2 Corinthians 2:16-17

"To one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life, Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as comissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ."

Believing the Gospel

Believing the Gospel is slowly proving itself to be the most challenging and beautiful part of my life. The minute I begin to think that I understand Christ's love and sufficiency for me I am knocked off of my rocker by something new. His love is infinite and that is overwhelming. Christ's love and grace stretches infinitely and if I allow it, it is enough. Sometimes I wonder why I do not feel full in Christ. It is not because of him. It is me putting up walls around my vulnerability to allow him to satisfy me. Vulnerability is a funny thing. For a while I thought I wasn't afraid of it. I was lying to myself. I realized that I allow myself to be vulnerable in the situations that I am comfortable with being vulnerable in. I run from the vulnerability of my deepest issues. That if I reveal them to someone they will be ashamed or displeased with me. I am coming to terms with the fact that we are all this way. There is beauty in community. We are all sinners struggling with something. We should find hope and rest in each other and most importantly in Christ. 

"Babes in Christ."-1 Corinthians 3:1

Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in Him. You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light !
 has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father's heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, "put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!" but the smoking flax He will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but He will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though "less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess." yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation. C.H. Spurgeon 

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Cutest little man ever. Im obsessed. The end. 

"Because of these changes, we have more time for God. Spiritual concerns have filled the void left by material ones. Owning fewer things has resulted in things no longer owning us. We have put God to the test, and we have found His Word to be true. He has poured blessings and opportunities upon us. When we stopped living a life dedicated to consumerism our cup began to run over. We have seen miracles." Sleeth

Crazy Time

Crazy time: this is my brain all of the time. My brain is constantly ticking with thoughts. They may not make any sense but they are there. The leaves are changing and life is more beautiful than ever. Something about nature just does it for me. I wonder why i get so caught up in consumerism and materialism when I am the happiest at my most raw form. When I am all grubbed up, breathing in the fresh mountain air I am happy and still. I can rest in God's beautiful creation. So why do I become so wrapped up in material things? Why cant we as humans appreciate the beauty of nature? We separate ourselves from the natural cycle of life and I it is coming back for us. 

In Food, Culture, and Sustainability we have been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. It is blowing my mind. I wish I lived on a farm and raised my own food. It is crazy to think that the majority of my food has traveled thousands of miles and has some form of corn in it. Sometimes when I think about sustainability and our future I want to cry. I feel hopeless. We seem to not want to change our ways. This is what my mind can not understand. We do not look after ourselves for the long haul. 

So I just rambled on for a little while and what really intrigues me about all of this is I wonder where all of this fits into my life as I try to allow the Gospel to become more and more real in my life every day. As I see God filling each one of us with the Holy Spirit. God is working through us and he is good, gracious, and merciful. 

^"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9 

   This passage of scripture resinates with me daily. As I read it, it takes my breath away. This is a passage that I rest my faith on. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains the basis of my faith and relationship with Christ. God requires nothing of me; only that I have faith in Him and faith in his son Jesus Christ who died for my sin. Often times I try and fix my problems myself; I also try to live a "good" life. I look inward at myself; my actions are the means by which I make up for my sin. I try and trade a good behavior ( a mission trip or other community service) for sin ( such as telling a lie). In reality, this is my sin, relying on myself to make my life right. When I start trying to fix my life I remember this passage. For it is by the grace of God that I am saved and not by my own actions. I find rest in this passage because the pressure is not on me. I will in some way always fall to pressure and sin, but the Lord will never sin and remains perfect and Holy. Christ is our redemption and I am thankful.