Enter the Worship Circle: I Could Run Away (performed by Josh Kuipers)

This song has been a lifeline to me this past week. I've really needed the reminder that Jesus will always be "right by my side" no matter what. That there's nothing that can separate us. I am in Him and He is in me, forever. Even when I sin, He is still near me because His blood covers my sins (past, present and future). Sure, I still need to confess my sins in reverence and honor to Him as the Holy Spirit continually purifies me of unrighteousness. But, because I am in Christ, there is nothing that can separate me from Him or the Father's love. Thank you Holy Spirit for the reminder this week that Jesus will always be with me, every step of the way!"

I could run away

You would always stay
Right by my side

Everything I've ever wanted
I've found in you

Oh I need you
Every step of the way

 

Leona Lewis: bleeding love

I imagine when most people hear this song they are reminded of someone they are deeply in love with and I get that, I do. This song describes a deeply passionate love that cannot be ignored nor restrained. It speaks of a wild love that doesn't make sense at times, a love that challenges a person at the very core of their being. That's what Jesus' love does to me. He makes me want to love deeper and more passionately. In many ways, He has "cut me open" in order to teach me to love like He does. Over the last 10 years, I have literally felt like my heart's been bleeding out where "I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding in love."

Before Jesus entered my life I thought I knew what it meant to love. But, as He has shown me His unconditional love, I've come realize that I have much to learn about loving others. When I first felt the love of God, it was like nothing I ever felt in my life: "But something happened for the very first time with You. My heart melted to the ground, found something true." There were so many people in my life who tried their best to pull me from my new found love. "And everyone's looking 'round, thinking I'm going crazy." But, I knew deep in my heart that what I was experiencing was real. "But I don't care what they say, I'm in love with You. They try to pull me away but they don't know the truth."

The craziest thing is that we can know and experience God. Everywhere I go, I am encountered by the love of God. I see the face of Jesus in so many people I meet and He "cuts me open" with unconditional love. "And in this world of loneliness I see Your face, yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy." Sure, it's been a hard road at times to be continually stretched to love deeper and at times painful when I've felt the sting of rejection from others. It's been in these moments that I've tried to close off my heart from loving others which has in many ways shrunk and crippled my heart. "My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing" because of the pain.

But, I'm so grateful that Jesus has never stopped cultivating in me a "Love that never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT). That He continually cuts me open so that His love can bleed out of me and onto a broken, lost and hurting world. Is Jesus calling you to love with greater passion? Ask Him to cultivate in you a greater capacity to love like Him no matter what the cost. Trust me, it's worth it because we were created by God out of love, for love and to love.

Effective Stewardship

Are you concerned about the things God is concerned about? Are the things that anger you and make you weep reflect the heart of God? If so, what are you doing about it?

The Franz Family: peace of mind

Though I am not an active listener of country music, this song just pulls at my heart strings because I long for more of God's peace to break into the broken areas of my life. I long for "a miracle for this broken soul." More and more I am realizing just how the fallenness of this world only encourages worry and striving, rather than peace and rest.

Over the past few weeks, the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of Jesus' words: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). I don't know about you, but I want this promise to become more of a reality in how I live my life. Don't you?

So, this is my prayer for us: Holy Spirit, we pray that You would do what You love to do and make the things of Jesus ours, more specifically, we pray that You would help us to receive this promise of peace and rest into our lives. We submit our schedules, even our lifestyles to You and ask that You do what needs to be done. Help us to take off the yokes we've placed upon ourselves and take up Jesus' yoke which is easy and His burden which is light. In His Name we ask, Amen.

Last Minutes with ODEN

This video touches my heart because when I watch it I see the very heart and hand of God moving and touching lives through His creation. The Bible says that through viewing and experiencing creation people can come to know the invisible qualities of God (Rom 1:20). I believe Jason and Oden's story solidfies the truth to this Scripture. Through Oden, Jason experienced an invisible quality of God: unconditional love. If Jesus says that God can make "stones cry out" in praise to Him (Luke 19:40), then He sure can use animals to embody unconditional love. There are things we can learn about the invisible qualities of God, if we just slowed down and took the time to watch and enjoy His wonderful creation.

The way God brings redemption and restoration into our lives is always amazing. He really can use anyone and any situation to bring healing to our lives. It's no surprise that God used a dog named Oden to bring such healing to Jason. Animals don't argue with God about who they are or how they are to be. A dog will act like a dog, just like a cat will act like a cat or a horse like a horse. Animals don't fight the way God created them to be. They just obey God. There are things we can learn about trusting and obeying God, if we just slowed down and took the time to watch and enjoy His wonderful creation.