What can I say?
The last week and a half has been filled with "mountain top" experiences.
The Sr High youth retreat was intense and life-changing. We talked about what things hold us back and cause us to keep living as lukewarm Christians. One thing that was convicting for me was how I often live with limits. For example, I will only give so much of my time and energy to a person or a cause and if they take that forgranted, I tend to emotionally pull back. Partly, I think it's healthy to have boundaries and not let people walk all over me; but I'm still trying to figure out what that means. How much of my time and energy comes from my own strength which is why I run dry; and how much comes from the Lord's storehouses which overflow in abundance with love and energy for others?
Then we talked about the things that we are called to be as Christians. My life should be characterized by being crazy in love with the Lord. The Lord wants to pour on others through us His passion, love, truth, strength, grace and mercy. He wants our hearts to most desire His kingdom above our own life. To pour out every hint of self and be filled up with more & more of Him. This is Crazy Love.
After the retreat, I jumped on a plane headed for San Diego, CA for a little r&r with my friend Caitlin. We saw so much that my brain had a hard time recalling everything at the end of the day. There were so many new sights. The various views left me feeling breathless. Interestingly, her pastor/elder at Kaleo Church talked about how we as humans are glory starved and we try to seek that out going places and doing things. That sense of inspiration and awe you feel when you are staring in the Grand Canyon is glory. As humans, we are so designed to eminate glory to the Lord, but sadly, we try to fill it with these other glory snatching moments. This is the example he used: "Nobody goes to the Grand Canyon to look out over the magnificant view and think 'Wow, I am so great! This canyon reminds me of my stunning eye color.' We go there to see the glory of God and be left speechless by the beauty of our Creator. We look outside of ourselves." I have been chewing on that thought this week.
If you wanna see some more pictures, you can visit my facebook page. I also have a few fun stories to share.
2 comments:
How do you find the energy in God? We're only human. There is only so much we can give before we run out.
I wonder....maybe we find more energy the more it is for ourselves. The more we do for others and run out of energy that way....its much harder to refill when we need them to refill us instead of us to rest and recharge
just a thought
wonderful to be back in the bloggin' world! i love reading your posts!
love you, melly!
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