notes of encouragement.

I needed some of these verses today. I'm guessing it's never a bad day to hear these words. Peace. Don't we all need it now? 

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." -John 16:33 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6 

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distress, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 
-2 Corinthians 12:9,10

"Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." -John 20:21

"When Heaven Weeps"

"What a terrible thing it is for children to see death, you say. We have it all wrong. If you make a child terrified of death, he won't embrace it so easily. And death must be embraced if you wish to follow Christ. Listen to his teaching. 'Unless you become like a child... and unless you take up your cross daily, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.' One is not valuable without the other."

-Ted Dekker

All Things In Common!

This is an excerpt from the article "5 Churchy Phrases that are Scaring Off Millennials" by Addie Zierman. Below is one of the phrases and an explanation of it that I resonated with.

(You can read the whole article here.)

"“God is in control . . . has a plan . . . works in mysterious ways”

Chances are we believe this is true. But it’s the last thing we want to hear when something goes horribly wrong in our life. We are drawn to the Jesus who sits down with the down-and-out woman at the well. Who touches the leper, the sick, the hurting. Who cries when Lazarus is found dead…even though he is in control and has a plan to bring Lazarus back to life.

You’ve heard us say that we like Jesus but not the church, and it’s not because we’re trying to be difficult. It’s because the Jesus we read about enters into the pain of humanity where so often the church people seem to want to float above it."

And she draws everything together in conclusion...

 "In the end, it’s not really about what churches say or don’t say. What millennials want is to be seen. Understood. Loved. It’s what everyone wants, really. And for this generation of journeyers? Choosing honesty over cliché is a really great place to start."

I'm not really sure I need to elaborate. But this tugs at my heart. There's something so beautiful and raw about embracing the pain instead of pretending it's not there. Sometimes we don't want an answer--we just want to be held, and we want someone to cry with us. Jesus did that... Jesus does that! I would love to see churches crying, laughing, praising...together.

"Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and [i]sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding [j]to their number day by day those who were being saved." -Acts 2:43-47

I've Been Inside Too Long

                           

Never Forsake

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like a conqueror today. This entire week has consisted of me continuously lifting my hands to the heavens, in defeat, frustration, prayer, all turning into praise. Oh, God is so good! Every time I put something in God's hands this week, He immediately took my gift and did something with it. Worries were replaced with peace. My empty mind replaced with knowledge. My worn body replaced with the energy of a 6 year old. 

So I personalized Romans 8:35-37 today: 

What can separate me from the love of Christ?

Will homework?

Will midterms?

Will sickness?

Will career choices?

Will discouragement?

Will exhaustion?

Will my human-ness?

But in all these things I overwhelmingly conquered because of Him--He loves me. 

The soul that is trusting in Jesus as Lord

Will press on enduring the darkest of storm

And though even hell should endeavor to shake

He'll never

No, never

No, never forsake! 

How firm our foundation!

How sure our salvation!

And we won't be shaken.

How firm our foundation! 

I'm overwhelmed. 

It's Fall Now

I think the calendar actually said that it's already fall
but the air smells like fall tonight
and that is more convincing to me.

Indeed the Savior of the World

I'm packing again. After barely four weeks of being at home, it's time again. Time to go back to school, back to work, back to Washington.

Almost every morning for the past few weeks I've been able to sit down at the bar in mom's kitchen with a hot cup of tea. I've claimed the bar as my own since I've been home. My Bible, computer, phone, headphones, journal, and numerous dirty mugs cover the area. Oh, and pens. Lots of pens. I need to use a different color everyday, even if it's just switching back and forth from blue to black. 

Today was black. 

"It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." -John 4:42

When I first read this, my heart jumped in my chest. There's something so incredibly amazing about what these people were saying. The Samaritan woman had been telling the people of her town about Jesus: who he was, what he looked like, what he did. But something happened. Something changed. They met him for themselves and everything was different. Their concept of Jesus no longer went through the eyes of the Samaritan, but they saw with their own wide-open eyes. He wasn't just a story they heard on the street. He was there, in front of them, and real.