Allison Marie

Today, Allison Marie (from All Things Allison) shares with us thoughts on God leading, how we can strengthen our faith through exposure, and about how she has been sponsoring a child, and what that means.

Inspiring biblical passage of the moment: The verses that have been inspiring me so much lately are Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Life is so crazy, and honestly, we do not know what is best for ourselves.  But God does, and He is so faithful to lead us when we trust in Him!

Spiritual growth focus at the moment: Trusting God has been such a huge spiritual growth focus at the moment, obviously.  I am just finishing up my senior year, so all year I’ve been praying about what to do in the fall.

To be honest, trusting God has been hard. I’m a planner and want to just know what I’m supposed to do!  However, every time that I put my trust in God for future plans (read of another instance here), He is faithful.  Everything works out in HIS timing, and HIS plans are so much better than mine!  He has led me to go to a small Christian college, 45 minutes from my house for elementary education. I still have to trust Him that it will all work out, but the journey has been full of so much spiritual growth so far!

Profession: I am a student (soon-to-be elementary education student!), and I also work part time at Chick-fil-a!

A one sentence bio of yourself: I am Allison Marie, a student that loves Jesus and matcha, helping other girls glorify God through their lifestyles!

When did you first encounter God and how did you encounter Him? I have grown up in a Christian home my whole life, but I truly first encountered God when I was 4. I was listening to a children’s Christian music CD, and knew in that moment I loved God and wanted to go to Heaven. I know now that being a Christian is so much more than just going to Heaven, but that was when I decided to truly put my trust in Him!

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? My Intercultural Communication class for school, other’s blog posts, books, podcasts, Christian music, and just studying the Bible and prayer journaling have helped me grow spiritually, in this season of my life.  Reading and listening to other’s thoughts have been so beneficial to my walk with Christ. We live in an awesome time where all of these resources are at our finger tips. Use them and dig into them!  Sometimes, I have found that I don’t agree with what I’m reading or listening to, but it has helped solidify what I do believe. Always go back to the Bible as your foundation for truth!

“Sometimes, I have found that I don’t agree with what I’m reading or listening to, but it has helped solidify what I do believe.”

Just read/currently reading (and what has it taught you?): I had the pleasure of being on the book launch team for Love Defined by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird, and wow was it good!! It really just put everything that I believed about love and romance into a book, plus answered other questions I had. It taught me so much about thriving in my singleness and also how to know if a guy is “the one.” I’m not even saying all of this because I was on the book launch team, but because I sincerely loved it.

Top three essentials: My top three essentials are my Bible, phone, and planner!

How did God speak to you recently? God has spoken to me about just drawing closer to Him. To be completely honest, it can be so easy to just go through the motions and blog about amazing things, but not truly be thriving in my own relationship with God. I’m helping others grow closer to Jesus, but not taking the time to do it myself. I have been so convicted of this recently, and have been putting my relationship with God as my top priority!  So thankful that God constantly pursues and convicts us.

Hobby: Blogging is a top hobby for me, but I also love exploring new towns and restaurants. Can that count as a hobby?

Top three practical tips for staying spiritually strong: Such a good question!  Okay, 1) Read the Bible everyday.  It sounds so basic, but the Word is God (John 1:1). Spending time in the Bible helps us grow closer to Him and teaches us who He is.

2) Find a method of prayer that works for you.  Is it prayer journaling, prayer cards, a written list, or just praying freely?  Once you find what is best for you, it will help you focus.

3) Do not neglect community.  It is so helpful for staying strong spiritually, as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).  Attend a Bible study or find a mentor!  And don’t forget to find a solid, Bible believing church!

Favorite person in scripture? That’s hard to choose! Honestly, Jesus is my favorite, as I love how humble, loving, and kind He is. I’m not even trying to be cliché here, I just love reading about how He reacted and how He treated those that hated Him!  He is such an amazing example.

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? When people look at me, I want them to see how loving and compassionate Jesus is. There has to be rules and justice, but so many people do not see the loving side of God.  He is waiting with open arms for every person to come to Him with childlike faith!

Favorite season? I’ve always liked fall the most, as I love the fashion, apples, pumpkin spice everything, and crisp air. But lately, I’ve really loved summer!  No school, beach trips, warm sun, and watermelon!

Favorite holiday? Definitely Christmas!  Always has been and always will be!  I just love celebrating Jesus’ birth, all of the festivities, and getting together with family.

A dream you have? A dream I have is to one day adopt. I love kids and want to welcome children into a forever family where they will experience God’s love!

A special tradition you and your family engage in or keep: Every Friday night, we go out to supper as a family. It is something so simple, but I’ve always looked forward to catching up with my family on Friday nights and just spending time with them.  Oh, and the food is good, too!

Question you will ask when you get to heaven? I don’t know that I’ll have any words when I first get to Heaven, as I’ll be so in awe, but once I get my voice back I want to ask Him what it was like to come down to earth as a man. I mean, He left Heaven to live with us!

Thing you want to raise awareness about: I would love to raise awareness for children in poverty.  There are so many kids that don’t have basic necessities and haven’t heard the Gospel of Jesus.  For the past year and a half, I have sponsored a child through Compassion, and I recommend it to everyone! I love how Compassion does not create dependence on Americans, but they give the children the tools they need to succeed on their own.

What do you usually do before 9 a.m.? Before 9 am, I normally eat breakfast, read my Bible, make my bed, and get ready for the day. If I’m working that day, I leave for work. If I’m not, I start working on school (I currently take online classes).

What is on your nightstand? On my nightstand, I keep the book I am currently reading and my phone charger. I wouldn’t keep my phone charger by my bed, but I use my phone for my alarm.

Define Christianity in a sentence: Christianity is Jesus, seeing that the world was without hope, coming down to earth as a man, dying a sinner’s death, and reconciling us to God, making a way for all to come to Him, all with love and compassion.

For more Allison Marie:

Blog: http://allthingsallisonmarie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthingsallisonmarie/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/allthingsallisonmarie/boards/

Until next time, keep witnessing!

XOXO