Community

This evening my church youth group was canceled. Now, it was for safety reasons (and I'm all for safety), but selfishly I was pretty bummed. I love church. And it's not always for the message (is that bad to say? I'm gonna say "no.") More often than not, I look forward church because of the people.

I have met some of the most amazing people I know through my church. They encourage me, support me, and make me laugh--which in my book is pretty darn important. They are my people. They are the people that I connect with on a deeper level that most ordinary friendships, and they bless me everyday with the way they put up with me!

I thrive off of community. I live for the days where I get to be around people that I love. I enjoy meeting new people, and even though I sometimes get really intimidated by the idea of meeting new friends, when I really push myself--when I dive in--I've met some crazy amazing people! I'm in my element when I'm around people, my joy increases when I get in a room buzzing with conversation and activity, and in some amazing, crazy awesome way I can feel the Holy Spirit when I'm surrounded by people and activity.

I think that friendships (and relationships, in general) are some of the most important relationships that a person can have! Even God thinks so...he says "It is not good for man to be alone..." God created us to engage in community, in fellowship through Him! He didn't create us to alienate ourselves from the world; he created us to make the most of the life He's given us, and I think that includes living a life full of joy through relationships.

Before I publish this post let me just say a big thank you to everyone who clicks on my link each time I post and reads what I write. I feel so blessed to have people who have messaged and commented to tell me that my words have touched their heart! I blog because I love to write...my passion is to talk and teach and learn more about God and myself (even though I'm not the expert when it comes to scripture.) So, THANK YOU--from the bottom of my heart.

Truths

I have a tendency to be forgetful! Who doesn't? It seems like it's hard-wired in us to misplace our keys or our remotes, but the forgetfulness that I felt compelled to write about today isn't our tendency to forget our earthly possessions, but our tendency to forget the truths about who we are as God's creation.

I often find myself stuck in a rut; I get trapped in a cloud of anxiety and sadness because I suddenly find myself wondering what my purpose is on this earth, what God's plan is for my life, and why can't I figure out what it is.

But God's word has a lot to say about who he created us to be--we were created in his image! We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the same God who created the heavens and the earth, and holds our entire galaxy in the palm of his hand!

We can get caught up in the lie that we are small, insignificant beings that are just waiting around until we can figure out how to spend our time on Earth, but that is so untrue! Psalm 139 says, "...in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me..." God knew us before we even existed! He had our lives mapped out before--as my mom says--we were specks in our parents' minds! If we give in to the lie that we are nothing special, we are giving in to the lies that Satan whispers in our ear. The lies that tell us that God doesn't have a plan for us, that He's left us here to figure things out on our own.

It's inevitable. There will be times when we forget the truths about us, when we don't know where we are supposed to go or what we are supposed to do. But, let me give you some advice: when the truths seems so far off, remember what the Bible has to say about you. You were created in God's image, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, and your days are mapped according to God's will.

God's word doesn't lie about why you were created. It speaks nothing but the truth, and these truths are the things that make up who you are! Don't forget who you were made to be, don't forget who you were made by, and most importantly don't give in to lies whispered in your ear by a powerless enemy--listen to the truths that are yelled, loud and clear, by the God who tells the sun and moon to rise and set.