How he loves us

  Here is another video that I want to share with you and I have always loved this song and I think it is one that so many believers love to sing and listen to.  But sometimes its just sad because I do question Gods love, not even knowing that I am and its when I don't trust that God has good for me is when I realize that is just me not believing that God loves me the way that this song talks about.

  I love what Matt Chandler and John Piper say during this song, that even when it seems like God isn't there and things don't make sense or we feel like we are to far gone for Gods forgiveness that we can rest in the Cross knowing that NO SIN is bigger than the cross and no situation no matter how hard should make us question Gods love for us.

   Even at our worst God paid the price to have us be a part of his family, he gave up his only son so we could know him, we can have a relationship with him and we can spend time with him.  God knew that you were going to mess up and God knew that you were going to run from him at times and that is why he sent his son to the cross for you, that is the whole point of the cross!!

  I pray that when things get hard and when Satan tries to shame you for your sin that you remember that God loves you and nothing that you say or do will EVER change that.  His love is perfect and even when it seems like he doesn't have your best in mind remember that sacrifice that he made for all of us.  Rest is his unfailing love and grace!! :)

"Though You Slay Me"

  This song is a song that makes me cry every single time that I hear it because it is something that I always want to be true in my life and something I believe so much in.  Shane and Shane have always been my favorite and now that I get to see them every week at church when they lead us in signing love songs to our beautiful savior I am so much more thankful for them.
 
  Even in our suffering we have a beautiful, wonderful, kind and gracious God who is good and has good for us.  Our suffering and hardships are doing something and they mean something and maybe we won't see that right away what God's purpose was in our suffering but knowing that God is faithful and good we can have peace in him.

    I lead a group of 19 6th grade girls with one of my very best friends Erin and we talked about this a few weeks ago with our girls.  One of them asked "If someone dies at a very young age does that mean that they were never meant to be?" When she asked me this questions she started to cry and while my heart was breaking for her and the pain that she was feeling, I also felt such peace knowing that I could share the truth that God had a purpose for every single second of that child's life and death and that it was doing something.  That God will use this tragedy for good and can give her such peace and comfort in this time.

   My prayer is that everyone that hears this song would be encouraged the way that I am by it and that in those hard times and the times where you just can't understand why God would "let this happen" that  you would remember what a Great and Good God that we serve!

UNSTOPPABLE :)

  Last night I went to see Kirk Cameron’s new movie Unstoppable and going into it I was honestly thinking I can’t wait to learn something new and hear something to encourage me that even in tough times there is a reason for everything that happens.  So after the movie I sat in my seat and thought well is that it isn’t he going to tell me something I didn’t already know.

   After going home and just thinking about it I realized that in this movie Kirk Cameron paints a very clear picture of the fall of man and God destroying the earth with the flood and then shares the Gospel and at first I was like really that’s all you’re going to tell me.  Then it just hit me THE GOSPEL IS ALWAYS ENOUGH!  If all that I ever know is that God sent his son to cover my sins by dying on the cross so that we could have a relationship with him then that’s enough.

  We wonder why God could let bad things happen to good people when we are going through tough times and I have thought that so many times myself.  But God loved us so much he sent his PERFECT son to die a death that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy just so he could have relationship with us. God knows suffering more than we can even imagine and he is God he didn’t have to experience the pain of his only son dying but he did and it was all for us.  It literally brings me to tears thinking about Gods love and grace and I am so thankful that I got the chance to go see Unstoppable and I recommend that everyone go see it!

 

 

Launch 2013

  So I just got back from Launch which is a retreat that my church holds every Labor Day weekend and it was AMAZING!!!

  The theme was College Game Day so all 750 of us young adults were split up into team and had team events it was soooo much fun and such a good way to get to know people. Then we had free time where you could go to the pool where they had slides and all sorts of fun stuff or you could go zip lining or go to the lake.  The BEST part of this retreat by far for me was the Worship time with Shane and Shane, Bethany Dillon and Phil Wickham.  We are blessed at Watermark to have Shane and Shane lead us in worship every Tuesday night at The Porch.

    But I will never take for granted what a blessing that is to be led by them in worshiping God.  Tommy Nelson was the one bringing us the word 4 different times and each time he left me with this hunger for God’s word to read it and really know it more.  The Porch team of staff and volunteers worked so hard to make all of this fun stuff happen and for that I’m so grateful.  After worship service the first night they had a “tailgate party” where there was also a staff vs. young adult’s football game which was so much fun and they also had fireworks and games for everyone to play.  Johnny and Chachi were there of course and I don’t think Launch would have been the same without them they are always making us all laugh until we cry. 

  The second night after worship service they had a Phil Wickham concert and I was so excited that I got to be front and center for that and be blessed by his music and worship with him.  I have been such a big fan of his for so many years and he just keeps getting better. 

 

Check out these two videos that give you a little taste of what Launch 2013 was like this year!! :)

 

http://vimeo.com/73658776

 

http://vimeo.com/73591744

  I can’t put into words how truly grateful I am to be a part of a church body that has great leaders like Todd Wagner and Jonathan Pokluda that always challenge me to be in the word and to grow in my relationship with God.  Watermark has been such a blessing in my life and helped disciple me and I have never been more in love with Jesus and surrounded by such an awesome group of people.  Through being a part of Watermark I have found a group of 8 girls who have become such a big part of my life and some of my very best friends.  Todd Wagner was teaching the other night at The Porch and said that we should not fall in love with your church's building, style of music, preacher, bible studies... Fall in love with JESUS and that is 100% true.  But I have grown closer and fallen more in love with Jesus because of the teaching and love shown here at Watermark and I want others to experience that as well.

   Overall life is GREAT and I am more blessed than I deserve and I am so thankful for all the people God has put in my life and the place he has me right now in life. 

Proverbs 13:3

Proverbs 13:3

 

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

 

I read this verse today and it really hit me hard because I have always had a hard time with keeping my mouth shut when people make me mad.  And so many times I have let my emotions and the words that come out of my mouth get me in trouble. So my prayer is that I would remember this verse and remember that the words that come out of my mouth once said can’t be taken back and can’t be forgotten. To only speak kind words to people and not let my emotions get the best of me and lash out.

James 1: 19-20

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

 

James 1: 19-20

 

 

 

I think this verse is so important because sometimes it can be so easy to get angry with any given situation and say or do things you will regret. But this is just a little reminder that when something makes you angry to take a second and calm down before you speak because once those words of anger come out they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.

 

Imagine Dragons

 

I love this band and this song!! :)