dry bones

These past few days have been full of a lot of reminiscing. I'm the kind of person who, when on the threshold of something new, I take a minute to look back on life. I don't live in the past, but I think it's a wonderful experience to look back on your life, especially on the verge of a new year, and see how you've changed or how you've remained the same - whether good or bad. It's a pretty interesting reality check.

This year has been one of the most revolutionary, wild years I've ever had. At the same time, it's been one of the calmest, most "home-like" years.

This year has been full of "firsts."
First time truly serving God by serving others.
First time leading my own Bible study.
First time getting INVOLVED in a church.
First time getting a CT Scan/blood work.
First time opening up about a struggle/addiction I've battled for most of my life.
First time attending a Messianic Jewish congregation & learning Hebrew & Shabbat dinner, etc.
First time doing my own Shabbat dinner.
First time going to the doctor by my choosing.
First time legally having alcohol (not that I had much before I was 21..)
First time wearing/owning a pair of jeans.
First time cutting my hair short(er).
First time finishing a Bible study.
First time temporarily deactivating my facebook.
First time coming to Mid GA & not coming home.
First time legitimately holding hands with a boy..twice or three times or more...which is hilarious.
First time being chair of anything important, really - aka Relay for Life at BC.
First time committing myself to accountability about my life in general.
First time painting my face.
First time lofting mybed
First time going to PCB.
First time as a "greeter" at church.
First time going to Passion.
First time painting for someone else.
First time dressing up for Halloween (as a crayon no less!).
First time going to Marietta Diner.

The list goes on and on - I'm not even kidding.

As much as things have changed, I'm incredibly grateful. I feel like I've grown more spiritually in the past 12 months than in any other 12 month period of time in my life so far. It's insane. I'm loving it, but I also just fall into sin a lot as well. I've got great new friends. I've had times where I've felt absolutely fed up. I've cried...who are we kidding? I've cried A LOT in the past 12 months..but I've also laughed a lot in the past 12 months...I've laughed so much. I've learned so much. I've been burdened and I've been set free.
free.
I've fought a lot - for pointless things and for things that deserve to be fought for. I've watched a lot of tv, filled up two journals, and played callouses onto my fingers with my guitar. I've thought I was in love.
three times.
One time I was right .. and still am .. and forever will be.

I've learned so much.
I've learned that trying to impress people always leads to dishonesty. I've learned that falling apart isn't the end of the world, but staying there is. I've learned that adventures happen for an absolutely necessary reason and running with them is glorious. I've learned that the world is made of colors - there is no black in nature. I've learned that watching other people is only okay for a time. I've learned that I will always have my sophomores. I've learned that complete honesty defeats fear. I've learned that I can't do everything, but I have to do something. I've learned that baking cookies is completely relaxing. I've learned that I don't have to open up, but I need to. I've learned that it's not about me. I've learned that nothing is a coincidence. I've learned that there are 1440 minutes in a day--10% of that time is 2 hours and 24 minutes. I've learned that I waste time. I've learned the definition of 'friend.' I've learned .. to wait.

But, the biggest lesson is that God's Word is still alive today. With it comes comfort. God uses other people to teach us things. God equips us for every possible circumstance. I may not understand what His plans are, but I'll hold on until they get here because I know they're beneficial and a.w.e.s.o.m.e.
I've also learned that I really like shoes...but I knew that already.

Your Faithful Love

I’ve been working on this for a while and I don’t think I’m finished, but I wanted to compile it on here because I just want to share. It’s absolutely incredible.
I was reading through Psalm 119 a few months ago – a section at a time, which is really interesting if you haven’t tried it – and noticed that certain phrases were repeated over and over. One of them was some variation of Your Faithful Love. I started putting a box around that phrase and highlighting it green. Green because green signifies life. After finishing that, I started in Psalm 1 for my daily Psalm and I kept seeing this phrase over and over. In my Old Testament class we’d be reading something and I’d notice it elsewhere in scripture. I finally went through Psalm and picked all the ones out I could find and I’m still finding more. The Hebrew word for the phrase in these verses (there are more, but I only included the ones that specifically or very closely translated to "Your Faithful Love") is chesed. This sometimes translates as "Covenant of Love," which is also interesting. Chesed is used in Ruth for describing Boaz - Ruth's kinsman redeemer. It was actually a huge part of the study on Ruth I did last semester & last summer from Kelly Minter. It means something like this: "consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, covenant, furious love." Pretty intense, huh?
Maybe it’s just my translation (HCSB), but it just blows my mind how often God uses His people to point out His Faithful Love and how many promises are attached to His Faithful Love.

Genesis 47:29 “When the time drew near for him to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise me that you will deal with me in Faithful Love. Do not bury me in Egypt.”

Exodus 15:13 “You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your Faithful Love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength.”

Exodus 20:6 “but showing Faithful Love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.”

Exodus 34:6 “Then the LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in Faithful Love and truth”

Exodus 34:7 “maintaining Faithful Love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.”

Numbers 14:18 “The LORD is slow to anger and rich in Faithful Love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generations.”

Numbers 14:19 “Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people in keeping with the greatness of Your Faithful Love just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”

Deuteronomy 5:10 “but showing Faithful Love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.”

Ruth 1:8 “She said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the LORD show Faithful Love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me.”

1 Samuel 20:14 “If I continue to live, treat me with the LORD’s Faithful Love, but if I die,”

1 Samuel 20:15 “don’t ever withdraw Your Faithful Love from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

2 Samuel 7:15 “But My Faithful Love will never leave him as I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way.”

1 Kings 3:6 “And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and Faithful Love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and Faithful Love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne as it is today.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His Faithful Love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:41 “With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD – for His Faithful Love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 17:13 “I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. I will not take away My Faithful Love from him as I took it from the one who was before you.”

2 Chronicles 1:8 “And Solomon said to God; “You have shown great Faithful Love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place.”

2 Chronicles 5:13 “The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: For He is good; His Faithful Love endures forever; the temple, the LORD’s temple, was filled with a cloud.”

2 Chronicles 7:3 “All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the LORD came on the temple. They bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement. They worshiped and praised the LORD: For He is good, for His Faithful Love endures forever.”

2 Chronicles 7:6 “The priests were standing at their stations, as were the Levites with the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD –“for His Faithful Love endures forever”—when David offered praise with them. Across from them, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing.”

2 Chronicles 20:21 “Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the LORD and some to praise the splendor of His holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the LORD, for His Faithful Love endures forever.”

2 Chronicles 32:32 “As for the rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign and all his deeds of Faithful Love, note that they are written about in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.”

2 Chronicles 35:26 “The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, along with his deeds of Faithful Love according to what is written in the law of the LORD”

Ezra 3:11 “They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; His Faithful Love to Israel endures forever.”

Ezra 9:17 “They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in Faithful Love, and You did not abandon them.”

Nehemiah 13:22 “Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion in keeping with Your Abundant and Faithful Love.”

Ester 2:9 “The young woman pleased him and carried Faithful Love before him so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.”

Job 10:12 “You gave me life and Faithful Love, and Your care has guarded my life.”

Job 37:13 “He causes this to happen for punishment, for His land, or for His Faithful Love.”

Psalm 5:7 “But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your Faithful Love: I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You.”

Psalm 6:4 “Turn, LORD! Rescue me; save me because of Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 13:5 “But I have trusted in Your Faithful Love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.”

Psalm 17:7 “Display the wonders of Your Faithful Love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against Your right hand.”

Psalm 21:7 “For the king relies on the LORD; through the Faithful Love of the Most High he is not shaken.”

Psalm 23:6 “Only goodness and Faithful Love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD as long as I live.”

Psalm 25:6 “Remember, LORD, Your compassion and Your Faithful Love, for they have existed from antiquity.”

Psalm 25:7 “Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your Faithful Love, remember me because of Your goodness, LORD.”

Psalm 25:10 “All the LORD’s ways show Faithful Love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.”

Psalm 26:3 “For Your Faithful Love is before my eyes, and I live by Your truth.”

Psalm 31:7 “I will rejoice and be glad in Your Faithful Love because You have seen my affliction.”

Psalm 31:16 “Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 31:21 “May the LORD be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His Faithful Love to me in a city under siege.”

Psalm 32:10 “Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the LORD will have Faithful Love surrounding him.”

Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the LORD’s Faithful Love.”

Psalm 33:18 “Now the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him – those who depend on His Faithful Love”

Psalm 36:5 “LORD, Your Faithful Love, reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the skies.”

Psalm 36:7 “God, Your Faithful Love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

Psalm 36:10 “Spread Your Faithful Love over those who know You, and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.”

Psalm 40:10 “I did not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I spoke about Your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal Your Faithful Love and truth from the great assembly.”

Psalm 40:11 “LORD, do not withhold Your compassion from me; Your Faithful Love and truth will always guard me.”

Psalm 42:8 “The LORD will send His Faithful Love by day; His song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.”

Psalm 44:26 “Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 48:9 “God, within Your temple, we contemplate Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 51:1 “Be gracious to me, God, according to Your Faithful Love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.”

Psalm 52:1 “Why brag about evil, you hero! God’s Faithful Love is constant.”

Psalm 52:8 “But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s Faithful Love forever and ever.”

Psalm 57:3 “He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. Selah. God sends His Faithful Love and truth.”

Psalm 57:10 “For Your Faithful Love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

Psalm 59:10 “My God in His Faithful Love will come to meet me; God will let me look down on my adversaries.”

Psalm 61:7 “May he sit enthroned before God forever; appoint Faithful Love and truth to guard him.”

Psalm 62:12 “and Faithful Love belongs to You, LORD. For You repay each according to his works.”

Psalm 63:3 “My lips will glorify You because Your Faithful Love is better than life.”

Psalm 66:20 “May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His Faithful Love from me.”

Psalm 69:13 “But as for me, LORD, my prayer to You is for a time of favor. In Your abundant Faithful Love, God, answer me with Your sure salvation.”

Psalm 69:16 “Answer me, LORD, for Your Faithful Love is good.”

Psalm 77:8 “Has His Faithful Love ceased forever? Is His promise at an end for all generations?”

Psalm 85:7 “Show us Your Faithful Love, LORD, and give us Your salvation.”

Psalm 85:10 “Faithful Love and truth will join together; righteousness and peace will embrace.”

Psalm 86:5 “For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abundant in Faithful Love to all who call on You.”

Psalm 86:13 “For Your Faithful Love for me is great, and You deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.”

Psalm 86:15 “But You, Lord, are compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant in Faithful Love and truth.”

Psalm 88:11 “Will Your Faithful Love be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?”

Psalm 89:1 “I will sing about the LORD’s Faithful Love forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 89:2 “For I will declare, Faithful Love is built up forever; You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”

Psalm 89:14 “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Faithful Love and truth go before You.”

Psalm 89:24 “My Faithfulness and Love will be with him, and through My name his horn will be exalted.”

Psalm 89:28 “I will always preserve My Faithful Love for him, and My covenant with him will endure.”

Psalm 89:33 “But I will not withdraw My Faithful Love from him or betray My faithfulness.”

Psalm 89:49 “Lord, where are the former acts of Your Faithful Love that You swore to David in Your faithfulness?”

Psalm 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with Your Faithful Love so that we may shout with joy nad be glad all our days.”

Psalm 92:2 “to declare Your Faithful Love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night”

Psalm 94:18 “If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your Faithful Love will support me, LORD.”

Psalm 101:1 “I will sing of Faithful Love and justice; I will sing of praise to You, LORD.”

Psalm 103:4 “He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with Faithful Love and compassion.”

Psalm 103:8 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and full of Faithful Love.”

Psalm 103:11 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His Faithful Love toward those who fear Him.”

Psalm 103:17 “But from eternity to eternity the LORD’s Faithful Love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep His covenant..”

Psalm 106:1 “Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:45 “remembered His covenant with them, and relented according to the abundance of His Faithful Love.”

Psalm 107:1 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 107:8 “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His Faithful Love and His wonderful works for the human race.”

Psalm 107:15 “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His Faithful Love and His wonderful works for the human race.”

Psalm 107:21 “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His Faithful Love and His wonderful works for the human race.”

Psalm 107:43 “Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the LORD’s acts of Faithful Love.”

Psalm 108:4 “For Your Faithful Love is higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.”

Psalm 109:21 “But You, GOD my Lord, deal kindly with me because of Your name; deliver me because of the goodness of Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 109:26 “Help me, LORD my God; save me according to Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 115:1 “Not to use, LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your Faithful Love, because of Your truth.”

Psalm 117:2 “For great is His Faithful Love to us; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!”

Psalm 118:1 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:2 “Let Israel say, His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:3 “Let the house of Aaron say, His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:4 “Let those who fear Him say, His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:29 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Psalm 119:41 “Let Your Faithful Love come to me, LORD, Your salvation, as You promised.”

Psalm 119:64 “LORD, the earth is filled with Your Faithful Love; teach me Your statutes.”

Psalm 119:76 “May Your Faithful Love comfort me, as You promised Your servant.”

Psalm 119:88 “Give me life in accordance with Your Faithful Love, and I will obey the decree You have spoken.”

Psalm 119:124 “Deal with Your servant based on Your Faithful Love; teach me Your statutes.”

Psalm 119:149 “In keeping with Your Faithful Love, hear my voice, LORD. Give me life, in keeping with Your justice.”

Psalm 119:159 “Consider how I love Your precepts; LORD, give me life, according to Your Faithful Love.”

Psalm 130:7 “Israel, put your hope in the LORD. For there is Faithful Love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.”

Psalm 138:2 “I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your Constant Love and Faithfulness. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.”

Psalm 141:5 “Let the righteous one strike me—it is an act of Faithful Love; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.”

Psalm 143:8 “Let me experience Your Faithful Love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go, because I long for you.”

Psalm 143:12 “and in Your Faithful Love destroy my enemies. Wipe out all those who attack me, for I am Your servant.”

Psalm 144:2 “He is My Faithful Love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him; He subdues my people under me.”

Psalm 145:8 “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in Faithful Love.”

Psalm 147:11 “The LORD values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His Faithful Love.”

Proverbs 21:21 “The one who pursues righteousness and Faithful Love will find life, righteousness, and honor.”

Isaiah 16:5 “Then in the tent of David a throne will be established by Faithful Love. A judge who seeks what is right and is quick to execute justice will sit on the throne forever.”

Isaiah 54:8 “In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with Faithful Love,” says the LORD your Redeemer.”

Isaiah 63:7 “I will make known the LORD’s Faithful Love and the LORD’s praiseworthy acts, because of all the LORD has done for us—even the many good things He has done for the house of Israel and has done for them based on His compassions and the abundance of His Faithful Love.”

Jeremiah 9:24 “But the one who boasts should boast in that he understands and knows Me—that I am the LORD, showing Faithful Love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things.”

Jeremiah 16:5 “For this is what the LORD says: Do not enter a house where a mourning feast is taking place. Do not go to lament or sympathize with them, for I have removed my peace from these people”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“as well as My Faithful Love and compassion.”

Jeremiah 31:3 “the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend Faithful Love to you.”

Jeremiah 32:18 “You show Faithful Love to thousands but lay the fathers’ sins on their sons’ lap after them, great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts”

Jeremiah 33:11 “a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, and the voice of those saying, Praise the LORD of Hosts, for the LORD is good; His Faithful Love endures forever.”

Lamentations 3:22 “Because of the LORD’s Faithful Love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.”

Lamentations 3:32 “Even if He causes suffering, He will show compassion according to His abundant, Faithful Love.”

Hosea 4:1 “Hear the word of the LORD, people of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no Faithful Love, and no knowledge of God in the land!”

Hosea 10:12 “Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap Faithful Love; break up your untilled ground. It is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.”

Joel 2:13 “Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in Faithful Love; and He relents from sending disaster.”

Jonah 2:8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forsake Faithful Love.”

Jonah 4:2 “He prayed to the LORD: “Please, LORD, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in Faithful Love, and One who relents from sending disaster.”

Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in Faithful Love.”

Micah 7:20 “ You will show loyalty to Jacob and Faithful Love to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days long ago.”

Zechariah 7:9 “The LORD of Hosts says this: Render true justice. Show Faithful Love and compassion to one another.”

If He didn’t mean it…why would it be repeated over and over in scripture? If you weren’t worth it, why would God send His Faithful Love to you forever?

fans

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas. It's always awkward at my house. Mom is never satisfied with what she's gotten us, thinking we're not satisfied. My family doesn't know what to do with a dedicated day to being lazy, though we are lazy a lot, but most of all a whole day dedicated to being with each other.
And there's always a fight of some kind.
I've been feeling pretty out of place when it comes to my family. My older brother is 24 & my younger brother is 15. They both still live at home with both of my parents. They interact on a daily basis, are very much in tune with each others' lives, and have gotten pretty decent at co-existing & functioning together. When I come home, it throws the equilibrium in the house off kilter. You'd think 3 boys & 2 girls would be more balanced than 3 boys and 1 girl. Lies. I think Berry College has gotten me too used to high estrogen levels. I miss being around boys, but not necessarily my brothers & dad. One of those in particular, but I digress.

I spent most of last night purging my email inbox & getting rid of saved emails that I didn't need. Maybe it's that end-of-the-year inventory kind of thing. I ended up in tears a few times.
Today was spent mostly sleeping or watching movies until around 5 when I started listening to/watching the Passion main sessions from 2010. I really didn't mean to. I thought I pressed shuffle on my iTunes, but evidently managed to open Andy Stanley's message. I decided it was a God-ordained collision and just let it roll. His main statement was this:
It is a mistake to decide what you're going to be before determining who you're going to be.
True story. I've heard this twice, at least, since last January and still haven't thoroughly thought about it. It makes you question what you value. I'm fast approaching the end of my college career and I have no idea what I want to do - none. That's the question of the century - what does Beth want to do with an English major and Art minor after graduating from Berry College.
I.don't.know.
I need to decide who I want to be first...what I value. What's important.

Beth Moore's message was next. Lord have mercy. I love that woman so much. God speaks through her, even a year later, and it just blows my mind. SO thankful and blessed to listen to her insight on the Word. She talked about how God equips us. I'm sure I've blogged about this before.
Still, wow.
God equips us by preparing us. No detail is accidental.
God equips us by adjusting us. He changes us to conform us to His will.
God equips us by restoring us. We are made in to what we could not be without that brokenness.
God equips us by filling us. We can't be what we're called to be without Christ in us.

"Ain't no high like the Most High." - Beth Moore

God --> love --> us

I've been thinking about this for a little while - mulling it around in my head. I can't quite remember what exactly made me think of it, but it blew my mind and it has been blowing my mind for a while. I don't think I've blogged it, but if I have - I'm sorry. It's worth repeating.


God loves us.


Scripture says God loves us abundantly - extravagant, unending, explosive, mind-blowing, faithful LOVE.
Scripture says our hearts over flow with said love.

If our hearts are overflowing with the never-ending supply of love offered us by God, what happens to the abundance? What happens to the love that doesn't fit into our cup?

Scripture says we are all sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God.
A sinner, by definition, is spiritually dead and, therefore, separated from God, which is love. This, in turn, means a sinner, by definition, is incapable of loving.



God died for the sinner.

Jesus died for me.
Jesus died for you.
Jesus died for, collectively, us.

Because God conquered sin, death, through this sacrifice, sinners are able to come into the presence of God -- Love.


Because God loved us, even as sinners, and allowed us to enter into the presence of Love, we are filled with God's love.



The abundance of Love that our poor human hearts can't contain....
We use that to love other people.



God uses His abundance of Love through us, those He loves, to love others.
Without God, we wouldn't be able to love one another.





mind.blown.

Love like

Praying lately has left me breathless. I kind of wish I was kidding with you. It really has. There are a few specific things on my heart in a heavy way. I can't shake them.
One is huge in hearts of many while the other is huge in the heart of one or three.

-


I miss praying with my friends. A few months ago it was so prevalent in my life - on the phone, in person, in text, wherever we happened to be. I so very much miss going to the Lord with a kindred spirit. "Where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst..."

I keep remembering the last night of worship at CR. You might remember my blog about it. I know I mentioned being surrounded by some of the most incredible people that night. God's been reminding me of little interactions with each of those people that night. Mindblowing.

-

"mercy fallout"

I'm on my way out the door, but I had a few things I wanted to get down first.
I am absolutely blown away by how high, how wide, how deep, and how long the Father's love is.
absolutely blown away. Dimensions I can't begin to comprehend.

Psalm 103:3-5 "He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; He crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with goodness; your youth is renewed like the eagle."
Psalm 103:10 "He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses."
1 Corinthians 3:9 "For we are God's co-workers. You are God's field, God's building."

WHAT?!
CO-workers?! With GOD?!
MY righteousness is like filthy rags. I don't even want to know what the worst of me is like. Yet He forgives me, heals me, redeems me, crowns me, satisfies me.
with Him.


"Caught in the mercy fallout..I found hope, found life, found all I need. You are all I need."


fallout: the radioactive particles that settle to the ground after a nuclear explosion

balance and circles

My mind is blown at how God manages to revolutionize lives in one meager year - 365 days. I've been through a lot of changes in this year - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, psychologically..I mean in every possible way you could think. God has changed me. Even in the past four months He's been changing me, but that's an entire post for another time. I was reading a Messianic Jewish blog I found a few months back and he linked to an article I feel like sharing. I'm not a huge fan of FFOZ, but this is pretty much spot on:

Pagan Roots of Christianity

Read before you judge. Trust me.



Oh..go listen to "Dress Us Up" by John Mark McMillan, as well.
Worth.It.