Remade.

There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.

One season.

Be careful not to judge someone based on one season in their life.

I read this somewhere the other day and it really resonated with me. How often we so quickly judge someone because of their present situation or because of one choice they make. We don't know their story or situation, yet we feel that we have the authority to judge them. We have all made bad choices, and we all will continue to at one time or another. How fortunate we are to have a God that forgives us and doesn't hold against us the wrong things we do. How can we take that grace and turn around and make assumptions about someone else? It doesn't seem fair now that you think about it, huh? We pass the homeless person on the road and assume they made choices that got them there, that it was their fault. This is not always the case. People end up in situations that they could not control all the time. I know that I have judged people for the situation they are in or because of a decision they made. My heart overflows when I think about how blessed i am that the Lord hasn't changed His opinion of me because of stupid things I have done, or choices I have made. How undeserving I am of love so great, so pure and relentless. I hope that we will all take a step back before we judge a person. Think about what choices you have made and how the Lord has forgiven you for them. Don't assume you know the story, because in all honesty, you probably don't. Love people because God tells us to. Remember, He loved you first.

Plans.

If I ever left this town
I’d never settle down
I’d just be wandering around
If I ever left this town

If I wasn’t by your side
I’d never be satisfied
Nothin’ would feel just right
If I wasn’t by your side

‘Cause I’m not easy to understand
But you know me like the back of your hand
I’m your girl and you’re my man
And we’re makin’ plans

We can go on and on
Won’t ever feel too long
I’ll always call you home
And we’ll go on and on

‘Cause I know you like the back of my hand
Got a heart of gold and a piece of land
I’m your girl and you’re my man
And we’re makin’ plans

ell-oh-vee-ee.

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out weather your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever be apart. Because that's what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love", which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over after being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

You can't explain love. It just is. You can't capture it or bottle it up. It isn't for resale. You have to experience love to know and truly understand why it is people desire it so deeply.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you! You know who you are. :) You are one of my closest friend and I love you dearly. Over the years we have changed. We have grow up, matured, become real adults in the world. So much has happened in our lives in the time we have been friends. Together we have learned that life is truly amazing. We have graduated into the next phases of life together. We have had our fallouts, but through it all, we have remained strong. Our friendship has become more than just sleepovers and shopping trips. We have come to counsel one another, to be there through the hard times. We have fallen, but also held each other accountable. Our views of the world and of life have shifted dramatically in these past few years. I look back at those two girls sometimes, and wonder where they went. How quickly we have grown up. It's so amazing to me that God knows exactly what we need. He brought us together at just the right time, and look at how far we have come. One minute we are jumping up and down in the salad station, and the next we are 3 years older. It seems as if I blinked and everything changed. We have discovered so much about ourselves and life over our coffee dates. So often, I thank God for you. You have been there for me in so many hard times and helped me through years of trials. You are such a genuine person with a beautiful spirit. You have become a confidant woman full of energy and joy. I am so thankful that I am able to be a part of your life and even more so that you are a part of mine. God has given you so many talents and it's so neat to see Him working through you. Looking back, I don't know what I would have done without you in the past few years. We continue to grow, both together, and apart. Our lives are just beginning. God has so much in store for both you and I, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish. You have been so available to me, and I just want to thank you. I love you so much and I can't believe you are 23 today! Happy birthday!

I will follow.

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

In all honesty.

In all honesty, I'm uncertain.

I change my mind so often. I'm flighty, I would say. I get bored easily, but commit whole-heartedly when I mean it. Sometimes too soon. Often I invest all of me into something far too early, too quickly. In all honesty, I'm extremely trusting. Even when people don't deserve it. I let myself get involved, and become vulnerable. Then, I get hurt. In all honesty, I have a heart for people. I tend to feel so much for someone that I can't keep it hidden. I love words. This may sound redundant, but in all fairness, words are so beautiful. So much power is in words. They can break your heart, confuse you, and enrapture your attention. Words can intoxicate you. In all honesty, I believe words carry so much weight, it's overwhelming. Have you ever read something, a poem or letter, that left you breathless? I feel that perhaps, at some point, life will leave us the same way; breathless, mystified, and in awe. Life, people say, is something to be cherished and shared. I do not disagree with this, however, there are a few things I believe should be added. Life is simple in the most complex of ways. It is beautiful and intricate in each part. Each life has a purpose. People say life is too short. I think that life is exactly the amount of time that is needed. Life is truly something. Soak in the moments, they will soon be a memory.

In all honesty, I think people are too consumed.

Consumed in themselves, in work, in the world. When your mind is so full of material thoughts, there is rarely room for what is really important. People spend their time searching for something, anything to fill the emptiness. The void inside them yearning to be whole. People jump from job to job, place to place, thing to thing waiting to be happy. In all honesty, nothing will satisfy. No amount of stuff, or money, or power will ever be enough. For a while, there might be a fullness, but eventually, the void starts to form again. Again, we search for something. At what point will we wake up, at what point do we realize? He is the only one that satisfies, the only thing that will not leave you feeling empty over time. We can keep searching, but in all honesty, there is none other. He is the answer to every problem, every desire, every heartache.

In all honesty, people aren't perfect.

Who can say otherwise? We can't expect them to be, or we undoubtedly will come up broken. I cannot expect to never be hurt, or to be not betrayed by another. This is in the simplest word, life. However, do not stop trusting. Do not stop loving, do not stop pursuing. Be there for people. Use what you have in this life to accomplish dreams. Do not be discouraged if you fall; we all stumble. Keep forgiving. Don't ever lose hope. Remember that love conquers all. Above all, know that He is always waiting to restore, to fill, to enrapture in love.

Oh, how He loves us so.

The other night I was driving home. It was around 8 o'clock and I was nearly home when I saw something fluffy on the side of the road. I looked over and there was a baby kitten curled up into a ball right there next to the street. I freaked out a little bit and was so afraid it would get hit, so I turned my car around and rushed back to get it. I picked up this little ball of fur and took her home with me. This kitty was so helpless and it made me sad to think that if I hadn't picked her up, she more than likely would have gotten run over. I immediately started obsessing over this kitty and named her Sophie. I went out that same night and bought kitten food. Trying to figure out what to do with Sophie was so frustrating because I knew I couldn't keep her. I was ever so quickly growing attached to Sophie. I ended up keeping her for about 5 days before I gave her to a no-kill cat shelter. It surprised me how much I had grown to love Sophie in the very short time I had her.

The experience reminded me of how God figuratively picked us up off the side of the road and saved us. Without Him, we wouldn't be where we are. It also gave me a little glimpse into God's love as well. How much I loved that little kitty isn't even a fraction of how much God loves us. His love is eternal and omnipresent. It's so comforting to know that the love God has for us is unwavering and unconditional. On this journey of life that we all take part in, we stumble every now and again. It's inevitable as the rain. We make mistakes that we would give anything to undo, but that doesn't change how God feels about us. He knows our heart. He knows who were, who we are, and who we are to be, and loves us anyway. How awesome! At some point, we all find ourselves on the side of the road, helpless and alone. Without hesitation, our Father scoops us up and pours out His love; the same way I did with Sophie. I hope you experience God's great love for you, for it's truly intoxicating.

New Beginnings.

I've grown up everywhere, and it's truly been an experience. My dad was in the military so my family would move every two or three years. When I was younger, I hated this tedious and seemingly horrible process of leaving it all behind and starting over. Looking back though, I am so thankful for the opportunities given to me by moving so much that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Every few years I was able to start over; I was given a new beginning. New friends, a new house, a new school, I had the possibility to become whomever I wanted. Moving so often has had such a profound impact on my life and has definitely shaped a big part of the person I am today. By being shoved into adapting to a new life very quickly, I can cope extremely well with change; something that can be very difficult for some. Now that I have grown up, I find myself getting restless, waiting on change. It seems ironic that I crave newness, when not so long ago, I tried so hard to keep things from changing. It seems as though just as I immerse myself into something new and exciting, it loses its novelty and I begin to long for something different.

I have recently moved out on my own and it has been one incredible ride. I remember being so excited to move out, to have a place all my own that I could fill with anything I wanted. Now that I am here, the excitement fades away little by little. I have all these dreams of new beginnings that I don't quite know where to start. I'm beginning to think that in longing for something new, I miss out on what is happening now, right in front of me. I half expect something to change, and half want it to. It's a process that never seems to quit, but I'm not so sure I want it to . Life is full of change; it's inevitable. New beginnings come with each morning and the opportunity to follow them is right in front of us. It's just a matter of deciding which things are worth changing. This chapter of my life is just beginning, while another is ending. I hope to uncover secrets and learn more about what the Lord has planned for my life. For now though, I want to enjoy the newness of the moment and not let it escape me. I hope you'll do the same.

-Rachel Grace