.twenty-two.

In an effort to avoid doing homework and to document part of my life, I wanted to make a list of twenty-two things I have learned about myself and that I have learned so far in life. It may be a bit boring, but it might be nice to look back on one day. So here it is:

 

1. Life with responsibilities is stressful; life without responsibility is pointless.

2. Travel provides so much more richness than any material wealth may bring.

3. Some people will let you down, but God never will.

4. Coffee is great at any time of the day.

5. Shoes are a girl’s best friend.

6. Given enough resources, I could shop all day, every day.

7. Some people never mature personality wise past where they were in middle school.

8. Elevation Church has turned the city of Charlotte upside down and will continue to do so.

9. When you have a day that isn’t the greatest, the best way to make it better is to watch your favorite movie.

10. Pinterest is really addicting.

11. College (minus the classes) is the best four years of life.

12. Sometimes God changes your vision but not your mission.

13. Every once in a while you need to be pampered.

14. It is entirely possible for me to change my mind about something at least ten times in one day.

15. My sister is one of the funniest people I know. Right after my dad of course!

16. I am a light sleeper because I don’t want to miss out on something I could be a part of if I wasn’t asleep.

17. Zac Efron will always be my celebrity crush. Always.

18. Driving with the windows down on a beautiful day is probably one of the most pleasant things to do. 

19. My family will always be there for me, no matter what.

20. Many times I have a hard time being confident in myself.

21. I need to remind myself daily that life is a process, not a project.

22. God’s going to use me somehow, some way to make his name famous to someone. And I will be honored to serve him even for just one person to know God as savior through me. 

.satisfied.

Today I realized that I am not satisfied. I am not satisfied with the decisions I have made in the past. I am not satisfied with the condition of the world. I am not satisfied with those who call themselves Christians and don’t live like they even care about God. I am not satisfied with allowing God to have full control of my own life.

This is not meant to be a sob story or a desperate cry for help. This is just what God showed me today: I have never allowed myself to be fully satisfied by God. And this has to change. 

I know that God is for me, that he loves me, that he has a future and a hope for me. But it is hard to be satisfied by these facts when God makes you walk through the storms of life, big or small. 

So this is my declaration that I am seeking to become satisfied in God. It’s tough. It’s something that I wish I already had under control. It’s one of my weaknesses in life. It’s a work in process.

I know that life is a process and not a project and that this is going to take time. But I cannot wait for that moment when I am fully and truly satisfied with God. Thank God that he doesn’t forsake us when we have difficulties in trusting him; he knew before he formed us in the womb exactly what we would struggle with. 

Go to God with your struggles. He can handle them when you can’t. 

.change the world.

What if you knew from the moment you were born that your sole purpose on this earth was to die at an early age being convicted of a crime that you would not commit? Would you still want to live? Would you even get out of bed in the mornings? 

I was watching the Passion 2013 live stream the other day of Beth Moore’s session and she struck me right to my core by reminding me of this simple truth: Jesus knew the whole time what was to come at the end of his life, he knew the gravity of the situation, he asked for the cup of redemption to be removed, yet he gave himself as God had ordained in order to save us. Why? Because before he was led away to his journey to the grave, while he was in the garden praying, he thought of me and he thought of you by name. He thought of how one day you would be born and how intense his desire for eternal fellowship with you was. He realized that he did not want to be the obstacle between you and God; he wanted to be the way to God forever. 

Oh how I just get chills when I realize how deep the Father’s love really is for us!

We are wretched through and through. We mess up on a continual basis. Sin floods our societies like never before and we are swimming in murderous darkness all around us. Yet, Jesus willingly died, even knowing that many would live their whole lives rejecting him over and over and over. 

Many have heard this our whole lives and we understand the facts surrounding the situation, we understand that we need a Savior, we even know that we are saved. Praise God for that! But I believe that it is time for those of us who have experienced the saving power of Christ to step up and begin to change the world. 

I was reading in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young the other day how Jesus has called us into the adventure of fully trusting in his presence in our lives. I began to think about what that means and how it would flesh itself out in one’s life. What if we truly woke up everyday with the resolution to follow God’s adventure for that day? What would the world look like if every true follower of Christ did that? Would it begin to change the world?

The world doesn’t change overnight. The world changes one person at a time. 

The world changer sees someone in need and does everything they can to help meet the need. The world changer seeks justice and safety for others. The world changer goes into the places that others are too scared to venture into. The world changer strives to make a difference in one person’s life at a time. 

A world changer that will make a lasting difference realizes their own personal need for Christ and understands the need of every person: a true relationship with their Creator. Without this as the central focus, all other actions are futile and insignificant. 

As a new year has come and I am looking at what I want to do differently this year than last year, my number one thing is that I want to see God change the world. Whether God uses me to change one person or one thousand, I want to be used by God to bring healing to hearts and restoration to the broken. I want to see life change and people from every nation and tongue lifting up praises to God. I understand that this may not happen in just one year; being a world changer is a lifestyle, not a fad. But I know that if I do not resolve this year to begin to become a world changer, I will make up excuses year after year of why I can’t do it. 

When I realize the intensity, the depth, the consistence, the sincerity of God’s love for me, I can’t sit idly by anymore. I have to do something about it and this is why God asks us to trust him as he shows us the way on the course for the adventure he has set up for us.  

May 2013 be dedicated to fully trusting God to lead you on the adventure of a life time and allowing him to use you to change the world one person at a time! Amen!