4.30.2014

Victory

Sometimes my heart just breaks when I'm in class.  All these people with all these views....they just don't know what they believe, even if they say they do...I don't know, todays class was just discouraging. But it's times like these that even though my heart feels heavy with hurt for these people, I have to hold my hand up and remember the victory that we already have in Christ.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:57
 
 
AND THEN--I see an answer to my prayer. Something that went above and beyond all that I could ever think of. I am just SO blown away.
 
When you begin to pray circles around specific things, you begin to see results. When that happens, you wonder why you even doubt, and are reminded about how GOOD your God is! 
 
 
I don't know about you, but my God is very, very good.


 

4.24.2014

Utterly Exausted but Held Up

 
Guys, I am utterly exhausted. My head hurts and I can hardly keep my head up. This is the effect of many, many nights of less than satisfactory sleep.

This is what I have learned today though: My Lord and my God is a Sustainer.

The fact that I have made it this far today is a miracle, though this is nothing short of anything Christ does for me on a daily basis because of the fact of His immeasurable grace.
 


 

In the process and middle of all the impromptu chaos, my Lords has been good and answered so many of my prayers. One thing that I have realized is that when you pray for gospel-centered conversations, He answers them in so many unexpected ways. These past few days, I've had conversations about everything from how you use your gifts to glorify God to the importance of a friend's accountability when it comes to boys, and how it's not about the choices in the future, it's about how you can glorify God right there and now.

Through these tangible answers, I have begun to learn more about myself, and why I have the reactions to certain things that I do. The more I realize how much I still continue to live for me, the more I realize what an enemy the flesh is! All the more reason to kill it!

But killing the flesh, oh it hurts so bad! But what is really hurting? My flesh, not my spirit. I am learning to rejoice in these hard times and hard choices that I have to make. All the time I am learning to deny myself for the sake of Christ, His sacrifice and His work in me. I have to remember that He left His perfection and embraces our--my--rejection.




"More than that, I regard everything as LOSS because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and now regard them as rubbish...I want to know Christ and the POWER of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection of the dead."
Philippians 3:8-11
 

 


 
"Therefore do not loose heart. Outwardly we are wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day, for these slight and momentary troubles are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all measure."
 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

4.23.2014

Earth Day is God's Day




So, it was Earth day the other day. Don't know if you knew that, or even really cared, but it was. If any of you know me at all, you know that I LOVE the earth. Outside. Nature. Animals. Plants. Rain. Clouds. All of it. I just breathe it in.

You know why I love it so much?

Because nature reminds me of God every time I see it.

It's one of the ways He loves me best.

Our God is one who prepares the rain for the earth, and He more than deserves our love and our willingness to live for Him.

We should therefore treat our earth as a gift from our Lovely Creator, one that is treasured and to be cherished so Earth Day is everyday.

 
"Sing out your thanks to the Lord;
    sing praises to our God with a harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds,
    provides rain for the earth,
    and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
He gives food to the wild animals
    and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
    or in human might.
 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
    those who put their hope in his unfailing love."
 
Psalms 147:7-11
 
 
"Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
    Praise him from the skies!
 Praise him, all his angels!
    Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
 Praise him, sun and moon!
    Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
 Praise him, skies above!
    Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
    for he issued his command, and they came into being.
He set them in place forever and ever.
    His decree will never be revoked.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you creatures of the ocean depths,
 fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    wind and weather that obey him,
 mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
 wild animals and all livestock,
    small scurrying animals and birds,
 kings of the earth and all people,
    rulers and judges of the earth,
 young men and young women,
    old men and children.
 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
    For his name is very great;
    his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
 He has made his people strong,
    honoring his faithful ones—
    the people of Israel who are close to him."
 
Psalms 148




 


 


 


 




 















 


 

4.20.2014

Easter

So it's Easter. The best day of the year!

When holidays come around, its kind of expected that bloggers have super-awesome posts. The thing is though, sometimes I just run out of words or things to say. And in reality, I can't say anything that isn't overshadowed by my Savior, my Lord and His sacrifice for us. His words are so much more than I could ever say. So this Easter season, let Jesus's words and sacrifice speak for themselves, and listen closely as He speaks to your heart.



 
 
To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just

 At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified

You've called me out of death
You've called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I'm reconciled

 
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
 
  In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness
 

 At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered


 At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
 
 
Sweetly Broken
Jeremy Riddle
 

4.18.2014

Hand Made Beauty

God is so, so good and so, so creative. I just wanted to post these beautiful pictures of spring to show off how His majesty and how His love is poured out on us.
 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 19:1-4
 
“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.”
Romans 1:20

 
 
 









 

4.16.2014

When Your Life is Falling Apart

Sometimes it just feels like your life is falling apart. Literally. Your plans, your career, your physical body, your social life, your school and school work. It just hits you--and it hits you hard. Real hard. You begin to question those things that you don't question when times are good. And maybe it's not all bad, just a few things may be wrong, or one major thing....

It is in these moments when you sit down and really feel like crying,
and your heart is heavy with other people's struggles in your life,
 
 
"Therefore do not lose heart, for outwardly we are wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For these slight and momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure."

2 Corinthians 4:16-17
 
 
 
It's the beautiful refining fire of God. Don't look at the waves, just the Lord and His vision.
 
 
 
 

4.15.2014

Honduras

So...have you ever gotten an awesome once in a life time opportunity?

I have, and it is a gift.

I will be going with my church to Honduras this June on a mission trip to reach the people there. This is one of those times when you are overwhelmed with excitement, and honestly, I don't know exactly what I've gotten myself into. Wait for it--story of my life.
The thing is, its easy to keep simple: I am going to spread the gospel and the love of Christ to everyone I meet, live consumed with God, and pour out blessings to others as they have been so lavishly poured out on me. I just want to love people in Honduras.

So, I ask for prayers of preparation and will make sure to keep you all updated. Its kinda far away right now, but I'm sure it will be June before any of us can blink.






 

4.12.2014

What IF

What if it's too much of a responsibility?

What if it's too hard?


What if I can't do it?



This is the point.

I can't.

Why do I still act like I can?

Or think I should?

How many times do I catch myself living for myself?


Lately God has convicted me of my attitude--I live so much for myself.  This verse is one that reminds me what I strive for, what my deepest desire should be, and that the only reason I matter is that Christ loved me first.

 
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the lost of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
Philippians 3:7-11
 
 
 


 
 
 

The Help of Hope

When you are struggling with all that you are overwhelmed with, you can really see God’s answers to prayers more clearly. My God is one who equips us to love others even when we feel frazzled and so, so busy. But through people and little ways, He SHINES His glory like nothing else in my whole LIFE! My Lord is so, so good. The thing is, He is this way all of the time, even when I feel confused.

This has recently been the story of my life. Confusion, I am finding out is my new enemy. Confusion in what to do, what not to do, and when to wait. I just don't understand these things and know I definitely don't have the answers to any of this. The whole thing is really humbling--it reveals what I lack, which is so, so much.
 
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9
 
 
Today was one of those days when you feel so overwhelmed you don't even know what to do. You loose sight of your vision, your hope, when you look at the waves surround you.
 
Well guess what God reminded me of this day? None of it even matters. NONE of it.
 
 
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

Philippians 3:7-11
 
 
 
This is the hope that we cling to, that we love, that we need.
 
All that I am for all that you are, my Lord,
All that I have for all that you are, You're the
Pearl beyond price, greater than life
All that I am for all that You are

Selfish ambition and my pride
I'm giving up, I'm letting die
In these empty hands I have it all, have it all
The pure joy of knowing You, my Lord
 
 
 
 
 


Back to Princeton

Princeton. I got to go back again this past weekend with a few of the people I served with before.

It's really funny what can happen in one weekend.

I get to say, after this weekend, my Lord is BIG, ACTIVE and ALIVE in me and the world I'm in.

God has been teaching me a lot lately. He's changing my attitude, my heart and all of my desires, bringing me closer to Him, one moment at a time.
It hurts. A lot. Sometimes more than I would like to admit to myself. He just breaks me, so He can have all of me and transform me from there.

One thing I went into this weekend with was thought of big prayers. BIG ones. Praying the ones that you think are impossible. The more I learn about prayer is that yes, God answers prayers (my life and I are living proof of that), but He kinda takes His own route. Praying for something big may not look big on the outside--it may be big on the inside. It may not even come in large flashing lights. Lava is a good metaphor. Something slow, that you can't always see on the surface, but can't stop the effects of once it's moving. This is often how God works. The thing is, when God works to change hearts, it's is a slow process sometimes, and it takes awhile for it to show how it's supposed to. But God, He has His ways. We just need to step out of the way and let Him work, and not depend on measurable results.

I also learned something that I probably should have long ago. I do not need a specific people group to reach out to, I do not need a heart for a specific place to go spread the gospel or work with. I need a heart for ALL PEOPLE, lost or saved, black or white, Spanish or German, virgin or not, handicapped or whole, boy or girl, gay or straight, damaged or fine, Pashtun or Chadian, Shelbyville or Princeton.............



With my everyday life, my job is to leave a legacy. One pointing back to Christ.

This is what I remember when school gets in the way, when there is no name for feelings I feel, when I am so confused, when I fail, when I'm late to class and blank on a test, when I take on too much to do, when I miss my family or my pets, when I trip and scrape my knee. This redeeming love is something I can no longer contain.

Romans 6:17-19, 2 Corinthians 5:17


 
My should cries out, holy, holy
My heart is lost in your beauty
All hope is found in your mercy
You paid the price
So I am finally free!

 

4.08.2014

You Will Lead Us

Sometimes God calls us to confusing things. Or rather, they are confusing to us in the moment. This is me right now. I see only the tip of the iceberg in all that God is doing and about to do in my life. Right now, in this time where I have to be patient in waiting for direction and long-term decision guidance, I have to have the hope that God gives me, that He will lead me through the storm. I also have continue to kill my flesh, fall more in love with God and His son and tell others about the peace I have in HIM! Waiting just takes a lot of faith.

So now, I need prayers for discernment, for I no longer desire to act on anything that comes from me because I'm just gonna make a mistake. God's timing and words, I know, are just so much more than mine.


 

In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won't walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

In the silence, You won't let go
In my questions, Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse
Shining in the darkness, I will follow You
My Lighthouse, my Lighthouse
I will trust the promise,
You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Safe to shore

I won't fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I'll rise and sing
My God's love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

Fire before us, You're the brightest
You will lead us through the storms



My Lighthouse

By Rend Collective Experiment


4.03.2014

Input and Output

Well, well, well.


It just clicks sometimes, doesn't it?

This discontent I had been feeling now makes sense. With all the inpouring I have been receiving from so many people and so much time spent with them in the Word, I felt limited in my outpouring. In Princeton and at Dnows, I simply have a week or weekend  just to give back and share what I was learning and give apart of me to others. Now that I'm back, I have to be able to translate that into my daily, daily, life.

I really like being surprised by God and what He does with this. What He puts in my life, and what He reveals to me--the things that are already there right in front of me.

What I've learned to do more is expect. Expect results because God shows up. In so many way, at so many times, the whole world is subject to Him (Philippians 3:20-21)


 

 


4.02.2014

How Much We Need It



I am just sitting here typing, and just enjoying the fact that I can just use my blog to glorify God. Seriously, I just get to write about how good He is. This is something that makes me happy, and the hope that I remember I have just fills my heart so much. It's such an everyday thing.The trust that we put in Him brings forth peace, especially in the times of trouble that come. He just makes my heart so glad, with His peace and how He is teaching me to expect results, to expect His care and comfort and provision--how much we need it!


"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death."
Psalms 68:19-20