Happy Holidays! A lot has happened over the past two weeks. Last week, my team and I moved into the church that we serve. We're staying here for another week and then we'll move back to the base.

I have loved living at the church. We get to attend and help with more of their daily ministries. We've gotten to speak at one of their events and some of my team helped with worship yesterday at their service. I'm excited to see what else God will do in and through us this week!

My team and I also celebrated our own, unique Thanksgiving. We had the day off of ministry, so we rested and hung out together. For dinner, we went to the pastor's house and ate with them. Jules (one of my teammates) baked a lot of wonderful desserts for us!

In addition to the slightly different schedule and the temporary new home, God has continued to draw me closer to Him.

One of the main "themes" He's talking with me about is striving. The simple, Google definition of striving is to "make great efforts to achieve or obtain something". I've realized over the past couple years, and especially in the past few months, how much I strive for God's love. I struggle and search for something that's right in front of me. God's love is so close. It's just waiting for us to receive it.

This idea of receiving reminds me of Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!". Tasting requires eating and seeing requires looking. God offers us so much, and I wonder how often we simply don't receive it. We don't take the small step of faith or do the small act of obedience that would bring us to a more intimate place with God - a place where we experience Him more fully.

Receiving is very different from striving. Continuing with the food analogy, striving is when we try to prepare the meal for ourselves. We try to make God's blessing for us. But, that isn't what God is offering. He's already made the meal. He's already set the table. He's offering us intimacy with Him. He's offering a relationship with Him. But, we won't experience His blessing, or His love, if we don't receive it. How can we feel full if we're not eating?

I am also reminded of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was striving to get everything how it "ought" to be, but she missed the peace of simply being "seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word" (vs. 39).

Recently, I've been striving. Honestly, I slip into striving a lot of the time. But, the Lord is slowly teaching me how He offers His love and grace and kindness free of charge. We don't have to do anything to earn it. We don't have to make ourselves better. God simply wants to know us. He wants us to receive the gifts He is giving - salvation, meaning, purpose, identity, and so much more. Will you join me in receiving what God is offering us?