On to a new chapter and into the glorious

Life is like an exciting book, and every year starts a new chapter. -Unknown

This is the quote I found in my journal today. God is sovereign.  Today, on the eve of a new chapter, I am reflecting on God's faithfulness.

He has been faithful to provide an amazing place in Ames, to allow me to create a solid foundation of faith, on which, I will build the rest of my life.  He was faithful to bring amazing people into my life to teach me just the right lesson and speak the right truth at just the right time. He was faithful to provide sound Bible teaching. He was faithful to provide a place where I could learn to worship Him freely and imtimately. He has been faithful to take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to move to Cedar Falls.  He has been faithful to get me into graduate school and fill me truth the take on the challenges that I will face the next two years.

Yes, God has been incredibly faithful, but I have been incredibly faithless.

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:13

I am ashamed to admit that if you have walked the last 6 months with me, you know how I have worried and doubted God. How I have feared God's provision of all that I need.  But in my faithlessness God has provided a great job, the most amazing new home, incredible new friends, and a new place to worship.

My life is proof that in faithlessness, He is faithful.

So, I want to try something new this school year.  Instead of looking all that I will have to accomplish this semester, I will choose to trust.  I will choose to have faith. Faith that God will push me to the end of the possible, so that I might see Him do the impossible in my daily life. Yes, this is most definitely going to hurt. Coming to end of yourself is never pleasant, but I will have faith that God will meet me there and usher me into the glorious-into a more intimate knowledge of His abundant love.

No song better describes my heart stepping into this new year, this new chapter....

Out from the ordinary into extraordinary,

And this is a heart cry, from my life to say I love, 

Lord, I love you,

Take me deeper,

I can hear You calling, inviting me in,

Into the glorious

Jesus Loves Me--the murderer

Part of a journal entry from July 27th...

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

~Jesus, thank you. Thank you for bearing my sin on the cross. You were perfect, but boar the weight of my sin. Willing to get messing and take on the full punishment of my sin--killing You. My sin was heavy enough to kill You. But because of Your power You overcame death. You not only overcame death, but You chose to love the murderer. The very person who's sins killed You. You love her more than she will ever comprehend. You love her beyond what she can see. Even as she grows in understanding of Your love she will still doubt, still fear, still desire her own will and make her own her plans. But You will pursue her with faithfulness and goodness. Determined for her to know Your perfect love for her. Because the Cross was just the beginning of Your displaying Your love to her.~

Jesus loves me, a murderer. And you loves you too. He is love. He defines love. And He is enough.