…Your love breaks through and reminds me of the hope that I have in You…

The Arms of My Savior

When I’m all alone / And the weight of the world / Is more than I can bear on my own / When all my plans have failed  / And I suffered defeat / I’m down on my knees / I can’t get to my feet

Your love breaks through / And reminds me of the hope that I have in You / That I have in You

There’s no other place / That I’d rather be / Than safe in the arms / The arms of my Savior / There’s no other place / Where I can be free / So I run to the arms / The arms of my Savior

When I’m feeling overwhelmed  / Like I can’t take anymore / I’ve thrown up my hands / All I see is the floor / I’ve looked to the north / The south, the west, and the east / But as far as I can see / I can’t find any peace

Your grace breaks through / And reminds me of the hope that I have in You / That I have in You

There’s no other place / That I’d rather be / Than safe in the arms / The arms of my Savior / There’s no other place / Where I can be free / So I run to the arms / The arms of my Savior

Life shouldn’t be something to dread / ‘Cause I know You still know / How many hairs are in my head / And so I run to You / And so I run to You

0 to 60 in…

0.                 I own 27 bibles

1.                 I like to read (but I’ve been really lazy lately)

2.                 I wish I were ambidextrous

3.                 I don’t like wearing my glasses, but certain people have changed my mind about that, so I’ll wear them around a select few

4.                 I want to serve as a college pastor one day

5.                 I could wear my rainbows year round if I wanted

6.                 I’ve never successfully been able to grow my hair out when I’ve wanted to…. I am trying to grow it out right now…. any bets?

7.                 this is my favorite number

8.                 I’ve been to the hospital 3 times…. my knee (bad sprain), my hand (first and only time I’ve had stitches) and my eye (severely scratched cornea)

9.                 I drive a Jeep and love it

10.             my favorite bible translations are NLT and ESV

11.             I don’t really like my smile

12.             I want to learn to play guitar, I own 2 of them

13.             I don’t really have a favorite color, but it used to be blue, then red, then it was blue again…most recently it’s been green

14.             War of the Worlds, Cars and Superman Returns are the only movies I’ve seen in the theater more than once

15.             I’ve had 4 jobs so far (restaurant, UNC Charlotte, Christian bookstore, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

16.             I’ve had 9 different cell phones and used 3 different services, Verizon has been the best so far

17.             and yes, I am addicted to my blackberry

18.             but I really want an iPhone

19.             or the new blackberry storm

20.             I really really really want to move out and get my own place, but I don’t have the monies right now…dumb

21.             I went to UNCC for 2 years, I was a Business Management/Accounting major…

22.             …then I switched my major to Psychology…right before dropping all my classes and to date have NOT gone back to finish

23.             I think I would like to live in Nashville or somewhere in Florida one day

24.             I played lacrosse in high school

25.             I’ve never had a messy room, but my room has been getting progressively messier the past few weeks

26.             I am 26

27.             there are 27 days left in the year

28.             Oh…and 26 is NOT old

29.             looking back, I wish I had played soccer growing up

30.             I like snowboarding even though I really suck at it…. I WILL get better

31.             the last time I did one of these random fact things was a whole lot easier, not sure why

32.             wow…. I’m only ½ way done with this list….

33.             I have some kind of A.D.D. I just know it…. and I’m a tad bit O.C.D. with certain things

34.             I think Transformers may be one of my favorite movies…

35.             oh, and Iron man…Anchorman…21…Blood Diamond…

36.             I would like to visit Europe or Australia someday…

37.             I wish I had a suite (or sweet) accent

38.             I have lived in 2 states, have only been to 6, driven through 10, have friends from at least 12 and would like to visit all 50

39.             I like both Macs and PCs…weird!

40.             NEWS FLASH!!! I’m far from perfect

41.             I can’t swim, never really tried since I’ve never been a water person, but…

42.             I like the beach and I’d like to own a pool in my backyard one day

43.             I always get complimented on my eyes and my phone voice

44.             I am a very open and honest person and like it

45.             I own a lot of shoes

46.             my brother is my best friend

47.             he got married this year…I always knew he’d beat me to the altar haha…and yes that makes me sad

48.             I sing in my car, in my room and a few other places, but NOT the shower

49.             I love dogs…just not my family’s dog…he’s mean

50.             I was voted best all around business student in my class in high school

51.             speaking of voting…this was the first presidential election that I have ever voted in…my guy lost haha

52.             I am ticklish

53.             I do not like my middle name

54.             I’m really bad (or good?) at bumping into people and not remembering where I know them from….

55.             …I usually remember about 15-30 minutes after running into them

56.             I don’t have any “famous” friends, but most of my friends do, so I have connections, sweet!

57.             I’m a pretty quick study and like learning new things

58.             I do occasionally watch the national geographic channel which happens to be channel # 58

59.             I’m a noble steed? What?

60.             okay so I know I cheated on a few of these but oh well…enjoy! I was bored!

Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer…

When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and I get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty, I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.

To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God’s grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, “A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God.”

[Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel, 25]

⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

[Ephesians 2.4 - 10, New Living Translation SE]

Who are you? Who am I?

What defines you?

Time to get honest with ourselves.

Speaking of time, I’m out of it. Late. Fun.

I pray that we all experience God’s unconditional love and mercy, showered with grace today.

Grace and peace my fellow paradoxes.

…how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us…

¹¹ For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.

^12-13 We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don’t be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.

^14-15 The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.

^16-17 This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

When We Practice Real Love

^18-20 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

^21-24 And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

[1 John 3.11-24, the Message]

Love One Another

¹¹ This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹² We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. ¹³ So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

¹⁴ If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion-how can God’s love be in that person?

¹⁸ Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. ¹⁹ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. ²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

²¹ Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. ²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

²³ And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. ²⁴ Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

[1 John 3.11-24, New Living Translation SE]

Love One Another

¹¹ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ¹² We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴ Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

[1 John 3.11-24, English Standard Version]