Great night!

So many good things and thoughts tonight!

Monday nights are probably my favorite of the whole week, most because of Vertical. I absolutely LOVE this ministry and encourage everyone to come! Every week Afshin ALWAYS has an incredible word to share that always leaves me asking myself questions and constantly growing.

And tonight we had an even more awesome time because Shane & Shane led worship, and it was SO awesome. I have never had the pleasure of hearing them live before, but it was just so amazing. Being around a ton of students worshipping is one of my all time favorite things, and it's just like everything else in the world fades away.

One of their newer songs, well new to me at least, is called Everything is Different, is so great. If you haven't heard it, go listen to it now! But the chorus really got me thinking.

"Who am I to know your glory?
Who am I to recognize a voice calling out?
How could I be in your story?
God who was and is and is to come"

So many times we talk about how God is a part of our lives, which is awesome and great...but I think so many times we forget that in reality we are part of HIS story. It's a humbling thought process for sure. How in the world am I worthy enough to be part of His story? To know and feel His love? To be able to hear Him speak? I just love the idea of being a part of His story. Sure, He's an incredibly huge part of my story, and for good reason. But He, God of the universe and Creator of all things, has chosen ME to be in HIS story. Crazy awesome and humbling to think about.

Switching gears a little....

Tonight we talked about giving, and why we are to give to those less fortunate. Tonight was part of our "Do Something Now" project in which we were asked to bring personal hygeine items to be sent to Mission Waco, to be distributed to the many homeless shelters in Waco. Our goal was 1,000 items but we surpased that greatly by donating 7,303 items tonight!! It seems like such a small thing to get a tube of toothpaste and some deordorant...but these are things that some people here can't afford. And while it's a small thing for me to do, the impact it makes will be life changing to someone in my community. Jesus' heart was ALWAYS focused on others; and the less fortunate and how to help them. We give to others because Jesus gave to us. There is no way for us to earn our salvation by giving or doing, but by giving and doing we are asserting our salvation by being obedient.