Peace

I have been pushed out of my comfort zone a lot in the past couple weeks and it has been over the top good for me. I have also felt so much peace in those situations and it's amazing. When I think of peace it reminds me of Multnomah Falls in Oregon where I visited this past summer. I'll tease you with a picture of it:

http://www.city-data.com/articles/Hometown-of-Multnomah-Falls-Oregon-on.html

This is one of the most peaceful places I've been. So amazing. The peace felt from God is even greater than this and that I am so thankful for. God wants peace for his people, so I hope you experience the wonderful peace God has given us. 

God Bless. 

God's Love

I have been reminded more than ever the past few weeks of God's love for us. At church on Sunday this example was given: When you stretch out your arms, that's how much God loves you. He did that on the cross for us to save us from OUR sins. It doesn't matter how many times we've screwed up. I love the song "From the Inside Out" It goes: "A thousand times I've failed still your mercy remains....." (Hillsong). This shows me once again like I said above-it doesn't matter how many times we've failed or screwed up. God wants us and he wants ALL of us. Not just a part of us. He wants to be in love with you.
I was also reminded of God's love while reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. He loves us SO much. He knew before we were born where would go to college.
Another way I was reminded about God's love for us was in bible study. In the Heidelberg catechism it says: "Not a hair can fall from my head without the will of the Father in Heaven." He loves us so much that he know every single detail about us. Yes-he even cares about the hairs on your head. He has them numbered and knows when one hair falls out. To me, that's amazing. If God cares about a hair that falls off our heads, imagine how much he cares about things we are struggling with. I had never thought about it that way.
There are many more ways I've been shown this..but I don't want to jump all around.
I just can't get over how much he loves us! I hope that God works the same in your life.

Music

Music has been speaking to me more than it ever has. It's such a powerful thing!! I went to a Casting Crowns concert the other night and it had a huge impact on me. The song "Already There" spoke to me like none other. It talks about how God is already there where we will be. He always goes before us and I'm so thankful for that!! It's a crazy thought to me that God knows where I'm going to college and he knew it way before I was born. This thought gives me the chills. 

Another song that got me at the concert was "My Own Little World" by Matthew West. I need to get out of my world (stop thinking about myself) and see the needs of others. This is something God has immensely been showing me lately. He's put me in many situations that have made me think of how to answer questions being asked to me. I want to grow in the area of helping others in need. "What if there's a bigger picture what if I'm missing out what if there's a greater purpose I could be living right now outside my own little world" This song has really made me think. I'm thankful that God continues to show me things and put me in challenging situations. It has made me grow closer to him. 

Completion

What a promise! God is not finished with you yet. He promises he will carry onto completion the good work he began in you. This verse has helped me find my value in who God created me to be and not in what others think. It's also exciting to see God working in others. I'm just in awe of what a mighty God we serve! He's so good-all the time he is good!
Something we talked about in bible study a couple weeks was about being perfect. It doesn't mean we fail at things (since we will never be perfect), it means that God is still shaping and molding us to be more like him. He wants to mold us to use us as he wants. I just think that's a great way to look at it instead of saying you're a failure. 

Worry

In a couple posts ago I talked about the book "Crazy Love." The part I mentioned was on stress and worry. God has been showing me a lot lately that I don't need to worry. I've actually been worrying more lately than I have which I feel is God's way of showing me I need to constantly rely on him in the good and bad times. It really hit me in Crazy Love that when we worry, we are really sinning because we are telling God we don't trust him completely. I've felt so much peace this past week, especially. I need to rely FULLY on him and not just when things are rough. I need to praise him in the good times and thank him for those times. 

I was challenged through a book we are reading at youth group to get up in the morning and say to myself, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." This is something that I've been working, with the help of God. God is so good and I need to fully trust him and worrying will not happen. God's got it and I CAN'T take it back.