My Provider!
The last few months, God has been teaching me ever-so-subtly that He is enough. When I was in a relationship, He reminded me that regardless of the presence of a man in my life, He alone is enough. This was easy enough for me to say (of course God is enough--He's God!), but not until I actually began to put it into practice did I realize how hard it is to believe it. But, as usual, God has proven Himself faithful.
In the last few weeks, I have made conscious effort to be satisfied in God and in His plan for my life. He has surprised me at every turn with glimpses of Himself in my everyday life. I turned on the radio and heard songs like Laura Story's Blessings:
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
I went out to Gull Lake Ministries to volunteer for Ladies Days, and He gave the speaker (Angela Thomas) some words meant specifically for my heart about surrendering my hope to Him. He also surrounded me with some of the sweetest, funniest ladies I've ever met. Throughout the week, I could literally feel Him pouring into me, filling me with His sweet presence.
His peace truly is beyond human understanding. I wouldn't want it any other way!
I leave you with song lyrics which paraphrase some of Psalm 119
"Lord I come into the light and listen as your Word shines it rays of Truth. Let your law be my desire, your might my soul inspire, swift to hear and do."
Be blessed!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Adjustment Bureau
Note: "bureau" is a difficult word to spell.
On the plane home from China this time around, I spent most of my time listening to Dracula and cross-stitching. When I finished the book and had almost killed my iPod, I started paying attention to the movies to see if anything was worth watching. First up: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. Wow. Dozed through that.
Eventually it came to "The Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. I had never heard of it, but it looked interesting, so I watched. It's like a romantic action blur...romanction? That alone made it unique to me. But then I started analyzing it and pondering the worldview of the movie. It is about the presence of angels in our world, and their place in keeping us stupid humans in the will of God. One of them tells Matt Damon's character that we used to have free will, but we didn't know what to do with it and ended up almost ruining the entire world. Matt Damon's character has gone "off book" and so the angels spend the whole movie trying to keep him away from the woman, which of course makes him want to be with her all the more. In the end, he tries to get all the way to God to plead his case to keep the woman in his life. It ends with God re-writing His will to let the two stay together. Aw, for cute! He fought for her and won! The prince and his princess get to be together, happily ever after!
Wait, what?
The worldview of this movie is one where God is some High Power which sits on High, uninvolved, waiting for his puny stupid creations to mess up. He took away our free will because we couldn't handle the freedom to make our own choices, and sends his angels to make sure we follow the book. Also according to this worldview, if we fight it enough, God will change His will to give us our way.
I am not about to claim that I understand God. His ways and thoughts are higher! (Isaiah 40) But there are some Truths which cannot be denied. One is that yes, God has a will--a plan--for each of our lives. In fact, that plan was written by Him long before each of us existed. That plan is one for His glory and our good. The other Truth is that humans were indeed created with free will. Each and every one of us has the ability to make choices for our own lives. We can choose to walk in the path God has set before us, and in so doing choose the best life we could possibly imagine. We can also choose to walk away from God, and in so doing write our own life story. But let me give you this guarantee: the life you would write for yourself may be wonderful for awhile, but it will end in misery. Not because God wants you to be miserable, but He will allow you to live in sin if you so choose. He will continue to pursue your heart until the end, but if you continue to choose to live for yourself instead of for Him, then the consequences are all yours to bear.
Summary: Predestination and Free Will are both True. Choose Jesus.
On the plane home from China this time around, I spent most of my time listening to Dracula and cross-stitching. When I finished the book and had almost killed my iPod, I started paying attention to the movies to see if anything was worth watching. First up: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. Wow. Dozed through that.
Eventually it came to "The Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. I had never heard of it, but it looked interesting, so I watched. It's like a romantic action blur...romanction? That alone made it unique to me. But then I started analyzing it and pondering the worldview of the movie. It is about the presence of angels in our world, and their place in keeping us stupid humans in the will of God. One of them tells Matt Damon's character that we used to have free will, but we didn't know what to do with it and ended up almost ruining the entire world. Matt Damon's character has gone "off book" and so the angels spend the whole movie trying to keep him away from the woman, which of course makes him want to be with her all the more. In the end, he tries to get all the way to God to plead his case to keep the woman in his life. It ends with God re-writing His will to let the two stay together. Aw, for cute! He fought for her and won! The prince and his princess get to be together, happily ever after!
Wait, what?
The worldview of this movie is one where God is some High Power which sits on High, uninvolved, waiting for his puny stupid creations to mess up. He took away our free will because we couldn't handle the freedom to make our own choices, and sends his angels to make sure we follow the book. Also according to this worldview, if we fight it enough, God will change His will to give us our way.
I am not about to claim that I understand God. His ways and thoughts are higher! (Isaiah 40) But there are some Truths which cannot be denied. One is that yes, God has a will--a plan--for each of our lives. In fact, that plan was written by Him long before each of us existed. That plan is one for His glory and our good. The other Truth is that humans were indeed created with free will. Each and every one of us has the ability to make choices for our own lives. We can choose to walk in the path God has set before us, and in so doing choose the best life we could possibly imagine. We can also choose to walk away from God, and in so doing write our own life story. But let me give you this guarantee: the life you would write for yourself may be wonderful for awhile, but it will end in misery. Not because God wants you to be miserable, but He will allow you to live in sin if you so choose. He will continue to pursue your heart until the end, but if you continue to choose to live for yourself instead of for Him, then the consequences are all yours to bear.
Summary: Predestination and Free Will are both True. Choose Jesus.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Long Time, Much to Say!
To my 8 followers, I say a big "SORRY!" for not having updated my blog in 4 months! Yikes. My bad.
Rather than summarize all the wonderful things that have happened in the past 4 months, I'll just pick up where I am today.
I have so much to be thankful for. I have been praying that God would continue to work in my heart and make me more like Him. He has carried that through and done some amazing things. He has humbled me in conviction and confession with a wonderfully graceful accountability partner. He brought me to a place where I could step out of guilt and shame over a long-held sin and into the freedom for which He redeemed me! It was a painful, humiliating, but wonderful process. I praise Him for not being finished with me yet!
In this spiritually and emotionally raw time, He continues to work in other areas to draw me to my knees before Him. He has put a trial in my life, but He has also filled me with an incredible peace. And in a time of prayer this evening He brought me to 2 Peter 1:1-11. I pray you are blessed as I share that with you:
That is chock-full of amazing truths to cling to, and I just praise the Lord for bringing Truth. For being Truth.
Speaking of Truth, I am also thankful for some specific people this week. My mother and two good friends, after I shared with them my issues of late, pointed me straight to Truth. What a blessing!
Also, as I look back on my walk of faith, I am grateful for the ministries of two women. Beth Moore (Living Proof Ministries and Lifeway Publishing) and Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts) have been instrumental in bringing my heart closer to the Lord. Check out their Bible studies, devotionals, books, and pod casts!
Praise the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness!
Rather than summarize all the wonderful things that have happened in the past 4 months, I'll just pick up where I am today.
I have so much to be thankful for. I have been praying that God would continue to work in my heart and make me more like Him. He has carried that through and done some amazing things. He has humbled me in conviction and confession with a wonderfully graceful accountability partner. He brought me to a place where I could step out of guilt and shame over a long-held sin and into the freedom for which He redeemed me! It was a painful, humiliating, but wonderful process. I praise Him for not being finished with me yet!
In this spiritually and emotionally raw time, He continues to work in other areas to draw me to my knees before Him. He has put a trial in my life, but He has also filled me with an incredible peace. And in a time of prayer this evening He brought me to 2 Peter 1:1-11. I pray you are blessed as I share that with you:
"To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received
a faith as precious as ours: (that's me!)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord. (it's mine!)
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins (that was me last week).
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, (NEVER!) and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
That is chock-full of amazing truths to cling to, and I just praise the Lord for bringing Truth. For being Truth.
Speaking of Truth, I am also thankful for some specific people this week. My mother and two good friends, after I shared with them my issues of late, pointed me straight to Truth. What a blessing!
Also, as I look back on my walk of faith, I am grateful for the ministries of two women. Beth Moore (Living Proof Ministries and Lifeway Publishing) and Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts) have been instrumental in bringing my heart closer to the Lord. Check out their Bible studies, devotionals, books, and pod casts!
Praise the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Starry Hosts
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the worlds." ~Psalm 19:1-3
Of all created things, nothing takes my breath away like stars. When I stand looking to the heavens and see the majesty of the stars, it's like I can reach up and touch the glory of my Lord.
Living in China, I don't get to see stars very often. The cities are too big, too bright, and too polluted to allow much starlight through. This past week, though, was a blessed week with multiple occasions of seeing stars! While in Beijing, the skies were clear enough to see Orion every night. While on the plane headed back to Chengdu, I saw the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, along with hundreds of others whose constellations I don't know. It was breathtaking, and left me speechless with praise for my great God.
"He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."
~Job 9:7-10
Friday, January 7, 2011
Crossover: Quality and Confusion
American Idol, 2008. Early on I picked him as a fave. He had a smooth voice and a humble attitude, plus he had dreadlocks. Not many guys can pull that off without looking mangy! Though many people judged him as a pothead because of his laid-back attitude, I suspected it was the presence of the Holy Spirit and His peace pouring out. Even though Jason Castro didn't win that season (he came in 4th), I eagerly anticipated his music hitting the mainstream. I didn't care under what genre it came out, I just loved his voice and the quality of his music.
Shortly after the season ended, I did some good ol' Google research and discovered that, in fact, Jason Castro is a believer. And not one ashamed to tell his story.
This year, I was SO happy when in April he finally released a self-titled pop album with summer-cool hits like "Let's Just Fall In Love Again". The album, as expected, is full of fun, catchy, and clean music.
But did you know that in November, he released another album to the Christian market? It's called "Who I Am". You can read a bit about it here. Important thing to note: half the songs on this album are identical to those on his 'pop' album.
I'm having a difficult time landing on an opinion about this. I'm thrilled he crossed over into the Christian music scene. Christian music is in dire need of quality artists who make quality music. However, I'm a little confused. What makes the second album more "Christian" than the first, if the songs are almost all the same? And why does the simple change of genre label make the second album more appealing or appropriate for Christians who might buy his music? Are that many Christians so...legalistic that they can't purchase music unless it comes with a 'Christian' tag? If so, I must say that was a smart move on Castro's label.
What are your thoughts?
Shortly after the season ended, I did some good ol' Google research and discovered that, in fact, Jason Castro is a believer. And not one ashamed to tell his story.
This year, I was SO happy when in April he finally released a self-titled pop album with summer-cool hits like "Let's Just Fall In Love Again". The album, as expected, is full of fun, catchy, and clean music.
But did you know that in November, he released another album to the Christian market? It's called "Who I Am". You can read a bit about it here. Important thing to note: half the songs on this album are identical to those on his 'pop' album.
I'm having a difficult time landing on an opinion about this. I'm thrilled he crossed over into the Christian music scene. Christian music is in dire need of quality artists who make quality music. However, I'm a little confused. What makes the second album more "Christian" than the first, if the songs are almost all the same? And why does the simple change of genre label make the second album more appealing or appropriate for Christians who might buy his music? Are that many Christians so...legalistic that they can't purchase music unless it comes with a 'Christian' tag? If so, I must say that was a smart move on Castro's label.
What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
I don't care if Snaffoo is not a word.
Friday, December 17:
My flight from Chengdu to Beijing went off easily, without a hitch.
I lugged my bags to the check-in lines in BJ, only to find that my original flight to D.C. had been canceled, and I had missed the last flight to America. No chance of getting out of BJ until tomorrow.
United kindly put me up at the Crowne Plaza for the night. I made the most of it by ordering a huge pizza and relaxing into the pillow-topped and feathered bed.
Saturday, December 18:
At 10:30 I got on a plane bound for San Francisco. After about an hour on the plane, the flight attendant announced that the visual media program was not working, and gave apologies that there would be no movies for the 12 hour flight. Greeaatt.
Praise the Lord, though, because I made a new friend, with whom I spent most of the flight talking and doing crossword puzzles. It turned out to be the most enjoyable and fastest international flight I've ever been on!
When we arrived in San Fran, I waited for my luggage...which never came. The United person at the baggage claim waived us through customs and instructed us in how to fill out a claim at our final destination. Though I was a little nervous I'd never see my stuff again, I do have to admit it was quite convenient because I didn't have to haul my luggage around through customs, in Chicago when I switched airlines, or even out to the car--they delivered it straight to my house the next day!
Lessons learned--
1. Buying your tickets 5 months in advance does not guarantee problem-free.
2. Snaffoos are much easier to handle when you keep a good attitude.
3. Snaffoos sometimes have silver linings.
4. There are no accidents.
If you read this whole post and thought this was long, you should have seen my original draft!
:heart:
My flight from Chengdu to Beijing went off easily, without a hitch.
I lugged my bags to the check-in lines in BJ, only to find that my original flight to D.C. had been canceled, and I had missed the last flight to America. No chance of getting out of BJ until tomorrow.
United kindly put me up at the Crowne Plaza for the night. I made the most of it by ordering a huge pizza and relaxing into the pillow-topped and feathered bed.
Saturday, December 18:
At 10:30 I got on a plane bound for San Francisco. After about an hour on the plane, the flight attendant announced that the visual media program was not working, and gave apologies that there would be no movies for the 12 hour flight. Greeaatt.
Praise the Lord, though, because I made a new friend, with whom I spent most of the flight talking and doing crossword puzzles. It turned out to be the most enjoyable and fastest international flight I've ever been on!
When we arrived in San Fran, I waited for my luggage...which never came. The United person at the baggage claim waived us through customs and instructed us in how to fill out a claim at our final destination. Though I was a little nervous I'd never see my stuff again, I do have to admit it was quite convenient because I didn't have to haul my luggage around through customs, in Chicago when I switched airlines, or even out to the car--they delivered it straight to my house the next day!
Lessons learned--
1. Buying your tickets 5 months in advance does not guarantee problem-free.
2. Snaffoos are much easier to handle when you keep a good attitude.
3. Snaffoos sometimes have silver linings.
4. There are no accidents.
If you read this whole post and thought this was long, you should have seen my original draft!
:heart:
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Eternal Expectations
My heart aches tonight, with many questions unanswered. Lord Jesus, how I cannot wait for your kingdom to reign, and for redemption to be complete.
Some food for our souls:
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" Matthew 22:37-40
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:2-4, 18
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us...we ourselves...groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies....We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:18, 23, 26-27
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be doevoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12: 9-12, 14
This world is not perfect, but the Body of Christ should be the closest thing possible to perfection on earth. It's made up of the Redeemed. SIN HAS LOST IT'S POWER, so why do we keep allowing it to have power? Sin is always a choice, and sin always has consequences.
Am I doing my part in the Body? Am I doing enough? Or am I part of the problem?
Some food for our souls:
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" Matthew 22:37-40
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:2-4, 18
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us...we ourselves...groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies....We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:18, 23, 26-27
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be doevoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12: 9-12, 14
This world is not perfect, but the Body of Christ should be the closest thing possible to perfection on earth. It's made up of the Redeemed. SIN HAS LOST IT'S POWER, so why do we keep allowing it to have power? Sin is always a choice, and sin always has consequences.
Am I doing my part in the Body? Am I doing enough? Or am I part of the problem?
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