We are an ugly people.
We sin. We judge. We fall. We say harsh words, we do harsh things. We forget. We lose sight of God. We don't know how to love. We choose sometimes not to love. We don't give people chances. We fail. We hurt. We hurt others. We hurt ourselves. We are fearful. We are merciless. We quarrel. We want revenge...
and so it goes on....
We are an ugly people. We will always be messing up, making mistakes, failing, until the return of Jesus Christ and we are with Him in eternity and in our new bodies, our sinless, heavenly bodies.
We really don't help each other. Majority of the time, we just dishearten people, we upset people, we hurt people without realizing we are doing it.
My heart is really sad right now. knowing that this world is full of sin, and that I have to live in it and amidst it and see what it does to people and witness it first hand as well as know that I at times have a part of all of the ugliness. It's also very frustrating, but mostly, sad.
But I just have to look to God. He sent His Son to die for this world. To die for me. To die for you. His Love is perfect. We are His beloved. He is all we need. He has made us pure, righteous, clean, holy. He has made us beautiful. Yet all to often, we forget that, because we are so caught up in ourselves and in the world. We just have to embrace Him. And everything that this world throws our way, take it with Him. In Him. In His strength, His Love, His might, His courage, His truth, His grace, His mercy. He is the judge. He Is Love.
Where is our vision? What is our perspective? What is the source of our reactions? Our words? Our emotions? God should be the center of everything in us. God should be who we fear, not people. God should be who we please, not people. God should be who we tell things to first. God should be our judge, not others. God should be our everything...
and so it goes on...
:) God makes us beautiful...(new creation)
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins...He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:13-14,17
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
My God is Greater
We forget how awesome God is. How powerful He is. How might to save He is.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith..."
Hebrews 12:2(a)
One thing I am learning and being reminded of...(from the book Crazy Love-took another look at the first few chapters...forgot how awesome it was and through God and His word...)is that God is the only one who can change people. God is the one in charge.
So often I think that what I do for people, my time I give them, even may words I say to them, or actions will help change them. But really, i do nothing for people. God is the one who does everything in and for a person. Sometimes He may use me as a tool, which is a huge privelage, but ultimately, God is the only being who impacts people.
Also a reality that is pretty awesome, is that no matter how much I love someone, God's love for them is even greater. Pureer. Stronger. Mightier. Which is incredible. Cuz sometimes i don't know what to do because my heart is so full of love. And to think that God's love is perfect...it blows me away!
So i guess i challenge you to be blown away by the Love of God. and to remember that you can't change people. God is in control. God is God. Let Him be God, and sometimes you just have to give people up to Him. Give yourself up to Him. Give things up to Him. Because we can't make any changes without Him. We need Him.
"Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God you are higher than any other. Our God is Healer. Awesome is Power. Our God. Our God!" Chris Tomlin
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith..."
Hebrews 12:2(a)
One thing I am learning and being reminded of...(from the book Crazy Love-took another look at the first few chapters...forgot how awesome it was and through God and His word...)is that God is the only one who can change people. God is the one in charge.
So often I think that what I do for people, my time I give them, even may words I say to them, or actions will help change them. But really, i do nothing for people. God is the one who does everything in and for a person. Sometimes He may use me as a tool, which is a huge privelage, but ultimately, God is the only being who impacts people.
Also a reality that is pretty awesome, is that no matter how much I love someone, God's love for them is even greater. Pureer. Stronger. Mightier. Which is incredible. Cuz sometimes i don't know what to do because my heart is so full of love. And to think that God's love is perfect...it blows me away!
So i guess i challenge you to be blown away by the Love of God. and to remember that you can't change people. God is in control. God is God. Let Him be God, and sometimes you just have to give people up to Him. Give yourself up to Him. Give things up to Him. Because we can't make any changes without Him. We need Him.
"Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God you are higher than any other. Our God is Healer. Awesome is Power. Our God. Our God!" Chris Tomlin
Friday, August 27, 2010
When you fall in love, you give yourself.
I just want to encourage everyone to Fall In Love with God.
I am finding that the more I give myself to God, the more strength I have in Him and the more I fall in love with Him. As well as the more I fall in love and give myself, I want more of Him. I sit here. 115am. My average bedtime this week has been 2amish. give or take an hour or so later or earlier. It's because of God. Cuz I want to spend extra quality time with Him, outside of my 15-20 min devotions. I'm not sharing this to tell everyone to be like me. I am sharing this, because its on my heart and I am so excited about Jesus Christ and about giving more of myself to Him. I, a person who enjoys sleep waaay to much and most days, just wants to sleep...have not been wanting to go bed (now the mornings are a different story). And I, a person who usually needs a nap, who gets so tired come around 1-2pm....has been decently energetic than usual, not yawning as much as usual. I truly believe this is God. Could partly be still adjusting from Alaska time, but I do believe that God has a huge hand in it.
Granted, in the next week or so I will have many early mornings, so things will need to change. But for right now, I am enjoying the late nights/early mornings.
Time spent with God comes in many forms and ways. Blogging, Reading, Writing, Praying, Worshipping, Unwinding...
God is always there. Take time to notice Him. To pour your heart out to Him. To Honor Him with who you are and what you enjoy. Take time to be woo'd by Him. Take time to Learn...a lot and to grow!
Fall in Love. With the One who Created You. Who Designed You. Who takes delight in you. Who sent His Son for You. Who Died for You. Who Sacrificed for You. Who Forgave you. Who Redeemed you. Who is always with you. Who Strengthens you. Who protects you. Who Loves you with an extravagant love: the only true love there is.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am finding that the more I give myself to God, the more strength I have in Him and the more I fall in love with Him. As well as the more I fall in love and give myself, I want more of Him. I sit here. 115am. My average bedtime this week has been 2amish. give or take an hour or so later or earlier. It's because of God. Cuz I want to spend extra quality time with Him, outside of my 15-20 min devotions. I'm not sharing this to tell everyone to be like me. I am sharing this, because its on my heart and I am so excited about Jesus Christ and about giving more of myself to Him. I, a person who enjoys sleep waaay to much and most days, just wants to sleep...have not been wanting to go bed (now the mornings are a different story). And I, a person who usually needs a nap, who gets so tired come around 1-2pm....has been decently energetic than usual, not yawning as much as usual. I truly believe this is God. Could partly be still adjusting from Alaska time, but I do believe that God has a huge hand in it.
Granted, in the next week or so I will have many early mornings, so things will need to change. But for right now, I am enjoying the late nights/early mornings.
Time spent with God comes in many forms and ways. Blogging, Reading, Writing, Praying, Worshipping, Unwinding...
God is always there. Take time to notice Him. To pour your heart out to Him. To Honor Him with who you are and what you enjoy. Take time to be woo'd by Him. Take time to Learn...a lot and to grow!
Fall in Love. With the One who Created You. Who Designed You. Who takes delight in you. Who sent His Son for You. Who Died for You. Who Sacrificed for You. Who Forgave you. Who Redeemed you. Who is always with you. Who Strengthens you. Who protects you. Who Loves you with an extravagant love: the only true love there is.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Beauty Within
As my first non-official assignment..this is my first article. I wrote it on my trip to Alaska.
The Beauty Within
When was the last time that you were in awe of the beauty of something? A rushing river, a mighty waterfall, a horse running through a field, someone smiling at you, someone holding the door open for an older lady, a book. There is beauty in our everyday lives. There is beauty inside of us.
So often I think that we are looking for beauty in the wrong direction. Or in fact, that we are looking for beauty and can’t seem to find it, yet beauty seems to find us!
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Alaska for two weeks. The purpose of the trip was to serve the Missionaries that serve there as well as to serve the local people. It was the trip of a lifetime for me.
The first week our team was in Anchorage. We arrived on a Friday, and that Sunday we did the church service at Mt. View Baptist. We had a worship team, and the leaders of the team preached. What is absolutely amazing with this church is that it is small. In the smallness, everyone there serves in some way and because it is in a poorer area, they open their doors every Sunday morning for their second service to the poor and homeless and serve them breakfast and give free specialty coffee drinks. Seeing this really touched my heart. To see a church so accepting, and conversing and getting to know people who usually may not feel comfortable to even step into a church is very encouraging and special! You could tell from the faces and conversations that they were all one family, the congregation and the others. It was beautiful.
The Pastor of the church and his family (the missionaries) living there are moving to a new house in September. There was a lot of renovation work to be done on the house, so the guys on the team were the major workers there! They were able to knock down a bunch of walls, take off old side paneling, move two sheds, do some electrical work, and one guy even took on the task of sanding down the ceiling by the kitchen to get off the ‘popcorn’ look and feel of it and make the ceiling flat. He was covered in white dust after that! I know that the couple was very blessed by the service of the guys for all their hard work that they put into that house. It’s such a beautiful thing when people are willing to go out of their way to help someone else, and to be obedient to do what is asked of them.
While the guys were working on the house all week, us girls and a few of the other guys were at the church (Mt. View Baptist) which is in the middle of one of the poorer areas of Anchorage and is also very diverse in culture. One of the first days there we were all able to help with the Food Bank, which is an incredible event. Some of the team was downstairs, where all the food was and they helped the people who came get the right amount of food for their families that they needed. The size of families ranged from one or two, all the way to seventeen. Others would help the people carry their groceries upstairs, to their car, some even to their houses a couple blocks down the road. And a few of us got to spend the time upstairs, just visiting with people as they waited their turn to go downstairs and shop. This was the favorite moment for the majority of the team. The beauty of meeting people who don’t take things for granted. These people’s stories were great: some were sick, some were tired, some were joyful, some were sad, and some were very thrilled to have somebody to talk to! We all got to meet wonderful people that day, and have fun and blessed conversations.
Another thing that we did in the church was a God’s Closet. One of the local bigger churches had collected a mound of clothes, so we sorted through them, and for two days in the sanctuary the church was open for those who were in need of some new clothes to come in and pick things out. A lot of the same people from the Food Bank were able to come which was great, to get to hang out and talk with them more and help them shop. Some people wanted to just look themselves; others wanted you to help them. My favorite part was this one little boy. He was about six years old, and came with his Grandma, Brother, and Mom. I helped him find some shirts and some pants. What was cute was that he kept telling me that he could fit something, when it was obvious that it was either too big or too small. He just wanted it, to have it. I also got to help him try on a couple pairs of shoes, he would get very excited when something fit, and even if it didn’t fit he was still excited and wanted to keep them! He was a proud older brother. My favorite thing about this kid though, was when a couple of us played with him. We encouraged him to try some jumps, and a tumble roll, and once he got comfortable he started showing off! Then he started running around with one of the girls, and the laugh of this little boy was probably the sweetest laugh I have ever heard. He was being a normal everyday kid, having fun. I feel like this wasn’t a normal event for him, which is what made it all the greater. There was also a local family of kids, who the oldest boy, about ten years old, made sure that all his brothers received something, but he didn’t take anything for himself. He was more concerned for his brothers. It was sad to see him not get anything for himself, and we tried to give him clothes, but his love and concern for his brothers was incredible to witness.
The Pastor of the church told us that you never know where these kids or people come from, what their family life is like and that you never know what they have to go through each day; especially in an area that is high on poverty, and can include some verbal and physical abuse, or kids having to grow up quicker than they should. Overall, with God’s Closet we helped 80-100 people find some clothes. This is where my heart is; seeing those who are in need, receive and be blessed. It’s a beautiful thing to see people’s faces light up, to see people pick through a pile of clothes, and to see teenager boys try on some Men’s dress suits and talking themselves up!
In the evenings of the first week, we also did Kid’s Club at the church. We fed the kids who came each evening, and then we did some fun songs with motions and did a lot of dancing with them. They all seemed to really get into the music and loved every second of it! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as well. Then we had a bible story each night and a craft for the kids. This was a great time to get to know the kids a little more. What was cool was to see the change in them from the first night to the last. They were a lot more comfortable with us, and let us help them with crafts more. We were also told that they usually don’t get as into the songs as they did with us, so we took that as a great compliment! It was a huge blessing to sing and dance and talk with those kids. Kids are such beautiful beings, and so simple. I think it’s so important for them to stay simple, to stay kids, because I think this world makes them grow up way to quick sometimes with different circumstances. So it was beautiful to see them all be kids and have fun and hear the love of God!
Then the second week came along. We had to travel about two hours out of the city, to a camp called Victory Bible Camp. We stayed with a Pastor and his family who help out there and who also serve in many other ways in the community. There we did a lot more sight seeing and relaxation from a busy week of serving. But we also served at the camp. A Christian school had a retreat there that weekend, so Don and Travis got to speak to 250 high school students. We girls were asked the first night to go visit with one of the senior girl’s cabins. The reason we were asked was because there were a couple girls in that cabin whom the other girls seem to be intimidated by. So we went and talked about their dreams, and lives. Which it seemed to really help the girls who are solid and the ones who get intimidated a lot, so I consider that an encouragement to be able to just talk with all of them and encourage them. The second evening each class had a discussion time. We were this time asked to join the freshman girls. This was a great blessing. The discussion was on a call to love and I was really impressed with the girls hearts to love and the genuine knowledge they had on biblical love. They really seemed to grasp it.
Amidst all of the ministry, we were able to see a lot of Alaska. A few things we were able to do was have a camp out down by a river, drove along the coast, hike a mountain, walk on a glacier, go to a harbor town, see a black bear, see a dog get chased by a moose! Among all the fun, and beauty in God’s creation that we got to experience, we got to serve at the Bible Camp.
Looking back, this was probably the most remarkable trip I have been on so far. Alaska is the most beautiful place I have seen. I loved all the mountains, the glaciers, the rushing rivers, the trees, the forests, the beaches and just everything that you can see in God’s wonderful creation. It truly is God’s Country. Even though Alaska’s beauty is astounding, I really believe that people are what make a place. Looking back, this is true for this trip. The relationships made with the missionaries we stayed with and served, the unity that was brought to our team, the girls we got to talk to, the kids we got to laugh and dance with, the poor, homeless and broken people we got to serve, are what will stay close to my heart forever. God has made us relational people and I believe that the beauty of people is what our hearts hold onto.
Beauty can be found in anything. We cannot escape it. What is even more beautiful is when we take notice of the beauty that God surrounds us with, whether that is nature, words, or people. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, looks, and figures; so I encourage you reading this to keep an open eye. For you never know when beauty will find you.
The Beauty Within
When was the last time that you were in awe of the beauty of something? A rushing river, a mighty waterfall, a horse running through a field, someone smiling at you, someone holding the door open for an older lady, a book. There is beauty in our everyday lives. There is beauty inside of us.
So often I think that we are looking for beauty in the wrong direction. Or in fact, that we are looking for beauty and can’t seem to find it, yet beauty seems to find us!
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Alaska for two weeks. The purpose of the trip was to serve the Missionaries that serve there as well as to serve the local people. It was the trip of a lifetime for me.
The first week our team was in Anchorage. We arrived on a Friday, and that Sunday we did the church service at Mt. View Baptist. We had a worship team, and the leaders of the team preached. What is absolutely amazing with this church is that it is small. In the smallness, everyone there serves in some way and because it is in a poorer area, they open their doors every Sunday morning for their second service to the poor and homeless and serve them breakfast and give free specialty coffee drinks. Seeing this really touched my heart. To see a church so accepting, and conversing and getting to know people who usually may not feel comfortable to even step into a church is very encouraging and special! You could tell from the faces and conversations that they were all one family, the congregation and the others. It was beautiful.
The Pastor of the church and his family (the missionaries) living there are moving to a new house in September. There was a lot of renovation work to be done on the house, so the guys on the team were the major workers there! They were able to knock down a bunch of walls, take off old side paneling, move two sheds, do some electrical work, and one guy even took on the task of sanding down the ceiling by the kitchen to get off the ‘popcorn’ look and feel of it and make the ceiling flat. He was covered in white dust after that! I know that the couple was very blessed by the service of the guys for all their hard work that they put into that house. It’s such a beautiful thing when people are willing to go out of their way to help someone else, and to be obedient to do what is asked of them.
While the guys were working on the house all week, us girls and a few of the other guys were at the church (Mt. View Baptist) which is in the middle of one of the poorer areas of Anchorage and is also very diverse in culture. One of the first days there we were all able to help with the Food Bank, which is an incredible event. Some of the team was downstairs, where all the food was and they helped the people who came get the right amount of food for their families that they needed. The size of families ranged from one or two, all the way to seventeen. Others would help the people carry their groceries upstairs, to their car, some even to their houses a couple blocks down the road. And a few of us got to spend the time upstairs, just visiting with people as they waited their turn to go downstairs and shop. This was the favorite moment for the majority of the team. The beauty of meeting people who don’t take things for granted. These people’s stories were great: some were sick, some were tired, some were joyful, some were sad, and some were very thrilled to have somebody to talk to! We all got to meet wonderful people that day, and have fun and blessed conversations.
Another thing that we did in the church was a God’s Closet. One of the local bigger churches had collected a mound of clothes, so we sorted through them, and for two days in the sanctuary the church was open for those who were in need of some new clothes to come in and pick things out. A lot of the same people from the Food Bank were able to come which was great, to get to hang out and talk with them more and help them shop. Some people wanted to just look themselves; others wanted you to help them. My favorite part was this one little boy. He was about six years old, and came with his Grandma, Brother, and Mom. I helped him find some shirts and some pants. What was cute was that he kept telling me that he could fit something, when it was obvious that it was either too big or too small. He just wanted it, to have it. I also got to help him try on a couple pairs of shoes, he would get very excited when something fit, and even if it didn’t fit he was still excited and wanted to keep them! He was a proud older brother. My favorite thing about this kid though, was when a couple of us played with him. We encouraged him to try some jumps, and a tumble roll, and once he got comfortable he started showing off! Then he started running around with one of the girls, and the laugh of this little boy was probably the sweetest laugh I have ever heard. He was being a normal everyday kid, having fun. I feel like this wasn’t a normal event for him, which is what made it all the greater. There was also a local family of kids, who the oldest boy, about ten years old, made sure that all his brothers received something, but he didn’t take anything for himself. He was more concerned for his brothers. It was sad to see him not get anything for himself, and we tried to give him clothes, but his love and concern for his brothers was incredible to witness.
The Pastor of the church told us that you never know where these kids or people come from, what their family life is like and that you never know what they have to go through each day; especially in an area that is high on poverty, and can include some verbal and physical abuse, or kids having to grow up quicker than they should. Overall, with God’s Closet we helped 80-100 people find some clothes. This is where my heart is; seeing those who are in need, receive and be blessed. It’s a beautiful thing to see people’s faces light up, to see people pick through a pile of clothes, and to see teenager boys try on some Men’s dress suits and talking themselves up!
In the evenings of the first week, we also did Kid’s Club at the church. We fed the kids who came each evening, and then we did some fun songs with motions and did a lot of dancing with them. They all seemed to really get into the music and loved every second of it! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as well. Then we had a bible story each night and a craft for the kids. This was a great time to get to know the kids a little more. What was cool was to see the change in them from the first night to the last. They were a lot more comfortable with us, and let us help them with crafts more. We were also told that they usually don’t get as into the songs as they did with us, so we took that as a great compliment! It was a huge blessing to sing and dance and talk with those kids. Kids are such beautiful beings, and so simple. I think it’s so important for them to stay simple, to stay kids, because I think this world makes them grow up way to quick sometimes with different circumstances. So it was beautiful to see them all be kids and have fun and hear the love of God!
Then the second week came along. We had to travel about two hours out of the city, to a camp called Victory Bible Camp. We stayed with a Pastor and his family who help out there and who also serve in many other ways in the community. There we did a lot more sight seeing and relaxation from a busy week of serving. But we also served at the camp. A Christian school had a retreat there that weekend, so Don and Travis got to speak to 250 high school students. We girls were asked the first night to go visit with one of the senior girl’s cabins. The reason we were asked was because there were a couple girls in that cabin whom the other girls seem to be intimidated by. So we went and talked about their dreams, and lives. Which it seemed to really help the girls who are solid and the ones who get intimidated a lot, so I consider that an encouragement to be able to just talk with all of them and encourage them. The second evening each class had a discussion time. We were this time asked to join the freshman girls. This was a great blessing. The discussion was on a call to love and I was really impressed with the girls hearts to love and the genuine knowledge they had on biblical love. They really seemed to grasp it.
Amidst all of the ministry, we were able to see a lot of Alaska. A few things we were able to do was have a camp out down by a river, drove along the coast, hike a mountain, walk on a glacier, go to a harbor town, see a black bear, see a dog get chased by a moose! Among all the fun, and beauty in God’s creation that we got to experience, we got to serve at the Bible Camp.
Looking back, this was probably the most remarkable trip I have been on so far. Alaska is the most beautiful place I have seen. I loved all the mountains, the glaciers, the rushing rivers, the trees, the forests, the beaches and just everything that you can see in God’s wonderful creation. It truly is God’s Country. Even though Alaska’s beauty is astounding, I really believe that people are what make a place. Looking back, this is true for this trip. The relationships made with the missionaries we stayed with and served, the unity that was brought to our team, the girls we got to talk to, the kids we got to laugh and dance with, the poor, homeless and broken people we got to serve, are what will stay close to my heart forever. God has made us relational people and I believe that the beauty of people is what our hearts hold onto.
Beauty can be found in anything. We cannot escape it. What is even more beautiful is when we take notice of the beauty that God surrounds us with, whether that is nature, words, or people. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, looks, and figures; so I encourage you reading this to keep an open eye. For you never know when beauty will find you.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Colossians 1:10-14
"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:10-14
There have been scripture that has been blowing my mind, that I keep thinking about. This is one of those passages that's been repeating in my mind. It is my prayer. For people. For myself.
I like the thought of endurance. and the fact that we have The Holy Spirit who gives us the strength of endurance! and the lsat couple of weeks I have been learning the importance of gratitude. We should always be giving thanks to God, the Father. It is an act of worship, you cant worship without being thankful.
And the last verse, i just love. Jesus Christ has rescued us from the dominion of darkess and brought us into the kingdom of God, redemption and forgiveness of sins! I love it. so much power in these words!
Thank you God, for giving me Jesus, Jesus, for dieing on the cross and redeeming me and forgiving me. Thank you Spirit for being my stength. and God just for qualifying me.
May we pray this each morning!
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:10-14
There have been scripture that has been blowing my mind, that I keep thinking about. This is one of those passages that's been repeating in my mind. It is my prayer. For people. For myself.
I like the thought of endurance. and the fact that we have The Holy Spirit who gives us the strength of endurance! and the lsat couple of weeks I have been learning the importance of gratitude. We should always be giving thanks to God, the Father. It is an act of worship, you cant worship without being thankful.
And the last verse, i just love. Jesus Christ has rescued us from the dominion of darkess and brought us into the kingdom of God, redemption and forgiveness of sins! I love it. so much power in these words!
Thank you God, for giving me Jesus, Jesus, for dieing on the cross and redeeming me and forgiving me. Thank you Spirit for being my stength. and God just for qualifying me.
May we pray this each morning!
Untitled.
I wrote these lyrics on the plane to Anchorage, AK.
Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."
Inspired by a friend of mine. Just want to encourage those of you who seek God, your efforts are recognized. God sees you, and when He grabs your heart, people can't help but notice. So let Him grab your heart, and hold onto Him. And never stop believing in the Truth that You are God's. No matter what the world and Satan tries to tell you. Be rooted in God.
'You've lived so long with misconceptions of who you are.
In and out of places, all trying to tell you what your about.
Trying to find the cure, for all the hurt and all the pain.
But lately things have changed...
Cuz God has grabbed your heart.
Your walking towards the Love that has defined who you truly are.
You are finding yourself at peace, in the comfort of God's open arms.
Your passions and desires are growing in one with His.
You are shining like the stars, cuz you believe that you are His.
All the lies and the fears have left you numb for far too long
But God has called you to redemption through His One and Only Son
The strength is inside of you, provided from Above
To help you move forward, and to live and fall in love.
I see you walking towards the Love that has defined who you truly are.
You are finding yourself at peace, in the comfort of God's open arms
Your passions and desires are growing in one with His.
You are shining like the stars, cuz you believe that you are His.
He has called you by your name
He has never left your side
He will continue to grab your heart
and to cleanse you from the inside
His beautiful child.
Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."
Inspired by a friend of mine. Just want to encourage those of you who seek God, your efforts are recognized. God sees you, and when He grabs your heart, people can't help but notice. So let Him grab your heart, and hold onto Him. And never stop believing in the Truth that You are God's. No matter what the world and Satan tries to tell you. Be rooted in God.
'You've lived so long with misconceptions of who you are.
In and out of places, all trying to tell you what your about.
Trying to find the cure, for all the hurt and all the pain.
But lately things have changed...
Cuz God has grabbed your heart.
Your walking towards the Love that has defined who you truly are.
You are finding yourself at peace, in the comfort of God's open arms.
Your passions and desires are growing in one with His.
You are shining like the stars, cuz you believe that you are His.
All the lies and the fears have left you numb for far too long
But God has called you to redemption through His One and Only Son
The strength is inside of you, provided from Above
To help you move forward, and to live and fall in love.
I see you walking towards the Love that has defined who you truly are.
You are finding yourself at peace, in the comfort of God's open arms
Your passions and desires are growing in one with His.
You are shining like the stars, cuz you believe that you are His.
He has called you by your name
He has never left your side
He will continue to grab your heart
and to cleanse you from the inside
His beautiful child.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Servanthood
A lightbulb just went off in my head.
While in Alaska, I thought and prayed a lot about servanthood, and being a servant.
Then yesterday while reading a Max Lucado book, a chapter was about Jesus washing the disciples feet. This morning in church, the sermon was on John 13, Jesus washing the disciples feet. I was wondering if God was trying to tell me something, and it just hit me that I was praying about servanthood, and these passages come up 2 days in a row! This is exciting!
So John 13 says this...
"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
I don't really have a whole lot to say. Simply that Jesus gives us the perfect example of servanthood and humbleness.
And one thing that was in the book and in my Pastor's sermon was about how Jesus even washed Judas' feet. He didn't leave him out and He knew that Judas was going to betray Him, yet he still washed his feet...that says something to us about being a servant and forgiving others and a huge lesson in humbling ourselves.
So my challenge is to pray to have the heart of a servant. To be like Jesus. to serve like Jesus.
While in Alaska, I thought and prayed a lot about servanthood, and being a servant.
Then yesterday while reading a Max Lucado book, a chapter was about Jesus washing the disciples feet. This morning in church, the sermon was on John 13, Jesus washing the disciples feet. I was wondering if God was trying to tell me something, and it just hit me that I was praying about servanthood, and these passages come up 2 days in a row! This is exciting!
So John 13 says this...
"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
I don't really have a whole lot to say. Simply that Jesus gives us the perfect example of servanthood and humbleness.
And one thing that was in the book and in my Pastor's sermon was about how Jesus even washed Judas' feet. He didn't leave him out and He knew that Judas was going to betray Him, yet he still washed his feet...that says something to us about being a servant and forgiving others and a huge lesson in humbling ourselves.
So my challenge is to pray to have the heart of a servant. To be like Jesus. to serve like Jesus.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Reflection
So I read this verse in Ephesians a couple days ago, and it just will not leave me alone. My mind keeps going back to it.
Ephesiansn 4:23
"to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"
The background of this verse is that Paul is talking to the church of Ephesus. Apparantly they must be following the ways of the Gentiles, in sin, because he mentions to them to no longer live as the Gentiles do, especially in their way of thinking because they have been darkened in their understanding and are ignorant in their lives of God and their hearts have been hardened. So Paul is telling Ephesus that they have been taught to put off their old ways. and that leads to verse 23.
to be made new in the attitude of your minds.
I think this verse sticks out to me most, because I have such a struggle with the mind. The mind is a powerful thing, and a lot of times its what shapes our attitude and our mood. The mind is also very susceptible to corruption, and its a constant fight and battle to let the Holy Spirit Reign over it, and to help you control it and to train your mind to believe and speak Truth over and over!
But each day, we should be renewing our attitudes. We should be checking out hearts, and letting the Spirit purify our minds so that we can have the mind of Christ, so that we can be pure in our attitudes and have an attitude that is honoring God. And I think the way that we are made new in our attitudes of our minds, is by daily getting into the Word of God, by praying for our attitudes, praying for the Spirit to reign over our mindset, and to purify our minds, to honor Him! To put off all the old ways of thinking, to be renewed!
Honor God with the attitude of your mind.
Ephesiansn 4:23
"to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"
The background of this verse is that Paul is talking to the church of Ephesus. Apparantly they must be following the ways of the Gentiles, in sin, because he mentions to them to no longer live as the Gentiles do, especially in their way of thinking because they have been darkened in their understanding and are ignorant in their lives of God and their hearts have been hardened. So Paul is telling Ephesus that they have been taught to put off their old ways. and that leads to verse 23.
to be made new in the attitude of your minds.
I think this verse sticks out to me most, because I have such a struggle with the mind. The mind is a powerful thing, and a lot of times its what shapes our attitude and our mood. The mind is also very susceptible to corruption, and its a constant fight and battle to let the Holy Spirit Reign over it, and to help you control it and to train your mind to believe and speak Truth over and over!
But each day, we should be renewing our attitudes. We should be checking out hearts, and letting the Spirit purify our minds so that we can have the mind of Christ, so that we can be pure in our attitudes and have an attitude that is honoring God. And I think the way that we are made new in our attitudes of our minds, is by daily getting into the Word of God, by praying for our attitudes, praying for the Spirit to reign over our mindset, and to purify our minds, to honor Him! To put off all the old ways of thinking, to be renewed!
Honor God with the attitude of your mind.
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