empty handed..

do you ever wonder why we cling so tightly to certain things in our lives? is it because without them we don't know who we are? are we afraid that if we let them go we will loose everything? do we worry that it couldn't get any better than how it is? either way the love of these things, the way they make us feel, and the satisfaction we get from them keeps us from the full Love experience. instead of finding our joy, fulfillment, and identity in Love, we find ourselves in an identity crisis each time life rips the rug out from under us.


sometimes we spend our whole lives chasing after something and when we finally reach the finish line, we realize that we were running after the wrong thing all along. we are left tired and burnt out and getting back on the track is the hardest thing to do. many people decide never to get back in the chase.


why is it that we are never satisfied? because we are looking for satisfaction in the wrong things. love of things, of people, of power. when it all comes down to it there is only one thing that matters..love God. love people.

sometimes Love will take things away from you to draw you back into His arms, into His embrace. you see He wants our full hearts..not just pieces that we are willing to let go, that we are willing to give, not just the leftovers..Love wants your WHOLE HEART..and trust me, He is the only one worth giving it to. the world continues to take and rip apart your heart..but i promise the only thing Love does is pour back into it, heal it, guards it, and keeps it beating.


realize that when He takes something or someone you "love" away from you, He is not doing it to leave you with nothing. trust that Love will never leave you empty handed. know that He loves you too much to just plop you down and observe you fumble your way through to the end. find who you are in Him. live with arms open wide..

"God will never leave you empty. if something is taken away, He will replace it with something better. if He denies your request in a certain area, it is because He wishes to give you what is best. if He asks you to put something down, it is so you can pick up something greater." -roy lessin

you can't receive with full hands..empty your hands so that you can grasp His sweet love.

it's the little things..

so yesterday as i was in traffic on 30 i came to yet another realization about how love can change things, even the rarest, most out there situations in which choosing an action, love would be the last thing to come to mind..

so here's the scene: bumper to bumper traffic in the heat of the day..radio blasting with my tunes, AC on high, and just wanting to get back on the hill which i live upon, i approach a fork in the highway..a car in the lane next to me, a couple cars ahead turns on its blinker, as it needs to get over so it can merge onto another highway. as we sit there bumper to bumper, all moving like snails down the road, nobody will let this poor little car over..how selfish are we? why are we rushing through life? why are we so rude? come on cars..you aren't going anywhere..help a brother out and just let him over!! so as the cars ahead of me kept going, i just waited (i am sure the car behind me wasn't the happiest), let the guy over, and then kept going..this same situation occurred at least five more times. then it came my time to get over, and guess what..nobody would let me over! (but just because we don't get in return doesn't mean we shouldn't stop giving) i waited and waited and obviously finally got over or i wouldn't be here typing this right now (= but that's beside the point..

after driving for awhile, i finally reached what i thought was the bottle neck..two stalled cars (we all know how anything on the side of the road steals our attention and causes us to slow down)..but as we passed those i began to saw debris on the road..and then i found myself in the nightmare of a three car accident..to the right there was a man in a black expedition, and the air bags were fully exposed..as i looked into the window to make sure he was okay, i saw him there on his phone, shaking and trembling, his windows smashed out and his car smoking..to my right i saw a man sitting on a median type thing on his phone, his car a few feet away not as bad as the car before, and then a third car that was barely touched..

as i got away from all the traffic and began smooth sailing the rest of the way back, i played the scene back in my head..and i asked myself a question..how many car accidents would be prevented if we would drive in love? i personally believe quite a few..



i guess in essence what i am trying to say is that the word love has been so feminized and romanticized that we forget what it really was meant to be and we tend to put limits on it. or we sometimes find ourselves putting up this big blockade, trying to protect ourselves from it because "the l word" is something that makes us shudder..when really it is not love at all that we are afraid of..it is the things that for so long have been called "love" that have been falsely defined or labeled as so..

i guess what i learned out of this is that it is the little things that make living in love apparent..things like letting someone over on the highway, a daily act that you can easily do each day..so what if it slows you down a little? enjoy the scenery, smell the roses..

love is everywhere, in everything.. can you see it? do you show it?

Love, i'm sorry for the opportunities You have given me to show Your love that i have overlooked or turned down selfishly..teach us how to love, teach me how to love..to love Your way..and may the glory always be given to Your name..

Love wins..

the more and more i find myself in seasons of life, i realize that i have the choice whether i spend my time during that season mopping around, confused, less than happy, frustrated, and taking these feelings out on others..or to throw a little james 1:2-3 in the mix and consider it pure joy and add in a little love.

it's not about having joy for the trials, but in the trials, because you trust in the Lord's unfailing purposes, love, protection..the Lord has spoken through others and through His Word to point out to me that in this season, as in many seasons of my life, my Father is not wanting me to try to understand His ways, not to figure Him out, or even what He wants me to do out.. but to recklessly trust Him. He knows what is next, that is why He is simply preparing me for whatever that may be..

..and sometimes Love has to put us in situations that bring pain and confusion, so that people can see that "this happened so that the work of God might displayed in [our] life." -John 9:3

in the end Love wins, Love always wins.












"Everyone says that love hurts, but that's not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love, but in reality, love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again."

so in these seasons i choose to love, i choose Love, i choose to trust, i choose to win, i choose to enable others to do the same..


"It's a big world, we are hoping
For a big change, we are broken
In the fading light of a dying sun
We cry for redemption

There is hope, there is hope, there is hope
But everyone who's lost will be coming home
And everything that hurts will be whole again
And love will be the last thing standing

Can't stop, you can't stop the seasons
Don't stop, don't stop believing

Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins

If it hurts you, just breathe in
When it pains you, just believe in
The radiant light of the morning sun
We can find our redemption

Love is strong, love is strong, love is strong
It's been there holding you all along
Everything thrown away will be new again
And love will be the last thing standing

Can't stop, you can't stop the seasons
Don't stop, don't stop believing

Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins













Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins

There is hope, there is hope for my lonely soul
There is hope, there is hope to be made whole
There is life, there is life to be set free
There is life there is life surrounding me
There is hope, there is hope for my broken heart
There is hope, there is hope for a brand new start
There is life, there is life give me eyes to see
There is life, there is life you have captured me

Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins

Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above cause love wins"

-"Love Wins" Robbie Seay Band

Love is the remedy..

"Here we are
Here we are
The broken and used
Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
The beautiful One
Who came like a Son
Here You are

So we lift up our voices
We open our hands
To cling to the love
That we can't comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices
And lift up your heads
To sing of the love
That has freed us from sin

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy

Here we are
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
Our beautiful King
Bringing relief
Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices
And open our hands
Let go of the things
That have kept us from Him


He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who forgave us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy

Oh, I can't comprehend
I can't take it all in
Never understand
Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat
For the wounded and weak
Oh, come fall at His feet
He's the remedy
He's the remedy

So sing, sing

You are the one
Who has saved us
You are the one
Who forgave us
You are the one who has come
And is coming again
To make it alright
Oh, to make it alright
You're the remedy
Oh, in us
You're the remedy

Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy"

"Remedy"-David Crowder Band


choose to love..