Saturday, April 13, 2013

Capture the Moment: Caffe Lattes in Italia

our first lattes in our favorite Florence cafe :)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Living Today for Forever

It's 4:00am and I'm wide awake.
The Lord has made himself so real to me over the last twenty hours.

Yesterday around lunchtime, my grandpa went to be with Jesus.
He was given 72 hours the night before.

As I stood by his bedside with my family, I was overwhelmed with the reality that he was meeting Jesus.
Right then.

Just an hour before, I sat at the kitchen table with my mom and grandma and uncle talking about his life and our lives and experiences within life.

And I realized how quickly this life goes and life with Jesus begins.
And life matters. What we do matters.
In terms of today. And yesterday and tomorrow.
But Who we live for is what really matters.
In terms of forever.

Sometimes I lose perspective. I forget that I am living for Jesus today for eternity. Sometimes [well, most of the time] my mind can't grasp the concept of forever. I try and try and I really do love to think about it. But I forget to think about today and forever in the same thought. Sometimes today seems overwhelming and hard and forever seems exciting but so far away. But I think they are more intertwined than that.

I live today because I have the confidence I will live forever with Jesus.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
{1 Peter 1:3-9}

I must live in faith today. My faith must be proven genuine so that it may result in praise, honor and glory when Jesus is revealed. What an amazing challenge! The Lord is asking me to have faith that he is who he says he is and that he will do all he says he will accomplish. And one day I will see him face to face. I will meet Jesus! And I will know fully that all he says is true.

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
{1 Corinthians 13:12}

Lord, help me not forget. Remind me moment by moment your purpose for your children. I can't wait to meet you face to face, Lord. And oh, what must that moment be like!! But in this day, in this moment, meet me. You know me fully now, and soon I will know you fully. Until that day, Lord, reveal yourself to me bit by bit, day by day. And I will follow you.


Grandpa was so tough, so when I see him smile, it makes me so happy. 
I love that Grandpa has his camera. He was always snapping pictures... never when we were ready for them :).