How BIG?

How big is God?
How big is God to you?
How big is God IN you?

Does He sometimes whisper to your heart things He wants you to know?

Or does He echo so loud in the recesses of your being that it reverberates out into your life and surroundings?

How often do you listen to God?

Does He show you His people, His hurt children, His passion for all to know and be known by Him?

Do you listen to God?

Or do you “turn on” your God channel when it’s convenient?

Once a day during your “quiet time” while you’re seeking Him for your needs of spiritual refreshing?

Twice a day when you’ve heard a speaker on the radio, or read a blog, or watched a show that made you think about Him?

Or do you live each day with the sole purpose of discovering more ways to hear Him…every moment. a journey to come One Step Closer to Him?

Do you love God?

Do you show your love to God?

Or do you just say it?

To others?

To yourself “Oh, I love God!”?

To HIM?

Do you mean it?

Do your actions speak louder than words?

Do you crave Him like you crave your favorite meal? With that salivating, almost can taste it, driven desire?

Do you want to change who you are because you love Him and are loved BY Him?

Are you being changed?

Daily?

Minute by minute?

Does change scare you?

Do you trust God?

Do you believe He knows best?

Do you trust His ways are BETTER than your ways?

Do you truly believe that He loves you and has established His plan for your life for your good, however He chooses to manifest that plan?

Do you surrender your plans, and you ideals, for His plan?

Do you say, “Here I am God…send me!”?

Or do you only allow Him to use you where you want to be?

Do you resign God to your small limited perception?

Or do you recognize His vast limitless which is beyond the confinement of space, time, logic and emotion?

Do recognize your infancy, and cry out in your need, and find His love and nurturing Hand…and discipline?

Do you see Him in others?

Do you seek Him out in others?

Do you even know what to look for to find Him in others?

Do you see Him in you?

Is He a flicker….a little gleam in your eye?

Is He a flame, that causes your countenance to beam?

Is He a fire…that consumes you so that others don’t even see you, but only Him?

Or do you want to be seen?

Do you know God?

Or do you know of Him?

Do you love God?

Or do you just love being loved by God?

Do you live for Him?

Or do you just live with Him?

Does He inspire your actions?

Or do you just give Him a recap at the end of the day?

Does He tower above any other drawing enticement in your life?

Or does He fit neatly into your agenda?

How big is God?
How big is God to you?
How big is God IN you?

1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Romans 8:10
But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The NEXT STEP!

I had the privilege of attending Summit VII with the Christian Alliance for Orphans last week. It is an annual meeting held for ministries, agencies, adoptive families, individuals, and the like from all over the world to come together and worship the Father of us all, educate each other on the things we have learned the past year, and spur each other on to "run the race set before us" (Heb 12:1).

It was Wonderful Beautiful Encouraging Saturating Refreshing Convicting Inspiring Informative Intense.....AMAZING.

One of the greatest blessings that has emerged from my attending Summit VII is my being offered to join a ministry that is close to my heart and full of my passion ... Project HOPEFUL!(check it out!!)

http://www.projecthopeful.org/

(I also have Project HOPEFUL and TRUTH PANDEMIC links posted on the left hand side of my blog. )

I have been invited to join my sisters and brothers in Christ at this incredible ministry to help educate, encourage, and enable families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS. My role will be as the Human Resources Administrator. I will be able to do this on the days I have off each week from my current position as a nurse...so it is the best of all worlds! I am so excited (to say the least!) and am full of expectation to see what God-initiated things wait for me around the bend =) Please pray for me, I know it is only with His help I can be used to be a blessing to others through this ministry.

On an extremely fun sidenote. Before attending Summit VII last week I was able to go to Chicago and spend 4 days enjoying the city with my friend (and honorary little sis) Sarah. It was my belated 30th birthday present from my mom and sister...and was a BLAST! We saw the sites, ate our way through the Windy City, and got in some much needed relaxation and girl time.

I am ONE BLESSED GIRL!

Lovebugs

She is HOME.

My niece,

Amaris Mariam Namulinde

is HOME.

Amaris "Promised by God"

Mariam "Beloved"

Namulinde "I have waited for her"

My sister, brother in law, and new baby niece arrived last night after a 30+ hour trip home from Uganda and were reunited with their three boys.

This picture to me is pure LOVE. Pure JOY. Pure GOD!

While my sister and brother-in-law have been frolicking in Uganda =), I stayed here in Sarasota and kept/spent time with their 3 boys. My FAVORITE thing to do!!! They are my heart and they know it. We stayed busy running around town to the children's museum, pottery painting shop, ice cream, Easter egg hunts, and tons of other fun places. Its been a blast, and I wish I could do it every day...truly my bliss.

If any of you live in southwest Florida, you know that lovebug season has arrived! As the boys and I have been driving around the past two weeks, the lovebug epidemic (and that is not exaggerating!) has been in full effect! SWARMS upon swarms of tiny black fly/bugs connected together by their bottoms flying around, beside, and ON you. Swarming to the point where the boys asked if it was raining outside because the sound and sight of them hitting the van windshield looked like we were driving through a summer rain shower. There is a literal lovebug graveyard on the vans front bumper/hood. Yep. Gross.

So, I'm sitting at a red light. Boys in tow. Watching this cloud of buzzing "love" bugs....no love about them to me!...swirl around the vehicle, and I think

"This must be a small example of what Egypt was like during the plagues to free the Israelites".

Yes. I'm a random weirdo and think things like that.

And then, almost immediately after that thought crossed my mind, my gracious Lord prodded me to consider not the "plague" like image of the lovebugs...but His image in His creation. He reminded me that His love surrounds me at all times...swarming above and beside and even ON me. That there is no where I can go to escape His love. That He is always with me.

*Swoon*

LOVEbugs. My First Loves reminder to me of HIS love for me. Forget rainbows. His love for me has wings....

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 NLT

This week He has shown me His love in such powerful ways...the most beautiful being this....

So....if you live in southwest Florida and find yourself in the midst of a lovebug "storm" don't be alarmed, its just His love note to me.... (and you!)