*ummmm, yes I took a screenshot of my camera roll*
Morning, friends! It's officially fall and I couldn't be happier. I was already wearing the fall clothes, drinking pumpkin tea, eating the fall soups, taking the fall Instagram pictures, and of course getting my marshmallows and chocolate bars ready for bonfire nights ─ but now I can do ALL that without having to hide from those haters who can't start {fall}ing before September twenty-second (hehe - get it? get it?) Today is a special day for me ─ why, on this day two years ago; I set up a blog & put up my first lil' post. Though I've switched sites, templates, and titles, it's still Anna with the same content and one interior motive ─ and that's to lift others up & to speak joy while pointing towards Jesus. Growing up, my older sissy had a blog as well as my Momma. I'm going to link them here and here because if you wanna see tiny Casadys, that's the place to look. I remember looking at those blogs and thinking ─ "I'm gonna start a blog too! It'll have pretty pictures, be simple, but most importantly have biblical centered lessons for all girls, whether young or old." I felt almost as if God wanted me to, that it would please Him if I did. I say this a bit tongue in cheek because I didn't create my blogs because I felt that it was my life's calling. To be sure, I felt like it was a small job from God, like He wanted me to share His word with others ─ showing them Christ through my eyes. I sincerely believe that and am so pleased with how well it has turned out. Also, that so many of my friends, family, and even strangers have supported me so sweetly. Y'all are heroes and my friends whom I love so. I use to aspire to be one of those perfect bloggers ─ the ones that chat with their followers at least once a week. The ones that put a post up on the exact day of every week. The ones who write so flawlessly and have perfect profile pictures. But you know, that's not me. I leave my readers without a post for weeks, I write my posts at midnight, I have half a dozen half finished blog posts in drafts, I have typos big time, and according to my sissy, I look like I'm picking my nose in my profile picture. My aim is not to have a perfect blog though ─ my aim is to encourage you, help you, inspire you, and make you happy. That's the whole reason I started blogging and the whole reason I blog today.
God calls each of us by name & gives each of us a life's purpose. He does. Each boy, girl, woman, and man have their own special little thing that the LORD is putting them in charge of. The thing is, no one is listening. No one is listening for that small voice that is felt deep within our soul. Everyone is wrapped up in the other person's life's calling ─ they aren't paying attention to their own. I think if we all stopped looking to our left and right and just focused on God, a lot more would be done. The bible is filled with men, women, boys, and girls that the LORD called. People just like us, He used in awesome ways. Abraham was called by name on a normal day for him. Moses was called by name from a burning bush. Samuel was called by name in the middle of the night. Isaiah was called from His mother's womb. Mary was called by name and became the mother of Christ. An ordinary little girl was called from the dead, a girl just like you and me. You are called by name, dear one ─ "I have called you by name, you are mine." // Isaiah 43:1 ─ If these people had not listened to the LORD, if they had been too busy looking in the other direction, things would've been a lot more complicated. It's so hard to hear the LORD's soft voice in our busy day to day life. He speaks to us often, yet we are so occupied with our own little selves to pay any attention ⎯⎯ or we don't want to pay attention. Either way, He's calling us every day to do some small job that He thinks we are perfect for. I felt Jesus nudging me to start a blog when I was eleven, but I held back because I was a bit intimidated by all the amazing bloggers out there ⎯⎯ bloggers that were older than me and knew a lot more than me. Why me? Why now? I was just a scrawny toothpick, who would listen to me? I felt afraid and uncertain that this was something I could really do. I eventually started my blog ⎯ designed my template, typed up my blog title, and set up my profile. I started sharing my story and *boom* I was a blogger. I felt the LORD guide my fingers with each post I wrote, I still do. When the LORD calls us to do something, He doesn't leave us alone to do the job. He helps us, guides us, and I'm pretty sure says ⎯⎯ "well done, well done." Friends, don't miss out on a job God's giving you because you're focused on someone else's job or you're focused on a job that you've given yourself. The job God has waiting for you is just perfect for you. Not for someone else, for you! Just you! Whether that's blogging, serving others, writing, teaching, leading, following ⎯⎯ that job has your name slapped on it; and you can do it. I promise.
I'm actually in shock that it's already September. I mean, I blinked and June, July, and August flew by. Summer needs a speeding ticket if you ask me ⎯⎯ it is totally illegal for a season to go by that fast! This past summer has definitely been the greatest of them all. Can't beat rowing canoes in shallow lakes, blowing bubbles with a boy named Noah, dancing under Christmas lights with a guy named Micah, watching the 'Little Mermaid' with Disney's biggest fan, sweating up a storm in the hot sun with my favorite counselors, eating popcorn under the stars, skipping arm in arm with a fellow called Cal ⎯⎯ let me tell ya, I can't shut up about camp. One of the people that I grew super close to at camp; pulled me aside on the last day and showed me my blog that he'd pulled up. "Don't stop blogging, Anna. This is obviously a gift & a job that God has given you." ⎯⎯ I kinda gaped for a few minutes because you know, I never thought that blogging was a job given to me by Jesus. But it is. It is a job. How awesome is that?! Though life will get busy, I'll have my studies, my job, my camp, I will always be here blogging. Even if only one person finds my blog useful, I will be happy. I will always come back and write a post for you guys. Pinky promise.
Coffee & Scripturing:
while sipping my pumpkin coffee, I just want to share some verses that inspire me when I'm blogging or putting together drafts -
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the LORD, not men." // Colossians 3:23
"Seek God's will in all you do and He will direct your path." // Proverbs 3:6
"Many are the plans in men's hearts, but it is the purpose of the Lord that prevails." // Proverbs 19:21 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has planned for those who love Him." // 1 Corinthians 2:9
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes." // Romans 1:16
"Go everywhere in the world and tell the good news to everyone." // Mark 16:15
"When He calls you, He will prepare you." // Exodus 4:10
"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I finish the work assigned me by the LORD Jesus, the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God." // Acts 20:24
"Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." // Ephesians 4:1
"For God's gifts and His call can never be withdrawn." // Romans 11:29
"And I am certain that God who began the good work in you, with continue the good work until it is finished on the day Christ Jesus returns." // Philippians 1:6
"I press toward the mark of the high prize of God's calling through Christ Jesus." // Philippians 3:14
