beauty.

there are so many moments that i wish i could capture in a picture. and there are so many times i wish i could use just one word to describe what is going on in my life or what i am seeing. simplicity is always best. this morning has been one of those mornings where i wish i could use just one word to describe the whole thing because if i were to ramble about it- it would take away from its beauty.

this morning was surreal.

this morning was beautiful.

this morning, i felt the presence of my Father.

i got up at 4:30 this morning to go with some girls and watch the sun rise and pray. it was incredible. we went out to a pier in the bay and watched as the sun barely peaked over the land on the other side of the water and just had sweet fellowship until it was too hot to stay any longer.

i wish i could paint the beauty i got to see. but that would be impossible.

i feel like God used this morning to really encourage me. i have already started to feel drained and like a was running really low on fuel. but i feel so recharged. just getting to see something as beautiful as the orange and red sunrise this morning was enough...

i also got to get in the word with quite a few people. with one of my disciples we read

Joel 2: 12-13...

"Yet even now," declares the Lord,

"'return to me with ALL your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

and rend your hearts and not your garments.;

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster."

i got so much out of studying this verse... the girl that i studied this with pointed out how much she loved that it said "yet even now..." it was so neat to be reminded of my Fathers unconditional love for me.

its like he was saying regardless of where your at now, regardless of where you've been or what you've done--come to me now.

thats one of my most favorite things about christianity. thats what separates it from every other religion in the world. in every other religion they believe that their god is this all-powerful being that in order to commune with him, you must first cleanse yourself and get all your crap together.... christianity is the exact opposite. Christ says to come as we are. we wants us to come to him when we are most broken, lost, hurt, confused, and just run-down. its then that his power can be most exemplified. its when we come to him at our worst that 2 Corinthians 12 is seen in full swing...

"my grace is SUFFICIENT for you, for my power is made PERFECT in weakness... for when i am weak, then i am strong."

what an encouragement thats been to me. i feel so inadequate. i feel so unqualified to lead my girls just because i know how much sin i have in my heart. but that is whats so beautiful about every person here at project and just believers in general. God doesn't ask me to be perfect, he asks me to be vulnerable so that others can see his perfection and glory through my short-comings.

i am so thankful for that.

abc.