Ok where to start? Have had a lot on my mind and on my heart lately. God has really been placing the persecuted church on my heart lately and to pray for them. Also challenging me in my faith, would I be willing to suffer for His name sake? Thats a hard question. I don't know that I can for sure say yes, but I pray that if it happened the Holy Spirit would strengthen me and I could trust that His plan is better than my own. I think we have to remember that life is like a mosaic. All the things we go through are little pieces. Some are beautiful, fun colors, others are ugly and not our favorite. But when the picture is complete, it makes a masterpiece that is beautiful beyond words.(didn't make this analogy up, but I love it and will always remember it) When was the last time you prayed for your brothers and sisters in Christ that are suffering? I know I definitely could use more time of my time praying for them instead of worrying about my tiny little problems.

I have also been realizing that I am not a vulnerable person. I don't like having my guard down for fear of being hurt. I think that I feel like I have to earn people's love or that if they find out what really goes on in my heart, they won't love me anymore or want to be around me. So this makes vulnerability a very scary thing for me. Not really sure what to do with all of this yet, but I guess the first step is realizing the problem. God is just doing a lot in me and its good. 

Also learning patience in my desires. God knows the things that my heart desires and he will fulfill them in HIS way, in HIS time, not mine. I need to trust that. I want to be single-mindedly focused on Him and the things that He wants for me. 

Also have been fully overwhelmed by the gospel and the cross lately. So amazing to think of what he did for me. That I could live with Him in eternity. All for His glory...have been reading and working to memorize Isaiah 53 with my housemates. Its such a powerful passage. Its overwhelming to think about what He did for us...