HAD TO SHARE :)

The lyrics of this song speak so much to me.  I've had it on repeat for days now.

This is my prayer in the desert, when all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need, my God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire, in weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
This is my prayer in the battle, when triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
All of my life, in every season, You are still God
I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest, when favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again, the seed I've received I will sow

Guilt Induced Serving

Jesus calls us to bring justice to the darkness.  You can't bring justice if you're feeling guilty about not bringing justice.  Why? Because that guilt becomes a motivator to do good, and this motivator modifies your heart, but as humans, eventually we become numb to this emotion, and it slowly fades away.  The gospel is about the transformation of your being, not the modification of your heart.  The gospel frees us entirely from condemnation, and guilt is a sinful weapon often used against us to lead us away from God.  We're to bring about justice to the world because we've got the gospel woven into our hearts, with the belief that every person created was created by God, in His image, and is loved more than we can imagine by Him.  When the gospel truly gets a hold of your heart, you will see the beauty of Jesus in every person you serve.

"Jesus didn't just empathize with the poor, He became poor."

Tend It With Care

Note to Self

"If you allow even one thing to obscure your inner communion with God, drop it, whatever it may be, and see that you keep your inner vision clear."

I need to be in the continuous practice of steadily facing myself with God.  He does not come with a voice like thunder; His voice is gentle and it is easy to ignore.  And if I am continuously bringing things to God then in every circumstance, knowing what He desires for my life will become written into my conscience.

The Habit of Having No Habits

           As a college student, I feel like habits consume my life.  There are habits that I'm very self-aware of, like when I wake up in the morning and go about my day; I do the same things because it's what's comfortable and well-known to me.  Whether or not I do each of those things in a specific order, I always know that I'm going to set out and accomplish the things I had planned for that day.  And having these habits isn't necessarily a bad thing until it comes to the habits we form in our relationship with God
           If there's a specific time we set aside to do devotions, or a specific time we set aside to pray, we start to become conscious of that time as our "time with God" and this is where we need to tread lightly.  For example, if a situation or person approaches you while you are praying or doing a devotion and you say "No I'm sorry, I can't do that right now, it's my time with God." whether it comes in those exact words or not, it's your time with your habit.  Why? Because love means that there is no habit visible, you have come to the place where it is lost and God is so interwoven into everything you do, that your entire day is your time with God, because He is always with you and you are allowing Him to work through every circumstance and situation that He brings you to. So make sure to never turn down a situation that approaches because  it is "your time with God," for  you may very well be stepping away from something God placed in your path for a reason.
           As Oswald Chambers stated,"The right thing to do with habits is to lose them in the life of the Lord, until every habit is so practiced that there is no conscious habit at all."
           So yes, there are some habits I know we're aware of and there's some that we're not aware of.  Some that are hidden way deep down, and the only way we can come to terms with them, face them, and overcome them, is to step outside of our routine and comfort zones every single day.  Because nothing new can be experienced or revealed to us when we're living safe within our bubbles of comfort. God thrives on those opportunities where we put our trust in Him that He will do outstanding things with each of our days.  He desires for us to recognize our deep rooted sin, He desires for us to bear fruit; sometimes it's just a matter of us desiring it enough in return to allow Him bring us to places where He can grow us.

           When Jesus was on Earth, He was at home with God anywhere and everywhere. Is there anywhere where you are not at home with God? Let Him press through in that particular circumstance until you gain Him there.

I am full of earth, You are heaven's worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me, You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From the broken earth, flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

Two Big Reasons for Growth

I've been living with my father since we moved down to Florida (from Wisconsin) in late June of 2010.  It's been a roller-coaster of a ride, to say the least.  However, living with him has brought me to places of brokenness, gratefulness, self-reflection, challenge, and patience that I'd never thought possible.  I'm sure he is completely unaware of how much he has actually impacted my faith, but I know God brought me to this place with him for a bigger purpose.  I always thought it was my role to bring my father closer to God, but little did I know God was using my circumstances to reveal to me some of my own deep rooted sin that I'd never seen before. And for all that, I am blessed.

Meet Kerem, what a blessing she has been to my life this year.  When I came back to Orlando this January, I was about as far from God as a girl could get, lost in the confusion, loneliness, and pain that my choices, mistakes, and sin had brought me to.  Lucky for me, she had just gotten home from Passion 2012 and  was able to pour the love of Christ all over my life. She challenged me to get right with God and to not hide from opportunities to surround myself in a community of believers, because that was the only way I was going to truly be able to step away from the lifestyle I had been living.  She has challenged me like none of my other friends have before.  I've never felt so blessed to have someone like her in my life.  These past few months she has literally become like a sister to me, and I couldn't imagine life without her anymore.  It's amazing the impact some people can have on your life when you really open up and let them in. I can't wait to see the places God takes us and the experiences we go through the following years.