So it's been a while.
I'm sorry blog, I didn't mean to neglect you. It's amazing how the days have just been FLYING by isn't it? Suddenly I turned around and we're into the year 2012! Seriously, when did this happen? And who gave permission for this to happen?? And January is practically gone! Ridiculous :)
So what have I been up to? Let's think...
Celebrating my 23rd birthday....weird.
Moving out of my parent's basement....bittersweet.
Moving into a new apartment....crazy.
Making new friends....amaaaazing.
Working/building relationships with my coworkers....challenging.
Leading worship for women's Bible study....stretching.
Trying to stay connected with old friends....difficult.
Learning how to live with my new roomie....fun.
Learning more about my Heavenly Father....awe inspiring.
My plate is full!
It's just been amazing to take a step back and see how God has been working through me these past months. Doesn't it just blow your mind that God chooses to use us, flawed as we are?! Doesn't it humble you so much to think about how He doesn't need us. I was thinking about Adam and Eve, and how God could have so easily just said, "Well that didn't work out, I'll just scrap them and start over. Take two."
But He didn't.
He chose to extend GRACE!
He chose to love on us in a way that means so much more now that we are a FLAWED people.
Doesn't that just make you want to worship Him with everything you have?
"For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 4:15
And then I start thinking about how often we misconstrue the concept of worship. We'll sing the songs at church and then when we're leaving the building to go to lunch we say, "Wow, that was an awesome worship set," or we say, "I just wasn't feeling those songs today."
We're forgetting one very important thing.
It's not about us!!!!!!
Shocking. I know.
So what if I didn't FEEL anything during that worship set? It's not about how you feel, it's about praising and giving glory to God! We shouldn't be leaving the church talking about awesome the music was, but about how AWESOME God is!!!!
And sometimes yes, we will be blessed with overwhelming feelings of thanks, or awe, or conviction, and we shouldn't be afraid to feel those things. There are definitely people who are too afraid to let themselves experience those feelings, having been warned that feelings aren't to be trusted. And while no, we shouldn't be making life decision based off of feelings, we can't forget that feelings are part of the way God created us. Feelings aren't bad in of themselves, when they are from the Holy Spirit.
Fear is a feeling, and yet aren't we supposed to have a fear of the Lord our God?
"Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." Psalm 2:11
So where I am I going with all of this, you ask?
I'm not sure, I just know it's what was pressing on my heart, and I wanted to share :)
I hope everyone can take some time to step back and see how God is using them, it's just awe inspiring!
