Thankful for those little things

How funny is it that sometimes the smallest things make some of the greatest impacts....I mean really, sometimes one little thing will just make my whole week. As I thought about this over the past few days, I realized that I truly do have a lot to be thankful for. God is always so gracious to me in everything, yet because of my human-ness, being fulfilled is not always enough.

I was reading in this book titled "Through Painted Desserts" in a part where the author is wondering about the point of life. He is on a journey through the Grand Canyon and is engaging in some deep thoughts, some revolving around God, and in one of his conclusive moments he states "...it seems like life would be better if we could just let go of the thought we need more and more stuff to be happy, more and more of the approval of others." Wow, that little statement really got me because it made me think about my own life and how I constantly want more, and seek more. And that wanting within me makes me quickly forget the many, little, wonderful things that truly make up the real point of life. So what is the real point of life? Well, if we look at this question through God's eyes, He created us to live in relation with Him, to fulfill purposeful lives, that bring glory and honor to Him through it all. But how do I incorporate that point into my actual living? That is the more difficult part....you have to let go of everything. All that You want, that You desire, that You think is best, and hand it over to God. Doesn't sound so hard...but in reality, it is. See, we are sinful, selfish, self-seeking, proud, beings. We want what we want, and we want it now. However, in God's world, He has a plan.....He places the plan in front of us and waits to see if we'll go with His flow. We have the choice, but then again, there comes that selfish-ambition, and BAM, we choose our own way. Has God's plan left us....nope, it's still there waiting for us to come back around. It's up to us how long it will take for us to finally give in to His perfect plan. The sooner we realize that we are living a troubleshoot life, the sooner we'll be able to settle for the premium Genius Bar service.

Everything God does for us He does with love and care. He uses anything He can to get our attention just to let us know hoe much He loves us. Why can't we take the blinds off our eyes? Have you ever wished for something, or even under your breath stated "Man, it'd be so nice if....(fill in the blank)? I know I have. And how many times have I been pleasantly surprised with what I wished for or even more than that? Let's just say I can't remember a time when I was not pleasantly surprised. Sometimes a person's simple smile can just fill you up, other times it's someone's simple "I'm praying for you," and yet other times, it's the beauty of Creation that surrounds us and reminds of us of how great our God is. So this Thanksgiving, what am I thankful for? I am thankful for all the little things that make the point of my life worth living for. Thank you so much God for all that you give me, and help me to always recognize your signature stamp, because after all, that is what relation is all about, it's about knowing You that well enough to see You in it all!

Yes, Incredible things still do happen

I want to start off by saying that today has been a wonderful day. It actually started last night when I had an amazing conversation with God! I was just praying for people and telling God about my day, but it turned out to be an awesome conversation when I just vented about everything and God listened and gave me peace. What an awesome God we serve!

Back to today. So, I got up kind of early today, 8 am to be exact, and decided to go jogging at the park. Am I crazy.....? Possibly. Why? Because it was only 44 degrees outside and I was in a shirt, a hoodie and shorts, and went running by myself in the woods of peaks view park.....haha! Well, it was quite the experience. For a moment, I thought I was going to die because it was so cold...but God is so good to me that He sent the sun out to warm me. And let me tell you that sun was shining bright on my face. But that is how my Papa takes care of me, He sends Creation to surround me, the sun to warm me, and the birds to sing me a song, the leaves to run with me, and the breeze to keep me cool as I breathe for air along my journey. Amazing! Of course I thanked God for His generosity, and thought of how much He gives me in exchange for the little I have to offer. But that little I offer, means the world to Him and that should be something that excites us; to know that the Creator of the Universe, is willing to give us everything in exchange for relationship with us. What the heck?!! What other god would ever do that? None, there is only one God that rules over all, that owns everything, that reigns from on high, and His name is "I am" because He is, and will always be.

As if the day couldn't get any better....I went off to church, which I was super excited about because Pastor Jon was starting a new series of high interest to me. Sure enough, the message was delivered. My heart came open, ready, and willing to receive, and once again God responded. WE began exploring what the shack in our lives may be, and as I reflected the message and how it pertained to my life I realized that although I had given God many of the things in my shack, there was still a big one left in there....fear! I couldn't believe I was admitting this openly....I almost felt naked to a point, as if knowing that I had been exposed. Pastor Jon stated that when things are exposed in our shack, there are a few things we tend to do: we try to either justify our sin in comparison to others' "worst" sin, even though we know in our hearts that God is the complete opposite of any/all sin, we also try to flee, run away from the consequences of "our stuff" instead of running towards God as He waits with open arms.

So what was I to do? How could I overcome this fear? What exactly was I afraid of?
As I dug deeper, I discovered, so much that was hidden. There was fear of failure, fear of letting others down, fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fear of shame, guilt, depression, fear of taking risks, fear of being judged incorrectly, fear of everything that could lead to an imbalance of my life. That is a lot of fear if you ask me....So as I listened to the preaching, I let God know that I do not want to live in this fear. Why should I have fear? Is God not with me? Of course He is. And that is the solution! As long as God is with me, all I have to do is follow His example, I don't need to be afraid of the outcome of any situation, because He can move through any situation. I don't need to be afraid of taking a leap of faith, because God is big enough to handle it all. He is bigger than anything my mind could ever imagine. He is unstoppable, He cannot be contained, He is immeasurable, He cannot be escaped. He is in everything, and if we let Him, He will be in our everything. So, what did I learn, that I need to learn to trust in God. I need to just be myself and let Him do the rest. I have handed the control over. I might be in the drivers seat, but He is my mapquest guy, except better, because He will never give me a wrong direction.

Is my shack being torn down? Little by little...yes it is. Am I still afraid, of course! But am I going to let fear stop me from doing what God wants me to do? Absolutely not!!! I am done with living a life with balance the way I like it, I am done with living a mediocre life, I am done taking the safe way, it's time to let go of my fears and trust in God whole-heartedly, that if He is speaking to my heart, then I need to just release myself into His plan. May the Lord give me the strength and boldness to live for Him without fear each day, for He is my fortress, He is my rock, He is the one who holds the universe in His hands, and He will surely be with me all the days of my life, and with that said my friends, there is no case left to defend....I have given in, I am at His feet.............Jesus I'm ready for you to rock my world!

So you may ask, have I started living more boldly, without fear...? Actually, yes. Once you give in to God, there is no waiting anymore, it's immediate crunch time. So what did I do? I did exactly the opposite of what I would normally do. I talked to people even though I am shy as heck, I laughed it up all day long, I paraded around confidently knowing I am God's princess, and I acted without regrets. And guess what, through each step I took, God was right there, by my side, weaving through each situation, brightening up my day even more! Thanks God, I love you!

Oh and one more thing.....something beautiful happened today too. When I asked Pastor Jon if He would keep my Mother in his prayers this week because she is having her surgery on Tuesday, ha agreed, and also I shared with Him some things that have been on my heart. Then when I was about to leave, something was said to me that has never before come from a Pastor's mouth to me.....He said goodbye, and then looked back and said, "Alright, love you".........if He only knew how significant that was! Never in all my 24 years has my pastor said that to me, at least not directly if anything. Yet here this pastor, whom I have only known for a short time, shorter than any of my other pastors in the past, said those profound words. And it wasn't a man to woman type of thing, wasn't a father to daughter type of thing, it was a Pastor to his sheep type of thing. It was a phrase that resounded in my heart letting me know that I am significant, that I am loved, that I am thought about, and that I am a part of his church family. Wow, what an impact.....may God continue to use Pastor Jon in even bigger ways, cause you can bet I will be praying for the anointing to sweep over him like never before, and it will!

Amen!

Genuine Love for One Another

I think it is very interesting that throughout scripture, especially in the New Testament, the authors of the many books, or letters, as they referred to them, are often ended with a greeting and reminder that the author is praying dutifully for those he is writing to.

This got me to thinking. These men were so devoted to other Christ followers, it was ridiculous. I love it! When they took certain towns under their wing, when they preached the word of God into certain hearts, those people would be in their prayers for as long as they could live. I am amazed at how much love is shown among the people of God. They had discovered the true love that is repeatedly spoken about throughout scripture. I mean I understand that this life is about devoting ourselves to Christ and living for Him in every way we can, but He also created the Church body to be His bride. We are all meant to relate to one another and be there for each other. It should be in us to love one another! Christ himself stated it clearly when He changed the rules of the law from what the Old Testament expected, to simply loving one another as Christ loves us. It is such a simple concept, yet, for many of us a difficult one to practice. To love one another involves so much more than meeting together on Sunday's to worship together and receive word from God through His servant. It is more than simply thinking about someone and shooting a quick prayer once in a blue moon. Loving another has more to do than just asking someone how they are superficially. Loving one another means truly caring, taking the time to listen to the worries and cares of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It means taking time out of our days to think of someone we know is going through rough times and praying for them until we know they get through it. It means crying with those who are suffering and rejoicing with those who are glad. Loving one another involves noticing the small things that could make a person smile and then doing something to make them actually smile. It means watching out for those who might be in trouble. Loving each other has to do with showing that we genuinely care and want to know more about each other in order to be there for one another. But this is such a hard thing to do. So many things get in the way of us being able to truly "love" one another. Some of us are too shy to talk to others, some of us do not have the time to spend time with others, some of us feel awkward letting someone unknown know about our lives. Some of us are uncomfortable sharing with people about our deepest feelings. It is too hard to show your real self to people sometimes. There are so many different excuses that we make, but is that what Christ wants from us? For us to live settled with having just a close few we love and care for, when there is a whole world of brothers and sisters crying for a shoulder to lean on? We need to pray if anything, for God to awaken in us the desire to love genuinely. We need to ask God to forgive us for not acting like the family we are. We must ask God to help us see past our own comfort zones, and delve into what others might need for once. I for one, am an introvert. It is difficult for me to talk to people at times. But if there is one thing I am learning, is that when the Spirit is leading me to do something out of my comfort zone, or if the Spirit allows me the opportunity to meet someone new, it is not out of coincidence, no! There is always a reason for everything. God has a plan, and everytime I have let Him lead me, it has been for the good. Not only do I bless another, but I get blessed as well. It all revolves around love. All of us just want to be loved, and as believers and followers of Christ, we know what ultimate love is, because God is love, and so if anyone out there can show others love, it is us because we can experience true love to the fullest through our Lord and Savior. So please, let's stop ignoring the obvious and begin to love one another the way Christ intended. What do you have to loose?

Letting His Spirit take the lead

This week has been filled with so many questions for me, it has been crazy!!! I have seriously been lost in trying to discover exactly what God wants me to do with myself. The other night, I was so overwhelmed with thoughts that I simply had to stop all I was doing, go over to my bed, and literally just sit there against my pillows, doing nothing but thinking and talking to God. For a moment it felt like I was losing my mind because so many questions were going through my mind that I didn't know where to stop, where to go, what to do...it got to the point where my body even grew tired from all the thinking. It was like my thoughts were draining the life out of me. As I sat there and massaged my temples, and spoke to God all that was flying through my mind, I grew so weary that I just fell asleep right there in the position I was on my bed. It was weird. It was close to 6 pm and I fell asleep while thinking....

So what exactly is it that is going on in this head of mine? Well, let's just say that I am on a quest to discover what God wants me to do with my life, on a journey to find out His will for me, and stuck in a place where I do not know which step to take next because I am waiting on God to lead the way. This is a difficult place to be, because as a human, I want to know everything and not knowing what is next makes me anxious and often even upsets me. However, as God's word states, can I add even a single day to my life by worrying? Nope. So I try not to worry, but that is definitely easier said than done.

Now, I have been seeking God's counsel for a bit....simply praying everyday for Him to reveal to me what my next step should be, clarifying and confusion I might have, and working with me so that I might complete His will for my life. In seeking this direction, God has used many ways to communicate with me. He has been bringing people into my life that have encouraged me, lifted me up, helped me pray, and impacted me in some way or another. He has also worked through my circumstances to open doors He wants to open and close doors He wants to close. But the way He has most recently spoken to me is through His teachings, both through my Pastor's teachings on the word, as well as the written word I read on my own.

With the many questions I have had, have also come answers....slowly, one at a time. I have been feeling the Holy Spirit leading me in a new direction that I have to admit I am a bit afraid to take the leap into. However, I know that in the past, when God has placed an idea in my heart and I have obediently taken action to make that idea happen, He has blessed that idea and shown His glory through it. Whenever this has happened, it has always been scary at first, but then looking at the end result, I smile and look towards the sky knowing that what was done was only by God's grace and mercy. This has a lot to do with depending on Him. When we feel incapable of doing something, we feel helpless, worthless, useless.....incapable of taking on the challenge on our own because of our personal lack of confidence in ourselves. Yet, if we decide to take a leap of faith and take action to do what the Spirit is leading us to do, we should look at that as our growing dependence on God, because on our own, there is no way we will ever be able to accomplish any God inspired task, but with His help, nothing is impossible!

One other problem with me is that I am a quite the Gideon. I am a doubter til the end. There is just something in me that always has so many questions for God. These questions often hinder me from accomplishing my task, and then I just end up really being useless, and feeling terrible for disobeying God. Now, I am not one to disobey God, in fact, I am usually very obedient to His tugging....but every so often, when it is something that just seems so much bigger than me, I get anxious, and overwhelemed, and just can't imagine how I could ever do such a thing. But, once again, God spoke to me.

I was stressed out the other night about all that was on my mind, asking God to please give me some answers, when BAM......there it was..truth being spoken into my life. I was reading the book of James when I stumbled across chapter 2, which speaks about having faith and completing our faith by what we do. The example used is that of Abraham..."he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did--by his actions" James 2: 22. Ok, so the first thing God was teaching me is that yes, at times He is going to put things in our hearts that we are going to have to take a risk in order to accomplish, but the fact of the matter is, that by completing what He is asking us to do, our faith is made complete, not the other way around. Many people go about stating that our faith causes us to take certain actions. This is true to a certain extent, but more so, the actions we take represent our faith because unless we take the leap, we are not living by faith. Confused yet? hah! Translation: when God tells us to do something, if we do that something, then our faith is made whole because we believed and trusted in God enough to take the risky step in the first place. It's quite an amazing concept.

Further on, God spoke even more truth. "Look here, you people who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there for a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." James 4:13-17. So here I was, trying to figure out what I need to do....thinking about tomorrow. Yet, God was telling me, don't think about tomorrow, instead think and live based off of God's will for each day. In this way I will be living in His plans not my own. And to top things off, He makes me aware that it is a sin to know what I should do and not do it!!!! I cried when I read that because so often we think of sin as the average stuff like lying, stealing, murdering, etc., but here it was stating clearly that sin is also disobeying God and His plan for our lives. Being led by the Spirit to do something and rebelling against Him to the point of not doing what we are being led to do. I don't want to sin against God, therefore, I just need to take a leap of faith and do! Simple as that! So, this is my prayer, for God to help me depend on Him and not be afraid to act off of the Spirit's leading. To trust in Him enough to act so that my faith may be made complete. It is my prayer that God open and close doors as He pleases, guiding me every step of the way, but me also do what He is telling me to do when He tells me to do it. I am tired of being just a Christian, it is time for me to be a true follower of Christ, one who is not afraid to take a leap, and to go into the unknown as long as God is by my side. May everything I do, be for His glory!

Wind Blown Pages

I once was feeling down
When in a sudden moment
The wind blew it around
The book that I was holding

As I looked down to seen
What had been laid before me
I began to read
A verse with truth unfolding

The Lord delights in those
Who honor and adore Him
Who put in Him their hope
And trust His love unfailing

I wish to be like this
To follow and uphold in
The truth this verse imprints
A trust with my heart wholly


*This is a poem I wrote some time ago that recently reminded me of how important God's word truly is!

Confident Assurance

I would like to start out by saying "Happy Morning!" I also want to make a quick clarification from my last post...see after reviewing some things here and there, I realized that I clearly and confidently claimed Paul wrote the words in Hebrews, but the fact is that the actual author is unknown, and it seems that some believe Paul might have written it, but there is no clear answer to that. So, sorry about that if anyone caught it, haha! I like to think that Paul did write it, but I guess I won't know that until I'm in heaven one day!

Now, getting to the good stuff....I wanted to share that this week has been quite the ride. God has been throwing little surprises at me here and there that simply leave me in disbelief at how He works. He truly has our best interest in mind and how can we argue with that?! However, there is always the enemy who is also constantly trying to bring us down with his many lies. I am grateful that I have a God who is more powerful than anything else in this world and outside of this world. As soon as I call, He answers; when I am in need, He provides; in my time of pain and grief, He comforts; and when I long for Him, He fills me with his peace and love! What else could anyone ask for? Do I sound like a girl in love? Probably! I am definitely falling hard for the only one who will never leave nor abandon me; the only one who will always be by my side; the one who wipes my tears away and comforts me; the only one who can truly satisfy. And how does God respond to me, well...throughout His word he repeatedly reminds me that as long as I make Him my number one priority, He will take care of the rest. For "anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him" Hebrews 11:6, "Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise" Hebrews 10:23!!! WOW! God lets me know right on time that He is unlike faulty humans, He does not make a promise He cannot keep, in fact, He even works together with us in order for us to be able to live out our part of that bargain so that He can bless us in return. That is what I call sacrificial, unconditional love! He so wants us to be blessed that He takes the time to make sure we are surrounded by the resources and tools to be successful in following and trusting Him. Aren't you glad we have such a God?

If we would only listen when God is speaking. I have noticed in the past month or so that when I talk to God, somehow He finds a way to quickly respond me. Sometimes it is through a song, other times through His word, and still other times even through other people. It's a beautiful thing! But I am starting to think that God has always been speaking, it was me who was not really listening to what He had to say....so what am I saying? That if you feel like you are asking God to make things clear for you, to guide you, to speak to your heart, but feel like He isn't..maybe you need to reevaluate where you are. Because God is there, working in your circumstances, in your surroundings, through the people in your life, but if you in your heart have not unlocked the door....how can you expect to hear His still and peaceful voice? God is not going to force us to listen, it is up to us to want to hear Him out.

May God work in our lives, and may we be willing to let Him. May we gain the faith that is needed to have "the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen" Hebrews 11:1b. May we live lives that are pleasing and holy unto God, that we may bring glory to His name in all that we do.

Basic Truth to Learn

Today has been an interesting day so far, and I hold a belief that somehow tells me deep inside that it’s only going to keep getting better. What is in store for me? Who knows….only God! But what I do know is that I never ever wake up super early, much less with a smile on my face, and this morning, at like 6 am sharp all I could seem to do was smile as I lay in bed. It was as if God was right there in my head showing me things that were making me laugh, showing me things that I can’t believe, and just being there with me as the morning sun began to rise. I know, I know, kind of weird right? But at the same time so wonderful! The even weirder part is that although I was kind of awake, I was also still resting, possibly even sleeping, but in a different way. Every so often, I would open my eyes laughing, and look at the clock that stated how early it still was, haha! Finally around 7:40 am I decided to just get up because I could not help myself. I began praying for the people God has placed in my heart recently as well as for the day, which again, I believe is only going to keep getting better. Talk about waking up on the right side of the bed…..today is my day! After a quick refresher of water on my face, I wasn’t quite sure what to do, but figured, if God woke me up then the least I could do was spend some time with Him. Picking my Bible up from my side table, I began to read.

Let me just say, that God is amazing! I picked up my reading where I left off yesterday. The book is Hebrews, chapter 6. Now coming from chapter 5, Paul is sharing the fact that we as Christians need to work at becoming mature in Christ, not live off of spiritual milk as babies do. I love how he opens up chapter 6, “So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again.” Man, it sounds to me like he was having a bit of a hard time with the people, but the great thing is that from the teachings he gave them, we too can learn today. As I kept reading I got to verse 10 that states, “For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.” WOW! This verse brought me back to what my last post was talking about! Remember how I was saying that from the experience I recently had I felt like there had been some type of interconnection between two strangers only by God’s mercy and love? Well that is what I am getting from this verse. Paul is letting the people know that we show God how much we love him by loving others, by loving each other. How many have forgotten this basic notion? How much better would the “Church” be today if we all had this mentality? If we began to love each other the way we are supposed to, if we began to feel for each other and care for one another? This connects with what is said in Romans 12: 9-16. We are reminded here that we should be devoted to one another in brotherly love; that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn, and share with God’s people who are in need. Again…WOW! What has happened to this church? What has happened to the people of God? Have we been so consumed in the selfish views of this world that we have forgotten that we are called to love and serve one another as fellow believers? It makes me sad to think of it that way, but it is the truth! If we only knew how fulfilling it is to practice these truths. This past week, when I was able to pour of myself into someone else’s life, it made my week. It was the best feeling I have had in a long time, a joy that does not compare, and a longing to keep doing the same over and over again. This is what God has created us for….for relationship with each other, for communion and fellowship with Him and each other, so what are we waiting for, what are we holding back for? I know that I don’t want to live a life any less that what God knows I am capable of living, and in order to live that life out, I must be willing to let go of my selfish ways and really begin to practice the truths spoken in His word. Only in this way will I ever be satisfied, because then I will finally be living out my life under the example of my Highest Priest, Jesus Christ!

Let Worries Fly

While some of us laugh
In the midst of a gasp
Others of us mourn
With a pain that seeps deep in the soul

From speechless words arouse
These tears the flow aloud
Please breath fill me up now
Let peach come down, surround

This desert face begins to dry
With tears that drip down from my eyes
My lips they quiver out with grief
I'm saturated with disbelief

Please breath come down and fill my lungs
Instill in me what's left of love
Oh peace come forth into the light
Fill up my darkness, fill up my night

Remember now, my sweet, sweet child
When morning comes there'll be a new dawn
Sing softly now a lullaby
Sleep now, wake then
Let worries fly

Just a little something I wrote a little while back that I finished up today....

God's Mysterious Ways

There are times when honestly I am astounded at how amazing my God is, in absolutely everything!!!

This past week I was able to experience something beautiful that only with God's help am I able to see with my eyes and know He is in. By saying He is in, what I mean is He is a part of, He is immersed in, He is complete in......so what exactly am I talking about here? Well, to make a long story longer, this past week as I was going about my own business, checking out different things here and there all over the massive wide web. I was checkin' into one of my normal spots...facebook, when I stumbled upon a name that seemed to be familiar, so I checked it out and sure enough it was actually someone I truly admire but had not had the opportunity to really chat with. Notice I said had...that should give you some type of knowledge as to where this might be going....no, no don't think of this in any other way than the way I am about to explain it because I know how you all can think sometimes, but no, seriously, listen first then process and make your own conclusion, thanks!

Ok, so back to the story...so as I am skimming through his profile, I notice the current status which stated he was getting a CT scan as well as asking for prayer.....I don't know why, but my heart was immediately burdened to pray, pray, pray. Here I was, someone who barely knows this person, but in some way I felt connected to him and simply knew in my heart that I needed to pray with all my might for God to be with Him. As I was praying, the radio played lightly in the background. In a moment of just sitting and being still in God's presence, I began to listen to what the song was actually saying...the words began to fill me as I drew from it the verses in Matthew 6 that tell us not to worry about our needs, but to remember that our Heavenly Father is there to provide for all that we need just as He provides for all Creation. The song was "Your Love is Strong" by Jon Foreman from Switchfoot, it goes like this...

Heavenly Father, you always amaze me
Let your kingdom come in my world and in my life
Give me the food I need to live through today
And forgive me as I forgive the people that wrong me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window the birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune or out of place
I walk to the meadow and stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl on her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

The kingdom of the heavens is now advancing
Invade my heart, invade this broken town
The kingdom of the Heavens is buried treasure
Would you sell yourself to buy the one you've found?

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

Our God in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us weary sinners
Keep us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons

I was amazed at how quickly God was speaking back. So I wrote this person a message sharing with him what God put in my heart. I didn't know if what I had to say would mean much, if it would be weird, if this person would even care what I had to say, but all I knew is that I hoped it would somehow mean something.

So I went about my day praying all day for those on my heart and their needs, and somehow I just knew that God was in control. After the song, I was sure that God was listening to my prayer and that He was letting His peace overflow on all of us. Later in the day, I went back onto my facebook, which gladly announced to me that I had a new message, haha....because facebook is very good about notifying me about every little thing, lol. I go to check and to my surprise, this person I wrote earlier had written me back. Now I want you to get the picture of this correctly. I sent a message in hopes of uplifting, and then received a message of thanks back, which ended up uplifting me. When I realized this concept, I began to think about it and said to myself "Wow, this how God works!" I remembered the book I am reading titled "The Shack" that always expresses how God works through and in, and as a part of relationships! I began to think of how we are all connected through our Heavenly Father, in a way that when we have the love He gives us inside of us, all we can do is interconnect with others who share in the same love. It is like a wonderful circle of love. We are loved by God, which in turn fills us with love that we somehow end up sharing with others who are loved by God. So now, there is not just a love between us and God, but between us, God, and each other. I know, I know, it's complicated, but think about it for a moment. It was the love God instills in me that made me feel a connection with this person whom I barely know. The thing is I didn't have to know him in order to feel for him, I just needed to know Him (God) who knows both of us, and links us through the blood of Jesus Christ. OMG, this is such a chaotic mess to explain, but the beauty of it is, it makes full sense to me. We wonder about how it is that sometimes we can come to care so much about someone we barely know, but it is because God places something within us that allows us to do so. When we allow God to use us in any and every way He likes, that is when things like this happen. And the even more beautiful thing about it is that while one thinks we are helping the other or being helped, what we fail to also see is that both people are actually helping each other simultaneously. God fills me from helping another, and God fills the other because they feel helped. And then, if both are connected to God, they will recognize that link and suddenly it is as if you know that other person from years ago, and you want to get to know them even more. What a weird feeling! That is how I feel at this moment. I feel like when I saw this person face to face, I felt like I had been his friend for years...it was like I had so much to say to this person that felt like I hadn't talked to for years and we had catching up to do, I don't know.....does this make any sense? It was like I had missed several important things in his life and now needed to be filled in, as well as wanted to fill in that person about my life. How the heck do you tell a person that that is what you feel? Maybe you don't, but why not, because it seems like something wonderful, to be able to connect in such a way, only by God's grace that somehow filled you with mercy and love through this person's deed. Little does this person know that he has blessed me tremendously. Everytime he plays or sings, it's a blessing to me to see such passion for our God. Every word shared in production meetings, they resound and leave me reflecting and longing to be closer to God. And even now, the words he has shared with me personally about what he is learning and being reminded of in many ways, it touches my heart and gives me hope for tomorrow. If only he knew the many burdens I carry within me, he'd know how much I can relate to his worries. But the great thing is, I may not have the words always, but I do always have the prayers, and as long as I am able, I will pray knowing that everything that happens, happens for a reason, God knows the ultimate outcome of every story, he knows the purpose of two strangers meeting, he knows the burdens and needs of those who love Him, and He holds our best interest at hand and will be our everything if we allow Him to be. Am I astounded by who my God is? Absolutely. He is the only one who could ever pull anything like this off, ever!