“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors…And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling of the sins in spite of which we love the sinner - no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy or parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat - the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.”
— from "The Weight of Glory" by CS Lewis
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
home
When I think of home, I think of just a few things:
1. Family. They’re all awesome. They’re all unique and wonderful. My brother plays every instrument he can get his hands on. My sister is beautiful and has the biggest servants heart I’ve ever seen. My mom is my best friend, and my dad is an amazing source of wisdom.
2. Friends. It’s a rare moment when our house is vacant of visitors. I love having people around, and I love the fact that our house is open to whomever, whenever.
3. Music. This afternoon a couple friends came over and instantly gravitated to the banjo, guitar, and harmonica. It was lovely. I am most happy when i’m home with friends and family listening to the people I love play beautiful music. I have such talented friends who bring me much joy.
Its good to be home.
1. Family. They’re all awesome. They’re all unique and wonderful. My brother plays every instrument he can get his hands on. My sister is beautiful and has the biggest servants heart I’ve ever seen. My mom is my best friend, and my dad is an amazing source of wisdom.
2. Friends. It’s a rare moment when our house is vacant of visitors. I love having people around, and I love the fact that our house is open to whomever, whenever.
3. Music. This afternoon a couple friends came over and instantly gravitated to the banjo, guitar, and harmonica. It was lovely. I am most happy when i’m home with friends and family listening to the people I love play beautiful music. I have such talented friends who bring me much joy.
Its good to be home.
Divine Appointments
I’ve been home for approximately 6 hours and have decided that it can now officially be Christmas. There is snow on the ground, hundreds of homemade chocolate candies in the fridge, i’m sipping green tea with my brother, and the mystery nativity scene is out on the coffee table. (It’s a mystery nativity scene because it was given to us piece by piece, one a day, years ago and we never found out who gave it to us.) It feels like Christmas. And even though I came back to a new house this Christmas, it feels like home. And those are some of the best feelings in the world.
Emy and I arrived in Anchorage at about 2:30 am after nearly 18 hours of traveling. Ridiculous. Not only have I not had a good nights sleep in about 4 days, but I slept very little on the long plane rides here, partly due to discomfort, but mostly due to excitement.
When I got home, I talked with my beautiful family and friend Alex for a while, watched a little television with my little sister, and then settled down for bed at about 5:30 am. I was tired. I needed sleep. I’m definitely one of those people who, even when I’m not terribly tired, falls asleep nearly instantly. I never have trouble getting to sleep. But for some reason, this morning I did. You’d think that after missing a nights sleep and not getting more than a couple hours of sleep in nights past it would be easy to lay down and drift off….especially for me….but that most definitely didn’t happen.
Instead I went up stairs with a book and my laptop and got comfy on the couch. Nearly as soon as I sat down, my brother walked in from his shack in the back yard. Perfect timing. And strange at the same time. I’m never one to stay up all night, and Seth’s not usually awake before 6 in the morning. Or even before noon. Weird.
Or not so weird. Seth and I had an honest-to-goodnessly, much needed, incredibly encouraging, God-focused discussion for nearly two and a half hours. I needed to hear what he had to say. In fact, earlier as I had tried to fall asleep, I had prayed that God would speak to me on the very things we discussed. It was a precious time spent with my brother, and I thank God for arranging that moment so perfectly.
It’s sometimes easy for me to let simple, every day happenings fall through the cracks as being coincidence or chance. I’ve realized that God orchestrates everything so perfectly: every situation, seemingly significant or insignificant, is part of God’s greater purpose. This week I’m going to focus on thanking God for the little things that I so often overlook.
Emy and I arrived in Anchorage at about 2:30 am after nearly 18 hours of traveling. Ridiculous. Not only have I not had a good nights sleep in about 4 days, but I slept very little on the long plane rides here, partly due to discomfort, but mostly due to excitement.
When I got home, I talked with my beautiful family and friend Alex for a while, watched a little television with my little sister, and then settled down for bed at about 5:30 am. I was tired. I needed sleep. I’m definitely one of those people who, even when I’m not terribly tired, falls asleep nearly instantly. I never have trouble getting to sleep. But for some reason, this morning I did. You’d think that after missing a nights sleep and not getting more than a couple hours of sleep in nights past it would be easy to lay down and drift off….especially for me….but that most definitely didn’t happen.
Instead I went up stairs with a book and my laptop and got comfy on the couch. Nearly as soon as I sat down, my brother walked in from his shack in the back yard. Perfect timing. And strange at the same time. I’m never one to stay up all night, and Seth’s not usually awake before 6 in the morning. Or even before noon. Weird.
Or not so weird. Seth and I had an honest-to-goodnessly, much needed, incredibly encouraging, God-focused discussion for nearly two and a half hours. I needed to hear what he had to say. In fact, earlier as I had tried to fall asleep, I had prayed that God would speak to me on the very things we discussed. It was a precious time spent with my brother, and I thank God for arranging that moment so perfectly.
It’s sometimes easy for me to let simple, every day happenings fall through the cracks as being coincidence or chance. I’ve realized that God orchestrates everything so perfectly: every situation, seemingly significant or insignificant, is part of God’s greater purpose. This week I’m going to focus on thanking God for the little things that I so often overlook.
over and over again
How easily I forget.
I’m like an Israelite. You know, the people who complained when they, time and time again, deemed God’s miraculous provision insufficient. The people who forgot God’s work of salvation. The people who forsook God over and over again, even after He sent Judge after Judge to save them.
I always read those stories and got frustrated. How do they forget so easily? How do they forsake God every time, after God shows His power and His love over and over again?
Now I know.
I’m like the Israelites in three ways:
1. I’m a child of God. God knows me. And He loves me anyway. He chose me. The God of the Universe loves me. Kind of awesome. Ok, really awesome.
2. God saved me. God brought His people out slavery. He found them. Think about it…the Israelites were pretty much goners. They were enslaved, a nation morphed into another culture, serving the people, watching their children die at the hands of the Egyptians, and wondering how they ended up where they were. They were lost. But God had never left. He redeemed them. He did the same for me. Once lost in sin, I’ve been found. Once a goner, I have a new life. A life of freedom.
3. I forget. I complain about my current situation, forgetting that God is working in EVERY situation for a plan I don’t understand, a hope that’s beyond me: a beautiful future. And yet, I forget. Over and over again.
I don’t spend time with Him, I fall back into old habits of sin…I forget.
How do you remember? What do you look to as markers in your life that remind you - no matter where you are, what situation you’re in, what you’re struggling with, what you fear, or what you can’t get over - that even though you’ve forgotten God many a time, He has never forgotten you? And that He never will?
I’m like an Israelite. You know, the people who complained when they, time and time again, deemed God’s miraculous provision insufficient. The people who forgot God’s work of salvation. The people who forsook God over and over again, even after He sent Judge after Judge to save them.
I always read those stories and got frustrated. How do they forget so easily? How do they forsake God every time, after God shows His power and His love over and over again?
Now I know.
I’m like the Israelites in three ways:
1. I’m a child of God. God knows me. And He loves me anyway. He chose me. The God of the Universe loves me. Kind of awesome. Ok, really awesome.
2. God saved me. God brought His people out slavery. He found them. Think about it…the Israelites were pretty much goners. They were enslaved, a nation morphed into another culture, serving the people, watching their children die at the hands of the Egyptians, and wondering how they ended up where they were. They were lost. But God had never left. He redeemed them. He did the same for me. Once lost in sin, I’ve been found. Once a goner, I have a new life. A life of freedom.
3. I forget. I complain about my current situation, forgetting that God is working in EVERY situation for a plan I don’t understand, a hope that’s beyond me: a beautiful future. And yet, I forget. Over and over again.
I don’t spend time with Him, I fall back into old habits of sin…I forget.
How do you remember? What do you look to as markers in your life that remind you - no matter where you are, what situation you’re in, what you’re struggling with, what you fear, or what you can’t get over - that even though you’ve forgotten God many a time, He has never forgotten you? And that He never will?
oh brain
My brain is so tired that even the most mundane assignments that shouldn’t take hardly any brain power are not being done very successfully right now. So I thought that I’d try to write a quick post so I can read this later and laugh at my incoherent sentences, terrible sentence structure, and misspelled words.
This week is Thanksgiivng. Unfortunately, I’m finding it a little hard to focus on being thankful when i have so much piling up for finals and exams. Almost done with the semester…and yet so far. Thank you, Lord, that Your wonderful plans for my life are not contingent upon my grades and how I do in school.
Keep on keepin on. You got this. Just a few more weeks till you’re brain can take a rest. Mine sure does need it…
Elizabeth
This week is Thanksgiivng. Unfortunately, I’m finding it a little hard to focus on being thankful when i have so much piling up for finals and exams. Almost done with the semester…and yet so far. Thank you, Lord, that Your wonderful plans for my life are not contingent upon my grades and how I do in school.
Keep on keepin on. You got this. Just a few more weeks till you’re brain can take a rest. Mine sure does need it…
Elizabeth
“The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing.
The wildest part is that Jesus doesn’t have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn’t need me or you. Yet he wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us.
That really is amazing beyond description. The holy Creator sees you as His “glorious inheritance.”
The irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him - and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by.”
— from “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan
The next right thing
This week my motto has been “do the next right thing”. I think its so easy to get caught up in who I want to be, who I should be, what I should do and what I shouldn’t do….and it’s easy to want to figure my future now and know what God has for me. But really, all I can do is make one decision at a time. One choice at a time: do I do what’s right, or do I not? For me, this applies to how I spend my time, how I treat people, whether or not I’m stressed over a test grade, even what I eat! Life is a culmination of small choices. Every little decision matters. Sometimes I get so caught up in my long-term goals, I forget that the little changes are what make up the big ones. So there you have it. Every moment…every decision…every choice…every day…what’s the next right thing?
Isaiah 59 & 60
I’ve got some bad news: this world has fallen hard.
God offered Shalom. He offered perfect peace, a close and intimate relationship with Him, unhindered by doubt, desires for harmful and hurtful habits and hangups, guilt, and shame. God: maker of the Universe. He spoke, the void listened. It was filled - filled with beauty. Filled with the glory and order of a majestic Creator. The chemistry and physics that baffle the brilliant was instituted. Life was formed. Life that was not meant to fulfill on its own, but to be fulfilled by the One who made it.
Truth, love and morals were instituted - a mere reflection of the character of the one who was and is and always will be: the only constant in eternity.
But God didn’t simply create and leave the world to the creation. He walked among it. He dwelt in it. He made image bearers to represent His being. He gave them the mark of His beauty, the freedom found in unhindered love, the purpose of representing and glorifying Him, and the opportunity to know intimately the One who is everything.
But Shalom didn’t last. Those same image bearers, blessed by the unrestrained presence of God, looked for joy, sought fulfillment and searched for knowledge somewhere else. Instead of looking to the creator of joy, the embodiment of love, and the source of truth, they looked elsewhere. They forsook the relationship, and through them, the Creator and creation were separated.
How are these image bearers now described?
Their works are works of iniquity.
Their tongue mutters wickedness.
They speak lies, relying on empty pleas.
Their feet run to evil.
They do not know the way of peace.
They hope for light, and find only darkness: they grope for the wall like the blind, like those who have no eyes.
Their hands are defiled with blood.
All these things testify against them.
Justice has turned back, righteousness is far off, and truth has stumbled in the public square.
Salvation is far away.
The created failed the Creator. The image bearer failed the image. Their iniquities built a wall, a separation between them and their God. There was no one to intercede. They wondered - they wondered where salvation had gone. Where was Shalom? Where was God?
But the Creator was not far off. He became one of them. The Creator - humbled to the level of His own creation, took the shame. He took the guilt. He took the hurts, the hangups, the doubt, the evil, the wickedness, the iniquity, the empty pleas, the scars, the fears.
He took the darkness.
He offered light.
Each brick that the created had stacked as a barrier between them and the Creator - He tore them down.
His presence: by some, it was forgotten. His hand: by some, it was slapped. His love: by some, it was not returned.
But the others?
They were judged for their sin, but the creator took their sentence.
What was their sentence?
Death.
Separation from Life - from the Creator.
These others? They believed. They longed for the reconciliation of the pure relationship between the Creator and created. They turned - turned from darkness- and entered the light. They exchanged the chaos of the world for Shalom.
And how did the Creator respond?
He had mercy.
He forgave.
He made the created majestic once again - majestic for eternity.
He gave them light - not light of the sun or the moon, but Light Everlasting - the light of the Lord.
He ended their days of mourning.
He wiped their hands clean; He washed their feet; He purified their minds.
He made them beautiful.
And now all that we (the created) can do is glorify the One and only. The One who was and is and is and is to come. We can bear His image - we can fulfill His purpose for our lives. We can talk with Him. We can walk with Him, and He will lead. We can have Shalom. We can have the relationship we were made to have.
You know that wall we made? That separation? That barrier keeping the created from the Creator? The wall we built brick by brick, purposefully stacking them so high we couldn’t see truth, couldn’t do good, and couldn’t feel the warmth of true light?
It’s gone.
Christ destroyed it.
And we can now live in freedom. In Shalom.
In an intimate relationship with the Creator.
God offered Shalom. He offered perfect peace, a close and intimate relationship with Him, unhindered by doubt, desires for harmful and hurtful habits and hangups, guilt, and shame. God: maker of the Universe. He spoke, the void listened. It was filled - filled with beauty. Filled with the glory and order of a majestic Creator. The chemistry and physics that baffle the brilliant was instituted. Life was formed. Life that was not meant to fulfill on its own, but to be fulfilled by the One who made it.
Truth, love and morals were instituted - a mere reflection of the character of the one who was and is and always will be: the only constant in eternity.
But God didn’t simply create and leave the world to the creation. He walked among it. He dwelt in it. He made image bearers to represent His being. He gave them the mark of His beauty, the freedom found in unhindered love, the purpose of representing and glorifying Him, and the opportunity to know intimately the One who is everything.
But Shalom didn’t last. Those same image bearers, blessed by the unrestrained presence of God, looked for joy, sought fulfillment and searched for knowledge somewhere else. Instead of looking to the creator of joy, the embodiment of love, and the source of truth, they looked elsewhere. They forsook the relationship, and through them, the Creator and creation were separated.
How are these image bearers now described?
Their works are works of iniquity.
Their tongue mutters wickedness.
They speak lies, relying on empty pleas.
Their feet run to evil.
They do not know the way of peace.
They hope for light, and find only darkness: they grope for the wall like the blind, like those who have no eyes.
Their hands are defiled with blood.
All these things testify against them.
Justice has turned back, righteousness is far off, and truth has stumbled in the public square.
Salvation is far away.
The created failed the Creator. The image bearer failed the image. Their iniquities built a wall, a separation between them and their God. There was no one to intercede. They wondered - they wondered where salvation had gone. Where was Shalom? Where was God?
But the Creator was not far off. He became one of them. The Creator - humbled to the level of His own creation, took the shame. He took the guilt. He took the hurts, the hangups, the doubt, the evil, the wickedness, the iniquity, the empty pleas, the scars, the fears.
He took the darkness.
He offered light.
Each brick that the created had stacked as a barrier between them and the Creator - He tore them down.
His presence: by some, it was forgotten. His hand: by some, it was slapped. His love: by some, it was not returned.
But the others?
They were judged for their sin, but the creator took their sentence.
What was their sentence?
Death.
Separation from Life - from the Creator.
These others? They believed. They longed for the reconciliation of the pure relationship between the Creator and created. They turned - turned from darkness- and entered the light. They exchanged the chaos of the world for Shalom.
And how did the Creator respond?
He had mercy.
He forgave.
He made the created majestic once again - majestic for eternity.
He gave them light - not light of the sun or the moon, but Light Everlasting - the light of the Lord.
He ended their days of mourning.
He wiped their hands clean; He washed their feet; He purified their minds.
He made them beautiful.
And now all that we (the created) can do is glorify the One and only. The One who was and is and is and is to come. We can bear His image - we can fulfill His purpose for our lives. We can talk with Him. We can walk with Him, and He will lead. We can have Shalom. We can have the relationship we were made to have.
You know that wall we made? That separation? That barrier keeping the created from the Creator? The wall we built brick by brick, purposefully stacking them so high we couldn’t see truth, couldn’t do good, and couldn’t feel the warmth of true light?
It’s gone.
Christ destroyed it.
And we can now live in freedom. In Shalom.
In an intimate relationship with the Creator.
“The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you - your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything - then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it.”
- Ian Thomas
“The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”
-CS Lewis
Partners
Before I head to bed, i thought I’d wrap up the long weekend with a quick thought.
In Sunday school, my Sunday school teacher has been encouragining us to think about who we are partenering with. Who are you looking to for encouragment? Who do you pray with? Who is holding you accountable? Who are you memorizing scripture with?
I’ve found that when I think I can be disciplined in my walk with God or when I think I’ve mastered the things I struggle with, the harder I fall when face struggles - or become apathetic. I’ve learned that having someone to email or talk with on a regular basis is a huge encouragement and incentive to change.
My dear friend, Rachel, has become my scripture memorizing buddy and I love the time I spend with her and the fact that she’s holding me accountable to memorize a verse every week.
Since I’ve come to school, my mom has come to play a huge role in my walk with the Lord. My mother is a godly woman of the Lord who encourages me to strengthen my walk with God and offers amazing insight into issues and struggles. I send her at least 2 or 3 emails a day. I have so enjoyed learning from her!
Who do you have in your life to hold you accounatable and to encourage you? God didn’t make the body of Christ to survive as a bunch of single members struggling through life on their own. He made us a body - united. We have a common purpose: to bring God glory. We need to be vulnerable with one another - only then can people know how to encourage us and how to pray for us. We need to seek out accountability partners. Why try to go life alone when you don’t need to?
I encourage you to find a partner. Pray about it. Ask the Lord to bring someone into your life who is seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord as well. Partner together for the glory of God!
In Sunday school, my Sunday school teacher has been encouragining us to think about who we are partenering with. Who are you looking to for encouragment? Who do you pray with? Who is holding you accountable? Who are you memorizing scripture with?
I’ve found that when I think I can be disciplined in my walk with God or when I think I’ve mastered the things I struggle with, the harder I fall when face struggles - or become apathetic. I’ve learned that having someone to email or talk with on a regular basis is a huge encouragement and incentive to change.
My dear friend, Rachel, has become my scripture memorizing buddy and I love the time I spend with her and the fact that she’s holding me accountable to memorize a verse every week.
Since I’ve come to school, my mom has come to play a huge role in my walk with the Lord. My mother is a godly woman of the Lord who encourages me to strengthen my walk with God and offers amazing insight into issues and struggles. I send her at least 2 or 3 emails a day. I have so enjoyed learning from her!
Who do you have in your life to hold you accounatable and to encourage you? God didn’t make the body of Christ to survive as a bunch of single members struggling through life on their own. He made us a body - united. We have a common purpose: to bring God glory. We need to be vulnerable with one another - only then can people know how to encourage us and how to pray for us. We need to seek out accountability partners. Why try to go life alone when you don’t need to?
I encourage you to find a partner. Pray about it. Ask the Lord to bring someone into your life who is seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord as well. Partner together for the glory of God!
“Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.”
—Francis Chan
God is good!
I know I know that, but today God caught me by surprise and reminded me once again of how good He is.
Today at early morning prayer, I prayed that God wouldn’t let me grow complacent in my relationship with Him. I’ve been learning so much about Him lately and have started invested more into our relationship. However, I was a little bit scared that I would stop learning and just stay at the same spot I’ve been the past couple weeks. I asked God to show me something about His character that I hadn’t thought of lately. I asked Him to teach me something new. I asked and expected Him to do something great. And He did!
(just some background….) Lately I’ve been learning what it means to be content. I’ve realized that a lot of things that I put stock into or trust in or strive for are not necessarily what God wants for my life. I want to want Him more than anything on earth - a future relationship, a job that I enjoy, classes that don’t bore me, or being somewhere I am comfortable. I’ve been prating that when i’m not liking being at LeTourneau, He would give me joy; that when I really want to go home, He would give me patience and perseverance; that when I really want to be in a relationship, I would find my fulfillment in Him. (and now back to the story….)
My Bible class got done about a half hour early today, so I took my homework down to the cafe to get some coffee and to study before Chapel. Once I got into the rythm of my studies, I didn’t want to quit. I really didn’t want to go to chapel. I complained to myself, tryed to convince myself out of it, but ended up reasoning it through and deciding to go. I showed up about 5 minutes late and the worship had already started. I found a seat, flung my backpack on the floor, and started to sing along.
The second song we sang was Chris Tomlin’s “Our God”, which is a song that has become very special to me in the last few months. God is so mighty. So big! So powerful. And yet…He is for ME! How amazing.
Suddenly it hit me. God is For me. for ME! FOR me. God doesn’t want me to be miserable. God wants me to be joyful! I’ve been so focused on sacrificing what I think will bring me joy here on earth, that I’ve forgotten why. I’ve forgotten that God doesn’t ask me to sacrifice those desires because He wants me to be lonely and poor and miserable. He asks me to sacrifice those things because He knows what will bring me TRUE joy - not just the cheep replicate I can find here on earth.
I know God loves me. I know that God has a plan for me. But I’d forgotten that on top of all that, God actually wants me to have joy. Maybe not to be happy all the time, but to have joy. God knows where joy comes from. I don’t. I forget all the time. God knows what will bring me joy and God wants me to give up what I think will bring joy in return for what really will. How awesome is it that the Lord of all the universe would love His creation so much that He actually cares about who we are, where we are going, and what will bring us joy. Oh, how He loves.
Thank you Lord, for answering prayer. Thank you for revealing something new to me today!
I know I know that, but today God caught me by surprise and reminded me once again of how good He is.
Today at early morning prayer, I prayed that God wouldn’t let me grow complacent in my relationship with Him. I’ve been learning so much about Him lately and have started invested more into our relationship. However, I was a little bit scared that I would stop learning and just stay at the same spot I’ve been the past couple weeks. I asked God to show me something about His character that I hadn’t thought of lately. I asked Him to teach me something new. I asked and expected Him to do something great. And He did!
(just some background….) Lately I’ve been learning what it means to be content. I’ve realized that a lot of things that I put stock into or trust in or strive for are not necessarily what God wants for my life. I want to want Him more than anything on earth - a future relationship, a job that I enjoy, classes that don’t bore me, or being somewhere I am comfortable. I’ve been prating that when i’m not liking being at LeTourneau, He would give me joy; that when I really want to go home, He would give me patience and perseverance; that when I really want to be in a relationship, I would find my fulfillment in Him. (and now back to the story….)
My Bible class got done about a half hour early today, so I took my homework down to the cafe to get some coffee and to study before Chapel. Once I got into the rythm of my studies, I didn’t want to quit. I really didn’t want to go to chapel. I complained to myself, tryed to convince myself out of it, but ended up reasoning it through and deciding to go. I showed up about 5 minutes late and the worship had already started. I found a seat, flung my backpack on the floor, and started to sing along.
The second song we sang was Chris Tomlin’s “Our God”, which is a song that has become very special to me in the last few months. God is so mighty. So big! So powerful. And yet…He is for ME! How amazing.
Suddenly it hit me. God is For me. for ME! FOR me. God doesn’t want me to be miserable. God wants me to be joyful! I’ve been so focused on sacrificing what I think will bring me joy here on earth, that I’ve forgotten why. I’ve forgotten that God doesn’t ask me to sacrifice those desires because He wants me to be lonely and poor and miserable. He asks me to sacrifice those things because He knows what will bring me TRUE joy - not just the cheep replicate I can find here on earth.
I know God loves me. I know that God has a plan for me. But I’d forgotten that on top of all that, God actually wants me to have joy. Maybe not to be happy all the time, but to have joy. God knows where joy comes from. I don’t. I forget all the time. God knows what will bring me joy and God wants me to give up what I think will bring joy in return for what really will. How awesome is it that the Lord of all the universe would love His creation so much that He actually cares about who we are, where we are going, and what will bring us joy. Oh, how He loves.
Thank you Lord, for answering prayer. Thank you for revealing something new to me today!
Romans 8:28-31
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
anticipation
Today, for the first time that I can remember, I experienced true anticipation.
The church service today was centered around communion. The message and the music was focused on preparing our hearts to partake in communion. It was a very encouraging, sobering, and reflective time.
One point my pastor made was that communion leads us to anticipate the returning of Christ. When we take communion, we are looking forward to the time when Christ will return and celebrate with us. How awesome will that be!
This past week as I prepared to take communion, I had to ask God to forgive me for many things that I struggle with and that I’ve been convicted of lately. The more time I spent in prayer, the more I’ve remembered and experienced the refreshing grace of God in my life. God is so big. So mighty. So powerful. And yet he knows where I struggle and is willing to forgive me for my failures when I ask. How awesome is that.
Today as I sang with the congreation and praised God for His grace and what He did for me on the cross, I realized how much I long for Christs return. In the past, I’ve been more foccused on what I want to experience and do before the Lord returns. I don’t want to miss out on the good things here on earth!
But as I worshiped and prayed, this huge longing and desire to be free of these frustrating sins and earthly bondage flooded over me. Oh how I long to be in God’s presence with no distractions, nothing hindering my focus, and nothing getting in the way of pure and undefiled worship. I long for Christs return.
I long for the healing of broken bodies, when beautiful Kenyan children are no longer stuck in wheelchairs (that don’t work) with physical impairments that make daily living painful and lonely.
I long for famine to end, for families to be reconciled, and for cancer to be obliterated.
I long to pray without distraction, to praise without my mind wandering, and to fall so in love with Christ that nothing else matters.
I am anticipating the return of Christ eagerly.
The church service today was centered around communion. The message and the music was focused on preparing our hearts to partake in communion. It was a very encouraging, sobering, and reflective time.
One point my pastor made was that communion leads us to anticipate the returning of Christ. When we take communion, we are looking forward to the time when Christ will return and celebrate with us. How awesome will that be!
This past week as I prepared to take communion, I had to ask God to forgive me for many things that I struggle with and that I’ve been convicted of lately. The more time I spent in prayer, the more I’ve remembered and experienced the refreshing grace of God in my life. God is so big. So mighty. So powerful. And yet he knows where I struggle and is willing to forgive me for my failures when I ask. How awesome is that.
Today as I sang with the congreation and praised God for His grace and what He did for me on the cross, I realized how much I long for Christs return. In the past, I’ve been more foccused on what I want to experience and do before the Lord returns. I don’t want to miss out on the good things here on earth!
But as I worshiped and prayed, this huge longing and desire to be free of these frustrating sins and earthly bondage flooded over me. Oh how I long to be in God’s presence with no distractions, nothing hindering my focus, and nothing getting in the way of pure and undefiled worship. I long for Christs return.
I long for the healing of broken bodies, when beautiful Kenyan children are no longer stuck in wheelchairs (that don’t work) with physical impairments that make daily living painful and lonely.
I long for famine to end, for families to be reconciled, and for cancer to be obliterated.
I long to pray without distraction, to praise without my mind wandering, and to fall so in love with Christ that nothing else matters.
I am anticipating the return of Christ eagerly.
love and Love
Last night I went to a Biblestudy that is working through the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. It was the first night of the study for the semester. Instead of jumping into the book right away and reading the first chapter or even the forward, we meditated on what Love really is. It’s so easy to use words like Grace and Love and Mercy without having any clue as to what depth of meaning they hold.
We spent a good amount of time reading through passages in the Old Testament that spoke of God’s love. Now that is something different. I think that since I’ve usually looked to the New Testament for verses on God’s love, I’ve been left with a slightly incomplete idea of what Love really is. When you read about how God Loves His nation, Israel, and how his anger burns against them at the same time for their unfaithfulness, you gain a sense of how God’s Love goes beyond what I can understand and comprehend. Read through Hosea. It’s powerful.
My high school english teacher once said that the opposite of love isn’t hate, its apathy. I think that statment is true. God Loves His people because He promised them He would and established a covenant with Abraham that made them a chosen race. However, He is simultaneously angered by their adultry and their sin. They choose over and over again to forsake Him and turn to worthless idols and false loves.
But in God’s anger, we see love. He Loves his people so much that He is jealous. He is angry at their unfaithfulness. He desires them to be content in His presence and His alone.
Oh how I am like Israel! I seek love and fulfillment in so many different things and different through so many different means. The love i find here on earth from relationships or doing things I enjoy will never measure up to the jealous Love of God.
I think that when we are content in God’s Love and fulfilled in Him alone, nothing in this world will satisfy. Which is good, because it never seems to anyway.
We spent a good amount of time reading through passages in the Old Testament that spoke of God’s love. Now that is something different. I think that since I’ve usually looked to the New Testament for verses on God’s love, I’ve been left with a slightly incomplete idea of what Love really is. When you read about how God Loves His nation, Israel, and how his anger burns against them at the same time for their unfaithfulness, you gain a sense of how God’s Love goes beyond what I can understand and comprehend. Read through Hosea. It’s powerful.
My high school english teacher once said that the opposite of love isn’t hate, its apathy. I think that statment is true. God Loves His people because He promised them He would and established a covenant with Abraham that made them a chosen race. However, He is simultaneously angered by their adultry and their sin. They choose over and over again to forsake Him and turn to worthless idols and false loves.
But in God’s anger, we see love. He Loves his people so much that He is jealous. He is angry at their unfaithfulness. He desires them to be content in His presence and His alone.
Oh how I am like Israel! I seek love and fulfillment in so many different things and different through so many different means. The love i find here on earth from relationships or doing things I enjoy will never measure up to the jealous Love of God.
I think that when we are content in God’s Love and fulfilled in Him alone, nothing in this world will satisfy. Which is good, because it never seems to anyway.
“Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow. my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, my perplexity or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is beyond me. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life. He may shorten it; he knows what He is about, He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sick, hide my future from me — still He knows what He is about — I ask not to see — I ask not to know —- I simply ask to be used.”
-John Henry Newman
Grace
Today in church I was reminded of a lesson that my dad taught me years and years ago that I never forgot. This is the one lesson that I know I will never forget, and is possibly the most important.
When I was a child, I had a bad habit of disobeying. It was a frequent habit that I never grew out of…and almost always there were (and still are) clear and painful consequences.
I can still vividly remember one evening when I chose to directly disobey my father and had to face the consequences. My brother, sister and I were messing around building Lego creations in my brothers room, which was not a bad pastime on its own. However, the fact that my dad had put us to bed and specifically told us to stay there made it so. He knew we had a habit of getting out of bed when we weren’t supposed to and not falling asleep like we should. So he made it clear: climbing out of bed tonight would result in immediate consequences. We told him we understood and crawled into bed.
Of course, we didn’t stay there long.
While my dad was down in the “dungeon”, we were above him playing and having a good time. Usually we were able to hear when he would climb back up the ramp into the garage and were able to scramble back to bed before he re-entered the house. This time, however, our plan failed. He caught us as we were running back into bed. We knew we were sunk. We knew we had directly disobeyed. And we knew the consequences were sure to follow.
A spanking in the Richardson household usually went a bit like this:
We would sullenly, amidst tears and blubbering, be led into my mom and dads room where we would sit down on their squishy waterbed and wait for the anticipated discipline. My dad would talk with us and ask us to explain exactly what we had done wrong. We were never punished for something we didn’t deserve, and we always understood why we were being spanked. After our spanking, my dad would cradle us in his arms until he could feel us relax, knowing that at that point we weren’t upset with him for spanking us and that we had submitted our will. He would hug us until we had stopped crying, and we never left the room without a throbbing bottom, a sticky face, and a deeper relationship with my dad. Sometimes we even left smiling.
This time was different. Instead of witnessing the punishment of my siblings, my dad had each of us wait in the bathroom for our turn. My brother went first. Sara and I sat there, stomachs churning, expecting to hear the action taking place in the other room. Instead, all we heard was a loud, clear “smack!”. And silence. Seth rejoined us in the bathroom, looking slightly puzzled, and with a summons for me.
I walked into the bedroom and took my place on dads lap. He talked with me for a moment, and then I positioned myself, breath caught up in my chest and muscles tightened in preparation for the first spanking. Instead, all I heard was a “smack!” and felt no pain. I was confused. I clearly deserved a spanking, but for some reason wasn’t receiving one.
I realized that the “smack” I heard had come from my father spanking himself. Instead of spanking me, he had hit his own leg. Instead of allowing the pain, the punishment, and the consequences for my actions to land squarely where I deserved, he took them for me. He bore my punishment. I deserved it. I had done wrong. But he hurt himself instead.
I was shocked. It wasn’t fair. I almost would have rather had my dad spank me instead of inflicting pain on himself. He didn’t deserve it. I did.
He then explained to me that what he had just done was a picture of what Christ did for me on the cross. I disobeyed: I deserved a spanking. I have sinned: I deserve death. And yet Christ took the burden of all the wrong I have done and will do and died on a cross so I wouldn’t have to pay the ultimate price for my sin: separation from the God who made me and eternity in hell.
Thank you, Lord, for your Grace. Thank you for taking the punishment that I so rightfuly deserved.
And thank you, Dad, for teaching me such a clear lesson that I will never forget.
When I was a child, I had a bad habit of disobeying. It was a frequent habit that I never grew out of…and almost always there were (and still are) clear and painful consequences.
I can still vividly remember one evening when I chose to directly disobey my father and had to face the consequences. My brother, sister and I were messing around building Lego creations in my brothers room, which was not a bad pastime on its own. However, the fact that my dad had put us to bed and specifically told us to stay there made it so. He knew we had a habit of getting out of bed when we weren’t supposed to and not falling asleep like we should. So he made it clear: climbing out of bed tonight would result in immediate consequences. We told him we understood and crawled into bed.
Of course, we didn’t stay there long.
While my dad was down in the “dungeon”, we were above him playing and having a good time. Usually we were able to hear when he would climb back up the ramp into the garage and were able to scramble back to bed before he re-entered the house. This time, however, our plan failed. He caught us as we were running back into bed. We knew we were sunk. We knew we had directly disobeyed. And we knew the consequences were sure to follow.
A spanking in the Richardson household usually went a bit like this:
We would sullenly, amidst tears and blubbering, be led into my mom and dads room where we would sit down on their squishy waterbed and wait for the anticipated discipline. My dad would talk with us and ask us to explain exactly what we had done wrong. We were never punished for something we didn’t deserve, and we always understood why we were being spanked. After our spanking, my dad would cradle us in his arms until he could feel us relax, knowing that at that point we weren’t upset with him for spanking us and that we had submitted our will. He would hug us until we had stopped crying, and we never left the room without a throbbing bottom, a sticky face, and a deeper relationship with my dad. Sometimes we even left smiling.
This time was different. Instead of witnessing the punishment of my siblings, my dad had each of us wait in the bathroom for our turn. My brother went first. Sara and I sat there, stomachs churning, expecting to hear the action taking place in the other room. Instead, all we heard was a loud, clear “smack!”. And silence. Seth rejoined us in the bathroom, looking slightly puzzled, and with a summons for me.
I walked into the bedroom and took my place on dads lap. He talked with me for a moment, and then I positioned myself, breath caught up in my chest and muscles tightened in preparation for the first spanking. Instead, all I heard was a “smack!” and felt no pain. I was confused. I clearly deserved a spanking, but for some reason wasn’t receiving one.
I realized that the “smack” I heard had come from my father spanking himself. Instead of spanking me, he had hit his own leg. Instead of allowing the pain, the punishment, and the consequences for my actions to land squarely where I deserved, he took them for me. He bore my punishment. I deserved it. I had done wrong. But he hurt himself instead.
I was shocked. It wasn’t fair. I almost would have rather had my dad spank me instead of inflicting pain on himself. He didn’t deserve it. I did.
He then explained to me that what he had just done was a picture of what Christ did for me on the cross. I disobeyed: I deserved a spanking. I have sinned: I deserve death. And yet Christ took the burden of all the wrong I have done and will do and died on a cross so I wouldn’t have to pay the ultimate price for my sin: separation from the God who made me and eternity in hell.
Thank you, Lord, for your Grace. Thank you for taking the punishment that I so rightfuly deserved.
And thank you, Dad, for teaching me such a clear lesson that I will never forget.
to Know
Today I read in Exodus 2. There was one verse that really stood out to me (verse 25). It read:
“God saw the people of Israel - and God knew.”
Wow. How powerful is that? The people of Israel are crying out to God to deliver them from slavery - from the hand of the Egyptians, from the killing of their own children, and from bondage. You really should read the entire chapter in context. It’s crazy what the Israelites are going through! The cry out, and not only does God hear, but He knows. He knew the extent of their pain. He saw, he heard, he understood. He knew.
And He knows. He knows me. He knows exactly where I’m at even when I don’t cry out to Him or spend time in prayer. He knows my future, He knows my past, He knows where I’m at now, He knows every inch of me - all my worries, concerns, sins - and He loves me despite myself.
He knows.
“God saw the people of Israel - and God knew.”
Wow. How powerful is that? The people of Israel are crying out to God to deliver them from slavery - from the hand of the Egyptians, from the killing of their own children, and from bondage. You really should read the entire chapter in context. It’s crazy what the Israelites are going through! The cry out, and not only does God hear, but He knows. He knew the extent of their pain. He saw, he heard, he understood. He knew.
And He knows. He knows me. He knows exactly where I’m at even when I don’t cry out to Him or spend time in prayer. He knows my future, He knows my past, He knows where I’m at now, He knows every inch of me - all my worries, concerns, sins - and He loves me despite myself.
He knows.
Goodmorning
I’m beginning to realize that often when i ask God to address issues in my life and to change my heart, I don’t actually expect Him to do anything about it. Then when situations slam me in the face, I’m reminded that change and transformation require opportunities that will challenge and me and grow me. So often I expect change to come without effort. Not so! This morning provided a clear reminder of that.
This morning I slep through all my alarms and woke up 15 minutes after my shift at the Library had started. I got there as fast as possible, just in time to greet a large group of loud freshman who were supposed to be doing some sort of scavenger hunt for class. My supervisor was no where to be found, so I had them mill about in the lobby for a good while until I could track someone down to help.
All morning I was running from here to there, trying to keep up with demands and events that I had no control over. Finally, I took a minute and walked into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. Maria, one of the custodians who works in the library on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as well as Friday afternoons, listened while I gabbed about my potentially stressful morning. She then reminded me, in her heavy Spanish accent, that God is control. Always. There is no need for stress or worry. In the grand scheme of things, dealing with sleeping through my alarms, 30 restless freshman, caffeine addicted students waiting for fresh coffee, and frustrated library-goers who can’t get the printer to work, are small issues.
God has been using little events, as well as a few bigger ones, to teach me to trust Him always. I don’t have to worry about anything! My future is taken care of. I’m safe.
The funny thing about this whole situation is that it took place after a wonderful conversation with a good friend just a few days ago. Noelle, one of my best friends, and I like to go on walks around the mile long loop surrounding campus. We walk and talk, updating each other on concerns, prayer requests, funny stories, and whatever comes to mind. Sunday night we got on the topic of the future: something I most definitely do not have figured out. I was describing my worry about not having any idea why I’m majoring in Biology and what I’m going to do with it. I don’t like my Biology classes all that much, and the hardest ones are yet to come. I mentioned that I wanted to change my major just to avoid the stress that will most definitely come from classes such as “Integrated Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology”, and other intense upper-level bio classes that I have no desire to take. Noelle said something I found to be very profound: We shouldn’t ever be stressed. Ever. But that doesn’t mean avoiding potentially stressful situations. Nope, that doesn’t mean we get to avoid hard situations entirely. It means that in those hard times or in the upheaval, we can find peace and relief knowing that God is good, God is in control, and our lives are in the hands of our all-powerful creator. Instead of avoiding those situations, we should embrace them.
I asked for trust. I asked God to teach my to rely on Him and not to stress. And He provided a situation in which I could choose to grow or to stress.
Look for those times that God provides an opportunity for you to choose to obey His commandments and to embrace His love. For me, focusing on that made the trials of the day seem purposeful and not in any way out of God’s control.
This morning I slep through all my alarms and woke up 15 minutes after my shift at the Library had started. I got there as fast as possible, just in time to greet a large group of loud freshman who were supposed to be doing some sort of scavenger hunt for class. My supervisor was no where to be found, so I had them mill about in the lobby for a good while until I could track someone down to help.
All morning I was running from here to there, trying to keep up with demands and events that I had no control over. Finally, I took a minute and walked into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. Maria, one of the custodians who works in the library on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as well as Friday afternoons, listened while I gabbed about my potentially stressful morning. She then reminded me, in her heavy Spanish accent, that God is control. Always. There is no need for stress or worry. In the grand scheme of things, dealing with sleeping through my alarms, 30 restless freshman, caffeine addicted students waiting for fresh coffee, and frustrated library-goers who can’t get the printer to work, are small issues.
God has been using little events, as well as a few bigger ones, to teach me to trust Him always. I don’t have to worry about anything! My future is taken care of. I’m safe.
The funny thing about this whole situation is that it took place after a wonderful conversation with a good friend just a few days ago. Noelle, one of my best friends, and I like to go on walks around the mile long loop surrounding campus. We walk and talk, updating each other on concerns, prayer requests, funny stories, and whatever comes to mind. Sunday night we got on the topic of the future: something I most definitely do not have figured out. I was describing my worry about not having any idea why I’m majoring in Biology and what I’m going to do with it. I don’t like my Biology classes all that much, and the hardest ones are yet to come. I mentioned that I wanted to change my major just to avoid the stress that will most definitely come from classes such as “Integrated Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology”, and other intense upper-level bio classes that I have no desire to take. Noelle said something I found to be very profound: We shouldn’t ever be stressed. Ever. But that doesn’t mean avoiding potentially stressful situations. Nope, that doesn’t mean we get to avoid hard situations entirely. It means that in those hard times or in the upheaval, we can find peace and relief knowing that God is good, God is in control, and our lives are in the hands of our all-powerful creator. Instead of avoiding those situations, we should embrace them.
I asked for trust. I asked God to teach my to rely on Him and not to stress. And He provided a situation in which I could choose to grow or to stress.
Look for those times that God provides an opportunity for you to choose to obey His commandments and to embrace His love. For me, focusing on that made the trials of the day seem purposeful and not in any way out of God’s control.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Just a thought...
“Mere Christianity” is a fascinating book. I tried to read it last summer and couldn’t get through it. I think I’ve come a long way since then, because this is soon to be one of my favorite books. A quote I just read that stood out to me is found on page 57 -
“We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it.”
Lewis is writing about our inability to be good and truly repentant people. We are unable to truly do good on our own. Just a young child needs a guiding hand to learn how to form letters when they write for the first time, we need the Lord to guide us in loving, repenting, forgiving, showing mercy, acting humbly, and giving unbiasedly. We are incapable of good on our own. But God is so faithful to work in us and guide us in righteousness.
I am so weak and incapable. But in that weakness, God is strong and faithful to complete in me what I could never do on my own.
“We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it.”
Lewis is writing about our inability to be good and truly repentant people. We are unable to truly do good on our own. Just a young child needs a guiding hand to learn how to form letters when they write for the first time, we need the Lord to guide us in loving, repenting, forgiving, showing mercy, acting humbly, and giving unbiasedly. We are incapable of good on our own. But God is so faithful to work in us and guide us in righteousness.
I am so weak and incapable. But in that weakness, God is strong and faithful to complete in me what I could never do on my own.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Aliens
Today in Sunday school, the teacher read an excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”. I had read it before, but once again found it very interesting. Lewis is writing about a Christian’s hope for heaven and eternity while he or she is on earth. So often I forget that earth is only temporary and that my focus and hope should not be in this earth or the pleasure I can find here. I was made for something greater. On pages 135 and 136, Lewis writes:
“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all – except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.”
Lewis goes on to state that there is only one correct way to respond to this truth:
“The Christian Way –The Christian says, ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.’”
I know this is a rather long excerpt, but I thought it was so good I wanted to share it. So much of what I’m searching for here on earth can only be found in the character of God and in Heaven, my eternal home. I’ve realized lately how earthly focused I am, and how much more heavenly focused I need to be. As Lewis states, “I was made for another world”.
“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all – except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.”
Lewis goes on to state that there is only one correct way to respond to this truth:
“The Christian Way –The Christian says, ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.’”
I know this is a rather long excerpt, but I thought it was so good I wanted to share it. So much of what I’m searching for here on earth can only be found in the character of God and in Heaven, my eternal home. I’ve realized lately how earthly focused I am, and how much more heavenly focused I need to be. As Lewis states, “I was made for another world”.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Contentment.
I have this grand idea of how I want my future to look: where I want to be, what I want to be doing, and who I want to be with. However, I’ve found that my plans aren’t usually God’s. Even when my desires are good, they’re not always best. I’ve been frustrated, upset, and impatient in the last year or so. I think I know what I want. I think I know my ideal plan for the future. And yet I have been convicted that God has something very different for me in store.
Right now I’m going to school. I’m majoring in Biology. I’m living in the United States. I’m considering medical school in the future.
If I had my own way, I would not be in school, I would not be majoring in Biology, I probably wouldn’t be living in the United States, and I wouldn’t think twice about medical school.
But for some reason I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. This is right.
I think I’m finally coming to the place where I want God’s plan for my life more than my own. Ultimately, my life is not my own. I’m finally coming to the place where I can say that I want God’s plans to be my plans., even if this means giving up my idea of what life should look like.
This summer I went out to Indian food with my mom for lunch. During our conversation, I described to her my ideal future. I described to her where I thought I’d be the most content: where I’d be happiest. While she agreed that my plan did sound pretty awesome, she brought up a simple question that I had simply ignored. What if God has a different plan? Would I be happy then?
At the time I honestly don’t think I could have said yes. However, as I’ve spent more time in the Word and getting to know God, I think I can. The more time I invest in my relationship with Jesus Christ, the more I realize that I only want to be where He wants me. I only want to be doing what he wants me to do. And I only want to be with whomever He has for me.
There is no greater or more perfect a plan that the one God has designed for me.
I don’t think I ever realized before this summer that God only has good in store for those who love Him. Will His plan for my life be the most comfortable? Probably not. Will I be happy all the time? Not likely. Will I know that there is no plan more perfect than God’s? Yes. Can I find immeasurable joy in that? Most definitely.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Moving
Yesterday I spent most the day packing. I packed for school and then packed up the rest of my belongings into three or four boxes in preparation for the big move: my family was finally able to buy a house about 2 miles away from where we live now, so this summer has been dedicated to remodeling, packing, and preparing for the move.
Home is kind of complicated idea for me right now. I’m excited to be back at school, as I actually have a room to call my own there, but I don’t really consider it to be home. The house I’ve lived in for about 12 years no longer belongs to my family, and I won’t be living in the new one till I come back for Christmas.
This has made me think of my heavenly home. A friend I just recently met often states how he longs to be at home with the Lord and in the presence of this Maker. That is where home truly is. Home is not a box here on earth, but Heaven in the presence of the Lord.
If I truly believed that this earthly home is temporary and that my true home is in heaven, how would I live differently? Maybe I wouldn’t be so attached to all those trinkets and mementos that I’ve hung on to over the years. Maybe i wouldn’t get so caught up in planning my future. Maybe I would live so much more excitedly and expectantly for the beautiful future I have in Heaven with my Lord.
I pray that God gives me a new passion and vigor for my future with Him. I want to long to be with Him in Glory. I want to be so caught up in my love of God and future with Him that I focus only on what’s important here on earth: loving God and loving people. I long to long for Him :)
Home is kind of complicated idea for me right now. I’m excited to be back at school, as I actually have a room to call my own there, but I don’t really consider it to be home. The house I’ve lived in for about 12 years no longer belongs to my family, and I won’t be living in the new one till I come back for Christmas.
This has made me think of my heavenly home. A friend I just recently met often states how he longs to be at home with the Lord and in the presence of this Maker. That is where home truly is. Home is not a box here on earth, but Heaven in the presence of the Lord.
If I truly believed that this earthly home is temporary and that my true home is in heaven, how would I live differently? Maybe I wouldn’t be so attached to all those trinkets and mementos that I’ve hung on to over the years. Maybe i wouldn’t get so caught up in planning my future. Maybe I would live so much more excitedly and expectantly for the beautiful future I have in Heaven with my Lord.
I pray that God gives me a new passion and vigor for my future with Him. I want to long to be with Him in Glory. I want to be so caught up in my love of God and future with Him that I focus only on what’s important here on earth: loving God and loving people. I long to long for Him :)
The Sound of Silence
Yesterday I hopped into a strangers car and took off. Destination: Victory. Purpose: to visit family and to hang out with a group that came up from Ohio to work with my church, the church in Victory, and my old High School on their retreat this week. Result: I was reminded why I love this place. I haven’t been here in about a year and half. My uncle and his family live out here and some of my fondest memories have taken place in this cozy house snuggled up to a majestic mountain with an ancient pond in the front yard and moose that run wild through the yard almost every evening when the sun begins to disappear. During the winter we would skate on the frozen pond and sled down the enormous hill that runs right up to the stables. In the spring we would watch the snow melt and use the moist snow to form snow forts and snowballs. In the summer we would four wheel down to the river and roast hot dogs and smores. And in the fall we would pick blueberries and harvest the garden in preparation for a long, cold winter.
One of my favorite memories, however, took place when the rest of the family wasn’t around and it was quiet at the house. I climbed the wooded hill overlooking the pond and made myself comfortable amid the moss and fallen logs. I curled up with a book and read. It was lovely.
I’m beginning to realize that the less time I have for peace and quiet, for me the less time I am away from people (be it friends, family, or strangers), the less time I have to be still and to know that God is great and is good and is bigger than I can imagine. So often I forget to let God speak. I talk, and don’t wait for a response. How often am I still, knowing that God is who He says He is, trusting in is promises and listening for His voice? Here where it is quiet and peaceful, it’s easier for me to be still and quiet and to listen for His voice.
How will you silence yourself and listen for God’s voice today?
Psalms 46
One of my favorite memories, however, took place when the rest of the family wasn’t around and it was quiet at the house. I climbed the wooded hill overlooking the pond and made myself comfortable amid the moss and fallen logs. I curled up with a book and read. It was lovely.
I’m beginning to realize that the less time I have for peace and quiet, for me the less time I am away from people (be it friends, family, or strangers), the less time I have to be still and to know that God is great and is good and is bigger than I can imagine. So often I forget to let God speak. I talk, and don’t wait for a response. How often am I still, knowing that God is who He says He is, trusting in is promises and listening for His voice? Here where it is quiet and peaceful, it’s easier for me to be still and quiet and to listen for His voice.
How will you silence yourself and listen for God’s voice today?
Psalms 46
2 Corinthians 7:1
“Since then we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
In this passage, Paul is writing to the Corinthians. If you check out 1 Corinthians, you’ll get an idea of where this church has been, what it has been doing, and why a couple of intense letters from Paul (along with a good deal of prayer and supplication) were necessary to get it back on the right track. The Corinthians were sinning hardcore: disgusting sexual relations, defiling the Lord’s Supper, and allowing divisions in the church, just to name a few.
Paul’s first letter is very confrontational. However, in 2 Corinthians we see a shift in attitude and in message. Paul is encouraging them and praising them! Paul sent Titus to the Corinthians to instruct and teach. Titus was very encouraged by there progress and evident love for the Lord and willingness to repent of their sinful ways.
In chapter 6 of 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds the church that the body of believers is a temple of the Lords, and because of this, believers should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Whether this yoking refers only to marriage or to both marriage and dating, I’m unsure. But the main idea is that believers are light and unbelievers are darkness, and the two do not and should not blend. Believers must continually separate themselves from sin and darkness by striving to become holy as God is holy. Remeber that God commands us to be salt and light in darkness, so living among and spending time with unbelievers is very necessary! However, conforming to the patterns of a fallen world is not. Love the unbeliever, but do not become like him.
So then we reach 2 Corinthians 7:1. This verse stuck with me this morning as I did my devotions. God promises in the previous chapter that He will dwell among His people and that He will make us sons and daughters! How awesome is that! What does God require in exchange for this love and endearment? That we, with fear and trembling, cleanse ourseleves from EVERY defilement of body and spirit (physical and spiritual) and that we become transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, God’s Son.
The words that stood out to me most were the words “beloved” and “fear of God”. God uses a term of sweet endearment and love to remind us that this transformation is for our good and God’s glory. He is not demanding perfection as an angry father would, continually disciplining and rebuking his child as he messes up and fails. He has called us beloved. Beloved. Beloved of God. We are loved with a love that cannot be marred, destroyed, or taken away. We are truly loved. All rebuking and discipline is done in love.
The second phrase is “fear of God”. Often times I forget who I’m talking of and reading about. Just as C.S. Lewis described Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia series, God is not a tame God, but He is good. Often I forget that God is a God of wrath, of jealousy, of righteous anger, and of perfection. He is a loving father, but He is also a just and holy God. When we strive to conform ourselves to the image of God’s Son, we need to do it out of the fear and respect for God, knowing that He commands obedience and holiness from his Church. His beloved.
So what is my response? After I finished my devotions, I grabbed a yellow index card from my moms desk and marked down five things that I need to change.
1. Continually assault my sins (the nit picky ones that I so often let go)
2. Don’t defend yourself
3. Always make time for God
4. Stop searching for and stressing about your future (school, jobs, men, etc). Wait for God’s perfect timing.
5. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. (condensed version of Proverbs 3:5-6)
On the top of the card I wrote: “Lord, give me strength to change. I can’t do it on my own.” And on the back I wrote 2 Corinthians 7:1.
How are you going to cleanse yourself from every defilement of body and spirit today?
In this passage, Paul is writing to the Corinthians. If you check out 1 Corinthians, you’ll get an idea of where this church has been, what it has been doing, and why a couple of intense letters from Paul (along with a good deal of prayer and supplication) were necessary to get it back on the right track. The Corinthians were sinning hardcore: disgusting sexual relations, defiling the Lord’s Supper, and allowing divisions in the church, just to name a few.
Paul’s first letter is very confrontational. However, in 2 Corinthians we see a shift in attitude and in message. Paul is encouraging them and praising them! Paul sent Titus to the Corinthians to instruct and teach. Titus was very encouraged by there progress and evident love for the Lord and willingness to repent of their sinful ways.
In chapter 6 of 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds the church that the body of believers is a temple of the Lords, and because of this, believers should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Whether this yoking refers only to marriage or to both marriage and dating, I’m unsure. But the main idea is that believers are light and unbelievers are darkness, and the two do not and should not blend. Believers must continually separate themselves from sin and darkness by striving to become holy as God is holy. Remeber that God commands us to be salt and light in darkness, so living among and spending time with unbelievers is very necessary! However, conforming to the patterns of a fallen world is not. Love the unbeliever, but do not become like him.
So then we reach 2 Corinthians 7:1. This verse stuck with me this morning as I did my devotions. God promises in the previous chapter that He will dwell among His people and that He will make us sons and daughters! How awesome is that! What does God require in exchange for this love and endearment? That we, with fear and trembling, cleanse ourseleves from EVERY defilement of body and spirit (physical and spiritual) and that we become transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, God’s Son.
The words that stood out to me most were the words “beloved” and “fear of God”. God uses a term of sweet endearment and love to remind us that this transformation is for our good and God’s glory. He is not demanding perfection as an angry father would, continually disciplining and rebuking his child as he messes up and fails. He has called us beloved. Beloved. Beloved of God. We are loved with a love that cannot be marred, destroyed, or taken away. We are truly loved. All rebuking and discipline is done in love.
The second phrase is “fear of God”. Often times I forget who I’m talking of and reading about. Just as C.S. Lewis described Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia series, God is not a tame God, but He is good. Often I forget that God is a God of wrath, of jealousy, of righteous anger, and of perfection. He is a loving father, but He is also a just and holy God. When we strive to conform ourselves to the image of God’s Son, we need to do it out of the fear and respect for God, knowing that He commands obedience and holiness from his Church. His beloved.
So what is my response? After I finished my devotions, I grabbed a yellow index card from my moms desk and marked down five things that I need to change.
1. Continually assault my sins (the nit picky ones that I so often let go)
2. Don’t defend yourself
3. Always make time for God
4. Stop searching for and stressing about your future (school, jobs, men, etc). Wait for God’s perfect timing.
5. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. (condensed version of Proverbs 3:5-6)
On the top of the card I wrote: “Lord, give me strength to change. I can’t do it on my own.” And on the back I wrote 2 Corinthians 7:1.
How are you going to cleanse yourself from every defilement of body and spirit today?
Hello?
The title of this blog, as you might have noticed, is “Hello?”. I’m not sure if this title holds significant meaning. But I do know that I need to write. I need to get some thoughts out and to share them with somebody, whether I know them or not. So if you’re out there reading this, if you know me or you don’t, if you care or if you don’t, I would simply like to say, “Hello?” and welcome to my blog.
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