He Sees Mended

When you see broken beyond repair 

I see healing beyond belief

When you see too far gone

I see one step away from home

When you see nothing but damaged goods
I see something good in the making
I'm not finished yet
When you see wounded, I see mended

I see my child, my beloved
The new creation you're becoming
You see the scars from when you fell
But I see the stories they will tell

You see worthless, I see priceless
You see pain, but I see a purpose 

You see unworthy, undeserving
But I see you through eyes of mercy

Excerpt from Mended//Matthew West

Brokenness will abound in a heart that's been hurt more times than you can remember. Mistakes may seem endless, so much so that you've lost count. Thoughts of a life lacking purpose may fill your head.

The past can be haunting. It may be painful just to think about.

Maybe you feel like your heart is too broken to be fixed. That your life is too messed up to get back up again. And definitely too messed up to be loved by a good God.

Scratch that.
                  not too broken                                 never too messed up
Your heart is too broken to be fixed. Your life is too messed up to get back up again. And definitely too messed up to be loved by a good God. 
not too messed up

At the foot of the cross is sacrificial love and never-ending mercy. Jesus died so that our broken hearts could be repaired. He gave up His life so that the punishment for our sin would be laid upon Him instead. We don't have to live thinking that God doesn't love us or that we are too messed-up and sinful to even think that He cares about us because Jesus would've died for no reason then. It doesn't matter who has made more mistakes--sin is sin in the eyes of God. 

You're not too far gone. Your heart is not too hurt to be restored. There is healing in the name of Jesus. There is restoration; there is purpose. There is worth. 

Just like Matthew West sings in his song, "Mended", God is not finished yet. We may stray from Him and live according to our own desires, but He can use our mistakes and our bad experiences and transform them for His glory, if only we let Him. He can use the hurt, the damage, all of the brokenness from the experiences and relationships in our past, and bring good again. He is the healer of our scars and of our hurts. When we see no purpose, when we see pain, when we see broken beyond relief...

He sees purpose. He sees something good in the making. He sees healing beyond belief. 

He is not finished yet. Your past is not too big for God. You are not too tough of a case for Him to handle. He finds joy in making new. The mercies and freshness of the morning each day is proof. He can use your mistakes and hurts and create a testimony. He can revive a hurting heart and bring back joy and peace and life again. 

When we see wounded, He sees mended. He can repair your broken heart. He can restore your messed-up life.

He sees us through eyes of mercy. That's why Jesus died. That's the result of His love for us.

His unending, relentless, crazy love. 

My heart has been mended by the cross--
Because of the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. 

Yours can be too. 

Refilled Hearts

There's nothing like seeing self-filled hearts being emptied and refilled to the brim by the Holy Spirit. There is so much beauty in seeing souls washed clean by the grace of Jesus Christ and being transformed into one that reflects His love. What influence it has on our spirits when we smell the pleasant scent of His fruit in the lives of others!

Recently God has been revealing stories of broken, messed-up people, like the rest of us, whose lives have been restored through the power of Jesus. It's been so uplifting to hear such stories, so moving and so powerful. God is preparing my heart for what He has in store as He reveals these stories and uses me in ways I never would've imagined.

If you've been praying for someone and it's beginning to look hopeless, don't give up. God is moving. His power is so much stronger, so much greater, than even the hardened hearts of those whom we could never imagine coming to know Christ. There is no life too broken, too shattered, that God can't put the pieces back together again.
Sometimes when it seems like God is the most silent, that's when He is doing the most.

Image via Pinterest

If you've never experienced the transforming power of Jesus, you're missing out! You're never too far gone to do so now. Give it all to Him, and accept the sacrifice He gave so willingly on the cross. His blood cleanses us; His resurrection defeated sin and death. Declaring His power as the Son of God, we are given the opportunity to have new lives through Him.

I'm in awe.

Jesus transforms lives. Jesus refills hearts.
And it's been faith-strengthening and inspiring to hear.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 
2 Corinthians 5:17

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Blessings (Ramblings of this High School Graduate)

God is so good.

Since high school graduation night (yes, I'm officially a high school graduate!), things have been crazy as well as exciting, beyond what I ever imagined. God has been showering me with blessings upon blessings, and I honestly don't deserve it!

I walked away on May 27th with my high school diploma, as well as several scholarships and the honor of being my senior class salutatorian. I had twenty-four hours to write a speech yet He gave me the words and filled my heart with the most peace I've ever had before speaking in front of people (especially several thousand!). That weekend, He provided the most supportive friends and the best celebration that was beyond what I expected as we celebrated this big milestone in my life.

The following weekend, I spent time celebrating my friend's birthday at Universal and then a week or two later, I went aboard a Disney cruise with another friend and her family. Nothing like being treated like royalty and a week away from everyday life! Returning back to reality, God has opened doors with a writing internship as well as been bringing new opportunities with a Bible study, new friends, and fun celebrations. 

As I write this, I just finished an amazing weekend at Freedom Fest, where I worshiped Jesus with Matthew West, Britt Nicole, Tenth Avenue North, and many more artists...and if you know me, you know I'm crazy about Christian concerts and worship time! It was such a blessing meeting one of my favorite bands, Anthem Lights, a couple of times, and I may have appeared calm on the outside but I was absolutely a wreck on the inside! Most of all, God spoke to my heart about trusting in Him as I approach this next stage of life, that as He tugs on my heart and leads me towards certain directions, I must not only trust that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength, but that His power is strong enough to help me do whatever He leads me to do. That may mean getting out of my comfort zone, but I'm learning to trust in the limitless power He has placed within me.

God is so faithful. But as I look back on all these blessings and more that He has been pouring into my life, I see the importance of surrender. My faith hasn't been at its strongest, yet He still provides as I surrender everything to Him. Every test, every scholarship, just the possibility of being salutatorian, and every single one of these events was given to Him. It was no longer mine, but His. There is power in giving every part of your life to God. There is power in surrender. Because when you declare that it is no longer yours, but in the hands of the Creator who spoke the universe into existence and raised Jesus from the dead, you can be sure that good things are on its way. You can be sure that God will bring the best.

Wherever you are at in life, even if you feel forgotten by God, even if you feel like life isn't so good right now and it's been hard to see any good thing, give it to Him. He may not bring you exactly what you want, but He can transform your broken heart and the broken parts of your life and turn it into something beautiful. He can take a broken perspective and speak clarity into your life. Before long, you might just be seeing blessings. Before long, you might just be seeing God's hand in your life.

I have experienced nothing less than that.

Where's the Compassion?

Where's the compassion for His creation? Is it running dry in humanity, buried deep within the hearts of many, so far and so hard to reach? Is it no longer a norm to care so deeply? Could it be that we have abandoned the dominion God originally intended for us to have over the animals? If we're made in His image, and He cares about His creation, weren't we born to do the same?

Where's the compassion?

After volunteering at the animal shelter, I have seen it again and again. Lack of compassion in humanity, a constant willingness to neglect and give up the animals they once declared part of their family. It's heartbreaking, and it's hard. Dogs being thrown off trucks, puppies grown up and no longer wanted, cats surrendered because their owner is going on vacation. When there's no remorse or regret, no compassion in hand, it's so difficult to witness.

And it's not just animals. Everyday, we see stories on the news---stories of murder, stories of abuse, stories of horrible actions and ones that show once again the compassion that is slowly escaping our hearts.

I believe that it's time for a movement of compassion again in this world. Just like our Creator loves His creation, I believe that we are called to take care and to love them as well.


Commit an act of compassion today. Help someone in need. Give your pet a little extra love, and remember the gift that they are to your life. And please, oh please, consider adopting or fostering at your local shelter. Every year, several million animals lose their life, and I believe it stems from the lack of compassion in our hearts and the mistakes we make as humans in caring for the creation in our lives...leading to overcrowded shelters who often have no choice.

Look at His creation today and take the time to act with compassion. It may not change your life, but you might just be changing theirs!