and...CHECK!

what a GREAT week and weekend. I was determined this week to live life to the full....and I did! {and looking back I see I got a lot crossed off the 'ol bucket list!}

John 10:10 says...I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. {MSG}

I'm learning {slowly and painfully at times} that His life for me is WAY BETTER than any life I could dream up.

From "hot-cocoa shindigs" and reading bed-time stories to little people to dinner with girlfriends, coffee with a sweet friend, home-made soup and a hot chocolate movie night with precious friends, a fun Saturday morning date baking cookies and dancing with my favorite little Peruvian...and wrapping the weekend up with an incredible Christmas {The Story} Concert and a church Christmas night of worship...whew! It was a great week and weekend and I realize how much I am blessed. Blessed to have friends that encourage me and do this thing called life together. Blessed to have amazing parents that are constantly calling me just to "check in" and show they care...blessed to have been blessed with so much. Counting my blessings this morning definitely brings a smile to my face as to how much God loves me...how much He loves all of us. His love is unfathomable.

I was brought to tears and completely inspired by the Story concert. Basically it's the Bible set to music. Stories that I have heard and read my whole life brought TO LIFE. In the words of another friend who attended..."who knew I could relate so well to the life of Moses?" It was incredible.

I wrote down some of my favorite lines from the evening...

"When others told Joshua NO WAY...Joshua shouted YAHWEH!"

"Don't lose sight of Who HE IS...It must be YOU...Moses"

"You gotta ask if you want an answer...Esther"

"Who am I to make demands of the God of Abraham?....Job"

so many stories to relate to...and I came away from the night realizing I had lost sight of WHO HE IS. I have been consumed with my life and have missed seeing His hand prints at every step. I walked away wanting to KNOW Him more...I walked away desiring to pull my Bible out and read up on these stories that maybe have become too familiar and asking God to give me a fresh look at each one. I walked away desiring Him more.

I really needed this week...and I thank God for it. It makes me even more determined to live out this next week with the same urgency and watch what God will do!