to make a wretch His treasure...

How deep the Father's love for us. Amazing love. So constant. And I focus on this love. On what He has done because His love and grace are constant, forever. And my love is ever changing. So simply affected by circumstances. Lord take away my doubt, my faltering faith, and I will dwell on You. Who You are. Take away the James 1:6 from my life. An abundance of faith. A renewal of truth. Reignite a passion. Falling in love with my Savior and believing all He says He is.

I read the word... the boldness of Paul as he teaches Christ. As he shares the Light of the world. Not dwelling on his past but walking in his cleansed, redeemed, grace filled life. So in love with his Savior.

And I read "One Thousand Gifts". I'm reminded. Thanksgiving. How much to be thankful for. Even if I muster only thanks for my salvation. Saved. From death, from being away from a good God. I was saved. I cannot save myself. Thankful for God's only Son. That he bled for me. But, not just that. He taught me how to live. How to trust the Lord.. And Matthew 26:39. Not my will, Lord, but Yours. All to the Father. All... love, grace, forgiveness. Thankful for things such as these. All from Him. Gifts. And I'm learning. As I read and as I live... my stubborn self is learning the meaning of thanksgiving. And grace comes. In abundance.

I read... Purpose Driven Life. Living for eternity, pleasing the Father, offering Him all in the here and now. I'm learning, still. To live in awareness of His presence. To walk in thanksgiving. To seek His face in all things. And the source of it all? Focusing on His love. Because how could I not rejoice when I remember His love? This love I still cannot fully grasp.

But when I remember my Savior, His grace and love, All is whole.

Peace fills the questions and emptiness.

And I learn to surrender.

To soak in His love and allow the Holy Spirit to mend me...

we will

I've been reading in Acts lately and have been so encouraged by Paul's boldness. This morning I read Acts 22. I began wondering how the Lord allowed him to go through so much. How did Paul continue in boldness and faith? And the Lord so sweetly showed me. The Lord will never give us more than we can handle. This is a promise: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. Yes, he was flogged and beaten, thrown out of cities, put in chains in his own birthplace... but the Lord never left him. He was protecting him. And Paul was strong and faithful. The kind of son the Lord was looking for to stand for Him. I can imagine it. The Lord looks down, turns Saul to Paul, and believes this man will stand for him against all adversary. Will we live that way? That the Lord notices us and says, that's my child who will stand boldly and never back down for my Name's sake. Or will we be like a wave going back and forth that he will not trust to stand firm in our faith through all things? Lord let us be like Paul. Trusting you in all things. Not only believing you are good when things are for us, but when all is against us. Standing firm. Taking ground against the devil not just defending ourselves. Believing that you have created us to be great in Your Name. We will stand Lord. We will fight.

I Am

The Great I Am

We need a comforter. He says "I Am"

We need hope. He says "I Am"

We need a Savior. He says "I Am"

We need love. He says "I Am"

We need peace. He says "I Am"

We need healing. He says "I Am"

He doesn't just bring it. He is it. He is all things to all people.

We need a father. He says "I Am"

We need encouragement. He says "I Am"

We need favor. He says "I Am"

Our Lord and Savior. He is.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

Acts 17: 24-28

alignment

The best part of my morning. Reminded today of how much I need this everyday. I can't do it on my own. I say that so often, but it is truth in my life today. There is a new song called "Courageous" by Casting Crowns. One line really had me thinking about this truth: "The only way we'll ever stand, is on our knees with lifted hands." How opposite does this sound in our lives? We are instilled with the idea that if we want something, we must work with all our might to get it. But with the Lord, we surrender. He doesn't ask for us to strive, he asks us to let go. When we surrender, we live. When we let go, it all comes together. Jesus Calling: "Live first and foremost in My Presence. Gradually you will become more aware of Me than of people and places around you. This awareness will not detract from your relationships with others. Instead, it will increase your ability to give love and encouragement to them." How incredible that our Lord works this way. He created us to find absolute fulfillment in Him alone. Nothing else. Since He is creator, He knows that He is all we need. And when we are filled with Him, everything else in our lives aligns. 

dwell in me

As always, I have been horrible at updating. I got one of those awesome leather Barnes and Noble journals at the beginning of the semester and am absolutely obsessed with writing in it. So again, as always, I will update the blogger world with my life lately through, you guessed it.. pictures!! In the past month I've...

gone to a wedding

had our first hang out in our new house

been goofy

surprised myself on the climbing wall

spent time with my best friends

had date night with my best friend

had our first small group

actually worked out..

and went to the Alabama football games.

Busy, busy. But these are the activities I've done. More importantly, is what the Lord and I have done the past month. Sitting here now and thinking about it. I am so amazed. I just read back over this blog that I started about a year ago and I am blown away by the person the Lord is shaping me into. A year ago, I thought I understood. A year ago, I was content in where I was with the Lord. A year ago, I never expected to be where I am today. But isn't that what it's all about? Trusting that the Lord is going to take me from glory to glory. That He is never finished shaping me into who He's called me to be. Matt and I were talking in the car the other day after reading Jesus Calling about how we are so tainted by sin and the world. How we are only fully ourselves when we are living with the Lord. I am so delighted to know that it doesn't stop here. That as I continue seeking Him, the more I will grow and the more I will be fully myself. Fully who He has created me to be. 

I just started a LIFE group with Church of the Highlands. It's already changing my life. The Lord's promises, his grace, the freedom he so freely offers. He is so sweetly showing me the importance of my thoughts. How each day I have the choice to choose life or choose death. Every thought must be taken captive. My LIFE group so wisely spoke how if we are feeding on God and His word, then our minds will be filled with God and His word. Our minds will be corrupted when we let them be filled with the things of this world. And what amazing discernment we will have when we are being filled with the Lord. As I spend time with my Savior, I will easily recognize the things that are not of Him. They will not have a foothold in my life. It's the secret to purity in our lives. Today Jesus Calling reaffirmed all of this saying, "Stay alert, recognizing the battle being waged against your mind."

Tonight after all of this, I read Acts 3:1-10, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." While reading this I was reminded that all I have to offer is Christ. Nothing of myself, just Him. And as I remember to fill my mind with Him, I'll have more of Him to offer to others. 

Dwell in me, Abba.

nineteen

promises

I've been home from JH a few days now. Such a sweet homecoming. Even though I was coming home, which is usually where you feel the most comfortable.. I had no idea what to expect. After being away 3 months, I had missed out on so much going on at home, and I'm still getting the hang of being in "normal life". Let's face it. The ranch is it's own little holy bubble. But when 100 plus staff depart from the ranch and bring that thick presence of the Lord home.. we can change our cities, our colleges, our friends and family. Anyways, a sweet homecoming. Look at my friends..

I know. Best friends ever. I promise there is a point to this blog. I'm not just celebrating the fact that I'm home with some amazing people.. I want to share what the Lord showed me on the flight home. The four and a half hour flight from Sacramento to Atlanta is a long one. So I had plenty of time to spend with the Lord. And yes, I enjoyed the man next to me watching me journal as I prayed the Lord would speak to Him through my words. So here we go. My journal from August 7, 2011:

Jeremiah 31

they will be my people

I will come to give rest to Israel

We are His sons and daughters and he makes promises to His people. 

"The Lord appeared to us in the past" (v3). He's appeared in the past. He's appeared this summer and spoken so many truths: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness" (v3). His promises. 

It goes on in verses 4 and 5 saying Again Israel will do this... Again. "Again you will take up your tambourines and go out and dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the famers will plant them and enjoy their fruit." His promises. To do it again. This summer has been full of discovering the Lord, growing. But it doesn't stop there. He'll do it again. In this next season of life, I look back and remember how good the Lord has been, and I know He'll do it again. From glory to glory. 

The Lord says, "sing with joy", "shout", "make your praises heard" (v7). So we aren't called to grow in the Lord then keep it to ourselves. We are called to go. To declare who He is. And when we go, when we declare.. He "will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble" (v9). When we do the great commission, the Lord will work through us to gather His lost sheep. 

The next couple of verses of scripture are the motivation for this lifestyle of going and sharing: "For the Lord will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord-- the grain, the new wine, and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,' declares the Lord" (v11-14). The Lord gathers us.. then, he redeems us, gives us a bounty, takes away our sorrow, brings gladness, comfort and joy, and satisfies us. So many promises. 

Even with all these promises.. we stray. Like Rachel who "refused to be comforted" (v15) we back away. We don't want to seek the Lord, we want to handle it on our own. But verse 20 reminds us, we are children of God in whom He delights. He has compassion on us! But of course he doesn't want us to stray.. "Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road you take, Return, O Virgin Israel, returns to your towns. How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter?" (v21-22). Verse 22 hits my hard heart: "How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter?" Isn't the Lord just pleading that I stop turning from Him. He's wondering why I choose death over life. He says return! Because He knows that what He has to offer. The life He has for You, for me. Is so much better. So why do we wander?

As I return home I am reminded of the Lord's promises, His great love, and compassion. I'm reminded to look back and remember His goodness and to set up road signs to remind me of my direction: I'm living to do work for His Kingdom. I refocus my life on Christ. And I won't stray.. I have a loving, compassionate God watching over His daughter in whom He delights. And I remember His promise that again He will reveal Himself to me.

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."