God is so great and can create something so magnificent to turn a beach sunset into a romantic breathtaking masterpiece and stars that just blow my mind away when I see them without light pollution. Oh the brilliance.
1 Thessalonians 5 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
Nothing can ever fill your heart fully other than Jesus. You can try with partying, money, friendships, relationships, or anything else. Those will not suffice. It may momentarily, but the 'full' feeling in your heart will fade. You will go back for more for that feeling again, but it will not last. Jesus will last. Fill your heart with Jesus and you will feel whole.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
[to bring a foundation to my thought process… I have been hearing a few songs over and over again. One being Follow You by Leeland and Brandon Heath Another being Healing Begins Tenth Avenue North And another being Lead Me by Sanctus real. This blog or note is about Healing Begins]
[video to listen, not really to watch.]
Things in this world have broken my heart. The way a parent was treating their child. Family issues. Earthquakes in Haiti. Chile. Other places. Death. Stories, reality, in the newspaper headlines and on the TV news. Old friendships that have dissolved yet still plaguing my heart. Current friendships facing some issues. I may take things too personally.
The picture I had in my mind is that my heart was glass and many things of this world were slowly creating cracks in my heart. Then one day something just shattered my heart. It has been a build up of many things.
Healing begins once prayer starts. That is what I learned.
Amidst these feelings in my heart it began with this instance: My mind was racing that day at school and was stressed about projects. I got to my car before going to work with some kiddos at Kids First. I just fell into the drivers seat and just stopped. I stopped and prayed. I prayed that I would be able to take all these thoughts captive to Jesus. That he would guide me though and that I can think about whatever is noble, pure, true, and etc. This verse: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil 4:8 I prayed. Shortly, at the end of my prayer I thought of a song where is says, "..feels like chaos but some how there is peace." I know that peace I have is straight from Jesus and none other.
I turned my car on and the radio and headed to work. As I began to listen to the song on the radio, this is what I heard:
Whatever you're doing inside of me It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace And it's hard to surrender to what I can’t see But I’m giving in to something heavenly.
That song that I thought about was playing at that moment. And beyond there is peace...it is something heavenly.
That God up to something bigger than me… Larger than life…something heavenly
Something heavenly. Chaos but there is peace.
My Jesus moment.
That moment came by prayer. By letting go and letting God.
This was before the shattering of my heart. That may have been the same week but I am not sure.
After that heart break, I knew that I needed to keep praying. I also had the feeling in my heart to have another pray for me. At church a Sunday morning I felt that I should go up to one of the prayer people and talk with them, but I didn't However, that evening I did. I went and told a girl, who was not much older than me, that I would like prayer. Prayer for school, work, family, health,.. nothing too specific. General life stress. She began to pray. She began to pray specifically for healing. Her hand was on my shoulder and she moved it over my heart as she prayed. She prayed for healing of my heart. That God would heal my heart and take away any pain that has been there. I did not tell her that my heart has been breaking. After she prayed, the pain in my heart had subsided.
These two instances show that prayer is powerful and God is so much more powerful. Healing began. And has continued. I have seen and felt the reality of prayer and healing in my life. God is doing something heavenly.
I love this song. I would love to learn to play this song. For Christmas, this is so perfect. I have this song playing at times throughout the year. It makes sense though. What we are celebrating in this month should be followed with Easter and Easter not forgotten for that is why he came. This is what should drive us, give us a passion, and help us live. I boast in nothing except in Jesus Christ and him crucified and him resurrected.
Hosanna in the highest. Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed. It is not Easter, its closer to Christmas.
However, this reality is what we are all about - Jesus lives. Jesus saves. Remember what Christ did on the cross, how he conquered death and gave us life.
I am full of joy. I love Jesus. He is the joy of my heart. Jesus loves me. He gave me life. He is amazing and perfect. No fault did he have no matter how hard the pharisees tried to find one. His love and mercy washes over me.
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself,[a] so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24
I have given my life to Christ and he takes me just as I am. I know that all things are possible with Christ and that whatever hardships come my way that I will stick with Christ. He will be my strength and my song and my joy. I will be able to say It is well with my soul. It will be because I have Christ and he brings life, so much life that while I serve him here on earth I can bring glory to God and share his love with others.
Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."No more tears. This day will come. Until then, just have hope and keep living life. Live a life worth living. A life worth living is a life lived for Christ. Despite the trials and chaos of this life, it is full of love, joy and peace. Christ brings wisdom. James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
A Jesus moment: In church today, heaven was walked about and how that one day all the hardships of this life will pass and how amazing heaven will be. Yesterday and the past few days I have been just thinking about heaven. And later today I was in a car with a friend and the same two songs that led me to think of Heaven so much is what we listened to. Brilliance.
I see God.
I see God in his creation. The creation reveals the creator. It looks designed. It is designed.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer Go chase daylight.
Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life Is the very same voice that calls you to rise So hear Him now He's calling you home You will never be alone
Brilliance. Never alone no matter how lonely I may feel. The joy of Jesus in my heart is bursting. It fills my heart so much. I am dancing/skipping around my house. I am listening to the songs below. They are about heaven. It sounds so lovely whether you believe it is real or not. What will it be like to live forever in a place where there is no more hurt or tears or heartache or death. The sorrow and pains of today will be gone forever. Just love and joy. Love and joy beyond our comprehension in this world. My soul is getting restless for the place where I belong. I am so excited for this place! On this earth I am living now. I am living eternal life now. I am living it with full force with the strength of God. I am chasing daylight; I am seizing the moments God gives me and searching him for more. The hands that hold the world are holding my heart. I have prayed that God would break my heart for what breaks his. What I have found that my heart is broken so much. God's heart breaks for his precious creation, his people. I know that Jesus has my heart and holds all the pieces. He has the power of healing and has brought so much healing in my life. I desire for all to know of this peace, love, and joy. Joy and love that is so much that I cannot contain it, that I run and sing and dance. Have you seen a sunrise or a sunset? Or what do you find to be the most beautiful? Heaven is far more gorgeous than this glimpse that God has given us on this earth through his glorious creation. I cannot wait for this place. Until then, I live here to share this joy with you in hopes you will find this joy as well. Cherish the simplicity of this life. Don't over complicate things. I've written this before: Find joy in the simple things of this life. Don't over complicate things. It is simple. Love Jesus. Live for Jesus.
Oh you all, how I wish you could live in forever with me.
Starting school has been ridiculous. Okay so thats a strange statement. I do like change, but I don't think my mind changes quickly enough. It has been hard going to school and I have not wanted to the first week. And on Monday the second week, I didn't do any work. I was so reluctant to do any work. I wasted the afternoon away doing no work, being lonely, and wasting time watching TV. I eventually did something productive and figured out what food to bring bible study.
I headed over to bible study and the plan for the evening was to have good fellowship and for Daniel and I to share about our mission trips this summer. We ate food and hung out. I watched them play a game, there was many people there. We shared and it was a great time. Daniel said something about how the people in Indonesia value school so much.
After listening and sharing, I began thinking. Talking about Haiti let me remember the experience and the joy I had serving. I had a realization that this stuff about school needed to stop. I just needed to shut up and stop complaining. I thought about Philippians 2 and shining like stars. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."
I want to shine like stars.
I chose to just go to school and just do it the rest of the week. I chose to be joyful. I found this verse. "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalms 90:4
And I remembered this. This is what keeps me in school.
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Read the whole chapter http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7&version=NIV
In one of my journals from two years ago I had notes about the passage. I remember going to Ascent and learning about transforming faith. They were doing a study through Romans. The following are some notes along with thoughts as I typed them out of my journal.
Change IS possible.
The struggle for change: Romans 7 David: great leader, great sinner. David, a man after God’s own heart, he lusted and had an affair with a woman and then had her husband killed in battle.
True peace and Joy is with Jesus. Have Jesus as your master. Law has power over people who are alive. “to death til us part” Jesus died for you! When you accepted him you also died w/him and rose with new life!
As Christians -we died with Christ -we rose with new life -we can serve Jesus with His love. What the law cannot command, love can do.
Do not covet with your attitude and even with your thoughts.
Law: find failure and condemn it. Nothing wrong with God’s law, the problem is with us.
God uses a good thing to show the badness of a bad thing. “But I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” – Paul
You cannot be married to Adam and Jesus at the same time. “I don’t understand what I do.” You are either a slave to sin or a slave to God.
Sins are the symptoms of a fundamental disease, sin.
Paul, who was Saul, says he is a living contradiction
Will Power is not enough “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?!” When you hit rock bottom, you can look up. “Thanks be to God!” Who has the character, concert and capacity.
Fully human, fully divine God loves you - sent his son. Jesus loves you – sent his spirit. Spirit loves you – wants love to shine. Use the power God has provided.
