So there's this guy..

Photo credit belongs to Holly Lueers. :)

I have a secret. :)

There's this guy in my life. -blushes-

He's amazing. 

I can't even begin to describe how good He is to me. I don't deserve Him! His love for me is incomparable to any other guys. He constantly melts my heart with His goodness and compassion. He always forgives me when I mess up and never ceases to listen to me. He encourages me daily and builds me up. He is someone who I know will always be there for me, through good and bad - thick and thin. Did you know you can share in His love too?

 Girl say what!?

Yeah, you heard me!

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm talking about my sweet Prince Jesus. :)

His love is so refreshing and unchanging. 

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:   
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

 

So why is it that His love to us constantly seems not enough? Why is it so often that we find ourselves in search of earthly guy love and attention? There are many reasons, but I think when it boils down to it, it's because we are forgetful. We often forget that we do not need a guy's love or attention to make us complete and have a fulfilled life. It's tempting and our emotions can pull us in all sorts of directions away from Jesus. I've been there, done that. It never fills though. It never is enough. There is still a void, a gap. A whole in our hearts longing to be filled with everlasting love. 

More recently, I have found myself in various conversations relating to guys. It has actually started to bug me! Why can't we be happy with JUST our Jesus? Whatever happened to waiting on God's timing for love in our lives? Whatever happened to soaking up our singleness and taking advantage of it, using it as a time to grow closer to Jesus and deeper in love with our Savior? Instead we become miserable, we view it as suffering, we are impatient and must get what we "need"! We keep searching and waiting for that special guy to come along all the while forgetting that that "special guy" came for us a long time ago. Have you forgotten about your Prince Jesus?

My challenge to you: Don't waste your time waiting around for a guy to appear in your life, and instead focus on the Prince that has been in your life ever since you were born (and before that)! Hold fast to Jesus and never let go of your first True Love. I know there are times when you will feel lonely and wish that there was an earthly prince there to hold and comfort you, I feel that sometimes too! Even though we may forget about Jesus and His love, He certainly never forgets about us! He knows your longings and your hearts desires, but you have to trust in Him and wait on His timing, not your own.

 

" For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be."

-Psalm 139:13-16

Note: If you're a guy, I encourage you to do the same. Wait on God's timing for Him to bring that special lady into your life! Until then, run after Jesus with all that you are and seek first His will for your life. :)

I'm Forgiven!

While doing my school work today, I've been listening to K-Love. The song "Forgiven" came on, which is by Sanctus Real. It's one I haven't heard in a really long time and it brought up some past memories of mine in which I do regret but through the lyrics, I was reminded of what Christ has not only done for me, but for you and anyone else born into this world.

Here are the Lyrics..

"Well the past is playing with my head

And failure knocks me down again

I’m reminded of the wrong

That I have said and done

And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life

I know what I’ve been

But here in your arms

I know what I am

[chorus]

I’m forgiven

I’m forgiven

And I don’t have to carry

The weight of who I’ve been

Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind

And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night

When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride

Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

In this life

I know what I’ve been

But here in your arms

I know what I am

[back to chorus]

When I don't fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere

When I don’t measure up to much in this life

Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause

[back to chorus]"

I'm quite sure that all of us have done things, said things, thought things, that we wish we hadn't. It's very easy to get caught up in the regretful things we have done and forget the meaningful, God-glorifying things we have yet to do.

If your past ever seems to bug you or even go so deep to ache your heart, I encourage you to remember that you ARE forgiven. Let God's Word speak for itself:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.” Isaiah 43:25-26

When you come to Christ and repent, He no long remembers your sins but they are completely blotted out! There is hope in the name of Jesus Christ!

My Challenge to you: Whether you struggle with things in your past or not, praise Jesus for His amazing love, mercy and forgiveness! There is nothing that can hold you back, no sin that you cannot conquer, no challenge that you cannot overcome, no past regret that you can't make peace with - in the Name of Jesus. Beneath His wings, there is a promise for all of our futures! :) What an encouraging promise that is!

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus …”

Romans 8:1

True Love

I came across this song today by Phil Wickham..



I love it! My favorite line is:
"We were free and made alive
The day that true love died,
The day that true love died"

It's such a beautiful and piercing song! Check it out! :)

Also, here's a challenge for you: Listen to only Christian music for the next 30 days! K-Love announced this challenge on their radio station and I thought it was a great one! Generally speaking, I don't listen to too much secular music, but I think this challenge is worth it! (Sorry 80s music... :P)

When the Sun Breaks Through..

WINTER.

When you see that word, what do you think of? Maybe you think of snow, hot chocolate, Christmas, or school break? 

The city I live in is one that has many cloudy and not so sunny days. Especially now that it's winter. Sometimes I find all these cloudy, cold days a bit gloomy. I long to see the rays of the sun beaming through the blinds of my windows.

Lately I've been realizing that winter is more than just a cold, darker time. It's what precedes the brighter time, the spring and forthcoming warmth of summer. It takes winter to reach summer. Ironic as it is, I would say symbolically I am in somewhat of a "winter" kind of season, in regards to my spiritual life. Not that I am dead or my spiritual life is pathetic. I mean it in the sense that I am waiting for the warmth of summer, I am waiting for that light. 

Many days I feel I am in some form of darkness in my winter, trying to be patient on God and His timing for when summer will come. 

Today I was driving home from church and though it was cold, the sun was shining. While coldness was present, the sun was breaking through too and its warmth was right on the tip of my skin. 

It reminded me of the reward which the warmth of the sun and summer in general give.

I took this today. :)

So while I'm in my own winter and days can be cloudy and cold, there are gaps and holes forming to where the sun is breaking through, and through these gaps, I am warmed by the love of God and with His everlasting hope that He continually gives to me! 

I have never been the biggest fan of winter, but slowly I am realizing that if it weren't for winter, I wouldn't appreciate summer as much. The same goes for where I'm at in life right now... The "winter" I am experiencing isn't always the most pleasant, but I do have a growing hope for the days of summer and when the sun breaks through! Through this winter, God can prune away the dead parts of me and when "summer" comes, I will be fully colored, blooming and alive! 

My Challenge to you: If you're going through "winter" currently, praise God. There is good reason for His putting you through its process. It will form in you a stronger and deeper love for Christ, along with a firmer walk with Him (if you let it). Be on the look out for what God is trying to teach you.  

If currently you're not in a "winter", praise God as well! If winter ever comes upon you, never view it as a negative thing. Consider it a blessing in which God is raising you up to be a strengthened follower of Him! :)

"It is when the death of winter has done its work that the sun can draw out in each plant its own individuality, and make its existence full and fragrant. Spiritual growth means something more than the sweeping away of the old leaves of sin--it means the life of the Lord Jesus developed in us." 

-Elisabeth Elliot

A Path Through Suffering (35) 

Are YOU in need of a paint job?

This past week was Christmas break, which pretty much all went to painting my room. (I will do a separate post on that eventually.. :)). 

As I was painting, I noticed something.

I had a lot of marks on my wall that had been created over time. Along with that I had many, MANY holes from hanging up things or posters, etc. With a little plaster and paint, all those marks were covered and seemed to simply vanish. It was as if my wall had a fresh start and all those marks were forgotten! 

"Okay Rachel... why are you telling us about disappearing marks and holes?" You may think.

By covering over these marks, something dawned on me.

Is this kind of like what Christ does for us? 

He takes our bruised, damaged and marked up hearts and "paints" us a new, clean and transformed one. 

Through His covering over of our sins, He presents us with a brand new and unstained heart!

(No, this is not a picture of my wall. It wasn't THAT bad, thankfully!)

Thank you Jesus, for giving us all "paint jobs" to our hearts. :)

So what do you think? Do you need a paint job? Maybe a few "touch ups"? 

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"