Truths

I have a tendency to be forgetful! Who doesn't? It seems like it's hard-wired in us to misplace our keys or our remotes, but the forgetfulness that I felt compelled to write about today isn't our tendency to forget our earthly possessions, but our tendency to forget the truths about who we are as God's creation.

I often find myself stuck in a rut; I get trapped in a cloud of anxiety and sadness because I suddenly find myself wondering what my purpose is on this earth, what God's plan is for my life, and why can't I figure out what it is.

But God's word has a lot to say about who he created us to be--we were created in his image! We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the same God who created the heavens and the earth, and holds our entire galaxy in the palm of his hand!

We can get caught up in the lie that we are small, insignificant beings that are just waiting around until we can figure out how to spend our time on Earth, but that is so untrue! Psalm 139 says, "...in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me..." God knew us before we even existed! He had our lives mapped out before--as my mom says--we were specks in our parents' minds! If we give in to the lie that we are nothing special, we are giving in to the lies that Satan whispers in our ear. The lies that tell us that God doesn't have a plan for us, that He's left us here to figure things out on our own.

It's inevitable. There will be times when we forget the truths about us, when we don't know where we are supposed to go or what we are supposed to do. But, let me give you some advice: when the truths seems so far off, remember what the Bible has to say about you. You were created in God's image, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, and your days are mapped according to God's will.

God's word doesn't lie about why you were created. It speaks nothing but the truth, and these truths are the things that make up who you are! Don't forget who you were made to be, don't forget who you were made by, and most importantly don't give in to lies whispered in your ear by a powerless enemy--listen to the truths that are yelled, loud and clear, by the God who tells the sun and moon to rise and set.

Arise, Shine!

I was driving through my neighborhood this evening, and my headlights were hitting the 

inch-or-so of snow on the ground; everything was quiet and peaceful and dark. In that moment the darkness was comforting. It was spectacular. The peace of the snow with the black of the sky sort of took my breath away.

I know that, more times than not, the darkness is not "comforting" or "peaceful" or any of the above adjectives; however, it's in the darkness that Christ's light often shines the brightest. 

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; 
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them light has shone. 
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy...
(Isaiah 9:2-3)

I've been starting each day with a short Advent devotion from the "She Reads Truth." I've always had a difficult time being excited about devotion only because I didn't know how to spend time in one. But, for the month of December I've made it my goal to dig deep and spend quality time in the Lord's presence.

Day 13 of this Advent devotion talked about how Christ is our light. He came through the thickest darkness and set us free, and I felt such a tug on my heart to sit here and write. I know that everyone's darkness is immensely different--some us may have been in our darkness for as long as we can remember, for some of us our darkness is a person or an addiction or you name it! We all have some form of darkness in our lives and in our hearts, and it seems impossible that we could ever be pulled from that scary place and into a place of light and joy.

The amazing thing about Christ is that he came as light in human form. He came to reach down into the deepest, darkest place in our lives and in our hearts and renew and reshape. He grabs us by the hand and breathes life and light! In fact John 8:12 tells us that:

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 
"I am the light of the world. 
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, 
but will have the light of life."

Jesus tells us that whoever follows him will NOT WALK IN DARKNESS. Now you might be saying..."yeah right, I've followed God my entire life and I'm still stuck. Stuck in this hole, and I feel like no one can pull me out." And to you who doubt I say (well I don't say Jesus says):

 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. 

In the world you may have tribulation. 

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33) 

Following Christ does not mean that you will be happy every single day of your life. It definitely doesn't mean that everything you face will run a smooth course; however, it DOES mean that you are blessed. You walk in the light of Jesus. His glory shines down on you and covers you with grace and love. You may find yourself in a dark situation, but Christ's glory still brings good things toward you. 

Jesus' light is one that is not hindered by Earthly problems. His light is one that is unending. To you who struggle in the dark: Arise! this darkness that envelopes and overwhelms seems like a curse, but think of it this way--this darkness only makes Christ's light brighter. This darkness only magnifies His glory. 

Choosing Joy

Well hi there! It's been a while, and I'm excited to share a little bit of what has been going on the past few weeks (and maybe share a few things I've picked up along the way).Since my last blog post...a ton has happened! I think the biggest thing is that I'm actually going to COLLEGE! 

I've accepted an offer from Westmont College and I'm beyond thrilled! For those of you who know me (or if you've been reading this blog for a while), you know that I haven't always been excited about heading off to college. At one point I was 100% against it! I didn't want to move away from my family, my church, my comfort zone; however, over the summer I went to California to visit Westmont and Azusa Pacific University.

To say that I had a change of heart after that trip is an understatement...I can say with total certainty that I felt God show up. I've been a Christian for a long time, and I've felt God do amazing things in my life, but I have never felt the immediate sense of peace that I felt while walking the campus of Westmont College. 

And while I am ecstatic about my future in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, I'm scared too. It is finally dawning on me that I am becoming an adult, and I'm going off on my own! Sometimes it is a little bit hard to feel excited about being pushed so far outside of my comfort zone, and I find myself sinking deep into sadness and pity...basically I wallow. It's kind of hard to admit, but there are times when I find myself wallowing in my own mess, and I forget to give it to God.

But isn't that what God tells us to do? Psalm 55:22 tells us to: 

"Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—
    he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out."

God is so ready and so willing to take our sorrow and our pain and our fear and what ever else we may be feeling. John tells us this, 

"I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

God didn't send His one and only son to earth so that I could stew in my own self-pity! He 
came so that I could have so much stinkin' joy! I'm not saying it's always easy to be joyful! Stuff happens...really gross, awful stuff, but God is always there. He's like our coach; we may make a bad play, or we may get hurt during a game and feel like life is just coming to a complete and utter stop, but he's there on the sidelines cheering us on! He's saying, "NO! I'm not letting you give up. I'm here. I'm your God. I'm your father. I'm your #1 fan."


As hard as it is to think of leaving my amazing family and equally amazing friends and my absolutely fabulous church, I've decided to choose joy. As much as I'll probably cry when the time comes for me to pack up and leave, I've decided to be joyful in the months that I'm HERE. As hard as it'll be making new friends in a new place, I've decided to be so content and so blessed for the time that I have NOW with my wonderful peeps. As much as I'll miss my church family, I'm so stoked to find a new church with a new "family."

My hope for YOU--today--is that you'll find your joy. The joy that God so deeply wants you to feel and cherish! I know that finding that happiness and joy may not be easy, but it is not just something that is going to suddenly pop up in your heart one day. You just have to choose it. Everyday you have to wake up and say, "gosh, today seems like the perfect day to be nothing but 100% joyful." Choose joy. Choose life. Don't wallow. Smile! It looks good on you!

If this doesn't look like pure joy then
I don't know what to tell you!

My Most Favorite Things

Hey y'all! It has been quite sometime since I've put my fingers to keyboard, so I thought that I'd do just that tonight! My brothers just went to bed, I have the Wicked soundtrack playing in the background (because I'm a showtunes junky), and the house is pleasantly quiet!

I know that sometimes the blog can be pretty serious, and while I do love getting deep and really digging in with you, I thought that tonight I would just have a little bit of fun! So tonight... I'm listing some of my most favorite things! People, food, songs, etc...there is no limit to the things that I consider my favorites!

So, in no particular order... here we go!


1) Chocolate chip cookies! I love baking them for my friends and family...I feel like they are the epitome of love and warmth and pure, wholesome joy. My favorite recipe at the moment!

2) Really cheesy, Christian, romantic novels. These are a total guilty pleasure for me. I know how every book will go, but somehow they suck me in every. single. time! Currently, I'm indulging in The Unexpected Bride by Debra Ullrick, and you know what? I just can't put it down, guys. I'm hooked.

3) My youth group! Boy, I get so unbelievably excited to hang out with these people every week. They are probably some of my most favorite teenagers! They have such passionate hearts for Christ and they are the best worshippers I have ever seen.

4) Bethel music. Enough said. If you are not currently listening to any of their songs... go! Click off of this page and go spend some time well-spent in worship with them!

5) My girls. I have gone on and on about these precious gems in a previous post, so I'll keep this brief. They are the bomb. They are the funniest, kindest, most passionate group of girls I know. I want to be like them when I grow up.


6) Obviously...mi familia! Oh man! These people...I think I'll keep them :) they are supportive, hilarious, and so so so much fun to hang with! Most of the time, I'd rather be with them than any other group of people!

 

 

7) The new Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish! I love getting the shellac on my nails, but it is pretty destructive to my nails and it is EXPENSIVE! I love this stuff because it's relatively cheap, and it stays on for a while! Plus, it's easy to take off without killing my nails!

8) My big spirit jersey that I received from my high school for being a senior. Boom. Perks. It's huge and unflattering and insanely comfy. In fact, I am wearing it as I type this, and I love it.

9) I went back and forth about this one... only because I didn't want to super embarrass my buddy here... hehe! But I decided to take Nike's advice and "Just do It." So, this is Amie. I allude to her quite a bit in most of my blog posts. And if I say one thing, its this: Amie is not just my youth leader... she's my mentor and my buddy and my big sister. She is one of my most favorite adults, and I just thought that that HAD to be shared.

10) I think I'll round it out with this one. I love this precious nugget. I've had the privilege to be apart of her sweet little life since she was 4 weeks old, and I have LOVED watching her grow into a beautiful, spunky, insanely smart two-year old! And her parents are super awesome, too!






*Well, I've hoped that you've enjoyed seeing just a few of my most favorite things and people! Also, Share some of your favorites with me! Tag pictures on Facebook or Instagram to @daylie_parks with the hashtag (#beautifullybrokenfavorites)

Haiti 2014 (#1)

As many of you know, In August I went to Haiti with Compassion International and a group of the most amazing, God-fearing, compassionate, energetic, and loving people I've met. I've decided since I was given 700+ pictures (taken by the incomparable Steph Trowbridge) I'd do a blog series that encompasses our entire trip!

We left Denver at 7:00 in the morning, and arrived in Haiti at 6:00 in the evening! It was a long day, but I was able to meet and talk with everyone and it made the day fun (I even forgot how tired I was!)

I won't say a ton about the first leg of the trip (I'll let the pics speak for themselves) , but I will say this: I LOVED meeting everyone. Many of them may have been 10+ years older than me, but they were so welcoming and encouraging! They made the week so much fun!

Reality

Hello Friends! It is somewhat late at night (late for me anyways), and what usually happens when I'm up late and my mind is swirling with seven billion thoughts? I blog. What I will blog about is a mystery...but as I said-I have tons of thoughts and nowhere to put them but here.

As I look back at some of my previous blog posts I feel as if I sound super chipper all the time. And while I DO try and be chipper, what I end up acting like is often the complete opposite. Have I really ever just poured out my soul to you? I have I told you my hardships without an "it's all cool, I'm all cool" shpeel afterwards? Sometimes I feel like I'm just sending out a small piece of myself-not my whole self, and if this is going to be a helpful and real blog, shouldn't I pour out my heart at some point?

That point may just be today.

The other night was Wednesday, and Wednesday means youth group. I love my youth group! My youth pastor is awesome, and the people are equally as awesome! (P.S. if you like parties you should put Wednesday, September 3rd on your calendar...my youth group is having a party.) Anyway...Wednesday was youth, and I asked my youth pastor if I could share a little bit about my experience in Haiti, and challenge the youths a bit!

I shared about JOY! Those kids in Haiti are so full of life, joy, and love, and I felt like that had to be shared. I challenged the students to be joyful even when the going gets tough! But as soon as I stepped off the stage I felt like a hypocrite. I sat down at my seat and was immediately filled with the complete opposite of joy! I was filled with sadness and anger and guilt because I had gone up there, put on a happy face, shared about joy, and then left feeling little joy.

I don't pretend to be a perfect person.I know that it isn't easy to be happy and joyful and chipper all of the time. I know that the enemy attacks and he seeks to kill and destroy. I know that 100% of the time, he's the one who puts those nasty feelings in my heart and in my head. But I still couldn't shake them. I felt like a bad sister because I had yelled at my brother about quitting football when I didn't know the whole story, I felt lonely because I'm still having a hard time getting over some emotional wounds I sustained last year, and I felt guilty because I had told everyone to be joyful when I wasn't.

My problem is that I expect so much out of myself. I guess I expect myself to be THE pillar of strength. But you know what? No one expects that from me. I'm an emotional teenage girl, and even though I sometimes feel out of place among teens, let's face it, I am one (tonight I watched a movie and so many emotions came out of me that I started sobbing. It was cathartic.)

As much as I would like to, I cannot be the strong one all of the time. I have perfected my role in my friend groups as the "mom." The strong, honest woman who would attack, with bear like strength, anyone who tried to hurt those I loved. I love that role. I love being the one my friends turn to when they're upset because on the inside I'm secretly a mom who wants to wipe their tears, tell them everything will be all right, give them a hug and a squeeze, and send them on their way.

I think I take that role too seriously. I've forgotten that sometimes I need to be held and hugged and be told everything is going to be okay.

The moral of this blog post is: sometimes I confuse pain and hurt with weakness. Strong women (and men) can hurt. God created us to be LIKE Him, not BE him! So maybe I should let God be the strong one sometimes. Hopefully I can get over myself long enough to let Him.

Grace upon grace

Hello friends! I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging this summer... partly because it has been a crazy and busy summer, and partly because every time I sat down to blog nothing came out! I couldn't put to words what I wanted to say--if I had tried it would've been a super confusing jumble of words that had no purpose.

But today, I felt a tug on my heart to take one more crack at it. It all started with a conversation that I was having with a friend. We were texting and she had apologized for forgetting to call me a few days ago! I responded with "don't worry about it" because it really was no big deal; however, what she said really took me by surprise! She replied: "you're so full of grace. I really appreciate that about your friendship to me!"

Something about me: it is often easier for me to give grace to others because I love them! I don't care that they made one little mistake because that's not WHO they are... it's just something they did. I don't expect the people around me to be perfect; I don't expect them to be the perfect friend because they're humans!

But her response surprised me because, lately, I haven't been feeling super gracious. I've been testy with family and most of all--with myself. I haven't been giving myself the grace that I probably should! I think: "wow, I could've done better, acted better, said something better, been a better friend, looked better, took better care of myself, been a better sister/daughter, etc." I've really put myself on a short leash! I've expected near-perfection from myself--something that no one expects from me!

God has given us undeserved, unrelenting, unconditional grace. A grace that it heaped upon us out of love. God KNOWS that we are not worthy of the grace that He has to offer, but he offers it anyway! Why? Because His grace makes us want to be better! When we see that the Lord has given us something that we don't deserve, it makes us want to show him that he hasn't made mistake in offering it to us!
The bible says a few (okay, more than a few) things about God's grace toward us:
"Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the [grace] of God."
{Romans 6:14}

"My grace is enough, it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness."
{2 Corinthians 12:9}

So, maybe I should take a lesson from God, and in part, from myself. I should be willing to show myself the grace that I am so willing to show to others, and I should willingly receive God's grace toward me without a thought of "am I enough?".

God's grace is so amazing. It is such a gift, and what's even crazier is that it's a gift we didn't ask for and one that we absolutely didn't deserve to receive! But He still gives it out every single day.