Beautiful
"You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful"
Today's Ethos was Carter Idon'trememberhislastname, founder of the body in Asheville. There was something about him that I liked immediately, but couldn't figure it out. As he recounted his life story, it started hitting me where it counted. Eventually, he got to his encounter and awakening to agape love. That's when I understood it - I had never before met someone who loved completely and unconditionally. I thought I was going to cry. After he'd finished his story and Marc had opened up the floor for comments, I decided to be the brave one and thank him for his story... and that's when the tears started. I don't think I even finished the thank you before I couldn't talk any more and all I could do is smile. Hell, even now I can't do much more than smile, more than an hour later. I've never been so moved in my life. It's... It's as if he took my hand, looked me in the eye, and told me "no matter what you feel like, you don't need to prove yourself to anyone" and it was true. If the ONE can love me... no. not can. if the ONE loves me, if I can not possibly do anything to influence the love ONE has for me... then what need have I to prove myself to anyone here on Earth?
It's as Carter said. We've been taught our whole lives that we have a ledger book of all we've done, and the forgiveness shown by Jesus reset it to zero, so we need to work to bring it to the positive. But it isn't like that. the ONE has given us an infinitely positive ledgerbook, and nothing we can do could possibly change that, let alone decrease it.
when I came home afterward, I just couldn't hide anymore. I stripped myself of everything, of all my protective coverings, both physical and spiritual... and I could feel it. I can still feel it. If I bother looking, I'm absolutely aglow with it. I'm silver with love. I'm shimery. I'm overflowing.
Carter said it's as if our cups have been turned upside down our whole lives, so the love that G-d pours down on us cannot be captured. But when we turn our cups rightside up...
I am beautiful. I am whole. I am .... I am.
"But the greatest thing of all is love."
On the playlist: Bethany by Bethany Dillon, Stand Back Up by Sugarland, Running Away by Midnight Hour, Brass Bed by Josh Gracin, Holiday by Boys Like Girls, and Josh Groban
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful"
Today's Ethos was Carter Idon'trememberhislastname, founder of the body in Asheville. There was something about him that I liked immediately, but couldn't figure it out. As he recounted his life story, it started hitting me where it counted. Eventually, he got to his encounter and awakening to agape love. That's when I understood it - I had never before met someone who loved completely and unconditionally. I thought I was going to cry. After he'd finished his story and Marc had opened up the floor for comments, I decided to be the brave one and thank him for his story... and that's when the tears started. I don't think I even finished the thank you before I couldn't talk any more and all I could do is smile. Hell, even now I can't do much more than smile, more than an hour later. I've never been so moved in my life. It's... It's as if he took my hand, looked me in the eye, and told me "no matter what you feel like, you don't need to prove yourself to anyone" and it was true. If the ONE can love me... no. not can. if the ONE loves me, if I can not possibly do anything to influence the love ONE has for me... then what need have I to prove myself to anyone here on Earth?
It's as Carter said. We've been taught our whole lives that we have a ledger book of all we've done, and the forgiveness shown by Jesus reset it to zero, so we need to work to bring it to the positive. But it isn't like that. the ONE has given us an infinitely positive ledgerbook, and nothing we can do could possibly change that, let alone decrease it.
when I came home afterward, I just couldn't hide anymore. I stripped myself of everything, of all my protective coverings, both physical and spiritual... and I could feel it. I can still feel it. If I bother looking, I'm absolutely aglow with it. I'm silver with love. I'm shimery. I'm overflowing.
Carter said it's as if our cups have been turned upside down our whole lives, so the love that G-d pours down on us cannot be captured. But when we turn our cups rightside up...
I am beautiful. I am whole. I am .... I am.
"But the greatest thing of all is love."
On the playlist: Bethany by Bethany Dillon, Stand Back Up by Sugarland, Running Away by Midnight Hour, Brass Bed by Josh Gracin, Holiday by Boys Like Girls, and Josh Groban