Who Will Love Me?

We have great freedom in the fact that God loves us EXACTLY how we are. No more, no less. He rejoices in His creations and YOU are one of God's masterpieces. Be confident that God loves you with all of your faults, all of your mistakes and all of your shortcomings!! He is calling out to you, wanting you to draw near to Him so He can continue to shape and mold you into the wonderful person He's created you to be. You never have to doubt God's love for you because it never fails, it never gives up and it never runs out! He loves you for you!!

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

I was driving to school yesterday and heard this song on the radio for the first time and it made me listen closely to the words. There is a part of the song that says,

"You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me a grateful leper at Your feet"

Jesus chose to love the least of us so that we could have the freedom that He so graciously gives us. Time after time He never fails to extend mercy that is undeserved, forgiveness that we should not receive, and love that seems unjustified. This song challenges us to take what God does for us and to do our best at doing that for others. It's been said that "Those who are hardest for us to love need it the most." Take what God has done for you and share it with as many people as you can.

Heavenly Environment

Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment. -James Allen

Isn't it great to think about your deepest desires and dreams and know that God already knows them because He is the One who put them there? I know that when there is something stiring deep in my heart, God understands and He knows. I read this quote and the last part caught my attention the most because it says "all heavenly environment." I know heaven is beyond human description, but this quote gives us a little taste of the environment of heaven. What a sweet picture of the way God has surrounded us with His love and longing. What are your visions, ideals, the music that stirs your heart, and the beauty that forms in your mind??

Embrace Blessing

 Psalm 23:1-6
God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

God always blesses us with much more than we could ever imagine. However, there are times we decide to settle for less than God's best for our lives. We settle for things that don't match up with what God has in mind. We are faced with choices on a daily basis that have the potential to be mediocre or to be the best. Decide to run after God's best. This verse in Psalm says, "my cup brims with blessing." Brim means to be full of and going over. We have blessings in our lives that can filll us up and run over. Be the kind of person that embraces all that God has for your life and choose to in turn bless others.

It All Adds Up

As I was driving home from school yesterday, I looked out the window to see a man who was getting off of a bus with a walking stick, feeling his way around his surroundings. I thought to myself and even voiced to my sister, "Wow! I couldn't imagine being blind!" I then took the time to thank God for my sight. A seemingly simple thing I take for granted on a day-to-day basis, countless people live without. I then realized there are so many things that I take for granted everyday that seem like the most natural functions such as; being able to hear, walk, and breathe normally. Unconscious body functions are easily taken for granted because we often don't think about what it would be like if things were any different. Take time today to thank God for those things that you have been taking for granted.

Walking in His Ways

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.

In today's world it's difficult for things such as television, advertisements, websites, and material things not to clog our hearts and create a block against the things of God to flow. All of these things can be great resources and they are not bad things until our hearts become foggy and clouded by the things of the world. I encourage you to seek the Lord's ways in everything you do and allow Him to show you the truth so you may honor Him.

God-oramic View

Deuteronomy 33:12 "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.

Do you remember what it felt like to be atop someone's shoulders? Whether it was a relative, a friend, or someone you look up to? I know I felt secure and powerful. I could see so much farther than when I was on my own two feet. I felt like I was on top of the world, like no one could harm me up there. That feeling is what we can experience when we choose to rest between God's shoulders. On His shoulders we can see things that we couldn't see before, we can feel peace that we have never felt before and we can experience rest when our lives are chaotic.