Serve the ONE

Writing has always been an amazing outlet for me. It is the best way for me to process how I am growing personally, especially in my relationship with Christ....which really directly relates to every area of growth in my life. I find that I usually feel most prompted to write when I have been reading and learning a lot and have some things to process. I spent the past 4 months going through the book of Ephesians...it's amazing how much more you take from a book of the bible when you take the time to go through it slowly... 3-4 verses at a time. I also recently finished a book called, "Kisses from Katie." An amazing, inspiring book that I feel everyone would benefit from reading. It's about a girl named Katie, who is now about 22 years old. Right out of high school she moved to Uganda for what she thought would be a temporary, one-year commitment to teach. But Uganda completely stole her heart and she now lives there permanently. She has...get this...adopted 14 girls from Uganda!!...and she began "Amazima ministries", which seeks to reveal Christ's love to the Ugandan people.

This book challenged me in MANY, many incredible ways, but I think the biggest thing I took from it was the importance of serving the one God has placed in front of me. My love and passion for Jesus is best shown in serving and loving others....whoever God's placed in front of me at this moment...my husband, a child in my classroom, a teenager at youth, my Grandmother who's losing strength, my sweet sister who lives across the country, a woman at church on a Sunday, a downcast cashier, a lonely friend.... WHOever God places in front of me...that is who I am called to show Christ's love to. It's easy to become discouraged when we look at all of the pain and suffering and hurt in the entire world...there is a lot of it. And I am just ONE person. BUT....I am here for a reason. You are here for a reason. God has a purpose for you in this day, in this moment. He desires for us to love and serve one another with radical love.

Jesus, may I serve and love you by serving and loving the ones you place in front of me each and every day. 

Love each other as I have loved you ~ John 15:12

Satisfaction in Surrender

Surrender: "to relinquish possession or control of to another...to yield...to give oneself up/over...to give up completely..." 

When I come to a place of true surrender, this is when I feel the closest to God and the furthest from the things of this world that seek to destroy, distract, and distance me from Him.

I've heard it over and over again, that I am to surrender myself to Him daily. But surrender does not come naturally and sometimes it takes a while before I realize how long it's been since I've been on my knees...in totally, complete surrender to God and the plans He has for my life. 

We live in a culture that easily distracts us. I am pretty good at distracting myself. Eventually though, I realize how empty the distractions make me. Well....what now? What satisfies me? What I have learned to be absolutely true is that nothing on this earth can satisfy me.... not even the best things in life like fulfilling friendships and a loving family have this ability. They bring joy, comfort, and blessing, yes, but they do not have the ability to satisfy my soul. 

Only One does....and I've had to learn this truth over and over and over again in my life. Jesus alone satisfies. He ALONE gives "living water" to my thirsty soul. In the story where Jesus is speaking with the woman at the well, Jesus says to her: "Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." (John 4:14). This verse is SO comforting to me. To never be thirsty again? Jesus is telling her, all you need is me! I will quench your thirst, but not only will I quench it, you will actually NEVER be thirsty again. I will satisfy your soul in this moment and in the moment after, again and again. But, see the thing I continue to learn is that I must come to Him for this water. He gives it freely but I must accept it, must drink it up not only daily but moment by moment. It's easy to become weary in life. Anxiety and worry and ungratefulness become my default. But the thing is...when I'm allowing Jesus to fill me up, when I'm soaking in the Living Water He alone offers, anxiousness, selfishness, sin...it's all washed away. And I'm totally satisfied in His beautiful presence... ready to be His hands and feet in this world. 

"When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing." ~ Psalm 145:16

So my prayer today is this..."Satisfy us (me) each morning with your unfailing love, so we (I) may sing for joy to the end of our (my) life." ~Psalm 90:14

He IS Love...

I am in a few weddings this year and that combined with it being Valentines Day tomorrow has me thinking about LOVE! There is a BEAUTIFUL Francesca Battistelli Song called "Forever Love." The lyrics are simple:
"You are my Forever love (4x)... from the bottom of my heart I'll sing to you, from the depths of who I am I'll love you, with everything inside I'll run to you, cause all that I've become, I owe to you."

This song touches me because it reminds me of my one True Love. Jesus. He is my Forever Love. All I have become, I owe to Him. I run to Him in times of need, in times of joy, peace, and trial. My desire is to love Him from the depths of who I am.

What strikes me though, is how God, who IS LOVE....he gives us significant others, (and not just spouses...but friends, parents, siblings) who also help us become who we are in Christ...people who encourage us and challenge us in our spiritual journeys. Today I am thinking about and thankful for those people. In my life, God did bless me with a husband....and I believe that the relationship we share is meant to be a reflection of my relationship with Christ. Although this is not always the case (we are both very imperfect!) it is important to remind myself of what marriage is...what it's purpose is. I am certain that marriage is not simply two people living together, sharing a bed, groceries, money, the couch, and an odd night out together. Sadly, I think this is what many marriages become....and Kevin and I fall into bad habits also. Thankfully, God has designed us for MUCH more. Marriage is a lot of things... and really, it is a mystery to me. But so far in my journey as a married woman... this is what I believe the purpose of marriage is....at least a glimpse of what it CAN look like. Instead of two people merely living together, marriage is a union of two souls, spirits, hearts, minds, bodies.... it is the daily spurring on of one another, asking the hard questions "How are you really doing?". Ultimately in my marriage, I hope to help my husband become more holy, more CHRIST-like, and through this, help him bear fruit and do all of the good things God has planned for Him to do. And vice versa....As a wife, I hope that my husband will help me become more holy (not more happy and not more content- that is Christ's work alone)... but I believe as my husband He is to love me, uplift me, help me see the potential I have in Christ.... stick by my side when I mess up, forgive me, help me see my own sin and turn from it....and again, over and over, encourage me to turn towards the face of the Holy One. It is my GOD'S GRACE alone, that my marriage will become all that I believe it can be. That is why I believe prayer is so essential in marriage and I admit it can easily be neglected. And not just a quick, rushed prayer before dinner. Real, coming before the throne of JESUS, entering into His presence, seeking His will prayer. And then living out, in obedience, whatever He asks of us.

This February 14th, I am focusing on the One who IS love... and how through Him, my love with my husband and the other beautiful people in my life can become more pure, more the type of love that he desires from me. Thank you, Lord, for the blessings in my life...for all of the love and laughter and beauty that surrounds me. Help me to be intentional about creating a marriage that is pleasing to You!