Blessings

What are you thankful for? What are the blessings in your life?

Sometimes I begin to cry when I think of all the blessings I have in my life. When I look at Bella or outside at the sky or even when I have an amazing conversation with someone, I feel blessed. It's so heavy and its so beautiful!

Today is Father's Day. When I think of all of what my Heavenly Father has done for me- I get teary eyed. For the past few days, my IPOD has been on repeat with the song "Oh how he loves us". He is jealous for ME! Love is like a HURRICANE! I am a TREE being blow and whipped around by that love. Bending beneath the weight of his GLORY and MERCY! When I look at myself six months ago, I ache for how lost I was- so far from my Heavenly Father's heart, so far from his will. The chains, the baggage that I carried. The lies the enemy told me that got me down. But ya know what's cool- I no longer have to look back at these things! These things are GONE-FORGIVEN-BOUGHT by the BLOOD and WOUNDS of my Perfect Jesus. He's such a good PAPA! He never lets me fall from His eye, He never lets me be removed from him, He is SMITTEN with love for me! FOR ME! (and for you.) Smitten- do you even know what that really means? It means grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted, struck as with a hard blow OR very much in LOVE. Personally I think each of these describe the Father's love for us. He is grievously stricken with us, He was afflicted for us, Whenever we sin- he takes it as a hard blow. His heart loves us so much! HE love us so much. He is such a Great dad! He is always there for us, whenever we call, whatever were going through, He loves to bring His Kingdom to us! He loves to bring his TRUTH to us. He wants us, He longs for us. He is stubborn- he will NOT give up on us. This week I was feeling very stubborn. Very stubborn on some issues, but when I realized that God is EVEN more stubborn than I am- I laughed a little. Ya know what's cool about God or I think? Is that he is stubborn- but in His STUBBORNNESS- in his fixed or set in purpose or opinion of us- HE pursues us! He never gives up. If we sit around a circle and tell our stories of how we truly began to fall in love with the Father, how he PURSUED us, how he took everything out of us and away from us- It's all different. He is so stubborn to get us, to make us see His love, he never gives up. He runs passionately towards us, He takes the spear to the enemy, He has won all of the battles. That is the blessing that we each share. Putting onto a blog makes me realize even more the BEST blessing I ever have. And honestly words cannot describe the feelings that I feel when I think and meditate upon this. So I challenge you to meditate upon these truths also. I know it can be hard to believe the truths in the midst of the storms, but the Truth always holds out.. For sure.

Blessed, blessed, blessed. Favored, anointed. Another blessing that I have is to have amazing parents who love Jesus. Always, always praying for me and wanting God's best for my life. I think today about the ones who a) never had these influences-either a mother or a father- in their lives OR b) the ones who have lost these individuals. I am so blessed to say that these are not circumstances, but I feel for these losses. I have friends who face these every day and I see their pain. My mouth is so quick sometimes to complain about my circumstances or about the annoying parts of this part of life, however, in all honestly- Why do I complain? Okay back on subject: My parents are awesome! They are wonderful! They support me, they challenge me, but most importantly they pray for me. I forget how awesome it is that they NEVER walked away from me, they never turned there back on me, they were always there to hug me, to love me, to forgive me. It's beautiful. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for your support and for the most, your prayers that got me through the dark days, I appreciate it more than anything you will ever know. I LOVE YOU!

Another blessing I am so thankful for is my crazy friends! I am beginning to realize the depth of our friendships and even the uniqueness that God put inside of each of us! I love the ways that we all interact with each other differently and that no TWO are the same in friendship or even in communication. We each compliment each other and the support that comes from these individuals is beyond amazing. When I had my wisdom teeth out, I realized that we go to different individuals for different things and that we each are good at those things and that others are good at their own things. Whether its DS that totally takes us into heavenly places with his worship through guitar and who speaks words of life. What a testimony I have with this individual. Everytime I am around him, I realize that God has truly restored what the enemy intended for evil. This friendship has definitely seen it's bad days, but praise God for this AMAZING man of God that is anointed and destined to do great things. Or whether its Mr. ZP an amazing brother who prays for people, encourages them, connects them, and just loves on them. Or TH who can FIX anything! Or CM who totally rocks the world's socks off with her art and her love for others is amazing! OR SM who just is a momma at heart and whose joy just challenges you. Or JC who has grown and continues to grow.. or DD who loves ketchup and lots of it.. who I am beginning to learn more about- her independence intrigues me. Or AR who sends me random packages :) Or AC and SS who stuck by me in college and made me laugh in crazy ways. or DG who wow the wisdom and revelation Papa places on him is BEAUTIFUL! or AH who she just has such a heart for people and the world. I love seeing her organize things at church and her love humbles me! These are just a few of the amazing blessings in my life. They surprise me in new ways every single day and I thank God for them every day.

Bella- what a joy! Whether she is eating my flip flop or running with the dogs or waking me up at 5:30 in the morning- I love her and I love being a dog owner. She has taught me that mere things are replaceable but that the things in the Kingdom are not.. that these are the things that I should run after and long for.

It's interesting because these are just a few of the overwhelming blessings in my life. I love the way that God will continue to grow, change and work in each of these things. I look forward to the new revelation that God will give me in this area. The sweet newness that is coming. But thank you Papa for you! Thank you that you pursue me, that you love me, that none of us were a mistake. Thank you Papa for these incredible blessings you have placed in my life! I thank you that I am never satisfied with the luke warm, but that I just want your heart, your joy, and every aspect that you will and do pour into me. I love you! I love you and I thank you with every single bit of me! Teach us, pour into us, and bring fresh revelation to us.