How my blog has sat stagnant for the last several months. Waiting. Much has happened since I last wrote.
My mom discovered a book called One Thousand Gifts. Beauty in giving thanks is its essence. It inspires me to write. To see beauty in all things, especially the hard, the difficult, the ugly.
My journey to thankfulness has been a slow beginning. But it began. Emotion- a stream of tears-came when this book provoked a dear brother in Christ to share, to heal---it produced a deep healing of the wounds a sister and friend left on the world she left behind. Thankfulness brings healing. Thankfulness reminds you of the good, not the bad. It doesn't diminish the bad it brings the good to the surface, like a light shining through darkened clouds. His testimony of healing encouraged me to remember good.
My friend became a mother. She now holds a life. A soul. A beloved little child. I was reminded today that our faith must be as a child to enter the kingdom of God.
Rain pours outside my glass window. My room, decorated with lovely trinkets, books, vintage handmade cards, pressed flowers. I sit atop a cloud of white flowery petals and leaves, a blanket of warmth. The sound of popping is heard from the glass as the droplets of water hit my concrete yard. Heavy downpour. Stop. The sun doesn't have a chance to shine today, but it shines in my heart, He shines. His pleasure, filling, pouring. God above reminding me that as I pour out to Him, my heart, He is pouring into me. I was reminded of this on a beautiful, not dreary day, Monday at Bible study.
Romans 5:5- "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been POURED out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Always Reforming
I have so much to write that I'll be posting again, and though I've talked about consistency in blogging before, my hope is to truly be consistent and keep you all atune to all that God is stirring. My hope in the subsequent posts is to spur you on, to encourage you, to make you think, to call you to something more, to keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus. And among it all, blogging will allow me a great way of recording my thoughts and feelings in order that I might remind myself of the greatness and faithfulness of my God.
First off, I highly encourage REST to be one of the top priorities of your lifestyle. We must always be reforming which means we must always be assessing our lifestyle. Looking for ways to change, evaluating what we are doing and determining if what we are doing is actually working. Rest in order that you might LISTEN and THINK.
We must come to a place where we think about what we are thinking about. But in the thinking, take action. Begin to do. Begin to press through. Begin to PRAY.
If one must always be reforming, always changing, one must be steadfast in seeking the Lord.
One must have a full grasp on WHO he believes in WHY he believes in him and must die to the flesh DAILY. One must recognize that they as a Christian have the POWER and the AUTHORITY to no longer walk in the flesh and that they have power to cast out the pervasive darkness in the world through Christ.
Always reforming means your not thinking like the world is thinking. You're not doing what the world is doing. The means asssessing everything through the lens of Christ. This means taking apart Scripture, bit by bit. This means meditating. This means allowing God to change. This means allowing God to fill you. This means allowing God to pervade everything and change the way you view the media, music, government, politics, and every field and occupation. This means going AGAINST the worlds standards of success and fully grasping that success comes from the Lord. Fully grasping that we are called to be IN the world but not OF it. Which means coming to grips with being completely different. Coming to terms with a flesh that wars and a calling that asks for you to loose all that you might gain all. It's calling for a people who will ACT upon the Word of God instead of getting into a rut, becoming hopeless, and complacent. He's calling for a Bride who fully embraces her calling as the Bride. Who is so in Love with Christ. Who doesn't worry about tomorrow, who doesn't worry about having a husband. One who is eagerly preparing herself for the ultimate wedding day. One who cultivates a helpful, humble, gentle, quiet, loving (most of all) spirit. He is calling us as women to serve Him and Him alone and by serving Him to serve our families well. To find our high calling as daughers in our father's house. To beseech the Lord and ask Him for His heart for others. To be the hands and feet to those in the community, to those in the church (a topic for another day...so much to say), and to ultimately spread the Gospel by our influence in EVERY area of society.
I must close not but will write again soon.
First off, I highly encourage REST to be one of the top priorities of your lifestyle. We must always be reforming which means we must always be assessing our lifestyle. Looking for ways to change, evaluating what we are doing and determining if what we are doing is actually working. Rest in order that you might LISTEN and THINK.
We must come to a place where we think about what we are thinking about. But in the thinking, take action. Begin to do. Begin to press through. Begin to PRAY.
If one must always be reforming, always changing, one must be steadfast in seeking the Lord.
One must have a full grasp on WHO he believes in WHY he believes in him and must die to the flesh DAILY. One must recognize that they as a Christian have the POWER and the AUTHORITY to no longer walk in the flesh and that they have power to cast out the pervasive darkness in the world through Christ.
Always reforming means your not thinking like the world is thinking. You're not doing what the world is doing. The means asssessing everything through the lens of Christ. This means taking apart Scripture, bit by bit. This means meditating. This means allowing God to change. This means allowing God to fill you. This means allowing God to pervade everything and change the way you view the media, music, government, politics, and every field and occupation. This means going AGAINST the worlds standards of success and fully grasping that success comes from the Lord. Fully grasping that we are called to be IN the world but not OF it. Which means coming to grips with being completely different. Coming to terms with a flesh that wars and a calling that asks for you to loose all that you might gain all. It's calling for a people who will ACT upon the Word of God instead of getting into a rut, becoming hopeless, and complacent. He's calling for a Bride who fully embraces her calling as the Bride. Who is so in Love with Christ. Who doesn't worry about tomorrow, who doesn't worry about having a husband. One who is eagerly preparing herself for the ultimate wedding day. One who cultivates a helpful, humble, gentle, quiet, loving (most of all) spirit. He is calling us as women to serve Him and Him alone and by serving Him to serve our families well. To find our high calling as daughers in our father's house. To beseech the Lord and ask Him for His heart for others. To be the hands and feet to those in the community, to those in the church (a topic for another day...so much to say), and to ultimately spread the Gospel by our influence in EVERY area of society.
I must close not but will write again soon.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
2 Timothy 3:1-7
Flipping through my Bible this morning, I was trying to find all the places, in the New Testament, that talked about the end times. Specifically the signs of the times. My eyes fell upon the title in 2 Timothy 3- "Perilous Times and Perilous Men" it says the following:
3:1-7
"But know this, that in the last days perilous time will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women, loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Those in bold are what really stuck out to me. Reading it again, even more stick out to me as being so true in today's generation.
How interesting it is that this passage begins with men being lovers of themselves. One must love himself, but not to an extreme of loving himself so much that he loses sight of others and places so much emphasis on himself that he believes that he is able to do everything in his own strength. We must die to ourselves daily. We must know WHO we are in Christ and not label ourselves by the worlds standards. Who are we to think that we are something without Christ?
Onto those that stuck out to me the most:
Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
~ What comes to mind as I read this is religion. Pure religion instead of relationship. Labels. How we put a look and a label to christianity. How we say and do all the good and right things when God doesn't look at the outward appearance, He looks at our heart. This goes to the deepest core of relationship. A relationship with our Creator (and the list can go on and on about who God is), a relationship that embodies holiness and righteousness through Christ alone, and recognizing the power. The word form shows me that we literally have our own picture or structure of what godliness should look like which limits, confines and restrains its purpose and power. What is the power of godliness? I'll investigate this further and let you know my discoveries.....
Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
~What a statement! To be honest, I've certainly felt this way before, but in the right sense. Learning from the Lord through His word and through confirmation from other people, but not actually stepping out and doing anything about it, or not completely knowing what to do with the information given to me. This statement contrasts this similiar feeling but ends with the fact of never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The very essense of the truth. In the verse after this it talks about how they resist the truth. Essentially, those who are always learning but never letting the truth sink in deep, instead putting their time and effort into learning more and more, when it comes down to coming to the full knowledge and understanding of the truth---Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. Ultimately, the ability to come to the knowledge of the truth is deeply rooted in truly knowing Truth (Jesus/Father/Holy Spirit) not just with the mind but with the spirit, actually being able to live the truth, and walk in the fullness.
So, do we have a grasp of what godliness is? Are we walking in the godly manner outlined in Scripture and not the worlds form of godliness? Are we seeking Truth Himself to give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding into who we are in Him, who He is, and how He desires us to walk in the knowledge He gives us as He draws us closer and calls us to be One with Himself?
3:1-7
"But know this, that in the last days perilous time will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women, loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Those in bold are what really stuck out to me. Reading it again, even more stick out to me as being so true in today's generation.
How interesting it is that this passage begins with men being lovers of themselves. One must love himself, but not to an extreme of loving himself so much that he loses sight of others and places so much emphasis on himself that he believes that he is able to do everything in his own strength. We must die to ourselves daily. We must know WHO we are in Christ and not label ourselves by the worlds standards. Who are we to think that we are something without Christ?
Onto those that stuck out to me the most:
Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
~ What comes to mind as I read this is religion. Pure religion instead of relationship. Labels. How we put a look and a label to christianity. How we say and do all the good and right things when God doesn't look at the outward appearance, He looks at our heart. This goes to the deepest core of relationship. A relationship with our Creator (and the list can go on and on about who God is), a relationship that embodies holiness and righteousness through Christ alone, and recognizing the power. The word form shows me that we literally have our own picture or structure of what godliness should look like which limits, confines and restrains its purpose and power. What is the power of godliness? I'll investigate this further and let you know my discoveries.....
Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
~What a statement! To be honest, I've certainly felt this way before, but in the right sense. Learning from the Lord through His word and through confirmation from other people, but not actually stepping out and doing anything about it, or not completely knowing what to do with the information given to me. This statement contrasts this similiar feeling but ends with the fact of never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The very essense of the truth. In the verse after this it talks about how they resist the truth. Essentially, those who are always learning but never letting the truth sink in deep, instead putting their time and effort into learning more and more, when it comes down to coming to the full knowledge and understanding of the truth---Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. Ultimately, the ability to come to the knowledge of the truth is deeply rooted in truly knowing Truth (Jesus/Father/Holy Spirit) not just with the mind but with the spirit, actually being able to live the truth, and walk in the fullness.
So, do we have a grasp of what godliness is? Are we walking in the godly manner outlined in Scripture and not the worlds form of godliness? Are we seeking Truth Himself to give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding into who we are in Him, who He is, and how He desires us to walk in the knowledge He gives us as He draws us closer and calls us to be One with Himself?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
You make everything NEW :)
My final test for spring semester is over and I'm gearing up for a dynamic session of Spanish this summer. Until then, I hope to blog what's going on in my heart as I eagerly look forward to the future.
This past week, I had the great opportunity to travel over 1300 miles to Tulsa OK to see my dear friend graduate from Oral Roberts University. My heart was filled with the Lord's peace though the entire trip. The Lord doesn't usually speak to me through visions or pictures, but on the first evening of our drive, I awoke from sleeping and the car was buzzing with anxiety, as our car was slowly driving through a terential bought of rain. The driver was the most anxious and was giving commands to the passenger to "Look for signs! Look for lodging!". Amongst all the comotionm the comical, hard to follow, British book on tape was still blaring in the foreground. Through all of this, I felt a peace. As I awoke from my dazy slumber, the clear picture came to mind of Jesus on the boat, sleeping. He was right in the middle of pouring rain from the tumultuous storm. I felt like Jesus at that moment. When all others around me were freaking out, I felt no anxiety, instead a sweet peace swept over me. The peace lingered the entirety of the trip though I felt irritated at times. I was refreshed by the unity and community I saw on the campus. I was greatly encouraged and moved to tears by the words of the graduates who had achieved the most outstanding student awards. Their words were filled with hope for the future and emboddied a clear picture of all that they had taken away from their college experience. I felt a strong witness of the spirit of the Lord as Oral Roberts vision was spoken several times during my stay. "Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased."
I came away wanting to go to Oral Roberts but I'm pretty certain that's not where he would have me to go. But, I can be encouraged to see that there is a place that is walking in the ways of the Lord. My next post will be all about what I'm feeling stirred to press into this fall. I'd like to start blogging some insights into the Word as well.
This past week, I had the great opportunity to travel over 1300 miles to Tulsa OK to see my dear friend graduate from Oral Roberts University. My heart was filled with the Lord's peace though the entire trip. The Lord doesn't usually speak to me through visions or pictures, but on the first evening of our drive, I awoke from sleeping and the car was buzzing with anxiety, as our car was slowly driving through a terential bought of rain. The driver was the most anxious and was giving commands to the passenger to "Look for signs! Look for lodging!". Amongst all the comotionm the comical, hard to follow, British book on tape was still blaring in the foreground. Through all of this, I felt a peace. As I awoke from my dazy slumber, the clear picture came to mind of Jesus on the boat, sleeping. He was right in the middle of pouring rain from the tumultuous storm. I felt like Jesus at that moment. When all others around me were freaking out, I felt no anxiety, instead a sweet peace swept over me. The peace lingered the entirety of the trip though I felt irritated at times. I was refreshed by the unity and community I saw on the campus. I was greatly encouraged and moved to tears by the words of the graduates who had achieved the most outstanding student awards. Their words were filled with hope for the future and emboddied a clear picture of all that they had taken away from their college experience. I felt a strong witness of the spirit of the Lord as Oral Roberts vision was spoken several times during my stay. "Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased."
I came away wanting to go to Oral Roberts but I'm pretty certain that's not where he would have me to go. But, I can be encouraged to see that there is a place that is walking in the ways of the Lord. My next post will be all about what I'm feeling stirred to press into this fall. I'd like to start blogging some insights into the Word as well.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Other
Well, it's been quite a while since I've blogged. Personally or publically. How it is so good to record our thoughts and be able to share things that might encourage another in their walk.
Living Waters has been such a wonderful journey.
I've learned:
-I can't do anything in my own strenght.
-I need to really grasp the importance of the cross.
-It's a process. Everything that God does in my life isn't going to be instant. The suffering I experience here is meant to draw me closer to the One who knew, the One who knows, and the One who is allowing, guiding, directing, pruning, and refining me through it.
-God loves me for me. I am loved. Really, I am worth loving. And, He alone is the One who helps me to love others.
-He is calling me out of striving and into surrender. He is showing me how to press my hurt into the cross.
-Living Waters has given me a desire for the fullness of the Spirit.
-It has shown me a new way to view the opposite sex whom we should refer to as the other sex.
The last point is the topic I wish to discuss briefly.
In today's society, we view male and female through a tainted lense. We view that as an object of possession, as something that can benifit us. We view each other as opposite. Though it is true that we are opposite, we are quite similiar as well. The core similarity is one we don't tend to remember often enough: Male and Female are created in the image of God and are thus image bearers of God. That's right. We bear the image of the Most High. The Creator.
Oh, if our view of the opposite was instead the other, viewing them as image bearer, created to bring glory to God. In our selfish ambitions, in a fallen world that has twisted what was good and turned it into evil, we tend to sexualize and idolize the other, beginning usually in our thoughts which leads to acting out towards the other in a way that is not honoring.
How can we love the other well in a society where the norm is the complete opposite?
-don't be conformed to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind
-stay in the Word, keep Christ as center of all you do
-view the other as an image bearer of Christ and begin to see them as Christ see's them
-in conversation, keep Christ as center
-know your boundaries, what triggers you, and ask the Lord to help you take every thought captive
-die to selfish desires and self
There is more to write and in greater detail but the hour is late.
Living Waters has been such a wonderful journey.
I've learned:
-I can't do anything in my own strenght.
-I need to really grasp the importance of the cross.
-It's a process. Everything that God does in my life isn't going to be instant. The suffering I experience here is meant to draw me closer to the One who knew, the One who knows, and the One who is allowing, guiding, directing, pruning, and refining me through it.
-God loves me for me. I am loved. Really, I am worth loving. And, He alone is the One who helps me to love others.
-He is calling me out of striving and into surrender. He is showing me how to press my hurt into the cross.
-Living Waters has given me a desire for the fullness of the Spirit.
-It has shown me a new way to view the opposite sex whom we should refer to as the other sex.
The last point is the topic I wish to discuss briefly.
In today's society, we view male and female through a tainted lense. We view that as an object of possession, as something that can benifit us. We view each other as opposite. Though it is true that we are opposite, we are quite similiar as well. The core similarity is one we don't tend to remember often enough: Male and Female are created in the image of God and are thus image bearers of God. That's right. We bear the image of the Most High. The Creator.
Oh, if our view of the opposite was instead the other, viewing them as image bearer, created to bring glory to God. In our selfish ambitions, in a fallen world that has twisted what was good and turned it into evil, we tend to sexualize and idolize the other, beginning usually in our thoughts which leads to acting out towards the other in a way that is not honoring.
How can we love the other well in a society where the norm is the complete opposite?
-don't be conformed to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind
-stay in the Word, keep Christ as center of all you do
-view the other as an image bearer of Christ and begin to see them as Christ see's them
-in conversation, keep Christ as center
-know your boundaries, what triggers you, and ask the Lord to help you take every thought captive
-die to selfish desires and self
There is more to write and in greater detail but the hour is late.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
I might as well write
Well, I've been home, since all day yesterday, and all day today, due to feeling a bit under the weather. Life really completley stops when I get sick. I find it's really the only time that I genuinly REST. Yes, I still go online, blog, watch movies, try to read, watch movies, do puzzels if I muster up enough energy, but I don't go anywhere. I stay home.
Maybe if I rested more often I wouldn't become sick and HAVE to rest out of necessity. Resting should be like drinking water. It should be apart of my day. Resting goes hand in hand with reflection and quiet times with the Lord. Being still and doing nothing are completly different things (some wise sage wrote on the white board on the fridge). How true this statement is. Do we in this society know what it means to be still? To not do anything? How much more would we hear the voice of the Lord?
Maybe if I rested more often I wouldn't become sick and HAVE to rest out of necessity. Resting should be like drinking water. It should be apart of my day. Resting goes hand in hand with reflection and quiet times with the Lord. Being still and doing nothing are completly different things (some wise sage wrote on the white board on the fridge). How true this statement is. Do we in this society know what it means to be still? To not do anything? How much more would we hear the voice of the Lord?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Rest, just rest
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light
Luke 10
Mary and Martha-----
Be like Mary who chose the better part: sitting at the feet of Christ. Learning from His Word.
Don't be anxious or worried.
I just read a post from a friend who talked about revival. It made me think. I have been so spurred to do something with ministry and the Lord is preparing my heart NOW. He is making me ready to do what He is calling me to do. But, I can't just jump in without being prepared. Without the Lord first breaking my heart and healing it. Essentially, without being revived. :) I'm just now seeing that in order to get to that place of giving to others, I must be filled myself. Like a cup that is filled, I must pray that I am filled to overflowing, so that I can give to others from the overflow of what He has given to me. We can't revive others if we are not first revived ourselves. We as Christians must take time, seasons even, to reflect on what the Lord is doing in our lives, where we are, going to places that hurt, feeling the angquish of God. I could go into more on this but maybe at a later time.
Another thing that has been stirring in me is PRAYER. How important it is and how it is lacking in my life. Prayer is talking. Talking to God. It's relationship. How much time do we spend prioritizing our life around relationship with others when our relationship with our Creator is lacking? Is placed on a checklist at the bottom of the list? Or at the end of our day when we are exausted? We must get to a place where reading the Word and talking to God is like walking. We don't really have to contemplate it, we just do it because we have to, in order to get to where we need to go, it's essential. It's who we are. When will our lives come to a place where God is made the center of all that we do? Everything is centered around Christ! When will we get to a place where we actually walk out what His word commands us to do?
CAST YOUR CARE. COME TO ME. TAKE MY YOKE. LEARN FROM ME.
We have to come to a place where we are so in-tune, so connected to God, that He is our all in all. He is really the only one who truly satisfies our desires and longings. How much more could we give to others if we had such a relationship with our Father!!! We must know Who's we are, but fully content with who we are, relish in who God says we are, and do what His Word calls us to do.
How do we go from talking about it, penning it, mulling over it, to actually DOING it?
JUST DO IT. Be honest. Rest and be still. Being still and doing nothing are two completly different things. Focus your mind. Remind yourself of who He is and what He has done for you. Relish on who He is. Find a place to go. Don't rely on others to get you there! Work our your own souls salvation with fear and trembling. Journal. Periodically reflect on what the Lord has been showing and confirming in your spirit.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light
Luke 10
Mary and Martha-----
Be like Mary who chose the better part: sitting at the feet of Christ. Learning from His Word.
Don't be anxious or worried.
I just read a post from a friend who talked about revival. It made me think. I have been so spurred to do something with ministry and the Lord is preparing my heart NOW. He is making me ready to do what He is calling me to do. But, I can't just jump in without being prepared. Without the Lord first breaking my heart and healing it. Essentially, without being revived. :) I'm just now seeing that in order to get to that place of giving to others, I must be filled myself. Like a cup that is filled, I must pray that I am filled to overflowing, so that I can give to others from the overflow of what He has given to me. We can't revive others if we are not first revived ourselves. We as Christians must take time, seasons even, to reflect on what the Lord is doing in our lives, where we are, going to places that hurt, feeling the angquish of God. I could go into more on this but maybe at a later time.
Another thing that has been stirring in me is PRAYER. How important it is and how it is lacking in my life. Prayer is talking. Talking to God. It's relationship. How much time do we spend prioritizing our life around relationship with others when our relationship with our Creator is lacking? Is placed on a checklist at the bottom of the list? Or at the end of our day when we are exausted? We must get to a place where reading the Word and talking to God is like walking. We don't really have to contemplate it, we just do it because we have to, in order to get to where we need to go, it's essential. It's who we are. When will our lives come to a place where God is made the center of all that we do? Everything is centered around Christ! When will we get to a place where we actually walk out what His word commands us to do?
CAST YOUR CARE. COME TO ME. TAKE MY YOKE. LEARN FROM ME.
We have to come to a place where we are so in-tune, so connected to God, that He is our all in all. He is really the only one who truly satisfies our desires and longings. How much more could we give to others if we had such a relationship with our Father!!! We must know Who's we are, but fully content with who we are, relish in who God says we are, and do what His Word calls us to do.
How do we go from talking about it, penning it, mulling over it, to actually DOING it?
JUST DO IT. Be honest. Rest and be still. Being still and doing nothing are two completly different things. Focus your mind. Remind yourself of who He is and what He has done for you. Relish on who He is. Find a place to go. Don't rely on others to get you there! Work our your own souls salvation with fear and trembling. Journal. Periodically reflect on what the Lord has been showing and confirming in your spirit.
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