Your Heart

"At the end of the day, I want to hear people say my heart looks like Your heart..."


"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."-Deuteronomy 6:5

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage all you who wait for the Lord." -Psalm 31:24


"You yourself are our letter of recommendation, written in our hearts, to be known and read by all.  And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on the tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." -2 Corinthian 3:2-3


His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things...'-Matthew 25:23


It's hard to imagine...


A world where everyone strived to lead a life reflecting Christ.
Radical compassion, pure acceptance, unwavering love, endless forgiveness.
Can you even begin to grasp it?  A better question is, are you living it?


This morning as I did my devotional, I was sitting here just thinking. 
I listened to a song called "Your Heart" by Chris Tomlin and I was struck by the overwhelming power behind this song.  It gave me perspective and clarity on the important things in my life which I keep pushing to the background, sure I have enough time to do them one day.  


The song says,
"I never did dream beyond the pastures I could tend, 
Never was about the praise, 
Not about the street parade,
Didn't really need a crowd when Goliath fell down
Never meant to wear a crown, 
or to bring armies down, 
never was about me or who I hoped to be..."


I am a dreamer. Plain and simple.  
Some people tell me to get my head out of the clouds, and I listen.  I limit the dreams God gives me and label them too difficult by the world's standards...
 I pull myself back to Earth only to realize that keeping my heart with Jesus is the only way to even begin to stand the darkness here.  Pain, lies, rejection, failure, poverty, disease, death....focusing on some of the things this world brings pushes me to sink without God to hold me up.


  God has given me a vision for a better world where some of its darkness will be overtaken by the beautiful light of Christ's Kingdom, but I lose sight of this.  God has blessed every single one of us in a unique way to better this world, and yet we wait, I continue to wait for the perfect opportunity.


We wait for a blaring green light to go.
We wait for someone to ask us blatantly for help.
We wait for when we have 'free time'


News flash! You may never get any of these things.  It can be like sitting at a stop sign waiting for a green light that will never come, ever!  Sometimes, it means having the courage to move forward with the power of Christ behind you directing your path.  We must always continue moving forward because this life will not last forever.


Doubt and excuses are what shoves us back into the ordinary and we forget how precious the time God grants us is.  

'Oh I have time to meet that person sitting by themselves another day'


'I'll tell them how much I care if it really comes down to it'


'I'll volunteer there next year maybe...'


'I'll bring up faith with my friends if it comes up...'


'I will invite him to church next month...'


'I'll really live out my faith once I'm settled in, now's the time for fun'


Matthew 24:36 says,"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."


Instead of looking at your life from a human perspective, try thinking of it from God's perspective.  
We have such little time here and every single moment we spend focused on things apart from God, is a moment wasted.  


Seeking and studying God on a rainy Tuesday morning, I am reminded of God's everlasting love. The love that envelops us and calls us to further His work here on Earth.  
Today is the day to live.  The day to take joy in God no matter what stage or season of life you find yourself in.  
Today is the day to grow.  The day where you do that one thing God has been prompting you to and you have yet to do.
Today is the day to glorify and to love.  Love those around you and reflect the compassion God has given to you so that you may give it away.


Following Christ means not settling.  
Not settling for the mediocre, the false image of love, a superficial society, half-hearted living, surface relationships, a life full of excuses against living the way you know you can.


It is defined by challenging yourself and others around you to become rooted in Christ.  To search your heart and find God waiting to use you.  
Our mission is clear: To live like Jesus did, having Love be our reason, our purpose, our meaning, our joy.  He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)


So where are you today?  
What excuses are blocking you from being the person you can be?
Let God wipe them away and replace them with the victory of Christ that plants a love in our hearts and minds to persevere through this life.  It is the victory of our faith that overcomes this world (1 John 5:4-5).


Lord, help us to deepen our passion and clarify the vision You give us for our lives.  Your heart is the only thing that brings true fulfillment for us and the power to restore healing in our broken hearts.  Forgive us for giving up on dreams You give us because we deem them impossible.  All things are possible through You and nothing can separate a Love so deep that it connects every single person on Earth and in Heaven.  Give us a spirit of courage to go out into this world and to be a reflection of Love for those who don't know who You are.  May your love dwell in our hearts and become so rich that it overflows out of our hearts and into the lives of others.  In Jesus' name, Amen.




"I can't hold it all inside, I'm reaching for the One who brought me out of death and into life..."

Wake up

"I know your works.  You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard.  Keep it, and repent..."-Revelation 3:1-3


I have never thought of myself as spiritually dead, but listening to a sermon yesterday I found myself questioning.  Where does my heart lie?  With this world or with God?


A particular part of the talk caught my attention.
The preacher began to talk about the church of Sardis which had begun to acclimate to the culture all around them.  Jesus had called them out, spelling out the consequences for falling away from Him.  Connecting it back to our world today, he asked us hard questions that led me to question beyond what he had even asked of us.


Had we become so adjusted to a world apart from Jesus that we are failing to live out the radical demands of our faith?  A world where cheap pleasures, worldly pain clouds our hearts, and our own selfish desires direct our steps...
Have we lost the uniqueness of a live devoted to Jesus?
Choosing instead to follow the crowd, and accepting that this world will never truly change into a place where God's kingdom can flourish.
Are we striving to finish the work God has given us as if doing it only for Him?
Or are we checking things off our list without fully completing tasks in our work, relationships, and daily lives.


If we are struggling to make it through our tasks, are we forgetting the motivation?
The motivation that above all shines comes with a light so strong that nothing can put out the eternal fire burning through our darkest nights.


Revelation 3:5 says, "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot out of the book of life.  I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.." 

Isn't this enough?  


For Jesus to look you in the eyes, and acknowledge the work you completed to the best of your abilities on this Earth as you lived to glorify the name of Christ?  How could it not be?


At the end of the sermon we were challenged to reflect.  
As Christians, we are called to rip the lies out of our heart and replace them with truth.  
No matter whether you are in college, at work, or simply out in the world, God moves us to action.


To live out a radical faith apart from the crowd, 
to keep yourself accountable for the words and actions you put out into the world, 
to develop relationships that run deep and are rooted in Christ, 
to finish the work Christ has given you individually,
to never give up hope,
to pray continually for opportunities to stand up for Christ,
to love as He loved.


If you are feeling alone in your walk through life, remember.
Jesus walked with enemies rising up against him, God was with him.


"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise against me, yet I will be confident." -Psalm 27:3


The work we do here on Earth for Christ shall never be in vain.  It is through this work that we come to know Christ and awaken our hearts to see and know Jesus.  If you are at a point right now where God seems distant, close your eyes and remember.  Remember a time when you felt Him in the center of your heart and how you felt.  Every day a flame burns brighter inside of you when you decide to breathe and live out God's call.  Continually seek God, He has never given up on you and never will.  He will plant courage in your soul, and help you flourish into the truest version of yourself you were always meant to be.


"...assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." -Ephesians 4:22-24


God, you restore the burning fire we carry for You every day that we choose to seek you.  Remind us never to settle for a way of life less than what You have called us to.  Separate us from the cultural norms, the bad habits and the little things that create even more space between us and You.  In our decisions, turn our eyes to Heaven and keep them fixed on the mission You have breathed into our hearts before the day we were born into this Earth.  Awaken the eyes of hearts to see You for everything that You are, and give us courage to face the new day with the full armor of Your love and strength.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Beyond the surface

There is so much beyond the surface of a person.


Beyond the makeup.
Behind the sarcasm.
Underneath the latest trends.


A few days ago in my Freshman Seminar, something happened.
All 20 or so of us shared our faith testimony and God moved.


Sitting there listening to these stories, I was in awe.
I somehow always manage to forget that every single person has a story worth telling.
A story of the hurdles and jumps to land in a specific spot in time.


Behind the smiles and the jokes, there is a person.  Hurting and aching for love.  From another, from God, from parents who stepped out of the picture, from a boy or girl you adore...the list goes on and on.


I have found when you look at someone, I mean really look, you will begin to see the cracks, the things breaking someone down.  Everybody has something.


In my life, self-esteem has been a hurdle I have yet to completely cross.  I feel some people don't really notice this about me because I tend to hide it pretty well...always playing it off like no big deal.  I find myself taking two steps forward on a good day and 4 backward on another.  Something that hurts me so deeply is when someone ignores or pretends not to see me...I don't know if that has happened to you but for me, it happens A LOT. And I know it isn't a big deal but sometimes, it really affects me and chips away at my image of myself.  I think I have a deep fear inside of myself that people see me and have no interest in getting to know me for who I am...kind of stupid but hey, I'm being honest here.


I feel as though certain people keep their distance from only me yet not with everyone else and that really hurts.


So next time you see somebody, don't forget to open your eyes and see, instead of merely looking.  You can skim the surface of every person you meet in this life, or you could choose to go deeper.  You can open the eyes of your heart to something beautiful that God desires to share if you choose to take that next step.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Beyond all of our cracks and shortcomings, God is glorified.  
                       He shines out of our cracks, even brighter than the sun.


God, you are perfect.  You are so far beyond anything beautiful on this entire Earth, and yet you choose us to love.  You have woven together the heart that beats, the eyes that see, and the story of our lives continues though the storms may come.  We each have burdens to bear and oceans to cross, but we have each other to lean on.  Open the eyes of our hearts to recognize the deep rooted pain inside of the people you call us to love, and move us towards Your grace and way of seeing this world through Your lens.  There is nothing we could do to deserve the Love you freely bestow so we love for You.  Show us the way to live every moment with purpose and passion for those who stray towards the darkness looming around every corner, including my own wandering heart.  In Your name, amen.

I believe.

I believe, I do. 
 I believe in Christ, yet sometimes I think my life doesn't always reflect that.  I say things before thinking it through, fail to live out the radical compassion God draws me to, I spend my time focusing on things I don't have, I fear I won't become the person God has called me to be.  Why do I do this?


I consistently question God and why He hasn't provided certain things for me that set me apart from the crowd...


Deep down I am afraid of being different.  I am in fear that other people won't give me a chance.  This entire idea is ridiculous because God has set me a part for a reason.  He has set all of us apart for a reason.  


We are the vehicle for His love in families, friendships, dating relationships, schools.  The power of the individual is highly underrated in this world because Jesus uses each one of us for His unique purposes.


He uses one to lead someone to Christ.
One to forgive another.
One to show radical love.
One to shine in His name.


Christ has called us to stand up for the broken, lead the weak to Him, and live out the love that He has embedded in our hearts.  YOU personally. Not just that guy over there. Not just your youth pastor. YOU.


His love is sufficient for every one of our lives.  In fact, it is more than enough.  Whenever you find yourself asking for more, take a step back.  Reevaluate where your priorities are and where your heart is.


"For where your treasure is, your heart will be also.."- Matthew 6:21


Jesus calls us to never give up.
Never give up on His unfailing love.
Never give up on yourself and the power you hold through Him.
Never give up hope in the plan He weaved for you.


Lord, I believe. I believe in Your transforming power to change my life from darkness into light.  I believe that You have made me for a purpose beyond my knowledge.  I believe that my life has happened in accordance to Your plan and that following You not only means a life of love in this world, but a life marked by having the courage to change it.
Give me the strength to be patient for good things come to those who wait.  Help me to appreciate every detail of this life, good and bad, that I have the privilege of living in Your name.  You are the living God and never leave my side no matter how far I stray.  Train me to keep my eyes on You and You alone. In Jesus' name, amen.

An unshaken kingdom

"To the one with the wounded heart, the years fighting have left you scarred, wait the light will come. To the one with the distant eyes, all this crying has left you dry, wait the light will come..."


It is so easy.  So easy to believe that you are never going to reach that place, a place of happiness that you feel everyone else has reached.  Sometimes you begin to wonder if you have been overlooked time and time again, people just passing you by day in and day out, never stopping to see.


Life can beat you down, take away your dreams, steal your hope in the present and in the future.  Why is it so easy to feel this way? To begin to believe the false shadows that stretch across our eyes and darken our hearts...


Yesterday, I felt a bit like this and I came across a verse.  God spoke to me reminding me of something I chose to ignore.
Despite every horrible disappoint, heartbreak, loss, 
God's kingdom remains { unchanged }.  His love remains.


 "Therefore let us be grateful for recieving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." -Hebrews 12:28


Life could come crashing down all around you, yet Heaven stands.  God never will let go of you.  He will never stop pursuing you, stop believing in you, stop loving you.  You are His and you belong in His kingdom.  


I have a tendency to fall into a very negative way of thinking and get so wrapped in what I lack that I forget about the abundant blessings and beauty Jesus has put in my path the last 18 years.  Beautiful friends, passionate leaders, a family with unconditional love, a relationship with Christ I sometimes feel I don't deserve, the opportunity to attend a college where many people value a relationship with God.  What more could I possibly ask for?


God has begun a process inside of me, changing the way I see this world.  
We have such enormous potential to change this world, little by little, in our relationships, in serving others, in loving this world.   You can't let your narrow view of yourself and this life stop you from becoming who God desires you to be.  Persevering through the trials towards His light is the only way to discover the life Jesus has in store for us.


His kingdom is unshaken by the small pebbles this life throws at the walls of our hearts.  God is protection from the darkness that threatens to consume us and snatch the light God plants inside of us to flourish.


God, I pray you would remind every one of us that Your kingdom is unshaken by the storms of our lives.  I am the one who stands in the way of my own destiny by the constraints I place on my capacity to love and live out my faith.  Disappointments may come and pull us down, but You lift my eyes up to Heaven, to see the beauty that awaits the heart that perseveres for You.  Let every relationship and encounter I have speak of love and the joy You grant anyone who chooses a life lived with You. In Jesus' name, amen.

"Here is laughter beyond the tears, here is courage to face your fears. Look the light has come..." -Phil Wickham

Through Your eyes

I want to see the world through Your eyes.

Do you ever wish that..?  
That you could take a real step back and see every ounce of brokenness in this world and just heal it.  To give peace to those who are seeking yet unsure.  To have extravagant for every single person you meet, see, interact with.  To lead people to a throne where Love waits patiently, extending His hand of grace to the lost and confused.  Lately, I have begun to pray for this way of seeing.


When I think about the life I lead, I know I have done a few things right but thousands more wrong.  I am in deep need of a Savior who leads me down His narrow path, away from the selfish desires I carry in my heart.  It would be easy to stay the same, to be comfortable where I am at, but that is not what You long for.  You long for my heart, my fears, my love and my entire existence. 


 I want to be a person who seeks the lost and never forgets the immeasurable power I carry through Your love.  Somebody who honors You in every relationship and isn't afraid to go deeper.  To bring people closer to You through my words, my actions, my efforts.  Somebody who goes above and beyond to make people feel love and realize the great Love written in the stars by God.


There is more power inside of each of us than we care to see. We have the power through relationships to shine, but we must take chances.  If God is pressing you to get to know someone, then go up to them. They could be someone desperately seeking love and acceptance from another.  You could very well be their angel.  


There is a quote a friend shared with me a long time ago from "Akeelah and the Bee" which says, 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of God that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others."

     Through Christ, I've been able to the beautiful truth in it this past summer.  Self-confidence is something I have battled with for many years, and only recently has God begun healing.  You personally have all the power in the world through God who resides in your spirit.  When you truly love the One who made you, His love shines for all to see.  By living, loving and leading relationships that honor His name, we are furthering God's family and the kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.  

Doubt can tamper with our confidence, infecting it and stifling the Love that shouts of the possibilities.  That says our mistakes have been stripped of us and we are free to abide in His love.  The Love that calls our name and is written in our hearts.

My prayer for every one of you is that you would look around you.  See people for who they are, the burdens they carry and the walls they're up against.  Love recklessly and show them who God is.  Don't give up on somebody because of their past, look towards the future God has for them.  Take risks for God and meet people you feel drawn to.  God is for us and nothing can stop the Light that He brings into this world.

Matthew 22:37 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

When you live this out, you will truly be seeing, breathing and living out the Love this world desperately needs to feel and see from us.

God, help me see people as You see them.  People broken and scarred by life's battles.  People who strongly desire to feel pure acceptance and extravagant love.  People who are sorting through the emptiness of a life distant from You.  Jesus, show me and everyone reading this that You are present and active in this life, awaiting us to take a risk and be bold in our faith, courageously serving You.  

To the One who deserves it all.

In Jesus' name, Amen.