Category: Faith

What Wondrous Love

I’ve been having a difficult time this year focusing on the meaning behind the Easter season. Whenever I go out to the store, there are various displays of candy and toys and other paraphernalia that people are racing to throw into their carts. Now I’m not saying that these things are bad necessarily, but sometimes it’s hard to look past all of that to Jesus and what He did for us.

And what did he do for us? Because of His great love for us, He allowed Himself to be beaten and mocked and nailed to a cross. He went through this agony for us – for you and for me – because we needed His forgiveness for our sins. And because of His resurrection three days later, we can live in freedom and abundance.

What wondrous love is this! It’s a love that we do not deserve. It’s a love that is pure and unselfish and kind. It’s a love that wants the best for each one of us…and we can receive God’s best by choosing to walk with Him!

So what has been filling your mind and life this holiday season? Are you getting caught up in things that don’t matter much in the long run? Or are you clinging to Christ and to His wondrous love for us? ❤

What Wondrous Love Is This
American Folk Hymn

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.

*We’re playing the above song on handbells at church tomorrow. Prayerfully we’ll do okay! 😀 Happy Easter to each of you…I hope you have a nice time with your family and friends or however you choose to spend the holiday. Let’s just remember the One Who is behind it all.

Photo Credit: Lukas Budimaier

Thankful Thursday (episode 3)

So I did a little better this week with remembering to record the things that I’m thankful for. 🙂 That’s a blessing in and of itself! The reminders from the app (the Five Minute Journal) helped a little…but it always seems like when I receive a reminder, I’m busy at that moment and can’t record my thoughts. So right now – before I forget, I’m going to change the times of my reminders so that hopefully they will come when I’m free to write in the app.

The nice thing about the app is that it has positive quotes for each day that pop up when you open the app, and it also has the ability to add a photo to each entry. The quotes are good because they give me a little boost for my day, and I like adding photos to my entries because it helps me be able to look back and remember each day more fully.

So here are some of the things I am grateful for from this past week!

  1. God got me through the work week
  2. A car that gets me where I need to go
  3. The sensation of sliding under the cool bed-sheets at night
  4. I got a drink from Starbucks for 50 cents
  5. Being able to sleep in (even if I did sleep too late)
  6. Sparkling apple cider with dinner
  7. A nice time at Barnes and Noble (coffee, sweets, and books…with my Hubby)
  8. Strength for work, even though I didn’t sleep well the night before
  9. Comfort food (we had a sausage, cheese, and rigatoni bake for dinner)
  10. A nice time talking with friends after handbell practice
  11. That we have a yard for our dog (Daisy) to run around in
  12. A dishwasher – I have less dishes to wash by hand
  13. That my memory may be getting a little better
  14. For the cool breeze against my skin when I took Daisy for a walk
  15. That there was enough work available for me to complete my full shift
  16. That I was able to read a book and munch on popcorn in the evening
  17. Free Wawa coffee!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Thankful Thursday. ❤ Please feel free to share in the comments some of the things that YOU are grateful for from this past week! 😀

Photo Credit: Toa Heftiba

Live Like You’re Loved

“Live like you know you’re valuable
Like you know the one that holds your soul
Cause mercy has called you by your name
Don’t be afraid to live in that grace

I’m tellin’ you somethin’
This God we believe in
Yeah, He changed everything
No more guilt! No more shame!
He took all that away
Gave us a reason to sing

So go ahead and live like you’re loved
It’s okay to act like you’ve been set free
His love has made you more than enough
So go ahead and be who He made you to be

And live like you’re loved.”

~ Hawk Nelson, “Live Like You’re Loved”

I have a difficult time with living like I’m loved. I know in my heart that God loves me and that I am valuable to Him, but sometimes my mind likes to cause me to doubt this fact. It’s those thoughts that creep in unawares, telling me that I haven’t lived perfectly so God must be mad at me…or that I’m being “proud” by thinking I did a good job at something…or that I didn’t do as well as [insert name here], so I must be lacking in some way.

Do you ever have a problem with this?

I think it started when I was very young, and I didn’t feel like I was loved by a member of my family. I would seek that love, that tenderness, and that affection through my performance – whether it be in school or somewhere else. I would try my best to get straight A’s on my report card, to win first place at the Science Fair, or to excel at any number of tasks, with the hope of gaining the love that I so longed for.

But God tells me – and YOU – that He doesn’t love us based on our performance. He loves us because He created us, and created us in His image. We are His children. Jesus showed us how much we are worth to Him by giving his life to cleanse us from our sins.

We have value!

So even though it won’t happen overnight, I would like to re-vamp the way that I perceive myself. I want to see myself the way God sees me: as worthy, as loved, as valuable, as priceless, as unique, as….enough.

I want to “live like I’m loved!” Will you join me? ❤

Photo Credit: Julia Caesar