Fully Alive

The sunset was masked behind the silhouetted trees. A thousand colors in one simple masterpiece. My eyes are drawn in by the sight, captured by the glory. I walk slowly away from the crowd of people, and the chatter dies behind me as I near the sunset. Nothing could have stolen me away in that moment. I lift my my camera, focusing on just the right color, the perfect angle.
And He reminds me, "Capture my glory." Oh how much more my camera means to me when I remember it is a gift, and I am using it for the purposes of His heart.
There couldn't be anything better than this. A place where my heart is enthralled, captured, amazed.
This place where my heart is fully alive.
This place where freedom is a lack of fear in my heart, a joy that cannot be quenched.
This place where struggle still exists, but it is no longer hidden behind so many walls, it is voiced, and I can know I am never alone.
This place that love lingers in every hall, in every room, in every soul.
This is what my heart was made for.
Christ didn't save me for the sole purpose of my eternal destination, He came a redeemed me so I could have life, and have it to the full. Never in the gospels did He say, "Do you want to go to heaven when you die?"
He said, "Come, Follow me. I will give you life."
 Everywhere he looked, he saw the brokenness, the death that people were living in, and he gave them life.
Instead of our goal in life being, "The world will burn, Let's get out of here." We must have a kingdom perspective where we fulfill what Jesus was called to do, and we can walk in His footprints.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

becuse he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor,

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and recovering of sight to the bilind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And this is what we are called to fulfill! We are called to bring Jesus' love everywhere! He isn't  limited to church, He wants to permeate EVERYWHERE. We are called to bring life to the world. 

I have a gift, the world has a need. I've been given Love, I can't help but return that love. That love compells me to give to the world. To bring them the life, the individuality and the gifts I have been given to a world that is lost and needs to be revived and restored.

An apple has 5 seeds. But how many apples does a seed have? I have no idea where the small things I do will go. And so, in response to the life that God has given me, in response to his walking with me, I will spread life, I will be joy. I will shine light, radiate joy, give love.
Because this freedom is something I cannot keep to myself. This love is something I know others must experience. To feel the assurance of God with me, to know what it's like to hear that tiny voice, that before, I missed because of my constant going. These revelations of himself to me daily through his word, his people, his creation, I cannot keep them to myself!
It is too great. The story my heart has searched for is here. Our speaker this week said "The kingdom of God is anywhere God's will is being done." I want to do his will, His commands, because I have this knowledge of who He is. And because of his Father heart for me, I'll dance for Him. And because of his friendship, I will tell Him everything. Because of who he is, at the end of all this, I know that it will be worth it when I see Him face to face.

Beautiful and Reflecting Me

This week God spoke to me through nature and his heart to mine.
I had my quiet time outside by this breathtaking lake.

 I sat down, early morning, bundled up in front of this scene. And this resonates in my heart.

I want to make you like this lake, beautiful and reflecting me.

Early morning dawn cast a beautiful darkness of the lake. The fog lay close to the surface of the water, drifting slowly, the slowly rising light dispersing the clouds. The reflection of the trees on the water is beautiful, yet dark.

You have reflected me in the dark places when you couldn't feel my love, but you are going to reflect me even greater when you feel my love.

I reflected on my life thus far, and saw how Jesus was radiated from me, yet I knew there could be so much more.
Slowly, the sun hit the surface of the water, I began to see the colors of the trees so much brighter, so much greater. And then the sun rose above the trees and hit the water. I could no longer see the lake.

Then, it will get so bright that people won't see you, they will only see me shining through.

I cannot wait for the place where my life is so on fire, so passionate, so filled with love that people will only see Jesus.  Our speaker this week said, "God is able to come within us with His Spirit, without crushing who we are!" That is the beauty of Christ, he saves us, he changes us to be more like him, yet he never takes away from who you are.
Wherever He takes me, whatever dark place He leads me, if it be to a far away country where hopelessness is rampant, He will be in me, and I, a reflection of Him, shining his light to the dark places.
It was before the foundations of the world that He chose this destiny for me, before the Creation that He loved me and chose to redeem and adopt me, and bestow upon me every blessing.
Golden.
Golden, my heart will become, when I let Him dig everything dirty out of my heart. Then he will clean the rusty room of my heart. Turning me golden.
It's the throne room of my heart, the place my Jesus belongs to be. The place that I dance for Him, the place I sing for Him, the place I crawl into my Father's heart. It is a place of intimacy, a place of only love. It is the place of surrender for my heart.
It is the place I am
                                  called
                                                  to be.
And suddenly laying it all down, giving it all to Him, is a beautiful waste. His worth is so much greater, all the things I lay down for him, are nothing. The things I gain for my heart: an identity, freedom, love. They are so much greater! So I'll gladly pour out the bottle of my praise. Oh, it will be such a beautiful waste.

This is just a song from my week in Alabama!   About laying your life down for Jesus being a beautiful waste.

Yet Another YWAM adventure.. (:

Hey Y'all!
This morning I'm preparing to go down south to Alabama for a week! We have a YWAM conference down there, and I am SO excited!
I'm going to see my cousin Anna and be in some gorgeous mountains for the week!
This week has been great. We had teachings on spiritual warfare. Our speaker was AUSTRALIAN! He had the coolest accent. He answered many questions, yet left me with so many more! It verified for me the reality and intensity of the spiritual realm. There is a battle happening right now for the souls of every person on this world. The one thing that really stuck out to me was this: Satan is not God. That's so obvious, but sometimes we attribute God's characteristics with Satan's finite being. He is NOT everywhere. He cannot read your thoughts. Yes, he has his little minions (demons) working for and under him. Those are the ones that play out most of his attacks. But he is not inside of your head. He cannot read your thoughts, he doesn't have that kind of hold on you! Don't let him convince you of that!
Also this week our speaker gave tons of original Greek/Hebrew word translations! I love that! It's so cool to get the real inside on what the authors were trying to say in there time (:
Well, this weekend has been great! Our small group had a sleepover and our leader's house, and it was so fun! I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life. They are constantly challenging me, loving me and making me laugh. I love them so much!

Highlight of the week: 2 care packages. BOTH had pickles and ranch in them!! I love that my home friends and family knows me so well. <3

Well, I'm out for the week! I'll let you know how the conference was next week!
Love you all!

The Father's Heart for Me

"So that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:18-19

This verse pretty much sums up what I have learned this week. So often, we learn about God in the form of Jesus, God in the form of the Holy Spirit. But how often do we miss out on His love for us as a Father?
God's heart for me is as a father's is for his child.   His heart is for me. Just as a father delights in His child's happiness, just as he delights in the smiles and dances that are performed for Him, so my Father delights in me.
God cares about the the things that affect my heart. Whether it is something big or something so small, no one else would care.
 He loves to take walks with me, He loves seeing the joy written on my face when I see these gorgeous fall trees. He loves when I talk to him and wait for his answer. He delights in that.
When did I lose that? When did I lose the joy of seeing God bless me with little gifts? When did I stop thanking Him for each sunset painted just for me? Each pouring rain to dance in?
But this week He reminded me of His Father love for me.
It's not just the little things He cares about, it's my heart. He uses the little things, the acts of love, the gifts, the whispers in my ear. He uses them to express His love for me.

And as a Father, He wants my heart healed. It breaks His heart to see me broken, living in fear. So, he comes and mends a heart, worn.
This is where the healing is:
Healing is in the tears, that fall down your desert cheeks and bring refreshment to your soul.
Healing is in the sobs, the sobs that rack your body, overtaking you, if only to heal.
Healing is in the comfort, sent by Jesus, as you cry in someone's arms for everything you lost. Healing is in the courage that it takes to confront the brokenness of the past.
Healing is in the forgiveness, even the things you didn't know you needed to forgive.

This week has been fantastic, life-changing and absolutely wonderful. The speaker had me laughing and crying within minutes.

P.S. I like mail! So, you should send me some.
Leah Miller
Youth With A Mission
P.O. Box 22185
Louisville, KY 20252