Gloriously Free

Who will listen if I can't speak I'll never move a mountain with arms so weak With one word You can make them fall You go before me now Your faithfulness destroys the doubt Your strength is fire to my soul

After all You’ve done in me I will be Your hands and feet Follow where You will lead As You say

Set My people free Go into the world, every boy and girl Deserves to know a life far beyond the fight And reach where there's no light or hope So the captives know And My enemies can see that I will Set My people free Set My people free

There are so many people enslaved in the world. There are people enslaved to other human beings used as cheap labor and others used for sex in brothels and other horrible places. There are people enslaved to their laptops, their cellphones, their clothes, to shopping, to porn, to television, to comfort, to money; the list could go on and on.

Slaves have no hope. They have no hope for a life of their own. Slaves have no hope for freedom. They are bound, destined to their captor. The light in their eyes are gone.. They are broken. Their souls are empty and lost.

There is one who came to set us free. He didn't just come to set free the good people. He didn't just come to set free the blameless. He came to set free the sinner, the broken, the messy, the abused, the addicted, the hopeless, you and me. I love the line in the lyrics from the song above that says, "Your strength is fire to my soul." His strength is a fire to our souls. When your soul is set on fire imagine the ways you can change the world. You are set free now and in that freedom do not be afraid to go out and spread the fire to set others free. We weren't set free to sit around and do nothing but to stand up and change the world in the name of Christ. And please, don't do this by standing on a corner telling people they're going to hell. Go out and love on someone. Tell someone something kind. Donate your time. Stand up for someone. Be a friend to the friendless. Give your money to a good cause instead of spending it on things you don't need. Take the time to pray for people. Whether it's big or small, it will change someones life and who knows.. lead them to freedom as well.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galations 5:1

Who Am I?

I have often fallen victim of losing my identity. No, not the type of identity theft where someone steals my money, which would really suck; this one happens when my soul loses its identity. I've lost my identity to relationships, both friendships and romantically involved ones. I have lost my identity to fears and doubts that I'm not beautiful enough or thin enough. I battled an eating disorder and thoughts of inadequacy. I lost my identity thinking that a relationship could fill the void in my heart and that marriage would also fill that void. I have lost my identity to this world and it left me broken and afraid.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 NIV

It's so easy to fall into the patterns of this world. You can simply walk by a magazine stand or get on instagram and feel swarmed with thoughts that you're not small enough, or curvy enough, or muscular enough..etc..and the lies begin to form against you and so you seek out the answers from the world, from what the inside of the magazine says. Some people lose their identities in drugs, alcohol, and partying. They fall into the pattern of the world by the people surrounding them or they buy into the commercials and ads showing that you can be cooler and more relaxed if you just give in.

Our identity does not stem from this world. You will not gain a thing there, but you will lose your soul. What's the point of gaining this world if you lose your soul? When I put my identity in this world I feel lost, helpless, and chained. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Find your identity in Jesus. And he will show you the way because he is the way, he is truth, and he is life. So many people in the bible were lost before they found Jesus and he changed their lives in miraculous ways. He doesn't promise that life will be without struggles and trials but he does promise he will be right by your side.

I know who I am most when my heart, soul, and mind and in tune with the Lord through constant prayer, worship, and trust. I am led best when my heart is open to receive guidance from the Holy Spirt. I am renewed when Christ is leading me. I am who I was created to be because he died on the cross.

If you feel lost and if you are seeking answers from this world but turning up empty and broken then stop and lift up your empty hands to seek his presence. Ask him to remind you that you are his and that your identity is found in him and nothing, absolutely, nothing else. I remember when I was at my darkest places battling insecurities and fears and a broken heart..he didn't give me the answers to my whys but he held and let me cry. He restored my hope and my faith. My prayer is that he will do the same for you.

You are accepted.
You are redeemed.
You are chosen.
You are beautiful.
You are new.
You are loved.

Love Fiercely

It scares me when I see people putting their opinions and pride above other human beings. Jesus didn't say the most important law was to have the correct political opinion or to start fires. It is a pretty easy verse to memorize yet I think many people don't quite keep it in their soul. I myself am at fault for not following Jesus words but thank goodness I serve a God who loves me enough to cover my sins with his blood and his grace.

It worries me when we have people who think that you can only be a Christian if you're a conservative, or if you have friends who are atheists or homosexuals you're not really a christian. It scares me that there are people who say they serve God, yet they judge others by what they wear to church.

Everyone has opinions, but your opinion should NEVER keep you from extending grace and love to another person. As followers of Christ I realize that I'm called to rise above the normal morals, the normal pattern of the world. We are called to rise above the ways of the world and to love everyone, regardless of whether they are a Liberal, Democrat, or Republican. This should be regardless of their sexual orientation, their gender, the color of their skin, or how they dress when going to church.

I am not saying you should just accept whatever behavior a person is doing, I believe there is a way you can confront others about sin in a loving way, but you should not treat someone hatefully or start arguments with them because they disagree. We are called to be peacemakers, not fire starters. We are called to be greater and to seek holiness and to be the light in the dark. Don't just say you're a believer, but take what the bible says to heart. Don't just believe in God, but reflect who he is in your life by becoming more like Jesus. We serve a mighty God who loves us and who loves that Liberal next door to you and that guy who wants to keep gun rights and the people sitting in jail and the homeless man you drive by each day. And he is calling you to love deeper.

I pray you will love fiercely the broken, the abused, the confused, the helpless, the bitter, the angry person at work, the single mom, the teen mom, the shabbily dressed man at church, the elderly, and the young. Love the sinner, love the saint, love thy neighbor. And love them with a love so great they are led to Jesus so that he can break their bondage and their chains. Because what else would a love as great as Jesus' love cause? So go out and love your family, your friends, and strangers with a love that is fierce, compassionate, and full of grace. Life is too short to let our selfishness, our opinions, and our pride to keep us from letting his love flow out of us.

Much love.