Thrive

1-23-13

God,

You are all that I’m made for.  I’m not made to excel in school, to make music, or to take pictures.  I’m made to worship you, to enjoy a relationship with you that surpasses all understanding.  Right now, I’m stressed by the amount of work I have to do.  Really stressed; I know I’m going to be up pretty late because of it.  But Lord, I wanted to spend this time with you.  I shouldn’t have to find time for you in the midst of schoolwork. I should base my schoolwork around my time with you.  Because I know my time with you is more rewarding and refreshing than anything.  Yeah, I’m gonna be tired as mess when I wake up tomorrow.  But Oh God, this is worth it.  I can’t live without time with you.  I mean, I can survive but I can’t live, thrive.  I need you or my life is colorless.  Your beauty penetrates my life and sets it aflame with Peace and Joy.  Lord, I pray for that peace and joy right now.  Strengthen me. 

You’re worth this :)

Mark

Closer

Quotes in Mark's Summer 2012 Journal


These are things he felt God impressing/saying to him:

Dear One, this is only a fraction of what’s to come.  Keep your eyes open.

 Mark, I want you to see me.

No matter how well you think you know Me, I will always be able to amaze you even further. 

A quote he liked:

“I want to be a freaking revolution.  I want to ruffle feathers.  I want to burn with holiness.  I want to offend society by my existence.  I want my hands to heal and cast out demons.  I want to die a lover of God, going closer than anyone has ever dared.”

--Ariel of Icon for Hire

 

Potential

May 27, 2014

Every day has the potential to be incredible if I would choose to love.

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, and to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

He does not retain his anger forever,

Because he delights in steadfast

Love

Micah 7:18b

God does not have to love.  He isn’t forcing himself to love.  He delights in loving me.  Because truly, I’m beautiful to him. 

Unfair

6-19-12 

Right now, I’m staring at the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.  I’m 40,000 feet above the ground, and it’s 7:48 PM.  I’m on a flight from Miami to Washington D.C., coming home from the two-week Nicaragua trip. 

It’s a sunset.  Rays of light fill my eyes and blast the sky and the Atlantic Ocean below with golden light.  There is no land in sight, only water and sky.  Puffy clouds of all shapes and sizes dot the scene far below, lit on fire by yellow beams.  The ocean miles beneath me is laughing joyfully painted with the sun’s reflection.  Shadows are cast across the canvas by the sun exploding over the clouds...

...I’m staring into that blinding light right now, while what I should be looking at is utter, crippling darkness.   “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What I’m talking about here is grace.  I did not choose God, I chose me.  I chose my way, so that I may have fleeting pleasures that have no worth.

But God chose me. 

He looked at me and didn’t find something about me that was better than other people.  I was no more righteous than any other man, because we are not righteous in ourselves.  God bestowed righteousness upon me, though he found no merit or love for him.  God ripped me from the grasp of Satan and said to me that He is so much better, so much brighter than anything I could ever comprehend. 

And he was so, so, so right. 

My dreams can’t rival this.  My deepest thoughts cannot create anything as incredible as the scene that’s bestowed up me.

I’m wondering right now: If this broken, fallen world can have this much of God’s beauty in it, what will the New Earth be like?  An Earth purged of selfishness, of corruption, of pain?  I’ll definitely need a new body in order to stand before that because I’m pretty sure the one I’m in now would explode if I saw anything more beautiful than what I’m already looking at. 

All I know is this: Trouble will come.  I will cry, I will hurt, I will break.  But the Lord of the sky will always, ALWAYS be by my side.  He will always be amazing me beyond the boundaries I try to put Him in. 

I just can’t believe the Lord of the sunset loves ME.  I mean, of course I believe it, but it’s just so….so unfair.  Fair equals me never seeing a sunset.  But “the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair.”  I am so, so thankful for that. 

Your Love is Strong

1-22-12

Father,

Your love is strong.  You show your love for me, for the world, through an uncountable amount of blessings.  Lately, I’ve been sitting down and writing down a lot of those blessings.  It’s amazing how many there are.

Thank you for loving me, God.  I,a sinner, who lived in death.  You died for me; you took those lashes; you wore those thorns.  It’s amazing, the sacrifice you made.  I’ll never be able to fully understand it.  I wish I somehow could so that I could be more thankful to you.  You are the most precious gift, the most powerful sacrifice, the most courageous King.

Thank you. 

                       

                                                                        Mark R

Blessings of Perfect Light

6-14-12

“Gratitude is an attitude leading to peace.”

Lord,

It’s incredible how blessed we are but it’s astounding how easily we can ignore that.  Your blessings are a part of your grace.  We have done nothing to deserve them.  Yet somehow, we turn away from the beautiful things you hold out to us because of a love of ourselves.  The product of this?  Discontent, sorrow, longing, anger, murder, death, sexual immorality.  We seek our own blessings that we build of broken darkness instead of your blessings of perfect light.  What are the results of your blessings?  Peace, joy, contentment, laughter, giving.  “Our” blessings only result in evil, but yours result in perfect good.  And in that goodness we have peace.  We go to sleep knowing you love us, we rise with excitement to see your beauty in new ways.  The product of this peace is joy, which is like water.  It flows through our actions, our thoughts our lives.  May that joy flow out of our *team today, Lord.  May that joy give us hearts to serve and love others.  Reveal to each member of the team your blessings, so that we may live with a spirit of peace. 

I love you,

Mark

* Mark was in Nicaragua with the Norfolk Christian Missions Team. 

Giant Love Plan

May 26, 2014 ?

What an idea that the Lord would store up surprises, blessings of love for me throughout the day.  And what an idea that He’d be excited for me to find them. 

OH, SEEK ME FIRST CHILD, AND I WILL GUIDE YOU INTO A LIFE BEAUTIFUL BEYOND IMAGINING.*

Every blessing is a love song.  And I am oh so blessed.

Oh to think of this giant love plan at work.  

*Note:  Mark wrote in all caps when he felt it was something God was impressing on him.