Simply

I'm smiling. And not because I'm particularly happy, nothing extraordinarily grand happened today. In fact, I have shed plenty of tears just this afternoon over some pretty major changes that are happening in my world, good changes, but hard ones none the less. You know why I'm smiling even as the tears fall? Because lately I've had some great encounters with my Maker.

The ugly truth is that the Lord has been revealing sin in my life. Things like selfishness, judgements that I cast so easily upon others, my impure thoughts about those whom I'm called to love and my casual attitude towards worship, just to name a few. And, the other day He completely convicted me about the pity that I feel towards others--people don't need my pity, they need love.

The prayer of my heart is that my Father would break my heart for that which breaks His. That He would purify my heart, words, thoughts and deeds so that I will be a better, more pure example of Christ to my community. I've been praying for Him to increase and me to decrease. I want to love Him with an all consuming love. I pray that I will boldly let Love live in me, shine through me.

Want to know a little secret? My passion is ministering to women, and it both excites and terrifies me to think of speaking into the lives of women. That's a huge honor and one which I don't even scoff at for a moment. And then I become overwhelmed; I have no business taking on such a responsibility. You probably know what's coming next...the loving rebuke of my Abba when He reminds me, yet again, that it's not about me.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John 3:30