The Ultimate Love Story...

I love my blog. 

Not because I think I do a good job with writing my very random posts...but because when I want to post something that was an encouragement to me, in hopes that it will encourage someone else, and that post happens to be a tad too long for Facebook...my lovely blog is there...waiting to be filled with words of nonsense that come no where near expressing how I feel. 

A dear friend of mine sang a song in church called "Not Guilty" 

It talks about how God, the final judge of this life, pardons us...because He loves us. How is that possible? That someone so great could love me....with all of my mistakes that I make everyday. As hard as I try not to...I fail God everyday.

And yet...He still chose to save me from sin...from a life of death...to love. me. 

You want to read the ultimate love story, friends? Read your Bible. 

Now, don't run away just yet. I know the Bible, to a lot of people, probably seems like a religious duty, or a bunch of old English mumbo jumbo. 

But have you ever taken the time to actually read it? 

Every story within that book...all comes together as one big love story that God has written for us. 

I could go into a blubbering rampage of all the different stories, but I think that is one post that would be too long for blogger :)

Anyways...I wanted to share the lyrics to that song mentioned earlier. 

Take the time to read the words. So precious. 

Enjoy.

Verse 1:
I stand accused, there's a list a mile long
Of all my sins, of everything that I've done wrong
I'm so ashamed, there's nowhere left for me to hide
This is the day, I must answer for my life
My fate is in the Judges hands,
But then he turns to me and says

Chorus:
I know you, I love you
I gave my life, to save you
Love paid the price for mercy
My verdict, not guilty

Verse 2:
How can it be, I cannot begin to comprehend
What kind of Grace would take the place for all my sins
I stand in awe, now that I have been set free
And the tears well up, as I look at that Cross
'Cause it should've been me
My fate was in the nail scarred hands,
He stretched them out for me and said...

Chorus:
I know you, I love you
I gave my life, to save you
Love paid the price, for Mercy
My verdict, not guilty

The Elements Song

Alright...here is my next goal...to learn the Elements Song by Tom Lehrer

Those of you who have no idea who he was or what this song is...here it is...

If I actually master this song...I will post a video of me singing it....maybe.

Recklessly Loving God

I have been reading through the book of Genesis lately, and while doing so, writing down kind of a summary of what I read. 

Surprisingly, this has helped me understand things a lot better than when I'm just reading. 

It was cool to read even the first verses of the first chapter and be completely blown away! How many times have I read those verses? It's amazing what you actually "read" when you make yourself focus.

I'm not doing this out of chore...I'm doing it because I have a hunger to know the word of God.

Tonight I read the 22nd chapter. This is the chapter where Abraham obediently takes his only son, Isaac, the son that he didn't get until he was one hundred years old mind you, and goes to offer him as a burnt sacrifice unto God, by request. 

The words in the Bible make it sound like Abraham didn't even flinch at this. He got up the next morning, gathered his donkey, two young men, some wood, and his only son and headed off to where God asked him to go. 

When he finally gets there he turns to the two young men and says, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and my son will go worship and return unto you." Hm...he said they would both return? 

Abraham goes up the mountain...Isaac asks him where the lamb was for the burnt offering, to which Abraham replies, "God will provide himself a lamb."...He sets the wood up, lays Isaac on top and just as he raises his knife, the angel of the Lord tells him to stop that he now knows that Abraham fears God.

Abraham then lifts his eyes and sees a ram that is caught by its horns in a bush....and he uses it for the burnt offering. 

The angel of the Lord calls to Abraham a second time...

Gen. 22:16-17

And said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies:

Wow. God...give me that same faith and obedience that Abraham had. It makes you ask yourself if you are all in with God or not. Do you really, unconditionally, recklessly love Him? If you had to choose between your family or God...who would you choose? 

I want to be able to say that I would choose God. 

Why, I Wonder...

Why, I wonder, do we only seem to feel really connected, and genuinely praise God when things around us start to feel heavy? Not that we don't praise Him in the good times...but as genuinely as we do in the bad?

I'm guilty of this...and I hate it. 

I was sitting in church tonight before service, pondering that thought. A few things were brought to my attention before hand that weighed a little heavy on me. And as I was sitting in my seat, I felt so close to God. I felt a genuine praise that I do not normally feel when I get to that spot where my flesh feels like I am fine where I am with God, and that awful feeling of complacency starts to settle in.

Why, then, do we feel that way? Or maybe it's just me? Somehow I kind of doubt it. 

I don't know about you...but I would like that genuine praise and closeness at all times. 

Do you know why God created us? I have never really thought about it, until last Sunday when our assistant pastor spoke on love. Agape love, or unconditional love, to be exact. 

God created Adam in His own image and said, "It is not good for man to be alone." So with that statement, He took part of Adam and created Eve. 

God created us because He did not want to be alone. 

All He wants is for us to praise Him with everything we have. Why not? He gave us everything He had. He sent His only son to die a most brutal death to cover our sins. And yet...we are too selfish to give Him everything we have because we are afraid? ...afraid of what? 

Don't worry I'm speaking to myself here. What breaks my heart...is that even when we don't give God what He wants...He will come to our level and take whatever we give Him.

That humbling thought brings me to the decision that at all cost, I want to give my God everything I have. I may eat my words when the next trial comes...but can't you see that in the end it is so worth it? Even if I never gain anything from it. If I never get another answered prayer or blessing from God...I would hope that I could say that I served Him anyway.

I'm thankful for the loyalty, mindfulness, love, and friendship of my God. I'm thankful that even when my flesh gets the best of me and I don't give Him what He deserves...my living God still loves me and blesses me and forgives me when I ask Him. 

How precious a thought, friends. 

I pray, Lord, for a closer walk with you. For a deeper love for you. For a consistant praise and life of giving you everything that I have. I commit myself to you in Jesus name. 

Amen.