The Beauty of Service; The Joys of His Love

Hello again! I got back from my trip the 14th. It was an incredible experience, and I am so psyched to do another one in the future! I helped out with the VBS, shared my testimony, made incredible friendships with incredible people, and really grew closer with Jesus.

I've been satisfied with simply sitting home quiet with Him, and debriefing after the trip. Simply relaxing and enjoying home. I enjoy it, and it's a great way to grow closer to Him, as well as grow more acquainted with myself.

A big lesson I learned on the trip was how roughly I treated myself. Before the trip, I let the views that other people had of me reflect on how I viewed myself. This trip really dug into the lesson that I have a purpose. I'm not a mistake, and God has plans for me to serve. And He has blessed me with a servant's heart, for I am really enjoying it. I never thought I would, but He has been surprising me, by the work He has been doing in me. I am definitely a work in progress, but there are signs of His work, and they are encouraging me. :)

There are many worldly mantras of how we should love ourselves and take care of ourselves. While that does hold some truth, I believe that rather than loving ourselves, we should let God love on us and take care of us! Considering God created us, I think He knows what we need even more than we do. :) He is our Abba, our heavenly Papa, and He enjoys loving on us. The love that we accept from Him, we can more freely give to others. A beautiful, heavenly cycle that I want to continue.

So I've been taking time quiet; knitting, listening to music, writing, and reading His promises - letting Him love on me as I do these tasks. I've tried drawing and painting, but I'm sort of at an artist's block! :( People encounter those, right? I'll try and press through it, but no pressure. I hope to buy some paints soon; paintings always gets me excited about art.

My trip was a time to serve God, but I got so much in return. As I continue blogging, I will continue sharing what I've learned and experienced. Those two weeks were amazing; I was so blessed to be supported by my amazing church and prayed for by countless people! It's been great seeing them again and spending time with them, too. :)

In Christ,

The Artistic Believer