Gracie Girl Blog

I’ve been more intentional about reading my Bible recently and its one of those things that leaves me thinking why did I not do this sooner. These are some verses that have been speaking to me, and I hope they speak to you too.

1. Exodus 33:15

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 

This one has been huge for me the last few weeks as I have been going through Young Life Leader Training. I spent ALL of first semester saying I would not become a leader, but tried to keep an open mind and do LT, if only for the learning experience. We are coming to the end of LT and while I haven’t had any huge realizations or felt an extremely loud call, I’m thinking about leading Young Life College because really its what I want to be doing anyway – loving people right in front of me. I’m wondering if maybe God doesn’t give us specific directions all of the time. I know I’m called to love people and give my life away, and I can do that with or without Young Life, but the organization does give me a team and accountability which is always a good thing. And who knows, there’s always time for God to wreck my plans. I learned recently that Kreech almost lead Young Life college and then the staff person at Fairfax HS had a dream about her and felt she was called to that high School. and thank goodness she said yes. So if you happen to have any prophetic dreams about me, please let me know.

All that to say my prayer is God if you aren’t in it I don’t want it. If you aren’t going before me, do not send me out. 

2. Psalm 13:6

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.

I wrote this one down because I daily need the reminder- especially when I feel like God has forgotten me or given me the short end of the stick. Those statements aren’t true. God has been good, so good, to me. I tend to look back and see when seasons or days were hard in my life, but when I look back and see how God has been good, it’s an everyday thing. He has been good to me everyday of my life, in every season he has brought good out.

I think often about the song New Wine by Hillsong. In the crushing and the pressing, You are making new wine. There is crushing and pressing for sure, but there is also new wine, which makes the crushing and pressing more than worth it.

3. John 21:15

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Pete, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” 

“Yes Lord,” he said, “You know that I love you.” 

Something about Pete’s heart here hits me. This took place after Peter had denied knowing Jesus, his best friend, three times. When Peter meets Jesus on the beach, he knows Jesus loves him, there is no question there. And Jesus, knowing all things because he is God, knows Peter loves him. Jesus asks Peter not for his sake but for Peter’s, and he asks three times if Peter loves him, one for every time Peter denied him. Maybe Peter just needed to say it, and I think that’s me too. There is always good in affirming what is true, there is power in saying yes Lord, I love you.

4. Revelation 5:9

and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 

My friend Rachel recently said she wants her friends to scare her a little. In other words, she wants friends with different backgrounds than her, friends who don’t know Jesus or who maybe even hate him. I’ve been convicted lately about who I’m friends with. I don’t want all my friends to look like me or come from the same background as me. Heaven is going to be a party of everyone, its going to be diverse in every way. I don’t throw parties often, but when I do, I think a bunch of different types of people sounds like a lot more fun than only having one type. I want my earthly life to reflect a little more what heaven will look like.

5.  Psalm 86:7

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

Not much else to say about this one except yes & amen.

6. Romans 11:29

for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. 

In my words: God ain’t taking it back. Unlike many people, I’ve grown up knowing I am called by God. As I’ve grown, and especially in college, I have felt the weight of this call more and more. It’s a great thing to be called, to have purpose, but I’m willing to admit some days I’m more thankful for it than others. This call is constant, I can depend on it. And only can I step into it if I rely more and more on my constant God.

7. Solomon 7:10

I am my beloved’s and His desire is for me.

Kreech sent me this after a hard day. It took me a while of being at college to realize just how set in my relationships at home I am, and how much I depend on friendship. So when friendship got harder this semester, I panicked a little. But whether anyone else desires me (my help, my friendship, my opinion), doesn’t really matter because my God desires me. He wants me to dwell with Him even more than my mom wants me to call her (needless to say, that’s a lot;)).

8. Psalm 86:11

Teach me your way, Lord,

that I may rely on your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear your name. 

Both teach me and give me an undivided heart are what I hope to ask of God daily. I want to learn more and I want to have no other gods but the One.

9. Psalm 8:3-4

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that your are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 

This semester I feel like God’s been speaking to me through the sky. I know that sounds insane, but I’ve found myself looking up at the stars and sunset more and more. I can’t help but think about the lyrics he loves us, oh how he loves us (and of course Lauren Daigle’s Look Up Child). It feels like a personal love letter. He paints the skies just for us. He put the stars in place just for us.

10. Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

Yes & amen. If you know me, you probably know how I’m learning not to hate change. Thankfully, God doesn’t change.

---

 

My unofficial word for 2020 is joy and just like when I chose expectant for 2019, I’ve felt that get tested almost immediately. I’d say I’m learning joy. I don’t know if joy is so much something you have as it is a practice, a habit, a choice.

So that’s me. A little semester update and hopefully some encouragement. As always, I am so thankful for the life I get to live and the people I get to live it with.