𝔅𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔤 ℑ𝔫 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔑𝔢𝔴 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯

We've made it a week into January! I don't know about you, but this year has already felt better than 2019. I celebrated the new year in Atlanta, Georgia at the Passion 2020 Conference. If you are 18-25 years old or even an adult who can go with a college group GOOOOOO! This was one of the best experiences of my life. I got on a bus in Terrel, Tx with my church in Lubbock to drive to Atlanta Georgia at 11 pm and we arrived in Georgia at 1 pm the next day. All together passion last 36 hours, two half days and one full day. 60 young adults and church staff from First Baptist Lubbock spent over 36 hours on a bus just to experience passion.Passion started on the 31st and ended on the 2nd. Passion went through the night on the 31st. At first I will admit as midnight got closer and it looked like Passion wasn't going to do anything for the new year...I was bummed. But, man let me tell you...God sure showed me. I don't think I have ever sung louder or smiled harder as we sang to our Lord and Savior through the new year and fire workers went off inside the Mercedes-Benz. If you haven't seen the video of this moment on my Facebook I highly recommend you going and watching it. I truly can not wait to go to Passion again and now know all the fear of missing out on New Year's eve with friends I thought I MIGHT have was truly gone the moment the clock struck midnight. On day two Sadie Robertson gave an amazing short sermon on where we find our peace, happiness, purpose, etc. We get so caught up in trying to find these things on social media, we scroll and scroll expecting to find comfort from jealousy, envy, feelings of missing out, feelings of not being good enough, and greed. Then we wonder why we can't find peace or happiness in our lives. We have to start digging into the Bible and we will be on fire with peace, happiness, purpose, and much more. Because God is good and works in funny ways sometimes, I came across this tweet on twitter and it has become one of my mottos for the year. I encourage you to write it down or put this quote somewhere and take back this year from social media and give your desires to God.

After Passion, I spent two and a half days in Plano before I made the drive back to Lubbock. I got to spend time with Ryan (my brother) and meet his girlfriends' new dog, Bailey. She is an 8 week old Great Pyrenees, basically just a ball of fluff. It was refreshing to see Ryan's new apartment and life in Ft. Worth. God has truly opened so many doors for him and led him into a new decade of life. Over the break, I contemplated my job back in Lubbock. I started an internship back in May with a fun entertainment company local to Lubbock. But, I felt a lack of purpose and unsatisfied at the end of the year. I had surrounded my self with negativity and I wasn't growing as I wanted too. So, my first day back in Lubbock I quit my job (Respectfully). I felt a huge relieve instantly lift off my shoulders as I told my job I felt my time was up and they had taught me everything they could. I felt a peace inside of me knowing God had a plan. I didn't even have a job set up, but I was and am trusting in his plan. Like I said a minute ago God is good and does AMAZING things. I woke up the next morning to an email from an event venue in Lubbock (I had shown interest in May) emailing me about an opening in their internship program. Now, I have no idea if I will get the job and what will come of it, but I couldn't help but look up and just say a thank you. I can be a very calculated person, as in I would never quit my job without already being hired elsewhere. I would never step out of my comfort zone unprepared to be uncomfortable. But, I did just that my first week in Lubbock. I am becoming a new and better Olivia. I am changing my relationship with God and I am going to do things better this year. Change comes slowly, but with God it's timely. I have such high hopes for this year and what God is going to do in my life. I get to travel a lot this year and I am so thankful for that, If you know me you know I love to travel and have missed it so much. I graduate this December and hopefully, a couple more surprises will come along the way.

I have also decided to start something new on my blog.Doing my songs of the month. Basically a couple songs I have been listening too on repeat!

My January Songs of the Month:

Passion opened my ears and heart to some of the best songs I have ever heard. Here are a few of my January songs of the month!

GOOD GRACE - Hillsong United

This song was sung so much as Passion. In fact, it's the song we sang in the new year. My favorite part is "Clean hands, pure heart, good grace, good God". This song will have you lifting your hands in traffic YELLING worship to the Lord. Here are some of the lyrics

"Swing wide All you heavens Let the praise go up As the walls come down All creation Everything with breath Repeat the sound All His children Clean hands Pure hearts Good grace Good God His Name is Jesus"

LET IT RAIN - Crowder

I absolutely love this song. Also, 11/10 recommends seeing Crowder in concert...wow is all I can say. I love this song and everything about it! Here are a few lines of the lyrics

"And I know I can't trust in the things that I see In the things that I see All I know, He's at work and He's working on me He's working on me"

CHANGES - LAUV

This technically not a "Christian" song, but I like what It says. Because it's a new year and a new decade I feel this is a great song to start the year off with. The song talks about changing and how we are restless because we aren't changing things in our lives. Here are some of the lyrics

"They might drive you half-insane but it's killing you to stay the same but It's all going to work out, it's all going to work out someday"

Here's to a new year and I can not wait to see what this decade holds for you and me.

XoXo,

Liv