tonight i learned...

that i am not alone.
that we are all in this together.
this thing we call life.
everyone has different struggles
everyone has different hurts
even if we decide to face it or ignore it
everyone has need,
the need to be Loved.

God is Love..Perfect love.
I know this for the fact that
i've ignored God for a long time
and until i had a moment with God
when i decided i was going to see if
He was real.
i stopped my day and my routine
and i just began to talk to Him
and asked if i could get to Know Him.
And now I talk to him and worship Him
and in those moments tears fall down my cheeks
and i feel a peace that i can't feel from anything else
and i feel love...and know that i am loved.
regardless of how ridiculously selfish i am..
i am loved.

and now God has shown me
You must go and draw people to me.
show them that love.
so that they might know me.
and find what they are searching for.
even to those that dont realize they are searching.

and the thing about Gods love.
is that it is never ending.
it is always new.
it's not something you can just get to know and be done with
it is infallible
it never stops pulling you
amazing you
and loving you.
it is perfect.
to perfect to understand.
what love is this?

Jesus is so incredible.
i am so thankful for Him.

How does it feel

Far away

From where we began

To what is real

who i really am

meet who i really am

do you like it?

I met you where the hill meets the sun

you and your hat, that one that i loved.

watched the sky come alive

from you window

where i sat

atop a life i only feel that i've dreamt.

How does it feel

far away

from where we began

to what is real

who i really am

meet who i really am

do you like it?

God is THE ultimate creator. There is no sidestepping this fact.

He is all around us…His creations give little glimpses of His character, His beauty, and His love. Look at the clouds…not one is shaped the exact same. Look all around…He proves himself in everything we witness in the earth and through humanity. There are many who try to deny the fact that God is real. But He has creatively inspired humanity to leave a mark on the dusty bookshelves, cover the walls of famous museums, dominate the ceilings of thousands of cathedrals that says “I am the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow”…and “I am REAL”. There is no running from the facts.

Faith is believing without seeing.

God has inspired artists to see for those with unbelief to strike up a passion and awaken the spirit of the broken to be able to reveal His hope and love for His children.

Walking in to the St. Peter’s basilica is an experience of awe and wonder. The architecture alone is something that takes your breath away. Knowing that all of the brilliant colors of the marble on the floors, the walls, columns, and decoration were taken from the defeat of Roman Pagan temples and Pagan gods is what sends chills up your spine. Although, the beliefs and customs that this immaculate temple holds may be missing what is Truth, the building itself whispers…”My ways are your higher than your ways..my thoughts are higher than your thoughts”…

And I think…how can your ways be higher than THIS?? Look at this ceiling, look at the detail on the wall and in those statues, look at this marble floor!

But I feel God saying, “ This isn’t even close to heaven and what I hold.”

“you aint seen nothin yet

today i tripped on acid.

yeah...today i tripped on acid.
it was an accident.
and it was my first and LAST time.

so here's the story.

I'm at our church's new building..which is under construction..and in need of a ladder.
I'm already frazzled...as usual..because I've been running late..and feel like i haven't gotten any work done...so I'm rushing to get all of the tools I need to finish painting one of the rooms.
Running, I round the corner of the hallway at the exact time a worker has covered the floor in glue eating acid and has gone to find caution cones so the 'idiots' like me don't walk through it.

So immediatly my feet fly from underneath me and I slide for a few feet and roll. Completely naive of this clear flesh eating liquid's power I slowly stand up and start walking towards the bathroom. And the man who has already had contact with the acid and has spent the past 2 weeks putting it on the floor acts like it's no big deal that it is lathered all over my body, so of course I'm in no hurry to wash it off before it seeps into my skin. Seconds later, I begin to feel an intense tingling of the flesh...and a quick flash of Anakin Skywalker's face boiling off comes to mind..and I.FREAK.OUT.
Screaming for someone to go get my aunt...who is for some reason without fail ALWAYS present when I'm in need of random medical attention, I sprint to the bathroom and turn sinks on...notice i said sinks...plural...why? we're not sure...we only needed one. My Aunt is there in a flash scrubbing the pain off and i'm focusing to keep myself conscieous....and slowly realizing i still have my flesh...and everything is going to be ok.
And that is how a normal day in the life of michaele maddox...begins.

Deep.

"he is jealous for me
loves like a hurricane i am a tree
bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
when all of a sudden i am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and i realize just how beautiful you are
and how great your affections are for me.

and oh
how he loves us so
oh how he loves us
how he loves us so

he loves us
oh how he loves us
oh how he loves us
oh how he loves

we are his portion and he is our prize
drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes
if grace is an ocean we're all sinking
so heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
i don't have time to maintain these regrets when i think about
the way

he loves us
oh how he loves us
oh how he loves us
oh how he loves."

"The love of God changes us
we're never the same after we encounter the love of God."

-kim walker "How He loves us"

WHAT??

Today i saw 4 purple midgit trees...yess there were four...they were purple...and they were dwarf. We almost didnt see them....we could've walked right by...but those purple leaves just caught my eye. The glorious sight of these plants who claimed to be trees poked at my conscience and brought me to my knees. we walked away in silence not sure what to do...we couldn't just leave but lauren had to poo. Thats really not true..i just ran out of rhymes. the point of my story is...today i saw 4 purple midgit trees...yes trees.