a Magnificent God.

Friends, we serve a Magnificent God.
I don't take enough time to recognize His Power.
We never have reason to boast -- unless we boast about Him!  How humbling.
This is what He has been saying lately:
"Be aware of my constant, unchanging Presence with you. I am inescapable!  And I am in all things. Worship me all day long- by loving people, by admiring me, by refusing to worry, and by turning your eyes to Me."

     

Spend some time in His Powerful Presence today. 

Lord, I am coming.

"My heart has heard You say, 'Come and talk with Me.' 

And my heart responds,

'Lord, I am coming.'' 

-ps. 27:8

I love journaling. It the best kind of fulfillment and release valve for me... which is probably why I enjoy blogging so much! It is just such a therapy. So, as you can imagine, it was a momentous occasion when I ended my current journal and just started the cutest new one from my mom! I went through this previous journal unusually fast... I only started it this summer. Apparently I have just been super talkative in my inner self...

Well, I typically like to start a new phase of my life when I start a new journal.  For example, I started a new one when I got rebaptized, started a new one in college, started a new one before I went to Ghana. So this new journal is going to be a little different, and hopefully it will mark the start of a new phase. When I was looking back at my journal from this summer, I felt like I was consistent in talking to God, but I didn't often experience His manifest Presence in a major, unforgettable way. I didn't have many defining events or life-changing moments. In my new journal, instead of writing my thoughts and problems and prayer requests, I am going to take the advice of Sarah Young (author of Jesus Calling and Dear Jesus) and just listen. I am just going to sit in His Presence and listen. And then, I will write down what I hear. Obviously, I will still bring Him my problems like I always have. But I just want to have conversation with the Lord. I want to talk with Him, not at Him. Notice, in the verse above, the Lord does not say "Come and talk to me." He asks us to talk with Him. Back and forth. 

I started this morning and it went pretty well for the first day. I'm sure there will be days when I feel like He's saying nothing. But hopefully, I will be posting some responses on here. I would love it if you would join me in this quest to know and hear God, as opposed to dumping our problems on Him and taking off. 

Thy Will Be Done.

"Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's wounds and give it 

prosperity and true peace." -Jeremiah 33:6

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So, I was thinking today in my Quest for Meaning class (No worries, it sounds deeper than it actually is).
We were talking about Jesus' encounter with the dead and with the sick throughout the Gospels.. and the thoughts just started coming:
 If you notice, He never says, "Sorry. It is not my will that I heal your daughter/husband/brother etc." He heals 27 people in his 3 years of ministry. In some cases, He raises people from the DEAD. And nowhere do we find an account where Jesus says "I don't want to, or "I can't," or "I won't," or "It's not my will." Can you imagine if He did? Just picture a Jesus who refused to heal people. He equally offers His healing - both spiritually AND physically. I once heard a preacher say that the cross is Jesus' screaming to the world, "THIS WORLD MATTERS." He is shouting, "Salvation is not all I bring you, world! I come to bring you life, health and peace. In abundance." (2 Peter 1:2, Jude 1:2)

Jesus does not merely offer us salvation from sins! He bore every disease on the cross (Isaiah 53:4).
It irks me when I hear believers say "If it is Your Will, heal this person." Of course it is His Will. He never desires for anyone to suffer. Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In heaven, we are told that there is no suffering or pain. If we are asking for things to be on earth as heaven, why aren't we asking more boldly that suffering end and diseases be healed? Obviously, I believe that there are times when the Lord chooses not to heal for reasons I do not understand, but I trust. But, I believe that if more followers would stand up and boldly proclaim Jesus' cross as the removal of all suffering, spiritual and physical, perhaps the Lord would hear us and heal us.

" I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 

Others were given in exchange for you.

 I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. 

You are honored, and I love you." - Isaiah 43

Focus.

"In the silence of the heart, God speaks." -Mother Teresa

My quest for purpose and focus have been somewhat successful, although I won't say I haven't had a few bumps along the way. It is just so easy for me, a materialistic, selfish American, to lose focus. 

I'm not even sure that I have anything productive to say in this post. 

I'm realizing how important each moment is... how precious time is. It truly is the rarest commodity. And as I discussed this idea with Logan last night, we realized that time is the most precious gift that the Father gives us. And when we spend our time selfishly, lazily, or angrily, we are throwing away an irreplaceable, one time gift. (Luckily we get a few more moments to redeem ourselves.. hopefully). We were made with the intention that we would use each moment to spread love, joy, peace, etc. 

I challenge you to use each moment to expand and enrich the Kingdom. 

Solitude.

Before coming back to OC this year, I prayed a lot about what God wanted from me during the course of the year. He kept placing a few ideas in my mind - purpose, intentionality, and community.  So, as you can imagine, I've been working through those ideas since I got back in the OKC. I am still somewhat at a loss as to how I should live those out, but last night I may have discovered something.
I am going to focus my life, week by week, on one spiritual practice.
I'm primarily basing these off of a book that I bought for a study last year (but never opened), and just a shameless plug, it is FABULOUS. It's called Celebration of Discipline. Props to Brianna for suggesting it to us.
Anywho, this week is solitude.
Solitude, based on this book, does not exactly mean what you may imagine. It does not mean loneliness or isolation, but rather it is a practice of intentional inner focus and the constant process of listening for the voice of Jesus. Today was my first day, and it was swell.  Just swell. 
Among other practices, I am focusing on awareness in the moment and a quietness of spirit. It's amazing how well it has gone today, and it's become really clear to me how much I depend on noise, busyness, and chatter. Sometimes, (scratch that.. ALL the time), it is better to actually listen rather than waiting to talk. It's also been so encouraging to know that I don't have to verbally defend myself or justify my actions. Jesus will do that for me.
I would absolutely love it if you would join me in this process. It has already blessed me so much, and I have no doubt that it will bless you, too.

And a side of CRAZY, please.

Well. The year has definitely begun. No doubt about that one.
School work, class work, work-outs, toomanyevents, club nights, sleepless nights, lazy days, crazy days, whirlwind, whiplash, SLOW DOWN!!
Whew. Thank you, blogworld, for letting me get that one out. I've needed to cyber-yell about the hecticness (yeah, it's a word) of the past two-ish weeks.

Sounds crazy, right? Well it is. And I am absolutely loving every last second of it.
Last year, I really struggled to be content at OC. I wanted to be anywhere else, doing anything else, helping people in the way that I thought was meaningful. Since this year has started though, I have been able to fall in LOVE with OC and the people here, and God is still working on instilling His passion in my heart for the people on this campus. This is my mission field this year! And now God is looking into my eyes asking, "Hallie, what are you going to do with what I've given you?"
Because He has given me a LOT. I feel so so so SO blessed. That kind of blessed where you can't help but cynically wonder, "What horrible thing must be coming? This is too good to be true."
Thank You, Jesus.

I have been meditating on this verse lately... it's pretty rockin'. I hope it sticks in your mind and heart like it has mine. It's from Song of Songs but I have no idea what chapter or verse.

"He brought me to His banqueting table, and His banner over me is LOVE." 

Reunited, and it feels so good. Story of my life.

"The one who loves the least controls the most."
Just food for thought. It has nothing to do with the following post. But it's been making me think.

I was planning on writing about healing... which the Lord has been doing a lot of in my life lately... but I am actually going to write about community. But first, one thing on healing. If you, the assumed reader of my blog, are in need of healing from abuse, sexual history, addiction, or any part of your past, I highly recommend the book Invisible Bond by Barbara Wilson. Seriously changed my life. It will change yours... even if you are not dealing with some painful and debilitating parts of your past. It helped me realize the gravity of sex before marriage, and helped foster compassion in me towards people who act selfishly or unkindly because of their past. Read it. (Thank you, Brianna Gaither).

So... on to community.
My friends are some of the most beautiful people to ever walk the face of the earth. I tell you no lies. You can commence the jealousy now, because I'm going to talk about them like a proud mama talks about her first grader. They are ridiculous. I finally feel free to be myself around these girls, and I know that I can come to them with anything. But that's just the mushy stuff. They are there for the tough stuff, too. When I'm in a crappy mood, they shower me with grace and forgiveness. When I'm irresponsible or un-Christ-like, they put me in my place. They don't fluff their words for me, or give me false hope or confidence. They are genuine about themselves, and they are genuine towards me. THAT is love, people. In it's truest form. Oh, did I mention they are hilarious?! So full of joy and full of life. Love, peace, grace, joy, and freedom flow from their hearts, their lips, and their hands.  Thank you, Jesus! Yes, Natalie, Suzanna, Kara, Katie, Kaci, Ali, Brianna, Shelby T., I am talking about YOU and more! 
God's Love manifests itself through ^these girls^. What a blessing. I'm not deserving.