He Died So That We May Live

Why did my life change? Why am I different than I was 4 years ago? Many people who know me well, can see this. I’m sure I have hurt, encouraged, and maybe even helped many people through this change. Some think I’m crazy, some think religious, some think I’m a better person. But why? Why would I go through this? A girl who does not like to upset the people around her. Why would she choose a path that would hurt some of the people most dear to her heart, for such a cause?

Jesus. He is the answer. I am sure many of you reading this, know or have heard of Jesus. You’ve heard the gospel stories, you heard how He died for our sins, and you heard that when we believe in Him we may enter into eternal life. But do you truly understand the meaning of this?

I know I didn’t until about two years ago. I had grown up in a church going, before meal praying family. I had gone from Catholic school to Catholic school and took a countless amount of religious classes. But I never fully understood it, until the grace of God came upon me. He died so that we may live.

He died so that we may live. This my friends has two meanings. The first meaning relates to life after death. We have two options when we die, we will go to heaven or hell. Sounds blunt right? It’s the truth and I love you all so much, I want you to hear the truth. It’s a burning fire on my heart that y’all can enter into eternal life in heaven, not the later option. It is my responsibility, to let you in on the most beautiful secret of life.

So right now if any of you reading this do not understand what Jesus did for us, I ask that you pray to God and ask Him to reveal to you the truth of the Gospel stories. I’m serious, it will be the best decision that you’ve ever made. For when we do not believe in Jesus, we have no chance of eternal life after this world passes away.

Why is this? Why should we believe in Jesus if we have a Father that loves us so much? Because God loved us so much, he gave us freewill. Freewill means, we have to ability to make our own decisions and choose our own paths and take our own responsibility for our lives. He doesn’t force us to love Him or believe that He exists, what kind of love is that when you’re forced into something? It is not genuine, meaningful, or by any means natural. Therefore, in God’s great wisdom, He has given us the ability to chose a life full of Him or a life empty of anything He has to offer us.

Which leads me to the second meaning of what it means to live after His death. Once we believe and understand the truth of the Gospel, it is then that we begin to live in freedom and love. We are free, only through the grace of God. We are no longer bond to worldly means, such as family, friends, traveling, money, alcohol, drugs, material things, events, etc. to bring us happiness. We can go a week with only eating soup and drinking tea and have all the joy in the world, because the source of our happiness and joy does not come from this world. It comes from above. We are no longer bond to the ways of this world, of following the main stream, but rather we are called to step out of these complacent roles and be excellent, extraordinary and unique. We are also called to not react as the world would react.

I had the opportunity the other morning to have breakfast with my husband’s Aunt. Her husband is currently in rehab, due to a 3 ½ inch tumor that the doctors had to remove from his brain. The medical team was able to remove about 60% of the tumor, but the rest will have to come out with radiation and chemo. Now this couple (the aunt and uncle) gave their lives to the people in Guinea, Africa for about 20 years working as a nurse and doctor and serving in the Church as missionaries. She looked at me and said, “Jeanna so many people have said to us, ‘how could God do such a thing to people like you, who have served your whole life the people around you’.” She replied to them saying, “God never promised us a life without sickness or death, we are thankful that we’ve lived 50 years without any sickness.”

She is not responding as the world would respond, because she has the joy of the Spirit. She knows that God will take care of her husband and that God’s wisdom is beyond ours. She has a thankful heart. She is a beautiful testimony for me, of how powerful the Spirit of God is to those who choose to love and follow Him. It gives us so much strength and power in our times of need here on earth. It allows us to rejoice always and rest in His peace.

God is so good y’all, seriously. I want nothing more than for more of my family and friends to develop an intimate relationship with Him. He will turn your world upside down.

Happy 1st Anni Switzerland

A year ago, I was waiting in the airport to board my flight to embark upon a new adventure in the mysterious land of Switzerland. I sat there and cried looking out on the sunset in O’Hare airport, thinking about how my family loved to watch sunsets together and maybe in Switzerland they don’t have sunsets or I wouldn’t find anyone to sit with me and enjoy the beauty of nature. Seriously, I know I was a bit overdramatic.

This last year has brought about so many new experiences, that I would not trade for the world. Jetzt spreche ich Deutsch und e bitz Schwitzerdütsch. I have learned about the intriguing Swiss culture, which in turn has made me thankful for my dear American culture …ich mache Witz meine Schweize Freunde;).  I have seen breathtaking views and traveled to see 8 beautiful countries. I’ve made new friends from all over the world and tried to keep in touch with the old. Now all of these experiences have been great, but do not compare to what God has accomplished in my life and the lives of those around me.

Seeing a new country could never beat the high of seeing someone give his or her life to Jesus. Learning a new language does not compare to witnessing a person healed from an illness that they’ve been suffering from for 10 years. Being emerged in a new culture is nothing compared to God hearing the prayers of His children and faithfully answering them. Making new friends is great but (again) it doesn’t measure up to allowing God use you as a tool in someones life to bring His love for the first time to their life.

I’ve learned life can be a beautiful thing,  with or without God. There are always beautiful places to see, beautiful relationships to be had, and beautiful things to learn. The difference is that a life with God is rich. I like the example in the book The Shack, where William P. Young writes that we are like birds walking on the ground when we live in the world without God. When God comes into our lives we become birds that can fly. God created this life with the intention that we allow Him to work in our lives and teach us to fly. We miss living a life to the full potential that this world has to offer, when we live without God. Yes, we can see beautiful things, have crazy experiences, great relationship, but all of these things are ultimately enhanced when God enters into our walk with us.

Free Heart

This world is a beautiful place. When we step into a walk of faith with God it is the biggest adventure that a human being can take on. He pulls us into the water and takes us deeper and deeper through the underwater cave just so that we can come up on the other side and be amazed by His beauty. We have a Father For with God nothing is impossible. 

who knows our hearts so deeply and is willing to put us through some of the craziest obstacles of life just so we could see what we can accomplish when we hand our lives over to Him.

When we allow our hearts to truly believe this truth, miracles around us begin to take place. Barriers begin to break down and our resurrection begins. Heaven kisses earth and leaves an everlasting lip print on our lives. Only when we allow God to have control and enter fully into our hearts, do we begin to see and feel the full access of this world. We begin to see the true beauty of our existence and the impossible becoming the possible.