Day 31

I love this crazy wonderful collage that I call my life.

Over the last 30 days I've taken time to stop and remember a lot of the great pieces of my life. The things that make up this life that I live. The things I get to do. The things I get to enjoy.

I'm not perfect. Even in remembering all this, there have still been some moments of sadness. Sad over the past that I can't change. Sad over what I wish was mine. Sad over my own devided heart.

Yet even in the middle of all of this God is so good. He keeps walking with me. Whether happy or sad He holds my heart. Whether I'm walking or stumbling, He's still with me. Whether crying in pain or laughing joyfully, He stays.

One of the things I love about my life is the fact that no matter where I go His presence (His merciful loving presence) is always with me. Sometimes convicting, sometimes comforting or a mix of both, but always there.

He is so good and gracious. He is so kind and generous.

Yes it's not perfect, but I love this life. In the days and years ahead I hope and pray that I can continually look to Him and enjoy His presence.

May He be the light in my eyes, the spring in my step, the hand that holds me when I cry, the One who carries me, the joy in my song, and my Eternal King.

Day 6

I love that I get to spend so much time in Bible study, prayer, and worshipping God. I enjoy my mornings in the word, the time I get to spend in Bible study, and the time praying for others.
And that I get to enjoy so many good sermons, books on spiritual growth, and biographies of those who have gone before.

Love Life Challenge

Recently I’ve come to a conclusion: There's more to life than just getting married and having kids. There's a mission greater than me to drive me forward Right Now. Jesus is better than life.

I know this sounds so elementary. But for most of my life I have lived like getting married was the end all goal. My thinking went something like this, I want to be a woman after Gods own heart and get married and raise a Godly family. Even though I would say my main goal was to serve God, my actions and most of my thought life betrayed what my main goal really was. 

What as it? Romance, a handsome guy, a fairy tale, a cozy home, a dream wedding, a beautiful ring, intinmacy, a place where rough times rarely invaded. 

Is it bad to desire marriage and a family? No. What was bad for me was that it became my idol. It was what I really wanted. The older I got, the more my desire grew and with desire my idol got a little bigger. Soon all I could see was what I didn’t have. I became bitter over what I hadn’t been given and felt like I deserved. 

Last year God loving demolished my idol. That is a long story to be told another time. Suffice it to say that God revealed where my heart was and He lovingly broke me. I praise God for all the work that He has done in my heart and life to restore me.

But in part of this healing and restoration I have come to the above mentioned conclusion. God created me for a bigger mission than marriage. 

In the past I have wisely nodded and said something in the affirmitive. Now it causes me to think. If that is really true, than how can I LIVE like it's true? How can my actions and my thoughts convey the message that I am coming to believe with all my heart? That Christ is better. That the life that He has for me is so much better than the one I planned for myself. 

Enter the Love Life Challenge. I've spent so much of my life up to this point wishing things were different or wishing that this guy or that guy would work out. Sadly I've missed so much of what was right in front of me. The more I look to Him, The more I see how amazing He really is. The more I look around me at the gifts that I have been given, the more I see Gods loving hand. The more I see His good blessings, the less I wish away the time He has given me. 

So for the next 31 days I’m going to take a challenge. Every day I’m going to post about something that I love about the life God has given me Right Now. I want to open my eyes to the blessings and joys that He has placed all around me Right Now. 

It's so easy for me to get caught up in what I don't have, what I wish I had, what others have that I want, and so on. But for the month of March I want to be intentional about seeing and appreciating the life that I have been given. The blessings God has poured out on me. The things I get to do. The life I get to live. 

My goal in this is to more fully enjoy the life that God has given me. 

Are you up for the adventure? I am. Let's go!

See you tomorrow!