It's Thursday! It's more than halfway through the week and I am ecstatic! I have made it through this far and now the rest should be much easier! :) The week slows down big time after Wednesday for me! Last night was amazing! :) I got to be with all kinds of people from home and reconnect...HERE instead of at home. I love when people get to see me thriving in this environment! I also got to spend time with Sandy and Rob before they leave for Kazakhstan, which was great :) Last night was such a huge blessing. It was also really encouraging to me to see how God is using the Beyond Idols Worship Tour. I've become fairly familiar with them because of their coming to my home church, but wow, their message was incredible and their passion for Jesus is so evident! It was encouraging to see that part!

So lately, the pressing issue on my heart has been Christian vs. Disciple. I realize now that there is no difference. I think that for so long, it's been so easy to justify the difference. Christians are those who have been saved, but aren't following the commands of Jesus...but then I stop and realize...how can that be? How can one truly be saved if they are not following the commands of Jesus? Did Jesus himself not say "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."? I think that's a pretty straight forward answer. If we want to be Christians...disciples, then we must follow Him, taking up our crosses and denying ourselves. DAILY. That means striving to live after him in every aspect of our lives. I realize that living a good moral life could appear to be living as a disciple, but that isn't how it works. Jesus gives some pretty huge commandments that we need to be following.

Anyways, that's what's on my heart this week. Consider this...are you living as a disciple? Or are you one that is simply the western standard of Christian? I know where I want to be. Keep this in mind as you go about your daily tasks...listen to what He might be telling you. It's so exciting!

Be blessed this week, guys...