Intentionality

This is also a post I had on my personal blog, but I thought it would fit well here too :)

So many times I have often pondered the meaning behind the lyrics in the songs I innately participate in singing and playing at church and chapel.
Are the words that come out of my mouth truthful?
Is this what my heart truly desires to proclaim not only to the world, but to God?

We have some strong, powerful, modern day worship tunes out there. We hear them on the radio, we sing them at church and youth group, but are the phrases we proclaim genuine?

I looked up some of the most popular worship songs and their lyrics.
As I carefully read through the lyrics, I was convicted. They reminded me of just how awesome my God really is! These lyrics also prompted me to ask questions in examination of myself. This reminded my heart to be focused and intentional.

I also looked up verses to go with these songs. Wow! So hard to pick only a select few! Don't take these modern-day psalm writers for word, look it up yourself. These truths are everywhere in Scripture. I found so much more than I expected - and trust me, there are plenty more out there ;)

Mighty to Save
Everyone needs compassion...
Everyone needs forgiveness...
My Savior, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save...
Shine your light and let the whole world see.

•  Everyone. Everyone is lost. Everyone is born separated from God. Everyone needs compassion. Forgiveness. Who can get them out? Only the Savior, for He is mighty to save. When I sing this, do I truly believe this? Do I live my life in such a way that proclaims His compassion for people, His forgiveness of sins, and His saving grace?
• Psalm 67:2-3, Romans 1:16

The Stand
So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I'll stand my soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is Yours.

•  I'll be the first to admit: raising my hands (let alone arms) during worship does not come natural to me. Whether in song, prayer, or any other form of worship, I am used to steady, unmovable, and static-ness. Recently I have been challenged and stretched in this area. At first it was uncomfortable and hard to get used to, but as I study more about worship in the Bible and especially posture (in communication theory), there is something about having an open stance that says "Here I am Lord, do what you want with me. Hey! Do you see me here? I ain't much, but I'm giving you my all."
• Psalm 28:2, 63:4, 134:2, Lamentations 3:41, 1 Timothy 2:8

You're Worthy of My Praise
I will give You all my worship
I will give You all my praise.
You alone I long to worship.
You alone are worthy of my praise.

• How many things do I praise in a day? "The food was amazing!" "You're a great speaker!" "I just love that song!" "My weekend was epic!" Sure, these are wonderful things we are able to enjoy and thank God for as we rightly should. But how many times are we praising the created rather than the Creator who made it all possible in the first place? He alone is worthy of my ultimate praise. His praise is what should fill time in my day.
• Psalm 18:3, Revelation 4:11

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, and my song.

• This one is obvious and simple. Easier said than done, right? Is Christ the ultimate hope, light, strength, and song in my life? What do I need to eliminate that distracts me from finding peace and comfort in Him alone?
• Psalm 62, 1 Peter 5:10, John 8:12

Revelation Song
Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your name.
Jesus, Your name is power,
Breath and living water
Such a marvelous mystery.

• The name of the Lord is not to be taken lightly. He is so jealous of it. His name is holy. So simple, yet so important. Am I filled with awestruck wonder when someone mentions my Savior? When I hear His name, does my countenance lift? 
• Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4, Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 22:2b, 24:16, Psalm 8:9

Your Grace is Enough
God I see Your grace is enough

•  Do I see it? Do I live a life that screams out loud God's grace upon such a sinner as I? So often I take His overwhelming grace for granted. Is His undeserved favor truly enough for me to live on?
• John 1:16, Acts 20:24, Romans 5:2, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Here I am to Worship
Here I am to Worship, here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God.

• Again, posture. Here I am to bow down. "Isn't that like a sign of submission or something?" Why yes it is. Just to bow down before Him in acknowledgment that He alone is God is so hard to do sometimes with this stubborn nature!
• Psalm 95:6, Nehemiah 8:6

Blessed be Your Name
Every blessing You pour out I turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

•  Do I really turn back to bless the name of the Lord when dark times surround me? Ha, I wish I was that faithful! When He gracefully blesses me, do I turn and give all the credit back to Him? Ya right! Once again, easy song to sing...hard to follow through.
• Job 1:21, Psalm 23:4, 34:2, Jeremiah 9:23-25, Nehemiah 9:5b

Welcome To "Radical Love"

Well, It’s here! Welcome to Radical Love! I (Mariah) am so excited to see how God will use the blog/website!

God has blessed me with some wonderful godly, women in my life. Some I see on a regular basis others are across the country and I have not met face to face. But all have impacted and blessed my life.

A couple months ago, God laid on my heart to start a blog with a couple of these women. So here we are today! So let me introduce them to you! You can find more information on each of the girls on the “Who We Are” page. We will be adding more girls to our family soon, but here are our wonderful girls as of now:

Hayley- Is one of my best friends! She has been a constant and faithful friend and sister in Christ. Her love for the Lord is so evident in all that she does.

Devan- went to Bible college with my brother Aaron last year and has become a sweet friend of mine. She is such an encouragement with her sweet spirit and love for Jesus.

Joanna- and I met through a home school website. Through I have never met her face to face; I can clearly see her heart for the Lord and desire to serve Him.

Rachel- I also met Rachel through the home school website. She has been such a blessing in my life. Her giving spirit and faithful prayer and support has been incredible!

I love reading blogs, but a trend I have noticed is that they are fluffy and flakey even narcissistic at times. Everything is about us, our lives, what we are doing, how important we are… etc. I do understand that some blogs have purposes… a young mother writing about her kids and parenting, a college student writing about her fun times, a newlywed couple writing about their life… etc. I totally understand all of that but still I think blogs can be a place to show off who we are and how great we are. That is not our goal here.

Even Christian blogs or websites that address issues for young women have the tendency to be shallow and uncontroversial. With the Lord’s help and guidance this will not be said of us!

In our generation-media and the world has affected us. Our viewpoint and worldview on how we live. We tend to live in a way that is ‘normal’ rather than live in light of God’s word, letting it affect every area of our lives. Dictating our choices, beliefs and standards.

There is a reason that the divorce rate of Christian church goers is the same to atheists. There is a reason that teens in the church are sexually active. There is a reason that college students are walking away from their faith. It’s because they have not fallen in love with Jesus Christ. They have not fully surrendered to Him.

When that has happened there will be a difference. When believers are in love in Christ there will be a radical difference in the way we live. Not just being able to say the right answers but believe and abide by the truth.

When we are in love with Christ we will long for His glory not ours. Our worldview, our lifestyle, and our purpose will be all about Him.

By no means are we perfect or have this down. But we feel called to share with you how God is molding us and shaping us. We want to challenge you, encourage you, and call you out from a mediocre Christianity to a life in full surrender to Jesus Christ- by that living your life with a Radical Love for Jesus and for the world.

This will not be a warm and fuzzy blog. At times it may step on some toes. You may think that we are being too literal, too radical, too bold, or not politically-correct. What we are doing is calling people back to what Jesus commands us to do and be. If I recall correctly, His message was not warm and fuzzy and it was not politically correct. He was literal, straight forward and He did not teach what was comfortable and popular.

So please don’t expect a pretty little fluffy jot about how to be more spiritual.

So are you ready??

Let’s be RADICAL!!!