You have a sewn in our souls a longing deep inside
To remind of a need only You can satisfy
I won’t waste another day on trivial vices. 
Every breath is a chance to sing of Your works. 
Now I finally understand the reason I’m on the earth. 

You are the beauty
You are the light
You are the love, love of mine!

These daily devotionals are guided by “The Message//Remix:Solo- an uncommon devotional” any text in quotation marks comes directly from there.  

Passage: Genesis 32: 22-32
 If we read the context in which this is written, Jacob had a fear of meeting his brother, Esau because he had tricked him many years ago, but in this specific passage, Jacob “had made elaborate plans to reconcile with Esau in a generous, peaceful way.”  After crossing his family and possessions across the brook, he stayed behind and there, with the night sounds, Jacob encountered ‘a man’ and wrestled him.  Was this man an angel, a God-man Jesus? we don’t know for sure but something I did find odd was when he asks Jacob for his name…. 

“The man knew who he was wrestling with … didn’t he? And if this God’s agent (and we believe it is) shouldn’t he already know the man’s name without having to ask it? Listen to Ravi Zacharias as he explains this:

Think of all that God could have said by way of reprimand. Instead He merely asks for Jacob’s name. God’s purpose in raising this question contains a lesson for all of us, too profound to ignore. In fact, it dramatically altered Old Testament history. In asking for the blessing from God, Jacob was compelled by God’s question to relive the last time he had asked for a blessing, the one he had stolen from his brother.

The last time Jacob was asked for his name, the question had come from his earthly father. Jacob had lied on that occasion and said, “I am Esau,” and stole the blessing. Now he found himself, after many wasted years of running through life looking over his shoulder, before an all-knowing, all-seeing heavenly Father, once more seeking a blessing, Jacob fully understood the reason and the indictment behind God’s question and he answered, “My name is Jacob.” “You have spoken the truth,” God said, “and you know very well what your name signifies. You have been a duplicitous man, deceiving everyone everywhere you went. But now that you acknowledge the real you, I can change you, and I will make a great nation out of you.”

Greatness in the eyes of God is always preceded by humility before Him. There is no way for you or me or anyone else to attain greatness until we have come to Him. [Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God p 144,145)

God asked Jacob his name not because He didn’t know it … He wanted to know if Jacob knew it. He wanted to know if Jacob was ready to come to grips with who he really was or whether he was going to continue to fight the Lord.

This is the point everyone needs to arrive at. We need to realize that we are the problem and we need someone to change us. It is then, and only then, that we receive our new name. In Jacob’s case he was given the name “Israel” which means “He struggles with God” or “God Prevails”. His new name was a reminder of this encounter and the lesson that we need God.

And to everyone who believes today God gives a new name also. We are changed from “sinner” to “saint”. From “rebel” to “friend”. From “enemy” to “son”.

SOURCE

These daily devotionals are guided by “The Message//Remix:Solo- an uncommon devotional” any text in quotation marks comes directly from there.  

Passage: Genesis 3:1-10 
 We all know Adam and Eve sinned, we all know they sewed fig leaves as makeshift clothes for themselves when they discovered their nakedness, then verses 8-9 show how God sought them out, how He desired to have fellowship with them, but they were afraid because of their sin. It is evident that their sin makes them hide from God, brings a feeling of shame and embarrassment, hinders them from answering His call wholeheartedly, and ultimately ruins and breaks the close relationship they originally had with their Creator. As descendants of Adam, we are sinful in nature and fall short before God. (Ro. 5-12, Ro 3:23) “There is no better way to begin to understand God’s message than to GRASP our separation from Him because of sin and our desperate need for Him to reconcile our relationship.” (2 Cor 5:18) 

Thoughts?

“GLORY TO GOD ALONE”  

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I know I am called to be a worship leader. 
Not because I can sing. Not because I “like” music.
It’s something that God has planted in my heart.
I cannot help but fall on my knees in worship on a daily basis. 
I cannot help but praise God for all that He is and all He’s done for me.
There is a constant desire and a longing to just worship Him- and I’m not talking about pickin’ up an instrument and singing along (although that results from a lifestyle of worship) I’m talking about worshipping God in everything I do- the way I speak, the way I carry myself at work and school, the way I serve my mom and others.My desire is to please Him. It is to bring Glory to my maker. I’m not going to lie, sometimes, it is hard because I am still trapped in this flesh of mine, but every day it is becoming easier with the help of the Spirit. 

In regards to worshipping with songs, I must say… since He’s awakened this desire in me, I’ve seen an awakening in that too, and my lips just overflow with the song of a grateful heart. Every single time I think of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, my heart rejoices, spontaneous songs begin flowing and He makes himself present- there is just such joy that I can’t hide it. The fact that Jesus opened the way for us to enter the presence of God at any given time is mind-blowing to me. It breaks the inner most parts of my being to know that God gave His only son to become the ultimate lamb of sacrifice, to die for you and I, that we may come to know Him and His love. God’s love is so passionate, so great, so wonderful… how can I NOT fall on my knees in worship? 

I desire to be able to lead others into worship, I desire to be able to be a channel of the Living God so that others may be able to experience that love and that passion that He’s poured out for all the world. I know that the Lord is preparing my heart, He wants to do specific things in me before He calls me for that, and while that happens, I will rejoice in intimacy with my King. 
 

“….Each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”

Psalm 42:8 NLT

Happiness is our idol. Why are we not pursuing holiness with the same passion with which we are pursuing happiness? How have we come to allow ourselves to put more trust in a fleeting emotion than in a God who says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … Blessed are the poor in spirit … Blessed are those who mourn”?

Happiness is a perilous thing. It focuses our attention on ourselves and how we are feeling in the moment. But moments change. People change. Happiness will not hold. It’s a season—a side effect of when things are going well and your dopamine levels are up. Happiness is great to enjoy in the moment, but to spend a lifetime chasing it warps it into the idol we have made it out to be.

HAPPINESS WILL NOT HOLD. IT’S A SEASON.

Happiness is not something to pursue. Holiness is something to pursue.


Taken from: When Happy Trumps Holy written by Rebecca Tekatuz. 
Read the full article here. 

There is such a longing, a desire for me to be more like Jesus, to show the world His love, to show everyone what God is truly about. I want people to know that although sometimes, we as Christians misrepresent Him, He isn’t a hypocrite, He isn’t hateful, He isn’t like some portray Him to be. He is a just and holy, but LOVING God who has plans to give us hope and a future. I really want to stop misrepresenting my Jesus, my God, and allow others to see how amazing and wonderful He really is. 

The main reason why I love nature so much is because it shows us a God of order and perfection. Its intricate beauty shows us a creative and wonderful God. It’s breathtaking & I stand amazed and in awe every single time.

PSALM 19: 1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.Day after day they pour forth speech;night after night they display knowledge.There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.Their voice goes out into all the earth,their words to the ends of the world.

“Ordinary People”

David Henry Thoreau once said “It’s not about what you look at that matters, but what you see.”  I don’t want people to merely look at my prints.  I want my pictures to create an internal dialogue with the collection of their memories and values.

The specific compilation of work I’ll be showcasing is about ordinary people like you and me.  As simple as it sounds, is as simple as it is- it’s about the beauty of simplicity. It is about capturing a moment that could’ve just been a part of someone’s every-day life, immortalizing it by freezing it in a photograph and in doing so, allowing the audience to partake in that very moment – however personal it may be. Art  helps us notice and appreciate the little things, some of which we may be acquainted with –like the smile of a child or an elderly woman with worn hands - and others which we may not be so familiar with.  My work is about how something common can be transformed into something aesthetically pleasing to the eye, into a work of art. Framing the subject,  the angle from which the picture was taken, deciding what  and what not to include trains the photographer’s eye to help others see things that would have otherwise been overlooked.  

As far as my personal relationship with my art, I find that it is a part of a spiritual journey between God and I. My faith plays an important role in my life and my development as an artist is not an exception. Every time I look at a photograph I’ve taken, it isn’t just about the technicality and artistry that I, as a human can produce, but about seeing the creativity of God himself  as the creator of the universe. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am lost without His creative spark in me, because without His artistry, mine would be non-existent.