Right now...

*Snow is falling outside my window for the third day in a row: it's just drifting gently right now.  What a cozy, wintry day. 

*I have nothing to fear; I know my God is bigger. 

"The heart of a man plans His way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

                 ...strangely comforting, in an out-of-control sort of way...

*I couldn't agree more with CS Lewis on this one (at least the book part):

 "You could never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." -CS Lewis

    

and this one:

"It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself a new one till you've read an old one in between." -CS Lewis

*Song of the moment: "Whatever" -Steven Curtis Chapman 

..."So strike a match, light fire to the list of all my good intentions, my preconceived ideas; I will do your will no matter what it is; give me faith to follow where you lead me; Oh Lord, give me the courage and the strength to do ... whatever"

Here - look at how absolutely beautiful God made this sunset:

*sigh* God is so amazing. 

"One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple." Psalm 27:4

Crazy in Love

I've been reading 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan.  When I started reading it, I thought the title implied that the book was solely about Christ and His love for us.  Because honestly, the love that Christ has for me is crazy.  It's deep, unfathomable, wild, extravagent, undeserved, rich and absolutely crazy.  I mean, seriously, read this: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 12:38-39)  His love cannot be moved. Period.  Nothing in ALL creation can divide us from the love of Christ. As I began 'Crazy Love', I was once again blown away by the love of Christ. 

But Chan doesn't stop there.  The 'crazy' part in 'Crazy Love' isn't just about Christ's love.  Crazy love should be how my life is defined as well.  Crazy love for Jesus and crazy love for others.  And that got me.  I know that I'm supposed to love Jesus and love others…but am I crazy in love with Jesus?  Not just loving Him because I'm supposed to, or trying to pay Him back for loving me.  I'm not supposed to love Him just to earn brownie points.  I'm supposed to love Him simply because He is worth loving.  Chan tells us that the more we pursue Christ, the more we'll fall in love with Him. And the more we fall in love, the more we'll desire to pursue Him.  And for a minute I had to pause.  Fall in love with Jesus?  That phrase gets used all the time…"I'm in love with Jesus."  But do I act like I'm in love?  Do I behave like I have a Lover?  And not just any Lover - but a Lover who died for me?  Am I passionately in love with Jesus Christ?  I've seen couples who are in love, and from what I can tell, it's hard for them to go even a few hours without thinking or talking about the one they love. Does this happen with me and Jesus?  If I go a few hours without talking to Him, do I feel lonely? Deprived?  Do I long to talk to Him and spend time in His presence?  Is He always in the front of my mind? As Francis Chan asks, "Is loving God what you are about?"  This should be my purpose in life.

We like to say that the Bible is God's love letter to us.  And so it is.  Scripture expresses an undeniable love that is hard to portray in words.  But sometimes, the Psalms look more like love letters to God, sent by David.  Psalm 63, one of my favorite Psalms says this to God: "Oh, God...Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you...Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you...My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods..."  Wow.  That's love.  David longs for God.  He says in Psalm 28 that God makes his heart "leap for joy".  There is an intimacy in their relationship that is obvious.  We as Christians should seek to know this same intimacy, not to earn favor, but simply because we are in love with God.

I pray that we would learn to have a passionate love relationship with Jesus, to be madly in love with our Creator and that this love would so overtake us that it would spill out of us into those around us.

1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us."

Choices

This Semester:

I choose to look on the bright side.

I choose to live confidently.

I choose to boldly live out my faith.

I choose to rely on God.

I choose to trust His sovereignty.

I choose to be cheerful through the joy that Christ provides.

I choose to work hard.

I choose to strive to glorify God. In Everything. 

Day in, Day out.

I choose Christ.