christian — Blog — Kristen Alexis Cave

How To Believe God's Promises Even When You Don't Feel Like It

Have you ever come across pieces of encouragement when you’re hurting or disappointed, but the encouragement just wouldn’t sink in because you felt so crappy? Me too, girl. Me too. Dealing with your feelings is never easy. It can be so easy and so tempting to let our feelings overshadow what we know is true.

For instance, earlier this year I was sitting on my bed reading my Bible just a few short weeks after I went through a devastating breakup. As I sat there reading, I came across several verses that were perfectly applicable to what I was going through at that point. These bits of encouragement were exactly what I needed to hear. But instead of clinging to the promises in these verses, I was paying way more attention to my feelings.

What My Little Sister Taught Me About Setting An Example

If having younger siblings has taught me anything, it's that someone is always watching you. It might be your little brother or sister. It might be your friends. It might be your friends' kids. It might even be someone who follows you on social media. Regardless, people are watching how you live your life. They're taking note of how you treat other people, of the words you use (and don't use), of how you spend your time and resources, and how you follow Jesus.

26 Things I Learned Before Turning 26

Yesterday, I turned 26.

Wow - writing that down makes it feel very real. Although, the lady at Chick-fil-A yesterday told me I look like I’m still in high school…so I guess that means I’m aging well? Either way, I’m now closer to 30 than 20. What a terrifying and exciting reality all rolled into one!

I’ve learned a lot in my twenties so far. In fact, I’ve learned a lot in life so far. So with that in mind, I thought I would follow Taylor Swift’s lead and make a list of 26 things I learned before turning 26. Here we go.

3 New Year's Resolutions Worth Keeping

I will say though, there are some resolutions worth keeping, worth sticking to through all the craziness of life. I can think of three in particular that have had an incredibly positive impact on me since I’ve started doing each of them. A couple of them are resolutions from years past, and one of them is actually one of my resolutions for this year. Regardless, I think they’re all worth sharing if you’re wanting to make 2019 a better year, especially when it comes to your faith. I’m a firm believer that your walk with God is the one aspect of your life that can make every other area of your life better. Or as my pastor likes to say it, “Following Jesus makes your life better, and it makes you better at life.” So if you’re sitting here at the beginning of the year, wanting your life to be better than it was last year, here are three new year’s resolutions you should not only make, but that you should keep, too.

Looking Back On 2018: Seeing The Purpose In Your Pain

As the end of the year approaches, many of us are starting to map out our goals, dreams, and expectations for 2019. Knowing January is just around the corner instills so much hope and excitement for what’s to come. But before all of the planning and prepping begins, I like to take some time and meditate on everything that’s happened over the past 12 months. December has become a month of reflection for me. And this year, more so than years past, there’s a lot to think about.

I started this year by hearing “no” about a job I had interviewed for as I attempted to pursue a career change. Another “no” came in March, and then another in April, and another in June. In February, my little sister experienced a ruptured brain aneurysm, leaving us all wondering if she was going to make it. Then a few weeks later, I was the maid of honor in a friend’s wedding, and while that was so fun, I once again wrestled with the doubting voice in my head that kept saying, “Is it ever going to be my turn?”

What Kind Of Legacy Do You Want To Leave?

I refuse to believe that I was put on this earth to just focus on myself and what I want to do and where I want to go and what I want to obtain. Jesus didn’t live that way. Mrs. Layne didn’t live that way. And I don’t want to live that way either.

Jesus’ entire life on earth was dedicated to ministering to other people and preparing the way for them to have a relationship with their Heavenly Father. He didn’t spend His time being selfish or self-focused, but rather He spent his days looking for ways to care for the people around Him. And if we are going to call ourselves followers of Christ, shouldn’t we have the same mentality about our own lives?

What I Learned In The Holy Land

The reason why I was wearing modern day Jesus sandals in the middle of the New York airport wasn’t because I was experimenting with my fashion sense. It was because where I was headed, the walks would be long, the weather would be hot, and the terrain would be dusty. And in true Kristen fashion, I wanted to be prepared. But what I didn’t know is that I never could have prepared myself enough to see and experience the places where those shoes would accompany me to.

For ten days, I had the opportunity to tour all throughout The Holy Land. I went to Jericho and Bethany and Capernaum and Galilee and Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I traveled all over the area, seeing with my own eyes places I’d been reading about and hearing about since I was a little girl. I got to see where Jesus lived and slept and walked and healed and preached and died. My faith came alive more in those ten days than it ever had, because these places weren’t just settings of stories to me anymore. They were real.

Is Your Comfort Zone Really That Comfortable?

I feel like a lot of times, being comfortable goes hand-in-hand with being stagnant. We get settled into where we are, and we don’t want to move because we don’t like change. We get stuck in a rut, living day-to-day without a bigger picture in mind. We stop dreaming. We stop chasing the things we really want because we’re scared they will be difficult or frustrating or disappointing…or dare I say uncomfortable.

But let me ask you something. If God is calling you to do something big, would you say “no thanks” because you didn’t want to lose your comfort and stability? A lot of us would like to say we wouldn’t, but in reality, a lot of us have avoided (or are currently avoiding) God’s call on our lives for fear of the unknown.

How God Used Hiking Up A Mountain To Teach Me About Walking With Him

As I was walking through the woods on Monday, I thought back on one of the other times I had gone hiking. Just like this instance, it was a requirement. I didn’t choose to go. It was part of a project for my Physical Geography class during my freshman year of college. And even though I didn’t particularly enjoy the experience, God taught me a few really cool lessons that day through that hike. I went back through my journal and found an entry I wrote right after that hike, and I wanted to share it with you.

Why Does It Feel Like God Is Keeping Me From Something Good?

How many times have you wanted something, and wanted it NOW? You just couldn’t understand what was taking God so long? Why did he seem to be taking His sweet time preparing the thing you were asking for? If you’ve ever had any of those thoughts, I want you to know you’re not alone. I would need way more than two hands to count the number of times I’ve asked these questions myself.

In The Midst Of Your Waiting, He Is Working

January 2nd. It’s the day when your alarm clock rings a little louder and more obnoxiously than usual. The day when a single cup of coffee just won’t cut it. The day that makes you wish you were still in college and had another week to sleep in and eat an undisclosed number of calories.

Nevertheless, I woke up on that dreaded second day of the year and prepared to face the day. (Translated: By some miracle of God, I rolled out of bed and managed to pour myself enough coffee to shock me back to life.)