Amazing Grace

"And like a flood, His mercy rains, unending love, amazing grace."
I think that sometimes we forget how truly amazing grace is! I know I do. I need to be reminded every once in a while about this amazing gift that I have. I need to be reminded about what Christ went through, what He took upon himself so that we could experience grace.
It is so easy to read the account of the crucifixion in the gospels, and not grasp what Jesus really went through to allow us grace. He was publicaly humiliated, spat upon, punched, slapped, kicked. He had a crown of thorns beat into his head with sticks. He was beat beyond recognition, until his back hung in strips, exposing the muscle and bone beneath. He was paraded through the streets, where the same people who, just the week before, sang His praises, screamed for Him to be crucified. He was betrayed by some of those closest to Him. He had metal spikes driven through His wrists and feet, affixing him to a wooden cross that was raised, and then dropped into a hole to hold it upright. He hung there for hours, one agonizing breath after another, until finally, He died, for us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vu4x4dn0yg
But, (don't you just love that word? Something good always follows that word in the Bible!) on the third day, He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, and brought forth love, grace, and eternal life!!! He loved us so much that he suffered all of that anquish, even death, yet came back from the dead that we might have life!
God, don't ever let us take grace for granted. Remind us as to how amazing it truly is. Thank you so much for what You did! You didn't have to, but You did!! And I am eternally grateful for Amazing Grace!!!

Passion.

In the world today, you don't see a whole lot of passion. People are constantly flitting from one thing to the next, constantly looking for that one thing that drives them. That one thing that will become and give them passion in life. As a Christian, our passion should be for Christ, and his will for our lives. But too often, we try to 'tweak' what we think our passion should be. I think we let ministries take the place of our real passion. It is easy to get caught up in doing God's 'work', and forget that God didn't save us to start ministries. He saved us so that we could be passionately in love with Him, and that that passion would overflow into the lives of everyone around us.
God has been impressing upon me that I need to become passionate again about my first love. To remember and feel that 'new christian' excitement. To be so in love and excited about God, that all I want to do is share Him with everyone I meet. To not worry about worship, youth, kids, finances. But to just focus on Him, let Him love me, and to then let that love pour out of me into those around me.
I want to be the match that lights the inferno for Him!