{His love moves me to love}

I wanna love You the way that You love me; I wanna see Your face.

Property of Aysha Gerald

 Growing up, I found myself wanting to control the circumstances of my life, but inevitably failing. Who hasn't? We all desire to be in charge, to be independent. The problem was that I placing God on the back-burner. Instead of allowing Him to guide my path, I tried to make one for myself.

Solution: Surrender.

I've had to learn that life and the plans that I make are God's to direct. He has a greater purpose and is fulfilling that through me. Every person that I meet in various stages of life, every hand that I hold in moments of grief, every smile that I create on someone's face, is a chance that I have been given to allow someone else to experience God the way that I have.

I have the chance that so many people in this world are doing without: to love as Christ loved, without hindrance, without judgment, without expecting it in return.

We love because He first loved us; how beautiful, that the love I feel for my friends, family or the hurting in this world, is only a fraction of the love the Father has for me. If only I could take that knowledge and use it to further the Kingdom!

One of my favorite verses in Scripture, is this:

Psalm 27:4 -- One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple.

I desire nothing more than to see my Maker's face. To be so lost in His presence that in viewing myself, only He remains.

In seeking His face, I find control. I find the strength to surrender. I find the desire to love.

His love moves me to love.

Blessings,

Ps. The lyric at the beginning of this post is a lyric from Dakota Green. He has such an amazing voice and is a servant of the Lord. Take the time to check out his music; you won't be disappointed: Dakota Green Music

This post is linked to:

{be holy as i am holy}

Leviticus 20:26 -- You shall be Holy to me, for I the LORD am Holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

The Israelites were set apart; handpicked by God to fulfill His plan for a broken creation. They were called to be Holy. Why? Because Yahweh is Holy. And through the work of Christ on the cross, we have been made holy in the sight of God.

Hebrews 10:9-10 -- Then He said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made Holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

But what is Holiness?

Simon Ponsonby, author of The Pursuit of the Holy, said this:

Holiness is about becoming more human, as we are restored into the image of God...Holiness is a return to Eden's ideal and a taste of paradise (p 23).

Here is another:

People and things are said to be holy by their relation to God, as they offered by Him or to Him or before Him (p 19).

And finally this:

Holiness is infused into things or people that come close to God or exist for Him (p 19).

The Holy nature of God sets Him apart, and as His children, we are called to live lives that are set apart as well.

Pure actions.

Pure words.

Pure motives.

Pure thoughts.

Without blemish. Without the fog of the world interfering with that which is sacred.

Let us exist for Him.

Let us be Holy as He is Holy.

Blessings,

{in loss, there is hope}

Good Morning everyone.

I pray that you're having a blessed week, wherever you may be. I'm sure many of you are aware of the devastating impact that the tornadoes have had on much of the country these past few days (particularly in Joplin, Missouri and parts of Oklahoma and Texas).

It breaks my heart. Lives are being lost, homes are being ruined.

But in all of this loss, there is hope. And that hope is found in Christ.

With so much heartache going on around the nation, I ask you this: What are you doing to make a difference? Whether it be prayer, or hands on help, we are called to be there for those who cannot make it on their own.

Property of Aysha Gerald

Across the world, people are crying out for help, but here in our own country, we can soften the burden.

As we call on the name of Jesus for the fallen, the sick, the hungry, the hurt and the heartbroken, lives will be changed. Scripture says that as we do for these, we do for Him.

What a beautiful thought.

Today, I challenge you to pray. If you are unable to help the areas that have fallen, pray for those who can't find the words to speak, pray for those who are suffering.

Our brothers and sisters need us.

This post is linked to Ann Voskamp's...

Linked to Internet Cafe Devotions...

 And also linking to: http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Blessings,

{heart of service}

With it being Make-A-Difference Monday, I thought I'd share something that happened today.

Over the past few days and weeks, things have been rocky in my family. My sister delivered her baby on April 28, and ever since then, there has been abundance of love, but also some tension. In my anger, I said hurtful things to my sister, and even though it was anger produced out of concern and love, it was anger nonetheless.

So skip forward to this morning. I got a text message from my sister asking if I would come over and watch my niece for her while she went to the gym. I was surprised that she was even talking to me, after the things that I said. I told her that I would be over, and quickly got in my car and drove the 10 minutes to the apartment.

Not only did I get to spend time with my niece, but my sister and I got along (which hasn't been happening too much lately). It was an intervention by God that made me realize how much I love my sister and how proud I am of her.

Aside from that, later in the afternoon, around 4 pm, I got a call from my mom, saying that she was stranded at work because her car wouldn't start.

Now if you know me at all, when obstacles are put into my life, I have a tendency to make a big deal out of them or complain, but today was different. I made it a point to serve my sister and my mother, because God commanded me to.

Once again, I got into my car and drove the 45 minutes to the hospital where my mother works. She was thankful that I came to her rescue, and I was genuinely happy that I could be.

It's the small things that we do that can make a difference in someone's life. Whether it be harsh words that were spoken or previous severed relationships, the smallest act of kindness can erase every negative experience.

Friends, we don't know the battles that others are facing, as they don't know the demons that we face. It is my prayer that we would approach every person and every situation with a Christ-driven humility and servant-hood that allows Him to be seen through our actions.

Father,

 Let every word that I speak come from a place in my heart that is connected to Your own. Let my actions speak of my Savior, that others would come to know Him through me. I am a vessel Lord; one called to serve with love, compassion and humility. Let me forgive those who have wronged me, and Father I ask that you would soften their hearts to forgive my wrongs against them. It is only through You, Lord, that I have the ability to accomplish these things.

I ask that you would prepare my heart for the changes that You are making within me.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.

Blessings,