I have been reading through Ephesians recently and I have just not been able to pull myself away from chapter 2, verses 1-10. They are so rich . . .
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been save- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been save- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
God has been blowing me away. August and thus far into September has been a time of complete blessing! As I have meditated on these verses, many times I was driven to weeping for the way God loves me. I can scarecely comprehend it! I was one who walked through a time where I chased the desires and passions of the flesh, the approval of man. I not only walked, but skipped to the tune of disobedience. BUT GOD BEING RICH IN MERCY AND STEADFAST IN LOVE, chose to raise me up!! With each new blessing I sometimes have to laugh because I am so unworthy. But why does it surprise me every time?! God LOVES BLESSING HIS CHILDREN!
Blessings:
– support faithfully and steadily coming in.
– a group of four ladies who love me unconditionally, and keep me accountable. I have grown so much from my time with them.
– a group of four ladies who love me unconditionally, and keep me accountable. I have grown so much from my time with them.
– an outpouring of people who want to help supply me and Hope with obtaining our gear for the World Race.
– a family who is loving and supportive; a mother who is one of my closest friends and will watch tennis with me for hours!
– a group of friends in my house church that are dependable, loving, and constantly teaching me how to be more like Christ.
– I’ve found a sister in Hope, my fellow Apexer and world racer. We are so blessed that God is sending us out two by two!
– wonderful, crisp sunny, temperate summer/fall weather which lightens my heart and lifts my spirits.
– productivity and successful time management in filling out the 2nd set of paperwork and making important appts.
– the opportunity to serve and share the love of Christ with refugee families while on a mission trip to St. Louis.
– the ability to return to Nicaragua before I leave for the WR and to be accompanied by one of my favorite ladies- Julie.
– being broken and rebroken, edified, convicted, to struggle, laugh, play, cry, pray . . . all happening in order to make me look, think, act, love, pray and become more like Christ.
– blown away by the body of Christ at Apex Community Church . . . probably the most generous group of people I have ever met.
– the opportunity to visit house churches, talk about my passions for missions and Christ and to be humbled by how God speaks through this broken vessel. To make new friends at these house churches and to pray in the Spirit with so many awesome people!
– a growing contentment with myself, and my identity in Christ.
– to have a broken ankle, but not needing a cast . . . it could be so much worse!
. . . I know there are more . . . God is soo good. Think on him. Think on his love, how we do not deserve it, but how it is steadfast towards us! He raises us up when we are weak, ugly, broken, sinful . . . and makes us Jesus with skin on to a world who does not know him!!
