Melody For Thy Name

A Time to Share

2012-01-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the wonderful blessing of visiting with a dear friend from Romania. We met 8 years ago while I was helping with a youth camp, and then again 7 years ago during my summer in Piatra Neamt, Romania. We have kept in touch since then, but not nearly as often as either of us would like. I suppose that when you are living in two different countries, living two separate lives...while you may still be in fellowship with each other, the fellowship is not as close as it could be when shared.

It was wonderful seeing her. God has called her to serve in a country where it is not particularly safe towards Christians. She is serving those who could lose everything if they gave their life to Christ: family, friends, their home... Spending time with her reminded me of how important it is to know what God is doing around the world. Here in America, we get so busy. So focused on us. Our life. Our church. Our job. We lose sight of the bigger picture. Christ, and spreading the gospel to those around us and across the globe, to further His Kingdom as His Spirit leads.

When I worked at Mission to the World, it truly came home to me that if we are not going, and we are not sending, we are disobeying. As I reflect on my time with my friend, and how I live my life, it begs me to evaluate if I am going or sending...or disobeying. Where is my time and energy spent? Yes, right now my son demands more energy than I could ever imagine I had! But God has put people in my life, all around me, and there are opportunities everywhere to share the great news of the gospel. And I am called to go to them, seize those opportunities, send people financially and prayerfully, and love like Jesus loved, letting His light shine through my life, so that this dark world can have Hope that is only found in Him.

Last Several Attempts

2012-01-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

Good morning, friends. My last several attempts to log onto my blog have failed. I'm not sure as to why, but finally, today, it worked!
I should know better than to say 'I want to write about a new chapter a day from the Bible.' Having a baby changes everything. I can make plans of what I want to do, but when it comes down to it....unfortunately...there are not enough hours in the day for everything that needs to get done. And my blog goes on the back burner. However, mornings like this, when I have a moment, I want to try and write about what God is doing in my life!

My son is sitting next to me on the couch, kicking his little legs to classical music as he watches Baby Einstein. 3 days ago was his 4 month birthday. Every moment with him is a blessing. Even the moments that seem they will never end as he cries, or fusses, or just makes me feel inadequate. I'm constantly being reminded that he is not mine first. He belongs to the Lord. Praise God that He is giving me the opportunity, the blessing, to raise him!!! I hope I do not take him for granted!

Ever since we left Athens, I have missed my previous job. Not because I don't LOVE being a stay-at-home mother and wife, but because I miss working for the Kingdom. Well, I have just been offered a job, one in which I didn't apply for nor know was available, in which I only need to work a few short hours a week, and can do so from home or the office. If I am in the office, Roman can come too! Praise God for this opportunity, a little more income, and for it all being a blessing handed down from above.

Have a beautiful day all!!

Luke 1

2012-01-03T13:32:00.000-05:00

Silly me. I should have known better than to say I would blog a new chapter each day of the Bible, and then go out of town for 11 days! I hope your Christmas and New Years was wonderful. It was so joyful being with friends and family, and having my little boy to share everything with! Luke 1 fortells the birth of John the Baptist, born to prepare the way of our Lord. When his father, Zechariah was told by an angel that his wife would conceive, Zechariah doubted. His wife, Elizabeth, was advanced in years and barren. Because of his disbelief, Zechariah was silenced until the birth of John. While Mary was pregnant, she visited Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. (Luke 1: 41) She immediately knew Mary was carrying the Lord. Mary remained with them for about three months and they rejoiced together. During that time was when Mary wrote her Magnificat:

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hears; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." Luke 1:46-55

After John's birth, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophecies regarding God's mercy and his new baby: "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1: 76-79And that is just what John did. Growing strong in the spirit, he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance in Israel. Goodness, all this talk about babies! Here is my precious baby boy. I pray that God has a special purpose for him and will see Roman through to its completion.

This is Roman with his Uncle Christopher.

Matthew 2

2011-12-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

We three kings of orient are.....
That's right! Matthew 2 involves the wise men visiting Jesus! So many prophecies are fulfilled in this chapter. The wise men traveled to Bethlehem and upon seeing Jesus, fell down and worshiped Him, and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Prophecy #1 "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel."

Herod was King during the time of Jesus' birth, and when the wise men asked where they could find 'He who has been born king of the Jews?', Herod and his chief priests and scribes began to plot how to ensure His death. He asked the wise men to bring back word of where this King was, that he too could go and worship Him. In a dream, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him." This fulfills Prophecy #2 "Out of Egypt I called my Son."

When Herod realized he had been tricked by the wise men, by them returning to their home by way of a different route, he because furious and sent for all of the male children in Bethlehem age 2 and under to be killed. Looking at my baby boy, sleeping so peacefully next to me, I realize he falls in that age range. I cannot imagine...nor do I want to...what the mothers went through. Did Mary ever hear what had happened? Did she know that God provided protection for her baby? What was her reaction, if she did hear the horrible news of what had taken place? Prophecy #3 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take Mary and the Child, and go to the land of Israel. They went and lived in a city called Nazareth, fulfilling Prophecy #4 "He shall be called a Nazarene."

I love rereading these chapters and writing about them. It helps me to be reminded of all the prophecies that were fulfilled. That could only be fulfilled by the Messiah. Praise God for keeping His promises! Great is His faithfulness!

Matthew 1

2011-12-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

Again, I took a break from writing. Not because I didn't want to! Many days I thought about it, yet allowed my blog writing to slip through the cracks while Parenthood took over. I just love my son so much and have to watch him every moment he is awake....and some moments while he is asleep. He is just so, peaceful. I wonder if God's peace that He has given us is supposed to look like a peaceful sleeping babe to the outside world?

Yesterday I finished my year long (+ a few months) read through the Bible chronologically. How great it was! I learned things I hadn't known before, and reaffirmed my faith in so many ways. My view of God's sovereignty has grown exponentially! While reading through the New Testament, I decided I couldn't wait to get to the end and begin again...in the New Testament. Of course I will read through the Old again, but I really want to share with you, and me, each chapter of the New. (I probably won't tackle Revelation though in this blog....we will see how God leads.)

So, Matthew 1: The genealogy of Jesus Christ, fulfilling prophecies of Him being born of a virgin, in the line of David, from the seed of Abraham. And then the birth of Jesus Christ! Our Saviour. He came to this world for the reason of redeeming His children. His story does not end in Matthew 1. Nor does it begin there. His story began at the beginning of time. All of creation waited for this moment, looking forward to the Messiah. A song was being written since God created the heavens and the earth, and the birth of Christ was adding a new melody to His sonata.

After Mary was found to be with child, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly, since she had conceived before they wed. Yet an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to fear not, but that Mary had conceived this child by the Holy Spirit, and that He would save the people from their sins. When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did as the angel commanded. And Mary gave birth to a son. They called Him Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.

Thankfully Saved

2011-11-28T13:51:00.000-05:00

This past week was Thanksgiving, which my family spread out over 4 days. 2 days were spent with my husband's family and 2 days were spent with mine. I love Thanksgiving food and I love going around the table telling what we are thankful for. I wish that we could keep going around the table for hours sharing what all God has been doing in our lives but alas, not everyone likes that tradition.

During my reading this morning of Colossians and Philemon, Thanksgiving kept being brought up. Not the holiday, but the reaction to what all God has done for us. How thankful we should be. How boldly we should share. Paul was encouraging the church (and therefore us as well) to conduct themselves in such a way that they would be thankfully sharing how Christ had redeemed us. Through our joy and thanksgiving, through sharing our faith, Paul was praying that it would become 'effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." (Philemon 1:6)

If we are saved, then we of course are thankful. We have to be. There isn't any other option. If we have been saved we should be overflowing with such joy that His light pours out of us. And if being redeemed brings us such joy, we should be sharing. So go. Be bold. (I'm speaking to myself as well.) Let's share our faith and what God has done in our lives to those who desperately need to hear the gospel. Be thankfully saved!

Two Months

2011-11-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

It has been two months since I experienced just what the Bible means when it repeatedly says "pangs of a woman in labor." I don't regret a moment of my labor. My birth story is beautiful, overflowing with God's grace. I don't know what I was thinking believing that the pain couldn't be THAT bad. I was wrong. Still, feeling every contraction and pushing out my beautiful blessing from my Father was and is indescribable.

But, this isn't to talk about my labor. This post is to talk about the beautiful gift that God allowed my husband and I to create. The beautiful gift created by the beautiful gift of love. All because God, in His grace and mercy, looked down from above, fearfully and wonderfully knitted me together in my mother's womb, planned my life, and predestined this girl from Knoxville to fall in love with an incredible man from Chattanooga, vow before God, family, and friends to love each other through thick and thin, and then He generously allowed our love to make a beautiful baby boy.

Breathtaking. I am in awe of God. I am humbled. I did nothing to deserve the life He has given me. But He wanted to give me this life anyways. All I can do in return is seek Him first, let Him pour into me so fully that I overflow Him into the lives around me, and live every day as a Song to my King.

Song in my Heart

2011-11-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

My baby boy is swinging next to me and I'm crocheting a frog beanie, enjoying a cup of Mint Chocolate coffee, and listening to a CD that has nothing written on it. It didn't have a case. I wasn't sure if it was a CD I burned while in college, if it belongs to my husband, or if it even had anything on it. So I popped it in to find out the answer to those questions, as well as have music on so that little Roman stays asleep in his swing. Turns out, it is a CD that a friend of mine in college gave to me several years ago. The very first song captivated me. I know I've listened to this CD before, so I am baffled as to how I didn't recognize the first song in the least.

Needless to say, God wanted me to find this CD and put it in. It is stirring my heart in so many ways. I am experiencing a beautiful, blessed hour in my home. Just me, my Father, and the blessings He has surrounded me with. Most of these songs are perfectly focused on all Christ has done for us. Drawing me into Him. Calling me closer. Reminding me of the Faithful One. My soul needed this. I needed this. Sometimes, despite us being surrounded by Him and held by Him, we are still too busy to breathe in His presence. Ahh, what sweet presence I am experiencing right now. I couldn't help but put down my yarn and needle and blog this moment. I hope that someone reads this and either knows this feeling, or takes the moment now to bask in His Glory.

As I usually do, I'm going to share the lyrics with you of the first song that God used to draw me in today. The song is called Beautiful, Scandalous Night.

Go on up to the mountain of Mercy to the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the Holy Mountain
Sinner, sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul in the fountain that flows for you and for me and for all
On the hillside you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross, justified.
And your spirit restored by the river that pours
From our blessed Saviour's side
You carry the sin of mankind on your back and the sky went black.
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night.
On that beautiful, scandalous night.
On that beautiful, scandalous, miraculous night.

Have a blessed day, friends.

Desired Death

2011-11-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." James 1: 13-15

I have been reading through the Bible chronologically since last September. I should be done by now, but have let things get in the way and am currently in my last few weeks. It has been such a journey. I read through the Bible when I was younger. It was a rule in our house. To get your driving permit, you had to read the Old Testament. For your license, the New Testament. Truthfully though, I probably skimmed more than read. I didn't want to postpone my permit or license any longer than necessary. I read just enough to give my parents a summary of the chapters each day. Now that I'm reading through it on my own, desiring to learn more and soak Scripture in, I am enjoying completely. When I'm finished, I will start again. How important it is to eat our Daily Bread!

When I read the book of James yesterday, I was struck by these verses. I knew them to be true, yet how often have I in my own life accused God of tempting me. I might call it a 'test' instead to try and justify my accusations, but nonetheless I was wrong in doing so. God always gives a door out to resist temptation, but He does not lead us into the room. Satan does, to try and ruin our reputation, as well as taking down a few onlookers in the process. As believers, we need to be clothed in armor. We need to recognize that our desires are at war within us, raging and trying to cripple us. The Holy Spirit is at work changing us, but we give our flesh power when we submit to our desires. And how often does it birth sin! Before long that desire grows and grows until it brings forth death. We need to guard our hearts. Clothe ourselves in Jesus. Submit to the Holy Spirit. And pray for our brothers and sisters. "Every good and perfect gift is from above," and in letting Christ pour through our lives, being visible to the world, we can allow Him to magnify His perfect gifts rather than us magnifying our broken lives that our wrapped in tempting desires and death.

God has made His children beautiful. And blessed. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Learning Grace

2011-11-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

"My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

I'm currently learning grace. I know God's grace and have felt it rain down on me. Now I am in the process of being a vessel....one which God can pour His grace through me and onto my son. We are, hopefully, in the final days of his 6 week growth spurt. To anyone who has had a child, you understand how trying this time is. I do not know how single moms with zero help do this. I have my husband in the evenings to help me, to take a shift of screaming, so wouldn't you know that the evenings are when baby boy is at his worst?!

I am enjoying being a mother. I adore my son and am blessed beyond words. I do not deserve him. He is a sign of grace in my life. Now every day I just have to pray that God will allow me the grace to show my son His grace and His love every day of his life.

A Problem Not Your Own

2011-11-02T13:09:00.000-04:00

I'm sure we have all come across problems that are not our own, yet have adopted them confidently, knowing that some how, some way, we are going to find a solution and make everything better. I have been in the middle of an internal battle for nearly two months now because of this.

I'm not going to go into the details simply because that is not what this post is about. It is about letting go and letting God. Every problem I hear about does not equal me taking care of it. I know that prayer is powerful. I know that God answers all prayers. Absolutely all of them. And that not all answers are what I wanted or expected, but all answers that God gives are the best answers there are. So why do I constantly act as though prayer isn't enough? Why must I try to fix things that are entirely too big for me to take on?

I am constantly in need of God's grace as I continually stumble through life. He must chuckle at me every time I try to do His job. My job is to love. Deeply and fully. Even when it is hard.

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails...There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord... There is surely a hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." (Selection of God's promises.)

I have everything in common with Christians

2011-10-23T15:08:00.000-04:00

Is that true? Do all Brothers and Sisters in Christ have everything in common? We should. Or at least that is the example that the Jerusalem church left for us. Yet here in America we are too caught up with denominations, moral issues, who is voting for which candidate, and even which church sings contemporary vs. traditional that we have neglected to love each other and stand united on the front lines of the battlefield.

I am not saying that issues where we, as individuals, take a stance are not important. To each of us, our beliefs make up who we are. We sometimes let them define us to our core. But I believe that too long as Christians in this nation, we have let outside things that we believe define us rather than our belief in Jesus being the core of who we are.

Acts 4:32 reads "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." I have heard this passage preached on several times, and each time I am convicted by my lack of love for fellow believers, our lack of unity in the American church, and my unwillingness to let what is mine be yours as well.

We, myself included, have to stop caring about ourselves selfishly, and start caring about each other. We need to start loving each other. We need to enjoy the company of our fellow brothers and sisters. We need to encourage one another, build each other up. We need to strive to be like our Brother, Jesus Christ, following His example, and following the example of the brothers He left to spread the gospel; we need to strive to be a church that has one heart and one soul.

The church in America has become political. We have conservatives and liberals. There are issues that no matter how hard we try, we won't reconcile. It is my belief that those things aren't reconcilable because we allow our ideas and desires to be more important than God's. We let the world shape what we think 'should be,' and turn our backs on what God's Word says. I've seen it, and it absolutely breaks my heart. I can't express in words how sad my soul becomes when I think about the church being split on issues that are so clearly, in my eyes, pointed out in the Bible with no gray area. How do we fix it? We don't. We can't. But God can. And we, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, need (and this is not to be taken lightly or be convicted of and then forget) to become a nation that prays. It isn't an option. We must become prayer warriors not only for each other, but for the church as a whole. We must ask that the Holy Spirit move in the life of the church, and move in our lives, to unite us. For God to have His way with us. To get us out of the way so that Christ can live through us. And truly shine in our lives.

Welcome Back

2011-10-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

This is more of a welcome back to myself. Over the last several months, I have taken a break from blogging...from writing really. I've picked up a new hobby: crocheting. Not crocheting just anything. I've only been crocheting Baby Beanies due to being pregnant and wanting to purchase every beanie I saw.

Two posts ago I wrote about how my patience was wearing thin while waiting on God to open up the door for Zane and I: where he was going to work, where we were going to move, our lives changing drastically with needing a new church, a new OB at 30 weeks pregnant, etc. Wouldn't you know that God had everything work out? All for His glory, and I wish I could have been more patient during that time. More joyful. That my trust in Him would have shined through more than my weariness of waiting.

So we now live outside Nashville, TN. Which is PERFECT! It might not have been what we had our sights on, but God brought us somewhere that feels like 'home.' At least, as much as a place on earth can feel like home. Zane has a job, we have found a church, I adore my OB, and we had a....the wait is over, baby BOY!

Little Roman was welcomed into our family a couple of days after his due date, stubborn boy. (He gets that from my side of the family.)
I look forward to writing again as I'm inspired more and more by God, his gifts, and my family. Have a beautiful day, and whatever God is doing in your life right now, be patient. He will see His plan come through!

Lullaby #3

2011-06-10T14:53:00.000-04:00

I do not think it is any surprise at all that this will be a song I sing to my baby as a lullaby. Of course this is how I feel! I want my baby to never hold itself back from the beauty God created in this world. May my child always be able to see this world through His eyes though, and not through dim, blurry vision.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
Get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance. I hope you dance, I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance (after all, the way that leads to Life is narrow and hard)
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance. I hope you dance, I hope you dance.

Dance, Baby Seals, Dance.

Waiting Still

2011-06-06T12:11:00.000-04:00

Friends, it has been a very difficult morning. As you know, my husband has been looking for a job after Congress' lack of action on a budget lost him two offers. In this economy, we all know it is hard to find anything. When looking in government.....well, let's not even talk about that!

I know God is in control. I know that He has something wonderful planned for us. I know that as long as He is with us we are extremely blessed. But my goodness, has waiting been hard! I keep reminding myself to wait upon the Lord, wait on His Will, and not to wait on the event (Zane getting a job). Somehow, no matter how much I tell myself to wait on God, waiting is still so difficult. I've found myself unbelievably stressed today as Zane is interviewing for an agency located in Raleigh, with offices in other states as well. I can't eat--not sure if the nausea is from awaiting word from Zane on how the interview went, or if it is the baby letting me enjoy more morning sickness. My stomach is in knots. If I think too much about it I feel light headed. And why? Why all of this? I KNOW that God is in control, and if this is not where He wants Zane, then it is not where we want to be.

We want to be wherever God can and will use us. We want to be used by Him, for His Kingdom, no matter what work environment we are placed in. Oh but friends....wanting those things are so twisted with wanting the wait to be over that I am a mess. Zane has been in his interview for over 3 hours now and has another 1/2 hour to go.... Please pray for both of us in this time. That God, in His grace, will help us to wait upon Him. To lean on Him. To rest in Him. And while we wait, to see His blessings surrounding us, knowing that where we are right now in this journey is exactly where God wants us to be.

Have a beautiful day. May you find joy and rest in our Father!

Caprica's First Dog-Park Visit

2011-05-31T21:37:00.000-04:00

Well friends, we took our new puppy to her first dog park outing! We would have taken her weeks ago, but until she had her first trip, we wanted her to get up to date on her shots. And before she could get her second round of shots, she had to get over her pneumonia....I know, who knew dogs got pneumonia?!

We were so excited to be taking her to the dog park. Moxie loved the dog park. She was the life of the party, running up to every dog and introducing herself, running up to every human and sniffing pockets for treats, and ran around like a kid at the candy store. Moxie LOVED the dog park. She thought everyone brought their dogs there for her to play with. She never met a stranger. Tongue out, drooling, bouncing around, nub wagging, Moxie was the friendliest dog you had ever met.

So with Caprica showing all the same personality traits as Moxie (with the exception of Moxie's extreme fear of cats, paper, clothes---yes, she was scared of white t-shirts) we expected her to like the dog park too. This was Caprica's first visit:

Laying down, only interested in the dirt and not the other dogs. Granted, the other dogs weren't really playful and one dog was aggressive with her...Capri is definitely not an alpha.

She would randomly get up from her spot in the dirt to drink water out of the buckets around the dog park.

So, that was our precious Caprica. We took her somewhere, heaven on earth for dogs, expecting her to run and have a great time, make new friends, and just...be free. Isn't that what God does for His Redeemed? He has these plans for us--places for us to go, people to see, lives to live that we never would have imagined on our own. All He asks is for us to follow Him. Trust Him. Instead, we follow Him to a point and then decide we would rather lie down and not go any further, or drink from the same empty barrels we have always attained, unwilling to trust Him entirely.

I have no doubt that Caprica will come to love the doggy park and she will one day jump around, tongue lapping out the side of her mouth, and think she is just the most special dog in the world with all these new friends to play with. But while we increase her 'comfort level' with the dog park, I hope God disturbs us in our comfort zone, beckoning us to come and follow Him, whether we are ready, tired, or thirsty.

Patience

2011-05-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

This is not one of my favorite things.....probably because I'm so horrible at it! I enjoy being good at things. Something like patience, a lesson being taught continually that I just never master, is not my idea of a 'good time.' However, in my household...my hubby and I have been learning a lot about it lately.

I've blogged before about strength rising when we wait upon the Lord. How we are to wait upon the Lord, but far too often we wait upon the event and wonder why we aren't feeling strong. Oh we are so weak when we are waiting on the event. In my case, the event is the job my husband has yet to nail down. And I know it isn't because he isn't qualified, or a great candidate, or not interviewing well. The truth is he is the top candidate coming out of one of the top schools for his program. So why is he not receiving offers yet....well, because that is in God's hands and He is at work in our lives.

I was reminded last week by some girlfriends that when we first started asking for prayer, it was that opportunities would come. They most certainly have! Then I started asking that people would pray God would make it quite clear where we are supposed to end up....there were certain jobs that if received would be too difficult to turn down, so if God didn't want us there, the offer wouldn't come through. Well, God has most certainly be shutting doors! And then I, in my lack of patience attitude, get all upset that God isn't moving fast enough. haha....if I would only slow down and see that God's timing is perfect and that He is right here with us, answering our prayers and guiding us this whole time.

So, here is what we know: our baby is on the way in Sept., our lease in Athens is up July 15, and we have absolutely no idea where we will be moving to, where Zane will be working, what church we will be at, how much longer my car is going to run (it has 250K miles on it, and I add another 100+daily traveling to and from work), a ballpark figure of a budget that we will work with, and that God is working something in our lives that we cannot even imagine. What He has in store for us is better, far better, than anything we could have planned for ourselves. So while He teaches us patience, our trust and faith in Him--the God who loves His children, always provides, never forgets--will continue to increase as we look forward to what lies ahead. We may stumble and fall in our attempt to master patience. But we know that God is good, that He is able, and that He will see us through.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

Mourn or Rejoice

2011-05-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

The last two days I have felt a whirlwind of emotions. I started this blog in order to tell you what God is teaching me, what I'm studying in His Word....as an invitation for you to join me on my journey, and hope that somehow, someway, God would use this blog as a light for His Kingdom. But I know that if that is to happen I need to be transparent... honest...and willing to share my struggles.

Well, friends the last two days have been a struggle. Actually...it has been a lot longer than that, but the last two days brought a lot of things crashing down inside me. I've been discussing with myself predestination. God is all knowing. He is all powerful. He is sovereign. For whatever reason, God in His great mercy, let His Son, Jesus, bear my sins on the cross. In His grace, He has called me His own daughter, redeeming me from an eternity apart from Him. There are many reasons why we, as humans, fight the sovereignty of God....or should I say, fight the idea of His sovereignty. We want to be in control. We want all of our choices and ideas to be our own. We want to take credit. We want to be individuals. We want to be self-sufficient. And the list can go on, and on, and on. But that doesn't take away from the Truth that we all know.

As a believer in Christ, I also have to believe in the Sovereignty of God. The Holy Spirit draws me into that Truth. There is no denying it. The same God that gave me cysts on my ovaries is the same God that healed me from those cysts and is enabling me to carry mine and Zane's first child. The same God that chose my wonderful parents here in the United States of America is the same God that chose for the child in Romania in the baby orphanage to have parents that would abandon her. The same God that breaks us is the same God that heals us.

For me, no matter how much I believe this, it is still so much to take in. Then again, if I weren't overwhelmed by my God and the thought of all He is....well....that is a heart issue that we won't get into tonight.

So, in light of Sunday night's announcement, and the death of Osama Bin Laden, all of these thoughts that were already bouncing around in my head came to the forefront of my mind. My initial reaction: Praise God! The next morning, praise God! And every moment since, praise God! But me praising God hasn't completely been in rejoicing.

When we were attacked on 9/11, my Pastor began asking us to pray that God would change OBL heart for His Kingdom, or that God would take him away. Do I wholeheartedly believe that God allowed OBL death to happen? Oh yes! And that he should be rotting in hell for his actions against Americans....the world...and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Most definitely, he should be.

But as I've had time to chew on what is really going on in my heart, I stood ashamed. Shouldn't I also be sharing in that same fate? Sure, he outwardly killed thousands. Tens of thousands with his many attacks. But how many times have I killed in my heart? I am usually one that is broken for the lost....but what I said to my friend yesterday morning at work shocked me...and was a revealing of what was in my heart. I said, and at the risk of you seeing the ugliness within I will quote what I said: "I'm pretty sure God predestined Osama to go to hell. And that is where he belongs."

Please understand that this is not me just trying to say what I 'should' be feeling. I truly am wrestling with how I feel in my heart and how I know I should feel. How I should rejoice in all circumstances for this is God's will, and how I should mourn also for the eternal separation from God.

I know that Christians everywhere are struggling with their reactions...and judging the reactions of fellow believers. I've done the same. But we are not all going to agree on how we should respond to this. Everyone experienced the attacks differently. We all longed for justice in different ways. But ultimately, this is a time to rejoice in God's will and the timing of His will, and mourn as well, for those who do not know Him, who do not worship Him, who are headed for a life of eternal separation from Him. While I rejoice that Osama Bin Laden can no longer hurt anyone and that justice has been served, I mourn for the lost and for those who do not know God....for those that live unapologetically opposed to Him.

I pray that God can use this time for His glory. That somehow, someway, God will raise His church up to pray for the lost and to show the lost who He is....and for our reactions, however human they may be, to not get in the way of what our Father is doing. And I pray that God will continue to break me and kill the sin within me. I know that I still need to be refined in the fire, and I pray that God will do so continually.

Dancing

2011-04-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

I love dancing. I love watching dancing. It is so beautiful the emotions that can be expressed without ever uttering a sound. I view life as a dance, one that we salsa to, swing to, and sometimes just get down in the dirt with the messy and grind to. My one and only tattoo is in Hebrew and it is of the verb 'to dance.' This serves as a reminder to me to let my life be a beautiful dance to the Lord. And only to Him.
Lately my dance for Jesus has been....how do I say it....pure elated next to exhausted. Being pregnant brings out a whole new range of emotions for me, and surprises. And the desire to 'train my child in the way he/she should go' is entwined with the fear of failing miserably. How do we discipline and show God's grace at the same time? How do we teach while unconditionally loving? My parents did such a beautiful job....but when it is your own child, Lord give me strength to honor You in ALL things! As I dance before my little ones eyes, may it be a reflection of You!
Today we had an ultrasound, and our little miracle is doing great (refer back to previous posts to see where cysts were going to make this possibility slim, but God healed!). Our baby loves music and dances--well kicks and pokes from what I can feel--when we listen to Frank Sinatra or good 'ole hymns. Today they had music playing and our baby was going nuts! Pumping its hands above it's little head, clapping, twisting. Baby has rhythm:) And I long for the day when I get to see my little one, this precious gift of God, dance around in the living room (or on daddy's feet if it is a girl). And I pray that this little one will one day know my Saviour as its Saviour, and be able to dance before our Father as he/she goes through life.

Lullaby #2

2011-04-08T11:33:00.000-04:00

This song is by Sidewalk Prophets. I'm not going to list all of the lyrics on here, because baby hasn't lived enough life yet for us to talk when the baby hurts. Still, when I first heard this song, I knew I wanted my baby to hear these words. Then a few months later, baby was conceived:
Three in the morning and I'm still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
I started writing just what I'd say if we were face to face
I'd tell you just what you mean to me; tell you these simple truths:
Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope
You're going to do great things. I already know!
God's got His hand on you so don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray. These are the words I would say.
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are
I know because I've already been there, so please hear these simple truths:
From one simple life to another, I will say, Come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope
You're going to do great things. I already know!
God's got His hand on you so don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray.

These are the words I will tell you one day, Baby Seals.

Baby Seals Lullaby

2011-04-07T14:13:00.000-04:00

Friends, I just love songs. I love music! The emotions that are conjured up, whether with words or wordless, are indescribable in a well written lyric!
Well, Baby Seals needs a collection, so I'm going to start posting songs that I will also be writing in the Baby journal. Maybe they will serve as encouragement one day to my little:) If nothing else, it will always be a reminder to baby that mommy and daddy have been praying for its life before baby was even conceived!
So, I am going to start this with a song that Zane actually put on a playlist when we were engaged: songs that he felt for me. I'm sharing the dedication with the creation God is letting us make.
Rascal Flatts: My Wish
I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go. And if you're faced with a choice and you have to choose I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed I hope you keep on walking til you find the window. If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile. But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more than you can hold.
And while you're out there gettin where you're gettin to I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things too. Yeah this is my wish.
I hope you never look back but you never forget all the ones who love you and the ones you left (not until college, baby seals!!!!). I hope you always forgive and you never regret and you help somebody every chance you get.
Oh you'd find God's grace in every mistake and always give more than you take. But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more than you can hold.
And while you're out there gettin where you're gettin to I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things too. yeah this is my wish.

Baby Seals Craziness

2011-04-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

I never knew pregnancy was going to be so difficult. Goodness....where is my glow?

Haha....I've wanted a baby for so long. I always wondered if it would happen biologically first or if we would adopt. From here on, I'm even a stronger advocate of adoption than before. I've been so stinkin sick. Nevertheless, I'm praising God for giving us this miracle after healing my body from cysts.

I started feeling the baby move about 2 wks ago....oh its little popcorn kicks! I was sitting in a meeting and felt something and knew it wasn't gas or my stomach growling....WHAT WAS THAT!!! All I could think of was Sigourney Weaver in the series aliens. I feel like my baby is trying to rip out of my stomach. Am I the only woman who wants to puke when her baby moves? Goodness....there is something moving inside of me!

Pregnancy has been rough. Between vomiting, I have constant nausea. The growing pains are...hmm, practice for labor I suppose, though I know these growing pains don't compare at all to how I'm going to fill as this baby rips me apart. Ok, let's not dwell on that. I told my sister-in-law several weeks ago that I'd rather my baby be tearing me apart then making all food and liquid come up. I definitely prefere pain over...regurgitation. (Maybe my mind will change come September.)

Oh, Baby Seals. How mommy is going to get you back once you are here:) Okay, no I won't...unless you don't get a full ride to college! I just love you, love you, love you (and will love you more if you can sing on key, and love music, and are athletic, and aren't embarrassed by mommy yelling at the ref's when they make calls in favor of the other team).

Oh may God give me the grace to not plan my child's life. He already has. And He has numbered the days. Praise God that His plan is perfect, and that this baby is fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. May my baby grow to sing His praises all the days of its life.

Then Sings My Soul--Mercy

2011-04-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

Good morning, friends! I'm so glad to be back blogging. I don't know what I was doing not writing! It is such a great outlet.
I have been hearing a new song lately on the radio that is so moving. It is one of those that you have to relate to if you have ever been through any sort of trial, and a song that reminds you that you are not alone during the hard times...that the hard times are quite possibly a disguise. This song I plan on carrying in my heart for the rest of my life, being constantly reminded of God's ceaseless grace in the presence of turmoil. He really does shadow us with His wings!
This song is very straight forward, so I'm going to hop to it. Cherish these lyrics. Let them penetrate. And please use this time to reflect in your own life on how God has been your strong shoulder, and will be there to catch every tear that falls from your face. If you are walking down a difficult road right now, be reminded of His love. I hope this song helps you to look up and let His face shine down upon you.
Laura Story--Blessings
We pray for blessings. We pray for peace. Comfort for family, protection while we sleep.
We pray for healing, for prosperity. We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering.
All the while, You hear each spoken need Yet Love is way to much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
And what if trials of this life...are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom. Your voice to hear. And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near.
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love. As if every promise from Your Word is not enough.
And all the while You hear each desperate plea And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
And what if trials of this life...are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us; when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart that this is not, this is not our Home!
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
And what if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

March

2011-04-05T13:36:00.003-04:00

Friends, I have been away for quite a while! It isn't that I haven't had tons to write about....I just find it so exhausting being pregnant that all I want to do is lay on the couch when I get home from work.
But that isn't the only reason why I have been avoiding writing. The month of March was simply....exhausting, difficult, and one that my husband and I want to skip from now on. You know, just have 11 months during the year instead of 12. Maybe extend February and April to cover up the horrible month we just went through.
It started with me getting pneumonia, which was a terribly stressful time since I'm pregnant. Fortunately, the baby survived just fine in my womb, sucking up all the nutrients I was putting in, making it longer for me to recover. As soon as I was well, my husband received news that a job he was in the running for waited too long under federal guidelines to hire him under that particular program....waited 1 week too long. Yay for the government. A day later, our beautiful german shepherd/rottweiler 4 year old Moxie passed away due to a stroke. No sign. Completely healthy. I was working and received the terrible news. Zane was home and witnessed the whole minute of pain that took Moxie's life. Torn between grieving and trying to be strong for my husband, Frisbee (our little dog and best friends with Moxie), and our unborn child, I rarely let myself cry....which probably explains why every few days tears stream down my face as I remember my beautiful baby girl:( But, light was around the corner as a puppy, that just so happened to Divinely (thank you God!) be a german shepherd/rottweiler mix, born right before Moxie's birthday, arrive at the shelter the week of Moxie's death. We went to look at her....and it was clear. She was going home with us. But within a week, she came down with pneumonia! (Bet you didn't know dogs could get pneumonia!) Fortunately the shelter we adopted our new pup, Caprica, from, also gave us 60 days of pet insurance. So pouring out hundreds of dollars, we are now waiting to be reimbursed by the insurance.
Then, my dear Aunt Doris died. I had only been around my Aunt Doris a handful of times in my lifetime, yet I knew she was a woman of God. She is definitely in heaven with Him. Still, there was no way we could travel to the funeral. And her funeral was one that I would have liked to have gone to...witnessing people, while mourning, rejoicing in the life God allowed her to lead, and rejoicing in the anticipation she had of going Home.
Then, to wrap it up, a title that my husband was sure to receive, that he most definitely earned, which would propel him through the Federal Government, passed over his name in their selections. Simply to say, I have been so held down by life and it always changing, that this blog was the last thing on my mind. But now, as I have time to reflect, be sure to stay here as I update you on a new goal of mine, the gift God gave me through Moxie, the growth of our developing baby, and some songs that are touching my life and sure to touch yours. In the meantime, grace and peace to you in our Father through the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Rupturing Faith

2011-02-13T16:23:00.002-05:00

It began in September 2005. I was sitting on the couch with my dear friend, Alison, when I suddenly had a severe pain in my right lower abdomen. I couldn't move. I felt like a knife was rolling around against my muscles, and it was all I could do to keep from shrieking in pain. Whatever this was....it was new.
I was diagnosed with PolyCystic Ovarian Disorder in November 2005. While I didn't suffer the characteristics of PCOS as other girls might (facial hair, weight-gain), the cysts and the fact that I had stopped ovulating (when regular for 7 years) was alarming to my gynecologist...and the cysts became a regular occurrence in my life, rupturing 2-3 times a month. When they would rupture, I would curl up in the fetal position and wait for them to pass....the pain usually lasting 30 min-1 hour. I learned that spicy food affected the cysts, which was not really a problem since I hate spicy food to begin with. Also, for whatever reason, Honey Oat wheat bread from subway set them off. I know, odd.
One would think that when cysts are continually rupturing in your body, you would seek all of the details. I didn't. In fact, I just decided that I would never take pain relievers for them. I would see it as learning how to cope with pain better.
When Zane and I got engaged, it seemed a good time to learn all that I could about these cysts. That is when I heard, for the first time, that the likelihood of pregnancy was minimal. If I were to get pregnant, I should expect multiple miscarriages, with no promise of carrying a child full-term.
For someone who loves kids as much as me, perhaps I should have been more devastated. Instead, I went to the Lord. I told Him that He knew my heart, and either my faith would increase miscarriage upon miscarriage, or my faith would increase with the miracle of conceiving easily. And I praised Him all the more! I praised God that I was the one with cysts. You see, I have a passion for adoption. I cannot wait until the Lord opens the doors for Zane and I to adopt. I praised Him that this happened to me, someone who will have a beautiful child one way or the other, versus someone who may be against adopting. To me, this diagnosis just confirmed that God was growing adoption in my heart to lessen the pain of...infertility.
Well, the cysts became more frequent. And larger. This past July, 2010, I woke up to an extreme amount of pain on a Sunday morning, 7:30 am, and curled up in my fetal position waiting for it to pass. And waited. And waited. At 11:30, I texted my husband at church and told him I had to get to the hospital. This cyst was different. And for all I knew, it could have been my appendix.
Once at the hospital, they began testing me for all sorts of things. I explained to them that the severity of the pain and the length of time I felt it was uncommon to me. They had to confirm that my appendix had not been affected, that it indeed was a cyst, and that it had not 'killed' my ovary. Apparently, my cysts had grown so large that upon rupture, it could twist my ovary, which would 'kill' it. And the chances of me ever conceiving would lessen even more.
Up until then, when a cyst would rupture I would text a few people and say something like this: a cyst just ruptured. Please pray that the pain will pass quickly. When I left the hospital, I realized that God is so much bigger than that. I had not been trusting Him. I started asking my dear friends and family to pray that God, instead of taking away my pain, would heal me. He could. I knew it. And I asked them to pray that I would have faith.
In October, I was anxiously awaiting a visit with my gyno. It was then, October 13, that I learned my cysts were gone. Gone. My doctor wasn't sure how....but, it was clear. I had been healed. She must have thought I was crazy when I told her how God had healed me. But friends, He had. He has!
My doctor let me know how my life had changed. I was healthy. I could get pregnant. In fact, she said that it should come fairly quickly when my husband and I start trying, and even gave me some lollipops to help with morning sickness.
Zane and I didn't even get to try! We were pregnant before we could even map out a plan to try. haha. And here I am, 9 wks, 3 days, along....so tired of morning sickness that lasts all day, but never the less...healed. God took away my cysts, and gave me a baby. Baby Seals may just have eyes, lips, ears, a heart, a brain, webbed fingers and toes, a spine, and a bunch of water to hang around in for the months to come, but this baby is a miracle. A miracle.
Zane and I still plan to adopt. Of course. But my oh my how our home is going to have a biological child.... God is good. Always. And in every way. And friends, He always will be. And one day, I get to share with my baby how he/she came to be, after 5 years of near impossibility.

Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!

Where does love come from?

2011-01-21T14:44:00.002-05:00

It really is impossible to answer that question without giving the Sunday school answer, 'Jesus!' Nevertheless, a friend asked, and after responding with 'Jesus,' she still wanted an email so that she could give her singles group a few ideas. You may find it corny, but I'm okay with that. Here is what I said:
Love comes from our deep need for attention; to be needed; to be cared for; longed for; appreciated; desired. It also comes from puppies. The way they look at you when they are hungry. Or want to play. Or cuddle. They need you. They can't survive without you. True, perhaps it is more of a dependence on you. But aren't we in fact dependent upon love? We need it. We look for it. We walk the world to find it. And when we believe we have found it, we say, "I'm in love." My new love is gentle, honest, kind, affectionate. My love has been looking for me. I hope this is the one. I want to grow old with this person. I love loving this person. My love makes me want to be a better person.
After the freshness of our new love-what we have been searching for-wears off, we realize that our love was not all we thought it was. And we begin our search again. Perhaps this time, or maybe after several repeats of finding new love, we find ourselves on the floor in tears, asking why no one loves us. No one needs us. No one cares for us. Then out of the darkness and tear-stained eyes, in the midst of sobs, we hear "I love you. I have always loved you. I have turned my attention to you since the beginning of time. I care for you. Long for you. Desire to be intimate with you. When will you realize that I am who you have been looking for all along? I am who you need. Come to me. Run into my arms. And I promise, I will never leave you. My grasp will never loose. Let me show you the love you have never known."
And through His love, we find everything to be more colorful. We see blessings we had never noticed before. And when He says it is time, He brings us someone on earth to share His love with, that will reciprocate His love, and our love becomes one that reflects His great love for us.
Love starts with Him. Ends with Him. And thrives when we abide in Him. Apart from Him, we cannot love. We love once we have been loved well. When we meet Love, He overflows into every part of our lives. And only then can true love happen.

Psalm 139

2011-01-07T15:04:00.002-05:00

What a special Psalm. They all are special, and beautiful, and true....but Psalm 139, there is something different about it to me. The idea that God loves us enough to fearfully and wonderfully form us, and has thoughts of us that far outnumber the sand. The Most High, Creator, Redeemer, Author, Finisher, Alpha & Omega...loves me! Loves you! Does that not at times baffle you? So, I just wanted to smother today's blog in this chapter. Enjoy how much God takes care of you!
O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with You.
For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written,
every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O GOd!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with You.
Oh that You would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against You with malicious intent;
Your enemies take Your name in vain!
Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Revelation

2011-01-06T10:14:00.002-05:00

Sometimes on my way to the office my soul is so moved by a song that it is all I can do to not speed (more than I usually do) to a place where I can blog. Then I arrive at work, and all I can think about is sharing in hopes that you will be drawn into worship and praise the way I was. And still am. How great is our God! When I heard the lyric, 'with all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings,' I began pondering if that were true. Indeed, yes. Most trees branches bend upward as they grow. Outstretched and lifted up towards the skies, in praise of their Creator. The mountains try to reach the heavens. The rivers and oceans declare the depth of God's love for us. The skies demonstrate how far He stretches His arms for us to run into His bosom. Have you ever, when singing songs of creation worshiping our Lord, actually pondered what that means? Right now, I desperately want to climb a mountain and just bask in His glorious light!
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy is He.
Sing a new song to Him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.
With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings.
You are my everything. And I will adore You.
Clothed in rainbows of living color.
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder.
Blessings and honor, strength and glory and power be,
To You the only Wise King!
Jesus, Your Name is power! Breath of Living Water!
Such a marvelous mystery!
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!
Who was and is and is to come!
With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You.

Have a wonderful day! Join creation in praising the King of Kings!

Then Sings My Soul--Childlike

2011-01-05T19:30:00.002-05:00

Tonight I was helping at my church's Wednesday night Kids program, Kidzlife. Myself and another young lady help lead the music. These are not just kid songs that sing about animals going two by two, and putting your right foot in or out-shaking it all about, and about Jesus loving you this I know. These songs are deep (not saying those aren't...) and are so full of truths, and praise, and worship. One song in particular really struck me tonight. It is all about giving your all to God. As I was leading the song, I was looking at the kids faces and longed so much for them to mean the words they were singing...to live those words. Then, within a moment, I realized how beautiful it is when those precious kids actually DO mean the words they are singing, the faith they have in their Redeemer, oh, their childlike faith. And do we not have to have faith like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? (Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:3)
So, this is the song, written by Hillsong for their Hillsong Kidz album, 'Tell the World.' I hope you enjoy it, and please don't read the lyrics just to read them. Absorb them, and give them back to your Father.
If I say I'll live for You for the glory of my King
If I say I'll count the cost and offer You my everything
If I pray with all my heart my way to be Your way
Then I just want to live the very words I say
My God I pray
Not my will but Yours alone
Let my life be not my own
Until everything I am is just for You
So far beyond the words I sing
I'm going to honor You as King
If You live in me, I can live for You.
Not my will but Yours alone
Let my life be not my own
Until everything I am is just for You

And I want so badly for everything I am to be just for my Redeemer.

Happiness vs. Joy

2011-01-05T12:25:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was reading about how much God loves us...and how much happiness is not a part of Him showing how much He loves us. By human standards, if you love someone, you try and make them happy. By God's perfect standards, He loves us by doing what is best for us, which sometimes grieves us, sometimes excites us, sometimes confuses us, and sometimes just outright gives us 'aggalio', or ecstatic joy.
It is not God's goal in life to make us happy. He desires that our lives bring Him glory. Glory through the way we live, the words we say, the thoughts we dwell on, the desires we have....our lives belong to Him. He is the incredible potter. We are the clay that He is melting, breaking, molding, and perfecting. What a blessing it is when His goal brings us overwhelming joy. But, as a Christian, are we not filled with overwhelming joy anyways? We have this treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor. 4:7) that God Himself has put within us. Oh, the Holy Spirit! The knowledge of God! The faith in Christ and His return! How could we, as daughters of the Most High, not be overflowing with joy? No--we may not always be happy. But I will take joy any day over happiness. Praise God for the way He plans our days. Our moments. Our steps. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10) And I praise Him when those plans lead me to happiness. But when they lead me to sorrow, may His peace resonate so deeply that joy vibrates out of my life.

Deserve

2011-01-03T18:26:00.002-05:00

"I'll stop this pretending that I can somehow deserve what I already have." -Barlow Girl

Good evening. That lyric up above is from a song that I hear often, yet yesterday on our way home from Tennessee, I really paid attention to it. I pretend all the time that I can deserve God's love. Not out in public, of course. But in my devotional time....in my prayer time...my one-on-one time with my All Sufficient Father and Redeemer, I pretend that I can deserve His love. Like I can do enough, or say enough...or spend enough time with Him.
But I can't. The truth is, we don't deserve His love. Not in the slightest bit. We are evil to our core. Born into sin. Master manipulators and justifiers of wrongs. We don't even deserve to ponder His greatness! Yet, here we are. His creation. Made for His glory. And He loves us. Oh how He loves us! So dearly, and so entirely. He will never leave nor forsake us. He loves us more than we can ever understand. What we do understand of His love is overwhelming. Crushing. And I hunger for more of Him...and I hunger to learn how to love Him more.
Friends, we don't deserve His love. But He pours it out on us anyways. I need to learn to accept it, cherish it, and love Him more rather than 'doing' to 'gain His love.' Oh how perfect He is. How perfect I'm not! And He loves me anyways. Praise God!

Then Sings My Soul--Holy

2010-12-29T15:44:00.003-05:00

And they do not rest day or night saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." Rev. 4:8
When you read that, do you believe it? Do you believe that God is indeed holy? I know, that is probably a stupid question. If you believe in God, it is easy to believe He is holy. But what about believing that He was and is. That is pretty easy too, right? Yeah, He was...He created all things. Yeah, He is...He IS God after all. But that He is to come? Really, I want you to think about that for a moment. Do you really believe that God is to come. That He is coming to collect His bride, the church. He is coming! The day is near (perhaps not in our definition of 'nearness'...but near nonetheless).
That is not what this hymn is necessarily about, but since this verse accompanies that hymn, I do believe it is one we should consider. Do we believe the words we sing?
Reginald Heber wrote this hymn, along with 56 others. Having a degree in poetry from Oxford, his interest grew continually in his life for hymnody. "He sought to lift the literary quality of hymns, and he also dreamed of publishing a collection of high-caliber hymns corresponding to the church year for use by liturgical churches" (Morgan, Robert). While the Bishop would not go along with this idea, after Heber's death, His wife discovered 57 hymns in his trunk and succeeded in publishing his Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Service of the Church Year.
Here is his hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God, Almighty. As you read these words, please, take them to heart. Think about them. Don't let them be empty words on your tongue, but let them be praise submitted to the throne of the Living God, who was and is and is to come!
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God, Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee!
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty. God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee. Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee. Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee. Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see.
Only Thou art Holy. There is none beside Thee. Perfect in power, in love and purity.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God, Almighty. All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and might! God in three Persons. Blessed Trinity.

Psalm 85:10

2010-12-29T15:07:00.002-05:00

Reading in the book of Psalm the other day, I came across this verse. Friends, what a beautiful verse to read when celebrating the Christmas season...the birth of Christ. I do believe it perfectly captures our Heavenly Father, His Son, His Holy Spirit...and what we believe that the baby boy born to save our souls defines...who Jesus IS. He is the great I AM. I have been overwhelmed this season in reflection of my faith, what being a Christian means...and what being a Christian is not. In America, and perhaps throughout the world, God's Word is watered down in our understanding of it, and we prove our lack of faith in the way we live our lives--we do not let Scripture penetrate our hearts, minds, words...us. I have shared with you my convictions lately of reading through Scripture, becoming a prayer warrior, and the latest--reading through the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. If promises of God made thousands and thousands of years before the birth of Christ and then being fulfilled...in one man...cannot affirm your faith--and strengthen it--I don't know what will. But I do encourage you to make the time yourself to read through some prophecies of Jesus. As much as I know God is great, marvelous, HOLY...I still am (and hope I always am!) in utter awe when I am reminded, once again, that God fulfills all His promises.
This is the verse I read that...just encompassed my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, great Redeemer, deliverer, friend. "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. Righteousness and peace kiss each other."
Amen. Amen, amen, amen. I hope you see Jesus as unchangeable love, fulfiller of all promises, Holy, abounding in joy unspeakable, and the steady Rock in a world of crashing waves. I love Him dearly, and long to love Him more. As we wrap up this year, let's each find the time to look back through 2010 and see that God is undeniably good...Great. The Author and Finisher. Who was, and is, and is yet to come!

I am a Gentile

2010-12-23T11:40:00.002-05:00

Friends, I was reading a new prophecy today--well, not new, because it is indeed Old Testament! But, new to me as I am reading through prophecies, this Christmas season, that Jesus fulfilled here on the earth. We know that Christ came to fulfill the law, and my oh my did He have some fulfilling to do while here!
Today I read the prophecy that Gentiles would one day be drawn into God's plan. I was overwhelmed while reading it. Before Jesus, Jews were God's chosen people. Sure, Rahab and Ruth were not Jews and were still brought into God's people, but primarily, Israel, His nation, was His chosen. Friends, today, I am who I am because Christ came into the world. I believe what I believe because Christ came into this world. I am free to 'attempt' to live as Christ, and to come before God's throne confidently because Jesus died for all peoples, tongues, nations. Hallelujah! Really, Hallelujahs are repeating over and over and over again in my mind. As soon as I'm done posting this, I'm going to go read some more beautiful words from our King, our deliverer, our Redeemer. I praise God...that I can praise God! Do you know what I mean? If not for Jesus, and His Spirit, would I even know that the Most High had a chosen people. Would I be like the armies we see in 1 Samuel, Joshua, 1 Chronicles, etc. being conquered while clinging to their idols made by human hands, refusing to believe that God is the great I AM, or would I be like Rahab, hiding God's people while putting my own life at risk, because I know wherever Yahweh is, victory is had? Oh to think I could go a lifetime without ever knowing Truth! Thank you God, for sending your beloved Son...thank You God for loving me, and the gentiles, all peoples, enough to become a man, to leave Your throne to live on this earth, that You may show us how much You care, love, cherish. Hallelujah.
Isaiah 11:10: In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious.
Fulfilled in Jesus, John 10:16: And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. (Those who were not Jews.) I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Amen. What a glorious day we are about to celebrate--Christmas, the celebration of Jesus' birth. And that birth afforded me, and all peoples, lost sheep without a Shepherd, the underserved blessing to have a relationship with the great I AM.

Good News!

2010-12-21T10:44:00.002-05:00

Good morning, friends!
This is out of character for me, but this will be a short post:) I just wanted to post a Scripture verse that has been on my heart lately--as in, since yesterday, and I immediately memorized it. I follow Beth Moore's blog and she is encouraging her 'siestas' to memorize Scripture with her in 2011--2 verses a month. Well, I couldn't wait, and when I received an email yesterday with this verse I knew that this was the verse I needed to start with. It is where we, as Christians, start our faith. Where we begin if you will, and absolutely perfect for this wonderful Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour--as we celebrate the Most High becoming one of us so that we can know Him and spend eternity with Him.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good (GREAT!!! emphasis mine) news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)
Have a wonderful day, and be filled with the good news that leads to great joy!

Prophecies

2010-12-17T09:22:00.003-05:00

Good morning, friends! I hope you have survived the cold front that moved through the South East earlier this week....perhaps where you live it is still sweeping your city. In Athens, we received no snow and very little rain. On the night when Atlanta and the greater ATL area iced over, I was driving pretty in no danger. Two nights ago Atlanta had 1,000+ wrecks. The tow truck companies had to shut down at 9 pm due to their trucks not being able to get enough traction to pull themselves and another car. On my way to work yesterday, cars lined 316 in ditches from Bethlehem to Lawrenceville....but from Athens to Bethlehem, all was clear. Praise God that Athens didn't freeze! And that the majority of wrecks were minor bumper to bumper hits. Whew...it could have been so much worse with all the ice ATL had.
So, I am shocked at the amount of prophecies that are in the Bible. And I'm ashamed that, as a Christian, I have never looked them up before and reflected on how faithful God is...how much He loves us...and how He has had a plan from the very beginning of time. He has a plan for me, one for you, and He knew when He made Adam and Eve that 2,000 years ago a Saviour would be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, and that His Son would live to die for our wretched souls...souls that He sees as beautiful!
I have started reading the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and posting on facebook a different one each day of December until Christmas. (I know which one I am ending with....oh I cannot wait until Christmas!) Here is the one that started it all and got me on my prophecy search throughout Scripture. Perhaps it will inspire you to do the same...
Prophecy: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." Micah 5:2
Prophecy fulfilled: "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." (Luke 2:4-7)
I hope you have a wonderful day filled with joy, Scripture, and God's love!

Then Sings My Soul--Here

2010-12-15T20:43:00.003-05:00

Good evening! I am really excited about this song. One, because it is Christmas and I do love Christmas music. Two, because this song has a beautiful piano part to it that I just adore playing....you already know that music moves me, and my soul is greatly moved when my hands and voice are making melody together to God. And three, because this song is so beautiful and captures the mysteries that may sneak into our hearts and minds as we think about the night that Emmanuel came into the world as a baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes.
One of the great things about Christmas carols (well, the Christian ones) is that you don't have to go searching for what inspired them...you already know. Christ's birth. We often lose what a special holiday this is with the busy-ness of parties, gift buying, gift receiving, dinners, church concerts, etc. We also lose so many of God's blessings in the busy-ness of our every day lives. Here in America we don't take the time to just sit and think about how blessed we are...we don't take the time, or worse, don't have the time, to pray and thank God for all He has given us. Don't let Christmas pass you by without thanking God for His gift to us, His Son. And I don't mean this flippantly--Jesus is the best Christmas gift. I am so thankful that God sent Him, fulfilling over a hundred prophecies--proving faithful again that God is Truth. And by sending His Son, God came here, to be with us. He is here with us.
So here is Joy Williams' song, Here with us.
Its still a mystery to me that the hands of God could be so small
How tiny fingers reaching in the night were the very hands that measured the sky
Hallelujah! hallelujah! Heavens love reaching down to save the world.
Hallelujah! hallelujah! Son of God, servant King, here with us. You're here with us.
It's still a mystery to me how His infant eyes had seen the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel's symphony, but still Mary had to rock her Saviour to sleep
Hallelujah! hallelujah! Heavens love reaching down to save the world.
Hallelujah! hallelujah! Son of God, servant King, here with us. You're here with us.
Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem.
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man!
Oh Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Heavens love reaching down to save the world.
Hallelujah! Oh hallelujah! Son of God, servant King, here with us.

He is here. He came to save the souls of man. He came that I may have a relationship with Him, and that you may have a relationship with Him. Don't let this Christmas season pass you by without you turning your hearts towards the One who is the greatest gift of all.

Until Only Love Remains

2010-12-14T10:42:00.002-05:00

Good morning, friends! I have stumbled upon a new artist, and her music moves me to tears as she pours out Truth from God and the yearnings of her heart. Let's talk about God's love for a moment. This last week of my Biblestudy online (via email) we were discussing Believing in God but not wanting to change, or believing that God cannot change you. A huge lie that swarms our world today is that if God loves us, why would we need to change. Well, Romans 12:2 teaches us to "be transformed by the renewing of our minds"...a transformation that is continual. The renewing of our minds should be a prayer on the forefront of our lips each day: God, please create in me a pure heart, renew a right spirit within, restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation, and liken my mind, my thoughts, to Yours, that I may dwell on only things that are noble, lovely, pure.
That is a difficult prayer. A prayer not to be taken lightly, but to be laid before His throne in utmost dependence on our Saviour. So why, if God loves us where we are, should we change at all? Because of His great love for us, He does not want to leave us where we are but longs to draw us into abundant life with Him. And if we love Him, and have asked Jesus to save us, we recognize our great need to be healed--rescued, redeemed--from our depraved being. When we love God, we hunger for His power to be at work within us, changing us...drastically...for His Kingdom. A dear friend taking part in the biblestudy online said that this is the way our changing life as a Christian should be: "If we aren't dead, we aren't finished."
Can I hear an Amen?!!!
With that being said, and without further ado, this is JJ Heller's song, 'Only Love Remains.' What a painful, yet beautiful, process when Christ strips away our old self and cleanses us into His Bride!
Scenes of You come rushing through, You are breaking me down.
So break me into pieces that will grow in the ground
I know that I deserve to die for the murder in my heart
So be gentle with me, Jesus, as You tear me apart
Please kill the liar, kill the thief in me
You know that I'm tired of their cruelty
Breathe into my spirit, breathe into my veins
Until only love remains.
You burn away the ropes that bind and hold me to the earth
The fire only leaves behind whatever is of worth
I begin to see reality for the first time in my life
I know that I'm a shadow, but I'm dancing in Your light
Teach me to be humble, call me from the grave
Show me how to walk with You upon the waves
Breathe into my spirit, breathe into my veins
Until only love remains

I don't know about you, but if I'm asking God to breathe into my spirit and into my veins until only love remains, that changing taking place in me will be continuous until the glorious day that He calls me home.
I love you! Have a beautiful day, and let God humble you and burn the ropes that bind you to this earth until only His love remains.

Then Sings My Soul--Reconciled

2010-12-08T20:01:00.003-05:00

"Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afriad, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.'" Luke 2:10
Good tidings of great joy it is! When Charles Wesley became a Christian, he could not stop writing hymns. Each one he wrote, he packed with doctrine, with the words exhibiting strength and sensitivity, beauty and theological brawn. He didn't want any one tinkering with any of his 6,000 hymns. In a hymnal of his he wrote:

"I beg leave to mention a thought which has been long upon my mind, and which I
should long ago hae inserted in the public papers, had I not been unwilling to
stir up a nest of hornets...I must beg two favors: either to let them (my hymns)
stand just as they are, to take things for better or worse, or to add the
true reading in the margin, or at the bottom of the page, that we may no longer
be accountable either for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men."

And this particular hymn is indeed beautiful, strong, and packed with doctrine. I'm thankful that although George Whitefield, in 1753, changed the first verse slightly, he left the Truth of our Saviour in the words. And now, this hymn is a Christmas favorite! Originally it read, "Hark, how all the welkin rings, 'Glory to the King of Kings.'" Welkin was an old English term for 'the vault of heaven....oh friends. How the vault of heaven must have rung so loudly when our Saviour was born!
Hark! The Herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful all ye nations, rise! Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold He come, offspring of the virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus as Emmanuel.
Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"

Love as the Most High Loves

2010-12-07T20:40:00.002-05:00

Good evening, friends! I'm finding that during the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), it is more difficult to stay well-blogged! I feel so busy, all the time...and I don't even have kids! I can't begin to think how crazy life will be when I'm trying to stay up to date with my blogs on here and I have little boy Seals and little girl Seals fighting in the background over playing GI-Joes or My little Pony. (Then again, I could just blog about that, couldn't I?!)
I've spent the last several weeks going through a video study in Women's Biblestudy at my church--Loving Well, by Beth Moore. Tonight was the conclusion of it, and whew, do I want to learn how to love well! But to love well, we need to know what it is like to be well loved. And I am incredibly thankful that God loves me so well. Through His love pouring out on me, I pray that He teaches me how to overflow His love onto other people.
Romans 5 teaches us that if we are to love those who are easy to love, those who love us, we are just like the rest of the world. But if we want to love like the Most High, we must love our enemies. Friends, it is difficult to love our enemies. It is hard to even grace someone with a smile if/when they mock us, hate us, and/or hurt us. But...weren't we all enemies of Jesus. Yet He was born for one purpose. To die for us. To love us. To take on our sin, and be gracious towards us with more than a smile...with His blood. And in the midst of torture on the cross, of suffocation, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
I don't know about you, but for me, as a Christian, those words mean the world to me. They do. How deep the Father's love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He, my God, my King, the Most High, should give His only Son, to make this wretch, this broken, sinful woman that I am, to make me His treasure!
In learning to love like Christ loves, we need to have hearts for the world. Not just hearts for those that make us happy to love them. Sometimes we need to get down into the dirt (not in a sinful way, but in an uncomfortable, hard-to-love way) and beyond our comfort zone so that God can teach us how to love better. Loving doesn't always come easy, but if we are saved, then God is transforming our lives. And He really does transform our lives! And as He is transforming us, it goes without saying that He is healing us. Beth Moore wraps up her Loving Well study by saying this: "If we do not pour our lives into other people, we will never be completely healed." Friends, that rings more true to me than I can ever describe. I never feel God's presence more, His love more, His compassion more--never more like the hands and feet of Christ, as His body--than when I am serving others for the sake of His Name. And while I'm serving Him, rather than myself, His healing power is at work, continually transforming my life. Amen!
"Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:6-11
Lord, make your waters flow over my bones, and into my garden, that I may learn to love others well, as you have loved me, perfectly.

--Inspired by Beth Moore's 'Loving Well' series.

Then Sings my Soul--My Advocate

2010-12-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

Good morning! I hope you are having a wonderful day, despite the chilly temperature. This Hymn Wednesday is going to be a little different, in the sense that I have no story to go along with why this hymn was written, when it was written, or where it was written. There is little that can be found on Charitie Lees Smith, who was born in 1841, but this familiar hymn which is grounded in Scripture, I have concluded is perfect to kick off this Christmas Season. So while I cannot give you background on it, nor can I tell you anything about Charitie's life other than she was a daughter of a minister in Ireland, and later widowed in life--twice--I can tell you this hymn is one of my absolute favorites (get online if you have the opportunity and listen to Shane & Shane sing it with Bethany Dillon, live...it is breathtaking) and it's words come straight from Scripture.
What better way to celebrate this season than to celebrate the reason why God sent His Son. Here is 'Before the Throne of God Above:'
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea (Heb. 4:15-16)
A great High Priest whose name is love (Heb. 4:14)
who ever lives and pleads for me (Heb. 7:25)
My name is graven on His hands (Isa. 49:16)
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart (Rom. 8:34)

When Satan tempts me to despair (Luke 22:31-32)
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there (Acts 7:55-56)
Who made an end to all my sin (Col. 2:13-14)
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me (Rom. 3:24-26)

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb (Rev. 5:6)
My perfect, spotless, righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
The great unchangeable I AM (Heb. 13:8; John 8:58)
The King of glory and of grace.
One in Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood (Acts 20:28)
My life is hid with Christ on High (Col. 3:3)
With Christ my Savior and my God (Titus 2:13)

And that is why I must echo Shane & Shane's chorus, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Praise the One, Risen Son, of God! He lives, He lives! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One, Risen Son, of God!

Tennessee

2010-11-20T20:05:00.002-05:00

Good evening! I can hardly believe that it is so early...when it feels so late! I know so many people have been saying this, but really. The sun setting at 6 pm messes with how my body feels about bedtime. I can hardly keep my eyes open! Must. have. chocolate. cherry. kiss. coffee!
I am in Knoxville, TN right now. Zane and I headed up here yesterday afternoon when I finished working. The Vol vs. Vandy game is playing in the background, my dad is dressing the turkey, I'm obviously blogging, my little bro and his girlfriend are enjoying the game, my mom is telling my dad how to dress the turkey, and Zane is helping with the Turkey's inner parts. And my beautiful dogs are in the kitchen hoping some of that turkey falls on the floor:)
We will be having Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow instead of on Thursday due to me and Zane only being in K-town through Tuesday. We will head to Chattanooga after Knoxville to spend several days with his family. Friends, I am so blessed to have this much time to spend with mine and Zane's family. Living in Athens, we rarely have the opportunity to come to TN and be with our family, unless it is around the holidays. And having lived in TN my whole life, when hubby and I moved to GA, it was a hard lesson in leaving and cleaving! Nevertheless, we have adjusted, and are learning to love different things about Athens. But being here for the holidays is like the cream cheese in Cheesecake. You have to have it!
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to thank God for all the blessings He has given you, whether that is through handing you something new, or taking something away. I love you!

Then Sings My Soul--Mighty

2010-11-17T19:49:00.001-05:00

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." -Psalm 46:1

Good evening, friends! I cannot stop thinking about my brothers and sisters around the globe that are risking their lives for God's glory. I really feel convicted to pray more for the church. In Matthew 9, when Jesus is with His disciples, he sees the crowds and has compassion on them. But instead of saying 'Peter do this, Simon go there, Andrew bring me this person,' He tells them to pray that laborers would go, because the field is ripe for harvest. And that is what we have today--brothers and sisters going and risking their lives, and people coming to know Christ at rapid rates, yet in so many countries, persecution persists and members of His body, the church, are being killed.
Do you pray for them? Do you lift them up in prayer and ask God for their safety, for a place for them to worship together without fear of losing their families, for them not to lose their lives, for their captors to see Christ in them and be captivated...wanting what they have?
I am convinced that we, the church, do not lift each other up enough. And before we go and 'do' anything, we must pray.
When I was deciding on a song for this evening, this one popped off the pages. How mighty our God is! I want my Father to increase my faith to proclaim Him as my refuge, as my strength, as my present help in trouble.
We think of Martin Luther as a reformer, Bible translator, political leader, fiery preacher, and theologian. But he was a hymn writer as well, and one of his songs has become one of the most well-known hymns in the world! He understood music the way I do...as a gift, a treasure, one that can cause any emotion, stir any tear, and a blessing that must be given back to God by being lifted up as praise to our God while dropping us to our knees in worship. In the forward of a book, Luther once wrote:

"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the
world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits...a person
who...does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God...does not deserve to
be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying
of asses and the grunting of hogs."

Our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries understand that the greatest treasure in this world is the salvation given to us through Jesus Christ. That, dear friends, should and will cause any range of emotion, stir multiple tears, and drops us to our knees, leaving us weak enough to lift praise to God. Our God is a mighty fortress. He takes care of the hungry, the broken, the persecuted--His beloved.
A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never failing.
Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe--His craft and power are great;
And armed with cruel hate; on earth is not His equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He-Lord Sabaoth His name
From age to age the same! And He must win the battle.
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us.
We will not fear, for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him-his rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure! One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also-the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still! His Kingdom is forever!

Please, let me say that again. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill. God's truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?! (1 Cor. 15:55)

Saving

2010-11-12T13:03:00.003-05:00

"Although we need to be saved from eternal separation only once, Christ continues His saving work in us the rest of our lives" (Beth Moore).

What a reminder! I've told you about the Biblestudy that some girlfriends and I started doing via email (do to the great distance between us all). We are in our second week now and are really being open, honest, and vulnerable to each other. I'm blessed beyond words to see how God is teaching us with each other's stories, how He is opening up the door to flood each other with our deepest prayer requests, and how He will draw us closer to Him that we may better share His joy with the world.
That being said, during our first week (which also served as an introduction) a common theme was the young age we were each saved. But many of us, though asking Jesus into our lives early in life, 'rededicated' our lives, so to speak, to Christ at a later date, mainly in college. One of the girls explained her experience this way:
"One thing I have thought about recently especially as I
get older and more of my friends have been saved at a much later age (in college
or even later) and not in Sunday school at six like me, is that (at the risk of
sounding too compare-y) other people who may have been saved at a later age have this much more dramatic conversion experience and have a much more mature
understanding of God before being saved. They really recognize the horror of
their sin and their desperate need for a Savior. I think I knew those things at
six, but it was only at a six year old level."
Oh my, how much I agree with that statement! The last several months, I've really struggled with the date of when I was saved. Was it when I was six? Or was it when I was in Romania, July 15th, 2004, and during my testimony, realizing how desperate I am for Christ, and feeling His marvelous mercy and grace rain down on me. Knowing that He loves me so much! I spent so much time growing up doing the right things, behaving the right way, and was wondering if it were just for my parents? But I know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I loved Jesus and believed in Him, and He was my Saviour then. He is my Saviour now. When I read those words this morning, that Christ is continuing His saving work every day of our lives, I felt this amazing peace. Maybe that is not something you see as important. But for me, I want to celebrate the day God called me to Himself. It is more important than the day of my birth. Salvation is the greatest gift one can ever receive, and I praise God that this 'wishy-washyness' in my mind was put to rest through the words He spoke to me this morning.
"Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them" Hosea 11:3-4. May God help me to acknowledge Him daily and never forget that He teaches me, every moment, how to walk.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8. What a precious gift, and how marvelous, how wonderful, that after receiving that gift, if we mess up (which we will), our Saviour is right there with us guiding us back to the path of righteousness.
Praise God that He never leaves us or forsakes us!

Then Sings My Soul--Rejoice!

2010-11-10T20:43:00.002-05:00

"...the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen." -Luke 19:37b
Can you testify to that? Do you praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works you have seen in your life? What an amazing day it is when we see God moving, answering prayers that we have been on our knees over, drawing people to Himself, seeing Christians acting as the church. Just knowing God and being able to have a relationship with Him compels me to rejoice with a loud voice. God is so good, so perfect, so loving. And you know what? He is not finished in this city, in this state, in this nation, or in this world yet. He is still drawing people to Himself, advancing His Kingdom....and how great and merciful that He allows us, His children, to be used as instruments for His glory.
When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are changed for eternity. Jesus begins transforming us and breaking the bondage of sin we once lived in. When Charles Wesley came to know Jesus as His Saviour, He couldn't help but spread the news. He preached God's saving grace to everyone within hearing distance. "He found a fruitful arena for ministry at the infamous Newgate Prison and allowed himself to be locked up with condemned men on nights before their executions, that he might comfort and witness to them during their final hours" (R. Morgan).
On his first anniversary of being a Christian, Charles wrote an eighteen-stanza hymn describing his praise to the Lord. He titled it, "For the Anniversary Day of One's Conversion." Verse seven began, "O for a thousand tongues to sing," inspired by a statement Charles had heard once before: "Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Him with them all."
Amen to that! If only I had a thousand tongues to lift praises to my Father! In 1780, John Wesley compiled his Collection of Hymns, choosing this hymn as the first in the book.
Read the words, sing them in your heart, and praise God with the one tongue you have, letting your soul sing as if you had one thousand tongues.
O for a thousand tongues to sing My Great Redeemer's praise
The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!
Jesus! The name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease
'Tis music in the sinner's ears; 'Tis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the pow'r of canceled sin; He sets the prisoner free (I just have to say Hallelujah!!!)
His blood can make the foulest clean; His blood availed for me.
Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise ye dumb, Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold Your Saviour come, and leap ye lame for joy.
My gracious Master and my God assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad, the honors of Thy Name!

Have a wonderful night, and praise God for making this foul woman clean so that I can spread through all the earth abroad the honors of His Name!

I Am Bound

2010-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon! I hope you had a great weekend...and that the cold didn't numb your toes too badly:) I had a wonderful weekend in Chattanooga, TN attending the Global Mission's Conference for Mission to the World. What a wonderful time filled with encouragement, sermons, God's love, learning, and the promise that the best is yet to come! The Conference was a time to learn where God is working and how He is working. It was also a time to understand the great need for prayer, the urgency to go and tell, and a wake up call that if we are not going or sending, we are disobeying.
I just wanted to share a little about the Global Mission's Conference with you. It was absolutely wonderful and such a blessing to be a part of! We had a Palestinian Christian and a Israelite Christian share on the same stage...how amazing it is to see enemies become brothers in Christ, and love each other regardless of politics. We heard the testimony of a Korean whose parents suffered through the World War II genocide by the Japanese come to obey God's calling on His life to go to Japan and serve the country who did such evil to his people...all for the Kingdom of God. In a seminar we also heard of a meeting that took place 3 weeks ago in Capetown for Asian Pastors--a time set aside for several pastors to come together and share what God is doing in their area of the world, receive encouragement, spend time in prayer together, and feel 'safe' while worshipping openly. 29 pastors from China were invited to that meeting. Those 29 pastors were met by 1,000 police at the Chinese airport and never made it to that meeting.
Saturday afternoon someone asked me what my favorite part of the conference had been up to that point. I knew immediately. That morning, all 2200 of us (+/- a few) at the conference gathered to worship together, and when we sang Holy, Holy, Holy, tears came to my eyes...I knew the angels were worshipping along with us right there with Jesus. Just a few hours later, my new favorite moment happened. After learning about the Muslim growth in London combined with the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the 1060 window (the large, very large portion of this world considered 'unreached'), it became so much more clear of how urgent and desperate our Calling is. This world needs Jesus. So badly. For our evening service, we finished off our music singing "On Jordan's Stormy Banks." Within the 2200 people at the conference, many were missionaries and nationals serving in, what MTW calls, 'restricted access countries.' When we got to the chorus it was unbelievably powerful the words that were lifted to God. "I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the promised land." Those words have been resonating since. Those words are a reminder that this is not our home. Our home is with Jesus in heaven, and as God's children, we are bound for the Promised Land!
On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land where my possessions lie
All o'er those wide extended plains shines one eternal day
There God, the Son forever reigns and scatters night away
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.
No chilling wind nor poisonous breath can reach that healthful shore
Where sickness, sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.
When shall I see that happy place and be forever blessed?
When shall I see my Father's face and in His bosom rest?
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.

Praise God that we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, as co-heirs to the throne, are bound for the promised land! Praise God for His grace to allow a sinner like me to be washed clean--and look ahead to the day when I see my Father's face and in His bosom rest!

Then Sings My Soul--Peace

2010-11-03T20:26:00.002-04:00

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19
Anyone who has spent anytime in a church service is probably familiar with this hymn. It is one of my favorites, for many reasons, but more so than just a song, "It is Well with my Soul" is a hymn filled with the prayer of my heart--a prayer that God will give me the strength to say 'it is well' no matter what lot He gives me.
Earlier this afternoon, I heard a faint sound in one of our conference rooms as I was setting coffee out for a meeting. As I listened closer I was able to make out the words, the melody, and the beautiful message within. Several missionaries, who serve in countries where persecution and death is common to the follower of Jesus Christ, were singing, "whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say 'it is well, it is well with my soul'." Since I am a crier, I had to hold back the tears and focus intently on the coffee pots before me instead of the words the missionaries were offering up to our God. For months I have been asking God to give me more faith. The kind of faith that someone who risks their life possesses. Here in America, we often forget our need for Christ by replacing that void with material things, a tangible person, or the busy-ness of our Western lives. I want the faith that people in impoverished lands have. They have nothing, but to those who know Jesus, they know they have everything.
We are studying the book Radical, by David Platt, in our church. The very first week had a story that refuses to leave the forefront of my mind. It is true, it is desperate, and it is as real as can be. Here is that story from people seeking peace like a river:
"Imagine all the blinds closed on the windows of a dimly lit room. Twenty leaders from different churches in the area sat in a circle on the floor with their Bibles open. Some of them had sweat on their foreheads after walking for miles to get there. Others were dirty from the dust in the villages from which they had set out on bikes early that morning. They had gathered in secret. They had intentionally come to this place at different times throughout the morning so as not to draw attention to the meeting that was occurring. They lived in a country in Asia where it is illegal for them to gather like this. If caught, they could lose their land, their jobs, their families, or their lives.
"I listened as they began sharing stories of what God was doing in their churches. One man sat in the corner. He had a strong frame, and he served as the head of security, so to speak. Whenever a knock was heard at the door or a noise was made outside the window, everyone in the room would freeze in tension as this brother would go to make sure everything was okay. As he spoke, his tough appearance soon revealed a tender heart. 'Some of the people in my church have been pulled away by a cult,' he said. This particular cult is known for kidnapping believers, taking them to isolated locations, and torturing them. Brothers and sisters having their tongues cut out of their mouths is not uncommon. As he shared about the dangers his church members were facing, tears welled up in his eyes. 'I am hurting,' he said, 'and I need God's grace to lead my church through these attacks.'
"A woman on the other side of the room spoke up next. 'Some of the members in my church were recently confronted by government officials.' She continued, 'they threatened their families, saying that if they did not stop gathering to study the Bible, they were going to lose everything they had.'
"As I looked around the room, I saw that everyone was now in tears. The struggles expressed by this brother and sister were not isolated. They all looked at one another and said, 'we need to pray.' Immediately they went to their knees, and with their faces on the ground, they began to cry out to God. Their prayers were marked less by grandiose theological language and more by heartfelt praise and pleading. "O God, thank You for loving us...O God, we need You...Jesus, we give our lives to You and for You...Jesus, we trust You.
"They audibly wept before God as one leader after another prayed. After about an hour, the room drew to a silence, and they rose from the floor. Humbled by what I had just been a part of, I saw puddles of tears in a circle around the room."

I believe their soul, along with the missionaries I heard today, is in a constant state of needing peace like a river. But through the storm we are held. God has won, Christ prevailed. This hymn was written by a man, Horatio G. Spafford, who in the span of 3 years, lost his land and all he had invested in, his only son, and his four daughters. When he was at the part of the ocean where his daughters had been killed, he cried, "It is well. The will of God be done." Later, he wrote the hymn we know today. Let this be a prayer offered to God. Whatever we face in life, pain or joy, we need to thank God, knowing that His good and perfect will is never, ever, to harm us, but to give us hope and a future. Hope that is in Him. A Future that is with Him for eternity.
When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my soul.'
My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul!
It is well. It is well. It is well! It is well with my soul!
It is well. It is well. It. Is. Well! It is well with my soul!

Have a beautiful night.
--Inspired by missionaries risking it all for the sake of Christ, Horatio G. Spafford, and 'Radical' by David Platt.

Do you know Him?

2010-11-01T20:09:00.002-04:00

Good evening! I hope you have had a great Monday. I am exhausted, still, from a very busy weekend. Friday night was date night with my husband. We had some delicious authentic Mexican food...I guess I miss Mexico a wee bit. Saturday we cleaned the whole house and then went to a corn maze. It took us 1 1/2 hours to make it through! Needless to say, my legs were terribly sore the next day. I never thought I'd need to stretch before finding my way through corn...well, now I know. Then yesterday, my husband through a Murder Mystery party. I was Claudia Helsing and enjoyed playing a character I would never be...I mean, do you really think that if I saw a vampire I would slay him/her? haha...of course I wouldn't!
So tonight was the first night of a biblestudy I'm leading. My closest girlfriends live far away from me. I miss them and wish we were able to communicate more. Mostly, I wish we could draw closer to each other as we draw closer to Him. So, I'm starting a new chapter in this life I've been given. And it is somewhat, no, it is way modern. I am leading a biblestudy via email!
Every Monday I will email my girlfriends my thoughts and questions from the chapters that we read, and they will respond at their convenience. Since it is through email, they do not have to worry about meeting at a certain place to participate or risk missing the fellowship. We may disagree at times, we may cry together at times, but we are seeking the One who satisfies, the One who loves, the One who is King, the One who is preparing a place for those who love Him, and the One who is coming back for His children!
We are studying 'The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but living as if He doesn't exist' and I look forward to sharing this journey with you. Please be praying over it, that God will wash each of us of the 'atheism' in our lives so that we can live only for Him.

Then Sings My Soul--Overwhelmed

2010-10-27T20:12:00.003-04:00

"The chasm was far too wide; I never thought I'd reach the other side. But Your love never fails."
Good evening, friends. I am in tears right now as I sit and think of God's unfailing love. Yes, I know I just got back from a mission trip and people tend to be on 'Spiritual Highs' afterwards. But that is not what is going on here. God has been teaching me about His love for some time now. How perfect it is. That in His justice, in His righteousness, in His holiness, it is all a part of His love.
I was making some soup a little bit ago, thinking of which hymn to write about, while listening to the music we will be playing at church this Sunday. (I play keys so I was mainly listening for anywhere a piano part could be added...) But God wanted me to listen to something else. It wasn't about what to play. God wanted me to be reminded that His love never fails. I was stirring my soup when I heard, "You stay the same through the ages, Your love never changes. There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning." Thats all it took. Tears started crawling down my face as I continued listening, being assured that He makes all things work together for our good.
So, tonights 'hymn' is the contempory worship song, "Your Love Never Fails" by Chris McLarney. I have no idea what the background is, but I am going to share with you what was going on in me during that song. For those of you who know me personally, you know I tend to get argumentative. So, when I heard "You make all things work together for my good," I started arguing with the song (not out loud...just in my head). Doesn't God make all things work together for His glory, for His perfect plan, for Him? As soon as I started thinking that I heard God say, 'Emmie, think about your life. Haven't I made all things work together for your good?'
Friends, I'm overwhelmed by how much God has done for me. There have been times in my life where I have run so far as quick as I can, just to 'define' myself. To be different. At times, to 'understand' the world. I've had moments when I thought I'd never reach the other side. I considered whether I even wanted to reach the other side. I've made choices to take my life and desires away from God, only for God to gently, lovingly, and patiently draw me back to Himself. I've learned through trials and heartbreaks that I don't have to be afraid, ever, because He loves me and He has new mercies for me everyday.
Since I heard God so strongly ask if He has worked all things together for my good, I had no choice but to scroll through the pages of my mind and the life I've lived. Those dark times...God stood by me, carrying me back into the light. He's opened doors for me to share my experiences with other sisters in Christ having the same struggles. In college I gave my life to something that took up weekends, week nights, and who knows how many miles on my car. (Not that this something was in and of itself bad, but anything that takes your focus away from God is detrimental to your relationship with Him.) By my last semester, God had me saved from that tunnel, transforming my life day by day, proving that nothing can satisfy but His love, and His love never fails.
I keep thinking about the beautiful faces I had the opportunity to serve last week. One may ask, how can being in an orphanage work together for good? Being abandoned by your parents, your family. Friends, oh what joy those children have because of God working things together for their good. They have food. They have shelter. They are no longer abused. And best of all, they know Jesus! They have been redeemed, in every imaginable way, from the horrors of this world and brought into glorious light. When I think of Casa Hogar, what I think of is hope, joy, and love. When I think of Jesus, I think of hope, joy, and love. When I read through the chapters of my life, I see God's fingerprints on the pages--pouring into my soul His hope, joy, and love.
I hope this is a blessing to you. I hope that you can read this and look in your own life and see how God is working things together in your life for good. I promise you, and I will stand by this promise til the end of time, His love never fails, and if you give your life over to Him, your soul will not only sing--your soul will be overwhelmed.
Here is the song that captured this blog tonight. I hope it can be the song of your soul tonight, and forever.
Nothing can separate even if I ran away. Your love never fails.
I know I still make mistakes, but you have new mercies for me everyday.
Your love never fails.
You stay the same through the ages. Your love never changes.
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning.
And when the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid.
Because I know that You love me. Your love never fails.
The wind is strong and the water's deep. But I'm not alone in these open seas.
Cause Your love never fails.
The chasm was far too wide; I never thought I'd reach the other side.
But Your love never fails.
You stay the same through the ages. Your love never changes.
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning.
And when the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid.
Because I know that You love me. Your love never fails!
You make all things work together for my good.
You make all things work together for my good.
You make all things work together for my good.
(Praise Him for this!) You make all things work together for my good.
You stay the same through the ages. Your love never changes.
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning.
And when the oceans rage I don't have to be afraid.
Because I KNOW that You love me. YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Home

2010-10-27T11:42:00.003-04:00

"For my father and mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in." Psalm 27:10

Good morning, friends! I've been away for quite a while. I arrived home from Acapulco, Mexico early am Monday morning and have simply been trying to recover since. I am excited to be able to catch you up on my trip!

That verse is something the orphans at Casa Hogar del Nino hear over and over and many understand what that means. When I signed up for this mission trip, I was thrilled to be working with orphans again. I love children. I love seeing their smiling faces. And I love loving kids who have been abandoned by their families. In Scripture we are told that Christians are to take care of orphans (James 1:27). Perhaps that is why I feel so at home with them...God made me to love them. It is part of His plan.

Many of the orphans at Casa Hogar have been abused--physically and mentally. It broke my heart learning some of their stories, what they have been through, and why they relate better with certain ages or why they don't relate well at all to older men. Knowing this orphanage is housing 50+ kids with similar backgrounds and pain beyond imagination, I expected to walk into the same type of atmosphere I've seen in Romanian orphanages. Fear. Fear of the staff, fear of other children, fear of visitors. What I saw in Romania was kids with one or two friends that refused to hang out with anyone else. They couldn't trust anyone else. They didn't know gentleness, kindness, or love. And they didn't know the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.

What I walked into at Casa Hogar in Acapulco, Mexico, was joy. Joy indescribable. These kids know who Jesus is, they know the Lord loves them, and they look forward to every new team that arrives. You bond with the kids quickly and your heart is just overwhelmed by the sense of compassion amongst everyone there. The staff is loved and respected. The kids are obedient, respectful, cooperative, and gracious. Casa Hogar is unlike anything I ever expected to see. We went to take the joy of Jesus Christ to the orphans at Casa Hogar. In doing so, God showed us His joy bursting out of the children there. Praise God for that opportunity. Praise God for the opportunities He has ahead of me!

Our prayer for the staff and the children there is from Ephesians 3. It is one we are committed to praying continually, and one I ask you to pray as well. God is doing great things at Casa Hogar. And it is all for His glory! Praise be to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Giver of Life!

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant them to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith--that they being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than we can every ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us and them, to Him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 5: 14-21

Then Sings My Soul

2010-10-13T20:37:00.002-04:00

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
St. Patrick was a missionary to Ireland--the only missionary to ever be honored with a global holiday. Patrick was born in 373 A.D. in Scotland. When he was 16, he was kidnapped and taken into slavery after his town was raided and torched by pirates. While a slave, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After eventually escaping and returning home to an overjoyed family, Patrick had a dream of an Irishman pleading for Patrick to come back to Ireland and evangelize the country. While the decision was a tough one to make, Patrick knew he had a calling and he needed to go.
Around the age of 30, Patric returned to his former captors with only one book, the Latin Bible. Multitudes listened as he taught about God and His Son, Jesus, while superstitious Druids opposed him and sought his death. But God spoke through Patrick powerfully, and because of Patrick being obedient to God and becoming a missionary to Ireland, he became one of the most fruitful evangelists of all time, planting about 200 churches and baptizing 100,000 converts.
His work has endured for centuries, and the Irish church is still producing hymns, prayers, sermons, and songs of worship. In the eighth century, an unknown poet wrote a prayer asking God to be his Vision, his Wisdom, and his Best Thought by day or night. The poem was later translated into English, and then into ryme and meter to form the song we know today: Be Thou my Vision.
This song was one that was engraved on my heart as I was making plans to live in Romania for the summer of 2005. I wanted nothing but what Jesus wanted me to have: His plans, His vision, His wisdom. Every time I sing this song I'm drawn back to a time of total abandonment to Christ. I hunger for that same type of abandonment...that same conviction that He is all I need! His presence is the very breath of my life. Read through this song. Cry it out to Jesus. Submit it to Him in prayer. As I type these words, I am offering this as the cry of my heart.
Be Thou my Vision o Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my Light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my Great Father, and I Thy true son, Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance now and always;
Thou and Thou only first in my heart; High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art!
High King of Heaven my victory won;
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision o Ruler of all.

God, whatever befall, still be my Vision, O Great Ruler of all!
I hope you have a wonderful evening! Let your soul sing to our Great and Wise God!

Comfortable Christianity

2010-10-11T12:16:00.003-04:00

"Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe" (David Platt, Radical).
What is your take on that statement? For me, while being a tough pill to swallow, it was also so easy to believe and understand. I will carry with me always my experiences in Romania. One of the biggest privileges I had while serving there was learning about true faith...the faith of a people in a third world country. They have nothing but live as if they have everything. My dear friends there live day in and day out the truth that Jesus is all we need. Yet in America, we say, "Jesus is all we need!...to get into heaven, but while here on earth I will take a car, a home, nice restaurants, expensive clothing and jewelry...oh and that leather couch because the one I have is 2 years old."
Unfortunately in America, we as Christians live our lives in complete contradiction to the gospel. We are out for number one. We tithe, if we know we will have enough to fulfill our wants. We will serve others, if and when our football team doesn't have a game. We will love, if others love us. "Somewhere along the way (in our Christian walk) we have missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves" (Platt).
I am definitely not out to point my finger. I rarely sit down and consider the cost of following my Savior. I have felt so convicted over these last months about how I live my life and the ripple my actions can have on how my peers see Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship that the first call every Christian experiences is "the call to abandon the attachments of this world. When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." This world that we live in is dying without Christ. Dying. And without Jesus, this world will suffer for eternity. Instead of being mindful of that, and lovingly sharing the gospel to others, we go shopping instead. "While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the gospel remain in the dark" (Platt).
It may seem like I'm saying shopping/cars/homes/football is wrong. Let me ask you this: if God asked you today to give your car away and to sell your home and give the entire amount earned to the church, would any of us say, "Yes, Lord."?? Just yesterday as I was watching the Tennessee Titans game, I knew I needed to read my Bible. Spending time in the Word daily is so important for us as believers. Instead, I said, "God, when the game is over." Which turned into after Lifegroup, once I was too tired to focus on His Word. Jesus wants us to commit to believe what He says. Shame on me for ever saying, "Lord, I will get to it when it is most convenient for me." We need to commit to saying "Yes, Lord" to the words of Jesus before we even hear them. And we need to commit to obey Him once we have heard Him.
I highly recommend going out and buying a copy of Radical for yourselves. While David Platt is only stating what Jesus has already told us to do, I believe we may have become immune to Jesus' words. Maybe we have heard them so often that we fail to read His Word with fresh eyes and let them soak into our lives. Platt does an incredible job talking straight to the heart of America, and demanding that the Christians who live here wake up! "We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us."

--Inspired by Radical, David Platt.

Unclean with a Pure God

2010-10-09T11:59:00.002-04:00

Good morning! I hope you are having a great start to your weekend. My morning has been filled with Leviticus 11-15, learning all about cleanliness and what the Israelites could/could not eat, followed by a long run...okay, that is a bit of a stretch. It was run a minute, walk a minute, repeat...but it felt like a very long run to me because my husband was next to me saying "run," "walk," "run," "walk," and so forth. (This morning, I would have been satisfied with a walk!)
But, my run is not what this blog is about so I will get on with it. I've been reading through the Bible chronologically, and am now in Leviticus. Through Exodus to where I am now, each day I am in awe that God has chosen me to be His child, to be able to talk with Him each day, whenever I want to. Notice, it is whenever I want to. Each day of my reading I am baffled at how difficult it was to talk to the Living God back in the day of the Israelites and the wilderness. Moses, and later the priests, were their 'conduit' to God. But Moses did not get to elect when to talk to Jehovah as we, present day, elect to do. Yahweh opened up the lines of communication by telling Moses to come up the mountain at a certain time with a certain amount of elders, so that the Lord could give him a message for the people of Israel. Yet we, who have the cherished gift, blessing, of talking to the Lord whenever we feel the need, fail to do so sometimes on a daily basis. Sometimes, our only communication with God is before meals: "God, thank you for the food. Amen."
The Israelites had to make sacrifices to the Lord for their sins. The priests made the sacrifices for them and sprinkled blood on them. Not just anyone was allowed to enter the temple. I have only made it to Chapter 15 of Leviticus, and I'm sure there will be more 'disqualifications' ahead, but if you had leprosy, or touched the carcass of an unclean animal, or touched the garment of an unclean person, or were on your period, or had discharge at all, you were considered unclean from 1-14 days...or longer depending on if your leprosy, discharge, etc healed or not. If you gave birth, which is a blessing indeed, you were considered unclean for up to 66 days, depending on the gender of the child. 66 days! Can you imagine spending 66 days separated from the Lord. Not being able to make a sacrifice. Not able to become clean. Can you even begin to imagine how you would feel if today God said, "Child, do not come to me for 66 days."??? What if it were only 1 day that He forbid you...would you be distraught, or would it even be a change for you?
I am convicted that I take for granted my time with the Lord. I admit that I sometimes find myself, out of habit, saying the same thing I said the previous days. Oh that I would know Whose Throne I am before when I pray! Because God gave His only Son to suffer and die for our sins, we are encouraged, taught, commanded to pray continuously (1 Thess. 5:17). Nothing stands in our way of coming before the Father and seeking His forgiveness, His healing, His peace...His presence. If only we, as His children, could understand how much of a blessing He has given us! Lord, help me to serve You, to worship You, to love You, all the days of my life, and praise You for the gift You have given me in Your Son's death and resurrection.
We bow our hearts. We bend our knees. Oh Spirit, come make us humble.
We turn our eyes from evil things. Oh Lord, we cast out our idols.
Give us clean hands. Give us pure hearts.
Let us not lift our souls to another.
Give us clean hands. Give us pure hearts.
Let us not lift our souls to another.
Oh God let us be a generation that seeks, seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob.
Oh God let us be a generation that seeks, seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob.

Then Sings My Soul

2010-10-06T20:19:00.002-04:00

Good evening! I just got back from serving at Kidzlife at my church! The kids were so joyful this evening. Wednesday nights are a real delight for me. I help lead music by singing and dancing around...you know, putting motions to the words...and the kids just get a kick out of it. Worshiping our Father together is such a blessing. Jesus says that our faith should be like that of a child. And I see it in the faces...that faith...when they sing about how much He loves us and has done for us and will do for us, and how He longs for us to spend eternity with Him and tell everyone on earth about Him...their faces shine so bright!
I also started teaching one of the girls to play flute. She is so excited about playing this beautiful instrument! And no matter how frustrating it was, she never gave up trying to blow until she finally got a sound to come out. Now, I have been trying to keep my mind focused on things above and not on the things of earth that will pass. Keeping eternity and my life with Christ at the forefront of my mind makes the experience tonight with my new student remind me of how difficult our journey with Christ can be. Sometimes it can be so frustrating, and we keep huffing and puffing and trying to make a good sound come out but we see no result. How incredible it is when God brings us from the 'frustrating' part to the 'beautiful sound' part! It makes all the trials in between well worth it.
These blessings I've had over the last few hours are precious gifts from God that I want to give back to Him. I cannot stop thanking Him for all He has given me, including the opportunities to sing His praise and serve Him! So, tonight's song that makes my soul sing is another very familiar one: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing! "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
Robert Robinson was sent to London at a young age to learn the skill of barbering. Instead, he learned about gang-life and drinking. After getting drunk with several friends and seeing a fortune teller, Robert suggested that he and his friends go to an evangelistic meeting held by George Whitefield. Pastor Whitefield was preaching that evening on Matthew 3:7: "But when He saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduccees coming to His baptism, He said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Those words haunted Robert for 3 years....the wrath to come! December 10, 1755, he gave his life to Christ.
Three years later he wrote a hymn for a sermon he was preaching on Pentecost Sunday. Designed to be a prayer, he asked the Holy Spirit to flood our hearts with His streams of mercy, enabling us to sing God's praises and remain faithful to Him. Since that Sunday in 1758, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" has been a favorite of the church.
Since this hymn was written to be a prayer, as you read it, meditate on the words. Make it a prayer from your heart to God. If you don't believe the words, if you don't hunger to sing His praises, ask God to create that desire for your heart. What a treasure it is to sing to our Father!
Come, Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above (can you imagine the angels singing this to our King?!)
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it! Mount of God's unchanging love (or redeeming love!)
Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger wand'ring from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood
Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee (Please Lord, bind it!)
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! Prone to leave the God I love!
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above.

Have a wonderful evening, friends! I hope you found this song to be a blessing to you--one that you can turn around and make a blessing to God by pouring your heart out...Laying your heart at His feet to bind and seal for His courts above!

Cleaning House

2010-10-04T20:31:00.002-04:00

"Jesus looked at him and loved him." Mark 10:21
Good evening! I hope you have had a good Monday. I must say my Monday has sucked up all my energy. I am so ready to crawl into bed and get a good 10 hours of sleep! But, for the sake of not wasting precious hours, I will try and stay awake a little while longer.
Tuesday night's I have been studying with other women in the church and learning, and rehashing, how to throw out our idols. Tonight as I was going through the lessons, I was caught by something so beautiful, yet often overlooked. In Mark (and Matthew and Luke, depending on the perspective you want), Jesus teaches us about the rich young man seeking eternal life. We all know how it ends up. Jesus tells him to go, sell everything he has, give it all to the poor, and then the rich young man can come and follow Jesus. Whenever I read these verses, that is exactly what I get out of the passage.
However, something struck me with such beauty tonight! I read through Mark 10:17-31 with fresh eyes, and it was pointed out to me something I had always skipped over. Let's see if you catch it:
Starting at verse 17b, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" And he said to Him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Did you catch it? Jesus, right before telling him what he lacked, looked at him and LOVED him. "God's love is so rich and refreshingly different than our often-limited views of love" (Kelly Minter). And praise God for that! He doesn't look at us and let us stay where we are. He loves us enough, and perfectly outside human ability, that He tells us what we lack. If Zane looked at me and told me, "I love you, but let me tell you what you lack," I would be hurt, embarrased, and perhaps furious. As humans, we don't see someone pointing out the filth in our life, or the gaps in our life, as loving. We see it as threatening and rude. But Jesus, our Lord, our Redeemer, loves us ENOUGH to tell us what we lack. He doesn't do so to hurt us, or to take away from our life. He shows us so that we can live life fully, with joy unspeakable, and live it freely!
I know this entry is quite shorter than the novels I've put up most recently, but it may just be what you need to read tonight. I know it was a blessing to me to study that passage in my lesson, and I'm hoping it will be a blessing to you. Don't listen to the lies Satan feeds you in his attempt to make you cling to the things of life that falsely offer comfort and love. Listen to the promises of God, the ones He is ALWAYS faithful to fulfill. Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life." Mark 10:29-30
Clean out the filth that God is looking at and lovingly telling you to throw away. And be prepared to receive that outpouring of blessings that will flow down on you...one hundred fold!

Then Sings My Soul

2010-09-29T20:35:00.002-04:00

Good evening! I am so very excited to be starting something new with you. I know, I have Women's Biblestudy to share with you, and lessons that I'm learning in contentment, and my LifeGroup Study, "Radical,"....when did life get so busy that I stopped being able to keep up?! Hopefully you will find a cozy chair and be able to relax a bit while you read all the new things I have to share with you. While we are waiting to roll back around to all those other studies, let your soul sing with me! Wednesdays are going to become my favorite! You know how I just love music? Many blogs of mine include songs to tie into the entry. Wednesdays are going to be dedicated strictly to songs! I'm starting Hymn Wednesdays. Maybe you are not traditional and are rather bored with hymns. Maybe you are very traditional and loathe contemporary music. Maybe you are somewhere in the middle and just want to sing songs that are about God and not about you. Well, no matter where you fall between the Traditional/Modern Spectrum, I hope that Hymn Wednesday's will be a blessing to you! We are going to find out where songs came from, who wrote them, and what they mean to me. Welcome, and let's let our souls sing!
We are going to begin with one of my favorite hymns. How Great Thou Art. (Perhaps you had already guessed that'd be the first hymn based on the title of this series.) This hymn actually began as a poem in 1885 when Carl Boberg, a 26 year-old Swedish minister, wrote about our Mighty God. Translated to English, his poem reads "When I the world consider which Thou has made by Thine almighty Word, and how the webb of life Thou wisdom guideth and all creation feedeth at Thy board. Then doth my soul burst forth in song of praise! Oh, great God, Oh, great God!"
This poem literally went around the world being transformed into the song we know today. Several years after releasing his poem, Carl was surprised to hear it being sung to an old Swedish Melody, but neither the poem or the hymn achieved widespread fame...until some time later.
An English Missionary, Stuart Hine, heard the hymn in Russia. He was so moved that he modified and expanded the words, making his own arrangement of the Swedish melody. His first three verses were inspired by Russia's rugged Carpathian Mountains. While caught in a thunderstorm in a Carpathian village he wrote the first verse. The second was written as he listened to birds singing near the Romanian border (and how easy it is to be inspired when Romania has anything to do with it...). The third verse was written as Stuart Hine witnessed many of the Carpathian Mountain dwellers coming to Christ. And the final verse came upon his return to Great Britain.
This beautiful hymn made its way to India, Toronto, and London before finally blessing the land of the free with it's beauty and truth. Oh how I would have loved to have been there in the beginning hearing the Naga Tribespeople in Assam singing of how great God is! In 1957, Bev Shea along with a choir sang the majestic refrain 99 times! Can you imagine the heavenly sound that was spreading through heaven as God's people repeated 99 times "Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art! How great Thou art!" How moving!
I believe I've mentioned this before, but at the risk of sounding crazy once again I will remind you that music moves me and speaks to me in ways I cannot express. I literally can feel my soul within me when I sing praises to my King. I am and always have been a 1st Soprano. My voice is high and isn't afraid to sing higher. Something about this particular hymn though...when I sing it, no matter what key I'm in, if I am not paying attention to my vocal chords, I...no joke...choke through the whole refrain. Getting through each verse is hard enough. But when I get to the refrain, it is as if my soul is clawing its way out of me and trying to get into heaven to be with my Father. Do you have any idea what I am talking about, or is this all nonsense to you? All I'm saying is, when I sing of how great my Father is, I feel His presence all around me. This body He has given me is just a harness for my soul. And one day, what a glorious day it will be, Christ will come with shout of acclamation and take me home. What joy shall fill my heart! And I will bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim, My God! How Great Thou Art! (Tears flood my eyes just thinking of that moment!)
I know it has been a long blog, but as always, I want you to soak up the lyrics. Dwell on them, and be breathless and speechless as you praise God for how great He is!
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When thru the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim, "My God how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee! How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Calm my Anxious Heart

2010-09-18T15:48:00.003-04:00

Good Saturday, to you! Zane and I just got home from taking the dogs to a creek on the outskirts of Athens...supposedly part of the Oconee River. Let's set something straight first: I am a Tennessee girl. Born and raised. The hills of TN are a distant memory in this flat city of Georgia, and after going to Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains on an extremely regular basis, and playing in the clear water as it streams over the slippery rocks, dirt infested moldy part-of-the-Oconee just doesn't measure up. Period. (But Moxie [German Shepherd/Rottweiler] and Frisbee [Sheltie mix] had a wonderful time jumping rocks...making the dirty water well worth and disease we may capture...)
For my birthday a few months ago, the best mother-in-law in the whole world bought me a devotional. A much needed devotional. It is called 'Calm My Anxious Heart,' by Linda Dillow. I must admit, when I first opened my present I wondered, "Did Zane tell her I struggle with contentment!? I can't believe he talked about me behind my back!" Well, that was not the case. No drama erupted from that event. My mother-in-law has done the study many times herself and thought it would be a good one for me to have. Let's be honest: God knew it was THE devotional I needed to have, for such a time as this.
When we moved to Athens, GA, away from the state I've lived in my whole life, away from my friends, my family, to a new job after 2 months of marriage, going to a new church, my husband starting a grad program which meant him having class til 9:30 many nights...well, you get the picture. My world had changed drastically, and other then my incredible husband, discontentment in other areas of my life set up a room in my heart very quickly. I'm usually a very happy, joyful person no matter what the occasion. In fact, many people ask me how and why I'm so happy all the time. Don't be misled--I was not, and am not, depressed. But I definitely let the questions settle in: was this where God wanted us? was I ever going to go back to Romania? would my friends and family ever come visit? (I would not wish driving highway 316 on anyone!) Every friend I met here couldn't replace the deep friendships back home. The church we started going to did not do music the way I wanted (no hymns). We had an infant nephew and every time we saw him he had grown a few inches. We never saw Jack crawl...he went from rolling around on his back one visit to walking the next. Let's just say that from the time we arrived in Athens until a few months ago, my heart was focusing on the negative, rather than the incredible blessings God was giving us at every turn.
At first, I didn't want to blog about Calm my Anxious heart, simply because I'm hoping God allows me to start a young ladies Biblestudy where this would be our book of study. But then I realized that it is okay to blog about a devotional twice! If and when a Biblestudy gets off the ground, my perspective will have grown, God will still be teaching me contentment (He is always leading us to be more joyful in Him!), and I will have interesting stories from young ladies on their take of contentment. I'm excited to share this with you...and equally excited to be vulnerable as I tell you my struggles. I hope it blesses you and helps you in your road to contentment as well. God bless you and have a wonderful Saturday afternoon!

Golden Calf

2010-09-16T18:05:00.005-04:00

Good evening! I hope you are doing well. I just had some 'soul food' from Weaver D's in Athens, GA, and I do believe that the butter potatoes are now swimming in my arteries. Oh yes...I feel like a huge lump of butter right now.
Over the summer, the Women's Biblestudy group I am a part of took a break. We started back up last week with several laughs, and almost zero productivity--after all, we had to catch up with each other! My first study I did with the women at church was 'Esther' by Beth Moore, followed by 'So Long, Insecurity,' also by Beth Moore. (I blogged about 'So Long, Insecurity' on here, and HIGHLY recommend that book for all women! Do the Esther study first though. I cannot explain what a wonderful follow up studying about insecurities was, especially after digging down deep into the life of a woman who by legal mandate, had to share her husband with any and all women he so pleased.) Now, we are breaking in our study books from Beth Moore to study Kelly Minter's, 'No Other Gods.' Friends, I must admit, the first week...I was a little upset. It wasn't as deep and intense as I had hoped. But whew, did the second week slap me in the face with the deep realization that the golden calf of Exodus, made by the Israelites didn't just vanish in Old Testament times...it is here today. All around each of us. And guess what, not to be negative, but you have a golden calf yourself...and God wants it gone.
"The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6
Real quickly I want to touch on the first week's lesson where we learned about an idol being a 'functional god.' That can be anything in my life that takes the place of God...it could be something I try to find my identity in (being the prettiest/most athletic/most musical), or seek security in (getting that job promotion/hoarding my money/never taking risks). In truth, it could be my desire to be in Romania serving the orphans, or my passion for adoption. Now before you say that those things cannot be idols because they are good...great even, let's look at a definition by Richard Keyes:
"An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as a substitute for God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them. Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God's existence or character. It may well come in the form of an overattachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good. An idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, a hope, an image, an idea, a pleasure, a hero--anything that can substitute for God."
When my love for orphans or Romania becomes an obsession and makes me want to run after something that is not God's will at this moment, that thing, whether good or bad, becomes an idol. Ouch!
Week two literally felt like my eyes, brain, and heart were being sanded down my some carpenter refining his creation. Interesting...I believe that is exactly what Jesus was doing!
I am chosen. I am treasured by God. I already have an identity, and that is in Christ. Until I realize that my identity is in Christ...I am His first...I will not be able to rid myself of false gods in my life. How often do I lose sight of what I have (Jesus!) and who I am (a child of God!)??!! I just have to quote Kelly Minter here...I believe every young women needs this engrained into her skin: "Fulfilling our sinful desires will snuff out this burning goodness. By indulging them we actually become the reverse of peculiar and strange. We become--hold your breath--normal. For those of us seeking individualism and distinctiveness, chasing our lusts will only make us like everyone else, with little identity at all." We are aliens in this world--sojourners. As a Christian, I know this is not my home. I have no business trying to set up camp here. My face should always be looking toward heaven, seeking to glorify God, and that 'difference' in me should be Jesus' light shining through...not me seeking attention from the world.
Why idols? Simple. We get tired. Tired of waiting on God to answer our prayers. Tired of His answers being different than what we wanted (though His answers are always what we need). We get tired of hearing people tell us what God wants/is doing/will do. If you have the time, go and read Genesis 16. Sarai grew tired of waiting for God to give her children (even though He had promised her a child that would bring many generations--and in her line would be born the Saviour of the world!). Instead of being patient and trusting in the Lord, she gave her servant to Abraham, which produced Ishmael. In Genesis 21 we see the fulfillment of God's plan. He always keeps His promises. But our actions always have consequences. Sometimes dire ones. And because of Sarai acting impatiently, we had the birth of a son (Ishmael) that would lead to the religion we know today as Islam.
But the thing that stuck out the most to me was learning where the famous Golden Calf (Exodus 24) came from. While Moses was on the mountain with God, the Israelites grew tired of waiting for him and so gathered their golden earrings from the men, women, and children, and created the golden calf. I had never, ever, had this pointed out to me before. If you trace back to Exodus 12, you will see that God gave the Israelites favor over the Egyptians, allowing the Israelites the gold. The Israelites turned God's gifts into gods.
So that is where I am dwelling now. Do I have gods in my life that were originally blessings from my Lord. Are they, in and of themselves, perfectly good, yet I have allowed myself to find identy in them? My identity is in Christ, and I refuse to let His blessings to me become anything but a gift to offer back to Him. With His help, that will be the case.
I am excited to share with you all that I learn through this! Thank you for joining me, and I hope that me sharing my learnings will be a blessing to you!
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

Dare 40

2010-09-15T10:25:00.002-04:00

"Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God." --Ruth 1:16
Love is a covenant. I must say, this blog is difficult to write. Not because I disagree with it. I wholeheartedly believe and know that love is a covenant. It is difficult because a dear friend is going through a divorce. We spoke yesterday and I told her, "You should know...I am praying for reconciliation between you two. That you both will grow closer to Christ and that God will heal your wounds." After telling me her husband was moving closer to Christ and definitely on the right track, her response devastated me and let me know that her mind had been made up. She thanked me for praying for her, but asked that I pray God will grant them both peace with their decision to go through with the divorce. She was seeking after God, enjoying being in His will and living her life the way God wanted her to...but she was no longer going to be married. There was to much pain and she was done being his wife.
"The experience and challenge of loving your mate is something that never comes to an end. Consider your marriage a covenant instead of a contract. Seeing marriage as a contract is like saying to your spouse, 'I take you for me and we'll see if this works out.' But realizing it as a covenant changes it to say, 'I give myself to you and commit to this marriage for life.'" (Kendrick)
There are many differences between a contract and a covenant. A contract is usually a written agreement based on distrust, outlining the conditions and consequences if broken. It is self-serving, and comes with limited liability. A covenant is a verbal commitment based on trust, assuring someone that your promise is unconditional and good for life. It is spoken before God out of love for another. A covenant is intended to be unbreakable.
Please grab your Bible and read through some of God's covenants with His people. Genesis 9:12-17; Genesis 17:1-8; Exodus 19:3-6; 2 Samuel 7:7-16; Hebrews 9:15. Dwell on those Covenants. Realize that God has kept every single one.
"There's good reason why God was the One who initiated covenants with His people. He alone is able to fulfill the demands of His own promises...but the Spirit of God is within you by virtue of your faith in His Son and the grace bestowed upon you in salvation. That means you now can exercise your role as covenant keeper, no matter what may arise to challenge your faithfulness to it...marriage is not a contract with escape clauses and exception wordings. Marriage is a covenant intended to cut off all avenues of retreat or withdrawal. There's nothing in all the world that should sever what God has joined together" (Kendrick).
For thousands of years people have wondered why at times God withholds His blessings from their homes and marriages. "You say, 'for what reason?' Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant...For I hate divorce, says the lord, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with wrong, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously" Malachi 2:14, 16.
Every marriage is called to be an earthly picture of God's heavenly covenant with His church. To show His unconditional love. John 15 tells us to remain in Jesus' love. Let His words inspire you to be a channel of God's love to your spouse.
Kendrick finished The Love Dare by declaring that love is too holy a treasure to trade in for another, and too powerful a bond to be broken without dire consequences. Amen to that! Take some time to thank God for the good in your marriage, and pray to Him for strengh and love, that you may show Christ to your spouse, even when it seems unbearable. Dare to take hold of your marriage and never let go.
Dare 40: Write out a renewal of your vows and place them in your home. Make it a living testament to the value of marriage in God's eyes and the high honor of being one with your mate.
Dare 39: Love never fails.
Dare 38: Be extravagant.
Dare 37: Pray together.
Dare 36: Read the Bible daily.
Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.
Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's needs.
Dare 31: Spouse=Top Priority of Earthly Relationships.
Dare 30: Be unified.
Dare 29: Express your love.
Dare 28: Sacrifice.
Dare 27: Encourage.
Dare 26: Seek forgiveness.
Dare 25: Forgive freely.
Dare 24: Kill lust.
Dare 23: Love protects.
Dare 22: Love your spouse. Period.
Dare 21: Be satisfied in God.
Dare 20: Commit to love Jesus so you can love your spouse.
Dare 19: Pray for God to change your heart.
Dare 18: Study each other.
Dare 17: Promote intimacy.
Dare 16: Love intercedes.
Dare 15: Honor each other.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.
Thank you for going through these dares with me. If you're married, I hope they blessed your marriage as they did mine! If you aren't, I hope you start practicing these dares now so that your marriage will be blessed by a love unimaginable. Just because the dares are over--dare yourself everyday! Love conquers all. Praise Jesus!
--Inspired by Kendrick's, "The Love Dare"

Dare 39

2010-09-15T10:04:00.002-04:00

"Love never fails." -1 Corinthians 13:8
Let me repeat that. Love never fails. "Though threatened, it keeps pursuing. Though challenged, it keeps moving forward. Though mistreated and rejected, it refuses to give up" (Kendrick). God's love never fails. And if you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit in you, which is unchanging. That same Holy Spirit possesses Jesus' unchanging love, and you have that within you. Love that is from God is unending, unstoppable. No matter what the reaction the recipient of your love gives, love keeps giving. When rejected, love loves on. When accepted, love loves on.
In Matthew 26, Jesus confirms to the disciples that He will never fall away. After Peter denied Him, Jesus still loved. His men failed Him, within hours of echoing Jesus' words, that they would never fall away either. Yet He never stopped loving them, because He and His love are "the same yesterday and today and forever." (Heb. 13:8)
This is a hard lesson to grasp, especially when I have many friends who have been through a divorce, or their marriage is on a rocky path, or they are going through a divorce. God hates divorce. No matter what the reason. While adultery gives reason for a spouse to leave the other, God doesn't smile when a wife or husband gets out of that situation. As a married woman of the Lord, I know that Zane and I are suppose to represent Christ and the church in our marriage. No matter what happens in our marriage, if either of us ever gives up and walks away, we can no longer together represent the forgiveness, redemption, and reconcilation that comes with Christ. God can redeem anyone, and anyone's marriage. I'm not in any way (please don't mistake me) saying that reconciliation is easy. Being refined is painful. Especially when the one who promised to love you most in this world betrays you. But please don't underestimate the power of God. "When you have done everything within your power to obey God, your spouse may still forsake you and walk away--just as Jesus' followers did to Him. But if your marriage fails, if your spouse walks away, let it not be because you gave up or stopped loving them" (Kendrick).
No challenge or circumstance can occur that will ever put an expiration date on Jesus or His love. And your love is made of the same unchanging characteristics. On your wedding day, you accepted your spouse as God's gift to you and promised to love them until death. Your love is greater still.
"He delights in unchanging love." Micah -7:18
Dare 39: Write a letter of commitment and resolve to your spouse. One that says, "even if you don't like what you're reading--even if you don't like me--I choose to love you anyway. Forever." And put it in a place that your mate will find it.
Dare 38: Be extravagant.
Dare 37: Pray together.
Dare 36: Read the Bible daily.
Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)
--Inspired by Kendrick's, "The Love Dare"

Dare 38

2010-09-13T19:47:00.004-04:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4
Love fulfills dreams. It brings me great sadness when I hear people talk about 'everything they had to give up' when they got married. Marriage should give you wings you didn't know you had. Not clip the ones you were growing crippling you from ever taking flight!
What is something your spouse would really, really love? It doesn't have to be something expensive. Fortunately, Zane likes inexpensive things (I say fortunately for our finances sake, but I do love giving gifts!). What he really loves is an unexpected kiss, or an excited smile on my face just to let him know I'm crazy about him even more now then back in college. I have a journal that I have kept since our first date. He gets a huge smile when he finds a new entry that he didn't know existed (as long as it includes something good...not a recent argument).
Sometimes in marriage, we can get so accustomed to saying 'no' that we can make our spouse feel worthless--like the opinion doesn't carry weight, and they don't have your respect. But love sometimes needs to be extravagant. Blessing because it wants to...blessing because that is what love does. Sometimes your love for your spouse may not feel like putting forth any effort...but let me allow Kendrick to put both of us in our place: "Hasn't God's love met needs in your heart that once seemed out of the question? You were living under such a load of sin and regret you thought you'd never earn your way back into His good graces. But He looked at you with love and said you didn't have to. He wanted you back. He wanted you to realize your need for Him, and that as you repented and turned to Him, He would love and forgive you." "God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, amde us alive together with Christ" Ephesians 2: 4-5. And another love letter in Romans 5, verse 8: "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
He's your model. He's the One your love is designed to imitate. Though you weren't a likely candidate for His love, He gave it anyway. He paid the price. (Kendrick) So even when you don't feel like loving, do it anyway. God calls us to. He demands it. And nothing He tells us to do does He make us do alone. He is by us willing and able to get our hearts into loving extravagantly!
1)love calls you to listen to what your mate is saying and hoping for
2)love calls you to remember the things that are unique to your relationship, the pleasures and enjoyments that bring a smile to the other's face
3)love calls you to give when it would be a lot more convenient to wait
4)love calls you to daydream about these opportunities so regularly that their desires become yours as well

Love dares you to think in terms of overwhelming your spouse with love!

Dare 38: Ask yourself what your mate would want if it was obtainable. Commit this to prayer, and start mapping out a plan for meeting some (if not all) of their desires, to whatever level you possibly can.

Dare 37: Pray together.

Dare 36: Read the Bible daily.

Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.

Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.

(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's "The Love Dare"

Dare 37

2010-09-13T19:18:00.003-04:00

"If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father." -Matthew 18:19
I apologize for getting so behind on these dares. Zane and I finished the Love Dare a month ago...and I have been so lazy! But, I'm going to get through blogging these, and I truly hope that you, as well as myself, put these dares into constant practice--daily daring ourselves to love our spouse more!
Love agrees in prayer. Would you find that statement to be true? I most certainly do. Prayer draws you to love deeper whoever you are praying for. When you come before God after an argument, He gives you peace, as well as wisdom to see the error of your own ways so that you can love more the person with whom your fighting. When I was in highschool and college, I set up a practice for myself...and it became something that every woman I ran into going through heartache, I advised her to do. Everytime I went through a break-up, and everything within me wanted to hate the jerk who just treated me like a left over piece of pizza with mold (you know the feeling--misery, worthlessness...wondering why you don't deserve love), I would begin to pray for him. Really. God taught me how to pray for those who hurt me. And when you do, the focus is no longer on your hurt heart, but on Christ, and restoring His rightful place in your heart, and granting you strength and dignity. After all, it's hard to stay angry long with someone for whom you're praying!
Now imagine that strength and dignity growing not only in you, but in your spouse as Christ sits on His rightful throne as most important in your life and heart! "Unity that grows between a man and woman who regularly pray together forms an intense and pwerful connection. Within the sanctuary of your marriage, praying together can work wonders on every level of your relationship. When you were joined together as husband and wife, God gave you a wedding gift--a permanent prayer partner for life" (Kendrick).
Maybe my story was a little off topic, but I believe that through praying for those that hurt me, God equipped me to be able to pray with and for Zane in ways I wouldn't be able to now if I hadn't learned then. I don't know if you understand 'music talk,' but when someone makes an analogy with music...you're speaking my language! "The word Jesus used when He talked about "agreeing" in prayer has the idea of a harmonic symphony. Two separate notes, played one at a time, sound different. They're opposed to each other. But play them at the same time--in agreement--and they can create a pleasing sense of harmony. Together they give a fuller, more complete sound than either of them can make on it's own."
Isn't that beautiful? Seeing prayer as husband and wife as a harmony. Praying together is most definitely worshipping together...and how beautiful it must sound to our Lord when we let prayer intervene in our lives and pause us to realize whose presence we are in!
Prayer is a privilege to be enjoyed on a consistent, daily basis. And as a married woman, I have a prayer partner for the rest of our lives. That is the best wedding gift anyone can ever receive.
Dare 37: Begin praying together. Pick the best time, and let it be a part of your every day activities.
Dare 36: Read the Bible daily.
Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.
Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's "The Love Dare"

Dare 36

2010-09-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." --Psalm 119: 105
Love is God's Word. For some people, the Bible is impossible to understand, because the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in them. But as a Christian, you're not left alone to try grasping the major themes and deep meanings of the Bible. The Holy Spirit, who now lives in your heart by way of salvation, is an illuminator of truth. "For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" 1 Cor. 2:10. The Scriptures are now ours to read, absorb, and comprehend.
1) Be in it. Begin reading a portion of your Bible every day. Maybe that does not seem exciting to you, but the Word is busting at it's seams with life and stories and every word is applicable! The writer of Psalm 119 says "with all my heart I have sough You...Your Word I have treasure in my heart, that I may not sin against You." Be like the psalmist. Seek God with all your heart. You will come to agree with Psalm 19: 10, that the Bible is "more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb."
2) Stay under it. The Bible is deep and challenging, and in order to get the most out of it, we should be having it explained in sermons and in Bible studies. I once heard a pastor say that a message he had heard recently would have been a lot better had Scripture been infused to back up the sermon. Amen to that! Being involved in a church where God's Word is not only taught, but also read out of is huge. (I will never understand pastor's who write their sermons without a single verse involved...something major is missing...) Join with others who are on the same journey as you, hungry to be fed by Scripture. "Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them" 2 Tim. 3:14.
3) Live it. Kendrick states truth when he says that unlike most other books, which are only designed to be read and digested, the Bible is a living book. It lives because the Holy Spirit still resonates within its words. It lives because, unlike the ancient writings of other religions, its Author is still alive! And it lives because it becomes a part of who you are, how you think, and what you do. "Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers" James 1:22.
We must strive to be like the wise man in Matthew 7 who built his house on the rock. When your home is founded on the rock of God's unchanging Word, it is insured against destruction. (Kendrick) And wise couples build their houses on the rock of God's Word.
"Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction." Romans 15:4
Dare 36: Commit to reading the Bible everyday. Find a devotional book or other resource that will give you some guidance. If your spouse is open to it, read the Bible daily with them.
Dare 35: Seek guidance in a mentor.
Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's "needs"
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's, "The Love Dare"

Dare 35

2010-09-06T14:42:00.000-04:00

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." -Proverbs 15:22
Love is accountable. Now, I usually don't prefer to just take whole paragraphs out of a book and post them, but Kendrick's following example of Sequoia trees is too perfect to pass up. "Mighty sequoia trees tower hundreds of feet in the air and can withstand intense environmental pressures. Lightning can strike them, fierce winds can blow, and forest fires can rage around them. But the sequoia endures, standing firm, only growing stronger through the trials. One of the secrets to the strength of this giant tree is what goes on below the surface. Unlike many trees, they reach out and interlock their roots with the sequoias around them. Each becomes empowered and reinforced by the strength of the others."
I'm sure by now you already see where this is going. The secret of the sequoias interlocking their roots with those around them is a strong key to what we should be doing in marriages. Those who interlock their lives in a network of other strong marriages radically increase their chances of surviving the fiercest of storms (Kendrick). Pursuing godly advice, healthy friendships, and experienced mentors are a must for a strong, healthy marriage.
Provers 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel." That verse has always been difficult for me to read. I must admit that at times, advice and constructive criticism is the furthest thing from what I want. My attitude far too often drifts to ignoring the advice I'm given, or doing the exact opposite. I hate that about me. I know accepting advice is wise...I suppose insecurity rears its ugly head when I realize I don't know everything and would do well to listen and learn. Do you ever feel the same way?
Wisdom is more valuable than gold. That is why it is so important to have an older married couple mentoring you in your marriage. Someone of the same sex should be helping both you and your spouse. (Not a woman helping Zane, or a man leading me...that opens up the door for disaster quicker than a serpant leading us to eat an apple!) "Good marriage mentors warn you before you make a bad decision. They encourage you when you are ready to give up. And they cheer you on as your reach new levels of intimacy in your marriage" (Kendrick).
Hebrews 3:13 says "encourage one another day after day...so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Be careful. While it is important to have a mentor you can be honest with, a best friend whose marriage is unhealthy is the wrong person to be going to for advice. We need to be seeking people out who have been through the storms and come out stronger--People who can help us build bridges rather than tell us to get out while we can, or seek happiness for ourselves. Guard against those who will encourage you to act selfishly and influence you wrongly.
We need to know this truth: Your marriage is worth every second spent and every sacrifice you will make for it. Just because our marriage may not be in immediate danger, we are in no less need of honest, open mentors--people who can put wind in our sails (Kendrick).
Romans 14:12 says/warns "each one of us will give an account of himself to God." Though we are ultimately responsible for that unbreakable appointment, we can surely stand to accept as much help as others are willing to give.
"In abundance of counselors there is victory." -Proverbs 11:14
Dare 35: Find a marriage mentor, pray about it, and ask God to direct your decisions and discernment.
Dare 34: Celebrate godliness.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's "needs"
Dare 31: Spouse=Top Priority of Earthly Relationships
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's, "The Love Dare"

Dare 34

2010-09-05T14:24:00.000-04:00

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth." -1 Corinthians 13:6
Love celebrates godliness. In this day, you can find a group of people to celebrate anything. We celebrate graduations, weddings, birthdays, elections, babies, and smaller and quite more evil things such as bad language, immorality, lust. From the moment we wake up, our perceptions are challenged by the world we live in. Be more beautiful. Study harder. Look but don't touch...or touch, just don't get caught. Whether it is friends, coworkers, television, the radio--all of these and more will be working overtime to shape your perceptions of what's true and most desirable in life. "We can begin valuing what everybody else values and thinking the way everybody else does" (Kendrick).
But God's Word is the ultimate expression of what real life is. God teaches us what does matter. Not just what 'should' matter. Following His Word is the only pathway to real blessing. And following Him in obedience causes us to rejoice! So ask yourself: What makes you rejoice more in your spouse? A new higher-paying job, or their desire to serve in the church? Having a tender heart towards the poor, or saving up for a new car? While all those things are good in and of themselves, we should be rejoicing more over our spouse following Christ than anything else! "You are one of the most influential people in your spouse's life. have you been using your influence to lead them to honor God, or to dishonor Him" (Kendrick)?
Love rejoices in pleasing God and the things that please Him. Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 how delighted he is in the people's faithfulness and growth in Jesus, saying, "we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows even greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure."
And the apostle John wrote to his flock inn 3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth."
The pursuit of godliness, purity, and faithfulness is the only way to find joy and ultimate fulfillment. What could you possibly want more for your spouse than for them to experience God's best in life? "Be happy for any success your spouse enjoys. But save your heartiest congratulations for those times when they are honoring God with their worship and obedience" (Kendrick).
Dare 34: Verbally commend your spouse fo a recent example of them demonstating Christian character.
Dare 33: Complete each other.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's "needs"
Dare 31: Spouse=Top priority of Earthly Relationships
Dare 30: Be unified.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendricks, "The Love Dare"

Dare 33

2010-09-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

"If two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?" -Ecclesiastes 4:11
When Zane and I got engaged, I had a close friend who asked why I would get married so young when there were so many things I still wanted to do. My response was easy. Mine and Zane's goals in life, while different, matched each other perfectly. Wherever God decided to lead us, I knew Zane and I could do more being together, than being separate. Zane in no way was holding me back by marrying me. He was allowing me to do more!
That is where this love dare comes in. Love completes each other. Love must be willing to act alone if necessary, but it is always better when it is not just a solo performance. God's Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that God makes us all for different purposes. But we, together, are a body. Just like a body can function on its own, there is a more excellent way. So it is with love! 1 Corinthians 12:31 says: "Earnestly desire the higher gifts, but I will show you a more excellent way." Then the love chapter follows! Take some time right now to read 1 Corinthians 13 as if you have never read it before. Let it sink in. Then continue on here...
"Our bodies are made for each other. Our natures and temperaments provide balance, enabling us to more effectively complete the tasks at hand. Our oneness can produce children, and our teamwork can best raise them to health and maturity. Where one is weak, the other is strong. When one needs building up, the other is equipped to enhance and encourage. We multiply one another's joys and divide one another's sorrows" (Kendrick).
Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 tells us that "two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up." Know that our differences have been created by God and can be ongoing blessings if we respect them. Meaning, I have to respect Zane's lack of spontaneity. Just because I prefer doing things randomly, with no thought preceeding the action, does not mean I cannot love Zane all the more for planning ahead! If he didn't plan ahead, we would be so in trouble most of the time. I'm quick to say yes. He's quick to consider the cost first before responding. That is something beautiful, that while difficult to learn in the beginning of marriage, we are now at a point where we enjoy and love our differences all the more.
The effectiveness of marriage is dependent upon both husband and wife working together. God made me to complete Zane, and vice versa. Which means that as badly as I want him to listen and understand my opinion, I should do the same for him. "Love realizes that God has put you together on purpose. And though you may wind up disagreeing with your spouse's perspectives, you should still give their views respect and strong consideration. This honors God's design for your relationship and guards the oneness He intends" (Kendrick).
Like my response to my friend, that Zane and I would be able to do more together than separate, God designed our marriage to do just that. Joined together, we are grater than our independent parts. We need each other. We complete each other. How beautiful to be brought together by Christ and held together by His great love for us.
Dare 33: Recognize that your spouse is integral to your future success.
Dare 32: Satisfy your spouse's "needs"
Dare 31: Spouse=Top Priority of Earthly Relationships
Dare 30: Be Unified.
Dare 29: Express Your Love.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by Kendrick's "The Love Dare"

Dare 32

2010-08-30T19:03:00.002-04:00

" The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewaise also the wife to her husband." 1 Corinthians 7:3
So this is awkward to blog about...but I told you in the beginning I would share with you each dare. This is the parental advisory: Material may be unsuitable for children you do not wish to tell about the birds and the bees yet:)
Dare 32 is about fulfilling the sexual desires of your mate. It is written out beautifully, explaining that I am designated for Zane, and he for me. We are the only ones with the God-given right to fulfill that desire in each other. Many people see the Bible as a book filled with the dos and don'ts of sex. That isn't true! There is a whole book (Song of Solomon) written as a love story. The only restrictions God gives us is in order to make the marriage bed all the more wonderful! Kendrick highlights that point, saying even the Bible's "boundaries and restrictions are God's ways of keeping our sexual experiences at a level far beyond any of those advertised on television or in the movies."
In a Christian marriage, romance (and all that entails) should thrive and flourish. "After all, it was created by God. It's all part of celebrating what God has given, becoming one with your mate while simultaneously pursuing purity and holiness. He delights in us when this happens" (Kendrick). Did you grasp that? God delights in a husband and wife loving one another, celebrating their oneness, while keeping the marriage bed pure and pursuing holiness! Far too often in marriage though, one or both people use sex as a bargaining chip...or maybe sex isn't used at all. "If you let your mate know--by words, actions, or inactions--that sex needn't be any more than you want it to be, you rob from them a sense of honor and endearment that has been set in place by biblical mandate" (Kendrick). Know that God's plan in your marriage is for you to love each other. When the love of Christ is the foundation of your marriage, the strength of your friendship and sexual relationship can be enjoyed at a level this world can never know.
And if that is not enough...you will also have the opportunity to "glorify God in your body!" (1 Corinthians 6:20) How beautiful!!!
Dare 32: Initiate sex with your husband or wife today, in a way that honors your spouse. Ask God to make this enjoyable for both of you as well as a path to greater intimacy. (And I will refrain from talking any more about this...!)
Dare 31: Spouse=Top priority of earthly relationships.
Dare 30: Be unified.
Dare 29: Express your love.
Dare 28: Sacrifice.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Dare 31

2010-08-25T10:33:00.002-04:00

"A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." --Genesis 2:24
I bet you have already guessed what this dare is all about! Leaving and cleaving. This was such a hard concept for me to put into action. My mother and I talked, literally, every day...for the majority of my life thus far, and many times a day at that! And Zane, as a man, cannot find it in him to desire talking for multiple hours a day about nothing. When Zane and I first got married, I continued talking to my mother every day. Always keeping her updated on the happenings in Georgia--being in Georgia made it even more important to talk to my mommy! I was a whole state away now!
Needless to say, one day Zane let me know that I talked to my mom more than him (true), and that it sometimes felt like I needed to talk to her more than him (ouch). It was that moment that I realized, I had not followed the 'leaving and cleaving' part of the Bible, and it was affecting my husband, which in turn was affecting me. The days and weeks that followed served as re-training myself, learning to survive without my mom's voice on the telephone. Marriage changes everything!
So what does leaving really mean? "Leaving means that you are breaking a natural tie. Your parents step into the role of counselors to be respected, but can no longer tell you what to do...the purpose of leaving, of course, is not to abandon all contact with the past but rather to preserve the unique oneness that marriage is designed to capture. Only in oneness can you become all that God means for you to be" (Kendrick).
And "cleaving?" Well, that is a rather joyous time in marriage...and quite stretching one as well. When cleaving, you learn to make decisions together, even when you are coming from different viewpoints; you learn to achieve oneness in your priorities; you learn to sacrifice for each other...compromise. "Cleaving carries the idea of catching someone by pursuit, clinging to them as your new rock of refuge and safety" (Kendrick). In Ephesians 5, we are told that the man is the spiritual leader of your new home, tasked with the responsibility of love you "just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:33). The woman is called to "see to it that she respects her husband" (5:33).
While I may have already gone through the "leaving" part, Zane and I are dared to cleave to one another, pursue and cling to each other providing refuge and safety for one another. Dare to walk as one.
Dare 31: Make your marriage the top priority over every other human relationship.
Dare 30: Be unified.
Dare 29: Express your love.
Dare 28: Sacrifice.
Dare 27: Encourage.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 30

2010-08-25T10:15:00.002-04:00

"Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are." --John 17:11
During pre-marital counseling, Zane and I had to learn and understand that in marriage, we are no longer separate. We are one. What I do and say affects him, and vise versa. While we can bring in our qualities that make us unique, we can no longer live as our individual selves. When joining in marriage, our awareness of the other is impossible to ignore, and our unity needs to be such as one thread. A strong thread that cannot be torn apart.
So when God uses the imagery of marriage to explain His love for the church, He gives married couples a task that is not to be ignored. "The church (bride) is most honored when her Savior is worshiped and celebrated. Christ (bridegroom), who has given Himself up for her, is most honored when He sees her 'as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless' (Ephesians 5:27). Both Christ and the church honor the other" (Kendrick).
What would happen in marriages across the world if every husband loved and honored his wife, serving her above himself? What would happen if every wife would promote tenderness and togetherness in her marriage? That is what this dare is for. For Zane and I to understand that our marriage unifies us, and that our actions are to display God's love for the church. Unifying. Honoring. Serving. Loving.
Dare 30: Isolate one area of division in your marriage, and look on today as a fresh opportunity to pray about it. Ask the Lord to reveal anything in your own heart that is threatening oneness with your spouse. Pray that He would do the same for them. And if appropriate, discuss this matter openly, seeking God for unity.
Dare 29: Express your love.
Dare 28: Sacrifice.
Dare 27: Encourage.
Dare 26: Seek forgiveness.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare"

Dare 29

2010-08-23T19:28:00.002-04:00

"Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men." -Ephesians 6:7
What motivates you to love? A surprise gift? Coming home to a bouquet of Stargazer Lilies? Quality time spent together doing nothing but enjoying the presence of your spouse? Many things can be our motivation for love...but not for long. Eventually a husband will ignore his wife, or the wife will remind him one too many times to fix the sink (which is probably why he is ignoring her in the first place), and the motivation now being felt is, well..de-motivating.
The only way that love's motivation stays in tact is when God is our reason for loving.
Kendrick asks us to consider the following areas where pleasing Him should become our goal:
Work: "Do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men" (Colossians 3:23).
Service: "Obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord" (Colossians 3:22).
Everything: Work hard at "whatever you do...knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve" (Colossians 3:23-24).
Even Marriage: "Wives, be subject to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord" (Colossians 3:18). "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
Kendrick points out clearly that "the love that's demanded from you in marriage is not dependent on your mate's sweetness or suitability. The love between a husband and wife should have one chief objective: honoring the Lord with devotion and sincerity. The fact that it blesses our beloved in the process is simply a wonderful, additional benefit."
No longer do we love based on our spouse motivating us, but rather we love because of how much God loves us and our love is motivated by honoring the One and Only God. "Only love that is lifted up as an offering to God--returned to Him in gratitude for all He's done--is able to sustain itself when all other reasons have lost their ability to energize us...love that has God as its primary focus is unlimited in the heights it can attain" (Kendrick).
This dare brought me to understanding why my love for Zane flows through so much more when I am praying for him, worshiping alongside him, or serving with him. Not only is God loving through me, but He is teaching me how to love Zane while keeping Him as my focus. How can I not love Zane more when God is my motivation? "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
Dare 29: Say 'i love you' and then express love to your spouse in some tangible way. Go to God in prayer, thanking Him for giving you the privilege of loving this one special person--unconditionally, the way He loves both of you!
Dare 28: Sacrifice.
Dare 27: Encourage.
Dare 26: Seek forgiveness.
Dare 25: Forgive freely.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare"

Dare 28

2010-08-23T18:32:00.002-04:00

"He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers." -1 John 3:16
With all the pain and suffering Christ went through on the cross, and bearing His own Father's disgrace because the sin upon Him (our sin) was too much to look on, (which that time away from the Father was far worse than any nail hammered through), how much easier it is for us to sacrifice for our spouse. Yet, how rarely we choose to do so.
When life is hard for me, I notice immediately. I may ask people to pray, I may grab a gallon of ice cream, but I most certainly notice and take a moment or two to throw a pity-party. When my husband (who is as laid back as they come) is having a bad day though, I don't always notice immediately. He may take me a while. In fact, just last night at Biblestudy he asked our Life Group to pray for him, that he would not become discouraged by the lack of believers in his grad program, or the unwillingness for them to learn who Jesus is. That prayer request shocked me. Not because he cared for the people he attends classes with, but because he had become discouraged last year. I had no idea! It hurt me a little to realize perhaps I hadn't been there for him, or hadn't paid enough attention to see that burden. Kendrick states that "love doesn't have to be jarred awake by your mate's obvious signs of distress...it sees the weight beginning to pile up and it steps in to help...love wants you to be sensitive to your spouse...it keeps you so tuned in to what your spouse needs that you often respond without being asked...love inspires you to say 'no' to what you want, in order to say 'yes' to what your spouse needs."
Reading that makes me see that I wasn't aware enough of Zane's weight that was beginning to pile up on him. Which does not give me reason to drown in self-pity and dash my hopes of ever being a good wife. My love for Zane tells me to pick myself up and turn my attention to his needs, so that I can seek to be more aware, and more eager to listen! Love tells me to make sacrifices of myself, so that I can give more to Zane. (Read Matthew 25:35-36.) Zane needs to see that I truly care about him and what ever burden he is dealing with, I earnestly want to help lift. Our spouse needs to know that we are always willing to pray with and for them and that we will follow up. By following up, we show that we care--not to mention that we were listening in the first place.
While this isn't a Christian song, it perfectly wraps up what this dare was saying:
If you were falling then I would catch you.
You need a light? I'd find a match.
If you are chilly, here. Take my sweater.
Your head is aching? I'll make it better.
I'll buy you rogaine when you start losing all your hair.
I'll sew on patches to all you tear.
Cause I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am. -Ingrid Michaelson
"Lives that have been raised from death by Jesus' sacrifice should be ready and willing to make daily sacrifices to meet the needs of others" (Kendrick).
Dare 28: Whether the need is big or small, purpose to do whatever you can to meet a need of your spouse that is burdening them.
Dare 27: Encourage.
Dare 26: Seek forgiveness.
Dare 25: Forgive freely.
Dare 24: Kill lust.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 27

2010-08-23T17:32:00.002-04:00

"Guard my soul and deliver me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You." -Psalm 25:20
This dare immediately made me start thinking of the Edwin McCain song, 'I'll Be.' Do you remember the chorus? "I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love's suicide. I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life."
Today's dare is about focusing on that last line. Being the greatest fan of your spouse's life. Love encourages. Love becomes the cheerleader. Even when my favorite sport's team is losing, I cheer loud and hard. But how often do I cheer Zane on when I feel hurt, or neglected, or when he doesn't bend over backwards for me like he did on our first date? Unfortunately, that answer is not often, if at all. Ouch! If we all treat our spouses like that, no wonder there are so many unhappy marriages! Everyone is being discouraging and down on themselves and each other rather than lifting each other up, loving, cherishing, and cheering. Kendrick says "you must choose to live by encouragement rather than by expectations...love puts the focus on personal responsibility and improving yourself rather than on demanding more from others."
We have already discussed many times in this blog the way I feel when expectations are not met. Happily, I can say I think I am getting better at having a good attitude and realizing it's my own fault when I place unreasonable expectations on Zane. Haha...then I just get frustrated at myself for setting myself up again!
I hope I never cause Zane to feel like he is living with a speck inspector. Matthew 7:4-5 asks, "How can you say to your brother, 'let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Hmm...I wonder how quickly we jump to 'fixing' our spouse instead of looking within ourselves. It would probably be easier to count the number of times we look to change ourselves first. But when does our spouse's disapproval ever make us jump for joy and say sweetly, "thank you for letting me know! I look forward to doing better!" No. That scenario never happens. "Your spouse's disapproval only tends to entrench you. Rather than making you want to correct things, it makes you want to dig in even deeper" (Kendrick). Rather than putting each other in a position to rebel, we need to be allowing room for our spouse to be themself.
The Bible tells us to encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble (Isa. 35:3), and to build each other up, encouraging the fainthearted, helping the weak, and being patient with everyone (1 Thess. 5:11). A great place to start is with the one we chose to spend the rest of our life with.
Dare 27: Eliminate unrealistic expectations in your home. Become your spouse's biggest fan!
Dare 26: Seek forgiveness.
Dare 25: Forgive freely.
Dare 24: Kill lust.
Dare 23: Love protects.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 26

2010-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

"When you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things." -Romans 2:1
Love is responsible, which means this could be the absolute hardest characteristic to master. To be responsible, we must seek God's strength and wisdom. We cannot do it on our own. Why? Because our pride far too often cripples us from saying things like: I was wrong.
Personal Responsibility: it's something we all agree others should have, but we struggle to maintain it ourselves. "We are so quick to justify our motives. So quick to deflect criticism. So quick to find fault--especially with our spouse, who is always the easiest to blame" (Kendrick).
But love covers our spouse in grace. Whether Zane accepts responsibility for his actions or not does not negate my responsibility to apologize for wrongdoing. Love strives to better your marriage. Love doesn't justify selfish motives or make excuses. Kendrick asks what might happen in your relationship if instead of passing blame, you admitted your own wrong? You listened to your mate instead of coming up with comebacks? "Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool" (Proverbs 17:10).
And you know what our responsibility is in marriage? Unfortunately, something I'm horrible at if I don't get my way, or feel my point of view isn't taken seriously. I am responsible to love Zane. Honor Zane. Cherish Zane. Period. Not if he does this or if he responds that way. Love, honor, cherish--no questions asked.
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us; however, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). We are instructed to swallow our pride and seek forgiveness regardless of how your spouse responds. Admitting your mistakes is your responsibility.
Dare 26: Take time to pray through your areas of wrongdoing. Ask for God's forgiveness, then humble yourself enough to admit them to your spouse, sincerely and truthfully. Ask for forgiveness, and regardless of their response, cover your responsibility in love.
Dare 25: Forgive freely.
Dare 24: Kill lust.
Dare 23: Love protects.
Dare 22: Love your spouse. Period.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare" Kendrick.

Dare 25

2010-08-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

"What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ." --2 Cor. 2:10
Love forgives. What a challenging hurdle to learn--jumping through all your pain and forgiving. Freeing the one who hurt you of justice being served by you. Practicing the very act that Christ painfully acted out for us. He forgave each of us depite how many times we willingly disobey Him, hurt Him, go against Him--deliberately. Needless to say, "if there is to be any hope for your marriage, this is a challenge that must absolutely be taken seriously...forgiveness has to happen, or a successful marriage won't" (Kendrick).
In Matthew 18:23-35 we learn about the slave who was forgiven his debt by the king, and then immediately goes out and demands his debt to be paid by his servant. When the king heard of it, things changed dramatically in his arrangement with the slave. "And in anger, his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay his debt" (vs 34).
Are we not also confined within the walls of a prison when we refuse to forgive? That prison is a room in your heart, also confining everyone who has ever hurt you--parents, siblings, friends, even your spouse. Jesus is standing there, extending to you a key that will release every inmate...but you would rather turn your back on Him then see Him set your enemies free. You'd rather find another way out for yourself--a way that would leave everyone else locked inside.
"But in trying to escape, you make a startling discovery. There is no way out. You're trapped inside with all the other captives. Your forgiveness, anger, and bitterness have made a prisoner of you as well. Like the servant in Jesus' story, who was forgiven an impossible debt, you have chosen not to forgive and have been handed over to the jailers and torturers. Your freedom is now dependent on your forgiveness."
I believe it is hardest to forgive when we believe it allows someone to get away with it. It makes it harder when the one who hurt you is not even sorry for what they have done. As long as we hold on to our resentment of the person in question, we can dwell on their punishment. But 'forgiveness doesn't absolve anyone of blame. It doesn't clear their record with God. It just clears you of having to worry about how to punish them.' Forgiving someone means you are turning them over to God who promises that vengeance is His and He will repay (Romans12:19). Forgiveness allows you to be free. To let go. It gives you the opportunity to feel God lift the burden. Take it from your shoulders. "It's like a breath of fresh air rushing into your heart."
Great marriages are not created by people who never hurt each other, only by people who choose to keep 'no record of wrongs' (1 Cor. 13:5).
Dare 25: Search inside yourself. Whatever you have not forgiven, forgive today. Let it go. Forgive your debtors. It will make great strides to ensuring a healthy, loving marriage.
Dare 24: Kill lust.
Dare 23: Love protects.
Dare 22: Love your spouse. Period.
Dare 21: Be satisfied in God.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare," Kendrick.

King of Glory

2010-08-18T12:48:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon, friends! Thanks for stopping by. I have absolutely wonderful news, which involves a previous post. Remember when I was reading through 'So Long, Insecurity'?? My first entry surrounding that book, titled Insecurity, listed a few insecurities that I was dealing with at the time. One of them was my insecurity that God would use me: He had taken me to Romania and opened my eyes to a world in desperation for Him. My passion for serving orphans had grown...literally exploding out of me. I was insecure about whether God would use me anymore...whether He wanted to or not.
Well, I have been hungry for Him to take me to a place where He is working with orphans, and teach me how to be His hands once again. The passion God instilled in me to love and serve orphans is overwhelming at times. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you also know that my husband and I look forward to adopting one day as God leads. (I would adopt a whole orphanage if God allowed it!!!) Praise God! He is taking me to work with orphans again! October 17-24, I will be serving in Acapulco, Mexico at Casa Hogar del Ninos. I cannot explain how completely thrilled I am that God is taking me to serve around 60 kids, ages 5-18, in Mexico, some of which are true orphans, while others have only one parent who cannot or will not take care of them. Casa Hogar gives these children a safe place to live as well as the means to attend school and live in a Christian environment, learning about the King of glory who promises that He will not leave us as orphans; He will come to us. (John 14:18)
A friend posted some lyrics on facebook earlier, and I was swept into the song instantly. It was one that I was blessed to hear the Romanians singing while I was there. If you have never heard the hurting and orphaned sing praises to our Father before...you are missing out on something truly beautiful! Please take the time to read through these lyrics, and praise our glorious God with me!
Who is this King of glory that pursues me with His love?
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words?
My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need.
Who is this King of glory that offers it to me?
Who is this King of angels, O precious Prince of peace?
Revealing things of Heaven, and all its mysteries!
My spirits ever longing for His grace in which to stand.
Who is this King of glory, Son of God and son of man?
Who is this King of glory with strength and majesty?
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of Kings.
The Lord of earth and heaven, the creator of all things!
Who is this King of glory? He's everything to me!
His name is Jesus! Precious Jesus!
Lord Almighty, the King of my heart, the King of glory!

I hope you have a beautiful afternoon. Praise God that He is not finished with me yet!

Dare 24

2010-08-16T19:12:00.002-04:00

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." --1 John 2:17
In dare 23, we were met head on with the enemies of marriage. Lust is one of them. Perhaps the greatest enemy. It twists itself into the lives of a married couple before they even know one has strayed. From eyes to heart to action...and followed with shame and regret.
To get our minds onto this subject, let's focus on lyrics from a Casting Crowns song: Slow Fade. I know, I know...I'm always pointing out songs. But most times, a song says what I'm trying to say WORLD'S better than I ever could.
Be careful little eyes what you see.
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings.
Be careful little feet where you go.
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.
Be careful little ears what you hear.
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near.
Be careful little lips what you say.
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray.
The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you're thinkin.
Be careful if you think you stand. You just might be sinking!
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away.
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to grey.
And thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid when you give yourself away.
People never crumble in a day.
Daddies never crumble in a day.
Families never crumble in a day.
It's a slow fade.
Be careful little eyes what you see.
For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

Whew...okay. Did you make it through that? Did you listen to it, or just read it? Did it make you think of someone who you have witnessed slowly fade? Did it make you think of yourself...maybe realizing you are on the verge of slowly fading? I had all these notes written out for this dare, but I think that song about sums it up. Once our eyes are captured by curiosity, our hearts become entangled. Then we act on our lust--worldly pleasure that promises fullness, but leads to emptiness. It is in direct opposition to love and only represents a lie. "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9). Let me repeat that last part...lust leads to ruin and destruction!
"Lust is like a warning light on the dashboard of your heart, alerting you to the fact that you are not allowing God's love to fill you. When your eyes and heart are on Him, your actions will lead you to lasting joy, not to endless cycles of regret and condemnation" (Kendrick).
Please read through 2 Peter 1:3-4, Proverbs 5:18-21, and 1 John 2:15. Set your eyes on God. Let His promises of peace and freedom work their way into your heart. "Lust is the best this world has to offer, but love offers you the best life in the world."
Dare 24: End it now. Identify every object of lust in your life and remove it. Single out every lie you've swallowed in pursuing forbidden pleasure and reject it. Lust cannot be allowed to live in a back bedroom. It must be killed and destroyed--today--and replaced with the sure promises of God and a heart filled with His perfect love.
Dare 23: Love protects.
Dare 22: Love your spouse. Period.
Dare 21: Be satisfied in God.
Dare 20: Commit to love Jesus so that you can love your spouse.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Dare 23

2010-08-16T18:37:00.002-04:00

"Love always protects." --1 Corinthians 13:7
From the time I was a little girl, I've always wanted someone to protect me. Don't get me wrong--I like putting off the image of being tough, strong, unphased...but if I'm honest with myself, I love the idea of someone protecting me. Like Eric protected Ariel from evil Ursula, I desire a man to protect me from the evils of this world. And evils do not stop at terrorism, bullying, and other actions that go against God and His love for us. Marriage can be a battlefield. Sometimes within the home, but always on the outskirts. "There are some battles you should be more than willing to fight; these are battles that pertain to protecting your spouse" (Kendrick).
Unfortunately, all marriages have enemies. We may not feel them every day, but they are there. It could be a pretty young women flirting with your husband, or a personal trainer helping your wife get back to the physical shape of her teens. It can be pornagraphy, a romance novel--it can be work if it is consuming and gets in the way of loving your spouse and meeting their needs. Your husband/wife needs your constant protection from things like: harmful influences such as the internet or television shows that bring in destructive content and drain away precious time with your family. It could be a work schedule that keeps you separated for long hours. You can't protect your home when you're rarely there, nor when you're relationally disconnected. Unhealthy relationships not only encompass inappropriate friendships with the opposite sex but also perhaps your closest same-sex friendships. Not everyone has a good perspective on commitment and priorities, and those 'friends' that would ever give you the advice to just 'walk away,' do not deserve the title of 'friend.' Anyone who undermines your marriage does not deserve that title. Not to mention that "you must be on guard at all times from allowing opposite-sex relationships at work, the gym, or even the church to draw you emotionally away from the one to whom you've already given your heart." Shame is something you should strive to protect your spouse from, which includes protecting their vulnerability by never speaking negatively about them in public. Generally speaking, love hides the fault of others. It covers their shame. And lastly, parasites are to be guarded against. "A parasite is anything that latches onto you or your partner and sucks the life out of your marriage...if you love your spouse, you must destroy any addiction that has your heart. If you don't it will destroy you."
Do you recall the story in the Bible of the shepherds feeding themselves and neglecting their sheep. Not staying on guard towards the wolves. We should never grow so tired in standing guard of our marriage that we let our beloved be attacked by wolves. The devil prowls like a roaring lion, waiting to snatch up any not ready for battle. May God be gracious enough to keep Zane's heart, and mine as well, in the palm of His hands, granting us wisdom to protect each other and our marriage from the enemies that seek to destroy.
Dare 23: Remove any addiction that is hindering your relationship. To be honest, Zane and I could not think of any...our addiction was driving 1 1/2 hours to work, working, driving 1 1/2 hours home, eating, relaxing, going to bed, then repeating. But, we have been encouraged to pray more for each other, that God will be our strength against the enemy, as well as praying for ourselves, that God will protect our heart, keeping it sealed for one another.
Dare 22: Love your spouse. Period.
Dare 21: Be satisfied in God.
Dare 20: Commit to love Jesus so that you can love your spouse.
Dare 19: Pray for God to change your heart.
Dare 18: Study each other.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Dare 22

2010-08-15T14:19:00.002-04:00

"I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord." --Hosea 2:20
Love is faithful. Not just when it is easy; not just when love is accepted. Even when the object of your love pushes you away and rejects your kindness, love remains faithful. Love is not dictated by the response, but rather the choice that you make to love--regardless of the outcome. "As Christians, love is the basis of our whole identity...our love for each other is supposed to be how people distinguish us as Christ's disciples (see John 13:35)...it is the root and ground of our existence (see Ephesians 3:17), meant to be expressed with passion and fervency (see 1 Peter 4:8). It is a quality that we are to 'abound' in more and more (see 1 Thessalonians 3:12), always getting btter at it, becoming increasinly defined by it."
If you are not familiar with the story of Hosea in the Bible, please familiarize yourself with it. Hosea married a prostitute, and after them growing close, and him consistently showing her love, she left him--going back to the ways of her past. She rejected his love for the desires of men. The story does not end there. He goes after her, finds her, and brings her home, loving her despite the way she treacherously dealt with his heart. Kendrick reminds us that "this is a true story, but it was used as a picture of God's love for us. He showers His favor on us without measure, though in return we often don't pay attention...In Him we have the model of what rejected love does. It stays faithful." Please take a moment and read through some Scripture: Luke 6:27-28; 32-33; 35.
We never expect our loved one to become our enemy. But far too often in marriage, we can come to view our spouse as that--rejecting our love, hurting us, being rude or noncommunicative. "If love is to like His, it must love even when its overtures are returned unwanted...You can give undeserved love to your spouse because God gave undeserved love to you--repeatedly! Enduringly! Love is often expressed the most to those who deserve it the least."
Dare 22: Love is a choice, not a feeling. Choose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it. Say to them, "I love you. Period. I choose to love you even if you don't love me in return." I said these words throughout the day to Zane, in the morning, via text, in the afternoon, etc. While it may have been cheesy at times, it helped engrain in my head that I love him. Period. No matter what, I choose to love.
Dare 21: Be satisfied in God.
Dare 20: Commit to love Jesus so that you can love your spouse.
Dare 19: Pray for God to change your heart.
Dare 18: Study each other.
Dare 17: Promote intimacy.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier entries.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Dare 21

2010-08-13T14:57:00.003-04:00

Good morning! I am so sorry I have been lazy in keeping you updated with the love dares. You will hear about them all...but you may receive a few a day so I can get caught up to where I am. My hubby and I are actually at Dare 28--yes, I am THAT behind!
"The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire." --Isaiah 58:11
Love is satisfied in God. If anything is true, that statement is. Too often we look to people and things to satisfy us. While it may seem that at times we are completely satisfied in our friends, our spouse, our finances, those things do not last forever...and do not give the impression of satisfying us forever. At some point, we are let down. This is a fault of mine--not just looking to Zane for satisfaction, but refusing to believe he is human when he lets me down....I have this fairy-tale image in my head of him being Eric (The little Mermaid was my favorite...so I want an Eric, not a Prince Charming or Aladdin), when in reality, he is Zane. Beautiful Zane. Full of love, kindness, and all the little things that make him human. And let's be honest, no matter what I think or what I do, I CANNOT find my satisfaction in him. In fact, it is only harmful to our marriage for me to try. It sets unrealistic expectations for him to live up to, and prevents me from seeking satisfaction in Jesus. And only when I do that am I free to truly love my husband. "Nothing in your toolbox of talents and resources can repair the damage that sin leaves, and Jesus is the only One who can supply what you've been missing...His wisdom, grace, and power are to be released into everything you do. Including, not the least, your marriage."
God alone can give inner peace: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7.
God alone brings contentment: "In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled...I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phil. 4:12-13.
Only God can supply our needs...but He wants us to receive them His way: "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19.
And humbly, I shamefully admit that "(my) only reason for not 'seeking satisfaction in Him' is because we really don't trust God to supply what we need."
Do you recall the story of the woman at the well? "What He offered her was a drink of soul satisfaction that never quits giving and refreshing. And that is what's available to you each morning at sunrise and each night before bed, no matter who your spouse is or what they've done to you. God is your everyday supply. Of everything you need.
Dare 21: Be intentional about reading your Bible. Make a time to read and pray. As you do, immerse yourself in the love and promises God has for you. This will add to your growth as you walk with Him. (Proverbs is a GREAT book to start in. 31 chapters for 31 days of the month. Full of wisdom!!!)
Dare 20: Commit to love Jesus, so you can love your spouse.
Dare 19: Pray for God to change your heart.
Dare 18: Study each other.
Dare 17: Promote intimacy.
Dare 16: Love intercedes.
(For previous dares, please refer to earlier blogs.)

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Dare 20

2010-08-11T10:43:00.002-04:00

"While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." --Romans 5:6
Love is Jesus Christ. This love dare is less about a specific thing that marriage requires such as patience, selflessness, kindness, etc. This love dare is about the ONLY thing marriage requires to work...to love...to thrive. On the previous dare, I sent you through Scripture looking up God's love. Today, I will give you Scripture, but please, feel free to look it up on your own and study the text surrounding it.
Luke 19:10 "The Son of man came to seek and save the lost."
Maybe you have never accepted Jesus. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "Now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation."
Maybe you accepted Jesus years ago. Acts 3:19 "Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
We are sinful from birth. Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment."
Great news! 1 John 4:9 "God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."
Philippians 2:6-8 "Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant...He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." 1 Peter 2:24-"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
Love like this cannot be fully understood. See Romans 5:7-8
Nor can love like this be earned. See Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9
But it must be received. See Romans 10:9-10
And when you have received this new life and love as your own, you are free to love in ways you've never been capable before.
See 1 John 3:16 and 1 John 4:8
Kendrick speaks truth when he says true love is found in Christ alone. "And after you have received His gift of new life by accepting His death in your place and His forgiveness for your sins, you are finally ready to live the dare." Dare to love. Dare to love wholly, with Jesus living through you.
Dare 20: Dare to take God at His Word. Dare to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. Dare to ask Him to change your heart, and save you by His grace. Zane and I have both accepted Christ into our lives. We did so many years ago. However, reading through these last two dares, and reading through so much Scripture, affirms to us not only God's love, but how much we can't love apart from Him.
Dare 19: Pray for God to change your heart.
Dare 18: Study each other.
Dare 17: Love promotes intimacy.
Dare 16: Love intercedes.
Dare 15: Honor each other.
(For previous dare, please refer to earlier entries. Thank you!)
--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 19

2010-08-11T10:29:00.003-04:00

"Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." --1 John 4:7
This dare is filled with Scripture. Love is impossible. Apart from God we can do nothing. It goes without saying--but I'll say it--we cannot love without Him. Let me paraphrase this dare, and then I would love for you to read through the Scripture that I list. Let it teach you and remind you what love is about. What love is. May it transform us so that we can love outside ourself. Love like crazy. Love because God is the One loving through us.
"You cannot manufacture unconditional love out of your own heart...love isn't something you can do. It's something only God can do...but because He loves us so much, He chooses to express His love through us! If you're not right with God, you can't truly love your spouse because He is the Source of that love...love that is able to withstand every pressure is out of your reach, as long as you're only looking within yourself to find it. You need someone who can give you that kind of love...when you surrender yourself to Christ, His power can work through you...He is pursuing you, not to enslave you but to free you, so you can receive His love and forgiveness...the truth is, you can't live without Him and you can't love without Him. But there is no telling what He could do in your marriage if you put your trust in Him!"
Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; 1 John 4:7; John 15:5; John 15:7; Ephesians 3:19-20; Romans 5:5
Have a wonderful day, and let the impossibility of love become possible with Jesus Christ!
Dare 19: Look back over the previous dares and see your need for God. Ask Him to show you where you stand with Him. Ask Him to change your heart and to give you the ability to love.
Dare 18: Study each other.
Dare 17: Love promotes intimacy.
Dare 16: Love intercedes.
Dare 15: Honor each other.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
(For previous dares, refer to earlier posts please.)
--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 18

2010-08-11T10:06:00.002-04:00

"How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding." --Proverbs 3:13
I am loving that each dare starts off with a Bible verse...most from Proverbs. Proverbs has a whole lot of wisdom in it's 31 chapters...wisdom that I would do well to gain. The week before I got married, my mom set up a time for me to have tea with one of her spiritual mentors, Corina. Corina is a wise woman, filled with joy, a tender heart, and Christ's love. One of the things she advised me to do was to read a chapter a day in Proverbs to start off my marriage. And so I did. Not only was it a blessing to be in God's word, but it also gave insight on how to pray for my marriage, for my husband, and for myself. I need to make it a habit to read Proverbs--what a blessing it would be for God to grant me wisdom, like He has Corina. I look forward to one day telling my daughter the same advice Corina gave me.
Okay, so the love dare...Love seeks to understand. "We enjoy discovering as much as we can about the things we truly care about...how much do you know about your mate? Think back tot he days you were courting. Didn't you study the one your heart was yearning for?" I have to admit...I most certainly did! I was eager to learn everything about Zane. His favorite ice cream, Bible verse, fruit-loop color, song, band, movie, etc. I took the 'conversation starters' on the back of TGIFriday's sugar packets seriously! I wanted to learn. To get an A+ in my study of Zane.
At some point, I grew comfortable. I guess I subconsciously began to think I had learned everything I needed to learn. What not to cook, what not to say, his love language, how he will react to certain things, etc. Shamefully, I see that marriage should propel me to learn more. To get a doctorate in Zane class. Not just a highschool diploma.
Kendrick provided some challenging questions, that I'll admit, I did not necessarily know the answer right off the top of my head: Do you know his or her greatest hopes and dreams? Do you fully understand how they prefer to give and receive love? Do you know what your spouse's greatest fears are and why they struggle with them?
So, ask questions. "Love takes the initiative to begin conversations." (see Prov. 18:15) Listen. "Even if your spouse is not very talkative, love calls you to draw out the 'deep water' that dwells within them." (see Prov. 20:5) Ask God for discernment. "God is a giver of wisdom...He will show you how to love your spouse better." (See Prov. 2:6) "Desire to know your spouse even better than you do now. Make him or her your chosen field of study, and you will fill your home with the kind of riches only love can provide."
Dare 18: Prepare a special dinner at home. Talk during it. Study each other. I know it said 'special.' I have these horrible canker sores that have been on my tongue and gums...due to stress, and perhaps an allergic reaction. So I made a soup that both Zane and I enjoy--enough to be filling--and we enjoyed our time studying each other and asking questions we had not asked in a long time...rather, we listened to the answers=)
Dare 17: Love promotes intimacy.
Dare 16: Love intercedes.
Dare 15: Honor each other.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
(For more, see previous entries)
--Inspired by, "The Love Dare"

Dare 17

2010-08-06T14:16:00.002-04:00

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." --Proverbs 17:9
Love promotes intimacy. This is probably the biggest reason why we are drawn to love. We each are born with an "inborn hunger to be known, loved, and accepted." Our very core draws us into intimacy with others so that we can share life in community. Closeness. "But nothing rivals the closeness that's experienced between a husband and wife."
Unfortunately, too many husbands and wives take intimacy for granted. Secrets carried by one are used against them, perhaps as a source of betrayal. It is such a blessing to be married to someone who accepts me--warts and all. But if I felt fear, shame, or distrust, intimacy would not be possible. A husband or wife "can either love us at depths we never imagined, or can wound us in ways we may never fully recover from. It's both the fire and the fear of marriage."
For those who do not consider their homes to be a safe place to be themselves openly in front of their spouse, they will look for safety and intimacy elsewhere. When a husband neglects telling his wife how much she means to him-how beautiful she is-and another man tells her she is breathtaking, betrayal too often begins to stir in her heart. When a wife is a constant nag and doesn't think her husband does enough-does not show him honor and respect-and his pretty co-worker expresses how proud she is of him for winning that big case, his heart too often begins to stir lust.
Marriages in this world are in so much trouble. Especially in America. If we want to experience lasting love, we must guard intimacy and consider our spouse holy. Someone unique, special, and above all others in this world. Someone valued, beautiful, and God's! We must not only pray for our brother's and sister's in Christ, but our very hearts as well. That God can work in our hearts to promote intimacy with our spouse. That home can be a safe haven. May God make my heart home to my wonderful husband.
We can promote intimacy by listening in love and offering support, and always giving a gentle touch, even when it is tough. We must reach out to our beloved in grace and understanding.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." --1 John 4:18. Ahh...how much easier it is to love unconditionally and cast out fear when Christ is loving through me.
Dare 17: Determine to guard your mate's secrets and to PRAY for them. Make them feel safe.
Dare 16: Pray for their heart.
Dare 15: Honor each other.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Dare 16

2010-08-05T18:01:00.003-04:00

"Beloved, I pray that in all respect you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." -3 John 2
You cannot change your spouse. This dare is all about not changing your spouse, but daring to love. By daring to love, we can be personally changed from the inside out. Dare 16 is encouraging prayer. Communicating with God and laying your burdens and passions at His beautiful feet. (Luke 18:1; Philippians 4:6-7; Acts 12:1-17) God is sovereign, and He does things His way. And communicating with Him is done best when coming from a humble heart that is in a right relationship with God and others. (James 5:16)
God gives us overwhelming insight into our partner's faults (not that Zane has ANY of those) for the sake of effective healing. No one knows better how to pray for Zane than I do, and vise versa. Dare 16 says to turn your complaints into prayers and watch the Master work while you keep your hands clean. It encourages me to pray for exactly what Zane needs. Pray for his heart, his attitude, his responsibilities, etc. One of the most loving things I can ever do for Zane is pray for him.
Dare 16: Begin praying today for your spouse's heart. Pray for three specific areas where you desire for God to work in your spouse's life and in your marriage. (Sorry friends, but I will not reveal on the internet those areas I'm praying for. Just know, I am enjoying praying for my wonderful hubby, and loving him more by doing so.)
Dare 15: Honor each other.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Safe when Kneebent

2010-08-05T09:39:00.002-04:00

Good morning! I apologize for not updating the Love Dare each day. I assure you that Zane and I are doing them each day; however, I have become lazy in my blogging. At some point tonight, you will receive an update on at least one love dare.
My devotional today in "Praying God's Word" reflected scripture that I dwelled on the day Zane and I spun out on I-285. Every time I read scripture from Psalm 138, I am reminded of God's presence in my life, as well as my deep need for Him...the need to be abiding in Him and in constant prayer. I want to share with you the whole devotional (remember, they are very short) and am hoping you will be blessed by it. That you will be encouraged to fall on your knees before the King of Kings.
"The path to peace is paved with kneeprints. Bend the knee to His trustworthy authority.
Lord God, I desire to bow down to You in worship. I want to kneel before the Lord my Maker; for You are my God, and I am among the sheep of Your pasture, the flock under Your care (Ps. 95:6-7).
Though You, Lord, are on high, You look upon the lowly, but the proud You know from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me.
You, Lord, will fulfill Your purpose for me; Your love endures forever--do not abandon the works of Your hands (Ps. 138: 6-8)."
It is such a blessing pray each morning God's very word. To pray the promises He has lavished upon us. He is the only one trustworthy and faithful to never go back on His word. And what a relief to know that He will fulfill His purpose for me. His love endures forever. Praise Jesus!

Dare 15

2010-08-03T10:29:00.004-04:00

"Live with your wives in an understanding way...and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life." --1 Peter 3:7
Love is honorable. When I first read that title, I knew immediately I need to work on this. I know I've said that before, but showing honor to my husband is something I lack when I don't get my way. While reading this book, I have become more and more aware of how selfish I am...and how blessed I am to have a husband that loves me despite my never-ending flaws. Oh, how I love Zane...I need to learn to show it!
"To honor someone means to give them respect and high esteem, to treat them as being special and of great worth...be courteous and polite...honoring your mate means giving him or her full attention, not talking to them from behind a newspaper or with one eye on the television...Your spouse matters--and because of the way you treat them, they should know it."
While Zane and I were reading this I stopped him right there, and asked if he knew that I honored him. That I respected him. He said yes...but I know deep down I can do a better job! I just pray that God will work in my heart and make me more and more selfless each day so that I can show my love for my husband more...so that our love can grow!
Something interesting about this particular love dare is learning to view our spouse as holy. I know, I re-read that, thinking only God is holy. But in actuality, God is calling us to holiness as His children. Let me paraphrase: holiness doesn't mean that Zane is perfect, or that he views me as perfect. It means that we are set apart in each other's eyes for a higher purpose--no longer common or everyday but special and unique. We have a place in each other's heart that no one can rival. We honor, praise, and defend each other. Just like a bride takes special care of her gown, setting it aside for her big day, handling it with care, feeling beautiful in it and seeing it as beautiful...Zane and I should treat each other the same.
Even though it may be hard to always honor each other, it is not about doing so when it is easy. True love loves regardless of circumstances, changes, and feelings. It chooses to love. "Love honors even when it's rejected. Love treats its beloved as special and sacred even when an ungrateful attitude is all you get in return...love dares to say 'of all the relationships I have, I will value ours the most. Of all the things I'm willing to sacrifice, I will sacrifice the most for you. With all your failures, sins, mistakes, and faults--past and present--I still choose to love and honor you.' That's how you create an atmosphere for love to be rekindled. That's how you lead your heart to truly love your mate again. And that's the beauty of honor."
Dare 15: Choose a way to show honor and respect that is above your normal routine. Okay, this may seem silly to you, but Zane and I did so by going to Waffle House with one another. We fell in love with each other during 'study groups' at IHop and Waffle House. We thought a great way to show our love and how much we esteem our relationship would be by 'dating' like we once did, and rekindling the romance from the beginning. Haha..you may say Waffle House isn't romantic, but it holds a very special place in our hearts.
Dare 14: Delight in each other.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Dare 14

2010-08-02T18:05:00.002-04:00

"Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life." --Ecclesiastes 9:9
This dare is all about taking delight in your spouse. Leading your heart, not following it. By taking on the previous dares: being selfless, greeting with a smile on my face, being thoughtful, etc. it will help Zane to see how much I delight in him.
"There is something just as powerful as fresh, new love (newly wed love--being excited to call your spouse your own...taking delight in that). It comes from the decision to delight in your spouse and to love him or her no matter how long you've been married. In other words, love that chooses to love is just as powerful as love that feels like loving. In many ways, it's a truer love because it has its eyes wide open" (Kendrick).
Remember why you once fell in love. For me, Zane sought me. He fought for me. He loved me unconditionally...and something very important--he wanted to be friends with my friends and build relationships with my family. He loved Jesus. He prayed for me. He prayed for our relationship. It is easy to remember why I once fell in love with Zane. He is still all those things, and more.
The responsibility is mine to love the one I promised to love forever...to do so delightfully. And as I delight in him, our marriage, and our love, will only grow more and more powerful.
Dare 14: Purposefully neglect an activity you would normally do so you can spend quality time with your spouse. So, Zane and I spent the evening, after our commute from Atlanta, eating together, playing with the dogs, and watching a movie. We did everything together, and did so while laughing and delighting in one another.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

How He Loves Us

2010-07-30T11:50:00.002-04:00

This has been the song resonating in my heart for several weeks now. I really wanted to share it with you. Feel free to pull it up on YouTube and listen to it. But meditate on the words...God loves us so much. We cannot grasp the depth nor imagine the height of His love.
He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree.
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory.
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so. Oh, how He loves us.
How He loves us all. Yes, He loves us.
We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So heaven meets earth with a sloppy wet kiss.
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest.
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way....How He loves us.
Oh how He loves us. Oh how He loves us. How He loves us all.

Feel loved today. Our God loves us so. Praise Him for the redemption in His eyes, for His glory, for loving us like a hurricane...so intensely that we bend beneath His wind and mercy. I hope your heart turns violently inside of your chest as you think about the way He loves you.

Dare 13

2010-07-29T18:58:00.003-04:00

"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." Mark 3:25
Love fights fair. Oh, but individuals do not! When I first started reading this love dare, I knew I was going to get put in my place. I'm scrappy. I'm learning Zane's buttons, and he's learning mine--and sometimes we like to push them. But to step back and look at our attitudes in arguments, we would do well to be more graceful. Listen intently. Gracefully bend. If my attitude is to be the same as that of Christ Jesus, I have some practice to do!
"When (Zane and I) tied the knot as bride and groom, (we) joined not only our hopes and dreams but also our hurts, fears, imperfections, and emotional baggage" (Kendrick). But weaving our inner most secrets together, we are bound to rub together on a few rough spots like sand paper. Not agree entirely. Get uncomfortable. But while sanding down the edges, we can become smooth, and work together in a more beautiful way. In The Love Dare, Kendrick points out that the deepest, most heartbreaking damage you'll ever do to your marriage will most likely occur in the thick of conflict. I can attest to that. There have been many times, unfortunately, that I have opened up my mouth and immediately known I needed a 'rewind' button. The things we say when we fight are painful...because it is when our pride is strongest, our anger is hottest, and when we are the most selfish and judgemental.
But love reminds you that "your marriage is too valuable to allow it to self-destruct, and that your love for your spouse is more important than whatever you're fighting about. Love helps you install air bags and to set up guardrails in your relationship."
This chapter reminded me of a great song that was kind of my theme leading up to marriage. Not because Zane and I were fighting constantly...we weren't...but I knew that one day arguments would come, and I wanted my heart to resonate on love.
Love is not a place where we can go on as we please
It's a house we enter in, and then commit to never leave
So lock the door behind you. Throw away the key.
Work it out together, let it bring you to your knees.
To some, love is a word that they can fall into
But when they're falling out, keeping that word is hard to do.
Love will come to save us. If we only call.
He will ask nothing from us, but demand we give our all.
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of war
And if we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door
Cause love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.
So, this dare is to fight for. Zane and I got together and made a list of "we" rules to fight fair, and "I" rules to fight for. I won't share his, but our "we" rules are: never mention divorce; don't bring up unrelated past events; call time-out if things get too heated; don't go to bed angry; don't have your mind made up before the discussion even begins; never argue in public...and when we have kids, not in front of the kids.
"I" rules for myself: I won't raise my voice; don't give up and shut Zane out (become withdrawn); listen first; pray during the argument, continually, for God to give me wisdom, strength, and calm.
I know that these rules may not always be followed, but their boundaries worth setting, and attempting to keep. Because my love for Zane is not a fight, but something worth fighting for.
Dare 13: Fight fair.
Dare 12: Let the other win.
Dare 11: Cherish each other.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by, "The Love Dare."

Dare 12

2010-07-28T20:12:00.003-04:00

"Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others." --Philippians 2:4
Having studied political science in college, when I hear the word 'interests,' I immediately think of countries. I remember that after declaring my concentration in International Studies, I was upset when I grasped how many countries stand idle while another nation is seeking help. It tears me apart that people argue against countries lending hands to one another unless they have a vested interest in the outcome. For me, I would hope that if someone needs my help, my first reaction would be to lend immediate aid...and the furthest thing from my mind to be the question, 'what can I get out of this?'
Unfortunately, looking out for our own personal interests far too often is the cry in marriage. Probably because stubbornness is a standard feature on--humans. The opposite of stubbornness is a word I've talked/learned about quite a lot during my love dares. "That word is 'willing.' It's an attitude and spirit of cooperation that should permeate our conversations. It's like a palm tree by the ocean that endures the greatest winds because it knows how to gracefully bend."
I love how Kendrick describes the word 'willing.' Gracefully bending. It is beautiful, and that type of bending is something I lack. The most difficult thing for me in marriage is learning that my desires, my needs, my money, etc...these are no longer 'mine.' In a marriage, they are 'ours.' I constantly try to argue my way, or force my way upon Zane...especially when I don't understand why something can be such a big deal. But Christ teaches the opposite. He urges us to have an "attitude of willingness, flexibility, and humble submission. It means laying down for the good of others what you have the right to claim for yourself."
One way to practice a willing attitude is to stop arguing. The argument cannot continue unless both Zane and I are 'in it to win it.' The wise thing for me to do is stop insisting on my way. Consider Zane's preference as a way of valuing him. "Instead of treating your wife or husband like an enemy or someone to be guarded against, start by treating them as your closest, most honored friend. Give their words full weight...choose to honor the one you love. It will be both good for you and good for your marriage."
Dare 12: Willingly choose to give in to an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. I completed this dare by letting my husband cancel an appointment I had to get a tattoo. I have been wanting so badly to get another tattoo...script that would be a love song to my King. But, my body is Zane's body...and if he doesn't want me to have ink on my skin, I shouldn't force him to see it...(hard, VERY had to gracefully bend on this...)
Dare 11: Cherish your spouse.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare"

Weakness

2010-07-27T19:29:00.002-04:00

Our Bridegrrom sometimes leads us to difficult places, but we can trust Him to have purpose in our stay and never to forsake us.--Moore
Praise God for that! He will never leave or forsake us. A couple of days ago I wrote Nonforsaken, and my heart just swells up thinking of all the times I have turned my face from God...and He has just waited for me to turn back around. Never leaving. Always loving me, unconditionally. Longing to embrace me again. Longing for me to ask Him to make me whole.
I believe a Christian life is always growing. Never merely existing, and never staying the same. If we love Jesus, and have a relationship with the Son of God, we should feel compelled to learn more about Him. To spend more time with Him. To talk to Him more. Just like a bride-to-be is excited to spend the rest of her life growing closer to the man she loves, and learning everything about him, joining her life to him, as a Christian...as part of the church, the Bride of Christ...I should not hesitate to learn as much as I can about Jesus, and join my life to Him.
In my vows to Zane, I said that our strengths mixed with each other's weaknesses would only allow us to grow stronger as a couple, and enable us to glorify God more. I believe it is the same in my Christian walk. My over abundant weaknesses, mixed with Christ's amazing strengths, only allow Him to be glorified more, as I lean on His will. His guidance. How I wish I could be better at stepping aside and letting God move, rather than me trying to do everything on my own!
You say to me, Lord, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Your power may rest on me (2 Cor. 12:9).
Never will You forsake me (Heb. 13:5). You are the only absolute guarantee I have in all of life. Help me cling to the one thing I can never lose.

--Inspired by "Praying God's Word."

Dare 11

2010-07-27T19:01:00.002-04:00

"Husbands outght also to love their own wives as their own bodies." --Eph. 5:28
Far too often, when husbands and wives get tired of each other, they replace one another like you would a used car. A man might go around trying to find a 'newer model,' or a woman may search for something that fits her needs 'more comfortably.' The truth is, in marriage you become part of one another. You would never cutt off your hand if it was injured but would pay whatever you could afford for the best medical treatment possible. Because your hand is priceless to you. It is part of who you are. And your spouse should be priceless to you as well.
Ephesians goes on to say in verse 29, "he who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it." We all feel so special when the one we love goes out of their way to meet our needs--to ensure we know that we are cherished. Notice that the verse clearly points out that when we show love to our spouse, we are showing love to ourself as well. Which also means, when you mistreat your spouse, you mistreat yourself.
"It's time to let love change your thinking. It's time for you to realize that your spouse is as much a part of you as your hand, your eye, or your heart. She, too, needs to be loved and cherished. And if she has issues causing pain or frustration, then you should care for these with the same love and tenderness as you would a bodily injury. if he is wounded in some way, you should think of yourself as an instrument that helps bring healing to his life (Kendrick).
When you look at your mate, you're looking at a part of you. So, treat her well. Speak highly of him. Nourish and cherish the love of your life--Kendrick.
Dare 11: Choose a gesture that says, 'I cherish you' and do it with a smile. I was illdisposed the day we did this love dare...I was in the hospital all day. However, Zane was beautiful and cherished me the whole time. Taking care of my needs, making me laugh with an IV in my arm, keeping a cool wet handcloth on my forehead--cherishing me.
Dare 10: Love unconditionally.
Dare 9: Greet well.
Dare 8: Don't be jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Tossed in the Waves

2010-07-26T17:08:00.002-04:00

Have you ever grown weary in doing good? Become exhausted while trying to seek God's will because...well, we can never do enough? I have felt that way far too often lately. I've wrestled with having enough to do at my job...Am I really blessing God's kingdom by planning events? I've wrestled with my role in the church...Am I doing enough when it comes to mission planning? Even with this blog...there are plenty of inspirational blogs out there. Plenty of people trying to share what God is teaching them. I've wrestled with money--which organizations to give to...am I choosing the right ones? Or should our resources be given else where? Friends, I think that anyone could suffer from fatigue when we let our minds get so consumed with questions like these. I need to be reminded more often that God is going to get things done; with or without me; but any work I do for His glory isn't in vain. I may not see how my actions ripple throughout lives in this life...but God does, and He is to do whatever He wants to with them.
So yesterday, when I read my devotional, I knew God was right there with me. Speaking to me. Giving me peace. I usually pick out different pieces of my devotional, but since it is short, I would like to share with you the whole thing..."Praying God's Word," Beth Moore:
"God's word does not say that we will have peace like a pond, but peace like a river, righteousness like the waves of the sea. Lord, I come to You in prayer, and I ask You now to let Your peace, God, which transcends all understanding, guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). Help me not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up (Gal. 6:9). Lord, when You bring this captive completely back to You, I will be like those who dream! My mouth will be filled with laughter and my tongue with songs of joy! The Lord has done great things for me, and I am filled with joy! (Ps. 126:1-3). You, O Lord, have filled my heart with greater joy than when my grain and new wine abound (Ps. 4:7)."

I hope you find time to pray those words to our beautiful Saviour, thanking Him for promising to not only give us peace, but to reap a harvest with our hands if we do not grow weary in doing good. May God give me the strength to praise Him more, and serve Him more.
Have a beautiful evening!

Dare 10

2010-07-26T14:09:00.002-04:00

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Good afternoon! I apologize for slacking in the blog department. I spent all of yesterday in the hospital, which kept me from updating you on my dares, as well as my devotionals. (I actually did this dare on Saturday and never posted!) Don't worry, everything is okay...but I intend on resting as much as possible:)
So, love is unconditional. This is one of the hardest concepts to wrap my mind around. Loving someone in spite of their flaws. In spite of how they hurt you. In spite of them changing the longer you are with them. Sometimes I take for granted God's unconditional love. Almost thinking that because He is God, loving unconditionally should be easy for Him. I probably couldn't be more wrong. It must be incredibly painful to watch His children repeatedly make mistakes that harm our lives and those around us more than we will ever know. But He still has His arms open wide to embrace us when we come to Him in repentance.
God is love. The ultimate example of love. And He is always choosing to love us. Not because we deserve it, but because He chooses to. "The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love" (Kendrick). The Bible says, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" 1 John 4:10.
When your enjoyment of your spouse, of each other, as best friends and lovers is based on unwavering commitment, you will experience an intimacy that cannot be achieved any other way. So whether or not Zane makes me crepes every morning, or sends me flowers to work, or even, God forbid, he stop communicating with me or tending to my needs, I need to be committed to him, and love him unconditionally. Make sure he knows his heart is always safe with me, even if mine doesn't feel safe with him.
Love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor 13:7) does not come from within. It can only come from God. 'The Scriptures say that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). This is God's kind of love. And thankfully-by your choice-it can become your kind of love.' But I will never learn to love unconditionally unless I leave myself open for God to teach me, and to show me how.
Dare 10: Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse--something that proves that your love is based on your choise and nothing else. So what did I do, you may ask? I watched Harry Potter with my husband...with a smile on my face. I might detest the movies, but if Zane wants to watch them, I can be unconditionally loving for 2 1/2 hours!
Dare 9: Greet lovingly.
Dare 8: Love is not jealous.
Dare 7: Believe the best.
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Nonforsaken

2010-07-24T13:38:00.003-04:00

"God never forsakes us. He is the only one who is not repelled by the depth and length of our needs."
Profound, isn't it? At first upon reading that, I was slightly offended. Do my needs really offend everyone except God? I suppose that if I were truly honest, despite me trying to keep my life as an open book, I don't go around declaring my fears, insecurities, and desires to everyone I run into. If I were to do that...well, I'd run from myself if I saw Emmie coming! Haha. But God really does know us; He is the only one who fully knows us. Before I realize my need for love, affection, trust, loyalty, kindness, fulfillment, etc., He knows that I need them. He formed me. He made me. I possess the fingerprints of God all throughout my life. Because He is so fully aware of the depth and length of my needs, He is the only one who can fulfill me. And despite knowing how dirty and weak I am, He promises to never forsake me. He promises to be with me. To be loving and faithful. Always.
"My Lord and Redeemer, when I did not know You, I was a slave to those who by nature are not gods (Gal. 4:8-9)...Father, Your word promises that the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8). Teach me and help me to sow to please the Spirit. By faith I eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which I hope (Gal. 5:5)."
While it is an indescribable blessing to have God's love and strength within us, it is important that we don't take His promises for granted. As a Christian, I must constantly ask my Father in heaven to grant me wisdom against the evil one, so that I may sow to please the Spirit, and further the kingdom, and not harm Christ's reputation, rather than sow for my own fleshly desires, which by nature are evil.
I hope you have a blessed weekend, and find ways to sow seeds for His kingdom.

--Inspired by "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore.

Dare 9

2010-07-23T10:04:00.002-04:00

Alright, after much waiting and anticipating, I am finally to dare 9! I started back over in "The Love Dare" so that my husband and I could walk the journey together. We have successfully made it through the first 8 dares and are looking forward to the challenges ahead...
"Greet one another with a kiss of love." -1 Peter. 5:14
You can tell a lot about a person's relationship with another by how they greet. If I'm happy to see someone, I give them a big hug and tell them how glad I am that we were able to get together. Back when Zane and I first started dating, we greeted each other with such excitement. The smile he had on his face...it was beautiful! I always knew how much he wanted to be around me, and how much he loved me, by that Harrison Ford smile--you know the one...almost a half smile, curled up on one edge. Check out any Harrison Ford movie and you will see the smile I'm talking about:)
Zane had that same unbelievable smile when he arrived back from his business trip and saw me waiting for him at the airport. It assured me of his longing for me, that I was of such value, and that he had missed me terribly.
I don't know if there is anything in particular that Zane appreciated about me when I would see him for the first time. However, I did ask him how I could greet him 'better,' assuring him of my love and how much I value him being here. He said he would love it if I would give him a big hug when I see him, and huge smile.
Greetings go a long way. Much further than you'd think! Unfortunately, during the routine of our lives we forget to give each other that smile and gentle reassurance of our affections. I suppose we may think it isn't really that important...maybe we don't think about it at all: the first thing you say to him or to her when you wake up in the morning, the look on your face when you get in the car, the energy in your voice when you speak on the telephone. But here's something else you probably don't stop to consider--the difference it would make in your spouse's day if everything about you expressed the fact that you were really, really glad to see them.
"When someone communicates that they are glad to see you, your personal sense of self-worth increases. You feel more important and valued. That's because a good greeting sets the stage for positive and healthy interaction. Like love, it puts wind in your sails."
I almost wish our first dare had been on this. It is something that I think will improve any and all marriages. So yesterday, when I went to pick up Zane from work, I was all set to get out of the car and give him a big hug. My phone rings...it is a friend whose family member just passed away. At that moment, Zane gets to the car with a big smile on his face...successfully completing the dare. I smile real big back, but am unable to get out and give him a hug before he got in the car. So today, I will try again!
This is the greeting I long for my Father in heaven to give me one day: "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." --Luke 15:20
Dare 9: Think of a specific way you'd like to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile and with enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to reflect your love for them.
Dare 8: Celebrate your spouse's achievements and qualities.
Dare 7: Pick a positive trait in your spouse and thank them for it. (Believe the best!)
Dare 6: Don't be irritable.
Dare 5: Don't be rude.
Dare 4: Be thoughtful.
Dare 3: Be selfless.
Dare 2: Be kind.
Dare 1: Be patient.

--Inspired by "The Love Dare."

Consequences are His

2010-07-22T10:26:00.002-04:00

"Wait on Him to bring victory, knowing that the consequences of your obedience are His problem and not yours." --Moore
Good morning! I hope you are having a great week, and looking forward to the weekend ahead. The above quote struck me this morning. I actually had to re-read it just to assure myself that I hadn't misunderstood. I've often heard people say in a heated discussion: "that's your problem." I have never thought about saying that to God! After taking a moment to process what the quote is saying, I calmed down, realizing it wasn't worded in a rude tone. Beth Moore is simply stating that our obedience is not conditional upon what the consequences may be. Far too often our faith is lacking, and we sometimes forget that God knows what He is doing. I have caught myself on many occassions questioning if God is aware of the whole situation...and if so, is He aware of how it may turn out if I move forward. Silly, I know--questioning God is ludicrous! Of course He knows what He is doing. He can see my every action before I act, and He sees how far those actions will ripple, long before I was formed in my mother's womb. If God were to tell my husband and I to quit our jobs, in these economic times, I need to obey. By the consequences of my obedience being in His hands, and knowing they are in His hands, I am having faith that His plans will far better me than my current situation.
God does not wish for His children to suffer; He wishes to show gracy, mercy, and good will towards us. That doesn't mean that our suffering cannot bring us joy in the midst of pain, and that walking through the valley cannot cause us to grow and be better rounded--realizing on a deeper level our need of Him.
My mother said something today that perfectly ties in with this blog. Her sister, my Aunt, is in her 3rd marriage. After her first fell apart, she remarried an evil man. He was incredibly abusive, even threatening her middle-school aged son (my cousin). Every time she would save up a little money and make plans to leave, he would find out, and put her in the hospital. At one point, my mother took pictures of her injuries--proof, so that if anything happened to her, we could nail this man in court.
By God's grace, a man who worked with her was able to help her out financially. He gave her money so that she could get out of her situation, and be safe...far away from her husband. Her husband, after years, finally signed the divorce papers, and the gentlemen who had helped her out financially, her knight in shining armor, fell in love with her and married her. Last night, my mother and her two sisters got together to celebrate a birthday. This morning I asked my mom how it had been, and I asked how Lisa was doing in her new marriage. My mom responded, "She is grateful for the sadness in her life and the sweet blessing of now being with Ken."
It is not easy to look back on pain, especially the kind my dear Aunt went through, but how she must appreciate her blessings all the more now!
"Lord, according to Your Word, even when five sparrows were sold for two pennies, not one of them was forgotten by You. Indeed, the very hairs of my head are all numbered. Help me never to be afraid; I am worth far more to You than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7) Your anger lasts only a moment, Lord, but Your favor lasts a lifetime; weeping my remain for a night, but how I thank You that rejoicing comes in the morning." (Ps. 30:5)
It has been a few weeks since I posted a song, but the lyrics (I know, I say this all the time) are perfect for this blog. And they are words of encouragement for anyone going through trials.
"Do you wonder why you have to feel the things that hurt you,
If there's a God who loves you, where is He now?
Or maybe there are things you can't see, and all the things that are happening,
Will bring a better ending. Someday, somehow you'll see, you'll see.
Hold on, there's good for those who love God. And life is not a snapshot,
It might take a little time, but you'll see the bigger picture.
Once you feel the weight of glory, all your pain will fade to memory.
Would you dare, would you dare to believe, that you still have a reason to sing?
'Cause the pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming!
And hold on, you've gotta wait for the light, press on and just fight the good fight,
'Cause the pain that you've been feeling
Is just the hurt before the healing
Just the dark before the morning
It can't compare to the joy that's coming." --Josh Wilson
I pray that my Aunt can be a testament to that. Praise God for promising us joy in the morning!
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

--Inspired by, "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore.

Quiet

2010-07-21T11:15:00.002-04:00

Be slow to speak.
We hear that throughout scripture. Words of wisdom guiding us to holding our tongue. I wish that Christians could practice that more often. We are too quick to condemn, whether by words said, or protesters at rallies saying, "You're going to hell." Once the hateful words roll of our tongues, the damage it does to a nonchristian is immeasurable. I do not have statistics on this, but I firmly believe that nonchristians are so hateful towards our faith not because of Jesus Christ and the bible, but because of the actions of those who say they follow Him. We are to live like Christ. Die to ourselves, live for Him, and love with every action. When people see our loving Father shining through us, they are captured with intrigue and drawn into wanting more. I once said 'christianity is not a debate. It is a demonstration.' May God give us grace to demonstrate Christ.
"Frivolous arguments can dilute spiritual truths into human logic. We are not called to debate faith but to do it."--Beth Moore
Based of 3 John 3, I want God to have the great joy of hearing others talk about my faithfulness to the truth and how I continue to walk in the truth...meaning I must be transformed by the renewel of my mind, in Christ Jesus.

Captive

2010-07-20T09:13:00.002-04:00

I am loving my birthday present, "Praying God's Word." The short devotionals are the perfect length to read multiple times throughout the day...really engraving God's word on to my heart. I'm just going to jump right into this. "If we wish to go forward from here, God must empower us to roll the boulder of pride off our road to liberty." -Moore
I believe that any and all sins are rolled up into pride. After all, pride holds us captive in a way nothing else can. We may not seek help to get out of bondage, because we want to be strong enough on our own. Pride. We may not ask for prayer when we lose a job, or are struggling in marriage, or doing less-than-desirable financially, because we don't want others to feel sorry for us, to see us fail, to see us as less than self-sufficient. Pride. Addictions, whether sex or drug related, or emotional pain that is fixed by 'cutting' or 'purging,' are all rooted in pride. The sense of entitlement to be better, look better, feel better grows from pride.
The truth is, pride stands in the way of love. Loving others and ourselves. Pride takes away from the pure joy we can have in Christ. It can lead us to be discouraging of one another's successes, when someone has succeeded where we have failed. Pride can lead us to open our mouth before thinking, and that rarely, if ever, ends well.
Read through Ephesians 4:2, then continue.
"You've warned me that when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Prov. 11:2). You instruct Your people to listen carefully and heed Your instruction because pride can cause the Lord's flock to be taken captive (Jer. 13:17). But You promise to guide the humble in what is right and teach them Your way (Ps. 25:9). Give me a humble heart so I will follow You in what is right and learn Your way" (Moore).
Pride has no business in the Kingdom of God. Either we learn to seek His will and trust that His is better than our own, or we follow our will and forfeit intimacy with Him. I know that giving up our will is never easy. I constantly make my own plans and hope that they are realized, but I also have come to believe that when my plans fall through, it truly is for my own good. God is bigger than the air I breathe and this world that I'll leave. He sees more than my imagination could ever think up. And He says, "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." -Jer. 29:11
Do I trust Him when He says that? Do you? If we do, we have to let go of our pride, and trust His good and perfect plan.

--Inspired by "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore.

Ticket

2010-07-19T10:39:00.002-04:00

Good Monday morning! It is a quiet day after the chaos this morning...poor husband got pulled over:( We had just finished reading our 'Love Dare' for the day (if you recall, I did 8 love dares, and then started all over so that Zane and I could do them together). Today's love dare was focused on irritability, encouraging us to be more patient with our spouse and not to be so easily frustrated. (Refer back to Dare 6 in the blog for more on this Love Dare.)
Well, we were in the HOV lane, excellerating onto I-85 from 316, when a State Trooper motioned in front of us, then pointed to the side. It looked as if he was pointing at the motorcycle that was driving in front of us to pull over, so Zane was unsure if the State Trooper was motioning to us or the motorcycle. Now, there were several cars behind us going the same speed, so when we saw the blue lights come on and the State Trooper pull onto the road, we couldn't just slam on our breaks. We eased over to the shoulder and looked at each other with confusion. Sure, we may have been going faster than 55, but we were excellerating onto I-85, and going the same speed as everyone around us. (Maybe since our car 'looks' fast the State Trooper felt the need to slow us down??) The first words out of his mouth were, "Why did it take you so long to pull over?" Zane asked the officer to repeat himself, and the Trooper said, "My radar clocked you at 73, which you see as the top number." He turned his radar gun towards us so that we could see it. "The bottom number is how far you drove before you pulled over."
That caught Zane off guard, and he wasn't sure what to say, so I responded to the State Trooper: "Officer, we weren't sure you were pulling us over. When you pointed, it looked like you were telling the motorcyclist to pull over, which is why we kept driving."
Needless to say, we got a ticket and Zane must appear in court in September. Isn't it so aggravating when you get pulled over? Especially when everyone around you was going the same speed...and somehow you get caught? In all fairness though, we were speeding. That ticket was written deservedly. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
Much like we don't have to like the consequences for our actions. But we still deserve whatever discipline is handed down. However, our dear Father showers us with more grace and mercy than we could ever imagine, saving us from serving the sentence we rightfully deserve. Christ paid it all...He gave His life, and now we can freely confess our sins to our Father, come before His throne, lay our burdens, our addictions, at His feet, and ask Him to make us new.
It wouldn't have done Zane any good to say, "I'm sorry, I won't speed again." The State Trooper still would have given him a ticket. And when we come to Jesus and say, "I'm sorry. I won't _______ again," Jesus knows better. We are not strong enough in and of ourselves to make promises we are too weak to keep. But Jesus loves us despite our flaws, and His mercy is new every morning. "Don't confess your sin by telling God how you're going to do better. Just run to the Father and rest in Him...Father, thank You for helping me to understand that the access I have gained into Your grace in which I now stand has come to me by faith. Help me to rejoice in the hope of Your glory!" (Prayer based on Rom. 5:2)

--Inspired by "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore...and the State Trooper.