The wellspring of life...

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Proverbs 4:23  
  The New Living Translation says, "Guard your heart for it determines the course of your life." Your heart is the core of who you are. Its your inmost being. Its what you think about when you're alone, what you desire, and the definition of your true character. Your heart is a precious thing. Its purpose is to love... and to love deeply. Thats what it was made for. Since it has that characteristic to love and purity, there are so many things in this world that are after it. So many things that want your attention and want the essence of who you are, because once they have that... they have you. This is why its so crucial to guard your heart, above everything else. Its the most important area of your life... its YOU. God is after your heart, along with all of the other temporary pleasures of this world, but unlike the world, he gave up something so that He could have your heart. A gift of love in exchange for your heart... your essence.
  My realization of beauty in all of this is that your heart is a gem... a pure gem. It has value. Guard it. Watch what goes into it through your eyes and ears, because the things we watch and listen to have a way of changing the way we see and believe things. So don't let the things of this world tamper with it and scratch up your gem. Let God have first place. He longs for that position in your heart. The one that no other can fill, and this comes by giving Him your attention. It can start by simply acknowledging that He is there with you... and then continue to give Him your attention by talking to Him and spending time with Him. There is nothing more that God longs for than spending time with you, His beloved. He longs to romance you. He wants to win the key to your heart, by showing you that He already has through His Son.

With the sunrise...

  As I was driving to school this morning, I was trying to gather my thoughts and kick off the day to a good start. The night before had been a emotional roller coaster. My emotions from the past couple months seemed to come out in one night. While driving this morning I tried to pray ... I wanted to, but I didn't know how or what to say. I didn't know how to pray for the circumstances I was going through. I was so confused. I had so many questions. So with my swollen eyes and tired persona, I wondered if today would be any better. As the thought crossed my mind, I glanced to the east and caught a glimpse of the sun rising. There it was in its normal spot. Radiating the same beautiful colors. Serving the exact same purpose. It hadn't changed. And in that split second, God spoke to my heart and said, "Thats how I am." In that small moment of my crazy day, I was at peace. With those simple words, He showed me that He is faithful; he isn't going anywhere, and He showed me that He is bigger than anything I'm going through. As I was basking in the glory of that moment, I noticed the song playing in my car...

  The words of this song were exactly what I needed to hear. The moment was absolutely perfect. It felt like a movie... just how everything played out all at one time. God knew I needed a glimpse of His faithfulness in my life. So my point in all of this is that God is the same. He always has been and he always will be. He's not going anywhere. He doesn't want to. He wants to stay with you and help you in those times that seem impossible. His love for you doesn't change. Its not based on your performance or on your circumstances. Just because the going gets tough, God doesn't get going. He's right there holding your hand. Grab ahold. He's faithful until then end... and then some. Just like the sun rises in the east. He's there. No doubt about it.

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired of waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how to pray or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs and our aching groans."
Romans 8:26