Well my friends the journey is beginning. Be sure to watch the videos’ from the website that Francis mentions. Come back often, daily would be good, and share your thoughts, challenges, and ways that you are being convicted in your walk with God. I can hardly wait to hear how God will use this time together to grow us, to change us, and to challenge us.
Each day I will share with you a prayer as a result of this study. I share it to encourage you to daily journal a prayer to God was we go through this study. From time-to-time I would love it if you share some of those journaling prayer thoughts with me and the group.

I realize this is a very small group and pray this will not discourage you. You will have to trust me when I say you cannot read this book and be unchanged at the finish!
Stop Praying, I must admit, I wondered who would start out a book by telling you to stop praying. Crazy idea? Yes, and yet after having read the chapter it got me to thinking just to whom am I praying? As you get into the chapter it really begins to challenge you to ask some very hard questions. I tend to take God's creation for granted. I seldom stop to think about all that has gone in to making the world I live in what it is, or all that went into making me, me and you, you. To be awed by creation, means you must acknowledge the creator. Of course when I see a beautiful sunset, I admire the beauty, but most often not the creation of the sunset. I see a beautiful flower and I admire it for a moment, but don't really stop to think about the designer of the flower. Francis Chan challenged my way of thinking on so many levels in just this first chapter. It's as if I became alive in Christ, perhaps on some levels for the first time. When you really begin to grasp the wonder, the delicacies, the intricacies of it all, it either becomes overwhelming or awe inspiring; for me it is awe inspiring and at the same time it brought me to my knees.

Did you ever think of the goose bump chill factor; you know the way you get a chill with goose bumps? I never knew that God created a way for our bodies to stay warm while experiencing goose bumps, rather than lose body heat. Talk about detail! That is some engineering feat. Just think the whole universe and everything in creation is designed with that same thought and perfect detailing.

To Worship God to the fullest means we must come to know Him. And there-in lays the million dollar question…. Can we really know God? I mean… really, truly, know Him? I know that God is Holy… but just what does Holy really mean? God is eternal; yes… but in my finite non-eternal existence can I truly begin to grasp eternity? God is all knowing… notice it does not say a know-it-all, but All-Knowing…. What does it mean to be all knowing? God is all powerful… Now that realization can be either comforting or fearful depending on your perspective. I tend to think of all powerful in human terms, not necessarily comforting for sure. Yet because God truly is all powerful, I suspect that His power is nothing like what I equate it with. Because His power is bathed in perfect, agape, type love, it means that power is used for my good, my benefit, my well being; not to harm.
I am filled with many more questions, then answers… but am looking forward to the journey as we discover some of them together!

Crazy in love with God

Sandra

My prayer today:
Lord you are God- Elohim – Creator – Preserver – Mighty & Strong. Lord, how often in my life I miss that you are God! I bring you down to my earthly level of existence, and I sometimes forget just who I am privileged to have a relationship with. You God – Elohim – creator of the entire universe desire a relationship with me… me, Sandra, to be Your friend. I am blown away! I just cannot fathom the depths of such love. Thank you Lord that your love knows no measure and no end, much like the universe you created. Today Lord, as I go throughout my day, I am going to choose to bask in your love. I am chosen; I am blessed; I am loved!