Amazing Grace

"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)"

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbid to shineBut God,

Who called me here below

Will be forever mine

Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

It's been a blessing to be able to come to Texas for a week. We were able to spend Thanksgiving Day with family we haven't seen in way too many years. This side of the family is pretty much crazy, which makes the whole experience so much fun.
I've had a handful of people ask me if I would ever move out here. You know, I couldn't give them an answer. Florida is my home now, but I don't know if it will always be. We'll see when Dad sells his book...if he makes a ton of money and my parents decide to move out here, I'll go with them. But that's not until the future, so I'll just wait on that. It's so different out here though. Everything is brown and every house/apartment looks exactly like the others. AND there's NO trees. Oh! And it snowed on Thanksgiving. I'm pretty much certain that I'll never get that in Florida...ever.
I miss everyone back at home. I'm not at a point of saying I wish I were home though. I don't know. I feel like everything in my life is totally different now because of what God's done in my heart. Like the friends I had...they're still friends, but it's different now. In a good way of course, but still different... Basically a lot is different.
Well, when you look at things that haven't changed like my family, my house, my car, my job, my daily routine, etc. you would think that I'm just a nut because I'm saying that all these things have changed...
But the reality is...The Lord has so transformed my heart that I see things in a totally new perspective now. I know one thing that's pretty much major....I've always listened to rap music , Soul, R&B, Rock, Pop...definitely not Christian. I would say the majority of my music choices would be the kind of music you hear in the club. Actually, they do play it at the club...that's where I found most of my music. But anyways... I don't want to be legalistic in any way, but I haven't listened to any of that stuff since last weekend. I just haven't cared for it. Instead, my heart and soul cries out for worship music! And that's exactly what I've been doing...and singing along of course ;-)
Now just so you know, I have a lot of things I need to fix from my past. Like my music for example. I have a lot of junk I need to sort through. There's other stuff too, but that seems like one of the biggest areas I think. Now if I hear secular music I'm not offended at it. I sing along with what I know. But I don't love it like I once did. And yes, I LOVED my music. Isaac would tell you! I would play my rap so loud in the car with the bass cranked up, windows down, big ol' crazy sunglasses...yeah. Fun times. But in light of eternity...not fun times. It's like "look at me everyone! I'm messed up and I like it!" HaHaHa Oh the heart of a sinner! Aren't we always seeking for others approval or to serve ourselves? But grace has set us free!
Ok, it's late. I'm heading to bed. Have a good night world.

PS Lord, please be with the ones I love tonight...and those who I have yet to meet.

A New Life

The Lord has been very kind to me. This weekend is pretty much amazing.
Sin had grabbed my heart and controlled everything in me -- how I lived, how I thought, how I spoke, how I acted, etc. Especially within the last year! In my sinfulness, God has been faithful and merciful time and time again. I never thought of it as kindness, but rather that everything is a big joke. Also, that everyone I know has been brainwashed. Crazy, huh? That's what happens when sin has a hold of your heart.
I've done things that I truly regret. Not only in my own life, but now I know that I've HURT GOD. I've hurt a lot of people in the process... The sorrow in my heart for the things I've done is overwhelming, but the Lord has given me new eyes.
This past Friday night at church the Lord met me. He stole my heart. He broke me. I was humbled and He held me. I was truly forgiven. FORGIVEN. From ALL my sin. God in His kindness spoke to me, saying to leave the past behind me - this is a new day! He's placed my feet on a rock and is leading me in a way I've never been before.
The sorrow that I've had over my sin has now been replaced with JOY. Never in my life have I felt such a burden lifted off my shoulders. I've never really felt true JOY before! Since Friday night, I haven't stopped singing praise to the Lord! It's not an act, like I've been doing for so long. I now have TRUE JOY!!!!!!! Praise God!!!!!
I don't understand the Grace of God. But I do know that it's holding me up, guarding my heart and my mind. His Grace is what is getting me and will get me through this life...Until I am with Him face to face in Heaven.
I'm very excited to see what God has planned for my life. In anything and everything, I want His name to be honored and glorified because of WHO He is and WHAT He's done...For SAVING ME from my sin! For replacing my hunger for sin with worship songs to His name!
I'm in so much faith right now. Through kindness, God has spoken through certain individuals in prophetic gifts to me. Everything was so relevent so you KNOW it was God!
I'm praying that God will use me, use my past and God's forgiveness of my past (sin) as an example and encouragement to others. I'm looking forward to making new friends in the Lord. Also, I'm looking forward to getting plugged into a caregroup!
I'm so excited for what God's doing and will do in my life! I pray for everyone to not live in rebellion simply because they don't want to let go. For so long people told me my life would be totally different and I would have joy like never before...Well world, it's true! And trust me, I was the LAST person in the world to believe it... Please don't reject God and the things of God simply because you're "having fun". Eternity is in sight -- closer than we think. Where will we spend eternity?
Praise God for His MERCY!!!!

Grace

So this is my first blog post. I don't quite know what to write...

My life is going very well right now. It's all by the GRACE of God though! Apart from Him, my life would be shreds...

A lot has happened in my life. There have been a lot of wonderful times, and there's also been a lot of heartache. Never in my life would I have ever guessed that certain things would have happened...and they have. Definitely the most trying times I'm pretty sure I'll ever go through. But then again, God seems to surprise us a lot, so who knows?! He might have some other "big" things for me to go through in order to learn from Him...

It seems like I'm learning something new every day. Yesterday was that God never changes. Today it was the crucial reality of the Cross and the need for the Cross. I'm looking forward to see what God has in store for me in the near future...

So there! As brief as it is, here's my very first blog! More to come soon...