You Have Been Invited...

It's an hour til Christmas Eve.  Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart plays sweet melodies in my ears, as my eyes are lit by white lights.  I hear the sound of peace, and it rings quite loud in my spirit.  I can close my eyes and feel many rhythms pounding on this heart. It's quiet, and it's crazy.  It's loud, and peaceful.  I am deeply grateful for both.
In just a little over a day we will be celebrating Christmas.  I love everything about the Christmas season... The lights, the smells, the rush of buying presents, the cold (well, not here in North Carolina with barely getting below 50 degrees), the smiles & food.  But as it comes closer & closer, I believe the Lord has been allowing me to see things that I, on my own, wouldn't go looking for.  But when He shows us things out of the ordinary, even when it's heart to see, His peace follows us there.
It has really saddened my heart to see people struggle, to see them deal with something that is so much bigger than themselves while thinking they can control it, or they will just have to deal with it, when they could have absolute freedom and redemption, and a road marked with thanksgiving and joy rather than despair and heartache that will never be mended.
And since being home I've seen & felt so much in just 3 short months.  I've seen the peace that surpasses all understanding, I have felt the touch of my Daddy that completely destroys every other desire unworthy of my heart.  And I have seen the heartache, I have felt the despair, I know what hurting & loss of heart feels like.  And sometimes it's just in our nature to question, to ask why things have to be the way they are for some people and how we can be the ones to bring hope & joy & life back into their eyes & hearts.  But I was there.  And you've been there.  Maybe you are there right now...
But let me ask you this, would the good be as good if there was never bad?  Would the hopeful be as hopeful if there was never hopelessness, and would life be as beautiful if there was never death.

We have been saved from something.  Not just hell, or eternal damnation.  Yes those are incredible things to be saved from!  But we have been saved from a life without relationship with Jesus.  We have been invited into a life with Jesus... The King of Kings has sent a handwritten invitation, sealed with His very own sons blood... and inside He asks you to come.  To dwell with Him, to feast with Him, to live & breathe & rejoice with Him.  He doesn't tell us we have to get dressed up, or we have to fix things before we come... He's not looking for  the things we can we can do for Him or give to Him... He just desires us.
We have an invitation to see life like never before.  To see colors that don't exist to the natural eye.  To feel a hope that never brings disappointment.  To be in an eternal story.  To be Loved by Love Himself.

My hearts desire this Christmas, or my "Christmas Wish", would be for everyone to see the beauty of the Father, for them to see His desire for them, and to accept the invitation to be loved on for eternity.  Yeah, there will still be bumps in the road, and sometimes it may seem like nothing is getting better.  He doesn't promise us a perfect life.  But He does promise us peace and love, joy and freedom and redemption.  He gives us strength when we have none, and He calms our mind when we feel we've gone crazy.  He's so close and sometimes we forget He's even there.
I am so thankful for Jesus.  I am so thankful that He was born, that He loves so deeply and He isn't scared to get messy in my life... That despite the pain of His crucifixion, He died so that there would be no separation, so that He could have full relationship for eternity, so that His bride would marry the King.  How crazy awesome is that!

I know this is a little all over the place.  I feel I have so much in my heart that it's sometimes hard to get it out.  I guess my heart is just trying to say that Jesus loves you, so extremely much.  And He wants your heart to be free & alive.  And all the bad stuff that may have happened to you wasn't Him doing it to you... but He wants to use that to bring you closer to His heart, so that you can know a Father and a Love like no other.
You are loved & treasured and He enjoys being with you.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!  Love on the ones around you like crazy.  And rejoice in everything... the big, the small, the good, the bad.
And let the Lord love on you, cause He loves to.

love & peace to you.

 Oh Yes, and please enjoy this beautiful winter song by my life friends - Johnathan & Melissa Helser

Happenings [+ an encouraging word for YOU!]

Good Tuesday morning lovebugs.  What consisted of your weekend and Monday?  I had a pretty happenin' one.  Went to a few shows, spent a lot of time with some dear friends & family, sipped on some delicious tea, & enjoyed life... Who doesn't like to do all of that? Oh yes!  And I went job shopping :)  Enjoy a recap of the my weekend and a bit of this week too!

And make sure to make it all the way to the bottom for an encouraging word for your heart!

[Gettin' dolled up to go to Charlotte Saturday night.. Nothing

better than a lace top, highwaisted pencil skirt, key necklace,

and fishnet stockings!]

  

[Seth Snider is an incredible musician, an amazing photographer, & a dear friend.  He is headed

to Australia to connect the church& the community together by coffee.  Genius idea!  He put on a

dinner & benefit concert for his mission and also released a CD which is super good!  You should

also check his stuff out!  Below his CD down there are some links to his work]

 

[http://sethdiggslove.com/ :: http://sethsniderphotography.com/

http://sethsnider.bandcamp.com/album/the-presence-of-freedom]

  

[Have you ever heard of Tyler Ramsey?  Well you need to!  He is a phenomenal musician &will def put 

you in an incredible mood - not to mention he is also a member of Band of Horses.  Check out his stuff!]

  

 [Sunday afternoon with the lovely niece & nephew who always steal my heart!]

[Crazy Love is an incredible book by Franchis Chan about the deep love of the Father for us,

And how a life lived in response of that is suppose to look.  It will make you think & create

a good shifting to happen within side of you.  I would recommend you getting your hands on this!]

 [And of course I ended the day Monday with sharing a goooood cup of tea

with my wonderful momma :: Try it out, 2 bags of green tea, 1 bag of blue-

berry tea, and a dash of honey steeped for 3 minutes.  You won't regret it!]

This week has been good for me, yes it is only the second day, but I can feel the Lord closer & some type of new hope rising up in my heart.  I sometimes think He allows us to experience what it feels like to have Him not fully as close as He really wants to be, this way we hunger for Him, and we thirst for Him even more.  I began reading in Proverbs 10 this morning and stumbled upon a verse that was so comforting to my soul... In the 3rd verse in The Message it reads: "God won't starve an honest soul..."  We get hungry, and we should... If we never got hungry than we would never go back for more.  But the Father gives us just enough each day, that we can survive, that we can thrive, but that we need to come back for more each day.  Because we cannot last on yesterdays bread, He has created a new batch of fresh baked bread every single morning for us to feast on... But it's our choice if we choose to feast!  In Matthew 4:4 Jesus repeats something that was said in Deuteronomy, "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."  I have just had a season of great excitement, and almost ease of spending time with the Lord... but I have been coming to a place where it is again a struggle.  I wonder why this is some times, because I have experience Jesus in so many ways I probably couldn't recount them all, and I know who He is, and I know that He is almighty & I fully believe He is as good as He has proven Himself to be... but there is this struggle I feel that follows me around.  But then I read verses like this, and I am not only encouraged in the midst of it, but I am excited to continue fighting for what I know I want and a big sigh of relief comes to my heart because it is not only what I want, it is what the Father wants, and He fights for me for it.

We need Him daily, no matter how good or bad things are.  And we also desire Him daily, whether it's the actual Word of God that we desire, or His presence, or His touch... Whatever it is, in whatever form it may be, we desire Him even when we don't realize we are.  AND! The good new is this:  He desires us too, has never stopped desiring us, will always desire us... and He will never let our honest souls starve.  He is good!

I hope you are encouraged and this brings a refreshing breeze to your soul.  Grace to you in whatever situation you may be in.  Jesus loves you a whole lot & sees where you are & understands.  Just continue to love on Him, no matter how big or small you may be able to do it today.  He responds to us.

Love...