L-O-V-E

In my last post I wrote about the all consuming, amazing love of Christ. I spoke about the power of that love to heal our hurts and lift us out of the struggles we face. . . This summer we're going to kick off some small groups at Big Tree and I'm leading a girls study based off of the book "His Revolutionary Love." As you would assume from the title, the whole purpose of the book is to help us see that God's love is more than sufficient to fill our hearts and lives with joy, and peace, and significance. . . Over the last few weeks Matt has discovered some new music - and all of my favorites from these fabulous bands are songs specifically expressing the love of our God for us.

Do you see a theme here?

This has happened to me before. When I was in late elementary school I remember writing this in my diary: "Dear God, everything around me has to do with bras and periods lately. What does this mean?" Apparently it meant nothing except that all my friends were maturing at a much faster rate than myself. Oh well.

But sometimes I feel like there is a purpose behind the "coincidental" themes in our lives. Its like God is preparing us for something; or like He is making things obvious so that we actually sit down and ponder what we're learning.

So I find myself thinking, "Do I really understand the enormity and expansiveness of God's love for me?" I think the more we understand this love, the easier life on this fallen earth becomes. The more we depend on this love, the greater our capacity to forgive those who disappoint and hurt us here. And the more we return this great love to our God, well, the more our lives begin to look like an accurate reflection of Christ. . . our Savior, our King, our brother, and our ultimate example.

I'm glad that God is finding so many ways to set His love before my eyes. It is life giving and heart filling. . . and it makes my love for Him grow ever so strong and steady.

Here is one of my new favorite songs. If you have a minute, give it a good listen. . . and roll around a little in God's overflowing love while you're at it. . .

One Thing Remains

You Make Me Beautiful

I am so excited about what happened in our youth room last Wednesday night. 62 girls gathered together to hear about the painful reality of eating disorders and cutting. It is an epidemic that our culture is feeding; one that begins in small and innocent ways and ends in heartache, emptiness, and sometimes death. I don't mean to be dramatic. . . its just the simple truth.

The wonderful hope in it all? That there is another way.

Truly - there is another way to face the hurt and pain in your life. Another way to deal with the rejection of parents, or friends, or family. . . There is a source of comfort that will never fade, or diminish, or abandon you.

There is a way that you can see yourself that does not involved shame, or disappointment, or failure.

Oh - sweet friends - there is Jesus! He is the way. He is the truth. And He is the life - the very best life you will ever know. A few months back I wrote a blog about beauty, and the discouragement that we often feel when we compare ourselves to the world's standards. You can read that post here. If you are struggling with the expectations this world has for you and are feeling like you'll never measure up - take a minute and read it. . .

Most of all, I hope you know that in Jesus we have the most overwhelming, radical, consuming love we could ever hope to find. That love heals, protects, fills up, and finds beautiful absolutely every single person it enters.

Do you have that love in you?

This world tells you the 587 steps you need to take to become beautiful. That love tells you that you already are.

Don't just read that and walk away. Marvel in that. You are beautiful to Him. His love completes You. And there is nothing you could ever do to lose it. . .

I like that way of living and dealing with life a whole lot better than the way the world offers. . . don't you?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39