InTo ThE gLoRiOuS

Happy Hump Day!

I just bought the new Christy Nockel's CD! You should too... it's great! She loves Jesus a lot and her songs scream that LOUD!

One of her songs echos my heart right now. It's called "Into the Glorious." It's what I want and what I feel like God wants for me and those around me.  I so often settle for the norm. I don't want to be to crazy. I honestly believe if I did what I know Jesus wants me to be and look like... people would think I was a freak. I want to be a fool for the sake of Christ!!! We put Jesus and His power in a box.  Well... I'm telling you... I want to experience every drop of it.  I have to figure out where I put the key to the box I locked Him in, what all in my little/weak heart is holding Him in there, and how to let Him FREE and have complete reign in my life.  How do I do that? How do we do that? Umm... dig deeper and sing this song constantly in my heart, over my family and friends, and shout it to this city! Look at these words... AHH!!! They are just so good!!!

I was made for more than this world could offer me.
My heart to hold true mystery.
My voice was made to fall on holy ears.
My life to collide with majesty.
Out from the ORDINARY.
INTO EXTRAORDINARY.
This is a heart-cry, from my life.
To say I LOVE YOU, God, I LOVE YOU.
So take me deeper, oh.
I can hear You calling.
Inviting me in.
INTO THE GLORIOUS.
I was made for REST, in a world that's STRIVING.
To lie down in fields of green.
To set my feet upon this HOLY ground.
To build my life on the things UNSEEN.
Out from the ORDINARY.
Into EXTRAORDINARY.
You're calling me.
And God it's a breakthrough.
Now I can see You.
Inviting me.

YES o YES o YES! I want the glorious. I want the EXTRAORDINARY. What does that mean for me?
EXTRA faith. EXTRA prayer. EXTRA dependence. EXTRA study. EXTRA freedom. EXTRA exposure. EXTRA deep.
I want to depend utterly on Him. I know that's scary to say... because I don't know what that means. I want to experience HIM. To experience the glorious! I want Him to use me. To sift through the decisions, ideas, and thoughts that are constantly circulating in my head... and make them His!

I want to see radical change in the youth God has given us to shepherd.  How do we encourage that? It's so tough for my heart. I get discouraged... I see tweets, facebook posts, and listen to stories. It hurts my heart because I KNOW and am constantly assured that God has SO MUCH MORE. What do you do when Jesus isn't in their homes... when He isn't the leader and foundation of their parents... when they are so easily distracted by everything... when the Jesus they follow has been reduced to a weak crutch, a genie, a get out of jail free card, a label????  It takes radical decisions. Radical and real fasts and battles against the world. People say you plant seeds... that is true.  But the church in Acts wasn't about "planting seeds," it was about radical change... a holy reverence for God... a revival... a Holy Spirit move!! I believe that can still happen. I don't want to settle for planting seeds. Yes, I understand it takes time for some people.  But I also KNOW I serve a BIG God... a God who is all about RADICAL and GLORIOUS change (Saul to Paul, high school Anna to Bible study teacher, angry Jacob to humble God-fearing Jacob, Mr. David, criminal on the cross to a resident in heaven). I believe.

To get to the EXTRAORDINARY takes belief, action, and prayer. But... my heart wants the glorious!!! Yep yep!! Don't you? Don't you want to see change, experience the power of prayer, to feel the complete freedom and joy Christ is holding out to us?  Anna does!

He's inviting us. So much waits for us on the horizon... don't hold back. Don't get fearful. Press in! Press on!