Further Up and Further In

journal entry. 7/16/14

It's midway through the week. Hump Day. While energies should be low, there is something running deep in the hearts of everyone here. God's presence has taken over this place and filled it with capitol-L Life. There is a fountain overflowing here. and the only thing I know to do is give thanks over and over again. Now that's not to say it hasn't been hard this week. I'll tell you that I have been frustrated to the point of tears, tired enough to fall asleep in a rocking chair, and hungry enough to eat month old granola. but I've also been stirred by grace more times than I knew I could be and washed over and over again by the love of a savior who knows my voice when I call. Most of all, I have gone further up and further in with this idea of grace. I can just take it! and that's so cool! when I receive grace, I'm walking away from fear and condemnation. and I like that.i guess it's back to spending time with my kids. I really love them.

Grace is a funny thing and I'm wondering if I'll ever fully understand it. Part of me hopes it stays a beautiful mystery because each day is a new lesson in grace, a new chance to give grace away, a new chance to have grace in areas of my life that I've never had grace before. It's funny because things will happen, things that should make me feel bad. but then I remember that I'm forgiven by a King and He tells me that His grace is enough. after that, the bad goes away. I'm able to be vulnerable because of grace. I'm able to keep my eyes above the waves mostly due to the fact that my eyes aren't even on the waves anymore. they're on Jesus. and because of Him I am able to walk on water.

I think it's really important for us to take a step back every once and a while and celebrate how far we've come. This week I've been celebrating freedom through dancing, giving myself grace when I fail, and learning that God really wants to take me on an adventure and all I have to do is go further up and further in to his mysteries. what are you celebrating this week?

I guess there wasn't really a point to this post except to share with you my mid week thoughts and maybe share some of the hope I've got welling up inside. A new lesson I learned today is that it's okay to not know where we are going because God says, "don't worry, Im steering and I know the most perfect swimming hole up ahead. would you go with me?" Friends, follow him. I know it's scary sometimes because it looks like you're headed for rocks and maybe you might bump into them, but I promise that God will take you places you've never imagined if you just go further and further in with him. There's hope friends and it's waiting for you to join the adventure and take it!

be brave this week. and take some hope with ya as you go.

-Em