Saturday, April 20, 2013

Christ's Call

Oh Jesus, give me such a passion.  Burn eternity on my eyes.  Live, love, touch, through me . . .   

Friday, April 19, 2013

Even in the little moments . . .

As I was spending some time on my poor neglected email inbox this evening I came across a blog post of Nathan Johnson's from last month.  I found this portion especially challenging.  How often do I rush through my life, breezing past opportunities that God has for me to simply be His hands and feet, a channel of His love, an encouragement to those around me?  How often do I treat the little moments as unimportant?  How often do I give less than my best, giving in to laziness?  What am I missing?  

I hope the following is both a challenge and an encouragement to you.  It takes a serious laziness-kicking attitude to live intentionally in every moment, but it also adds such a depth of richness and purpose to life when we realize that the mundane is actually an opportunity for the world to be changed by His love and power.  For the full blog post I took this from, visit:http://deeperchristian.com/creating-ripples-of-change/Enjoy!  :)

“What if we allowed the Holy Spirit to use us to speak truth and pour the love of Jesus on every person we bumped into--no matter how long we had with them?
What if those long afternoon conversations with your family or close friends were used for God’s purposes?  What about those few moments you have with the cashier at your grocery store?  Jesus had this mindset.  Every person He came in contact with was seen as the most important person of His day.  He didn’t rush by some one in order to do “more important things”, He viewed the world through the lens of the Father and wanted to pour His life out for each person He met.  Whether it was through healing a disease, preaching a sermon, casting out a demon, or embracing a child, Jesus was constantly investing in others and changing their lives.  Those lives in turn, had a far reaching effects. . . .
Who is it that Jesus wants to touch through you?  Who does He want you to speak to that He might use your lips to speak truth?  Who is it in your life that you don’t know (yet) that you will encounter later today that He wants to wrap your arms around and encourage through a hug?  Realize that every person you encounter is an opportunity for Jesus to pour Himself into.  He wants to use your life as a vessel of His truth, a channel of His love, a demonstration of His power, a picture of His life.  We must be willing for Jesus to bleed, suffer, die, and live through us in order for the world to be turned upside down.  Every person we see today is someone Jesus desperately wants to reach, embrace, transform.  Could we be His instruments in their lives?  Could those same people go on to radically change the world?
Jesus is using you to create ripples in this world through the tiny encounters you have every day.  Don’t take them for granted. 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

One year ago today . . .

There is nothing quite like watching God script a love story between a man and a woman given to Him.  It's breathtaking.  It's beautiful.  It's inspiring.  It calls my heart to worship.  It draws my eyes to my heavenly Beloved.  It reminds me of His love, of His grace, of His goodness, of His creativity, of His delight to make His nature and His ways known through His people.

One year ago today I had the privilege of being the maid of honor at my sister's wedding, and I will forever cherish the memories from that day and the days leading up to it.  Hannah and Josh displayed Jesus in every step of their relationship, and their marriage ceremony was so obviously given to Him and centered around Him.  It truly was an honor to be part of their special day and to be up close as they joined their lives together for His glory.

A lot has changed for Hannah and Josh in the past year--they've bought a house, Josh has a new job, they welcomed Marian Grace into the world just over a month ago.  But one thing hasn't changed--they are still centered around Christ, given to Him in day to day life, and they still sincerely desire for Him to be seen and glorified through their lives and marriage.

Happy first anniversary, Hannah and Josh!  Thank you for your continued example and encouragement.  Thank you for being witnesses and for pressing me deeper into the depths of our God.  I love you!



Friday, April 5, 2013

Our Lord // The Only God

"Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other."                               ~Deuteronomy 4:39

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Our Life

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."                                         ~John 10:10


Monday, April 1, 2013

Our Good Shepherd

"I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."                                      ~John 10:11-15