Faith Shaken or Strengthened?

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with the power through His spirit in the inner man, and that the Messiah may dwell inside your hearts through faith. I pray that you being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think--according to the power that works within you--to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Ephesians 3:14-21

Why do you believe what you believe? When asked that question, what would your response be? I've been challenged this semester. In Philosophy of Christian Religion, we explored why we believed what we believed. In response, this is my decree:

I will choose to serve my God daily for the rest of my life. I realize now more than ever how much love is based on decision. Love IS a decision. Love isn't easy by any means. It is life altering. It is commitment. I will never have ample evidence to believe what I believe, but I have faith. This is enough. I am forever His.

Miss Mississippi College

Why in the world am I doing this scholarship pageant? Let me tell you.

Once a young girl realizes that they're not the most beautiful girl in the world like their dad has told them since they can remember, they look to the so called definition of beauty defined by magazines and media and they strive to be just like it.  After years of desiring to look taller, thiner, and so on and so on, I've come to a new conclusion.  I like the way I look.  I look at this pageant as a way to celebrate God's creation.  If I'm not mistaken, this wonderful powerful being knows exactly what he's doing.  This is my opportunity to say, "God, I praise You for making me in your image. Thank you." So Thursday night I'm going to offer everything I am for His glory. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Thank GOD!

Life and Love

Having lived life now for almost 21 years, I find it to be utterly and inconveniently confusing. Quite honestly I'm extremely perplexed by it all- every bit of it. It seems like everything is so uncertain. As a woman it is instinct to desire security. Sadly, life doesn't offer security. Really terrible things can happen. You can lose someone you love, people you love can choose to walk away, you can be physically injured, people can hate you, you can lose your job, wars can go on for years.... and so on and so on. What is my response to this? LOVE. I thoroughly believe as Christians it is a duty to give everything we have for the glory of God while living this life- every ounce of our being. My dad once said that he wanted to be all used up when he left this world. We have the armor of the Lord to guard us through this inconsistent life. By golly I'm going to strive to love with all of my heart without expecting anything in return. Oh the boundaries that could be broken with the courage to love with all of your being knowing full well that you can be heartbroken at any moment. Brave is the woman who loves with everything she has with nothing in return. What would life be like if I, Audrie Cirlot, gave up my life for the Lord? I would strive for the betterment of those around me. Would my world be a better place? I think so. You'd think by now I've learn that life isn't about me. As humans we feel as though we need everything to be equal, especially when it comes to relationships. Jesus Christ was far from striving for equality when he died for us. Just as humans and life are inconsistent, they are unequal. This life is dirty and sometimes painful but all together it's beautiful. Through pain comes strength.

Freedom

Freedom...What is it, and how do we acheive it? Maybe freedom is the ability to try something or be soemthing without the fear of failure or rejection. Who would I be without fear?
Freedom is a mighty powerful thing. It can cause pain and at the same time it can bring great success and joy. The freedom I'm talking about is the freedom that sends peace throughout your body because you're not afraid. It's confidence. It's contentment.
Where can I find this freedom? That's the amazing part...Christ. Christ gives you the freedom to be yourself, and yet he loves you anyway. My freedom is with me everywhere I go, if I could just take hold of it. I'm free to love and be loved. I'm free to take risks. I'm free to be beautiful and powerful. I'm free to be ugly. I'm free to fail. I'm free to cry. I'm free to laugh. Christ is my freedom.

Love Song

I'll exalt You, My God, My King
I'll praise Your name forever
I will speak in praise to You oh God
Let ever Creature praise You.

When I fall down, You pick me up.
When I am dry, you feel my cup.
How do I express my love for You
When a thousand words could never be enough?

I delight myself in You oh Lord
To give me my desires.
Only You can satisfy my soul.
I give you all I am.

When I fall down, You pick me up.
When I am dry, you fill my cup.
How do I express my love to You
When a thousand words could never be enough?

I love You, Lord
I give my life to You, Jesus
You set my soul a blaze.
Your love is running through my veins.

The "Music Major"

I consider myself lucky, or as my dad would say, "blessed". He is right. "Blessed" is definitely the right word. I'm blessed by a Savior who loves me beyond my comprehension and greatest imagination....I am blessed to have a passion that keeps me up at night dreaming of the next time I'll have a chance to express it. What is this passion you may ask? It starts with a few notes and is guided by rhythm, carried out by motives, contiued by tempo and steered by pure, raw emotion. It has existed as long as the Church, and can carry far more weight than any plain, spoken word. Music. A simple, five-letter word with so much power. It has the power to change people whether for just a short moment or and entire lifetime. It takes you beyond the mundane into a world of incandescent beauty. It can be breath-taking or awe-inspiring. It's beautiful. What would dance be without it? What would movies be like? Commercials? Travel? Church? LIFE?
Thank you, God for an outlet of expression that is so amazing!

Uniquely Created

Why do I spend the majority of my time trying to be something I'm not or perhaps striving to be someone I was never meant to be in the first place. Welcome to the life of Audrie Cirlot. After spending years worrying over the simplest things I've finally come to a realization. So, here's my chance to share it with you..Here's what I've learned: God created you uniquely to fulfill the plan he has for you. I find myself on a daily basis worrying about my failures and the things I'm not good at. We constantly compare ourselves to those around us believing they have something we don't. I am thoroughly convinced that God created me the way I am for specific reason. In return, my responsibility is to try my best and use everything I've been given to bring glory to Him. It's a slap in God's face when I consider myself ugly or not good enough. I was created in the image of Christ. What an honor? It's refreashing to know that everything isn't up to me (thank goodness). My only requirement is to follow Christ and give Him my heart daily. I want to be used by the Lord. Do you?