Almost 8 months ago, I moved to Alpharetta after life took me through a couple of unexpected loops. Since then, I've worked hard to build my life here-- working, living, and finally attending a church that I have wanted to be part of for many years. While it's farther from my mom than I want to be, my heart is at peace here. My mom has never been one to complain about the miles between her house and ours-- as building our own lives has always been top priority for her. Every circumstance has its drawbacks, and I will say that although I love my new home-- I'm often sad about the increased distance between my mom and me. But I digress.

I visited Northpoint regularly as a college student, but have recently missed being away from a church that invested so much time in loving on people. Moving to Alpharetta meant that I was finally able to attend the church that made the bible relative for me, and helped to grow me both spiritually and emotionally. I'm not sure if you have ever heard Andy Stanley speak, but he is one of the greatest communicators that has ever walked this planet. His messages are accountable, applicable, and effective-- making learning how to follow the footsteps of Christ easier to understand, and more relative to our everyday lives. The latest series 'Christian' has struck a nerve with me, as Andy works to build strong accountability between followers of Christ and the teachings of Christ. The 5th part of this series hit me hard. I'm a firm believer in truth-- living in it and learning from it...but I'm not so good with grace. This message was a road block for me, as Andy shared how Christ was a perfect example of both. It's no secret that my mom has always been the 'grace' part of my life-- and she hands it out in large, hefty doses. As I sat in my seat that morning, I prayed hard that the Lord would work to increase the amount of grace I dole out to others. I'm thankful that although I'm hardly worthy of being granted grace-- my mom has always been the grace that balanced the truth in my life. My hope is that I will grow to be a better example of the balance that exists between grace and truth, learning to love on others the way Christ loves on me.

HERE is the link to that message. I hope you'll watch.