Waiting here for You

"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the good that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you" John 6:27

God's answer to our prayer is to just sit down and believe. Without Him, we have nothing- we are so sinful and so weak and so deceived, yet God can overcome ALL of that. How beautiful is it that our Father looks with us with love and delight, despite all of our evil ways, and loves us, HIS BRIDE, as He loves His son. That is breathtaking for me to imagine. I can't explain how this fulfills my hearts deepest desires and my true acceptance with God. I pray that God will not let a day go by without reminding me of this and to make me independent because I am so worthless without Him.

Feast on God's love, His truth, and the beauty of His words:

• He loved you and chose you before the earth was created (Eph. 1:4)
• Even though you were intentionally fighting against him as his enemy, he loved you and intentionally died in your place(Rom. 5:10)
• You have been completely absolved of all your sins, even those you have yet to commit (Col. 1:14)
• The record of all your sin has been obliterated (Col. 2:14)
• The record of his perfect life has been applied to you (2 Cor. 5:21)
• His Father has permanently adopted you as a beloved child (Eph. 1:5)
• He has placed his Spirit within you as a guarantee that you will persevere (Eph. 1:13)
• He is guarding you every moment of every day (1 Pet. 1:5)
• He is faithful to care for you even in the midst of trials (1 Cor. 10:13)
• One day you will take your first step into light, and that eternal journey will bring you more joy and blessing that you can ever imagine (Ps. 16:11)

Sit down; eat, drink, and believe.
"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" John 6:35

Are you like Mary or Martha?

I'm always in a rush. A rush to school, to work, to work out, to tan, to eat, to do homework before its due the next night......

This morning I woke up late because I was tired from staying up the night before doing a last minute book report due before 8:30 AM the next morning. I rushed around to get ready and go observe for 4 hours at an elementary school, then I knew I would have to rush straight to work shortly after I was done observing. While I was sitting in class, observing these precious 2nd graders, I thought to myself of everything I have to get done today......class, work, grocery store, tan, work out, eat, pick my sister up to run errands.....the list went on and on. I was starting to stress myself out and worry like I promised myself over and over I would not do.

Out of some miracle, I actually got home a little earlier than expected, just enough time to eat and pick up around the house. As I was starting to put up the dishes a crystal clear thought ran through my head about the story of Mary and Martha.....for those of you who don't know the story, let me lay it out for you:

Martha and Mary offered hospitality to Jesus. Mary sat and listened to him as he talked, but Martha objected to the fact that she was left with all the work. Jesus told Martha not to worry about small things, but to concentrate on what was important.

"As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Convicting enough? Sure was for me. God brought my own sin before my eyes and brought me to my knees. Sometimes we tend to get a little aggravated when our own parents call us out on a lie or on some sort of action we did that was wrong, but the older I get, the more I realize how incredibly thankful I am for that kind of love. Not only will our earthly parents point out our wrong doings, but our Heavenly Father convicts us of our sins in order for us to run straight to Him.

So what did I do? I slammed that dish washer door shut and came into my bedroom and cried out to my Father. He longs for that kind of relationship where we just can cry out to Him. We don't have to go into some deep, meaningful prayer just to cry out to our God. Repeating His name over and over and over is just as important to His heart than anything else.

God reminded me that I need to quit being in such a rush; to take one day at a time and to see His beauty and grace through every bit of it. That's true love. That's everlasting love.

God is still in control. Even when we seem far off from His will, we aren't. Just look beside you. He is right there, holding our hands every step of the way. Listen to Him, praise His name, glorify Him in everything you do. And when you seem to get off track, remember that He is only a cry away.

What a blessing......thank you Lord, thank you.....

Winter Snow

Could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow
You were quiet
You were soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still
It was small
It was hidden

You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Falling
To the earth below
You came falling
From the sky in the night
To the earth below


(Praise our Father for His beautiful grace and mercy)

My soul cries out for You

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:26-27

Where to start? Since I can remember I have always had a passion to be with kids. I was never sure exactly how- maybe I wanted to be a housewife and have 5 kids, maybe I wanted to be a teacher, or work in the hospital with sick kids. It wasn't until this past year that I knew exactly why God had laid this feeling and desires in my heart. I have a calling to go help children overseas. I know this for a fact. God has spoken to me over and over and shown me what He wants me to do. But now it's all up to me to complete God's works He has for me. Easier said than done....

God tells us over and over to drop what we have that's so meaningless and to care for others and love them the way He loves us. Whether that has to do with giving away more money, spending more time with the homeless and poor, or spreading the gospel in places that forbid it all. It's all about obedience. Why can't God be enough for some of us? Why do we feel more comfortable in our American bubble with all our money and homes and warm beds than go out and love on these poor innocent people who have not even half of the things we are blessed with here in America. God has given us the life we have, we should be so thankful, but we should also be willing to give it ALL right back. We don't deserve ANY of this. But because God is so faithful, so loving, so caring, so amazing, so perfect in every way possible that we are able to receive His undeserving grace and mercy.

We weren't placed on this earth to enjoy all the worldly materials possible or have the most romantic relationships between one another you could ever imagine......those are just bonuses God will bless us with IF we follow His word and IF we live according to His will. No that doesn't mean showing up the church every Sunday morning or Wednesday night that the doors are opened- it means developing a TRUE, DEEP, and MEANINGFUL relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

So in saying all of this, it is through my relationship with Christ that He has opened my eyes to letting me see exactly what it is He wants me to do with the gifts He has blessed me with (for now at least!) Isn't that something else amazing? God could completely change our path that He is leading us on to something totally drastic and different. And maybe those transitions are hard and we don't understand, but He is building our character and teaching us things through those moments that we would have never realized otherwise.

For now, all I'm asking for are deep, sincere prayers. Pray that God continues to break my heart for what breaks His, pray for God's touch, pray that I allow God to take complete and total control over my future and these situations coming up, and most importantly- pray for others. God has promised us that He will take care of us and I have complete faith in that. God is constantly creating us into something new. He never fails.....He is always right....

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Luke 21:33

You've been warned

This morning I was reading in James 3 about wisdom from above. I was going to only read that certain chapter in James but the more I kept reading and investing my heart into God, the more my interest was being drawn into more and more of James. I read in James 4 about warning against worldliness and this is what God brought to my attention...

I remember always thinking it is okay to watch certain movies and listen to certain music; that God really doesn't think it's that bad, but the truth is it IS bad. I am conforming myself to this world and not to God's kingdom. I am becoming a friend of the world and making myself an enemy of God. I know I am by no means perfect, but I should constantly be striving to become more like Jesus every single day. In James 4 it repeats itself over and over by saying such things as DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU- SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD, RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU- CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE THE LORD, AND HE WILL EXALT YOU.

Why aren't these promises enough for us? We can sit here all day long and say amen to all of those things, but we DO NOT live by any of this. We are lukewarm Christians and God tells us that he hates lukewarm Christians- that He will spit those out of His mouth.

What if God was a lukewarm God? What if God only halfheartedly loved us?

Next time we turn on the radio and hear people singing about sex and drugs and alcohol, lets think a little bit about how God feels about our hearts being exposed to that mess.

God loves us for who we are, but that doesn't mean that we can continue to be that way.

Here is something to think about:

“I hear religious minded people say all the time with good intentions. ‘God will never place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it.’
Really? My experience is that God will place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it alone. He will break your back and your will. He will buckle your legs until you fall flat beneath the crushing weight of your load. All the while He will walk beside you waiting for you to come to the point where you must depend on Him.
‘My power is made perfect in your weakness,’ He says, as we strain under our burden.
Whatever the burden, it might indeed get worse, but know this-God is faithful. And while we change and get old, He does not. When we get weaker, He remains strong. And in our weakness and humility, He offers us true, lasting, transforming, and undeserved grace.”

-Greg Lucas

Sacrifice of Praise

How can we serve God with our worship?

How often do we think about this question? How often do we try to glorify God through everything we do? God wants us all, and trust me, He is most definitley worth it all.

Through God we should conitnually make sacrifices pleasing to Him to show our love and need for Him. We should not neglect to show others how great our God is through our worship- it pleases God. (Hebrews 13:15-16)

We should constantly be in tune with God- worshiping Him in the good AND bad times in our life. As children of God, we need to shoot for the heart of God and trust in Him knowing that He knows exactly what He is doing.

I fail, over and over again, but through God's grace I am forgiven and am given the chance to become more like Jesus every single day. It's so hard to stay focused with what all is going around us in the world, but God promises us that if we just stay faithful to Him that He will pull us out from all this mess and give us eternity in a perfect place- How amazing is that? I don't know about you but that feeling of eternity with my Father is what keeps me going every single day. God's mercy gives me fuel because I know that NOTHING can seperate us from the love of Christ.

God wants us to have an intense focus in our worship. It's hard, and honestly exhausting, but so worth it. God is worth every bit that we have because in all truth, we belong to Him. He made us, He created us, He loved us before we were made, He gave us this life, He gave us mercy and grace, He gave us His son to die for us, and He will never ever, ever fail us.

Look at your heart, what do you see? How do people see you and your love for Christ? We must constantly worship in spirit and in truth. God wants our FULL attention- give it to Him.

"When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of our deeds from before your eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."
Isaiah 11:15-17

Being called to wait.

Over the past few months God has asked me to wait. Well, the bad thing about that is I am a very impatient person so when I knew this is what God wants for me right now, I almost wanted to laugh. But in this time of waiting, my eyes have been opened to seeing so many things that I would have never been able to see if God had not pulled me aside from my worldly ways and continually asked me to wait. God is so faithful and always knows what He is doing. It's so hard to depend on that fact that He has a perfect plan for us, but if we just wait, spend time in prayer, and seek His face- He will open our hearts like never before.

Here is a lesson I have been studying about being called to wait- read it, over and over, let God speak to you through it and trust in Him in your time of waiting.

SPIRITUAL MUSCLES
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14

Waiting for the Lord isn't about God forgetting you, forsaking you, or being unfaithful to his promises. It's actually God giving you time to consider his glory and to grow stronger in faith. Remember, waiting isn't just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.

It's so easy to question our beliefs when we are not sure what exactly God is doing. It's so easy to give way to doubt and to forsake good habits and to take up habits of unfaith that weaken the muscles of our hearts.

Giving way to doubt. When you are called to wait, you are being called to do something that wasn't part of your plan and is therefore something that you struggle to see as good. Because we are convinced that what we want is right and good, it doesn't seem loving that we are being asked to wait. So you can see how tempting it is then to begin to consider questions of Gods wisdom, goodness, and love.

Giving way to anger. It's so easy to look around and begin to think that the bad guys are being bless and the good guys are getting hammered (I'm so guilty of this). There are times when it simply doesn't seem right that you have to wait for something that seems so obviously good to you. Because of this, it's important to understand that the anger you feel in these moments is more than anger with the people or circumstances that are the visible cause for your waiting. No, your anger is actually anger with the One who is in control of those people and those circumstances. You are actually giving way to thinking that you have been wronged by him.

Giving way to discouragement. This is where we let our hearts run away with the idea that "If only..." or "What if...". This kind of meditation makes us feel that our life is out of control. Rather than our heart being filled with joy, our hearts get flooded with worry and dread. Free mental time is spent considering our dark future, with all the resulting discouragement that will always follow.

Giving way to envy. It's so tempting to look over the fence and wish for the life of someone who doesn't appear to have been called to wait. You can't give way to envy without questioning God's wisdom and love. Envy is about feeling forgotten and forsaken, coupled with a craving to have what your neighbor enjoys.

Giving way to inactivity. The result of giving way to all of these things is inactivity. If God isn't as good and wise as I once thought he was, if he withholds good things from his children, and if he plays favorites, then why would we continue to pursue him? Maybe all those habits of faith aren't helping us after all; maybe we've just been kidding ourselves. Sadly, this is the course many people take. Rather than growing in their faith, their motivation for spiritual exercise is destroyed by all of this things.

Always, always, always remember that God's timing is perfect and his focus isn't so much what we will experience, but on what we will become as we wait. God is committed to using every tool at his disposal to rescue us from ourselves and to shape us into the likeness of his Son. The fact is that waiting is one of his primary shaping tools.

Think about it...

• Where right now is God calling you to wait?
• Which habits of unfaith are most tempting to you? What is God calling you to do to resist these temptations by his grace?