He is More

Hey y'all, its been too long, and I apologize for disappearing over the summer, but I decided to commit some more time to my personal relationship with Christ to, in turn, have more to reflect on for all of you.  A lot has happened over the summer, including a new job as an RN (yeah, gotta be a grown up), another amazing Agape tour with a bunch of awesome lads and lasses, Sonshine weekend 2012, and countless other experiences that I will remember for all time.  And although I may not be starting school today like many of you, I decided it would be a good day to dive back in to this blog, to delve into the Word, to spark some conversation, to grow closer in Him, and hopefully bring a little insight and joy into some of your days.  

The past few weeks have been incredible for me, yes they've had their downs as well, but Christ and His plan for my life has been overwhelmingly evident.  However, in all this, it struck me that it is in these amazing times in our lives when we often forget Who should be getting the credit and gratitude for these things.  It is so easy to fall on God in the rough and terrible times, to come crawling to the foot of His throne, begging for forgiveness, and we should do these things, but why is it then that we don't come running to Him with a prayer of thanks and love when His reasons for our hardships are made evident in our successes?  He is worthy of more than anything we could ever offer, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't offer anything at all.  

This past week, Chris August released another album and the title track is entitled the Upside of Down, and it speaks to these same truths I've been addressing.  He sings of how sometimes it takes the sad and troubled times to realize where our happiness is truly found; in Christ.  We need these troubled times to recognize our absolute need for Christ, but we also need to remember and acknowledge Him in all of our ways, including our highest of highs.  Here is the link and the lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Ko0tcmW3U

The downside of being up is my inside is empty of
The one thing my heart truly needs
When I feel invincible a million miles from miserable
It's always all about me

I don't know why I don't love You like I should, like You would
Through bad and good oh

Funny how we figure out where happiness is found
In the midst of this sadness I'm closer to You now
And that’s the upside of down, the upside of down
It’s all switched around, I lost and I found
The upside of down

You are more in my less, You are strength in my weakness
I'll never go back again
And then Your sunshine ends the rain and I return to my old ways
Why am I a fair weather friend?

I wanna be the one to love You like I should, like You would
Through the bad and good oh

Funny how we figure out where happiness is found
In the midst of this sadness I'm closer to You now

That’s the upside of tragedies knowing You're holding my heart always, always
I may be down but I'm finding there's joy in the pain, in the pain

Funny how we figure out where happiness is found
In the midst of this sadness I'm closer, I’m closer to You now and oh

The upside of down
It’s all switched around, I lost and I found
The upside of down

Scripture:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

He deserves all of our affection, attention, love, and gratefulness at all times; not just when we feel as though we need Him for something. He is more than we could ever ask for or imagine, and though His strength is more evident in our weakness, I think its time we start acknowledging Him in all circumstances, good or bad, failure or success.  He deserves all that we are, all of the time.  I love y'all and am excited to be starting this back up with all of you.  God bless!