He is Able

All summer this was poured into me...God is able.

The song, "God is Able" and the truth that Ephesians 3:20-21 speaks:

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, 

according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

I sang it over and over. I talked about it to children over and over. I knew what it said by heart and believed wholeheartedly that it's true. I'd tell people things of God all the time...how he is able to cure sickness, mend relationships and provide even in the hardest of times. I spoke and encouraged, knowing that my God can do all of these things. 

When I got home from the summer, life hit really hard. Reality checked in instantly and my camp "bubble" was soon gone. I was putting my own words to the test.

Can God really heal this pain in my heart?

Can I really trust God to take over this worry?

How can I lean on him and not doubt his ability?

Will my God truly never fail me?

God began to work and show me that he truly can do so much more for us than we can every really grasp. He began to handle and take over my problems. He began to show me more of how I can really trust him and depend on him. I saw him working and saw the blessings of peace and joy that came in trusting him and giving him my all.

But, there was one aspect of my life where I had given to God, I never truly believed and trusted in the fact that he could actually do it and give me what I wanted. He revealed this in the most marvelous way. I haven't had a boyfriend in years because I haven't felt led to be with someone.  I left the summer with the biggest shock and surprise. It was truly more than I could have ever asked for. God gave me someone. I was blessed enough to spend the summer getting to know this person and his heart for the Lord. From the day I met him, I knew there was something different about him, but I ignored it completely and just prayed that God would bless a friendship between us. Over the summer, we became close friends and I was so thankful for that. When the summer ended it broke my heart to think that we would have to say goodbye. His goodbye was the hardest, and I had no idea why. Once I was home, God showed me that he was surely different, as I had suspected all summer. And he started to show me why. This man is wonderful. He loves the Lord in an amazing way, and by his grace, God has seen reason to put us together and I could not be more blessed. 

Through this amazing man and God's incredible grace and love, I've seen how God truly is able. I had no faith that God would actually bring a man into my life that was everything I wanted, and more. To my shock and surprise, I am humbled by what He's blessed me with and amazed at what He is doing. I can't praise him enough for this wonderful relationship, but more so, for who He is. 

Our God is good and He is good all the time,

but more than that...

God is able.

Trust him where you have no faith and He will change your life.

Learning Love

I wish I could sit here and rant on 

about what I've learned in the last few years concerning

love.

It's crazy to look back and see what I've gone through,

but more so what the Lord has gotten me through.

But through it all...

I've learned about choices.

With choices, there are always consequences, 

good or bad.

With every decision things can change on a whim or slowly over time.

You can change everything in the matter of seconds or a few words or actions.

You really have to be careful and aware of all choices.

I've learned what it means to care.

You spend time with someone because you want to.

You invest in a relationship because it's worthy of you and your time. 

You care because you want to and you understand what it means

so you don't abuse it or waste your time.

I've learned what it means to feel.

We feel joy, happiness, wonder and pain.

You feel all kinds of emotions when you love

and what you learn from those can teach us a lot.

They can lead us down a great road 

or down a treacherous path.

I've learned about truth.

Truth about who I am, the woman I am 

and how much honesty means to a relationship and to ourself.

Truth can set us free from our fears 

or chain us in great darkness.

I've learned that it's okay to be me.

Not all may care about me and want to spend time with me,

but one day there will be someone.

Someone whose choices affect me in the best way,

cares about my heart and soul,

wants me to feel joy and happiness everyday,

and is purely honest about everything.

And he'll love me for me.

How to Love

I was in the Word this morning and reading over 1 Corinthians 13. Also known as the love chapter. It's the one we all know by heart and can quote at a moment's notice. What I don't like about it is we forget what it's really saying and how we can apply it to our life. I was writing in my journal as I read, and as I read I wrote my thoughts on the first few verses. It really hit home to my heart, so I posted what I wrote to Facebook.

Here's what I wrote in my journal:

I started to read it outside of the normal context. 

Take the word 'love' out and read it.

We are called to be every bit of that, while loving people.

It's not enough just to love people. We called to be every bit of what 1 Corinthians says about love.

It's so hard just to love someone, but to love them while enduring their hurting us?
To love while being patient?
To love continuously?

Only through the Lord are we able to do this.

I pray you read this and it hits home to your heart like it did mine.
I'm definitely looking at how I love a much different way.

To Be in Love...

"Nothing is more practical than finding God; that is, falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love; stay in love, and it will decide everything." -Pedro Arrupe, SJ

Perfect Love

The last 24 hours have been an absolute whirlwind. From running errands, to last minute phone calls, and picking up wedding must-haves, I feel like I need to come up for air. As crazy and busy as it is, it really could not be better. My best friend is getting married tomorrow...my best friend...is getting married...tomorrow. I keep repeating this to myself like it's going to click at some point but it hasn't yet. Last night the entire wedding party got together for the first time and had a blast. I've been so excited for the longest time, but I've let the rushing and planning take over the fun. We finished up rehearsal and headed out to dinner and I started to realize just what I had forgotten about. We have the best wedding party ever. Seriously, we do. Once we all started to have fun, I remembered how excited I was and started to relax and enjoy myself. I let go of the schedule and the plans, and just had fun. More than that, I realized something so much more special than to enjoy this time:

When I look at my best friend and her incredible fiancé, I see love. I see a love that is perfect. The thing about perfect love is that you love despite the flaws in the other person. No one is perfect, but by loving the good and bad in someone it makes the love you share absolutely perfect.

This is such a wonderful and special time for us all, and I could not be happier for these two amazing friends. I'm thankful to call them my friends, but more blessed by what they've taught me. I just pray that I can share that deep, perfect love with someone who loves every bit of the perfect and imperfect me.

Love Endures

To the woman getting up with a child...

To the woman digging in to the Word...

To the woman growing old with her husband...

To the woman who is overwhelmed...

To the woman crying over heart break...

To the woman searching for comfort...

To the woman worrying about her career...

To the woman wearing makeup for the first time...

To the woman caring for a family...

To the woman looking for love...

To the woman who never stops moving...

To the woman who feels alone...

To the woman sitting with Jesus...

To the woman who feels like she's on top of the world...

To the woman who's striving,

creating,

hoping,

enduring,

understanding,

hurting...

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. To him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. Who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. Who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. Who made the great lights - His love endures forever. The sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, His love endures forever. And brought Israel out from among them, His love endures forever. With a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. To him who divided the Red Sea asunder, His love endures forever…To him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever…To the One who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever. And freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever. And who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. 

-Psalm 136

Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. 

Love never gives up. 

Love cares more for others than for self. 

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. 

Love doesn't strut, 

Doesn't have a swelled head, 

Doesn't force itself on others, 

Isn't always "me first," 

Doesn't fly off the handle, 

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 

Doesn't revel when others grovel, 

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 

Puts up with anything, 

Trusts God always, 

Always looks for the best, 

Never looks back, 

But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13.1-7 (The Message) 

What a weekend.

I have not had a weekend like this past one in such a long time. I absolutely loved it. I needed a break from the real world for a little while. I got to just enjoy myself and have fun with people I love dearly.

Friday was a day I was looking forward to for the entire last week. One of my best friends, Amber, got engaged and her now fiance surprised her with having all of their best friends and family at dinner to share in their celebration. They arrived and she was expecting to have a nice, quiet, romantic dinner but was shocked to see twelve of their closest friends ready to celebrate their exciting news!

It was great to get to share in their special night and enjoy it with good friends. We definitely had a good time and it made me excited for their wedding!

Amber has been my SIL since the day we met. Being a friend of almost six years, we have grown to be as close as friends get. We don't always get to spend as much time together as we would like but every time we are together it's like time stood still. She is one of the greatest people I know and I am blessed and thankful to call her a friend. I am so happy for her and happy she found a wonderful man.