chasing sunsets with jay

We often cheat our spirits and souls when we chase after TEMPORAL things!! We stretch ourselves further than we are able in order to satisfy only temporary desires. Our goals, hopes, and aspirations expose our sincere desires and what we value most.

We are doing something wrong when Christ becomes secondary to our mortal goals and aspirations. Do not demote god or allow selfish, worldly desires to trump his goodness. And when you do fall short or are approached by failure to succeed in your desires, don't give up. Bring your desires to the Lord and lean on his strength. Don't allow fear to paralyze your faith.

So I hope you internalize this-DO NOT CHEAT YOUR SPIRIT. Chase after celestial and righteous desires because only then will you experience a heavenly rest.

Today i'm inviting all who are willing to- go against your nature and be grateful for suffering. God doesn't condemn you with your trials, instead he's calling you higher. he wants you to RISE.

I believe joy, contentment and peace can coexist even in times of suffering.

The way you react to suffering proves a lot about your character!!!! In the act of avoiding pain and suffering you're causing more heartache. In your suffering, replace resentment with humility and look DEEPLY for the good!! don't procrastinate your healing!! "You can overcome a trial, the MOMENT you decide upon it"-Jimmy Baca

A way we prolong our suffering is when we dismiss christ, and that brings more pain! So rise up from your heartache and suffering. The sooner you invite god in, the sooner you can overcome that suffering.

Every year I feel like a new person and creature of spirit as I celebrate another year around the sun. And I think that is what this life was designed to be, one of constant change and growth!! I'm grateful for my belief and knowledge of progression. It's a beautiful mindset to know that I don't need to be complacent with where I'm at but I can take every day as an opportunity to see what truths I need to learn in order to be refined into a new character. Tune in to today's episode as I dive into and explain all the truths God has placed upon my heart in my 22nd year of life. They are heavy and beautiful and so raw, I hope you will enjoy them! And even better I hope you will learn something new that will refine your character!

ROSES

God is sprinkling goodness throughout all walks of life and ALL He is hoping is for us to identity Him in the ROSES. A life of smelling the roses is one of RELIEF. We should be willing and ready to de-root ourselves from our poor tendencies and live in God's will. It may seem exhausting-the idea of always looking for the good but i have found the most REST in this habit. Our eyes are then opened to goodness more and it becomes easy for our eyes to realize GOD. I invite you to allow yourself to have an OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE AND SINK RIGHT BACK INTO YOUR SOUL so you can feel and embody the roses in front of you. Refrain from the defense mechanism where you avoid nurturing or creating a relationship with Christ by filling your agenda with anything BUT Him. When you're approached by an interaction that proves God's goodness, do not look over it or focus on another aspect of the circumstance!!! Allow that to lead you to a relationship with him. There are ONLY benefits from a relationship with Christ.

Now it's no surprise that our attention span in this generation is very poor but this got me thinking- how poor is my attention span with God??? Our mind is over consumed by so much!!! So replace all that baggage with GOD MOMENTS! When social media is the only thing we indulge and crave, our minds lose sight of the roses all around!!

One wise man by the name of Justin Bieber once said: "you can't fly until you allow yourself to fall". We have to be willing to soar in our circumstances—to take that risk even if it means we make a mistake or fail because that is what this life is about. If we don't, we may sit in regret or a "what if" mindset forever. Don't be complacent and settle where you are, always be seeking more. Risks allow you to discover who you are and what your divine nature truly is. We are in a fallen state, we are here to make mistakes and learn so that christ can RIGHT OUR WRONGS. I please with you today—don't lose the chance to see the roses.

If you love the Lord, to properly express your love, you need to change your ways. We must actively and constantly nourish our relationship with him, and when it deteriorates, God is not the one to blame. Our god is a relational God, all he does is motivated by the connection he seeks from each of His divine children. It is our responsibility, obligation, and honor to seek him and in all ways acknowledge him. He gives us second, third, fourth even unlimited chances to grasp onto his irreplaceable love. To reach a more intimate level of love, we need to change our hearts, thoughts, behaviors, habits, actions, and ultimately our character. My changed heart has healed my soul and healed my relationship with my Savior and Heavenly Father. This podcast is my attempt to call you higher, I call you to change TODAY. I pray you reflect on the area in your life that would benefit from change. Your habits are directly correlated to the way you view yourself so in order to transform your character, you must first acknowledge WHO you are as well as WHOSE you are. You belong to a loving and gracious God. Remember that we may never be able to repay Christ for the incalculable price he paid for our sins but we can come close by CHANGING OUR WAYS and keeping that change.

Mark 5 holds a tender story!! Miracles happen to those who MOVE. This sweet lady's soul has been suffering for 12 years with a blood condition that no doctor could comprehend or diagnose. She was cast out of her society because of this—something she cannot control. Well she controlled what she could, and when she found out Christ was passing through her town she MOVED in her faith and by the touch of his garment, she was instantly healed. Christ assured her "Your Faith hath made the whole". Even though she may have felt empty, she was whole and complete because of her faith and trust in the Lord's ability to heal her. We cannot just sit around waiting for miracles to occur in our lives. When we move, miracles happen.

One of Christ's love languages is service and the manifestation of His power through miracles. He seeks to deliver YOU a miracle. He will praise his current endeavor in order to minister to you, that is how fragile you are to Him. You are delicate to him, and so are His miracles.

Timing is such a divine concept that God has mastered, I mean considering He is the creator of all things. In my study, I was impressed with John's obsession with the concept of time, so much so that he referred to the idea 35 times in his gospel. Obviously, that is proof that time is valuable and something God was preaching to be important. In these chapters, Christ used repetition as he cried "My time has not come" five times. I know I am not the only one guilty of sighing after receiving this answer from God. We want our timeline to surpass the Lord's because we falsely believe we know best. When in reality, our Father in Heaven has established a beautiful and divine plan for each of our lives. He is the author of our story. As we humbly surrender to God's will and timing, we learn and get a taste of the blessings that come from yielding to heaven's pace. I know many of us are in a waiting season but need I remind you that even when we are waiting, God is working behind the scenes. He is in the details of our lives, He is refining you, and His timing is the most precise and true thing to come to pass. He will not place you somewhere where your spirit cannot dwell comfortably, so allow this season to be one where God transforms you. TRUST IN HIM. IN HIS DIVINE TIMING AND REDIRECTION.

Our God is irreplaceable. The answers, destinations, careers, people, and direction we seek all lie in the Lord's hands. Yes, we may have imperfections, faults, doubts, and deficiencies BUT our God is ALmighty, Sufficient, Omnipotent and so Honorable. He will deliver us, that is inevitable but we may need to persevere and endure with patience in order to arrive at our desired outcome and mountain top. We put so much pressure on the Lord to give us the answer we seek immediately rather than by his divine timing. God will always give you the answer, He will never leave you comfortless and lost for more than your spirit can handle. I have noticed that when change approaches my life, that means the Lord needs to redirect my path. Maybe even reroute my GPS. Wait upon the lord with patience, knowing that you are in good hands. The Journey is much more important than the destination. Promises, blessings, security, and hope await you as you endure your current adventure.

We were created to feel. Think of Christ. He felt every emotion we have or will feel in this life. All these emotions being amplified. He sunk deeper than anyone ever have or ever will so we don't need to. He was alone and so far from the "norm" in the world yet He had the greatest impact of anyone in this world. Our feelings are little compared to God's greatness!! They are only here for a small moment, but Christ's enduring love is eternal!!!! I know that as we break down our walls and be vulnerable to the feelings God placed on your heart—they are BLESSINGS not a curse!! Separate yourself from the crowd and designate time to feel! Be grounded in your thoughts. We weren't made to BELONG in this world, We were made to dwell in a celestial kingdom. This is a preparatory state which prepares us to live in the presence of our God. So do not get comfortable- don't be comfortable in scrolling and the toxic trends of the world!!!! Do not conform to the world but be TRANSFORMED by god. Join me in EMBRACING all our feelings!!! Face them with confidence of all that God can do to transform them to beauty!! Channel all your energy to Christ!!

Feeling Hopelessness is unexpected as a disciple of Jesus Christ, considering that the restored gospel ultimately brings hope and clarity in this life. It is a foreign concept that often tempts us to bury this feeling instead of confronting it head-on. A lesson I learned in overcoming this valley was that this life is horrible at moments, horrible things occur even to righteous, faithful people. But the goal when we experience these difficulties is not to be happy in them but in turn, the goal is actually to FEEL the horrible. We need to embrace the cards we have been dealt in order for the atonement of Jesus Christ to take effect on our lives. When we are actively pursuing a god-honoring life, hope is never lost.