Full

"I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God." -Eph. 3:16-19

I came across this plaque a few weeks ago in my all time favorite store- Hobby Lobby! On the plaque were the words that went something along the lines… “The longer I live the more beautiful life gets.” It’s so true. With every new morning there is a NEW sunrise. Not a carbon copy. A new day, untouched by yesterday and a new memory for tomorrow. Grace that is more than enough for…right now. We have a choice to make. The choice to use fresh courage and walk the day out or to just get by. We can walk out the abundant life. The good life. Because God doesn’t hold out on us. Ever. He is for us. Always. He came so that we could have ABUNDANT life. Full and overflowing. Running over. It’s always available.

My heart is so full. This summer has been a whirlwind of goodness! God, in His great mercy and love, has completely overwhelmed me. I smile and I’m in awe because I know I haven’t done one thing to deserve it. This abundant life. “My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”- Ps. 23:5
 
June 28th was a gorgeous day for my sister and now brother-in-law’s wedding day. Celebrating those two joining their life together was memorable for every heart there. Pure. That’s a word that comes to mind to describe the day in it’s entirety. God has so much in store for these two lovebirds and I get to watch their story continue to unfold.



Photo courtesy of Jenna Beougher

July 2nd was a day that marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life story. I got to stay the first night in my very own home! God seriously gives the best gifts! There have been so many moments where I’ve caught myself smiling just because I’m completely delighted in what He’s given me. All I can say is “thank you”. My Father knows me better than I know myself. Every little blessing and detail that makes my heart smile is just another “love note” that the Lord has given me. His pursuit for me is unwavering. From start to finish, this new adventure of buying my first home was grace. Nothing I planned or could’ve figured out was better than His plan for me.
 
Hands held open. Palms facing up. Arms outstretched.
The Lord is free to give and take away. For His glory.
Life abandoned. Heart surrendered. Life abundant.

FULL.

That is the Lord’s desire for His children.
He wants to fill. Consume completely. Nothing left unchanged. Nothing left untouched. Every part of us belongs to the Lord. Only He can empty us of ourselves so we can be filled with Him.

FULL.



     
This summer, I’ve also been reminded again that I have some of the best family and friends a girl could have. My heart is filled with love for the people in my life who stick by me in the good and hard times. I’m influenced and touched deeply by their desire to build me up. I thank God for every person that has crossed my path because each one has taught me how to live. I thank God that His image is everywhere. Every person walking around on this planet is a living breathing testimony of God. Made in His image. His signature upon them.

FULL.

Our Father gives us more than we need. Daily overflowing gifts. We cannot count them all. When we're filled completely with Him, everything else is an overflow of blessing. He satisfies.

Full life. I’m lovin it! :)

“I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” – Ps. 13:6


"Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blessed;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Savior all the day long. "  -Blessed Assurance


May your heart be encouraged! I pray that you would see the FULLNESS of God’s love for you today and everyday of your life!

 

Better Together

Hello friends! Whew, it’s been awhile. Life has been moving fast and it’s been hard to squeeze in time-outs! But God hasn’t changed. He has been faithful through and through. It’s only by His grace I got through the busy last months of my first year as a Preschool teacher. What an adventure! I will have to catch up on April and May happenings, but RIGHT NOW I want to highlight an adventure that’s unfolding for two people I love dearly.

My sister, Rebecca, and my soon-to-be brother, Brandon, will be saying their “I do’s” in exactly 21 days! As we spent most of today moving their belongings into their apartment in Dayton, their marriage is becoming ever more a reality. What’s a girl to do? Dwell on how much I’m going to miss day-to-day living with my sister who also happens to be one of my best friends? Reminisce on all our best (and ugliest) memories? Soak up the remaining crazy days of last minute preparations for the wedding? Imagine what life and marriage will be like for these two lovebirds? I just don’t know.

Just a little sneak peak into their home-to-be

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I’m so glad we know the One who holds the future. We can trust in Him alone. He keeps us sane when our thoughts are out of control. He is our anchor.

I love that the Lord created Rebecca and Brandon just the way He did. I’m glad He allowed them to walk into each other’s life for such a time as this. As Brandon and Rebecca enter into this covenant relationship before God and man, I’m glad they aren’t trying to please the world. They are standing up for commitment and devotion to each other and the Lord only- something that is rare and unheard of these days. They will walk out their days serving and loving each other. They can do this not because they are perfect and have come from a fairytale, but rather they are imperfectly CHOOSING to commit to each other, whatever may come. No other option. In the beautiful and ugly moments. “We love because He first loved us.” ~1 John 4:19 Brandon and Rebecca CAN choose this type of marriage because of God’s work in them as individuals and as a couple. What beautiful grace. His love is amazing!

·        

Blue sky proposal in Chicago- August 2013

Brandon's graduation from Cedarville- May 2014

I’m so thrilled for this ride Brandon and Rebecca are on together. They get to do life side by side. Like Rebecca likes to say “Better Together”.

Enjoy the ride! I love you both!

·     

Joyful Joyful

"Joyful joyful we adore thee

God of glory

Lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee

Opening to the sun above"

What I love most about Spring is fresh flowers!! My Mom, Aunt, Grandma and I welcomed the beginning of May by spending time on a Saturday morning at Countryside Greenhouse. Lovely morning.

These were one of my favorites from the day.

IN

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! There has been a word that the Lord has placed on my heart as a theme within the last year. It also ties into why I celebrate Christ at Easter. It’s a two letter word. A simple word, but one of mystery. The mystery is in discovering it’s full meaning.

IN.

“Therefore if anyone is IN Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” ~2 Cor. 5:17

When I stop and think about the way my Savior has been pursuing me from the very beginning, I’m in awe. He created us IN His image, gave us breath, gave us life. We were created for Him and by Him. To walk all our days IN relationship with Him and to spend our life loving and worshiping Him is His desire. IN relationship. IN relationship with a Holy God. And since God is all-knowing, He knew that we would hurt Him. Turn our back towards Him. Even then, He loved us still.

Jesus left EVERYTHING to become NOTHING. He GAVE it all up to GAIN  y-o-u. “The Word became a human and lived among us.” ~John 1:14 He was tempted yet was without sin. He then suffered the ultimate pain- death on a cross.

Every step in His story is one step closer to us. He is for our hearts. He desires to be IN you and you IN Him. This is amazing grace. When we want to be apart from Him, hang onto our other “hopes”, be our own god, love our fame and successes, we give up what He can do IN us. Because God IN us changes us. We no longer live “dead”.

“In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God…In the past all of us lived like them, trying to please our sinful selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds wanted. We should have suffered God’s anger because we were sinful by nature. We were the same as all other people.” ~Eph. 2:1,3

But God’s story didn’t end there. It didn’t stop with Christ’s last breath as He hung on the cross. Death didn’t get the final say. Sin didn’t get the last word. God’s pursuit of us didn’t stop for a moment.

Christ bought us back and Satan was defeated when Christ rose from the grave. “He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would.” ~Matt. 28:6-7 Sin couldn’t hold Him. Death couldn’t stop Him.

He is ALIVE!

“But God’s mercy is great, and he loved us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace. And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those IN Christ Jesus so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us IN Christ Jesus. I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a GIFT from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it. God has made us what we are. IN Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” ~Eph. 2:4-10

This is the story of redemption.

We have been rescued. Freed from sin. Freed from death. No longer bound by lies that cover up our true identity. We are His. He IN me and I IN Him. IN relationship.

His story continues IN me. His story continues IN you. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is IN us. That is why we can face tomorrow.

I’m learning that whatever comes my way in this life, Christ is sovereign. He reigns still. God IN me is all I need.We don’t have to live under the weight of expectations, sin, approval or past failures. We don’t have to have it all “together” before we think God could love us. He already does. He loved us before we were even created. He loved us before we rejected and hurt Him. He loved us when He died on the cross. He was thinking of YOU. He loved us when He rose from the grave. He loves us NOW as He is sitting at the right hand of God. Nothing can separate us from His love. It’s everlasting.

I don’t walk out every day in awe of His love for me. In awe of His work on the cross and his resurrection. I don’t walk out every day in the victory of His life IN me. His power IN me.

But Christ is still IN me.

He has never left. When I said “yes” to Him, He took up full residence IN me. When I choose to do my own thing, He is still there. He patiently waits until I realize once again that He is all I need. I cannot do anything apart from Him. This is amazing grace. There is nothing special about me. Christ IN me is everything. I’m a work IN progress. We all are.

We can celebrate new life for us because God is alive and He is IN us.

That’s His gift to us. Free gift. Grace. Undeserved, yet freely given.

I would challenge you to think about the power of Christ IN you this Easter. Because He didn’t stay dead. He conquered death. He lives IN us. I’ve been challenged and God is continuing to work on my heart, but I will never fully grasp the height, depth and length of His love for me.

Write “IN” somewhere you will notice it every day. When you walk through every moment of your day, He is IN you. You are IN Him.

Because Christ is IN us, we have hope. Hope that we can live this life victoriously only because of Him. And one day we will live with Him forever in heaven.

Be blessed, friends. See His power and glory IN everything. He is alive!

IN Him,

Regina

A Pearl of Great Beauty

You are a pearl of great value. 

One of a kind. 

You’ve been bought with a high price.

Jesus paid it all. 

For you. 

And He would’ve passionately done it just the same if you were the only one.

He gave up everything to gain YOU. 

He became nothing to be your everything. 

Your heart beats because of His death. 

Your life from His life. 

You rise because He didn’t stay down. 

Life victorious. 

Life abundant. 

Life everlasting. 

Free gift. 

Love lavished. 

Grace given. 

Unmerited favor. 

It’s yours. 

He’s yours. 

His treasure is YOU. 

A pearl of great BEAUTY.        

Worn and FREE

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~Galatians 5:1

 On Thursday, I got the opportunity to attend Winter Jam. I haven't been there for a few years so it was good to go back. My friend, Jessica, and I had some pretty memorable moments besides getting to worship our God with some awesome bands as one body of believers. We were blessed and COMPLETELY shocked to have been chosen to meet Lecrae. Ahh, it was crazy good!! :) "From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." ~John 1:16 (NLT)

Lecrae shared with us (and about 15 others) backstage what living unashamed is all about. Romans 1:16

I really appreciated Tenth Avenue North and the grace-filled messages they shared between their songs. The one song in particular "Worn" is a good reminder to let "heaven flood our eyes". In the midst of being tired and worn out from all that life and the world throws at us, our cry to the Lord is that He would "let us see REDEMPTION win". The struggle will end. We win through Him. Here are the complete lyrics to this song:

Worn- Tenth Avenue North
I'm tired 
I'm worn 
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes to keep on breathing

I've made mistakes 
I've let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that you can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left

Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn
Cause I'm worn

I know I need 
To lift my eyes up
But I'm too weak
Life just won't let up
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left

Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn
Cause I'm worn

And my prayers are wearing thin
I'm worn even before the day begins
I'm worn I've lost my will to fight
I'm worn so heaven come and flood my eyes 

Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn
Yes all that's dead inside will be reborn
Though I'm worn 
Yeah I'm worn

Another one of my favorite songs from the band is "The Struggle". My favorite line in the song is "Hallelujah we are free to struggle, we're NOT struggling to be free. Your blood bought and made us children, children drop your chains and sing!"

Bottom line: We are FREE! We are children purchased by the only One who could pay the cost. The perfect One. Jesus. He gave up everything to make us FREE. We don't have to struggle to be free. The chains that have kept us bound are broken by the only One who could break them. Jesus. Our own efforts to break the chains of fear, past failures, rejection, pride, self-righteousness and sin will amount to nothing. We have nothing on our chains, but we have EVERYTHING in the One who has already broken every single one. 

So the choice comes down to, will we walk around living like we're still bound or will we throw off the chains and walk in freedom and victory in Christ who has broken every chain that was and will be. Even when we walk around acting like we can do life with chains on, God in His great mercy and grace is waiting. He's waiting for a complete surrender. I love the way He forgives always. Forgives me when I try to be my own hero. Patient when I think I can break my own chains. God is love. He desires for us to walk in His freedom and love all the days of our lives.

We will still feel worn, crushed and tired day-to-day or through seasons, but we are not overcome. We can choose to throw off the chains that once bound us. Christ has made us completely FREE. Holding onto the chains is exactly what Satan wants us to do. He knows that if we're caught up in those we will not be able to move forward. We will be worn out with no will to fight. Christ says amidst our mistakes "we are more than conquerors through Him". Amidst our weak moments "we are more than conquerors through Him." Amidst our feelings of insignificance "we are more than conquerors through Him." We are free because of nothing we have done. We are free because of everything Christ has done. 

We can be worn, but we are FREE!

We're all free in Christ together. In it together for the long haul. Let's live it. To God be the glory!

Here's the video to The Struggle by Tenth Avenue North. Enjoy!

Two Wooden Roses

Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! ~Psalms 113:2

4 years ago I underlined and scratched out a quick note in the margin of my Bible on page 510. "Wooden handmade and painted roses". Psalms 113:2-3 stuck out to me in a new way. I had spent some time one afternoon with my Grandma and her friend, Gerry. Gerry was full of gladness and joy. After spending a couple hours with her, I felt like we were old friends. Just walking around her house I could plainly see that she thinks about all the little ways God speaks to her and wants to bless her heart. She loves doing life with the Lord. She had a purpose and a story to just about every little thing in her home…right down to why she placed an item in a certain place. Real home museum. Real grace shown. Everyday belongings didn’t seem so ordinary anymore. I could see how Gerry not only made her heart God’s home, but also the physical roof above her head and everything taking up space between the four walls belonged to Him. She lived in His sanctuary. She breathed in every gift He had given to her. She lives to show that God gives ordinary things purpose. 

As we moved down to her basement we came across her craft corner. She told me she had something for me then reached down in a box. She pulled out a foil package and handed it to me. Inside were two handmade wooden roses. Painted wooden roses. She proceeded to tell me that she wants me to keep them and think about what they represent. She told me, you represent one rose and God is the other. Remember that you were handmade by God. Unique and made in His image. Remain by His side all the days of your life. The colors of the roses remind you of the sunshine. “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” ~Psalms 113:3 The foil was embracing these two wooden roses. She challenged me to reflect Jesus wherever I go.

Wow. Two wooden roses were not just two wooden roses anymore. They had purpose. Something ordinary now revealing splendor. We ended our time up in her sun room a.k.a her prayer room. We finished chatting, prayed together, hugged, then Grandma and I made our way out the front door, meandered through her little garden, and drove away, glancing back at Gerry’s house in the rear view mirror.

As I was cleaning my room yesterday, I saw the two roses sitting together high on a shelf. They have become dusty, but their meaning shines on. Although I haven’t seen or talked to Gerry since that day, I've not forgotten the message behind those two roses. She planted a seed in my heart and I’m grateful for that. I was blessed to meet Gerry, a woman who readily seeks out ways to highlight God’s truths and purposes in everyday things. She encouraged me that God wants to be a part of everything in my life. He is our foundation.

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? ~Psalms 113:1-6.Friends, may we never stop praising the Name above ALL names. The Lord has done great things. Sun up to sun down, He alone deserves our praise. Remember that you were handmade by the God of the universe. You are unique and God has given you gifts and a PURPOSE. You are not an accident. God has breathed life into you “for such a time as this”~ Esther 4:14. He desires to have a relationship with you. We cannot be satisfied with anyone/anything else, but Him. His presence is what we long for. His love never lets us go. He is faithful.

Be blessed and walk forth this week proclaiming the glory of the Lord- sun up to sun down.