Past, Now, and Future

written last night but can't blog from my phone :(

Feeling excited tonight! Hard to wind down and fall asleep. Excited about the PAST year at ECC, the countless lives changed! The growth that so many of us are striving for just amazes me. People just continue to reach out. I love that it's not about me, yes I said that...It's not about me, or them, it's about creating place for people to come, right where they are in their life to hear and learn about God and Jesus. A place they can see God's love and kindness in action on Sundays but also throughout the week. If you were to meet any of us, any day of the week, I feel confident in saying that you would be treated w/ God's love. It's about letting God use us and form the church family that He wants to form and for us to never say "this is enough"...it's never enough, not until every last soul is safe. SO FREAKING EXCITING to be apart of that! God never had to prove anything to me. He has, but I never deserved it. He's proven to me He never wastes a hurt. In my own life I've experienced hurt and seen how He can use it. But now I'm seeing it through others. How He blesses those w/ pains. How He reaches around them, embraces them tightly and carries them through and says "thank you for being faithful, have another blessing". Just sitting here in awe of this Amazing, loving Father! I'm amazed at how He kindly puts me in my place, and He knows when I feel like I'm losing hope in something and He's like "watch this" and then doesn't something super duper BIG just to remind me of HOW BIG He is! Yep That's my God!

I'm excited for my NOW. The perspective that I've gained, for the love that I am able to feel, I know God doesn't have to "reach down" and comfort someone...He is right there, we can just reach out. I'm excited that I get to Share a relationship w/ God with my spouse and my kids. Something I pray I never take for granted. I'm excited for the compliments I got today that remind me that what I do, does matter and that it is all for God and that it's for His Honor, to Glorify Him! One compliment that made my day is this "I want you to know I think you are brave and strong and I am so amazed at your courage. Your faith is very powerful. Thank you for sharing it." Not tooting my horn....This is all God! I say "use me" and he does. He makes me strong, He gives me courage, He makes me want to shout from a mountain about his love and grace, He designed me to want to share His Good news and my Faith in Him! Makes me thrilled that God shines through Little ol' me....pretty awesome!

I'm so excited for the FUTURE! There is SO much more to come! This is not it! God has plans, BIG plans! I don't care what they are...but I can't wait to see them and I just pray that He will use me and that others will continue to let Him use them and New people will get that same eagerness to serve this AMAZING, LOVING God! Just so excited tonight for everything that has been, is now, and that will be!