Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Brand New Life.


I love Springtime. Other than Summer, it is my favorite season. I love how things that were dead all of a sudden begin to come back to life. Everything is green, the trees are filled with shades of pink, white, and yellow flowers. The trees regain their leaves. Everything comes back to life.

Rain. Rain is intoxicating. There is something so refreshing, so healing about water falling from the sky and cleansing all of creation in its springs. I love the smell of rain, the feel of walking outside and being washed by nature's shower. It washes my soul, and my heart feels hope.

Rain, and every aspect of Spring offers an incredible reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

Our humanity has left us broken, wounded, scarred, and undone. Alone, we cannot make it in this world. Our hearts have been so ravaged by the world and the ways in which it seeks to destroy us, but, there is a hope for a new and better life. This life is not perfect, by any means. It is full of trouble, hardships, pain, and brokenness, however; in the midst of all this, there is hope and life available through the One who gave Himself for us. He gave His life away to provide us with a new life. Through His Blood, our humanity and souls are washed and made new. Through His death, we can experience death of the flesh and human nature, and through His resurrection, we are given new life. From the grave, from death, comes life.

My friend, though this may sound too good to be true, I can assure you that it is true. My life was broken, wounded, shattered and left in ruins. Then, Jesus found me when I wasn't even looking for Him, and He gave me a new life. He took away my heartache, my addiction, my insecurities, my fears and my inability to truly love or trust. He made me new. He gave me joy, hope, love and a purpose and reason to live.

My prayer is that you would allow Him to do the same for you. His arms are open, waiting to give you new life, but you have to run to Him. He is pursuing you with all His might and affections, but He wants you to invite Him in. He is a gentleman and will not impose Himself upon you if it is not your desire to have Him. Once you run into His arms, I assure you, it is the most wonderful, deep love you will ever experience.

You will truly be made new. The picture of the yellow flower is significant to this discussion, I promise. I planted this tulip in the middle of my backyard when I was about 8 years old. Every year, without fail, this flower will come bursting out of the ground. It is my reminder that even from the dead, life will come forth.

Change of Direction


My life is beginning to take a completely different turn than I ever expected it would. It all started my sophomore year of high school. I was at my old youth group, _Tag, and the church interns in a program called 24/7 were talking about their trip to Mexico. God told me, quite clearly, that I would be doing 24/7 in the future. I initially said, "NO". I thought it was too intense and that I was not 24/7 material, so I just pushed it to the side and forgot about it. Well, about 2 years ago, God began to bring the idea back to my memory, and I began to pray. I went in with my stubbornness saying, no, this is never going to happen. And now, I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is where God is leading me. And I could not be more excited.

I had planned to finish college, and right now I am only one semester away from obtaining my Associate of Arts degree. Well, that is being put on hold for now. I don't really know why I have been going to school, I guess cause it made me feel like I was doing something that mattered. And it did, its not like I was hurting anything by going to school and getting a college education. But, right now, God is leading me to a different path, at least for a season.

This change is kind of intimidating, and it scares me in more way that one. I will be leaving home to move all the way across the country, to Sweet Home ALABAMA! Leaving my family, my church, my city, my job...everything I have ever known I am leaving to follow Jesus and His call. I don't know what I'm gonna do without my Mama, but I know I will get by with the strength of God. I am scared because I am going without all the funding I need. I am working full time this summer to raise as much money as I can, and just leaving to go and trust God to provide all that I need while I am there. It scares me because I know that this will be the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life. Emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally, it will be incredibly challenging. I know that I will reach a deeper level of brokenness than I have ever known.

But despite being intimidated by the unknown, I feel the deepest peace about this next step, and I know that it is where God is leading me to go next. August 20th. Highlands College. Birmingham, Alabama.

Bring it on, Jesus!