Family of Christ

 

Hello All,
  it has been a while. We are just finishing our Seize The Summer Tour tonight. It’s good to be home after 2 weeks or so of traveling. As much as I love traveling on the road and experiencing different places, it always does feel good to be home even if its just for a day (for me!) hah.

These past couple weeks have been extremely wonderful. Ive been feeling extremely blessed, we had an incredible group of people on the tour. And I couldn’t help but be so grateful for a family, for that is what we felt like. All the making fun of each other, and the laughing and then the good times of kind words, laughter once again and eating together and devotional time. I love family, and the family feel of things and I just find the family of God such a huge huge blessing in my life. And being around people 24/7 soemtimes it can get a bit rough, but that is how you get to know people the best and how bonds are built.

i have also been extremely blessed by the Psalms. especially psalm 121, about being KEPT by the LORD.

So the end of the tour is a bit bittersweet. but I’m looking forward to next year.

As well over the last couple of days especially, I really feel God has kinda been speaking to me personally on a few things, especially one area and blogs concerning that will come shortly I am sure. But I just ask for prayer, in the area of faith and complete dependence and security upon my God and nothing else!
No matter how good you think you are doing, or how ‘spiritual’ you think you may be, the enemy can always somehow creep in and steal something from you to try and disorient your relationship with Christ, so be aware, and remember that the testing of our faith is for our own good and be thankful in ALL circumstances!

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

Philippians 3:8-9

new favorite passage

 

I love my church. I know this is a day later than Sunday, but church isnt just sunday mornings. It’s the body of Christ. We are the church. and I love the church.

I do love my sunday morning church, especially recently it’s just been such an encouragement to me to see people worship together, and to see how far our church has come in the past 5 or so years. I’m so proud of my church, and i love everyone there so much and just want to continue to grow.

But I also love the church in general. I love being surrounded by a community who loves Jesus. I love being around people who build each other up and actually live and believe what the bible says. I would not be where I am today if it were not for God’s church and godly people following the leading of the Holy Spirit!

I love how much God uses people in our lives.

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Unless the LORD  builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 127:1-2
   (a new favorite verse)

Undignified

 

Children for the most part, have this shamelessness about them. And I love it. We can learn from it.
They dance when they want, as much as they want whether people are looking or not (but they typically want you to look at them). They don’t care if they are the only ones. They just do.

All you do, don’t worry about your reputation, or what people will think. Our only opinion that should resonate with our hearts should be our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly. May we hold onto His words and not others. (This is why speaking TRUTH is so important.)

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’”
Exodus 33:14

Oh the places Ive been

 

People. Are SO important.

God uses people mightily in our lives. He uses them to teach us patience, forgiveness, humility, love, among many other things. He uses them to remind us of how we once were.  He uses them to bless us in many different ways. Etc..

If you would have known me 6 years ago, you would have never expected those words to even cross my mind. and yesterday, I was  reminded of where I used to be in life, and how without Christ I would be without hope and in a deep dark pit of despair. A place I used to be, with a terrible attitude on life, on myself, and especially on people. People burn us, yet I can really say, I’ve never really been that burned by people, but I have seen it happen enough times to people I care about that I know it to be true. Yet God uses them so mightily, and Jesus died for PEOPLE. Yet people are what make our life hard and seemingly unbearable majority of times.

But be encouraged, because I know from experience, People are a blessing. We just need to allow them to be, and we need to forgive and forget, just like Christ forgave us and placed our sins as far as the east is from the west, as well to be compassionate and patient toward one another. Just like Christ is with us.
  
So when you find people hard to deal with, just remember that you’re not the bee’s knees either, you probably make life hard for at least one other person too and we need to love just as Christ loves us.
But as well remember, that God uses people in your life mightily and they are of high value to God and should be to us to and we can learn greatly from each other and be blessed by one another.

People used to be a burden to me. Now, people are a blessing, in Christ!
It’s great to be reminded of where you used to be spiritually, and to see where you are now. All Glory to God!

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Courage

 

I seriously love my church family. and am so completely blessed.
Like I told our worship team last night, worship team prayer time is like my confessional. It is so good for me. We need places we can confess, and I feel especially as well because I am a leader, I feel more free to confess, its weird, I don’t quite get it, but I just feel like I need to be more open and vulnerable in that setting and I most defiantely am. It’s good. It’s freeing. It’s a blessing.

Sunday our sermon mentioned Courage and was about Micaiah from 2 chronicles  18.  (i kinda wanna name my in the way future kid micaiah now)
But, i guess you could say that I have never actually applied Courage to myself.
But as a child of God, I am to be courageous. To step out in faith, with courage, trusting God. Having courage to do what may not be liked by people, to stand up, to be different from the world or people around us. To be true to God and to rely completely on Him. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”But Micaiah said, ‘As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”
2 Chronicles 18:13

The Joy of the LORD is my strength

 

I guess you could say that recently, I have just really been realizing and living what it truly means to have the joy of the LORD be your strength! Now, I don’t really know how to explain it to someone, but just that you know when the joy of the LORD is your strength!

So often we think that things will make us happy…for instance…clothes. I’m terrible when I go shopping, even if I have the intention to not buy anything, I have to really practice the fruit of self-discipline. I just want everything I find, and there are times when I let myself get really upset that I can’t afford to buy new clothes, while I watch other people being able to. And it’s just n0t with clothes, but in numerous things. BUT, the joy of the LORD is my strength! because my identity, my joy, my happyness, is most definately not found in having the new trends, having more clothes than I can handle or a closet full of clothes that I may not even wear…etc.
I don’t need all these things in my life. All I need, is found in Jesus Christ! And i have Him! Therefore, I have all I need!

Never doubt that your Provider. Whether rich or poor, all you need is IN Jesus.

God knew not to give me money, and I’m grateful for that, and would defiantely not ever want to have a lot of money, as much as I may say ‘I wish I had money…” for certain things, I trust God. He knows me better than I know myself!

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ my LORD….”
Philippians 3:8

Stories

 

I love hearing people’s stories. God truly is glorified through our lives, no matter how much or how little we have been through. I've just been extremely blessed by people this week. through hearing their stories, through spending time with them, and through God speaking through them. It’s a nice reminder for me, that people are highly valuable to God, therefore they need to be highly valued by us.

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”…And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10b