I know there are a lot of us out there needing prayers right now. I thought I'd share these verses with everyone, as they really hit home with me this morning the true power that lies in praying to God for those that you love.
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
I've been wanting to update for a long time. I just didn't feel like I had anything to say. I felt like I'd run out of reasons to post or update, that I hadn't really had any moments of clarity worht sharing. Recently most of my posts have been sort of mundane updating about my life, and really, that's kind of self-centered kind of posting, always assuming you want to know the minutest details of my routine life. Recently, I've hit a lot of big milestones:
*two of my dearest friends in the world got married within weeks of one another.
*I attended my 5 year college reunion and got the invite for my 10 year HS reunion all in the span of week.
*...OK... well its felt like a lot of milestones. It certainly has been busy.
But with all that happening, I still was just going through the motions day to day.
I've been struggling recently with trying to carve out my place, my path, my plan for this one glorious life I have on earth. Up until this point, I've really let my life make its own plans. I think even though God is ultimately in control, its important to live a proactive and hopeful life. But, beyond those abstract concepts, I've been praying for more definition of what God has planned for me.
Yesterday, I had to drive up to Dallas unexpectedly for some tests. Today, during my drive back down south, some news I recieved has really made me start thinking again.
It's made me question some of the things I thought as absolutes in my life, it's made some questions absolutes. It just goes to show that whether I had a plan or not, God truly does. He's truly looking out for me right now.
Whether I'm any closer to a path, I'm a lot more thankful for this day, this moment, for all the blessings I can enjoy right now. I'm thankful for a push to look a little farther than today with hope and anticipation, but that I'm also grounded in the idea that I can't just sit and plan and wait for life to happen, I have to live it in the moment.
I know I might be sounding a little morbid. I don't want anyone to worry, I'm definitely OK. I just wanted to post this to remind all of you, whether today feels like just another Friday, just another workday, just another day where you look forward to Saturday... Take in the gloriousness that is a life lived as God's child... Take in the hope of what you can do tomorrow, Take in the thanksgiving of the blessings that have brought you to this moment, and Take in the awe of the fact that as you sit there reading this post you're alive, and breathing, you're loved, and you're forgiven, you're powerful in making someone else's life more blessed, and and yet, powerless in the grand scheme of the universe (luckily your life is being protected and watched over, guided by the mighty loving arms of God).
So even the most mundane of days - those days are amazing, blessed, wild, and glorious. It gives me butterflies.
Voting is such an overwhelming, hopeful, empowering thing.
It is truly amazing that while at times we feel so overwhelmed with what's going on in our world - each and every person in this nation gets a chance to have a say.
I voted for the first time ever today! I was too young to vote in the last presidential election, and right after I turned 18, I moved to college, so I haven't voted in any of the local polls in the meantime. BUT, I made sure to vote in this election! :)
To my parents: Thank you for showing me what love is. true devotion, loyalty, friendship. loving me enough to take me to church, to show me God, to push me to do my best, to never accepting excuses, but to always accepting my apologies and forgiving me as I grew. Thank you for always giving me the right amounts of support and challenge that helped me stand on my own two feet.
To my friends: True love shines through in your character. Thank you for being amazing examples to me, letting your light shine. Thank you for putting up with my imperfections, being a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, a partner in crime, and a glimpse of heaven on earth.
To my God: Thank you for giving me your son, and your word. Thank you for being present in my life. Thank you for giving me my soul, a piece of you, that longs to be taken home. Thank you for being a just God, loving Father, helping Spirit, sacrificing Brother, listening Intercessor, and thundering Warrior all for me. For my totally undeserving heart. Thank you for showing us all the different forms love can be, and for giving us each other that we might learn in the smallest sense what amazing love we have to look forward to when we are all called home to you. Please forgive me for being so short-sided, selfish, and stubborn. Thank you for giving me one more day to remember, honor, and love you.
I hope all of you have a wonderful day, and have the opportunity to remember what true love is. To take a step back from the commercialism of the day, or the feelings of what you "don't have" that this day tends to stir up - and remember how great this life truly is because of all the different loves that have shaped you into who you are today.
