hello from Montana

Hey Lovelies.
This past Friday morning I jumped into a car and headed on a cross country trip to the beautiful state of Montana. I joined great friends to surprise their daughter, who is like a younger sister to me. I was her youth leader and throughout the years developed a beautiful relationship. We arrived last night around 8pm and the surprise was hilarious and sweet.

I am not a road trip kind of gal. On the contrary, 45 minutes is sufficient to make me go wild and grow anxious in a car. But I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought. It wasn't bad at all. We drove through Florida (obviously!), Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and finally made it to Montana. It was beautiful, though Missouri should be renamed Misery, because that's what it was, a miserable boring state to drive through. And inspire of a 4 day drive, it was pretty spectacular to see God's workmanship... anything better that the Florida flat lands!

Arriving to Montana was surreal and powerful. It truly is God's country. To see how perfectly detailed each scenery is, solidified my faith in God as Creator. He has vividly stamped His fingerprints and signature over nature. Each pine tree perfectly placed.  Mountains proudly standing higher than the clouds. Rocks upon rocks being sustained by the very breath of God. Crisp air. Calm and serene towns. Quietness that overwhelms you, and causes you to stop and listen for God. I wish I could bring you here.

This morning I have been meditating and thinking.
I don't need to ride cross country to be in quietness. I can purpose to have quiet moments throughout my day. It would have to take a sacrifice, a death of other pleasures, in order for me to be attentive to God. But cultivating a life in Christ is cultivating quietness, stillness, and purposeful discipline. I've just arrived at "God's Country" and it is proving to be God's teacher.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 

though its waters roar and foam    

and the mountains quake with their surging. 

There is a river whose streams 

make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells. 

God is within her, she will not fall; 

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; 

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;  

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done, 

the desolations he has brought on the earth. 

He makes wars cease 

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; 

he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us

 the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Enjoy the pictures from my phone (mostly taken at 80mph)

Lyrical Friday - The Art Of Celebration - Joy

photo credit 

Happiest of Fridays to You!!!

This past Sunday, my cousin treated me to see Rend Collective as they opened for Kari Jobe. I counted down the days to see them, and when the day arrived I was beyond excited. After their loud, rambunctious, and festive opening song they shared a thought that left: "We are not Worship Leaders, we are worshipers and the Holy Spirit is the worship leader." From that moment, the hype of seeing Rend Collective fizzled, and a greater emotion evolved for the worship that was about to come. For that hour I was an Irish worshiper, lol.

They released The Art Of Celebration, their latest album, this Monday on St. Patrick's Day... genius! (only $9.99 on iTunes) It's a gem!
The Holy Spirit definitely orchestrated each word, strum, and beat, to compile a collection of artistry and beauty. His fingerprints are all over the album, and theological truth is embedded in the core of each song. Thank you guys for not leading, and allowing Him to create something marvelous in and through you.

The story behind The Art Of Celebration (you will be blessed by this video.. yea, so don't skip it!)


Rend Collective has written a 7-day YouVersion Reading Plan, check it out:

A man learns a lot during the lead up to his wedding.

I learned that the women in my life have very strong, informed opinions about things I didn't even know were things.

I learned how to fake having opinions.

I learned that my family and friends are even more supportive, caring and generous than I had previously dared believe.

I learned that my wife still radiates grace and beauty when she's under stress.

And I learned that joy is a discipline and celebration is an art form.

You would think that joy and celebration come naturally and don't really require effort, as though they are our default factory setting. And I think maybe this was true until Adam and Eve made that earth-shattering decision in the garden. All I can say is that now there is nothing automatic about joy.

That's why planning a wedding celebration takes so much effort and preparation, and why "party planner" is a real occupation. If everything in our world is not perfect and there isn't an abundance of cake, balloons, fireworks and confetti, you just can't trust humans to choose joy. Since the fall, negativity and cynicism have become our "go-to" states of mind.

God knows this about us. That's why there are so many commands to celebrate in the Bible. Think of the Old Testament Law... God's people are told they must have a Passover feast, that they must have a "Year of Jubilee," that they must have a day of Sabbath rest. The Psalms are full of exhortations to sing at the top our lungs and jam out on the psaltery (whatever that is!). Even Communion, the time during which we remember Christ's sacrifice, is not a time of mourning. It takes the form of a feast with friends.

He wants us to choose celebration. He commands us to choose celebration.

I know we all experience heartbreak and sorrow. I don't say this lightly. But "the joy of the lord is your strength."

Even in the shadows and the sorrows, we always have a reason to sing. Even if it is the "cold and broken hallelujah" Leonard Cohen sang about.

Jesus and his gospel are still worth celebrating: choose joy in defiance of your suffering and lift up your trust as a song and an offering.

This is the discipline of joy. This is the art of celebration.

Joy, Rend Collective 



She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Money Issues... when God takes control

Do you ever feel that your financial life is in shambles? Do you have too much debt, too little savings, and no sense of control over your life? I was in that same situation twelve years ago. I lost almost everything due to my irresponsible way of handling money. Hitting bottom and hitting it hard was one of the worst and best things that ever happened to me.

The time had come to make dramatic changes...to put my hands to the plow. It was painful, but by God's grace, prayer, and applying the principles of the Bible, I made a 2-fold plan: (1) Cut Spending, and (2) Reduce Debt.

(1) Cut Spending - I cut deep and hard. No more going to the movies, or out to dinner, or buying clothes, or going on vacation. Just the bare necessities: mortgage, utilities, food, and gas.

(2) Reduce Debt - I cut up all of my credit cards. I kept one for emergencies and started using only my debit card. I made up my mind to incur no new debt! Then I listed all my debts in order from the smallest to largest. I paid off my smallest debt first, and as each debt was repaid, I rolled the amount I was paying to the next largest debt. I continued this strategy until all my debts were paid. It took me seven years and a lot of tears. But it was well worth it.

Sometimes God seems to place us in difficult places, leading us into a corner from which there is no escape. Perhaps this is where you find yourself even now. God can deliver you! Trust Him, and then put your hands to the plow!

Written by: Carmen Camino, She Ministries

hello march.

Hi Friends.
I am so happy to be feeling better and blogging.
I don't know who this is for, but since last week I have been wanting to share it here:

From Job 5:8-18
If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him.
He does great things, too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields.
He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.
He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed.
He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night.
He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.
But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
For though he wounds, he also bandages.
He strikes, but his hands also heal.

I absolutely loved this portion of scripture. I can't get enough of it.

My Jesus does great things, He performs miracles, He gives prosperity, He protects, He rescues, He gives hope, He corrects, He bandages and He heals. My Jesus can do all of that and so much more for you. If I were you, I'd go to my God and present my case to Him :)