You can't measure God's love for us.

I have to write about last night.

I attended a youth service (7th grade - college) in honor of two brothers, Keith (18) and Jacob (16), who died last week in a car accident. We ate food, we worshiped, the youth performed skits... but the most inspiring event that took place last night was when Keith and Jacob's dad, Jerry, spoke. Holding back tears the entire time, Jerry shared with us everything he has experienced in the past week. Boy, was it something!

He shared with us about how he now understands God love for us, about how he never knew what love really was until now. He shared about how he would do anything to get those two boys back, even if it meant someone else had to die. He shared about how he could never give up his sons to save a whole world full of people. But you know what? GOD DID. God let His only son die on a cross to SAVE THE WORLD. That is love, my friends. God loved YOU so much that He let His son, Jesus, DIE ON A CROSS so that YOU may be saved.

Jerry also shared with us about the struggles his sons went through to fit in with the church. It broke my heart in two. He talked about the cliques that had formed among THE CHURCH. And how his sons began to fight it by loving the young kids, by loving the wallflowers, by LOVING. Jerry gave our youth a challenge - to love, to share Christ, to embrace each other in Christ's love.

Over 100 (by the looks of it) young people were there last night to celebrate the lives of Keith and Jacob. Not all of them were Christian. Not all of them even knew about Jesus. But they HEARD about Jesus, and they HEARD about God's magnificent love for them. Keith and Jacob's deaths were not an accident. Their lives and their love for God has impacted so many people. And so many YOUNG people.

After Jerry's speech, we sang. And GOD WAS IN THAT ROOM. I felt God's love all around me. I didn't want to leave that place. I wanted to sing all night! I wanted to praise Him!

God's love for you (yes YOU) is so big, so amazing, and so AWESOME that you can't even begin to measure it. He let His son die a horrible death so that YOU may be saved. That's love.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16 

Keith and Jacob: Thank you so much for leading lives full of God's love. And for showing God's love to others. You will be missed dearly. But I know you are both having a heck of a time in heaven right now. And I can't wait to join you one day! <3

Say Yes to the Dress - you’ve got to be kidding me.

Usually when I’m bored, or there isn’t anything on TV, I’ll turn it to TLC and, on occasion, the show Say Yes to the Dress will be on. For some reason, it sparks my interest - but not in a good way.

You see, the show is all about these girls who come to a store called Kleinfeld’s to buy a wedding dress. Some of the girls on the show even travel from different countries just so they can get their dress from Kleinfeld’s. Now, I looked on their website and the lowest price to search for a dress is $1500. The highest? $10,000 plus.

I don’t know about you, but this blows my mind. I can not believe that someone would spend so much money on a dress that you are going to wear ONE DAY out of your life. Yes, it’s a special day. Yes, you want to look pretty. But you know what? A $99 dress from David’s Bridal is JUST AS pretty and special as a $25,000 one from Kleinfeld’s. And you know what else? You will be JUST AS married.

Granted, the girls on this show can actually afford those high price dresses (or maybe not? Who even knows.) But they are buying DRESSES that are the prices of CARS or a DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOUSE. If I had that much money, I would not be spending it on a wedding dress or even a fancy wedding. I would be using it to help people who can’t even afford groceries for the week or people who don’t have homes or people who are sick.

I’m not trying to say that these girls are heartless or dumb. I just don’t think they understand. And I hate to say it, but many of their marriages will end in divorce.

& this is why, if I ever get married, I’ll either be in jeans at Vegas or wearing a dress that’s less than $100 in a church. & I’ll be JUST as married as those girls.

God made you and what He made was not a mistake.

(Originally posted on February 3, 2011 on my Tumblr.)

I realized something pretty profound today. I mean, it was always there in the back of my mind, but satan liked to keep it at bay.

God made me the way I am for a reason. It is not a mistake.

And these are some of the conclusions that I’ve come to of why God made me the way I am:

• I am not a super model, nor considered beautiful by society’s standards. Therefore, when someone gets to know me, it won’t be because of my artificial beauty. It’ll be because of the beauty within me. My future husband will love me, not my body.
• My acne also falls in this category of “people will love me for what’s inside.” I don’t want to know the people that view my acne as horribly ugly or think that because I have acne, I’m less of a person. Can you honestly say you’d want to know those kinds of people?
• Because of the way I am, I don’t look at people the same way society does. When satan isn’t creeping in, I see people for who they really are - not for their jean size or hair color or skin. You can be the most beautiful woman to the world, and be ugly to me because of what’s on the inside. I am able to look past how this world defines the way a person should look.

This list could go on and on, but it basically boils down to one point: God crafted me, mind and body, and what He made was NOT a mistake. Every one is different, and He created you the way you are for a reason. YOU ARE NOT A MISTAKE.

God loves you, and He loves everything about you. So love Him, and love yourself. God has a purpose for you and He isn’t giving up on you. You are beautiful, because you have the holy spirit within you. His beauty shines through you.

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

GOD LOVES YOU. HE MADE YOU. AND WHAT HE MADE IS BEAUTIFUL. <3