A revelation of love...

... a revelation of LOVE!!!

I just want to believe that Jesus loves me. I want to have that knowledge in me so much that it overflows onto everyone around me! Ya know? I mean...do we really have an understanding of that love? The love that surpasses all understanding. The love that is truly unconditional. I think that if we really got it, if we REALLY understood it, this generation would have something to live for. There really would be revival in Cartersville, and America if we understood the Father's love for us!

We would turn away from sin and darkness if we had something better, right? We wouldn't need to drink or get high if we could feel the love of Jesus! If we could feel the love that's as strong as death... if we believed that the Father was proud of us we would want to live for Him.

The truth is, this generation is SO hungry for love and they don't know where to find it. All we have heard about is the fire and wrath of God, not the tender mercy! It is love that saves souls, not the fear of eternal damnation. But eternal love...I mean...who doesn't want that? Who doesn't want to fall in love? Who doesn't want to be loved by the most perfect love of all? The most satisfying love of all...?

What we need is a true revelation of the Lord's love for us. We are children of God. Seriously, He calls us children! He says we are adopted by Him! That means, we have a Daddy in heaven who loves us so much that He sent His son to pay for our nasty sin. Because He thinks we are worth it! In our sin, in our messiness, in our brokenness, in our barrenness...He looked over the earth and said "Yeah, that's the one. I want You to die for her Jesus, because I want her to be my daughter. Yeah, she has alot of junk and she has done alot of stuff that I told her not to do, but she is the one I want. I know she will love me. One day when she realizes her other lovers don't satisfy, she will love me." He wants all of His children to come home to Him! That is why He said, "I want that one too. He is my son. He doesn't even love me yet, and he is really going in the wrong direction with his life, but if You go to the cross...one day he will choose me. I will give him the nations! He will be a prophet and a fiery evangalist! You will see, He will love me and He will be a part of Our family."

That is what He says about us. He doesn't shake His head in disgust, He doesn't count down the days until He can punish us...He beckons us to come home! Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father making Intercession for us...meaning...Jesus prays for me! That is ridiculous! Jesus prays for me!!! Jesus prays for you!!! Jesus prays for us!!! I don't get it, but I love it! We need a true understanding of His love. It's the only thing that will save this generation. Because love never fails! :) If we have a glimpse of the beauty of God, we will never be the same. We won't want anything but Him!

So...Jesus, that is all I want for Christmas. I want to fall more in love with my beautiful, invisible God! And I want to believe everything YOU say about me and forget what the world says.

Time to breathe in the oxygen of heaven...

I am learning this week, that I can't do anything. :) I am completley, 100% dependant on Jesus. I have no strength, no great revelations, no wisdom to share. All I have is a heart that is STARVING for the things of God and all I can do is sit, wait and listen... though my flesh is screaming, my spirit is breathing in the oxygen of heaven. I am becoming so aware of my own inability, and I am learning how to lean. It's all I can do...to just sit here at my Father's feet. All I can do is give Him my every desire, plan, and my every dream... my whole heart. I have nothing left of my own. It's all rubbish in comparrison to His great beauty. Everything I thought I knew is wrong. Everything I hoped for was out of my love for this world and my own happiness. But, there is nothing in this world that could possibly satisfy my aching heart like His love. All I want is more of His presence. All I want is to bring glory to His Name. Even if that means I never have a name...even if that means I will be hidden in the place of prayer for the rest of my time here on earth. As long as it glorifys His Name. As long as the souls of this generation are saved...as long as the orphans feel loved and get fed...as long as my prayer shifts heaven and earth! For all of creation is groaning...and my soul cries out HOLY! Holy is this One seated upon the throne! The God of love and mercy! The God of Jacob! The only One worthy of honor! The God who has so graciously pulled me from a life of mindless misery, and placed me in the center of His will... Jesus! What does this love look like?!

If I never do the great exploits, and my name is never known, I will forever sing Holy. I will stay in the secret place, in the hidden chambers of Your heart, Jesus...You are everything to me.

Life Update!

Just to update those of you I don't get to see often... there is alot going on right now so I want to catch you up on my life as of 4:43am on December 10th 2008! :)As most of you know, I did an internship at the International House of Prayer this past summer. The Lord called me to lay aside 3 months of my life to consecrate myself totally to Him with no distractions. (Work, school, etc..) So, I finished up my semester at school and I quit my job at the court house and thus my journey began...I spent 8-10 hours a day in the prayer room for 3 months...it pretty much ruined me for life as usual.

During my 3 month internship, I spent 2 weeks in Ethiopia, working with local orphanages, schools and street children. If I wasn't ruined enough already, that definately put me over the edge. My heart was ruined for Jesus and His children! When I returned to the States from Ethiopia, I had another week of my internship... basically one week to figure out what the next "season" of my life would be like. I had plans to go to a Missionary training school in Mozambique in October, but as life sometimes goes, it didn't end up as I had planned. :) God is always in control! He wanted me to wait until this June. I thought alot about getting a job until I could go back to Africa, and actually tried a couple of times, but it never seemed to work out. To make a long story...a little bit shorter :)... The Lord, FINALLY got through to me... He wanted me to simply sit at His feet.

He has asked me to devote this season of my life to Him, and Him alone. As Psalm 27:4 says... "Onething I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord." So...that is what I have been doing. From May 6th-November 15th I did "Prayer Room Hours" from about 10 am -8pm atleast 6 days a week... A couple of weeks ago, the Lord asked me to change my schedule and pray through the nights. So now I am in the prayer room from 10pm-6am...Our House of Prayer will very soon be a 24/7 place of Worship and Prayer... a place of refuge in the city where people can come at anytime to pray. We are almost there! So, now I am doing what is called "Night Watch"... I am here through the nights and I sleep in the day. It is quite a change, but so far I am loving it! I believe the Lord has called me to do this until June when I go to Mozambique.

I am serving as an Intercessory Missionary, and helping with the upcoming Internships. It is a lifestyle of prayer and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be here during this time of my life, when I could be doing many other things...I'm not sure what is next for me, but I am giving my heart and my life completley to the Lord and I am trusting Him with all of it! I know He will guide me in the right direction as I prayerfully consider each decision I make. I love you all and I hope you are all being blessed by our beautiful Jesus! Just wanted to let you know why you may not be seeing me during the normal day hours. :)For more information about IHOP you can visit...

http://www.ihopcartersville.com/

www.myspace.com/jesusdancer4life

XOXOXOGretchen