His love speaks volumes.

An old professor of mine gave me a high compliment over the weekend. He told me that when he knew me as a student he thought of me as an individual that knew God by name. I've been thinking about this ever since he said it to me, mostly because I so desire this to be true in my life. I long to be a person who knows my Lord and shares him with others. Part of my blog mission is to share the heart of God with you, my beautiful and awesome readers, as He shares it with me.

Tonight, my roommate and I were discussing the importance of reading the bible. I've been recently trying to get back into habit but admittedly it is not as often practiced as it should be. Now, the law would say I should read the Bible because God told me to. Grace shows me that I want to read the bible because it helps to bring life. God speaks to me through His word. It is a fairly regular occurrence to read a portion of scripture and feel as if it had "come alive" in my reading. I could have read that same passage 100 times before but in the most recent reading, the Holy Spirit will quicken my hearts understanding and I will newly engage that particular portion of scripture.

The bible also helps me recognize the voice of my Father. Jesus indicated in scripture that his sheep know his voice. Naturally, we are the sheep, but how can we learn his voice? Our thoughts are filled constantly with many things including our own thoughts, words that others have spoken to us, whispers from the enemy, garbage of our day (ie. commercials, etc), negative thought patterns that we've come to accept, and of course words from God. The previous sentence is not a complete list but our thought life is filled and how are we to know where all these thoughts come from. How can we discern the voice of the Spirit speaking truth into our hearts versus the voice of our enemy lying to us. There are many ways to develop an open heart to the words of our God, but one proven way is to mediate on scripture and learn the love God has for you through His word.

Names are an intimate thing, for a person to know one's name is to know something about that person. In biblical times, a name often described something about a person. Hence, why Saul's name changed to Paul in the New Testament. God has revealed His name to us. God has many names as He is infinite. He first revealed Himself as "I am" to Abraham (who also experienced a name change upon meeting the true God). But since within biblical understanding, names represented character - Love describes my God. His love is unlike any others as His love embraces me despite knowing everything about me. His love covers over sin, His love pursues, His love comforts, His love calls, His love is perfect.

I can find rest within His love.

I'm gonna write me a sad, sad song

I'm gonna write me a sad, sad song
This one isn't about hope or what's to come
No this one ain't about all the good there is
Not the beauty, not the quirky, not the downright amusing

No, this one is my sad sad song
You may not understand why this is
After all, I've got a job so that's real good
I've got a home and people in my life, it's true

Still tonight, I'm gonna sing me a sad, sad song
No my health status has not changed. I'm fine.
money's tight but that's the same so no surprise
I'm weary and I'm tired and a little brokenhearted

and for a moment I'm gonna sing my sad sad song
For this moment is as real as any good
this one is as important as the hopeful song
this one tells a part of my story, so it's alright

Someday I'll make sense of what's unclear
maybe I'll understand the bitterness that I see
what's wrong will be made right
and when it is I'll remember this sad sad song

He is still the God who turns mourning into joy
He makes new light into the darkest place
He came and promised to come again so He will
and on that day there will never be another sad sad song

Be thankful!

I've been recognizing in my own heart a quickness to speak or think negative things. I found myself grumbling this morning about the most ridiculous and trivial concerns. Insignificant as my complaints may have been, it set me in a rotten mood very quickly. This is a pattern I've been watching the last week or so in my attempts to seek out true joy. Time and time again, I find myself complaining or grumbling despite the fact that I am a beloved and favored child of the Most High God. My Dad doesn't want me to sit around complaining, after all He has filled my world with lots and lots and LOTS of beautiful things. He deserves my gratitude and honor...not groans and moans! Even when challenges occur, I find that there is so much in the midst to be thankful for.

I am grateful in a way that I am not the first person to find myself complaining. The Israelites, shortly after being rescued from 400 years of slavery began complaining and whining that God had brought them in the desert to die. (see exodus 16:13) Right...like God would go through the big display of the plagues, raising up the wimpy deliver (Moses), parting the red sea; ALL to kill them in the desert. Yep, that makes sense. But it seems that as people we are prone to complain. I cannot be critical of the Israelites because I am guilty of the same sin.

This morning I did a little exercise, Everything I found myself complaining about, I turned into something I was thankful for. When I didn't have something negative, I just began to think of what I was thankful for. It was easy to start as I thought about the people in my life who I hold so dear. But it didn't take me long to realize I needed to be thankful to SOMEONE. After all, the good things in life are not just here by happenstance. All Good things come from the very hand of God. (See James 1:17) So, my random exercise of being thankful turned into an act of praise. Very quickly I found that I can praise Him for literally everything! My sour mood was gone and I became more and more aware of the many good things in my life. I also became free to engage with the world around me. I was incredibly productive and proceeded to have a good day with my family.

There's a song that I love and it describes the amazing thing that happens when we praise God. He shows up! "A thankful heart prepares the way for you my God" (Song: come fall on us, Enter the worship circle, First Circle.) But of course, they were not the first ones to figure this out. The Psalmists proclaimed that God inhabited the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3) I can't quite explain it as it's a mystery to me but when we praise God, He moves. He can free you from depression, utilize you to bless another person, or pretty much ANYTHING else He wants to do. Please don't take that last statement as a way to manipulate the hand of God. He will not and cannot be manipulated. But when we are negative and bitter (not the same as brokenhearted), we fail to allow room for the Spirit of God to move.

I'm excited to move into a season of life of gratitude and praise to my God. Tomorrow, the rubber meets the road as I return to work but I'm excited to begin to turn towards my Lord and praise Him for the innumerable good things. It seems to me that we can start at thankfulness, move into praise, and suddenly find ourselves moved to intercede for the needs surrounding us. Makes sense, if we see God for who He really is, we are able to take the needs to Him with a trusting and child-like heart.

Have a happy Tuesday everyone and please join me in being thankful! After all, the very fact that we have air to breathe is a blessing in itself.