Well, this last weekend was awesome! Not only did I find out that I was accepted to grad school, but we also had the blessing of being in Florida and worshiping and visiting with old friends. This weekend is always special. In fact, it is how I began my experience at UT with the CSC and where Jon and I began our friendship three years ago. This past weekend was one of the best times yet. I felt as though God were speaking directly into my life. The messages seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear. I will not recap the entire weekend, but will tell you a bit of what I learned. I think the takeaway messages are as follows:

1. God loves us abundantly; one of the greatest challenges in life is to simply let God love us and rest in that, and that be enough

2. When we have a relationship with God, if we are allowing Him to love us like He desires, then we will experience true joy and have hope

3. God can use us right where we are; He can do the impossible. We are the ones that try to put limits on His power.

4. If we simply surrender to God, let His love fill our lives, He will do great things through us

5. He will never ever ever let us go

I think that’s about it. Maybe I got it all wrong, but that is what I learned/was reminded of this weekend. I feel renewed. I am seeing more clearly now how God wants to use me. I’m excited! Praise Him for an amazing weekend!

And now I want to leave you with the words of one of my favorite hymns. They pretty much sum up the final message of the weekend from GCG. I hope you are blessed.

“Oh Love that Will Not Let Me Go”

Words by George Matheson

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee,
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee,
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee,
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee,
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.