Living Loved - A Simple Truth that Will Transform Your Relationships

Typically I don't really know what I want to write, I just simply sit and write it. My life on the inside makes its way to the outside, and on the outside it looks way different than it feels more often than not.

All that to say, there's only one thing that I'm trying to communicate today, and I oddly know what it is: LIVING LOVED.
Mainly, I'm speaking in context of community and spirituality. But living loved is crucial to transforming the community we live in and transforming our relationship with the Lord. And once you see it, you'll wonder why you haven't before.

This wasn't something I thought up. I attended a leader's retreat last weekend where the guest speaker spoke a bit on community. Your team in ministry becomes a lot like your family, and if you have ugliness in your heart, it comes out around family.

But where does this ugliness in your heart come from?
What is the poison to community?
We discussed several things: a consumer, "feed me" mentality, jealousy and comparison, misplaced identity, competition...

We also discussed the horrible feeling of needing to earn the Lord's grace by being "better", or having the best ministry in town, or working harder and harder to please Him.
It is difficult to realize we don't have to earn this.

We are naturally ugly, selfish, sinful people.
But, get this: we're also completely loved.
What does this change?
Well, it should change everything.

If I'm living in the confidence that I'm completely loved, am I worried about comparing myself? Am I sad about being left out? Am I struggling with putting my identity in the opinions and judgements and affirmation from the people around me? Am I consumed with a competitive spirit that insists I have to come out on top? Not in the slightest.

When I know I am completely loved, it doesn't change the fact that I'm a sinner with an ugly heart that is going to be seen every now and again (and probably more than I'd like).
But it transforms how I see others.
It changes how I see myself around them.
And I don't try to earn love in the same ways I did before.

I'm completely loved even when I'm don't fit into a certain group, or when someone's gifts out-shine my own, or when I realize I have ten new zits on my chin and I'm paired up with the pretty girl for prayer teams. I'm no longer seeking my identity in others because it doesn't matter where I fit or what they think of me or how insecure I am. I AM LOVED. Completely, irrevocably and eternally. It can't change, be taken, or even ever diminish.

When this hits your heart, you'll find the freedom to embrace who you really are, and also have the confidence to interact with others without insecurity of feelings of inferiority. You'll also find the freedom to have joy in your relationship with the Lord again, because it doesn't matter how great your ministry is or how long it's been since you swore, nothing can change His love for you. It could never increase; it could never decrease. You are covered in the absolute limit of 100% of God's love 100% of all the time. What a relief. We are, after all, "dearly loved children," (Eph. 5:1). Maybe we should believe it...


Seriously, though. It's so cool to me that everyone in the world could think I'm the dorkiest gal in the world with nothing to offer and it would never matter because I know I'm loved by Someone whose opinion means more than anyone else's ever could. And even cooler that I could be the sinner of all sinners or the saint of all saints and the Lord's love would stay the same.

Think about this a bit and let me know what you think.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, DEARLY LOVED!!
Love, Case

Style{in} Skirts: StitchFix

(This chevron skirt is my favorite StitchFix find... these aren't colors I'm naturally attracted to, but nevertheless I really like it.)

Have you ever gone through something hard that makes you frustrated with the Lord? I was very frustrated with Him for a while because He told me He would provide for my needs. But I had needs that weren't being filled!

But wouldn't you know it... He was filling those needs. He's just very clever and smart and knows the best way for it to happen, even when I don't see it.

And it just leaves me humbled and feeling foolish for ever doubting Him.

He's a Provider and Friend and the strongest Rock to stand on....

And we can trust that.

Love, Case

P.S. Check out StichFix, and let me know what you think of it! I'll be posting more about it in the future.

P.P.S. Linking up @ The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde, Rhea Etcetera, Mama - and More!, Style Elixir, My Girlish Whims, Mummy's Got Style, Living in Color, Vodka Infused Lemonade, Sequins & Style, Penniless Socialite, Simply Just Lovely, The Life of the Party, Fry Sauce & Grits, Two Thirty Five Designs, Musings of a Housewife, For the Love of Fancy, Mix Match Fashion, Watch Out for the Woestmans, The Foley Fam, Join the Gossip, Mom Trends, Still Being Molly, DC in Style, Fizz and Frosting, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Why I Do DeClaire, and Because Shanna Said So ;)

Secret Missions and God's Favorite Person

Within the past six months or so, I've been trying to practice selflessness. Like in really little ways. It's kind of like a game. The Lord would put something on my heart, and I would do that one for a while and then we would move to something different. For a while, it was using the dirtiest bathroom stall and doing something to it to make it a little cleaner before I left it. (Gross, right?) But the idea was to do something secret for the people around me that would make life a little bit better. Secret missions.

Lately, the Lord and I have been on the subject of parking spots. If there were two parking spots left, I would take the one farthest from the door. Sometimes this meant parking a bit of a ways, sometimes it was pretty much the same. (And don't worry, Mom, I'm still safe about it;)
However, tonight the Lord definitely put me through a more challenging situation.

Tonight at Young Life, my teammate challenged the high schoolers to think of every interaction we have with people as interacting with "God's favorite person in the entire world." (Because, after all, He died for everyone out of crazy love - from the president down to the barber on the corner.) I thought to myself, "Wow, what a cool thought! I should keep that in mind." I didn't think the Lord would make me put it into action so quickly though. 

Lo and behold, if there wasn't one last parking spot in the dorm parking lot tonight when I got back. I hesitated, and then pulled in, somehow reasoning with myself that it was ok "this once." But wouldn't you know it, a girl pulls in and starts looking for a spot. I sit there for a sec and watch her car circle around...still justifying that I should stay in my parking spot...

And then I hear the Lord say, "Hey Case... that's my favorite person in the world. And I love her. She's honored in my sight."

Ok... how on earth could I withhold a parking spot from the Lord's honored?

I kinda smiled at Him, like, "You would, wouldn't You?" and I drove out to the other parking lot next to the guys dorm a little farther away.

How small is that? How insignificant is that? She will never know.

But then again, it's the acts of love that no one sees that mean so much in the long run. It's the unseen things that show our faithfulness. When Jesus gave the parable about the servants being faithful with the small talents, He was showing us just that: He sees every bit of faithfulness in how we respond to His callings.

So that's my challenge for ya'll. What are some ways you could love the people around you in the unseen ways? How can you love Him in the secret places? Where are the small places you could be more faithful?

Hope ya'll are off to a great start with your week!
Love, Case

Style{in} Skirts: As Many Colors As You Can

(We're gonna ignore that my hair looks some sort of weird in these pics, and that they were taken in the rain on the street under an umbrella that matches far too well with my outfit...;)

 Shirt: Forever 21 ($8); Skirt: I don't remember, but most of my skorts like this have come from the thrift store; 

Bag: Gift (from a thrift store); Boots: Gift (from a thrift store)

My life has been lots of kinds of crazy lately. I moved out over the weekend,  and I feel like I have done nothing but make tea, struggle with college algebra and solve the conundrum of bad lighting in my dorm with my roommate.

That is practically all I've been thinking about lately.

Reading homework.

Solving homework.

Catching up on homework.

Scheduling Young Life and homework.

Ignoring homework.

Trying not to stress about money.

Trying not to stress about homework.

Trying not to eat like a total college student.

Unpacking. 

Laundry.

Homework.

Homework.

Homework.

I already feel like I need a vacation. Haha!

So when life gets dreary and stressful and dull, and it rains for three days straight...

 Throw on as many colors as you can in one outfit, grab your pink umbrella, and tackle life looking a bit more fabulous.

That's all I got.

Love, Casey

Linking up at The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde, Vodka Infused Lemonade, Penniless Socialite, Simply Just Lovely, Living In Color, Sequins & Style, Style Elixir, Two Thirty Five Designs, The Life of the Party, Musings of a Housewife, For the Love of Fancy, Watch Out for the Woestmans, Join the Gossip, Thirty Something Fashion, Still Being Molly, Walking in Memphis in High Heels and Because Shanna Said So