Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an  inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

"Dear God,
Please help me to find joy in the little things so that I can make it through the big things.
Love Andy"

an added dimension to love.

When I was younger my grandfather took my on a bike ride through the country. He stopped me dead in my tracks and pointed at a bird that was singing- neck stretched out warbling into the sky.

We stared and listened for a very long time untill he slowly turned around still resting on his bike and said to me, "Andrea the birds didn't have to sing beautifully like that, God could have given them other methods to communicate with each other but He chose for them to sound beautiful because He loves us and wants us to enjoy life a little more every day as we are blessed by their song..."

"and I realized this is what love is supposed to feel like"

I tend to fear. ALOT. I fear that I will spend my days in fear. I feel like if I make one wrong move my heart will dislodge from my life source (Jesus). But as the song below says "and I often worried if I let you go one of us would die..and I realized that's what love is supposed to feel like".

No more fear.

Now I just run full speed into life understanding that I'm falling in love with my creator and letting Him love me might be a bit scary but I don't mind anymore because perfect love casts out all fear...

This is me some days. My exterior displays that I am salt but really I am pepper on the inside- don't read into it too much its only that most of the time I never display my true self and that seems like a shame. God made me exactly the way He wanted to- who am I to fight it? Besides where would life be without pepper and salt- pretty mono-tasted, if you will. Lets start a revolution where we all be true to our natures and see where God can take us. Our personality is not our flaw it is the tool with which God will love into His divine will.

how to eat an elephant...

Today I shovelled the drive way. It was four inches thick and it rained buckets the entire time. For some reason this drive way represented everything I had ever struggled with, all the mountains I tried to climb but seemingly failed.
I remember what a wise man once asked me, "Andrea, how do you eat an elephant?" his reply, "one bite at a time."
With every scoop and heave of snow I heard in my head "how do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time; how do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time...."

Eventually I finished the driveway. It took me two hours and one large toll on my back but I felt like I had accomplished something great- the realization that little bit after little bit I can get through anything. Its strange how God requires nothing but faith from us but sometimes its like trying to eat an elephant. Accepting that Christ died for me once and for all- for every sin (even today's, even tomorows') sometimes takes the same effort as eating an elephant. Bit by bit truth is consumed until you have consumed the whole thing and have accomplished something great- that is- the realization of Christ's unconditional love for me that is without effort to receive and completely free.