweet, but a reminder of how blessed I am.
Then another text from Wendy (came later, but this has been a day of encouraging reminders for me.)
Anyways, after getting dressed, my iTouch was on shuffle and it played "You Are For Me" by Kari Jobe.
This song has huge significance in my life recently. I've sung it a handful of times at church
& the lyrics hit so close to home. Here are the lyrics:

"So faithful. So constant. So loving & so true. So powerful in all you do.
You fill me.You see me. You know my every move. You love for me to sing to You.
I know that You are for me. I know that You are for me.
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.
I know that You have come now even to write upon my heart, to remind me of who You are.
So patient. So gracious. So merciful & true. So wonderful in all You do."

Okay, so this song just reminded me that God has some incredible things in store for me.
And these things are flowing out so rapidly and in my face, but my life has been so
busy, on-the-go, hectic, out of whack that I have been missing it.
Don't get me wrong, I know I am highly favored and so blessed with the things I have
but have I actually taken the time to thank God for all of it?! Honestly....not at all. No.

I'll admit, after that hit me across the face, I started crying this morning. Listening to this song
helped me realize that I haven't truly thanked God for all the things that have occurred in my heart
now and in my past. I laid back on my bed, crying and just praying. Singing. Worshiping in my room.
Who would've thought that you could worship while laying on your bed, in your room, and not in a church or your car? It was some incredible worship time.

The last song that came on before I went to work was yet another Kari Jobe song called "My Beloved".
This confirmed that God was in control of my morning, of my day, of my life.
Here are the words to it:

"You're my beloved, You're my bride. To sing over you is my delight. Come away with Me, My love.
Under my mercy, come & wait 'til we are standing face to face. I see no stain on you, My child.
You're beautiful to Me. So beautiful to Me.
I sing over you, My song of peace. Cast all your cares at My feet.
Come & find your rest in Me.
I'll breathe My life inside of you. I'll bear you up on eagle's wings.
& hide you in the shadow of My strength.
I'll take you to My quiet waters. I'll restore your soul.
Come rest in Me and be made whole.
You're my beloved, my bride. To sing over you is My delight. Come away with Me, My love."

God sees me as beautiful. & significant.
And every step I'm provided is significant.
Every person in my life is significant.
Every decision I face is significant.
Every breath I breathe is significant.
My weaknesses are significant.
My strengths and high points are significant.
My relationship with friends...family....are significant.
My relationship with Him is significant.
The moments I feel alone are significant to Him.
The moments I feel completely out of it and off track are significant to Him.
"You see me, You know my every move. You love for me to sing to You."
The times I am singing quietly to myself in the car, worshipful words, are significant to Him.
My weak moments where I struggle with what I want, and not what He wants, are significant.
"I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness."
The mornings I wake up so completely wrapped up in what I have to do that day are significant.
Days I feel as if I'm so emotional, good and bad, because of my blessings are significant to Him.
"I know that You are for me."
He is for me. I'm his beloved. I am highly favored.  & I am blessed beyond measure.
Thank you God.

What's On My Mind?

SO much.
So much has happened in the past couple of months, it's unbelievable.
God is good & so faithful.
He told me to wait and to be patient, to keep my servant's heart humble, and to renew my mind daily.
To never give up hope in Him and what He will offer.
He promised to fulfill ALL the things that are the desires on my heart.
Let me tell you something, He did that PLUS some.

Thank you Lord for providing Your best. It's better than I ever imagined.


School, bleh. Almost over thankfully. Next semester is going to be rough.
Work is going well. Ridiculously busy, but it's winter time. I knew it was coming.
Family is getting better. Thanksgiving with everyone really provided a sense of hope
for my family and I.
Friends: Phew, amazing. I love my friends. They're the greatest (no really, they are.)
Worship: I need to work on this aspect in my life. My voice has been gone/I've been sick/I've been too busy. And I freakin miss the crap out of worship. I still worship in my car and with my guitar, in my room, at work. But, I miss being able to worship at church. I've been so busy. I'm definitely ready for this "Christmas break" to turn into a total God & Jamie time. SO ready for it.
Relationship: Please see above rant about God's best. It's been wonderful.

Thank You, Lord, for being my Master & Supporter. You're truly awesome.


<3

I don't like ketchup....

BUT I do like to "catch up"....haha sooo cheesy.

There's lots to update on.
Today I feel completely encouraged for multiple reasons.
I'm loved. by many people. and I'm blessed by the Creator, who happens to be
the One who is in charge of my life and is clearly showing me
His plans, little by little. I'm so stoked about what
He has been revealing to me. He's great. Just sayin'.

I met with my advisor today about scheduling my classes.
I'm excited to finish school. And move on to the next chapter of
my life which is being planned out according to what
God wants of me. I told someone today that I
have finally realized that for the first time in my life
I clearly see plans unfolding the way God desired them too.
It's the most encouraging thing to see what God promised
me being revealed to me.
I waited patiently and obeyed. And His blessings are
overflowing. And I'm enjoying every-single-one of 'em.

School is going well. Worship is going well. Christmas production is going well.
Love with God and others is going well and progressing. Friendships are going well.
Relationship with God is going well & growing. Friendship with my parents is going well.

Now I need to start finding things I want to start fitting into my schedule:
Cardio every day.
Eating healthier (for the sake of my health & my voice...legit)
Writing music for God's love and for the sake of His people.
Learning bass, keyboard, and banjo potentially. And some electric would be nice.
Finish reading "Crazy Love".
Graduate with my Master's degree.
Travel more. asap.



hm, life is great.

Until next time,
J. King

I should be....But I'm not.

This season of my life is beautiful, when it shouldn't be.
Here's what I mean:

I should be....
-beyond stressed with school.
-upset about family situations for my parents.
-completely distraught about my hectic lifestyle
-worried about how certain people view me and this situation.
-scared to do this.
-closed off and not-so-vulnerable.
-more concerned about school over anything else going on in my life.

But I'm not. Instead I am....
-prioritizing and keeping up with school as best as I possibly can.
-a stronghold for my parents towards their family.
-completely proud of myself for being able to handle my schedule.
-not concerned, at all, about what people think and focus on what God thinks.
-completely open to do this.
-open hearted, open minded, and completely vulnerable.
-concerned about making my God proud of me, in all situations in my life.

I'm feeling pretty great this week. I feel accomplished. Loved. Highly Favored. &
I am enjoying this season of my life. Thank you to everyone being a part of it.


Until Next time,
J. King

"Crazy Love"

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan is my new obsession. This book is phenomenal. It really is.
& what good timing.

I've grown closer to certain friends in my life. & I've realized how
"in-tune" they are with God, especially after they share with me
the things that He shows them.

The first chapter of "Crazy Love" digs into how deep, far, wide, large the love of God is.
And how he chose us. He chooses to love us. etc.

& it tells the reader to go to the website of the book to look
at some photographs of the hundreds of galaxies that didnt need to be
created, for any specific purpose, but that they were because God chose to.
His artwork is marvelous and I can't even begin to describe how big my God is because
not one person can comprehend that.

He's just great. My friends recently have called me and asked me to pray with them
over certain situations, and the book I'm reading has prepared me for this.
Sounds insane, but it's true. Ever since I've started reading this book,
I feel that God is using what Francis Chan wrote, to prepare my own
heart to help others and of course to help myself.

God is good. I love it when He does that.

Also, a verse that's on my mirror that I thought about today is this one:

1 Samuel 12:22

"For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people,

because the LORD was pleased to make you his own."

This book has also challenged me to remember that God knew me before I was born. He knew everything about me. Of course, yes, He gives us free will and choices that may curve our "path" but He knew me before I was created. He was pleased to make me.

This makes me go back to one of my other blogs that say that God desires me to succeed, and not to fail.

He was pleased to make me a success so that I can carry out His light in the

times of darkness. That is crazy love.

Be Courageous

This sermon series has hit close to home.
My church's sermon series is based around the movie "Courageous" that is out in theatres right now.
I saw the movie with one of my close friends, Sarah. I just love that girl.
We both saw it and it really was an incredible movie.
The message was strong, mostly to the men/dads/husbands type of crowd...
but it's that in order to truly experience obedience with God, it takes courage.
Not just the type of courage to "stand up to someone" but
to stand up for what God teaches us, what the Bible teaches us.
Whether that means, asking forgiveness from someone you need to or
finding it in your heart to forgive who you think is unforgivable.
The type of courage that pushes you to accept what God provides and that
He will never give you too much that you can't handle. And that "you won't stay in this same place forever" (Pastor Chris Hoyt).

Be courageous.
That's something I've been challenged to do and I'm beginning to open up about.
There are quite a few situations that have been brought to my attention, good and bad,
that I need to take courage when dealing with it.
But, I know that God gives me courage daily by encouraging me.


Just some thoughts,
J. King

Highly Favored

"I know that You are for Me" is still ringing in my head today.
It's been playing on my Pandora radio station all morning.

I woke up extra early today, well about two hours earlier than usual, to help
my worship pastor and some friends lead worship
at Hampton Christian School, which consists of middle and high school students.
It was a fun time to see these kids just worship. Some reserved, but
I still saw it in their eyes...I saw the desire to worship.

I needed to see that. It's always refreshing to be reminded that
worship is worship. Yes, there are different styles and ways to worship,
but worship in itself is praising God for the gifts and for His strength in the storm....
for the guidance we needed in one situation, for the love we needed during
the loneliness, etc.

"He loves Us" was a song we did at the end.
& it was beautiful to hear the kids singing this.
We opened up for prayer, & the kids just
quickly paced to the people praying. It was courageous.
& it was a reminder that I need to open my heart more
and become more courageous. I can do ALL things with Christ. He provides my Strength. (Phil 4:13)

Until Next time....