believe. receive. then give.

This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to be a Disciple Now leader for 6th grade girls. It was such a blessed time. First of all, they are such a blast. But most importantly they are so sincere and so pure. It was such a breath of fresh air.They greatly desired to taste and see.

It was brought up during the weekend by the incredible speaker Jason Dukes (among many other fantastic things) that in order to love well you must fully grasp you are loved well and fully. I believe it is something we forget often. We try our best to do and do and go and go loving and serving, but unless we fully believe and receive HIS love for us, truly truly get it, we are ineffective in our own.

Understanding He is the center affects everything - our view of our worth, forgiveness of ourselves and others, etc. He graciously gave us all these things. He deemed us worthy, when we weren't. He forgave us, so we must forgive. He gave us righteousness, when we deserved death. He loved us when we hadn't loved him. To grasp the unconditional and unchanging love he poured out on us will change your life. He doesn't choose everyday, he has ALREADY CHOSEN... it's not something we have to earn. Understanding and receiving this makes our capacity to love so much greater because ... it's not us at all ... it is Him.

There is beauty in it all, because in it all there is HIM.