this girl is on fire (quite literally...)

My sweet friends...Okay, so I need your prayers and thoughts. If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter you may have seen my pleas for prayer, but here's the deal: you may have heard there's this HUGE wildfire burning in So Cal... well, it swept through my hometown this weekend, threatening my family's home and beloved Ranch. Yesterday evening, in the dark of night, we drove down a bit into the town and I cannot describe to you the heartache of watching the place you've known and loved your whole life just go up in flames. I watched in horror as neighbor's homes became engulfed in flames, and with bleary eyes I wept and could only whisper, "That's someone's home...." 

I spent all last night packing up precious family photos, sacred keepsakes and irreplaceable items. Holding a mug with shaking hands and sipping tea as the police radio blared on and on with reports of homes threatened and streets blocked off. 

snapped this photo last night

Of course, I've kept totally calm and carried on actually, more like panicked and freaked out. This is not my first experience with a wildfire... and you non-Californians may not know how crazy wildfires can get out here in our dry deserty landscape...but back in high school, my family very nearly lost our home and almost all our land was burned. Blackened to the point it looked as though we lived on the backside of the moon. It was truly the scariest experience of my life. So, my heart is definitely concerned and I am certainly a little panicked, honestly. So friend, can you pray? The fire is literally within 8 miles of my family's home, and currently the winds are on our side, but please pray they don't shift. Please also pray for the precious people who have been evacuated, who have lost their homes, and who are afraid tonight. Please pray for the AMAZING firefighters who have worked tirelessly for days to fight this awful wildfire - they are heroes and I am so so thankful! 

I am reminded that God is in control.  I am reminded that Jesus said, "I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33)

This morning, I woke up, more thankful than ever to pour a cup of coffee and safely be home. I stood on the porch with our sweet dog in the warm light and thanked the Lord for the little things. I remembered His words in Scripture, "Be still and know I am God." (Psalm 46:10) and I realized afresh how temporary and short this earth is. How eternity is so much bigger and more important, and how things are just things and how they don't last. But souls do. I am reminded to love and to try to love well, even though I often fail. And to embrace this life and live it for Him, living it for the the things that matter and not the material things that can so easily slip away. 

It's a little bit of a hot mess over here (obviously) so if I'm not so on top of things this week, thank you for understanding. But thank you so much for praying for me, and for this little corner of the world. I'll keep you posted as the week goes on. I also want you to know that I know this fire is not the only heartache in the world... that Oklahoma is and has been experiencing such loss of late. And I know that each of you have your own personal losses and heartaches, and they matter oh so much to God... share in the comments below, if you'd like, how I (and we!) can pray for you too.

I am remembering this truth today: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor the present or the future, nor any powers, nor height or depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Love and thanks, dear ones. Live for what counts. And hug somebody you love today.

PS - just in case you didn't know, the title of this post is actually an Alicia Keys song I love.... Just so ya know I'm not just being totally inapprop. ;) Tryin' to keep things light in heavy times, friends!