Thankful and Blessed

So I was going to write a blog about how I feel blessed even amidst a time of trials and struggles. I had literally just started writing when I received an email from a friend that can be described as nothing but divine timing. This friend sent me an email full of encouraging words--exactly the support and encouragement that I needed right now. It's a reminder that my purpose is to honor and glorify God and to continue to seek His will. I'm so thankful that God knows when I'm struggling and sends encouragement just when I need it to remind me to keep pressing on.

Similarly, I'm thankful and blessed for the community of believers that God has placed in my life. I feel energized, enlightened and encouraged (there's a lot of that going on recently in my life!!) by spending time with these people. The more conversations I have with friends talking about God's promises for his people, what the Bible says, etc. the more energized I feel. The more I desire to seek out Jesus and continue to get to know Him. I'm thankful that these friends are willing to live life so transparently with me.

Finally, I'm thankful b/c of a gift I received this weekend from a good friend. I was hanging out with my friend Dan and we were talking about something having to do with the PCA Church (actually, I believe we were discussing the differences between Arminianism and Calvinism). He pulled out a copy of The Westminster Confession of Faith (along with the The Larger Catechism and The Shorter Catechism) to show me something when he realized that he had 2 copies of it and offered to give me one. This may sound totally unexciting to many, but I was THRILLED!! Learning and understanding reformed theology is not only interesting to me, but continues to draw me closer to Christ and to understanding more of who God is.

To leave you with words from the Heidelberg Catechism that are of continual encouragement and reassurance to me:

My only comfort in life and in death is
That I am not my own,
But belong--
Body and soul,
In life and in death--
To my Faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Note: Apologies if this is just a jumbled mess of thoughts. I don't always expect for the Truth that God is revealing in my heart and the works that He is doing in my heart to be fully capable of being articulated right away. I think I'm still discovering the full effect of what He is teaching me.