That Heart That is Meant to Love You

Well I have genuinely slacked in writing on here for a long time, oops! But I'm back with more thoughts for whoever wants to take the time to read my ramblings!

So what I want to focus on in this post is a quote I came across on Pinterest. Yes, I am very much so into pinterest I must confess. May as well get it out of the way early for any of you haters out there. Just kidding though, you all are great, pinners or not! =)

Alright so here is the quote...

Your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.

Hang on now, re-read that and really just let it sink in. Heck, read it several times actually! It's worth re-reading!

Your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you. 

That phrase in itself is so beautifully written; so much depth to such a small single statement. After I read that, I basically broke it down into sections. Flaws. That instantly stood out to me because so often I tend to zoom in on my mistakes and failures. My own flaws. Then continuing on not even a few words later flaws is so quickly followed by the word perfect. Perfection. Jesus Christ. My Savior and Redeemer. He is the epitome of perfection, ah how I adore Him.

Then, the last little bit. The heart that is meant to love you. I just love the wording in that because it isn't the heart that will love you, or the heart that does love you. But instead, the heart that is so wonderfully meant to love you. 

And speaking as a woman who is a sucker for romance, it's oh so easy to get wrapped up in looking for that sweet gentleman, my prince charming, who will sweep me off my feet to no end. But as I read that quote, I was instantly brought back to my one true love, my dear sweet Savior.

Before any charming man captures my heart and loves me, it is Jesus Christ that is meant to love me day in and day out. Every second of every single moment. In every breath. He is extraordinarily, to no end, loving us, flaws and all!

Just the other day during my lunch break from work, I went to the nearby Catholic church to just spend time ravishing in quality time with my love. I caught a glimpse of my very own scars and was quickly reminded of all of my flaws. The ways in which I continually let down my friends and family, and even myself. As I cried out to God begging for His comfort, He simply told me this.

"My princess, my flower, my rose. Look at me. And remind yourself how much I love you. I would die again for you every single day just to be near you. Just to listen to you. Have I not taken care of you in the past? What would make now any different?"

And that is so true. Regardless of my flaws, His love remains. In all actuality, we are all so perfect for the heart that is meant to love us. And that is Jesus Christ. Always and forever.

And as I leave you with those thoughts, I encourage each of you to embrace the adventure that is set before each of us as we allow Christ to pursue us. After all, there is no better heart meant to love us than His.

the Answer

I want to overcome.
     Jesus overcame.

I want to be strong.
     Jesus is my rock.

I can't fight the tears from coming.
     I meet with Christ on calvary through those same tears.

My scars just remind me of my past and all I want to hide.
     Jesus strengthens my wounds, softens my heart, and redeems me through my scars.

My voice is lost in the chaos of the world.
    Each word I speak is a melody to my Lord.

Loneliness envelops me regardless of all those I'm surrounded by
     Jesus wraps me in His arms day and day again.

I feel beaten down and broken.
     Jesus may stretch me, but He will never break me.

I begin to find my strength in the Lord.
     Jesus catches me as I take a leap of faith.

I am able to overcome the heartache and treacherous waters.
     And again, without fail...

Jesus is the answer.


   

Reminder of God's Infinite Love

A good year ago or so I got a text from a friend and he had asked me, rather excitedly, "Do you know what today is?!"

I replied..."Uhmm, the 16th?" I was just assuming he was asking about what the actual date was. 

He then responded, "Today is an unrepeatable, irreplaceable mystery from God." 

Mind. Blown. Like, really though. How often do we take the time to reflect on the fact that each single day cannot be repeated? And not only that, but each day literally just exudes mystery from our Lord? It's truly beautiful and miraculous. 

I was so wrapped up this morning thinking about everything that's currently stressing me out along with all that I need to be working on and getting done when I God nudged me just enough to finally open my heart and eyes to His words. 

"I won't give you more, more than you can take. I might let you bend, but I won't let you break. And know, I'll never, ever let you go." Don't you forget what He said. 

We are all so often concerned with all that God is throwing at us it's just so easy to forget the mystery that each day holds and the beauty that is unveiled to us throughout the day. And the words in this song are just a perfect reminder of God's infinite love for each of us. When we feel as though we're trudging through treacherous waters, God is allowing us to turn our lives over to Him in a whole new way! The more we surrender ourselves to Him and His will for our lives, the more we are able to find authentic peace and happiness! 

And yes, that in no way means it will be easy to surrender to Him. But looking back at these lyrics, He's going to stretch us and bend us, but He will never break us. Our God is a loving, caring, and genuine God and Father. The more He stretches us, the more He is giving us the opportunities to surrender to Him and even more so, to grow in and through Him. He wants to take us on a journey outside of our comfort zones and outside of ourselves. That, my friends, is an astounding gift and mystery! 

I encourage each of you to embrace each day by remembering what God has told you, and continues to tell you. He might let you bend, but He'll never let you break. 

When I Cannot Stand I'll Fall On You

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are Easter people and hallelujah is our song." - Bl. John Paul II

Today is Easter! Praise God, we are just too blessed! 


I started off my Easter morning absolutely perfect! This past week was just rough. I hit some treacherous waters and was just feeling lost and hurt. I was really able to meet with Christ on calvary through my pain. Well this morning I woke up 4:30 to head home to make it in time for 8:30 mass with my family. So after much patience (or attempted patience) in scraping the ice off my car, filling up with gas, emptying trash, and straightening the apartment, I was finally on the road. 


For a two and a half hour drive, Jesus just took me with Him on a journey through thick and thin! That's how I felt anyway. I started off my drive with the usual music playing...KLove. That's right, I love listening to some uplifting Christian music. I always manage to hear the perfect songs or lyrics to just touch my heart. As I turned to the radio station, it wasn't coming in clear at all. It always comes in clear so I wasn't really sure what that was about. After messing with the silly radio tuning for a bit, it still wasn't coming in. So I turned down the volume and decided to have some good prayer time with Jesus. I went through a list of people I wanted to pray for, I thanked Him endlessly for all the blessings He's given me, and then before I knew it, I was in tears. 


The more I let my emotions take over, the more I though back to the song Blessings by Laura Story. Here's the chorus of her song:


'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops, what if your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near. What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

How incredibly beautiful, mysterious and true are her simple yet profound lyrics. And the more I thought on those lyrics, the more my tears of despair turned to tears of absolute abandonment. Jesus, the love of my life, died for me and rose again brining me new life in Him and through Him. And it is in Him and Him alone that I will be fulfilled. I cannot even explain the depth of what my prayers consisted of this morning, yet I felt moved to share a bit of what I experienced as well as share the lyrics that I found so rewarding as well as painful to reflect on. 


But that is not where my journey ended! Jesus always has a way of stretching me to my limits. He never, ever breaks me, but always stretches me. Oh, how I love His works. 
So getting back on track, after I finished a nice long prayer session with my Man, I turned on the radio and went back to KLove. Lo and behold, it was coming in perfectly clear! And of all the songs to be playing, I just had to smile as I heard the one song I've been listening to on repeat literally all week. Lord, I Need You by Chris Tomlin. There are a couple verses in this song I just want to share that always stand out to me. Ah...such a captivating song this one is. 


Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousnessOh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

So, after much contemplation, thanksgiving, and prayer throughout the song, I spent the next hour or so just singing my heart out to the music and driving nice and slow as I was surrounded by fog. It was the kind of fog in which you literally just can't see anything ahead of you or beside you. Why is it even important that it was foggy? Well, let me tell you this. It wasn't until over halfway through the chaotic fog that it finally hit me.

God had been trying to tell me something the whole ride! And finally, after He just didn't give up on me, I realized it. 
As I stated earlier, the past week has just been tiresome and rough. I was focusing all my energy into things that seem so magnified in the here and now, yet in the big picture, aren't so. As I drove through the fog, I'm not quite sure how, but I connected it all. God was showing me that first, He wanted me to say "Yes," to Him once again in taking a step forward in seeing with the eyes of faith. And second, that although I cannot see the whole picture right now (take note of the how the fog was clouding my vision), God will give me clarity and a fuller vision when the timing is right. I just needed to be open to seeing the eyes of faith and trusting in His timing and Him alone.

Goodness gracious, He still leaves me in awe by the second. 
After a long, eventful ride home, I finally made it back just in time for mass. Mass was, of course, breathtaking. And even now as I still may turn to tears and I still might feel weak, I can think back on my very own new beginning that Jesus blessed me with on this Easter Sunday. 


So, my dear friends, I challenge you know to look at your own Easter Sunday today and see what it is that God is doing in your life today. What is it that He's showing you, asking of you, or simply telling you.

I hope my own little journey will touch at least once person. That is my hope. All glory be to God, now and forever. 
Happy Easter Sunday my friends! Feel God's abundant love being poured on you today! He's so in love with you! 

Do Not Despair, But Hope

How extraordinary is our Lord that He would allow us to partake in such a magnificent, painful, and rewarding journey in which we are able to experience the infinite graces of hope.

Just these past couple days God has been pointing out the value and the beauty that hope holds for each of us continually, without fail. It's been such a fruitful realization that although despair and desolation may be knocking on the door to my heart, I am able to find hope in the fact that it is through the periods of desolation and suffering that I can allow myself to grow in Christ. It is in those times that I can entrust my heart fully to Him.

And the perfect, most selfless example to look toward would be dear, sweet Mother Teresa. The countless 50 years of desolation that she faced must've been agonizing. And yet she faced the world with a smile, laughter, and fully giving of her self.

Jesus, it is my prayer to follow in her ways. To say yes to the desolation that you will allow me to go through to get to You. I want to love like never before and it is only through You that I can do so. Day after day I am placing my hope in You.

"I consider that the suffering of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us." - Romans 8:18

"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance." - Romans 8:24-25

"Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."- Mother Teresa

God Gives. God Takes.

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be His name.

I never understood how God could so easily bless me with such amazing, genuine people in my life, only to have some people just walk out of my life. From my first time entering high school, I began to be tested with finding friends who I could authentically talk to and be vulnerable with. Sharing one's heart is never easy, and at times, so scary. So for the longest time, I just wouldn't.

But things can change. Jesus has taken me on the craziest journey to get to where I am now. And still, I struggle each time I "lose" those I'm closest to, or those who truly treasure my heart. Yet in the blink of an eye, I know that God has something so beautiful, so unrepeatable planned. And it's in those small, impacting moments that I know I have to push through the pain. No matter how many friendships I go through to find those who will stick out the trying times with me, Jesus is immovable. He is my anchor.

So as I find myself here again, facing the confusion and pain, I look toward Christ. The only one who will never let me down. The one with which I am enthralled daily. The love of my life.

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to meet You on calvary again and again when I am faced with these painful trials. I trust in You always. Today, tomorrow, always and forever.

Thank you Lord. For it is in the giving and the taking away that I am drawn more toward You.

He is Constant

To authentically be yourself in a world that tears you down

is to overcome the biggest challenge.

To experience the sincerity of a stranger as you feel lost and broken

is truly God standing before you with outstretched arms.

To know that you are worth Christ dying for

is incomprehensible. 

You, my friend, were made for more.

You are strong.

You are courageous.

You can overcome.

To realize and understand all that you have to offer to this world

is proof that you are made in the image and likeness of God

To desire our Lord and Savior above all else

is ultimately the epitome of love.

To know that your heart is in the hands of a mighty, forgiving Father

is allowing you to be capable of vulnerability with our Creator. 

You, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, are worth the bloodshed of Jesus Christ.

And when you feel weak, He is strong.

When you become afraid, He is constant. Unchanging. Immovable. 

And when you fall to your knees in desperation, He will carry you to the ends of the earth. 

You are all that He wants. 

What a beautiful love story you have the opportunity to live out. 

Let Him embrace you with open arms, and a heart ready to love you to the fullest. 

Most Powerful Weapon

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." - Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Can we just take a moment to reflect on that statement for a minute? What a thought provoking concept, right? As I read that quote, I had to literally just sit back and let it sink in because of the crazy depth it contains! So here's what it got me thinking about.

When I think about a human soul on fire...I first and foremost automatically think of the desire of each of our hearts, whether we realize it or not, we are desiring Jesus Christ. Underneath everything is the desire for our Lord and Savior.

Following our utmost desire for Christ, we have our passions that are unique to each of us individually. God has blessed us immensely with various passions right? Anywhere from sports to theatre to animals to politics. We each have those things that just bring forth a burning sensation in our souls! It's absolutely beautiful and astounding the way that God made us to be! I just get so overwhelmed and excited thinking about it! But ok, getting back on track now, let's tie the two desires together.

Alright so we have Jesus, and our passions. And one common factor of the two is the way that they bring forth a fire in us...in our souls. The way I see it is that God has blessed us with those passions right? But not just to make us smile or give us something worthwhile to spend our time accomplishing. No, it's so much more than that! He gave us those passions and desires of our hearts to be a testimony! Each of us are living testimonies of Him and of His undying love for us! Which if we tie that thought back to the very beginning statement...we as living testimonies of our Lord, can be such a powerful weapon as we fight daily to grow in our relationships with God and to defeat Satan and his lies. Our very unique passions are our God-given "armor" per se. It is our duty to act on our passions and suit up in the armor at hand so that we can fight the daily battle against Satan as he tries, but fails, to win over our souls.

How incredibly exhilerating is it to think about how we, as simple human beings, can use our God given talents and passions to do extraordinary things! I want to bring forth a challenge for myself, and others. As we discover more of who we are, and what it is that brings about a fire in our souls, we should prepare for a journey of a lifetime. We have the beautiful opportunity to use our passions for more than we have ever imagined! I believe that God has blessed us with our talents and passions in order to authentically fight the battle of a lifetime, and bring as many people as we can with us as we strive to reach Heaven.

We have such a breathtaking role here on earth, and we have our suit of armor, passions, talents, and desire for Christ to stand firm against all that society tells us. We are capable of being radically different in the best way possible! So I challenge you, my friends, to take a stand. Embrace who you are, authentically use your passions to be witnesses for our Lord and Savior, and through Him, we will overcome all that Satan tempts us with.

With a fire in our souls like never before, we will set this world on fire and bring forth a desire for Jesus Christ that is stunningly contagious! We are called to stand out, so let us fear no more and finally take a stand.