May I decrease and may Christ increase...

This is one prayer I had all summer long. I have certainly seen the Lord be faithful to answer it in many ways. The weeks we spent in Africa and even the weeks since we got back have been transforming. God has graciously been pruning away at my heart. This is only be His grace. I don't deserve his faithful and sanctifying work in my life. But I am so grateful that he loves me entirely too much too let me stay the same. This summer has been a time of me going deep into God's heart and Him going deep into mine. And like we learned at the word alive conference, sometimes God has to empty us out, so that he can fill us up with more of him. It amazes me how God delights in bringing glory to himself through sinners like me. Its like Isaiah 61 says...He has traded me ashes in for beauty. All so that His name might be praised. Praise the Lord!

God is LOVE

Jesus was a man on a mission, but he was a very loving man on a mission. His mission was love. A lot of times on our way to love someone, we forget to love people. One thing God taught me this summer in South Africa, and is still teaching me is the way he values people. God always has time for us. He is deeply compassionate towards us. He fully meets our every need and is greatly concerned with the deepest desires of our hearts. How often do I fail to love others this way. I spend a lot of my days running around, "getting a lot done" but who did I really love along the way? Am I investing in people or just meeting with people? The culture in South Africa taught me that I need to slow down more and enjoy the people around me. They all in some way reflect so much of who he is. I spend so much of my time worrying about the next thing to come and who is going to be there and how it is going to get done that I forget to enjoy the moment I am in and the people I am with. I am sure some of you can in some way relate. There is so much joy God wants to give us through the people he places around us. May we all fight together to slow down and be joyful always! Love <3 1 John 4:7-12