My 100th Blog
Hello friends! Welcome to my 100th blog! What better way to celebrate such a big milestone then to go and read all of my past blogs? I have done that and picked some of my favorite sentences from them to share with you. I will be excluding all the series: Colossians, Ephesians, Blogtober, and 30 Days of Gratitude for the sake of keeping this post shorter. As well as the update blogs.
I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic when I reread my first couple of blogs. My blog has really taken shape over the past three months and I am just thrilled with how it’s evolved. I have also included the links, so that you may go and read the entire blogs of ones you are interested in if you so choose. I have also added a little note from me about the blog. (will have a little * beside it). I hope you enjoy!
Blog 1: A blog in the making:
I want to first off thank you for joining my blog. I so look forward to the adventures we will have together.
*And man did we have adventures! Past Ashley didn’t know the half of it.
Blog 2: My Calling:
I have deiced to write about what made me smile today on every post just like I did on the last post and is an ongoing theme of my blog in general. Not to mention the reason I created this blog is to fulfill some calling I feel inside of me to spread joy and the gospel with it.
*This is where I really decided to write about joy and what made me smile on every blog.
Blog 3: How failure looks different on your walk with God:
And when we fail, we learn something new from just trying, but we avoid what we failed in. Because failure lingers where you have already failed and sometimes it’s hard to try again. But we forget the outcome changes every time we try something. Now let’s define success. "The accomplishment of an aim or a purpose." But do we not find purpose in God? Is His aim not perfect? And in my opinion when you’re on God's agenda even when we fail, we find success.
https://hensleyashley222.wixsite.com/mysite-1/post/how-failure-looks-different-on-your-walk-with-god
*I love this! With God on your side you are never a failure.
Blog 4: A day that the Lord has made:
So hopefully I have inspired you to squeeze even a droplet of joy out of today. Joy is slowly draining from this world and getting replaced with hate, anger, depression, and other terrible things. If I can even add a pinch of joy back into the world through this blog; I will have considered it worth it.
*This is the blog that made me realize that I was truly in blogging for the long haul
Blog 5: Coming out of my shell:
Don't let something like this steal your joy away. Because social anxiety is fear. And fear is a liar. This is probably the enemy taking away your voice because he knows how powerful your voice could be and how much good it could do. Trust God and I promise you will not regret it.
*This one was about my struggle with social anxiety and coming through it with God.
Blog 6: Hope is my middle name (literally):
. The definition of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. Now I don't know about you, but desire and expectation seem like two totally different words to me. Expectation: being a strong belief that something will happen and Desire: being a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. So hope can be a strong belief or a strong feeling. Let's define those too. Belief: an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. Feeling: an emotional state or reaction. Now that I've defined all of these, I can help but think I would like to be on the belief side; Accepting that whatever I'm hoping for will happen instead of feeling it might.
*In this one I was trying to find a better understanding of my middle name for myself.
Blog 7: Take up your cross:
So, if you live your life devoid of Christ you will not gain an eternal life, and if you give up your life to God you will gain an eternal life. This is the case for anything you give to God. When you give something to Him; He will give you something better in return. And when we give our life to God is when we truly find it. It isn't easy to take up our cross, He never said it would be, but it will be worth it. And just because it is hard does not mean it will be devoid of joy. If anything, you will find more joy!
*When you give your life to God, is when you truly live
Blog 10: my faith shall be my eyes:
And you can have faith as small as a mustard seed and tell mountains to move (Matthew 17:20). It doesn't matter the size of your faith so long as you have it. In the big picture of all God's creation; the heavens, the earth, and the galaxies. We ourselves seem like specks. So a mustard seed is microscope worthy by comparison. But God says that's all it takes. And that tiny microscope worthy mustard seed of faith is bigger than all your fears combined! Does anyone else find that mind blowing? Just the thought of it puts me in awe of God. And is the reason I named this blog Faith Over Fear. I want to be reminded of this every day. And as told in our handy bible definition; Faith is the assurance about what we can't see. And in 2 Corinthians 5:7 it says, For we walk by faith not sight. So we must walk blind? Of course not! Just because we can't see what is ahead doesn't mean God can't. It simply means we must put ALL of our trust on God and He will lead us. Our eyes can deceive us, but God is trustworthy. That is what faith truly is. That is our confidence and that is the assurance in what we do not see.
*Another inspiration for my blog’s name: Faith Over Fear. I was also exploring what it meant to see by faith and not sight
Blog 11: Military Wife Life:
All this is just military wife life for you. It is hard but you have to support your husband so he can support the rest of the country. It's not ever an easy task, but God has me right where he wants me. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
*I am exactly where God wants me to be, no matter how hard things get.
Blog 13: Enjoy the little things:
And don't you worry, even though the next month and a half will be hard, I will continue smiling and telling you about it. Funny enough, finding my microwave was one thing that put a smile on my face. I don't even use it that often, but I am grateful I have it now that I've lived without. But isn't that how it goes? You take for granted what you have until you don't. Then you realized that nothing is guaranteed. It's a big eye opener. Even from something as simple as a microwave.
*Find something, no matter how small, to smile about.
Blog 14: Perspective:
You can't choose what happens in your life, but you can choose how you look at it. You can choose your prospective! So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). So we must lift our gaze to heaven because this earthly life is short-term. Switch your prospective from a earthly one to a heavenly one. When we change our prospective like this; We don't see things in the same light. Not only does this help us make the best of bad situations, but we see everything differently
There is a poem that goes; 'Watch your thoughts; They become your words. Watch your words; They become your actions. Watch your actions; They become your habits. Watch your habits; They become your character. Watch your character; It becomes who you are. So, I believe that it starts with the thoughts, the mindset, and the prospective. And from there it becomes a domino effect and can drastically who you are as a person and your walk with Christ. And I want to be like Christ as much as humanly possible. I want to make my heavenly father proud.
*The way you look at things is different when you shed that earthly mentality
Blog 15: Don’t Overthink, Just Write:
You know I've been really enjoying writing these blogs for you guys. I've always loved writing and use to write poems and little stories all the time when I was in my school years. I have a notebook that I wrote a story in from when I was 7 or 8. Now that I think of it, it's always been kind of an escape for me.
I've noticed I tend to overthink everything, and it causes a lot of stress in my life. But writing is the one thing I don't overthink. In fact, I think it does the opposite for me. I'm able to get things out of my brain and on paper instead of adding things back in. It really clears my mind.
I don't have to stick to a certain theme. I can just write. Thank you guys for letting me just write and thank you for reading my blogs. It means so much to me.
*Writing has always been a positive outlet for me, and it really helps me. I’m so glad that it has evolved over time and now I’m writing blogs for you.
Blog 16: My struggle with infertility:
I just want to share that even if things don't make any sense to us and seem ridiculous. God has his reasons and knows exactly why things happen. So, we have to trust him and I have to hand it over to him. I have to try not to look at everyone else's blessing and let the enemy have a foothold in that. I hated what that did to me. I became a jealous; ungrateful person. That's not who I am. I've always been someone who was so overjoyed for people. The enemy almost took that away and I could have become bitter. All because of things I don't understand and couldn't possibly understand. So why get so distraught over it? Why let it change me? Why let it take away so much when I can't change it?
I began to realize that I didn't deserve what He did on the cross; So how can I be mad about this. I don't deserve the clothes on my back, but he provided them; So how can I be mad about this. I don't deserve Him, but He died for me. He paid a debt that I could never pay. So how can I be bitter? How can I be so focused on this one thing; when He's already given me more than I deserve?
*This was the hardest blog for me to write. A little context behind this; in 2019 I found out, after over 3 years of trying to start a family, that I cannot get pregnant because my eggs don’t mature. So, I wanted to put it in a positive light and turn it into a testimony to share with you guys.
Blog 17: God made you to be unique:
But God made us all different. He crafted us to show individuality. He could have made us all the same. But He made us unique. Shouldn't we be proud of how God made us; right down to every flaw?
Why do we strive for perfection? God says that we all will fall short; It's human nature. And He still loves us. Shouldn't that be enough? Why not embrace who we are; Who God made us to be?
'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the will of God'. Meaning don't try to be like everyone else and let God transform you by changing the way you think. Then you can learn to know God's will for you. And that is the good, acceptable, and perfect.
So, don't feel like you have to fit in society's mold. Embrace who you are, flaws and all. But remember that there is only one whom is perfect and we are meant to be his hands and feet on this earth. There's not enough time in a day for us to hide who we are.
*This was as much to me as it was to you guys. We are our own worst critic, but God made you exactly how you are to fulfill your purpose here on this earth.
Blog 18: To where will you run?
There's a parable in Matthew. 'If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep then about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.' Matthew 18:12-13. If he is the Shepard in this parable and we are the sheep; That means He's looking for you and He will welcome you back with opened arms. He will not criticize you. He will be happy.
Take some time today to read your bible. Get back on the path with God. The bible says Jesus will come back like a thief in the night. We will not expect it. We never know how much time we have here on this earth. And God is so good. No matter what you've done. No matter what mistakes you've made in your life. He loves you. The one and only God LOVES you!
*God is waiting with open arms for you with forgiveness in hand
Blog 19: The joy of the Lord is your strength:
we know He takes great pleasure in all His works. And because He does all His works; We find strength from Him. Because He's God! Just think, if God didn't do/create works. I can't imagine that we'd exist. But because He's God and He does; We have the world as we know it. And I think God does also delight in us. He created us so we're one of His works right?
*In this one I was trying to find meaning in 'The joy of the Lord is our strength'
Blog 20:I will praise you in this storm:
I think the majority of the time I'm scared, it's because of uncertainty. But just because I didn't know what to expect; Doesn't mean God didn't.
*We may have uncertainty, but God doesn't. One of my goals for this blog is to expose fear and bring it to God so that He eliminate those fears. I want to live a life with Faith Over Fear.
Blog 21:Chewing gum:
I do feel like I'm always learning from God. It's like He gives me a little piece of knowledge to dwell on, one at a time, what I like to call 'chewing gum'. He lets me finish chewing one piece before He gives me another to dwell on. I think it makes a lot of since; if He opened my eyes to everything at once it would be too overwhelming for a human brain. My metaphoric jaw would surely break from too much chewing gum . It just amazes me every time to just glimpse into God's all-knowing wisdom.
*God gives me the piece of knowledge I need when I need it, to chew on
Blog 25: Think full:
If you zoom out and see the full picture; all of God's creation and all God's done in our lives. We can appreciate more. So if we think full we can be thankful.
He's been my rock though this. And what a rock He is; stronger than any earth boulder I could put my weight on. When I think to myself I have no one around; I have no one to talk to. I hear that whisper inside of me. I always have someone with me. I always have someone to talk to. Someone I carry in my heart. The only one who could fit in my heart yet be bigger than this universe. He's bigger than my fears. He's bigger than my faults. He's bigger than my circumstance.
*I really like things that most people would consider corny, but I love metaphors, analogies, and parables. Parables are my favorite parts of the Bible. I want to think fully so that I can be fully thankful.
Blog 34: Embrace The Grace:
The only reason we have God and His protection, and the armor of God is because of what Jesus did on the cross. We were condemned. We had no protection from the enemy, but now we are saved by the grace of God. And nothing can take that away.
And God does have so much grace for us. We don't have to earn it. It's there waiting for us to embrace it. Sometimes we feel like we need to strive for His grace and mercy. Like we have to fight for it or earn it. But it's already there. We don't deserve it. But Jesus paid our way in. He has liberated us.
*Grace is there waiting for you, just embrace it. It something that is hard to remember.
Blog 35:Purpose and Light:
Sometimes we walk through dark valleys. But Psalm 119 shows us where light emanates from. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. God's teachings, the bible, illuminates our path. His word will guide us through the darkness. He teaches us how to stay on the right path, the good path. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. (verse 101)
Doesn't He teach us so graciously? How sweet are you words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (verse 103) He does this for our sake. So we don't keep this earthly mindset. So we don't give into our earthly desires. So that we stay focused on what is ahead, instead of looking at what's behind. And most importantly that we keep our gaze upwards, to Him. Because that is when we truly live and where we find a purposeful life. It comes though Him; when we have a relationship with him.
This dark world is never going to make us feel fulfilled. Only with God do we feel true happiness. We feel the warmth from His light. We are no longer cold dead bodies aimlessly stumbling around in the dark, but we are revived warm servants following His light and fulfilling something bigger than us. We find elegant, divine, wonderful purpose. He opens our once shut eyes.
*I find it incredible that through God we are born again and because of that we are able to gain understanding and purpose
Blog 37: The only firm foundation:
You know I've noticed life can change at a drop of a dime. One moment everything seems perfect then suddenly it changes, and hard times fall on you like a cartoon anvil. One thing is for certain, change is a sure thing in life. That's why we need something stable to stand on. Like a sturdy foundation.
Without a foundation, when a flood comes, our house is picked up and moved down stream. Or, another analogy, suddenly a rug gets pulled out from under our feet and we fall. Sometimes we just crumble from the pressure and have nothing to build us back up. But if we have a sturdy foundation, we have those support beams in place. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
Ironically enough, God is never changing, so that foundation will always be there and no change will come to it. So, do you have a sturdy foundation or are you going to be floating down the river at the next drop of a dime?
*God has made me spunky hasn't He? It's that Holy Ghost fire.
Blog 38:My First Time Flying:
Right as we were landing near Tokyo, We saw the mountain peaks; right below those where clouds, then the mountains led all the way down to the ground below. Those mountains are so large, we had to go almost 13,000 feet to see the peak. But any mountain, no matter how tall, can be moved by God.
That might not seem that incredible here on the ground, but when you see it from an arial view, it's mind blowing. But if God can make those mountains move, there is nothing He can't do for you. Our problems may seem too big to ever climb over, but God can take that problem away in a heartbeat.
*I love how my life experiences can be a tool to describe just how much God can do!
Blog 39:Made with Love in Mind:
God put us on this earth with our own personalities to make our own decisions for a reason. We're on a mission to turn people to God, not by force, but with LOVE! That is the only way it could work. God made us to love others and to love Him. End of story. We were the ones that found sin and put it into our lives, our hearts, and into our world. So is there a God? Or do you think this world came together because of a 'big bang'? How can something come from nothing except by a creator? You have to bake a cake if you want one; it can't just appear in a puff of smoke. There has to be a creator if a creation exists. Period.
*Another spunky Holy Ghost fire moment! I kind of love it though. God is making me a little bit more assertive.
Blog 42: Squeaky Clean:
I'm just thankful Christ has us squeaky clean when it comes to our sin. We were washed white in His blood. Regardless, I want to strive to do better and turn away from sin where I can. Once you welcome Him in your heart, you have a strong urge to make your heavenly father proud. That doesn't mean I don't embrace His grace, but I want to do better and be like Christ. That is what being a Christian is about, after all. Jesus came and showed his disciples exactly what to do so they could teach others. In doing that He taught us.
*Washed in the blood of Jesus!
Blog 95:Seek his wisdom for he can see all outcomes and variables
He loves us all. He knows all of our names. Have you tried to remember over a billion names before? I can't even remember my own name half the time. That is a good way to scale God's mind to ours. He knows everything, we know nothing compared to what He knows. Yet we act like we are in charge of God. We say, "No, God I know what's best for me." But doesn't he know you inside out?
*Comparing God's mind to ours.
Find something to smile about today my friends! I hope you guys have enjoyed the 100th blog! I can't help but smile when I see just how my blog has evolved over time. Thank you all for reading my blogs and encouraging me.
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