I wonder if it was dark.

I wonder if it was dark. I imagine the stomach of a whale is. I wonder what it felt like. To feel incapable of doing something the Lord has called you to do. To run. To find a ship to be your exit and fill it with distractions in hopes that the Lord won't see …

Understatement.

For the last five weeks I have lived out of a suitcase. I have eaten more fast food than I am willing to admit. I have laughed harder over the smallest things. I have prayed stronger. I have sung louder. And last night at 9:18 PM, CIY MOVE 2016 was officially over. To say I …

C is for Courage.

Oh, 2016. How I have longed for you and your newness. The fresh slate of a new year, a clear planner and many life changing moments. My next chance to upgrade to Claire 2.0 - a college graduate, fitness guru, book expert and the next Rachel Ray. There are many things I want to accomplish …

The reason why elevation doesn’t actually matter.

My first year at CIY (lol 2009), I looked up to the worship leaders on stage and never thought that seven years later, I would be up there as well. This last November, Rob Jones (Associate Worship Pastor at Compass Christian Church) called me and the conversation went a little something like this: ROB: Hey …

TTFN Gardner 3rd West.

Over the last year, I've had the honor and privilege of being the confidant, "best friend" and someone's worst nightmare all at the same time. I was an RA and to you public schoolers that means I was supposed to pass out condoms and talk about STDs. I am pleased to tell you, that was …

Fourteen.

The fourteen things I learned in 2014. 1. Don't take yourself too seriously. In my quest to stand out among the rest, I placed myself on a pedestal and insisted that I was more mature than my peers. I missed out on so much when I tried acting ten years older than reality and it …

The Seasons are Shifting.

The weather is colder. The clocks have turned. Leaves are changing. Seasons are shifting. And so am I. I am shifting from a time of forming and searching to performing and rejoicing. For the last several months, my motto has been: "God has a sense of humor- I'm just trying to figure out the punch line." …

MGMT 330.01 and Dreaming.

My classes this year are a little strange and quite challenging. Not challenging in difficulty, but I'm having a hard time getting excited about the work and topics of discussion. I had a mid-college life crisis and flirted with the idea of changing majors yet AGAIN but the Lord seemed to whisper, "Just because it's …

10 Things You Need To Know Before You Date An Old Soul

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Gloomy Weather and a Joyful Heart

I'm going to be honest, this week was a hard week. It became crystal clear to me that school was in full swing, sleep has now become a blessing rather than an every day thing and my emotions ranged from every thing to then some. Not only was I a mess on the inside, but …