Coming Into the Light

Celebration Sunday - 

You can't know light until you've known darkness. One without the other makes no sense. You can't know what Christ in your life means until you realize how much you truly need him. Sure, you can follow his teachings;  which would make you a "good" person, but until you let him change your heart and fully believe that you cannot live without him in your life, you won't know anything more than what a good person he was. 

I feel this struggle going on within me. I'm feeling like an exile - traveling through and realizing that everything is not as it seems. I want to press in to the Lord, to feel his presence so deeply in my life. I want to worship him with every ounce of my being. I want to lay myself bare before him, and know that he will still love me. I don't have time to go through the motions anymore. I don't want the facade. I want the depth. So for now I feel like a wanderer, coming out of the darkness into the light. When light overcomes the darkness, you see things from a new perspective. Life takes a new shape. 

This week, prayer has been more real to me. Being able to tell God, "I don't know how to this. I need you direct me," is so freeing. And knowing that he will be faithful is even more liberating.

"Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God." - Isaiah 50:10

Blessings! 

Confounded

Day Ten - Day Twelve (Celebration Sunday in there too) -

Much has been happening recently. Good things. Hard things. Sad things. I can't put into words all that I have been feeling. Truthfully, the lack of words is confounding to me. Maybe there are just some things that you aren't meant to quantify. It comes down to trusting and having faith that God does what he says - that he is our refuge in difficult times - our protector and victory - and that all things have a purpose.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." - Isaiah 55:8

Freedom In Worship

Celebration Sunday!

Today is the first Sunday in Lent. We visited another church because we had friends leading worship at our "home-away-from-our-home-church". Working in ministry that isn't necessarily church-specific, our family has had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who do ministry in other areas. Occasionally, we are able to go and visit with friends who are preaching or leading in worship. While I love our church and believe God has brought us here for a purpose, I truly enjoy these times when we can go and worship in other places. I find it refreshing because I don't have to worry about the work aspect of what goes into the worship experience. It just gets to be me and Jesus (that is, once I turn my work brain off).

The church we were at today is a church that meets outdoors. They minister to the homeless community in the area. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors worshiping the Lord. There was something so freeing about worship outdoors in the sun with the wind in your face. There was no filter from what was happening all around us - sirens, people walking by - nothing. You would think it would be distracting, but really it made me focus even more on the Lord. The music was terrific, and I loved the fact that the pastor was willing to get up and say that he could see the Holy Spirit moving and that we would just keep on worshiping.

It was a deeply spiritual and amazing worship experience. I saw Jesus in the most awesome way. It was a moment that all I could do was fall on my face to honor Him.

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious." - Psalm 66:1-2

Blessings!