Accomplished?

I have to admit, this accomplishment feels pretty awesome. Petunia is here, and in only a week I've had tons of support from friends, family, aquaintances, and even people I barely know who seem genuinely excited that I have a book published. I think I'm not even half as impressed with myself as most people seem to be, but I have been very encouraged by the positive response. I'm truly thankful to all of those who have been so supportive. Thank you all!

Being praised for this accomplishment, as nice as it is, also makes me realize how easy it is to stumble into thinking I've gained more value in this world because of it! Am I more accomplished now because I can call myself an "author" if I wanted to? I was only a "stay-at-home mom" before, so now what should I call myself? I was asked recently, "So what do you do, Erin? Is this what you do?" I said, "Well, I stay home with my daughter, I'm a stay-at-home mom," which, by the way, is the best "job" I've ever had! Anyway, the response to that was, "But what do you do? Is this what you do, write?" And I said, "Well sometimes, but this is my first published book." "So is this what you want to do?" Um, yeah, I'd love to have more books published. . .but I DO a lot of things, truth be told!

At Glacier National Park

I knew what was meant by the question, and it all came down to wanting to know what occupation I defined myself by. But I didn't have an answer for that. It's a strange thing in our culture, here in our country, to not be defined by a job or an occupation, as if the thing that you do encompasses all you are. After all, when meeting people the first thing you usually find out is what they do-what their job is. But I have to be honest, I personally have never aspired to any sort of a career. I've always enjoyed many things, but I never wanted a career or any specific job. Before my little family came along, I did a little of everything! I worked one summer at Glacier National Park cleaning hotel rooms and performing in their evening theater show; I traveled with Clear Vision Drama Company for over 3 years ministering to youth through drama; I was a bank teller, an assistant manager at a clothing store, and a coffee shop barista all within the same year.... and just as a side note, it's a good thing I took that pay cut to go to the coffee shop cuz that's where my future husband walked in looking for free wi-fi (not coffee) and found me! I guess my point in all this is, if I tried to define myself or find my identity in my occupation or my past job training, then I'd be a mess! I've struggled in the past, pressured by the wordly view that you need to have some sort of significant accomplishment or job title to be/feel important. But I've worked through that, especially when God blessed me with my little family. Being a wife to my wonderful husband, and a mother to my incredible daughter is the only thing I've "done" in my life that I feel I was made for. And that is out of the world's spotlight.

A bit of my dramatic side as silly little
 kid character "Renee" for Camp Josiah

I don't look to accomplishments, job titles, or opportunities to define myself anymore, nor do I seek my identity in them. I find my identy in my faith first, in my relationship with Jesus Christ, who made me and has a purpose for me. Who better to find your identity in than the person who created you and knows the plans and purposes He has for you? Until we know our identity can be found in Him, we will always be lost, trying to find it in other things or places or people.

I heard once from a pastor that God doesn't have just one thing for you in your life. He has something for you in your 20s, and something for you in your 30s, and then in your 40s, and 50s, and 60s and 70s and so on and so on.......for as long as He has you here, He has something for you. I love that because it reminds me that, for one, I'm not defined just by what I do, and that there isn't just one thing I'm supposed to "do" or "be." It also encourages me because I know that life with the Lord is always an adventure-an ongoing journey-full of many opportunities to love and serve and give and do and be many things. Jesus said, I have come to give you abundant life-but you need to invite Him in to your life and allow Him to lead you on that journey.

For now, I am excited for this chance to "do" some writing and to share that writing through a published work! I am grateful for the opportunity and I pray good things will come of it. But I don't want to define myself by it or get too caught up in it. I just want to be thankful for it. I want to keep my accomplishments in the proper perspective, and wake up everyday and say, "Okay Lord, here is something you've given me! Now what do you want me to do with it?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:10

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -Colossians 3:23-24

You can also read my blog and buy my book at my new website: www.erinsbooksandmore.com. Check it out!

Peaches, Purslane, and Petunia!

Yesterday was a day of "Ps" if you will. First, I learned a new thing. I canned peaches. The whole 6-hour process was new actually, from picking up the peaches at a local market, to blanching them, peeling, slicing, filling the jars, and getting them cooking in my canner, all the while referring back to my "canning peaches" instructions, assisting my 2-year old with her art project, and occasionally getting her down from her chair when she yelled "pottyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" (That could be the 4th "P" if I wanted to be really cutesy.) You should have seen this kitchen, it was a disaster zone! But by 9:30 pm it was cleaned up, and I had 8 quarts of canned peaches plus 1 ziploc bag full to throw in the freezer. Mission accomplished.

Then my husband came home from work and immediately set forth on his mission: finding and transplanting some purslane into our yard. For those of you who don't know what purslane is, get ready for some new wrinkles in your brain (when I was a kid I thought that learning something new meant that you got more wrinkles in your brain). My husband's latest passion has been looking up information on edible plants in the wild. He loves learning survival skills, and I think his greatest dream in life would be to get dropped off in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness like he was on that Survivor Man show. He'd have to survive on fish caught with spears and squirrels caught in deadfall traps. He'd live in tents made of sticks and leaves, and start fires with a piece of flint and a rock. I guess I wouldn't really want him to be in the Alaskan wilderness though....I did see "Into the Wild." Not cool. Anyhow, he is becoming quite the expert on what you can or can't eat that comes from the wild, or your own yard! Purslane, for instance, is considered a weed here in America, although most countries eat it because it is one of the most nutritional greens there is! We're talking Omega-3s, Vitamins A & C, iron, magnesium, potassium and more beta-carotene than spinach. Apparently it's good every which way you can eat it: raw in a salad, cooked up in a soup, or even pickled! It also seems to be everywhere once you start looking. After picking it at the park, my husband has now transplanted it in several locations in our yard so we will have free salad greens for years to come. Don't tell him I was accidentally pulling it up as a weed in our garden....

And finally, Petunia came in the mail! It's not the official, finished version of my book, but it is the final proof, which in essence is a true representation of what my book will look like. It's also my last chance to catch any obvious mistakes before they send it to the printer for the official version (to be out soon, this fall!). For those who haven't seen it yet, here is a picture of what the cover will look like. I am thrilled with how my book has turned out! My illustrator has done an incredible job at capturing the "essence" of Petunia. It is a small book, thin, and paperback, and I have to say I'm glad of it. It's simple and sweet, with a big message, and I like it that way. After all, the Lord's message to me all summer has been simplicity, and although I've had a difficult time simplifying, I think I am finally getting it! At first I thought that I needed to simplify my outward circumstances-which is always a good thing, especially when you find yourself overloaded and stressed-but now I'm starting to see that God wanted me to simplify my faith in Him, and to simplify my overwhelming expectations of myself. To briefly explain, I'm a goal-oriented person, and this summer I've had a lot of personal goals that I've just, honestly, flopped on. I've felt constantly disappointed in myself, and unfortunately I've translated that into wrongly thinking that God is disappointed in me as well. NO!! God has reminded me of that damaging lie, and to simplify my faith is to remember that I can't earn favor with my Lord! He loves me in an unchanging, unconditional way, and even if I do fail myself I don't fail Him! I was saved by God's grace-by what's He's already done rather than by what I can do-and that grace doesn't end, I just need to keep walking in it!

I could expand on all that, but I'll save it for another day. For now, I'm just amazed at how God can use anything to get a message through, even a little character named Petunia that I wrote over a year ago! He is faithful and will bring to completion every good work He has begun in you! (Philippians 1:6) He has also been faithful to bring to completion this book. And maybe I did fail on a lot of my other personal goals this summer, but I did get my peaches canned. Also, I'm pretty excited about those free super-greens in the back yard. So all in all, I'd say it was a great "P" day.

Hot, Tot, Spi-got!

I am looking out my kitchen window at our charming little tree that sits in our front yard, and I am wondering why, even though it is mid-Summer, the leaves are changing brown and orange already as if it is Fall. They should still be a blazing green. Even though it looks pretty, it is a little upsetting because it only reminds me of how horribly HOT it is outside. Today it happens to be a nice humid 102 degrees, and tomorrow we are expecting 104. It is hot-tot-spi-got, as my little family likes to say (but that's the only dorky saying of ours that I will divulge for now.....)! Even though I have lived here for almost 10 years, I still haven't gotten used to these Missouri summers. This summer has been hotter than normal, but I still miss the mild upper 70's and lower 80's of Northwest Washington State where I grew up!

On top of it all, my beautiful vegetable garden that I worked hard to prepare, and then planted and watered and weeded till my back got sore and my legs got eaten up by bugs (as you will remember from my previous post), has now almost completely burnt up because of this uncharacteristic heat. Needless to say, my high hopes for an abundant harvest have already been a bit dashed.

So yes, we've had a bit of a drought here in good ol' Missouri, and my poor little tree and garden are proof of that. Although I am remembering to praise through it (remember my last post?!) I have to admit that I've felt that drought this Summer in my own life as well. It's funny how the seasons and the weather can really match up with my life moods at times. Any one else relate? I can't say there has been anything "major" going on, and I praise God for that, but for some reason I've struggled for the past couple of months with just the everyday goings-on and routine; the nitty-gritty details of life; feeling off-center; struggling to meet my goals; feeling over-busy or over-distracted; and so on and so forth. And it seems at the end of each day I am worn out, dried out, and badly needing some renewal! So physically I have felt this drought, although I do believe that spiritually I am growing through it! God is still faithful, and if anything, I have taken this time to seek after Him, focus on my blessings by praising Him, and put forth extra effort to pray and be in the Word. After all, He is the Living Water that can quench my thirst and bring the refreshing rains to ease this drought! (See John 4:7-26, & John 7:37-38 for more on Jesus as our living water).

And really, that's all I have to share for now, nothing too profound. I'm not completely out of the drought yet, and Missouri still has a while to go before these hot summer days subside and I can bask in the coolness and beauty of Fall. And that's just the thing--life is made up of seasons. Even in our own circumstances we experience the freshness of Fall, sometimes the barrenness of Winter, the joy and newness of Spring, and sometimes the drought of Summer. In every season though, make it your purpose to seek the Lord, whether things are going good or bad. Praise Him through it all. In every season or circumstance of life we can choose to turn away from God, or turn toward Him. When you turn toward Him and begin to know Him, you know that there is a purpose for every season under Heaven, and that He has the best things planned for you if you would just trust Him with your life (Jeremiah 29:11). The Lord wants you to rest and enjoy the good times, and He wants you to grow and learn in the tough times. He wants to walk with you, guide and direct you, and uphold you--you just have to allow Him to. And He already loves you!

Let Him be the refreshing rains of your life, and be encouraged today wherever you are at!

 But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
   whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
   its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
   and never fails to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8

Frogs and Bunnies, and the Power of Praise!

"Dear Jesus, thank you for trees and stuffed animals!"

Lately we have been teaching our daughter to name two things during our meal-time prayer that she is thankful for. I don't know if she really grasps the meaning of being "thankful" yet, since she is only two and a half, but her answers always delight me. Today she said, "Thank you for a family, and for cold, warm, and hot food!" Sometimes she mentions things she was playing with that day--"thank you for puzzles, books, and toys"--but most of the time it is just random things--"thank you for frogs and bunnies" or "thank you for trees and stuffed animals!" A couple times she has melted my heart by saying "thank you for mommy and daddy!" Oh, the joy and excitment in a child when they think about all the things they like, enjoy, and are thankful for. They don't seem to have the capacity to dwell on the negative for very long, only the positive! I think this is one of those times where my daughter is teaching me something when I thought I was teaching her something. Maybe I should do this as well--name several things every day, throughout the day, that I am thankful for to keep focused on my blessings!

I've discovered that bright and early in the morning is when a battle for the mind seems to take place, and the thoughts that start to form in my head early on are the ones that can form a day for good or bad. For some reason, it is much too easy to start a day with negative thoughts and feelings, and from there they become a tidal wave that can completely consume you. Yesterday, for instance, was not a good day. Looking back, there was nothing huge or life-shattering that happened to make it a bad day. It was just a bunch of little everyday things that added up. I didn't sleep well, had too much to do all day, had a cranky 2-year old, the weather was hot and uncomfortable, had lots of messes to clean up, dinner took way too long, and by 8 pm when I was ready to crash (since I'd been going non-stop since 6 am) I realized I needed to work in my garden for the last bit of daylight I had. So I begrudgingly weeded my garden and checked my plants, all the while getting eaten up by bugs. By the end of the day I felt like I missed out on enjoying my family, and I didn't get to stop and rest. I also knew, however, that my thoughts weren't centered on praise, but rather complaining. When that happens there is no doubt it is going to be a bad day!

Just like there is "power in prayer," there is also power in praise and thanksgiving--in remembering the Lord and all He's given--and focusing on that each day. When you wake up first thing in the morning, think about what you are thankful for. Be genuine, be specific, and be random and silly like a 2-year old if need be! When something comes along to challenge your day and potentially ruin it, focus on praise. This isn't just a "power of positive thinking" type of excercise. This is genuinely taking the time to refocus your thoughts on the Lord, and then giving Him the thanks and praise He is always worthy of! When you do that in all sincerity, you start to see what you have rather than what you are lacking. I've known people whose lives lack joy because they never have positive things to say about anything. Their lives are full of blessings, but they can't see it because they are always focused on what they don't have rather than what they do have, or on what is going wrong rather than what is going right. On the other hand, I recently read a story where a man's life was changed for the better when he started making a conscious effort to recognize his blessings, and then go out of his way to thank people through letters, emails, gifts, or anything else.

So what are you thankful for? Recognize what you have and say thanks for it! Start and end your day with remembering the Lord and praising Him for all He has done for you!

Taking my own advice, I sat in that garden last night, exhausted and hot, bug bites covering my legs, and I thanked the Lord for the space and resources to even have a garden. I thanked Jesus for the miracle of the seed, and how a huge harvest of food can grow from one tiny little seed! I thanked Him for my zucchini and tomatoes that are starting to grow, and for the satisfaction that comes from growing my own food--even if it means late night weeding sessions in the garden with all my bug friends. He just reminded me to use bug spray next time.

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Be Patient, Petunia!

Since part of the original purpose of this blog was to tell the progress of my book, I thought it was high time I gave a quick update. My book is finishing up month 3 of production, with 3 more months to go. That means it's half-way done! I have officially finished the editing phase and will be entering illustration, layout and design. Actually, as I am writing this blog I just received my "Welcome to Illustration" email from Tate! This part is the one that I am most nervous and excited about, since I will finally have a "face" for my story. Since I am definitely not an illustrator, I am thankful that Tate Publishing has their own team of illustrators and that this is just one of the normal parts of children's book production for them. They are experts at this, so I believe I am in good hands! For now, all I can offer is the official title of the book and the backmatter/teaser of the book for a taste of what's to come! Here goes:

Be Patient, Petunia by Erin Butler

"Petunia is caring and kind, but very impatient! Nothing goes the way Petunia wants it to because she doesn’t like to wait. With fun rhyming and a memorable character, this delightful story illustrates one of the fruits of the spirit: patience. Discover how good things come to those who patiently wait in Be Patient, Petunia!"

Fun, huh?! As I go through this process, which is a totally new world for me, I am continually reminded of God's goodness and grace. I give Him all the credit for everything in my life, and I want this effort to be something that brings glory and thanksgiving to Him as well. It's too easy to take what we have--whether resources or opportunities or relationships or whatever--and keep them for ourselves, moving forward in our own effort to make something that would be self-serving. After all, these are the values of our culture--glory and success and comfort for ourselves no matter the cost; the whole "me, myself, and I" syndrome as I like to call it. It's hard to not think like that. And I'm not trying to say it's bad to have high goals and strive for success, but ultimately, if we are doing it just for our own selves then what does it amount to? We need to measure "success" through the eyes of our Creator, our Father who loves us unconditionally and knows what is best for us. When we are walking with Him, loving Him and loving others (the greatest commandments according to Jesus), then our life couldn't be more successful. And then, if we give Him back everything we've been given--people, resources, opportunities, and so on--then He can do immeasurably more with them than we could even ask or imagine. That's what I desire! So instead of asking myself, "What do I want?" I've tried to start asking, "Lord, what do you want for me? What do you want me to do with all you've given me?" It's quite liberating, really.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are encouraged today!

Peace Like a River

 

Here's something I wrote a few years back after coming back from a date with my hubby. I felt inspired to write what the Lord was teaching me through him that night. It's quite a bit longer than my usual entries, but I hope you are uplifted and encouraged!

Peace Like a River

By Erin Butler

We are so different.

I am watching my husband; admiring him really. He is standing only shin-deep in a quiet, cold river, gently casting his fly rod back and forth, back and forth, fishing for small trout in the dark of a winter night. The brightly illuminated moon ripples in the reflection of the slowly moving water and casts a brilliant light into this winter night sky. There’s hardly a sound, except the occasional car driving over the nearby dam, or the flap of wings from a rising heron, alarmed by some quiet, unknown reason and moved to sudden flight. The dark blue sky is so clear that each and every white star seems to stand out in the perfect, serene stillness. It is so beautiful, so peaceful…and so cold!

My husband is lost in his simple pleasure of fishing, and although I’ve never shared in this kind of pleasure in my own past, I love to be here with him, watching him, learning from him, and just being a part of something he delights in so completely. He smiles back at me often as I stand nearby on the edge of the water. I sing a little into the night, and occasionally stop and take pictures of the few brown or rainbow trout he has caught before he lets them go again. As I stand there watching and waiting and admiring, I let my mind wander a bit (as it so often does anyhow) and I find myself contemplating this obvious conclusion: we are so different.

I know this kind of observation couldn’t be less profound. There are the obvious externals: He is male, I am female. We are different. Or there is the whole issue of temperature—I’m cold-natured (not to be mistaken with cold-blooded!) and he is quite the opposite. For example, here I stand in this chilly winter air, ridiculously cold, looking like a blob all bundled up. I have to laugh at myself every time I imagine what I must look like—big and ridiculous! Of course Aaron thinks I look cute, so I’m okay with it. And then there is him, clad only in his long-sleeve shirt and hooded sweatshirt over top. That’s it! He has waders on that go over his shoulders and buckle in the front, and he is standing in what I imagine to be freezing water, reaching in frequently with his bare hands to touch the cold, slimy fish. Did I mention that I am still shivering and he looks as comfortable as can be?

So, yeah, obviously we are different. But that’s not what I’m referring to; not our obvious differences. There is something more, something deeper I’m getting at. There is something in him—his demeanor and his calm—that I admire and that I so often long for. As I watch him, as I observe him in this place and the whole environment, I can see that he is completely and utterly covered with a Peace…some unearthly and all-consuming Peace. It seems as if no cares or concerns of life could even touch him, as if they all disappear the moment he steps into this place.

And then something else hits me. This is worship for him—worship of our Almighty Creator—just being here.  This is prayer for him, just being here. He doesn’t even have to say anything. For him, being surrounded by God’s glorious creation, even in the dead of night and in the dark cold of winter, doing something he has loved and that has partially defined him since he was a kid, this is his communion with the Lord. Peace.

I wonder about this, how this place can affect him in such a way. On the contrary, my thoughts hardly shut down. Even in a glorious setting as this—and I do love nature—it seems to take a little more effort on my part to be where he is. I try to breathe in deep and look all around me and take it all in. I say a little prayer and sing some worship songs, but I am not immersed in that same peace and calm that I see in my wonderful husband. At the moment I am actually thinking about how cold my toes are! Or more often I am wondering about my latest worry or contemplating my schedule for the next day. I am here, but he is here, fully, mind and body and spirit. And I find myself mesmerized simply by that. And it makes me enjoy these surrounding a little bit more. More than anything it makes me long to taste that kind of peace. I want to be in this moment like he is, leaving my tomorrows to the Lord, as He tells us to, and living fully each moment I am blessed to have.

Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.” I think of this verse, a favorite of mine that reminds me where my heart and head should be when it gets lost in the foggy confusion of other things. Peace comes to those who remain steadfast in the Lord. Steadfast—what a full word, encompassing so much. This is to be unwavering, unfaltering, persistent, committed, dedicated, unswerving, firm, loyal, dependable, devoted, constant, faithful…and so much more. I can’t help but realize, so suddenly and so clearly, that this is exactly how the Lord is to us. It is how this river is.

This is also my husband—so strong, solid, and unwavering. I think that he must understand something about the Lord’s will, that it is lived out each day, one day and one step at a time. He knows how to do this, and how to leave his tomorrows to the Lord. He may not even realize it, but I see it. And I desire that trait for myself. Elizabeth Elliott wrote, “The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived, not always looked forward to as though the ‘real’ living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.”

So my thoughts continue: if is just today for which we are responsible, just today that we have in front of us—and only the Lord knows how many more tomorrows we have—then why not squeeze as much juice out of it, so to speak, as we can? I believe each day has so much to offer, even in our monotonous, everyday routine. There are moments to be lived, memories to be made, chances to bless others, and the joy of being blessed ourselves! There is so much beauty all around us, in the simple things of our lives and the grand things of Creation.  How much do we see, recognize, appreciate, and offer praise for? How much do we miss? How much life are we wasting with worry, frustration, bitterness, or unforgiveness? And how steadfast are we in the Lord, who gives us this Life? Is our energy focused on what truly matters?

My husband knows what matters. None of his life is wasted. He knows how to live it, simply, unaffectedly, and he’s teaching me to do the same. And now there is this moment—this cold night and my frozen feet and the winter chill on my nose and his beautiful smiling face that warms me up completely despite this frosty atmosphere—and this is exactly it! Abundant and perfect Peace! It is one of those precious life moments that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss. I whisper a prayer, my heart finally feeling rest. I want for nothing in this moment. This is Life, life with the Lord and with the gift of my husband, and I don’t ever want to waste it.

You Are Loved!

My husband sings these great songs to our 2 year old daughter at night during her bedtime routine. Not just cutsie kid songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Rock-a-Bye Baby," but these beautiful worship songs like "The Color Green" or "Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins. Our daughter actually requests these songs and even knows the words! It's awesome to hear her sing things like,

"Be praised for all Your tenderness
by these works of Your hands,
suns that rise and rains that fall to
bless and bring to life Your land.
Look down upon this winter wheat
and be glad that You have made,
blue for the sky and the color green
that fills these fields with praise." -Rich Mullins, The Color Green

Anyway, listening to them both sing those songs led me on a little journey last week that began with my husband and I spending an hour or so just looking up videos of Rich Mullins on YouTube. My huband has always been a fan of Rich Mullins, a Christian music artist who died in 1997. Anyone who's been to church most likely knows of his famous "Step by Step" and "Awesome God" songs. As we sat and watched music videos and old interviews from the early 90's, I was so uplifted and encouraged, and I felt that the Lord was speaking to me through this man who has been gone for over 10 years! God was reminding me of His unconditional, unchanging love for me. At one point the interviewer asked Rich, "So have you found a peace in knowing that God loves you just as you are?" Rich responded, "One of the things I struggle the hardest with is believing that God really loves me. It's too good to believe, but it's true...." He goes on to say that the essence of the whole Bible when you break it all down is just that: that God loves you very much, and in fact, He's crazy about you! We may not understand it but it's true. And as the interviewer responded, if you can believe that, it changes everything!

Isn't it true that we doubt God's love for us, or that we don't really believe it at all? And if we do believe it, don't we sometimes live as if we are trying to win His approval when we already have it? That's where I struggle a bit, almost unconsiously sometimes. I think there's a misconception (or rather a damaging lie) among people that you have to have your act together, and fix all your issues, before you can come to God. Or, with Christians who are already walking in a relationship with the Lord, we sometimes think we have to keep earning God's love and favor, as if the more we "do," or the more noble our work and service is to others earns us brownie points with God. When we mess up or feel like a failure, we feel we are disappointing God. But it's not about us. God doesn't love us because of us, because of how worthy we are (we can never be worthy enough). He loves us because of Him.

The fact is, we can't do anything to earn God's love and favor, He just loves us. He wants us to come to Him now, as we are and not as we should be. We are God's creation, His children, and what good parent doesn't love their child with an unexplainable love? Our children don't need to earn our love, we just love them, and we want to give them good things! Same with God, except our imperfect love as human parents can never ever compare in the least to the perfect love of our Father God! The Bible says He IS Love. So, in light of that, and in light of Easter just passing (when we celebrate the proof of His love in Jesus Christ) you need to know today that you are loved with an everlasting, eternal love. And whether you can explain it or not, it's true. Some things just call for acceptance. Instead of doubting it, let's embrace it and let the incredible reality of it change our lives!

When I read the words of Rich Mullins' song once again, I am reminded that God's love is displayed all around us all the time, in the "suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land," and in all the works of His hands. And when I hold my baby girl and she sings those songs back to me, I know I can't ever doubt God's love as I am surrounded by it in that moment! God loves you!  So, do you believe it? As Rich Mullins put it, "To the degree that you believe it, it changes everything!"

(For more of that Rich Mullins interview go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIAN29H4T-o)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. -1 John 4:9-10