I don't know if in the middle of a church service is the time other people decide they need to start blogging again, but I guess God's funny like that. I used to do this on a weekly basis, but since I moved to San Diego, it happened less and less frequently, to the point that it only surfaced every blue moon as a facebook note. Tonight impacted me so strongly, though, that I couldn't go without elaborating on the lessons I learned and expressing how good they were. That's how I ended up back to these old stomping grounds.
Before I get into what went down today, I have to express how incredible this year has been for me so far. New Year's resolutions typically aren't my thing, but I digressed enough spiritually in 2009 that I couldn't NOT make it a priority to get back to the right place this year. I probably shouldn't have been that surprised, but God liked that idea... a lot. Since then, this past month has been one of the most refreshing of my life, and I've been re-introduced to how good it is to be close to God.
With that said, tonight obviously wasn't a rare instance when I all of a sudden realized that God is alive and kicking in my life. These past few weeks have been a testament to that. Prayers have been answered, and I've been re-learning that when you're coming with the right heart, He honors it.
Tonight was a great time to not just dwell upon that, but to also recognize it's not just a one-time deal. It's funny how I've obviously seen that I can trust Him, but that I still get uneasy when I pray for future things. My youth pastor told me to dwell upon this verse years ago, and it was super applicable for me again tonight strongly:
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Him to answer whatever prayer I throw up there just because I'm reading my Bible daily. I'm learning, though, that when I'm walking in line with Him and praying with the right heart, the ideal situation happens, even if it's not what you ask for. I'm going to bed tonight realizing that so long as I trust and maintain grounded in God, I can release all of my worries.
Before I get into what went down today, I have to express how incredible this year has been for me so far. New Year's resolutions typically aren't my thing, but I digressed enough spiritually in 2009 that I couldn't NOT make it a priority to get back to the right place this year. I probably shouldn't have been that surprised, but God liked that idea... a lot. Since then, this past month has been one of the most refreshing of my life, and I've been re-introduced to how good it is to be close to God.
With that said, tonight obviously wasn't a rare instance when I all of a sudden realized that God is alive and kicking in my life. These past few weeks have been a testament to that. Prayers have been answered, and I've been re-learning that when you're coming with the right heart, He honors it.
Tonight was a great time to not just dwell upon that, but to also recognize it's not just a one-time deal. It's funny how I've obviously seen that I can trust Him, but that I still get uneasy when I pray for future things. My youth pastor told me to dwell upon this verse years ago, and it was super applicable for me again tonight strongly:
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Him to answer whatever prayer I throw up there just because I'm reading my Bible daily. I'm learning, though, that when I'm walking in line with Him and praying with the right heart, the ideal situation happens, even if it's not what you ask for. I'm going to bed tonight realizing that so long as I trust and maintain grounded in God, I can release all of my worries.
