By Grace...

My sister and I were talking a long time ago about what word from scripture really defined our life. My word, I thought, was hope. With my depression, I often feel hopeless. I need hope to help me get through those dark days. My sister’s word was grace. My guess for this was because she was the more “rebellious child” so she needed more grace than I did. The truth about grace is, we all need it.

My older brother recently preached a message about grace. It is actually the inspiration for this blog post. Sure, I knew about grace. I’m a good little Christian girl. Everybody in the church knows what grace is…Right?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, ^“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” I have known this verse my entire life. It reminds us that we cannot earn salvation in Jesus. We cannot earn our way into heaven. It is solely through receiving the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins that gets us into heaven. By grace, we have been saved through faith.

Okay, so what am I getting at? What are my thoughts behind this grace word? I have already accepted Jesus into my heart. I have received grace to be saved. Boom! It is done. One way ticket to heaven for me. But now what? I’m still here on earth. If I was created to know God, shouldn’t I be with Him already now that I have accepted His invitation to be with Him?

Grace. Why is this word so important? My life is not perfect. I am not a “good” Christian by the world’s standard. I do not like going to church. I do not read my Bible every day. I do not even always pray before I eat. (I know you are all gasping right now at what a horrible person I am). I know I could not possibly earn my way into heaven with my bad habits. That is where the importance of grace comes in.

I may not be a “good Christian,” but it is by grace that I can still share the message of Jesus with people. I am not being a hypocrite. I do not claim to be perfect, I do not judge those who are just like me (imperfect), I do not claim to know all the answers, and I do not pretend that I can do anything to make myself worthy of the title Christian. I am a broken vessel. It is by grace that my life story can still be used by God to show people His goodness. By grace, God can use me.

I often forget my value on this earth. I often wish I did not have to wake up every day. But I am blessed with a strong Momma and amazing sister that keeps me going when all hope feels lost. Grace. I am undeserving of the blessings in my life. Grace. I make mistakes that break the heart of God, but He still wants to use me. Grace. I mark myself unworthy of life, but I am given breath for every new day. Grace.

Grace should not be a word believers use to justify bad behavior. It also should not just be used to describe salvation. Grace is an outpouring of God’s goodness on His people who choose to receive it all day long. Throughout the day, grace.

We cannot do anything for grace. Since we did not do anything for grace, we cannot do anything to have it taken away. Grace is not about what we do or what we have done. Grace is all about what Jesus DID. Jesus’ death on the cross made us worthy of the outpouring of God’s grace instead of God’s wrath. Grace is a covering.

I need hope just as much as I need grace in this life. The grace of God is what gives me hope. The grace of God is what makes me loved. The grace of God is what gives me joy. Without grace, there is no reason for life.

For more about Grace and to hear my brother’s sermon, follow the link here. Be blessed and may the grace of Jesus Christ be upon you.

Long-Distance Relationships

Most people would say that long-distance relationships are hard. Normally, I would agree. The reason I would agree is because I feel the most loved when someone spends time with me. It is hard to spend time with someone who is far away. I have that issue with my older brother who lives in a different state and my roommate from Italy who lives in another state.

Fortunately, my roommate from Italy, Taylor, taught me how to stay connected in a long-distance relationship. She and I are still close even though we are miles apart. Here are some tips on how to make a long-distance relationship work.

First, you must set aside time to connect via phone call or Skype or Facetime. Texting is not an intimate form of communication. For me personally, texting someone every day is annoying. My life is not interesting enough to be in constant communication with someone. Also, life gets hectic, so set aside a specific day where you talk on the phone. That way, you can collect the information you want to share with your friend. Taylor and I talk on the phone every Wednesday. I look forward to that day of the week more than I do Christmas. It works well for both of us. If we cannot connect on Wednesday, we choose another day to communicate.

Second, plan visits to see each other. Phone calls are great, but being able to visit the person at least once in a year will help your friendship. Traveling is expensive, I know, but seeing your friend should be worth the effort of saving up funds to go see them. I have visited Taylor twice and she has visited me twice. It makes the travel expenses a little cheaper when you can stay at the house of your friend. Also, if you plan trips in advance, you can get the flights for cheaper.

Third, keep them in the loop. Just because they are far away and not experiencing your life with you, with technology, you can shoot them a text when something exciting or terrible happens. I still feel a part of Taylor’s life because she lets me know what is going on. I also shoot her texts letting her know what is going on with my life. We also use Snapchat. It is the little things that matter.

Fourth, do not think of the distance as a challenge, but more of an opportunity. My world has expanded because I know people in different states and in different countries. All relationships need effort in order to last. I’m probably closer to Taylor than other friends I have because I am more intentional about staying close. It is possible to do long-distance relationships. The world is a littler smaller thanks to technology. Use it to your advantage.

Fifth, the relationship should not feel like a burden to you. If it is too difficult or too stressful to keep a long-distance relationship, let life take its course. Maybe you will connect again later in life. Do not beat yourself up. You can minimize the number of times you connect on phone call or just talk once a year. I just recently started talking to a person I have not talked to in 2 years! They do not even live far away from me. People usually understand that it is difficult to stay in touch. Don’t hesitate to shoot an old friend a message. You may feel like nothing has changed between you at all.

Those are just a few tips that I have about long-distance relationships. I’m planning on staying friends with Taylor forever, and they have worked for me so far!

Shout out to Taylor for being the best! Love you!