Nature: One of God's Love Letters

Isn't it fascinating how nature has this mystical power to rejuvenate us? We find peace and quiet as we walk in the woods. We find solace when we fix our gaze upon rivers, lakes, and the ocean. We slowly unwind as we hike up hills and mountains, leaving our chaotic lives behind us. God understands the enchantment of wild, untouched beauty. He created it! And He uses it time and time again to refresh us and speak to us.

This past week I went to Timberline in Winter Park, Colorado. It's the first time I've been to Colorado and seen the mountains and the beauty of it all. I was completely disconnected from home and the outside world and it was probably the best week of my life. As we were hiking, biking, and white water rafting, it was incredible to intake. He really knows how to use His creation to capture your mind and to speak His word. He truly captured my heart this week and brought me back to Him and His wonder.

Have you reveled in the glory of nature lately, letting your soul drink in all of God's works through His creation? God may have some cool truth He wants to remind you of how much He loves you.

"Look up to the skies. Who created all these stars? He leads out the army of heaven one by one and calls all the stars by name. Because He is strong and powerful, not one of them is missing." -Isaiah 40:26

HIS Love in the Midst of Our Stuggles

When you think about a difficulty in your life, sometimes it feels as though it's impossible to conquer or change. When I think about what's been a struggle in my life lately, I'd say my relationships with my family and work. With life problems I know for me, I try to change/fix them. But as I've realized "trying to fix" things has got me nowhere. The moment I reflect on the situation, pray about it, and give it to God, is when I begin to see the difference and see the change. We all have difficulties that steal life from us and keep us from moving forward. God wants to help us conquer them. Sometimes God is closest to us in our darkest moments and shows Himself to us in special ways. God also uses the difficult emotions of brokenness and sadness to draw us closer to Him. The weight of our wrongness crushes our spirit and that's the perfect time to see and accept God's amazing love and grace. He reveals His love to people who realize how much they need Him. No matter how deep and terrible the pain is, God's love is so much bigger. God is there to comfort you and heal your hurting spirit. When we're feeling weak and beat up by the world, His gentle love is just that much more real. Tough times make us know how deeply we need God.

"The Lord hears good people when they cry out to Him, and He saves them from all their troubles."
- Pslam 34:17

Do. Not. Fear.

"The power to rule the world now belongs to our Lord and His Christ, and He will now rule forever and ever." - Revelation 11:15

If you're human, you've definitely had to deal with fear. Maybe you're unsure of the future - college, work, life away from your parents, I know I am. There are lots of things in life that make us fearful. No matter if you have have big or tiny fears, God's always in control of everything. This is something that I've been struggling with lately, but in my heart I know the Lord is in complete and total control with a plan especially made for me. God protects us from Satan's power to ruin our lives. Even in the most difficult and darkest times, God is still and continuously at work in our lives. He loves to bless each and every one of us, delight in us, and celebrate us. Therefore we really have nothing to fear.

When you look your fears in the face you can see them for what they really are. The devil wants you to feel overwhelmed and trapped. But God constantly says, "Do not fear." Only He has the power in this world and you'll see that because of His power, Satan will never stand a chance. Each and every day I have to remind myself to stay strong in Him and His word because with Him everything is possible. (:

The Lost Get Found

All this stuff has been are my heart lately and I just wanted to share.

*Sometimes we let our fears keep us from doing God's will.
- We usually can't understand how God's going to work everything out but His ways are not our ways. If we trust in Him, we can follow Him with confidence.

*God always wants people to admit they've messed up and ask Him for forgiveness
- No matter how bad they've been, He promises to take them back and continue to be their personal, loving, and grace giving God.

*It's important that we really work on developing deep, meaningful relationships with the people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ
- When it comes to the family of God, every person who's a part of it is there because he or she was bought with Jesus' blood.
- God loved us so much that He paid for each of our sins and welcomed us into His arms.
- "You have heard that it was said, 'Love you neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you."

*When you imagine your future, what do you feel?
- The future seems thrilling because of all the unknowns. And it seems a little scary, too because of all the unknowns.
- There are no guarantees in life unless you're committed to God, then you have the greatest guarantee you could ever hope for.
- If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have His promise to take care of you.
- Even if you face tough times, and you definitely will because ups and downs are part of living, you can rest assured that His peaceful presence will carry you.
- When you leave your future in God's hands and rely on Him to lead you, you'll learn the respect of others and enjoy the freedom of being in the center of God's will.
- But above all, you'll please the Lord of your life who offers you a future beyond your dreams.

*What are constant, reliable things in your life?
- You know that almost anything in life could change in an instant.
- Is there anything in life that can't be lost?
- In Psalm 73 Asaph said, "God, You're always right. I'm a fool for doubting You. When I feel alone it's not true, You're always with me. When I feel lost, You guide me! I'm weak and sinful, but You make my strong and pure. You're all that's worth living for."


So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
-Britt Nicole (Lost Get Found)