I've found my joy again.

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my King. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as You choose. Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it's all for Thee. Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.Take my heart it is Thine own it shall be Thy royal throne.Take my love, my Lord I pour at Your feet its treasure store. Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee. Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee. Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Homesick

I believe I have a case of homesickness-and it's been going on for the past month.

I miss my family. I miss my mom's sweet heart of service, and my dad's warm embrace. I miss laughing with my brother and helping him with his homework. I miss my bed and the many-times-washed jersey sheets that come on it. I miss the comfort of my home friends, and the assurance that impression doesn't matter. And I miss beautiful silence.

I also miss feeling at home with the Lord. College life makes it extremely hard to spend lots of time with Him. I want to just rest in His arms for an hour, or a day-but I have 3 tests Friday. I'm so tired. I'm tired of being expected of so much, but not having enough to give. Of letting people down, time and time again. Never being fully understand, and not fully understanding anything. I just want to dwell with Jesus, every day, every moment, every second. I want to be fully surrounded by Him, but I'm stuck in a world that hates Him and never wants Him around. People who lie and deceive, boast and steal, fight Him more and more out of their life everyday.

This summer, I spent 10 weeks away from "home" and only felt homesick once. I have a small assumption as to why. I believe this summer was a taste of Heaven. Spending every waking moment serving the Lord, sharing life with brothers and sisters, and being encouraged every step of the way, made home not so far away. In fact, home followed us wherever we went. I was comfortable, able to trust, dwelling with the body of Christ, resting in the Giver of peace, and constantly being reminded of God's presence. There's something so incredible about that situation-too incredible for words.

So as I carry-on through this thing we call life, I long and yearn for that sense of home everyday. I anticipate next summer, to feel that embrace again, but moreover, I hope for the day when my real home will be eternal.

Is this normal? I think so.

“If I discover within myself a desire

which no experience in this world can satisfy,

the most probable explanation

is that I was made for another world” -C.S. Lewis

I agree, my friend, I agree.

The Rose

This is a story told by Matt Chandler about love. Not the normal, lovey-dovey, wordly definition of love, but agape love-love from the Creator of this universe, Jesus Christ. I've heard it several times, but my college minister at Montevallo shared it with us tonight in worship, and I absolutely love it, so I thought I'd share...

Matt had recently met a girl in class that had been struggling with purity. Him and some friends were trying to get to know her and serve her through the group. He found out about a band that was coming in town, and so he figured it would be wonderful fellowship. So they're sitting at the concert and the speaker gets up and begins an illustration by taking out a beautiful red rose and passing it around the arena. By the time it made its way back to the speaker, everyone had touched it, smelled it, and in turn, tarnished it in some way. The speaker picked up the rose and said, "Now who would want this rose? Who would want this dirty, broken rose that everyone has touched?" Matt said it took all he had in him not to stand up and shout, "JESUS WANTS THE ROSE! HE WANTS THE ROSE! He wants the rose..."

You can watch it here: http://vodpod.com/watch/1505644-matt-chandler-jesus-wants-the-rose

So whether you're torn, battered, bruised, crushed under a heavy weight, or you just don't feel worthy enough for the call, remember Jesus wants the rose.