A Love Declaration

Free. Unashamed. Bold. Uncompromising. That’s how I wanna love. That’s how I WILL love. With no conditions, no lists, or comparisons and contrasts, I will love fiercely. I will love without fear. With a reckless abandonment of entitlement, self-centeredness, and pride, I will love purely.

I’ve been loved–I am loved with such fearlessness. God has loved and keeps loving me INSANELY. He threw caution to the wind and let His only son die for me. He burns with passion and pursues me wholly–unrelenting until I am consumed by His fire. He chooses me EVERYTIME. No questions, no ifs, no maybes. He decisively picks me. He chose me before I wanted to be chosen. When everyone else and everything else wavers, He remains constant—faithful. Faithfully holding my heart, He tenderly breathes life over every dream—desire—vision.

I will love like that. I firmly believe I have no right to withhold this kind of love from anyone. God freely gives it. He willingly pours it out on me and I pour it out on Him and He compels me to pour it out on this world. Ephesians 5:1 calls me to a standard that screams BE LIKE ME (God). As a Christian, who I am should ALWAYS imitate God. So who I am in traffic, at the store, on a date, or in my prayer closet should consistently and will constantly reflect Him.

Oh my heart’s desire is to re-present the Father. To see, through a simple smile, lives completed wrecked by His love. I will be marked by radical love. I will ooze passionate grace. Because I’ve encountered it, I can release it and I choose to make it a point that every inch of my life overflows with radical love and with reckless abandonment I will love with the Father’s heart.

Be encouraged guys—you’ve been called to love. You’ve called to love people to life, to release radical love to the world. There’s no formula for this. Remain humble, usable, and willing. Ask for His love to completely wreck you. Let God show how to love radically and insanely.

Til Next Time,

D

The Little Things

I love the little things. I love thoughtfulness and cheesy yet creative ways of showing affection and appreciation.  While all of this is true, I can very easily overlook it all. Four days ago I celebrated my birthday and it was showered with the “little things”. I remember ending my birthday night journaling–processing through whatever emotions I was feeling. I remember wishing it had been bigger or “more”. But then I reflected on the day and it was a BEAUTIFUL birthday. No there was no cake or a huge surprise party—though that would’ve be darling. It was all in the little things. I like to call them golden moments. I spent the late morning of my birthday in a coffee shop. To anyone who knows me I could spend an entire day in a coffee shop. I adore them. They are my happy place. Now to preface this, a few weeks ago I had a dream that I drank a latte that was just indescribably delicious and rich. It was heavenly. Well, I go to this lovely coffee shop in the city, order a vanilla latte and guess what? It tastes just like the drink in my dream, plus there was a heart in the foam. Did my heart squeeze with joy? You betcha.

I spent that morning doing what I love—drinking a latte, reading quality fiction, and writing. The rest of the day was great too where I got meet up with an old friend and go to an art museum where my creative soul soared even more. I came home to two gift bags filled with stuff. The little bag housed a gift card from my six-year-old baby cousin. Did I tear up? Yes. The big bag carried more delights. A month ago I tweeted how I wanted F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Beautiful and the Damned and a collection of his short stories and how much it would be a dream come true. You guessed it—it’s exactly what I got. I squealed. I cried. I gasped. My heart fluttered with happiness.

I ended my birthday reflecting on the little things and just how important they are. No my birthday was not this huge ostentatious celebration. It was a collection of gold moments and a sweet reminder of how rich the little details are.

I say all that to say–embrace the little things. it’s July 1^st and a big part of me is working to forgive time for moving so fast. Time really isn’t waiting for anyone and it’s so easy to get “caught up”. We are already six months into 2013 and before you know it, it will be December 31^st and your mind will be reeling with new goals, plans, dreams, and challenges for 2014. You will be relishing over the big accomplishments and achievements that unfolded during 2013 and soon all of your attention will be on what’s ahead. I’m learning there is gold in the little things. Even though I am a HUGE “little things” person, I sometimes overlook it because I want more, expect more, or whatever. God humbled me on my birthday to really appreciate the intricate details of life. What was brewing into an ungrateful attitude, instantly turned to gratitude as I realized my birthday was special. He’d planned it all, from my latte tasting just like the dream to spending the night before with amazing people to receiving the two books my heart really desired.

So, as the next six months of the year await you, delight in the little things. The big moments are awesome. They are to be celebrated, honored, and appreciated. But don’t overlook the warm hugs, laughter until tears, the thoughtful gifts, and memorable company. Don’t hurriedly push aside the late summer nights coated with a warm breeze and unforgettable sunset. Don’t bemoan the rain showers that make the green around you just a little bit greener leaving behind a heavy mist—it’s practically dreamy. There’s gold in the little things just as much as there is gold in the big. I’m training my eyes to appreciate the small so whether or not something big and life-changing happens I’m always in a state of gratitude. Today, I challenge you to pick out the little things that made your day just a little bit better. Trust me—you’ll find something.

 

Til Next Time,

D