A way out

God daily amazes me with His faithfulness and grace.

I struggle with keeping my heart pure and hands clean in the presence of my Father, daily stumbling and dirtying my soul with the filthiness of my humanity. And yet, day after day, He forgives and bestows grace upon me.

I am unworthy of this L O V E.

I, in no way, deserve this faithful affection from someone who is perfect, holy, and all-powerful. I sin like the lost man. It was MY sin that pinned my spotless Savior to the cross. He was humiliated for ME. I crumble to my knees under the weight of His absolutely adoring me - a failure.

And because of this endless love, He provides me with a way out of temptation.

God has provided me with an incredible gift. It has been a rough week, and I had been struggling especially hard on Tuesday, but by Wednesday God brought around blessing after beautiful blessing. Within 2 days my loving Lord gave me 2 friends who struggle with the E X A C T problems I have on my plate. He poured out understanding through the friendship of 2 beautiful ladies who can keep me accountable and help me find a way out.

I am so touched.

He promises to be faithful (despite my unfaithfulness), and indeed, He is. He promises to redeem me from my sins (despite my wretchedness), and indeed, He has. He promises to love me forever (despite my unworthiness), and indeed, He will.

Secret Pleasure # 1

Everyone has secret pleasures they enjoy when no one is looking. I have many... and tonight I indulged in one of my favorites on the way home from work.

As I was driving back to Tigerville in the dark, I let down my hair and opened my sunroof with all the windows, allowing the winter air to whip my hair around my face in a frozen frenzy. The stars above me shined alongside the moon in a magical way as I popped in a favorite cd and let loose with wild abandon.

In that moment ... as goosebumps covered my body, with my hair a tangled mess and my vocal cords pushed to the limit ... I reveled in the stinging sensation of being fully alive. I could feel all of it: The shivers racking my body; The excitement of driving fast; The music pounding in my ears; The breathtaking creation of God surrounding me in the mountains.

I can feel. I can sing. I can breathe. I am fully alive. And I am filled with Joy.