beautiful and brutal

Nothing is more encouraging than sitting with some of the best people ever and opening up in fellowship.  At team prayer this week my team decided to do something a little different than peeks and pits of the week.  But instead, to take a step back and look at the beautiful things that God has placed in our lives and also talk about the brutal that we are facing.

It is so beautiful all the things that my Creator has placed in my life.

coffee, donuts and my silly friends

JESUS crazy love that grabbed my heart

Friends that love on me and love on others so well.  Friends that build each other up in the Lord. 

Time to just sit, eno, laugh and eat over spring break

AWESOME summer that awaits in Colorado to serve Jesus in one of the greatest places on earth

I'd say I have some pretty crazy beautiful things that have been graciously given to me.  The beautiful and abundant love that Jesus has showed me through all these things is what brings so much joy to my life.
But what rocks my world even more is that Jesus is enough through the brutal things too.  When I am left wondering and facing the world that is when I feel Jesus tug on my heart the most.  He wraps me in his arms and reminds me that he is enough.  Your very breathe is what sustains me.
He has taken broken things and made them so beautiful.  At the time these brutal things may not seem so beautiful but all I can do is pray that when I will run to Jesus are rejoice as I watch Him turn these things into his masterpiece.
There is so much freedom and an invitation from Jesus to be fully known and fully accepted because of what HE did on the cross.  He walked out of the grave! We are invited into that resurrection life.  It is my tendency sometimes to go back to the grave, because it is the story that I am most familiar with.  That sounds crazy.  We are invited to come out of the grave are respond to the invitation that it is good to leave the past behind and celebrate how GOd has me us and changed our lives.  We need to live remembering how God had et us in our broken places and rejoices with us in our beautiful places too.

"You turned my deepest pains into joyful dancing; You stripped off my dark clothing and covered me with joyful light. You have restored my honor. My heart is ready to explode, erupt in new songs! It's impossible to keep quiet! Eternal One, my God, my Life-Giver, I will thank You forever."  Psalm 30:11-12