earthly luxury or spiritual bliss?

Ahhh comfort. It is so convenient. But in this life, we are not called to convenience. We are called to step out of convenience and into inconvenience. Suffering on earth helps us long for our real Home. We are to be a generation of risk takers who embrace discomfort, because quite frankly, our lives and this world do not belong to us; we are blessed to even have grace and unending love from our Creator. So what kind of risks should we be taking? Risks that save souls. We are so undeserving of the grace we have been given, and this should give us the desire to tell the world the magnificent News! We all need Perfect Love and Perfect Mercy, but people have yet to be told and this Love.

He IS Love

"I love you" gets tossed around along. All too often it loses its meaning. Sometimes I wonder, "Do I even know what love is and what it means?" Today, for me, was one of those epiphany days. I was listening to "We Are Loved" by David Crowder Band and it hit me that God our Creator dearly loves us, and no one else can or ever will loves us as deeply and fervently as He does. How incredible is that?! I wish I could be talking with you right now so you could see my passion and energy about this! The One Who was so kind as to ever think about even creating us still loves and adores us despite us continually failing Him. He demonstrated His love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners; He does not merely love, He is Love. And nothing can tear us from that mighty, overflowing love. I hope you understand how powerful and radical His love is, that the God of the universe would care so much about us sinners. I hope I will never forget what love from God truly means and that I will strive to love Him that much more.

the enemy inside of us

God can convict me just by me thinking about life. Convictions from the Lord do not only happen by reading His Word or going to church. He is that powerful. Humans are curious beings, and we want to know all the answers. We are thinkers, dreamers, and innovators. God is so powerful and can speak to us in many ways, and because of that, and the fact that we are thinkers, dreamers, and innovators, He can touch the hearts of anyone and everyone, including people in the middle of nowhere on indigenous islands who have never heard God's Word. When we learn about Him, His essence and character, it becomes easy to fall in love with Him. If we love Him so much and are thankful for all that He is, has done, is doing, and is going to do, then why do we "forget" about Him and push Him aside. It is the enemy inside of us. The devil knows our weaknesses and attacks us, and we are blind, vulnerable, and weak. We often give in and choose not to lean on God. We need to be aware of satan, and not be imprisoned to him because we have the One Who made life and gives life to the full. Go and be free!

The Giver of Life is Everything we Need

Knowing that there are people groups, even nations, in anguish who live in deep despair (physically, but especially spiritually), I cannot sit and stay in such an advanced country knowing that there are deep cries where He is not yet known. I am not necessarily saying that I want to go to a third world country because there are advanced countries that have rural areas where the thought of God is not thought or spoken of much, let alone His Son Who paid it all for us. I desire to help those in anguish overseas because that is when I feel closest to the Son; it is much easier for me to go through the motions and not be as grateful as I should be for the all that I have been blessed with from my parents and the Lord when I am in America. I have been learning lately that when I am stripped of things that allow me to be comfortable, I realize the goodness of the Lord and I praise Him more. Difficult situations are blessings in disguise because that is when I realize that God is the only thing and only one that I have and need. He never leaves nor forsakes us. He is Life!

You Just Gotta Look Up

Last night I decided to go for a run, but indoors on a treadmill. While I was walking from my dorm to the gym, I looked up. Whenever I look up, I am always awestruck by the majesty of God. The things that God creates in the sky that leave me breathless are sunsets, sunrises, the pure blueness that the sky sometimes is, beautiful bright fluffy clouds, and the stars at night. Though I like to think that sunsets are my favorite, really it is the stars that are my favorite because with the darkness of the sky and the twinkle of the stars, I can better see that Earth is round because the sky looks rounded. Though the stars are seem small, I know that they are much bigger than that, and I then realize how much God created with very few words. Earth seems massive to us, but compared to everything else that He created (including us, His children!), it is not all that ginormous. I think, as part of His creation, we need to dwell more on all that God has done, is doing, and will do. We need to let Him leave us breathless more often.

And sometimes, you just gotta look up and allow God to humble you and bring you down to your knees.

Live Free, Live New

When I do not spend time with Jesus, it easy for me to get caught up in the secular world and allow doubts to creep in. However, and fortunately, there are some incredibly powerful Bible verses, Biblical-based songs (Britt Nicole and TobyMac, to name a few), and spiritual people that can all erase my doubts in a split second. It is only in my ignorance and selfishness that I forget the heart of God (unconditional love, grace, and mercy anyone?!). As believers and followers of the Son, it is important to remember the FREEDOM and JOY we have in Him. He gives us HOPE. Don't lose sight of TRUE freedom, joy, and hope, CRAVE them, and most importantly, crave the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our advocate against evil, and is our Teacher in life. LISTEN to the Holy Spirit and read the Word, for they are both Advocates to us here on earth. Lamentations 3:21-25 says, "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance, therefore I will hope in Him!' The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him." God is always faithful; each day is a brand new day with Him, for goodness sake! So, this gives us all the more freedom to move on to a new life in Christ each day! Yes, we can forget this all to often, but keep seeking Him, and know that when you have Him, you have all you need.

Restlessness

I am constantly restless, especially spiritually. I am restless for a few reasons. One, when I am not spending enough time with Him, I am quite unsatisfied and when I am unsatisfied, I become very restless. I think God intended it to be that way so that we can find true everlasting peace in Him alone. And two, I am restless by location. What I mean is that when I am home I often want to be at school. I know, it is strange! When I am at school I often want to be at home. No matter where I am, I am never completely satisfied. It's easy to forget that this isn't home. I know where I belong to Whom I belong. He is preparing a place for each and everyone of us.

As many of you know, I love being a world traveler and wish I could do it all the time, or rather just live overseas. I have a heart for unreached peoples and I want to serve God by serving them. I have noticed in my overseas traveling that I am less restless when I am overseas. I feel that I "belong" more abroad than in the U.S. However, I really don't feel like I belong anywhere, but I am learning lately how that is a blessing. I am constantly leaning on Him and remembering that Heaven, in the presence of the Almighty, is where I belong. Furthermore, it is completely okay that I am 'not where I belong' because it is where I am supposed to be right now as long as I am still in the presence of the Almighty. I can only find rest in Him, and as long as I am on earth, my temporary home, the only way to reach the most satisfaction possible on earth is to be seeking, serving, and loving Him. Find rest in Him. Take His easy and light yoke upon yourself and learn from Him.