life is beautiful

In this season, this new year, this start of a second year of marriage, where a lot of things are going absolutely wonderfully, God has been teaching me about how ultimately fulfilling His gospel is, and what that really means.

I've been meditating a lot on how truly great life is right now, right this very day.

I mean... the job is good. I've been feeling content in this position for the first time since joining the work force in '08. My work feels do-able and I feel accomplished. I know God has sent down this peace in this season, it couldn't have come from anywhere else.

My friends have been making life so worthwhile. I have friends that are making beautiful, healthy babies, friends that are exploring their creativity and making beautiful things with their hands, friends that are chasing their dream in regards to their occupations. I have new friends, that are so dang delightful, that encourage the crap out of Blake and I in our marriage, and make any time together super fun.

Blake is making A's and constantly putting up with me and my crazy dreams. He is continually stepping up to show me how much he loves me. And more than loving me, he is loving my soul. He is constantly reminding me of how much I am in need of Christ.

With this deep rooted appreciation of how magnificent life is right now comes the idea of how Christ is all we need. Somehow, and I haven't identified it yet, these thoughts have been piggy backing each other lately.

Christ is all I need, and God doesn't need me to be happy.

It's not Christ + homegroup, Christ + praying every night, Christ + serving communion at church. Though those things can be very good, God doesn't need any of it. He sees Christ when he looks upon me and he feels love. It's not anything I've done, not any particular part of my personality - it's Christ and he sees this and is in love.

Lord, please let me remember always that you are first, Blake is second (and everyone else for that matter) and I am last. I also pray to deeply understand that Blake and I are on the same team - brought together in marriage to be an image of what's to come. I pray that I can continually see the big picture.

God has chosen me as a daughter and Blake as a son, brought us together not for our happiness alone, but for His glory. To be an image of Him and that we belong to God and nothing here on earth. That I am made to be with my creator (my physical creator and my spiritual creator) for eternity.