here's to love

This weekend took me by surprise in that our calendar rendered rather open. 

and with that, i spent a lot of time feeling ever so loved. 

truly reflecting on all the goodness that comes with being the apple of someone's eye. 

kev and i snuck away to one of our special "k" dates as we like to call them. 

with a basket of unknown surprises for the other, location disclosed till departure. 

and to that i say,

here's to a love that laughs at all, even himself. 

here's to a love that plays scattagories like it's going out of style, because he knows it's my favorite. 

here's to a love that washes dishes because he wants to serve me. 

here's to a love that allows me to crawl into his lap and cry, often. 

and here's to a love that doesn't judge or fix, but that encourages and inspires. 

what a love. 

and yet, as I took it all in, i realized

that i was in the arms of someone who loved me even deeper. 

that layed it all out for me on a wooden cross 

taking all that broken and ugly and sinful yuckiness. 

that sin that i hide from,

that covers me in shame. 

HE bore that. 

and I am justified AS IS. 

this weekend I had a bit of an epiphany-

I have been pronounced blameless. 

that nothing I do can make God love me more. 

I am most love-able now.

 and now. 

and now. 

the past that likes to haunt and cling,

and make me strive to DO GOOD and EARN

can be shut down now. 

closed. 

bye bye. 

because LOVE deemed me perfect on that cross. 

and to that I say,

here's to a love that says your confidence isn't in your performance, but in the cross

here's to a love that wholly justifies us and clothes us in the righteousness of Christ

here's to a love that shouts "katie, you are completely free!" 

here's to a love that covers us in grace not condemnation

here's to a love that gave it all. 

a love that asks us to live and orient our lives around the cross. 

because that is freedom. 

here's to love friends. 

muah, 

love Katie