Matt Redman - You Alone Can Rescue

Throughout the past month this song has been played every worship service I have attended and everytime I am overwhelmed by emotion.

Dave Barnes - God Gave Me You (Official Video)

The struggle between the mind and the heart

Is the struggle that tears my being apart

Games are for children

And no longer my desire

Give me truth 

To feed my fire

The world I'll lose

But it's you I gain

Fight for me

I'll do the same

Now I am at a crossroads

"Two roads diverged in a wood..."

H.E.L.P.

Thanks to my Intro to Social Entrepreneurship professor, myself as well as a few others in my class were able to attend the "academy awards" for nonprofits.  It was hosted by the Center for Nonprofit Management and gave out 9 awards and a boat load of money to specific nonprofits in Middle Tennessee.  The CNM has over 700 members and 200 of those are actually here in Nashville!  To be in the same room as some of those people was definitely a blessing.  I had to hold back tears for a good portion of the ceremony because I was simply overwhelmed with the selflessness and help coming from each organization.  We can never say that no one cares because I have seen at least 200 people who care and are taking action to make others lives a little bit easier.  I always think of nonprofits as "good" business who do their share of helping out but never knew how much dirty work is involved with keeping one afloat.  These people are not only coming up with ideas, but sacrificing their lives to help other people every single day.  There is something about helping others that gives them (and myself) and natural "high."  Like a man said tonight,"Once you've volunteered, you're hooked."  I just sat back in my chair in awe of the individuals who each gave their lives to serving and are more joyful than anyone I've seen.  There joy does not come from success, granted it is a success to see your organization do well and grow, but their joy comes from serving.  Because it is when you fully give yourself to helping someone else, you truly see just how meaningful your life can be.  I cannot even begin to remember every organization I saw tonight, but I do know that they are all making a difference.  Some way or another they are making someones day because they had a vision and took action to support it.  That is what I have been learning in my Social Entrepreneurship class-- social entrepreneurs are on a mission to create social value.  One of my books even calls them "change agents."  They see a need and come up with creative ways to fix it.  I am so pumped about everything going on with the nonprofits around this area and just needed to share my experience with good ol blogger buddy so that I do not forget the feeling I had right after I left that ceremony.  The feeling of wanting to get involved, do something... help somebody.

The Cure For Pain

Working hard is hard work, so what better way to de-stress than to do than play around downtown?

Here and Now

Our life is fleeting.
We hear this all the time but do we really understand just how fast the time goes?
I mean think about it... every second happens and then it is never coming back again... ever.  We live and then we die, but do we really take advantage of all that time in between?  What is the point of putting yourself through such hard times and separating from the ones you love when you don't have all that much time here on earth to begin with?  We should be with the people we want to be with and doing the things we love because I feel like anything less would be a waste... Of course, it is hard to say all this without sounding extremely hedonistic which is not my mind-set nor goal at all.

I cannot begin to explain the amazing contrast between last week to this one that is coming to an end.  God has just given me the most amazing peace about where I am, who I am and what I am doing here at Belmont and I could not be more thankful.  It is as if I am in a completely new place this week because I see everything around me through different eyes.  Thank the Lord He does not change and is with me all the time because without Him I would still feel all alone and be wondering why I am here and not just comfortably at home.  I know the difference between last week and this week and that is worship.  It was like as soon as Sunday came around and I went to church everything turned up and God's peace was overflowing.  Nashville is filled with amazing churches and thankfully I was led to one that overwhelmed me with love.  I forget how crucial church and fellowship are until I go a while without them.  I keep having to remind myself that God doesn't need us to worship Him to be any more great... church is for us.  We need to worship Him and we need to be fed with His life.  There is nothing like the refreshing peace you receive after a beautiful worship song or the overwhelming sensation you get in the middle of a crowd praising God together.  I experienced that sensation at a little thing called Sanctuary tonight and found myself brought to tears in the middle of a song because it was absolutely beautiful.  Everyone was truly praising and I could just feel God's presence in that building and knew I was loved.  I would never make it in life without God's peace and its through His eyes that I am able to truly see the world around me.  I was telling someone tonight that I expected to struggle with wanting to drink or "party" or something of that nature a little more than I have experienced.  And it is amazing because just recently God has cleared up any desire or curiosity and filled it with assurance that I am living for Him.  

I feel free... 

More free than I have ever felt before

And more comfortable with who I am than I thought I ever would be

All because God is who I seek

He is who I need and what I want 

His heart is what I desire and His love what I crave

His peace is what comforts me 

And His beauty engulfs me

Thank the Lord for His mercy

Thank the Lord for His grace