Today is a comfy-sweatshirt, no-makeup, Christmas-music, packing-for-home kind of day... in a word, theBESTkindofdayever!

I can't believe this semester has come and gone already... God has shown Himself to be SO strong. Since July, there have been conferences, board meetings, camping trips, 5k races, and banquets... I've tripped to West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, San Francisco, Illinois, North Carolina, and St. Louis to hang out with the most amazing people on this earth. I've learned even more acutely that approval from GOD is all that matters (2timothy2:15), that He cares vastly more about how much I fear Him than how strong I can prove myself to be (psalm147:10&11), and that all I need to overcome the world is solid belief in Jesus Christ (1john5:5) - man, show me what it means to really believe, Father!

I've also come to realize how important it is to make sure that genuine love trumps hasty judgment... I mean, we hear that all the time, right? Judge not, lest ye be judged...all that jazz. But how often do I still make negative assumptions about somebody without even knowing them...without taking the time to be like, hey, so what's hard about your life? What's happened that's molded you into the person you are? What drives you to talk, act, and respond the way you do? We're all who we are because of the events and relationships we've encountered in our lives - and God has been sovereign over ALL these things, the good and the seemingly not-so-good, so as we constantly release control to Him, we are confident that all is working for our benefit - but we filter the outlook of our lives based on what we've experienced so far... I guess I've thought about this more especially in the Life Centers as I meet complete strangers and notice my tendency to straight-up assess their situation with a single glance and think about how they could have avoided being there if they'd just made a different choice and how much righteousness I need to shove into their lives in the counseling room, and then I sit down and actually start talking to them, and that mentality is shattered every. single. time. Everyone has a story that's much, much more than meets the eye...believers AND non-believers. Be careful how you interact with those God has placed in your path, because there will be repercussions, good or bad - I've seen people inspired to good works through the unhindered love of another, and I've talked with others who have entirely written off God's existence because of a single comment made by a careless individual... Sure, hard things need to be boldly said sometimes to someone living clearly outside of God's will, but I have to remember that the words I say to people and the way I treat them does echo into eternity and since I'm a child of God, I can share the truth with the love He's poured into me to further His Kingdom, or I can proudly withhold it and try to impress people with how "good" I am...which is the exact opposite of my purpose here in living out the gospel. I'm no better than anyone else; I'm just washed in His blood...forgiven in His mercy.

I always think of that look that Jesus gave Peter after he denied Him the third time (luke22:61); even then, I bet it wasn't an I-told-you-so, you-failed-me kind of look, but a look that tenderly said, 'yes, you realize now that your human efforts aren't enough, don't you...but don't worry, I will love you always, and I will work miracles through you still...' And He did! Peter changed lives through the power of God in him! Even though he denied Jesus three times on the day he should have been standing the most strongly with Him, he was still a usable vessel in supernatural, mindblowing ways. There's no way I can assume that someone is useless for the Kingdom, regardless of their present state...God has crazy amazing purposes and plans that I cannot even fathom, and my words and actions can make a difference in how they respond to Jesus today. True Love trumped the ultimate judgment on the cross...and that's the message that needs to be seen in my life every day...

Aand here's where we cue God's grace.

Thankfully, He freely gives it. :)

Here's to break and seeing some of my favorite people on the flip side of a fourteen hour drive tomorrow! God is so good.


~bethie