pray continually. GIVE THANKS in all circumstances

as the semester comes to a close, it gets crazy busy. hustling and bustling to do Christmas shopping and study for finals, while finishing papers and projects and somehow managing to spend some time with the people you love so dearly. amidst the chaos its hard to be still, find the quiet moments to be overwhelmed with His loving presence, to just sit at His throne. So i challenge, encourage you and me to sit and be still before the Lord. Psalm 37. word

here's some leftovers from thanksgiving:

Longing for a Savior.

Every year AFTER THANKSGIVING. I begin to think about Christmas and the coming celebrations that surround the birth of Jesus. I search my heart and pick one aspect to dwell on throughout the season and let that specific aspect be my central thought and allow it to change my heart. so as I was riding in the car from place to place, God brought to my mind, longing. Longing for what? i said. With that question came His whole intent for my central thought for the season. They were longing for the Savior. I began to think about Mary and how a mother longs for a child and how long and hard her journey had been. She had traveled through so much physically and emotionally for 9mos with Jesus in her. How she must've been so ready for Jesus to be here. Then I think about God's people. They'd been waiting for centuries for this promised hope, the love, freedom, and grace Jesus was bringing. they were yearning for Jesus to be here, dwelling among them! Next my thoughts move to this: do we long for Jesus in the same way? do we have such a strong desire for His love that we choose do indulge ourselves in it? are we so excited about His grace that we would clothe ourselves with is? What about the people that missed the coming of the Messiah, the Chosen One, Redeemer, Savior. they too were ready for the Messiah, but totally missed it. why? because they weren't looking with open eyes for the way God would carry out His will. Just like us. we're so ready for God to move and expect something to happen. but we wait with closed eyes only anticipating Him to move in the way we thought.


may we long for our Savior and look for Him with open eyes to HIS will.


"Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord"
Luke 2:11


Tis the season.

...whatever You've done unto the least of these...

ok so God is crazy cool. yeah I already knew this like for real, but today was just one of those day that its just like Bam, Bam, Bam!! and then I sit down and im like whoah nellie, that was all you God, you're freakin sweet! so for starters I gave interviews today and had to dress up which was kinda fun, made me feel old and important. then I head over to the 1407 for dinner and bible study. First I had some rockin fellowship with the bros & sis. good stuff. then we went to bible study and it was kinda funny because we got on the elevator (because we all agreed to be lazy) and matt pushed the number 3 button, so naturally when the doors open you get off. which is what bobby and I did. but no one else seemed to join. so yes i'm a little stubborn and refused to go to whatever floor they ended up on. so me and bobby sat and just started chatting. it was totally a God appointed time! we talked about listening to God. how do ya deal with "crap"..etc. it was just good. even better tho, the other part of the group gave in and came to the 3rd floor...VICTORY!!!

then this is the BEST!! some of us went downtown to the library to take some people (homeless) the soup we had left over from dinner. well as i said before I was oober dressed up, so as soon as we got ready to go downtown i was like "crap, i can't go feed homeless people dressed like this, what are they going to think" God did not stay quiet long. conviction conviction conviction. "look at how blessed you are, you have to go show Me to them..." ok ok.. so i went, hesitating. we got there and split up to pass out the soup. morgan, michael and I start making the rounds. the first group we come to, we gave them soup and I asked if there was anything we could pray for them about. and this man named Jesse quickly spoke up and eagerly said,"yes, I have major issues with anger. I get these rages and I can't control them. I used to be an atheist til about 4 days ago, but now I know I have to have a relationship with God" so we gathered up and prayed and I was absoluetly moved. More than any other experience I've had around homeless people. So we kept walking and next came to a familliar face. good 'ole "Red" I immediately said, hey i know you from somewhere. he looked at me like I was the crazy one lol. I asked if he went to carpenter's and he said yes. then he said my name is red and I said no no no you're pinocchio. and he said OOOOHHHH!! (inside joke) and came and gave me a huge hug!! my heart had a HUGE smile! beautiful. that's Jesus. I went there to love on people like him and he was there to love on people like me. We sat and chatted a second and he told me how weary he was and he was ready for God to take him HOME. he continued to say things were well and how good the prayer event they had out there lately was successful and he prayed and spoke.. it was just.. well.. Jesus.

we talked in the car on the drive back on how Jesus loved people. He loved those people and treated them like people. moments divinely appointed like that are what pulls my heart to Him time and time again. what if I had let the way I was dressed get in the way of me going to pray for Jesse or love on pinocchio or give the man an extra soup because he had had nothing to eat all day.

Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me."

He must increase and I must decrease

He strips me, oh He cleans out everything of me and puts in everything of Him. Lately I've been frequently reminded of this. But its way cool because with less of me there's more of Him. Which means He's the one leading, making the calls. Guiding. being my Shepherd. calling my heart. and I love it, because when He is consuming me and taking over and invading my life there's fruit and I see Him sooo much in my life and its a beautiful thing. absolutely gorgeous! My desire is for Him to be the core, the center of my very being, everything that I am is simply Him. Its a fabulous place to be, praying that He would cleanse my heart and make it pure and then He does.

So I challenge you, I dare you. triple dog dare you!!! Ask Him to examine your heart and take out everything thing that's not of Him. Let Him increase as He decreases you. its great, I promise!

John 3:30

pics to go with previous blog!

yall just make me giggle a lil!
red raider football!

would you like some salt & pepper.

restless heart with a lil salt and pepper

Lately my heart has just been restless, anxious, nervous as if something is wrong or about to go wrong. just got this weird feeling in my heart. as I've said numerous times to my roommates, "my heart feels funny" But I have no idea what its about: school, Germany, relationships, church, where I'm at.. i just don't know. But somehow God takes my uneasiness and invites me into His presence and shows me how to love Him even when I have no idea what's going on, no answers and not even any clues. To be satisfied that He alone is God and He is forever seated on His throne surrounded in His glory. and to know that in Him I will find direction and PEACE. oh peace that is so overcoming and transcends all understanding!! I know He's holding my heart and life ever so closely right in the palm of His hands and loving me with every ounce of who He is..

"...... There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." Matt. 10:26

on a not so serious note. we had a great time on haloween at our wonderful little home :) me and Kaylan were salt and pepper shakers and we had a few funny funny moments to say the least. for starters garrett trying to make our foil tops to go on our heads... haha and then when we tried to manage for someone to pick us up and "shake us" for a pic oh oh good times. along with some thrown candy, goldfish dumping and football watching. good day i'd say. love you guys!!

I believe more and more that God is faithful. And when we call on Him, He answers without failing and i just love it!! Glory to God forever!! for He is good, faithful and He provides.
just some pics from my the fun times lately. a little tech & a little fam. <3

Little bro after football game!

funny moment when garret tried to take a pic too soon! haha


love this pic of me and maymay!! :D

umm just a note this is my bestest friend in the whole world and I absoluetely adore her! she's fab and loves football!! :)

Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..."

love must be sincere. do nothing out of selfish ambition.

well i went home this weekend. watched the lil AD play football. shopped all day with mom. talked football with dad. and went to my favorite little country church, Paradise Baptist church. The past few weeks God has really been pressing on my heart to intercede in prayer. not so everyone knows and definitely not for me to get involved or take things into my own hands. just to pray specifically. this was a bit hard to hear at first. I don't really want to intercede. its hard & messy for me. easy to get my emotions wrapped in it. not fun for me. and He kept saying I just want you to pray! Thursday night it all began coming together. "love must be sincere" and "do nothing out of selfish ambition" God said, I want to see this is your prayer life! to pray because of love, true agape, Christ love. and completely free of selfish ambition. don't pray so you can see reward or so you can be recognized. umm... ok God. yea I can't do that cause its weary, hard, hurtful, just doesn't sound good to me. wrong thing to say. Yes, Ashley YOU ARE and I am going to help you. As I began to let this rest in my heart a little, I realize how much more I have to lean on Him! then its gets good! i walk outside in little Caddo Mills TX free of the muck of city and look up at the stars. Oh my its gorgeous!! absolutely THE BEST!! I let His beauty captivate me and steal all my attention as He says, " Ashley, the very hands that orchestrated the stars, the fingerprints that leave such remarkable imprints of beauty. they're the same ones that are holding your life every moment, every action and every PRAYER!" wow! He's good. way good. the drive home was long, but good to let this whole idea really digest. to truly accept His command and decide to be obedient. I was broken that I had been so shallow in my prayers, yet overwhelmed at His forgiveness. As He said, yea you're unworthy, but Im not letting you go anywhere without me. holding you. pursuing you. loving you.

the beginning.

well here it is i've been sucked in.. thanks gare and matt! haha. but really there's just been lots on my heart lately that I've wanted to somehow share and decided this would be perfecto!!

The title of this blog is love encounter, mostly because that's what I've had. with Jesus. It has totally changed my life and His love is what continues to change me. It is the most powerful thing I've ever known. His love overcomes ALL things and brings me to His feet over and over. His love makes me forget my regrets and know His forgiveness. His love drives me to share. to live. live abundantly. plain and simple I've had and continue to have a love encounter!