No Expectations.

 This past weekend I was blessed to reconnect with someone I have always considered a standard in my life. I drove down to lansing with slight hesitation to meet up with a bunch of Michiganders at the very tasty Pizza House close to the campus of MSU. *Go Spartans.* Little did I realize my hesitation would be fully forgotten as the night flew by, and I found myself on my way home crying tears of awe on how God works.

I met this friend about 5 years ago at my cousin's wedding out in Las Vegas. (Heads up, my aunt and uncle are church planters out there. In case you had any slight thought on Vegas.) After dancing the very last song together at the reception, we continued staying in touch via the classic facebook and phone convos. Went to a wedding with him a couple years ago and enjoyed a bonfire at his family's house in lansing that year as well. I was blessed to have him as a tour guide when I visited Vegas two years ago, as we hiked in the mountains and enjoyed karaoking for hours on end during that visit as well.

After hardly talking at all for 2 years, I was humbled and blessed by a long phone conversation about a month ago as we caught up and discussed the ever challenging book, Radical by David Platt. (If you have not read it, I encourage it.) As well as life lessons and how God is working within our lives.

As for the pizza night, I sit here smiling as a ponder what all happened, between meeting some great people, catching up with a few people I hadn't seen in years and being humbled by the group of brothers and sisters in Christ living their lives in response to God's leading and calling. Sweet.

Driving home, I did in fact cry, I also just praised God through a grateful heart for blessing me with an incredible night. No expectations are a blessing.

Faithful Friends.

I have been reading through the book of Psalm this summer and have been fully blessed by my involvement in the Word. It has also been exciting to study this book with my church family as Ada Bible Church is going through a sermon series on the Psalms.

As of recent I have truly been humbled by the people I have in my life. There have been many a moments in my 24 years where I have looked back and am udderly speechless how God puts certian people in my life during moments I need it. Psalm chapter 1:1 says, Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers..Our friends are important. Who are you associating yourself with?

Life is full of seasons and we need godly friends to travel with us through those seasons.

There are many seasons...a season of calm.
This is a season where life is full of wonderful blessings. When all good gifts are be bestowed upon us by God. But this is also a season when we forget to give thanks for those gifts, it is so easy to put God at the back burner of our lives as it is going so well. Do we have friends that will encourage and remind us to give thanks during those times?

A season of storms. Many of us can remember a time when a storm seemed to cascade into our lives. These are seasons of suffering, questions, and at times filled with emense pain. Are our friends those who will help bring the life back into us? Are they friends who will stay positive and encourage us to choose joy no matter the circumstances?

A season of rebellion. Then there are seasons of rebellion, when we dive head first into choosing sin and enjoying it. One of the sneaky aspects of sin is it's deceptive nature to not even realize you are dwelling in it. It is a blessing when we have friends that partner with God.

I'm not sure what I would name the season I am going through right now. It's a bit of calm, peace, with a mix of excitement and anticipation for what God has planned for me next.

In the last few weeks I have had long distance phone calls from my cousin in FL to a cousin and genuine friend in NV. A cousin and friend who will go cowboy boot shopping and friends who will sit and indulge in tasty food as we listen to each other and talk about life's happenings. My friend Tamare came over last week and we went out riding.

I personally have many favorite places, visiting family in Las Vegas, sitting lake side at the cottage, lounging on the back deck listening to nature and the occasional snort of one of my horses in the background...but I have to say, my favorite place is in my saddle on the back of my sweet mare riding around our neighborhood.

Life is good. God is great.
                                       Here are some pics of our fun  night...

Sweet Sammy

Mya

Blessings.

Forgiveness.

I am humbled as a sinner the way Jesus paid the ultimate price for the our sin. I am even more humbled as He continues to forgive our daily sins, over and over and over. Yet, I'm curious as to why it can be so hard to forgive just one person when they have wronged us? On June 20, 2012 sitting in the backyard of the house I was dog sitting at, I asked God to soften my heart to forgive someone who had hurt me, direspected me, and weighed me down with issues that were not mine. I prayed God would give me grace to forgive. I also prayed that God would forgive them too.

Little did I know, several weeks after that Wednesday, I would recieve a phone call from that person asking me to grant forgiveness to them. To which I replied, with tears in my eyes, that in fact I had and do forgive them. There is blessing and struggle to let go, even if it is easier to wallow in bitterness and speak through anger. God's grace is amazing and I blessed to have been filled with it.

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:22 ESV)
How hard it is to forgive, yet it really is not that much when I think of all HE has done for me.

Tenth Avenue North- 'Losing'.
"Well truth be told it doesn't matter if their sorry or not
Cause freedom comes when we surrender to the sound
Of Your mercy and Your grace, Father, send Your angels down!"

I want to leave you with the lyrics of Matthew West's new song...

It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don't deserve

It's the opposite of how you feel
When the pain they caused is just to real
It takes everything you have just to say the word...

Forgiveness
Forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying 'Set It Free'

Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

It'll clear the bitterness away
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what it's power can do
So, let it go and be amazed
By what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you

Forgiveness, Forgiveness
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

I want to finally set it free
So show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, Forgiveness

God is good. Be blessed.
Marissa