INTENTIONAL.

in·ten·tion·al  

/inˈtenCHənl/

Adjective Done on purpose; deliberate.

Synonyms deliberate - wilful - willful - purposeful - intended

This word has come up so many times in the past few months. Ive always used this word, but never really in depth though about what it means. 

What does it mean to live intentionally? What does that look like?

John 15

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear MORE fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ABIDE in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it ABIDES in the vine, neither can you, unless you ABIDE in me.... If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my JOY may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

Holy cow. That passage is blowing my mind. When I asked God what it means to be intentional this is the passage He gave me. When we are walking in obedience to Him, there is fullness of joy. From that comes the word ABIDE. To abide means to continue in a daily, personal relationship with Jesus characterized by trust, prayer, obedience, and joy. I love that word, its such a beautiful way Jesus uses to explain our relationship with Him. When we are abiding in Him, we are being intentional. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." It seems impossible to love some people in our lives just as Jesus has loved us... but we cant do it on our own. 

The Father gives us an overflow of His love which is INTENDED for us to pour out to others, no matter who it is. 

When I first got to Kyrgyzstan, I was a bit shocked to say the least. I sat down on my mattress on the ground (I was so thankful I even got to have a mattress!) in the little white room I shared with 2 other girls on my team and I just cried out to the Lord. I started to ask myself the questions, "What am I doing here?" and "What have I gotten myself into?" I was in the middle of nowhere, without any of my friends or family, I had no comforts that I had ever known, and I started to feel anger inside me. Then the Lord said to me... "Gracie, My Daughter, have I ever failed you?" and I said in a small voice "....no" and He said, "Do you trust me?" "Well, yes Lord I do..." He said, 

"I didn't bring you here to command you to do something then drop you off and just leave you! I brought you here to be with you wherever you go! I brought you here to continue this love story I am writing, I brought you here to LOVE YOU and for you to love others!" 

What He said moved me, touched my heart in a way ill never forget. It brought me comfort in a time and place where I felt alone. Thinking back on that, meditating on what He said to me makes me realize how intentional He is. It motivates me to want to be so much more like Him. Ive been asking the Lord to strip me of everything that isn't pleasing and glorifying to Him, and He is definitely doing it. When I read in the gospels about Jesus on this earth, He went everywhere with an intention. He was so intentional with asking the Father what He wanted to do, who He wanted to bless, who He wanted to save, or heal, or bring joy. 

What does God want to do today? What does He want to do RIGHT NOW? In Luke 12:25 it says "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" I want to BE PRESENT. There is no need to worry about the future because I know my Father has it in control. I want to be intentional because everything that I have, has been given to me by my Father. What if wherever we went during our busy days we took 1 minute to show kindness to someone. What about 5 minutes? 1 hour? Time is so precious to people these days but God has BLESSED us with another day to LIVE!!!! There will NEVER  be a time that Jesus says, "Shame on you for blessing that person..." What if we took every chance we could to be intentional by asking God what He wants to do?

Ephesians 4:2-3

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the band of peace."

We GET to serve the most amazing, gentle, patient, 

loving, indescribable God. He loves us with a love 

that is everlasting. I am so humbled by the 

faithfulness and grace that God has for us. I feel so 

thankful and privileged right now for the freedom 

given to me to serve Him. I stand in awe of how 

incredibly WORTHY He is. 

He is so WORTHY.

I cant believe I'm so privileged, that out of His kindness and His hospitality, He would actually tell me what is on His heart. He invited me into partnership... joy filled, intimacy fueled partnership with Him, 

to see His glory fill this earth.

The past 6 months have been the most challenging, stretching, and busy months of my life! For those of you who don't know, I just graduated from a Discipleship Training School with an organization called YWAM (Youth With A Mission). For 3 months I was in Kona, Hawaii learning so much more about God, about myself and becoming who I was called to be. For the last 3 months I was in Kyrgyzstan which is in Central Asia living in a village with 6 others from my team. I learned so much about God's heart, His faithfulness, and fully trusting Him with everything. I lived with a family that I became so close to... and leaving them literally felt like my heart was getting ripped out of my chest. The love that God gave me for that family was only a tiny glimpse of what God's love truly is.

 I cant even fathom how much love He has for us. 

Being back home has definitely been a different transition. My own bed, a toilet, a shower, free time. [I almost forgot what free time was.] Im so incredibly thankful. Im so blessed to be spending this time with such amazing, supportive family and friends. But there isn't a day that goes by that my amazing friends from Hawaii and my friends and family in Kyrgyzstan don't pop into my head or in my prayers. I am so privileged, blessed, and forever changed by that experience. 

Thankful is an understatement.

           Deuteronomy 33:12 

"Let the BELOVED of the Lord rest secure in Him, 

for He shields him all day long, 

and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders."

Ive surrendered, Ive tasted for myself the goodness of the Lord. BUT it is a daily choice! Every single day I have to surrender my own rights and thoughts because I want more of Him and less of me. The old has gone and the new has come. I will CHOOSE to walk in that daily and to walk in who I am as a daughter of the Most High King. 

Walking hand in hand with Him each day.

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, 

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

This is a season of trusting Him. Trusting Him in everything. Trusting that He will show me what is next. Trusting that He will provide. He is so incredibly faithful! 

 "The more I seek Him, 

the more I find Him. 

The more I find Him,

 the more I love Him."