Beautiful Love

A blog about God and his beautiful love, standards, decisions, wisdom, purpose, passions, success, failures, family, friends, kiddies, photography, cities, school, music, missions, traveling, me, you, living for Christ, and a ton of other random important things in life

So I haven’t updated my ipod in years; I just discovered this was on it yesterday… It’s my new favorite song : )

Things I’ve Learned

this post will be short and sweet; I PROMISE. So God has been sharing and revealing a lot to me; some through quiet times, and other people other lessons have come the hard way. I just wanted to share it… Some things I’ve learned (am learning) so far in 2013.

1. I am learning the good side and the value in being vulnerable (aka I’m learning its okay to be “weak”). [ie. when I’m weak he is strong; and the value vulnerability holds in “community”]

2. I am learning the importance of Sabbath.

3. I am learning it’s okay to say “no” sometimes; use discernment. Don’t overwork, over-commit or overwhelm yourself to the point you’re not effectively living out your purpose.

4. I am learning that good Financial Stewardship is hugely important.

5. I am learning that you should pay your parking and driving tickets on time (or simply avoid getting tickets) *;earned this one the hard way

6. I am learning that mission work is costly (time, money, resources etc) and requires a lot of faith in God

7. I am learning that walking in integrity is an everyday every MOMENT type of thing.

8. I am learning that I CAN and WILL trust my future to God.

9. I am learning the power of reflection and debriefing.

10. I am learning that SLOW progress is STILL PROGRESS.

Many people won’t care what you know ‘til they know that you care…

We are unworthy. Our souls are dirty. True repentance starts by acknowledging those facts. We are defiled and tainted. We are utterly unfit to bear His holy name. But it’s not about our worthiness. It’s about HIS.

—Leslie Ludy (Set-Apart Femininity)

(Source: called-and-set-apart, via littlethingsaboutgod)

CeCe Winans

—More Than What I Wanted

beneathewaters:

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life? s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

I will stand, I will stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground, all other ground
Is sinking sand, is sinking sand
So I stand

(Source: Spotify)

Are you in danger of neglecting evangelism in your passion for social justice?

Below is an excerpt from a Relevant Magazine Article entitled; “An Open Letter to this Generation.” It stuck out to me because as a person passionate for social justice; serving, helping others and the like… The things stated here are hugely important to keep in mind being that my ultimate goal is to serve Christ and be used as a tool to bring others to him.

You know how much I affirm your commitment to justice for the poor and your rejection of an evangelism that focuses only on the “soul” and neglects peoples’ material needs. I have spent much of my life arguing on biblical grounds for precisely these concerns. But I have also watched some Christian “social activists” lose their concern for evangelism.

Evangelism and social action are inseparable. They are two sides of the same coin. But they are not identical. Working for economic development in poor communities or structural change to end systemic oppression is not the same thing as inviting persons who do not now confess Christ to embrace Him as Lord and Savior. If we only do social action and never say we do it because of Christ, our good deeds only point to ourselves and make us look good.

The Bible clearly teaches that persons are both material and spiritual beings. Scripture and human experience show sin is personal and social; social brokenness (including poverty) results both from wrong personal choices and unjust structures. If we only work at half the problem, we only produce half a solution. People need both personal faith in Christ that transforms their values and very person, and material, structural transformation that brings new socioeconomic opportunities. That is why holistic evangelical community development programs that truly combine evangelism and social action (think of John Perkins and the Christian Community Development Association) work better now in this life.

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