Good Morning Ladies!!!  Grab a coffee and I hope you enjoy this beautiful Saturday morning with me!!

For today’s Sit Down, I’m going to focus on a very strong topic.  It is something that all of us should strive for and work towards every day.  But it is also a topic that doesn’t always happen when we expect it too.  Today I will be focusing on the idea of spiritual renewal.

“Spiritual Renewal”  is not just a magical way of saying that your faith life is currently on par.  Because, that would mean that you didn’t have to work for it.  While times of great spiritual growth can come naturally and without much warning, we all have a certain obligation to strive for greater faith and awareness.

Christ, in His infinite love for us, is constantly waiting for us to come to Him and pray to Him.  He longs for a people truly on fire with love of Him.

And that is the big point:  He is waiting for us to reach out to Him and ask for his love and support.

As we go forward in this journey of life, Christ will always be ready to renew us and help quench our thirst for love.  He is like an unending fountain of blessings.  And these aren’t just the #blessed type of blessings, but spiritual blessings filled with courage and faith.

Today, and every day, I challenge you to actively strive for a greater awareness of the love of God and renewal that He is ready to bestow on you.  He is simply waiting for you to ask!!!

Meditation:

One of the greatest examples of reaching for God’s grace in the Bible is the story of the woman with the blood condition.  The faith of this woman, simply trusting that she would be healed by the touch of his coat, is such an example for all of us.  As she steps out before Him in the crowd, she is literally reaching to Our Lord as her last resort.  He is all she has and she has faith that He will be the answer to her perplexing problem.  And He is.

We all have something in our life that has been ‘haunting’ us for what seems like forever.  And whatever it might be, Christ is here waiting to heal us.  Just like the woman in this story, he will renew our spirit and heal us in the way that will best encourage us in our trek of life.

Please take sometime to look up this beautiful story, Luke 8:42-48.  I hope this story inspire you as much as it has inspired me!!

Songs I’ve Been Loving Recently:

Set a Fire | Jesus Culture

“There’s no place that I’d rather be, There’s no place that I’d rather be, Than here in your arms, Here in your arms, Set a fire down in my soul, That I can’t contain, I can’t control, I want more of you God, I want more of you God.”

Oh I love this song so so much!!!  And what better song to jam out to than a song basically begging God to set our souls on fire with love for Him.  This song is so uplifting and wonderful for adoration.  Set our hearts on fire, Jesus!!

Once and For All | Lauren Daigle

“God I give you what I can today, These scattered ashes that I’ve hid away, I lay it all down at your feet.  From the corners of my deepest shame, the empty places that I’ve worn your name, Show me the love, I say I believe.  Oh help me to lay it down, Oh Lord, I lay it down.  Oh let this be, where I die.  My Lord with thee, Crucified.  Be lifted high, as my kingdom’s fall.  Once and for all, Once and for all.”

Oh this is seriously a prayer in a song.  The cry of every hurting heart to the Lord of Love.  This is definitely one of those songs that instills in us a sense of surrender to God.  Placing our cares before Him and leaving it all at the cross.  What better way to worship God by giving him everything.

Dreams | Van Halen

“Reach for the sky, Baby, just spread your wings, We’ll get higher and higher, Straight up we’ll climb, We’ll get higher and higher leave it all behind, Run, run, run, away, Like a train runnin’ off the track, Standing on broken dreams, But never losing sight, Well just spread your wings”

Okay, little story here.  So a couple weeks ago, I was having a rough day and pulled this song up on youtube.  Well, as silly as it seems, this is the song that almost made me cry.  Lol.  So I thought it was worth sharing.  Sometimes our dreams and our faith can be a little scary and even a little reckless.  And sometimes that uncertainty is exactly what God is trying to encourage you with.  So never give up!!  Just keep going higher and higher, in whatever it might be, as long as it is for the greater glory of God!!!

Videos:

Is God in the Center of Your Life | Ascension Presents

This video, by Father Mike Schmitz, is such a beautiful mental examination of what is really important in our life.  Essentially, in just a few minutes, Fr. Mike leads us through a quick study of what is really important to us and if Christ is really the center of it all.  He makes so many valid points and I would absolutely suggest watching this little video!!

“Girl on Fire” Seek 2015 | Jenifer Fulwiler

I LOVE Jenifer Fulwiler so very much!!!  She is such a captivating and energetic speaker!!  This talk she gave is so wonderful!!  A definite must watch for all young women!!  I hope you enjoy it!!

Books:

On the Evangelization of the Modern World | Evangelii Nuntiandi

Just one book this month!!  I picked up this encyclical a couple weeks ago and it is so wonderful!!!  It is so inspiring to hear about the churches work of evangelization and spreading the faith.  We all have a part to play in the work of evangelization.  So never give up the good fight!  I know you will enjoy reading this encyclical.  You can read any encyclical for free on the Vatican website.  Enjoy!

Have a beautiful Saturday, Sister!!  God bless!

Maddy