LOVE ME :)

Hey everyone =) Just wanna share this:

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15)

I think Jesus is asking us the same thing. "Do you love me more than_______?:

Like the song let's ask Him to 
♫ Come make war on every other lover... ♫

And Read 1 John =) Be blessed! Let's remember God is with us as we do our papers, midterms and prepare for finals. All the best! =) (Message I shared with InterVarsity on Nov. 17, 2011)

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)

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♫ What does love look like? is the question I've been pondering ♫

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” - Jesus ♥ John 13: 34-35 ♥ 

2/13/2013 -> In the Journey post God was encouraging me that I'm on my way home. Yes I've encountered many obstacles and setbacks but nothing is wasted. He was showing me what was in the way of me being myself, what was in the way of me loving others. I learnt a lot and He's been renewing my mind. I already mentioned some of the obstacles that I identified but through my experiences over the break and coming into this quarter God showed me another one that I hadn't noticed and I think this just might be the last one: I really care about unity so I want to see reconciliation so I try to get everyone on the same page. I try to get everyone together to reconcile through waiting on God, fighting for each other using spiritual weapons such as prayer and worship. Which is also what God wants to happen and what He had told me to share. But then nothing happens then I feel the burden to try to make people understand why that is the solution so we can all apply it together. And I wait for that to happen because I know things will be easier after that. Things will flow. People will finally understand what I'm saying and I'll be accepted. Everyone will care about each other more and love each other deeper. So I wait for that to happen.

LOVE LIKE JESUS DID. LOVE INDIVIDUALS. LOVE ALWAYS.

So God was showing me where my approach was wrong. Yes He had told me to share the solution, the shortcut to unity and reconciliation. But He was telling me that it wasn't my burden to carry. I felt obliged to carry it since I care for unity but it's not my job to make everyone understand. He told me to stop defending myself since it's His battle not mine. His Word not mine. What He revealed to me about myself really pierced my heart. He showed me that I was waiting for things to get easier so that I could love people. I was waiting for the right conditions or permission to be myself. I was waiting to feel welcome and accepted for me to give my heart away to people. And He showed me that's not real love. I want to love people but at the same time I don't want to inconvenience them by initiating if they don't seem to want me/ need me in their lives. But He showed me that it was self-defensive and to love I need to die to myself. I need to love like Jesus did. To love in the face of rejection/ not being included, opposition, apathy, being misunderstood, being unknown, being different. I just need to love always. He told me stop worrying about what people think about me because He sees my heart. So just to follow His lead and give His love away. I thought I had to get everyone on the same page so we can all apply stuff together so I tried and failed and kept trying and kept failing. But He just told me to keep it simple and love my friends. To love my neighbor. Yes unity is great and it's gonna happen eventually but everything needs to start at home, at the individual level. To love and treasure everyone He has placed in my lives right where they're at and right where I'm at without waiting for some change to happen first. That was really freeing for me to hear! I don't need to wait anymore. I don't need to fight anymore. I am free to be me and free to love others! Thank you Lord for your great mercy for me and for renewing my mind with Your Love and Truth! =) I Believe in the miracle of Love =D I'm excited to apply this! Leaving the past behind since God makes all things NEW! :D

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♫ You must love Me with arms wide open, a heart exposed, sometimes bleeding ♫
Update: 4/3/13

So at the beginning of Winter quarter God told me this: "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:24)

And now, after my last quarter at UCSB, I am still a single seed :( ...I should have let my emotions get in the way... Vulnerability will be the death of me. It will be the start of new life.... Listen to the arms wide open song again.... More details to come.