Chosen

Chosen.  That word is simple enough conveying a sense of belonging and desirability.

A word so simple, has such a deep and life-long impact on our lives.  As a human race, we crave a complete belonging, a complete acceptance of our individual self by those around us. It is in this craving that everything can be won or lost.

Who are we going to trust to CHOOSE us?  Are we going to lose importance if peers decided not to choose us, to toss us aside and not give us a second glance, conveying with their actions that we are not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough to be on their exclusive "team"?
OR are we going to fully commit to trusting in the Truth?  This Truth says that we are chosen, not as a whole group of people, but INDIVIDUALLY chosen by the All Powerful Creator.

On this day, this Truth has been laid on my heart.  Am I trusting in God and the truth He speaks to me through His Son, Jesus, that I am chosen ;before even time began, before any semblance of me was developed I was chosen?  Where is my head at in this?  Why do I seem to continually forget that in being chosen I am fully beloved.  Fully beautiful, fully intelligent, and fully GOOD ENOUGH.  Why does my head forget to look deep with inside my being, into my heart and soul to find the preexisting truth of my belonging to something much bigger than any group of this world.

I pray for all of us.  I pray that we find that truth and that more importantly we trust in that we are fully chosen and fully loved by the Most Powerful, the Most Loving God.

Ephesians 2:4-5

This past week's memory verse:

Ephesians 2:4-5

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in MERCY, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by GRACE you have been saved.

1 Peter 1:8

Here we go...

The plan:
1 verse (or so) to memorize each and every week.

The challenges:
Time, busyness, laziness.

The goals:
To know the Word in my heart.  That it becomes a daily part of life.


My beautiful friend Kristy thought up this ingenious plan.  We are relying on each other, helping hold the other person accountable.

3 weeks have successfully come and gone and this week I finally thought about blogging this process!  So here we go, 1 verse to memorize every single week will be posted up here on this baby blog.  I hope y'all are challenged and inspired to get out of your comfort zone with the Lord.


1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Stillness

Is it impossible for moments of stillness to become a reality?  Are moments of nothing, no agenda, no to-do list, no plan, a desired reality never to be reached?  What would it require to allow simple moments of calmness to permeate the constant busyness?

These moments of stillness are what I require.  I need moments of time in which nothing is occurring.  I need moments of no worry, especially no worry in the lack of something to fill my time.

This lack of peace, this lack of rest, is a huge problem with our generation.  Living in the technological age the lack of times and places to unplug and pause exponentially decreases than for our parents' generation.

What are the long term effects of this lack of unconnection?  How can we better take advantage of the benefits of short, but powerful pauses in the everyday-life?

Unexpected Sunday

It is Sunday morning, a time when I am usually surrounded by a community with shared beliefs and ideas, but today I find myself alone, by myself with time for self reflection.  After missing the bus to church this morning I was frustrated.  Frustrated with myself for taking that extra five minutes to grab a little more of precious shut-eye.  Frustrated that the whole house was gone.  Frustrated with being on crutches and not being able to simply walk to church.  

This frustration is the complete opposite emotion I want on a Sunday morning, but I could not stop it.  

Then something clicked.  The wise question of why? popped in my head and my heart.  Why was I frustrated?  Why am I stuck on something that is unchangeable?  Realizing my one dimensional thinking, I decided to embrace this unexpected Sunday morning.  

This morning I realized again my need for control, for routine in life.  Church is truly one of the biggest blessings in my life; the worship works on my heart in unfathomable ways and there is something special about hearing the Word of God proclaimed in the city of Madison.  Church is a necessary part of being a Christian and the community that comes with it is crucial.  But for me specifically, I get stuck in the routine of church.  I view church as a community in which you have to go to experience.  This idea right there, the routine and the desire to attend a church in a building is fundamentally wrong.  

Since when did Jesus teach us that church was held every Sunday morning in a building?  Since when can community worship and study the Word only during one specific time?  

Sitting here seemingly alone, with no one home, I feel more connected to a community then I do many Sunday morning at church.  I am excited to dive into the Word with the knowledge that around the world, many are doing the same.  

I have gotten so caught up in the routine that I have forgotten the true definition of church.  I have forgotten the large number of believers who have no chance to develop a routine because of persecution and lack of a "church" to meet in.  

I pray that I continue to see church outside of a building.  That I worship God everywhere, that I praise Him in my actions and in my life.  I pray to lose that sense of routine and revel in the power of meeting Sunday mornings.  I praise You for this unexpected Sunday.

Praise the Lord, my soul

Once again I find myself blogging from a coffee shop chair.  I can't even help it that I find, in these  pauses in life while sippin on coffee, my blogger mind takes off.

This weekend I am headed to Chicago for a Young Life college leader weekend!!
I am so excited for a chance for fellowship and community, and especially, the opportunity for a refocusing of my mind and spirit.

This spring semester has flown by and in that whirlwind, especially in the last couple weeks, I have found it harder and harder to fully connect and engage with God's love.  Falling into the routine of waking up and getting into the word has somehow changed in the last few weeks becoming another thing to check off the to-do list rather than a integral focus point of my day ahead.

I am looking forward to this weekend in the hope that I can be broken out of the monotony and fall back in love with God's love.

My spirit and my soul, where it is today is captured by the David in Psalm 103:



¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.


 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.


 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.


 ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.


 ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.


   Praise the LORD, my soul.

Coffee Shop Discoveries

Hello, my new love.  I am so happy I have found this hidden gem of a coffee shop overlooking the waters of Lake Monona.  

It is here that I am I am realizing just how much more I need to be thankful and prayerful for the little gems in live that God has so amazingly provided me with.  I have been so caught up these past few weeks that I feel as if I am caught in the middle of a tornado with my life swirling and whirling speedily around my head.  I feel almost out of control, everything is moving so quickly that I have forgotten God's tiny moments of goodness He gives me every day. 

Give me pause, Lord.  Let me take in the wonderful hidden gems You have provided me with.  Center my life around Your glory and Your goodness.