"I've gone through the fire, and I've been through the flood. I've been broken into pieces; seen lightning flashing from above...but thru it all! i remember, that He loved me, and He cares, and He'll never put more on me than I can bear."

-Kirk Franklin

Ceasefire.

if but for a moment;
peace.
if but for a second;
tranquility
if only it were real
sustained
long-lasting
permanent
silence.

Syria announced the end of its 7-day ceasefire. I asked many of my friends/colleagues on social media to say a prayer for the country last week because as history shows, ceasefires are temporary.

Little did I know, the actual term "ceasefire" actually has "temporary" in its definition.

But this ceasefire, according to most news outlets, didn't even meet its objective which was to provide humanitarian aid to those trapped in the embattled city of Aleppo.  This is on top of a war that has displaced approximately 11 million people. That's about the amount of people in NYC and Chicago combined. Which boggles my mind!

Truth is, we are always looking for peace to balance out justice for the least, last and lost of our society.  And when a ceasefire ends fairly unresolved and without solutions, it's easy for many of us to give up hope.

But I believe in a God who "makes wars cease to the ends of the earth."  He's done it before and he will do it again.  So perhaps the right prayer isn't that we'll reach another cease fire, but that peace will come to Syria, and to the hearts of its people for good.

I also pray for countries like Germany, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, who regularly receive refugees from Syria and recognize the change that it has had on their population. May we continue to love those who are hurting and provide for those in need.

Today's Countries: Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Jarvis Island, Japan, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Jordan, Juan de Nova Island

                     

Let Hope Arise!

So I had a moment this morning where God had to come rescue me from myself and the enemy's thoughts immediately. I couldn't talk out loud, but in my heart I cried out "LORD HELP!" Yall, I almost broke down and gave in to Satan and his lies, but in Christ I found myself in the middle of that moment declaring that "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."

It's easy to look at my photos and think all is well. I like sharing my photos of travels around the world, and the amazing opportunities and people God has blessed me to experience. But I REALLY hope people aren't looking at my photos and thinking that I have it all together. No... I enjoy life BECAUSE of my challenges. I celebrate my small wins and great blessings even in the midst of my storms.

I have been in the middle of a MAJOR storm that I rarely talk about on any social media outlet, because of how close to my heart it affects. I still can't go into details, but basically I really wouldn't wish what I've been through over the past 3 years on anyone. But I know even my struggles were created for me to make me who I'm called to be. I'm still trying to figure out how much longer I've gotta sit in the middle of this fire, but at the same time, I love who I am today because of it. I hope whatever fire you're going through is refining you, too.

My girlfriends and I ziplining in the Costa Rican rainforest over the weekend :)

So today I pray for the personal storms that many of my friends and loved ones are experiencing both here and around the world. For I know that God draws near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. I know that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I believe that hope will not put you or me to shame, because God's love has been poured out to us via the Holy Spirit. And God has already demonstrated the height, depth, and width of this love through his son Jesus Christ, who, while we were in the middle of our self-created mess, died for us.

So my hope is not baseless, but empowered by the Lord and will get both you and me through today! Let hope arise!

Today's Countries: Guinea-Bisseau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands (no flag), Honduras, Howland Island (no flag), Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran

Connectivity

I hopped on a plane last Wednesday night and flew to Washington, DC.  A mere 14 hours, 2 brothers, 2 parents, and one memorable White House visit later, I took off again, back to Houston Hobby; only to switch bookbags, drive to Houston Intercontinental, and meet my friends on a (delayed! *surprise face*) Spirit flight to San Jose.

YES: I am already a card-carrying member of Team Too Much Int'l, Inc (TTMI).
Thx -Mgmt

When I landed in Costa Rica on Thursday night, I switched my phone off Airplane Mode and immediately the upper right-hand corner of my phone screen said "Movistar LTE."  When we hopped on the bus Friday morning to head to our weekend getaway on the Carribbean coast, my phone dropped to "3G."  By the time we were en route and far enough outside of San Jose but not yet near Limon, my phone declared that there was "No Service," and in an effort to save energy, I just sent my iPhone back to Airplane purgatory. It was still on, fully functioning as a glorified MP3 player, but it had no connectivity and lost most of its purpose.

I have been in many places where cell service has either been restricted (my work office), or just nonexistent (my brother's apartment). With no apps to use or even Apple music to browse, all I had available was what I already had stored to the hard drive.

Yes, if you're churchy you already know where this is going...

I get the same feeling of purposelessness when I am not filled and connected to my source - the Lord. Without God, I go astray.  I get angry much more easily, I lose a lot of my functionality, and eventually, the further I wander from His presence, I check out.  A pastor once reminded me that "God never leaves you or forsakes you, so if you feel far away from him, guess who moved?" 

Yep. 

Straight. Like. Dat.

In our highly connected society, sometimes we forget that there are still isolated places with no service, so we gotta seek out hotspots to renew our connectivity.  After a few days of asking every waiter for "la contraseña del WiFi", I realized that the only way that I can get through my days is by consistently asking God for his guidance and his presence in my life.

For example, next time I'm leaving a country and the customs folks want me to completely unpack my luggage, I'll pray instead of causing a scene.  Or if my boss throws an unexpected loop in my work plans, instead of complaining, I can ask God to help lighten my load so that I can shift my focus and be productive.

What's in it for you? How will you access God in your life today? Life is meant to be lived abundantly.  So what are you waiting for?! I know I'm not!

As we seek peace in our world, let us also seek the source of peace, and get connected with him; that through him we may find rest, peace, and true joy in his presence.

Today's Countries: Glorioso Islands, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Guinea

          

Woman Down!

Dating is selfish.

I don't mean this in a romantic "she's all mine and you better not touch her" kinda way.

Dating is always about me. How I feel about him. Is he attractive enough? Can he mesh with my friends and family? How will we look in photos together (Ashamedly, I have questioned this recently)? How do I feel when I'm with him? Does he have to stay in Houston forever? (Important!)

And if any of these answers comes back negative, or he displays any other kind of red flag, sirens go off in my head and emotional lock-down occurs.

WOMAN DOWN. CALL THE MEDICS.

I shut down. I get busy doing other things so I'm never available. I eliminate triggers that make me think about him. I delete his number. I block his number. I unfriend him on Facebook. I do WHATEVER IT TAKES to shake my spirit of his vibes. I want no more memories. I've gotta get free. For the next guy. For the sanity of my brothers and parents who have been hearing my rants. For me.

Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.
You get it.

Anyway, talking with my mother over the weekend, I realized how selfish dating tends to be, especially in the early stages.  So many of us, myself included, approach new people and new opportunities with a "fight or flight" mentality. As sooooooon as we get the opportunity and half a reason to run, many of us bolt off in the opposite direction without any thought to what we leave behind. And as someone who has both high-tailed it out and been left in the dust, I am still unable to figure out why we do this. Why do I do this?!

If the goal of dating is marriage, and marriage requires a ridiculous load of selflessness, why do we allow selfishness to dictate our dating lives? Isn't that completely antithetical? Could there be an alternative method to dating that when complete - whether it ends in marriage or just a bunch of life lessons - leaves people whole instead of broken and fighting for their pieces to glue back together?

I for one, am tired of allowing people to break me when they choose a flight pattern and disappear without even as much as a "have a nice life, sis." I am also tired of treating men like they are dispensable when I am not really feeling them.

I may have taken this whole "guard your heart" thing a little too seriously. Instead of guarding, I've begun to go on the offense.  Instead of fighting for wholeness, I've chosen to fight to break down the wholeness of others. I have recently learned that this level of selfishness in dating is not the heart of God for me.

"So... What does this have to do with your prayer series, Arielle?"

Well, friend... it has EVERYTHING to do with it! You see, as I began praying for others, God started dealing with me. And this is one of them.  I'm not saying that every other person around the world is struggling with selfishness, but I know I'm not alone.  So this is my prayer today: that you would find peace in your relationships; whether romantic, familial, professional, or friends.  I pray that if you, too, struggle with selfishness choking out your relationships and falling prey to brokenness, that you would walk in freedom.  Finally, I pray that you and I both will learn how to date better and work towards marriage (or in marriage!) in a way that both honors people and ultimately honors God.

Let's do this!

Today's Countries: French Polynesia, France, French Guiana, French Southern and Antartic Lands, Gabon, The Gambia, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Germany

                

On Ethanol.

I don't want to drink anymore.

There.
I said it.
Out loud.
On my blog.
For accountability.
And now...

...Now I'm scared I'll fail all of you who read this.

Yes, this blog is for me to document my thoughts around praying for countries in our world, because we are all facing huge challenges, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, professional, etc.  Some people in our world are looking at death's door via war every single day.  Some people are fighting to save their loved ones trapped beneath the destruction left behind by natural disasters, like those affected in Central Italy this morning.

And yes, I am praying for you, all of you! By reflecting on what God is calling me to do and how to align my steps with my purpose, this prayer challenge is part of the journey.

Also part of this journey: me and alcohol (*grimace*).  See, alcohol and I have had somewhat of a symbiotic relationship since I was a sophomore in undergrad.  Prior to that, alcohol was not really an option, nor readily available (thanks mom & dad)... so drinking wasn't really even a concept, let alone a go-to choice of beverage.

But by sophomore year, I was in my second real relationship (the first one broke my heart and hardened my spirit, but that's another story for another day), and I had made the connection between alcohol and unwinding. Engineering was STRESSFUL, or at least that's what everyone in my sphere of influence decided... and alcohol was our way to break free and prove that we were still cool and knew how to have a good time.

We threw a party in a hotel room during a conference called "40s and shorties", where the tub was literally filled with 40-ounce bottles of MD 20/20 and Olde English. We were there to prove that NOBODY could party like engineering students... especially those from the liiiiiiiivest HBCU on the planet (which, still has yet to be challenged, though NCA&T has tried).  But all I proved to myself was that I could handle back to back shots and said funny things when inebriated.  See, I wasn't an ANGRY drunk!

Really, Arielle? Really?

Fast forward 10 years, and now I am a 27 year-old engineer who still drinks to "take the edge off." Which, if I'm being honest really means "numbs me down so I forget what kind of day I had."  Stress has increased in my life and instead of actually addressing the stress, anxiety and sadness I encounter every day at work, I'd much rather buy a bottle of Merlot with my homegirl and drink it dry because "nobody wastes liquor!" and I also don't want to be pinpointed as a "babysitter."

THAT WOULD BE SUCH A FAIL!

I have spent a decade of my life pacifying my highs and lows with ethanol. Yes. Ethanol. The same girl who stopped perming her hair because "OMG chemicals!" struggles to part with a bottle of ethanol mixed with artificial sweeteners and fresh fruits with fancy spanish, italian and french names just so I can make it through a date without jettisoning the cute guy I like out of total embarassment, anticipation of rejection and consequently self-sabotage. Say that sentence again 3x.

Yes, cute guy. I'll take another Sangria because you're paying and I need to slow my response time before I freak out and tell you that I like you so much. Please. Thank you. You're a blessing.

*DEEP SIGH*

I have much more to say on this topic, but because I don't want to make this post CRAZY long, I'll wrap it up here. I'm not sure when I'll completely stop drinking. But I have acknowledged my desire to start saying Yes to living my life sans fermented carbonyl groups.  The simplified structure of H2O is way more appealing to my complicated life.

This also means that I'll have to face a lot of my fears, anxieties, and stress head on, with no cushion of a tempered glass of Chardonnay.  I'm not saying it's gonna look pretty. But I've got to do something different. Shift some things around. Align with God's purpose for my life. And continue to pray for you, my friends, my family, strangers on the street corner, student driver in the left lane going 60 in a 65, policeman who thinks I'm a threat because of my skin, and the potential President of the United States.

Because we all need peace in our lives. So let's seek it out for the right reasons, and respond accordingly.

Today's Countries: Equatorial Guinea, Europa Island, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland