a change will do you good...

Yep... sometimes, if not most times... change is good.

I invited a change of appearance this weekend, but it's really because I long for more. A deeper, bigger, radical change in my own heart, our church, our town, our nation, and everything in between.

I started the weekend like this...

 Lots of hair! 

I ended the weekend like this...

CHANGE. A lot is gone, but the smile remains. Change is good. I'll tell ya... my head feels so light and breezy and great!!! :) 

Change isn't always pain-free. It isn't always immediate (which I have to remind myself). But change is a constant... a necessary constant. 

Sometimes I long for change because I am selfish. Sometimes I long for change because I feel like Jesus wants it. So, I had to ask myself... what do I really want to change?

I want my heart to change - I want a radical, unhindered, wildly abandoned love and passion for Christ. 

I want to see others' hearts change. I want to see freedom take over place of sin, insecurity, and lies. 

Our church to change. For people to trust in the leadership of our pastor... as he follows Jesus.  That's Biblical! For there to be community and unity that is unbreakable. That prayer would be the foundation of who we are as a body of believers. For worship to be our passion. For people to be excited about serving, teaching, learning, telling. For God to ROCK OUR WORLD! 

Families to love Jesus more than anything else - to see some Deuteronomy 6 families.

Our town to change. Troy needs Jesus more and more everyday. As the crime increases and church attendance decreases... we are desperate for Him.

I need a change from my comfort. I want to live an uncomfortable, risky life.  What does that look like? I don't know... I just want to live radically for our radical Savior (he died on a cross for us, people...). 

My heart just feels like change is needed and is COMING. I am hopeful... not fearful. Jesus has so much more to offer us than to settle for mundane, boring "Christianity" that involves going to church and maybe some extra churchy events.  He offers HIS LIFE, HIS FREEDOM, HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS LOVE, HIS PROVIDENCE... He offers Himself. To rest in that... that is good. I refuse to live in the mediocrity of American Christianity. I pray for a changed heart... to know what unhindered devotion IS! 

I know it takes pruning, cutting back, snipping...

but the snips and the cuts and the pain and the pruned ends become an offering we can give back. I donated the hair I'm holding. In the same way, the things that cause us and help mold us become our offerings... our stories... our testimonies. The small and the big changes... that's where Jesus is working... to make us His own... to make us look like Him. Although not always a physical appearance... changes are sculpting and molding us to look like our Creator... our Story-Maker. 

Jesus never told a disciple or a student that they were done growing... they were done learning.  Paul never wrote to a church and said they had done such a great job they could just sit back and relax now. We are called to grow, to learn, to CHANGE, to press in, and to offer.