Don't give up

Give me everything You are
Give me one more chance to be near You
Cause everything inside me looks like
Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take........
.......And I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries... these mysteries... these mysteries
Ah you're the mystery
You're the mystery

(From On Fire by Switchfoot)

I love that. Give me one more chance.......You are the only hope I have for change. And it's true. Alone, I'd be lost. 
That He will give us a chance, again, and again.
Because we fall.
And we mess up.
And we do what we hate.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.(Romans 7:19)

It can be such a struggle. We want the change, are reaching for it; but nothing happens.
The change, it comes in Him.

It's so hard when we mess up, even as we're so on fire. Sin has such a hold on us,
and we know it.

I'll say something, and know the instant the words leave my mouth it was the wrong thing.
Why do I do that?

I'll look at someone and think something really judgemental.
Why do I do that?

So many things.
But change comes,
slowly,
barely perceptibly sometimes,
but still.
It comes.

And grace works,
and He prunes and trims,
slowly,
 it comes.

My friends-
Don't give up on yourselves.
It's easy to do.
I know.


God doesn't give up on you.

Don't self-sabotage Grace offered freely-

To you.
Sinner.
Washed clean.
Because of love.

Love:)

R

We, the future.

My generation- well, hear talk of it, it would seem that we are going to the dogs.
We're doomed.
We are gone.
Turning away from God, morals, values, family, church.
Yeah, maybe.
But then again, maybe not.
Because here's the thing-
God is not dead.
He is not asleep.
He is alive and well.
And a lot of us- we love Him.
We are trying to follow Him.
We want our generation to see Him
But there's so much hurt.
Everywhere.
You say none of us care?
We all do.
But some, just so full of hurt.
Where to turn?
they wonder.
So much judgement.
Hypocrisy.
Empty promises.
Us "church kids,"
we can be exclusive.
Maybe not on purpose,
but still.
Worse yet, we can be hypocrites.
But some of us care.
For real.
And some adults care.
If we can make a difference,
even in just one life,
that's one stereotype shattered,
one heart healed.
God's not dead. 
He's  alive and well.
Working among us.
Changing hearts.
So to the doubters I would say-
Don't give up on us.
Yeah, we're messed up.
But aren't we all?
Isn't that the point of grace?
Jesus came to heal the broken,
not tend to the well.
We are His hands,
His feet.
And we are a generation who truly wants to be those things.
Yes, we will fall.
But He always catches us.


Love:)

R