All Things New!

Happy New Year!

I am so excited for this new year!  So excited to see what God will do to gather the body of Christ and grow His kingdom!!!  As I was reading this morning, I found this gem in Revelation:

"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” "  Revelation 21:5-8

I LOVE that in this time of expecting the new year, that Our LORD is making ALL things new...not has made, not will make, but is making (yesterday, today, and tomorrow!)  And not only that, but His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-23).  Praise God!

We all love the word new.  New clothes, new foods, new travels, new car, new hair cut, new makeup, new shoes, new friends...and on and on...but do we ever stop to think about WHY we love new so much?  I can't think that it's only out of greed or pride or selfishness...although some of it is...there's an underlying reason our we crave newness in life.  I think the newness we crave is the newness of Christ!  God's word never returns void.  Even a verse yuou've read a million times can seem brand new in the right season.  God created change and the cycle of life - seasons, birth, death, technology, even washing dishes is change from old to new!  It's a yearning that's been breathed into our being since the beginning and as God is making all things new, we crave that newness in the expectaion that we will some day soon get to experience it...if we accept the gift of Christ and allow Him to indwell our hearts daily we will see the change we long for!

Until then, continue seeking Him, and he will change your heart and make you new!  I firmly believe that Christ comes to our hearts once, but that is not the end of the change He wishes to do.  He changes our hearts and makes us new in every moment that we yeild to Him and not to ourselves.  Cheers to you friends!  Cheers to the new year.  And cheers to the changes we allow in 2012!  Praise God!

Check out my new change for the new year at http://www.storieswithsara.wordpress.com/ !

Merry Christmas!

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall call his name Immanuel”  Matthew 1:23

What a wonderful time of year!  Streets and stores and homes filled with strings of lights reminding us of the Light of the World, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord!  What a blessing to have the God of the universe come to earth to live as a human, struggle as a human, endure pain as a human, and die as a human only to be raised from the sealed tomb and reign in our hearts and save us from our sins!

All too often we forget this precious gift...we move about our days filled with appointments and business- fuled by coffee and money, power and pride- only to find ourselves at the end of the day with nothing more than what we started with.  When Christmas comes to town, there is a change of heart, and change of pace (which really only means we move faster and become more stressed because naw we must add "Christmas shopping" to our "to-dos.")  Is this what Christmas is?  Less than a month of overstressing, overspending, overeating, and overanalyzing?...and then a month of "resolutions" to be "better" the next time around...and where do we find ourselves???  Right back where we were last year...  No.   This is NOT CHRISTmas!

Christ came to live among us so that we would have a savior who understands, who can take our hand and walk us through our days helping all the way.  A couple of weeks ago I wrot about keeping Christmas in our hearts all year...now more than ever I realize every day that I need to be reminded to keep CHRIST in my heart EVERY MOMENT of every day...to remember that whatever I am struggling with in that moment, Christ was tempted in the SAME WAY, and has the power and stregth to help me through.  This IS CHRISTmas!

Christ came to be born of a virgin as a human baby so that He could die as a man and be Immanuel (God with us) for erternity.  PRAISE God for the greatest gift ever given!  A gift that is available to ALL people...at no cost to anyone but Himself.  Best gift...best Love story ever told. 

As the year comes to a close, resolve to allow CHRIST to reign in your heart and be your HELPER through every moment of this coming year.

And the baby Jesus...

Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament or decoration?  I love putting up "all the trimmings" for Christmas!  I can never wait until after Thanksgiving...my tree is up the day after at the latest...and if it were solely up to me it would be up by my birthday (Nov. 5) alongside all the Thanksgiving decor...  The tree is by far my favorite...so many memories in one central location!  Always the first decoration...can't start the rest without it.  I love going through and studying each ornament before it goes up, remembering what it means and admiring its sparkle next to the lights...  I also love studying other people's trees...it's like a window into what really matters/means something to someone.  I can never pick just one ornament I like best...it varies from year to year and even day to day...I love them all because of the special meaning or thought that went into choosing it for the "collection."  An ornament is by far my favorite Christmas gift to give or receive.

As I was admiring my tree all lit up one evening, I had the though...what is God's favorite Christmas ornament?  I know it seems silly, and the answer seems obvious, it's Jesus Christ!  Which then led me to thinking about The Ultimate gift God sent us to "decorate" this season (and the whole of our lives)... Jesus!!! 

"And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily..." Colossians 2:9

God HIMSELF, in the person of Jesus, came to earth to dwell with man.  God spent nine months growing as a baby in the womb of a woman.  He put aside all his power and glory and might to be born as every other child is born. He spent 30 years learning and growing as every other child learns and grows.  And THE WHOLE TIME he never stopped being God...He CHOSE to become a lowly, poor human...and live sinlessly in order that each and every person He created could choose eternal life!  can you believe that???!???  It BAFFLES me!  God reduced Himself to the confinement of human skin, lay in a "manger" made out of wood from trees HE CREATED, just so YOU and I could be saved from the penalty of sin...  WOW  ...I guess that is my favorite Christmas "ornament"...  Jesus.  Not the ceramic figure of a baby, not a painting or any other manufactured "likeness"...  No...the LIVING, BREATHING, SON OF GOD who dwells in my heart and decorates my life!  And He can be the same for you!

Merry Christmas!

Just a small part of the greater whole!

Good morning friends!  I know it's been a while since our last Saturday, so I thought Monday would work nicely.  I've been "composing" this Saturdays edition for two weeks now...struggling to find the right words...in short, I am AMAZED at creation!

It started with a frosty morning.  The ground was covered in frost, the trees shimmered in the sunlight and each blade of grass was wrapped in icy crystals.  This reminded me that God created each blade of grass to be different, distinct...just as each ice crystal and snow flake, each grain of sand, each tree and leaf, each star, each raindrop, each person...no two are the same...similar...but not the same.  Then, I had an amazing conversation with a friend about how different things work for different people...what works for me in one situation, might totally mess you up...  Which then tied in with the sermon at church and how each individual relationship with Christ is different.  And, that, friends, is my favorite part!

Just like each relationship with each of your friends is different, so is the relationship you have with Christ.  This starts with the basis of your relationship...  What drew you to Christ?  What attribute of His character lead you to realize you needed Him?  Was it His love?  His forgiveness?  His grace?  His mercy?  His judgement? ...it's different for each person...no two relationships are the same... BECAUSE, Jesus calls each of us individually, specially, personally, in love.  Wow.  God created each of us differently, so our coming to relationship with Christ is different, so our PURPOSE in serving Christ is different, so we can all fit into the one body of Christ!  Think about it...

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ...Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body...The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it..." 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

God created each of His children to be different so that we could each work a different purpose in serving the Kingdom and bringing the fullness of Glory to God!  And, therefore, where would we be without each other to work with us?  And, all of this individual work is magnified when God brings our purposes together for a time, as friends, so we can work together, not as one, but as many to fulfill His purpose (including something even as simple as a coffee date, to be a picture, as Friends, of Christ's love to the world)!  What a gift!  NO other "religion" in the world can claim that promise!  I look forward to every moment when our purposes for the Kingdom might come together.

At the risk of sounding redundant...

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a precious holiday to cause us to look back on what God has blessed us with and truly be thankful!  I have so much to be thankful for!  Family, friends, job, food, clothing, home, ect...but the most important, biggest thanks I have is for the blood Christ shed for me!  If I had nothing else to be thankful for...this is all I would need, John 3:16.  My sustenance, my shelter, my friend, my family, my provider, my comfort and help...there is no other thing I need!  I hope you can say the same!

Thanksgiving

We are entering my favorite time of year!  This is the time of year we start thinking about families and gatherings, holidays and feasts, decorating and music (specially written for this season), shopping and giving, scarves and pepermint mochas, and everything in between!  I LOVE the Holiday Season...so don't be surprised if this is not the only "seasonal" edition of SWS you read *wink, wink*  I am always filled to overflowing with joy and song and cheer when Christmas comes around!

I went to the Raleigh Christmas Parade this morning, and who did I see?  Santa himself of course!  Announcing to the world, a few days early, that it's time to start Christmas...Well, Christmas "Santa-style." 

It seems our culture likes to spring it on us earlier and earlier each year...  Decorations up in stores in October...  "Christmas in July" type parties and family photos for the greeting cards...  Even those precious Operation Christmas Child boxes are processed before Thanksgiving...  As I sit here writing, my sweet dog, Bailey, is slumbering away (whimpering, sniffing, and twitching), I imagine she is chasing her Christmas goose (or maybe it's chasing her)!..  There's even a popular holiday song that tells us to keep Christmas in our hearts all year long...  And why not? 

This is the time of year we celebrate the greatest gift ever given...The gift of Jesus Christ!  It overwhelms me every time I think of it...How God the father decided, in His sovereignty and perfect wisdom and grace, to come and dwell among us in human form so that he could, 33 years later, die on a cross and rise again, 3 days later, to SAVE us from our sin!  What a gift!  What a treasure!!  What a reason to celebrate!!!

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us...just three short days of working then on with turkey and football on Thursday, and for many, Black Friday (which now begins at midnight on Thanksgiving)...and for those shopping, this is a day we truly need Christmas in our hearts...remembering that each gift purchased is purchased at a cost...  The cost of our everlasting salvation?  Christ's death.  A gift given, at no cost to us.  Christ does not require an exchange...there's nothing he expects in return...He just asks that we open our hearts to His gift, then waits for us to accept it.  PRAISE GOD!!!  Now that is something to be thankful for! 

*What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving week???

In the Clearness of God's Nearness

I was walking to work the other day in the early morning.  A dense fog was covering the area and it got me thinking...fog is like Satan and the world...surrounding us on all sides, attempting to hide our path. God, then, is the light (of course) filling the space closest to us, making the air clear so that we CAN see; assuring us that we stand on solid ground and all we need to do is put one foot in front of the other and trust Him...He will illuminate our path as we go.  It's such a basic and elementary concept, but I find it's very true.  The foggy areas of my life are often filled with the world's ideas and influences, and ultimately, Satan's desire for me to fail.  It's very easy for me to look past the clearness of God's nearness and focus on this thick dense unknown just beyond where I am.  It's natural to wonder what's beyond the fog...what will come next...what turn will life take...will I see it before I get there so I don't trip and fall...will I be the same...will my friends and family be the same?  The answer is...GOD knows!  We don't need to fret about what might be hidden in the fog, because God will illuminate it when we get there AND he will have equipped us along the way to handle whatever it is.  If we stay in the clearness of God's nearness, and allow God to equip us where we are, then when we get to the middle of that fog, it will no longer be fog...whatever is next will be revealed when we get there.

I don't know about you, but that is SO comforting to me.  God's got me right where he wants me and it doesn't matter what comes next or what just happened, all that matters is what I CAN see...right here, right now.

Birthdays

I am SO enjoying the cool weather, bundling up, scarves, boots, leggings and tights, pumpkin spice, and everything nice.  This (besides beach weather) is my favorite time of year!  Best of all, this time of year houses my birthday!  I'm not sure why it excites me so...I'm not really a "center-of-attention" sort of person, I don't really celebrate "big" or party much at all, I'm not overly excited to get older...whatever the reason, I am ALWAYS excited for my birthday!  I think we all are!  It's the one time of year when you (just you) get to be special in the eyes of everyone!  Even people in restaurants sing to you (if you let them)!  And, so far, I've had just the best celebrations, each one special and unique brightened by the people I shared them with!

It makes me wonder, How did Jesus celebrate His birthday?  He was fully man, and therefore had a day of birth...I have not studied Hebrew culture, so I'm not sure if it was natural for them to celebrate birthdays...I'd like to think it was.  And, even if His earthly parents didn't celebrate the day of birth, I'd like to think that maybe Jesus stole away and took some special time with THE Father on His birthday!  What might that conversation have been like?  {it's funny, I started writing this, and didn't even realize that Jesus' birthday IS celebrated every year as Christmas!}  Maybe there was a feast, or presents...a party, dancing, singing, or candles...  Whatever the celebration was...a celebration it was indeed...and THAT's the best part!

I believe that Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit have a party for EVERY birthday...saved beleiver or not...I like to think that there is music and dancing and feasting and singing filling the heavens for my birthday!  I like to think that God my Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit have shared their favorite stories from my life so far and are looking forward to sharing the rest of my life with me as I am looking forward to sharing the rest of eternity with HIM!  Because, the fact is, we belong to Jesus...He delights in us...He celebrates who we are because He died for us and there is nothing that can take us from the palm of his hand!  What a blessing!   What a celebration!  So, as my brithday comes to a close, I will celebrate in worshipful praise the One who made me today and saved my soul one sweet day in August granting me everlasting birthdays!

Worship

When do you worship?  On Sundays?  Whenever you go to church?  When you read the Bible?  When you work?  When you are blessed?  When you meet tragedy?  What does worship mean to you?  Worship is typically defined as reverent love or devotion, respect, admiration, or worthiness...  But what does it mean to you...and more importantly what does it mean to God?  The scriptures call us to worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).  It is an action we are to DO to and for God.

 

When I think of worship, I most often think music sung to God in or out of church to proclaim our love for Him and what He's done for us.  You might agree...this is a Christian's basic understanding of the act of worship...but I think God asks more than that of us...  If worship is reverent love, devotion, respect, etc. then it should reflect more than just our singing talents, right?  Worship should be in the WAY we sing, the WAY we work, play, eat, live, laugh, and cry.  Again, you probably agree...though I think we all need a reminder of this every now and then...but that last part is what gets me...to worship even when we are brought to tears (whether in joy or sadness)!

 

Get this verse about David's worship after the death of his son:

¹⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?"  "He is dead," they replied.  ²⁰ Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the LORD's house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested [something to eat]. So they served him food, and he ate.  ²¹ His servants asked him, "What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food."  ²² He answered, "While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.' ²³ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I'll go to him, but he will never return to me." (2 Samuel 12:19-23)

Even on one of the most difficult and sad days of David's life, he got up, brushed himself off, WENT to God, and worshiped!  My point is this, if we are to worship in spirit and in truth, then even our pained, anguished cries to God should be worshipful.  What does that look like?  I think the answer to that is in the Psalms...  I stumbled accross these the other day:

"O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!" (Psalm 141:1)

 

and

 

"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)

...There are so many examples of worship hidden away in the plain sight of scripture, all we need to do is open it up!  Even the writing of the Word was worshipful!  Jesus' cry out to God before the Crucifixion was worshipful.  I know it's easy to worship in joy and through blessing...but I think we can experience something SO much greater when we worship through the darknesses of life!

Family

Two weekends ago, and again this weekend, I got to spend some time with my grandparents!  It was so wonderful to see them and catch up!  It reminded me how important and wonderful family can be...and how wonderful God is to have created the family bond and then created the picture perfect relationship for us to follow (God the father, Christ the son, and the Holy Spirit) and describes our roles perfectly in Ephesians 5-6.

I love that I have my family and that they are there for me when I need them!  What's even better, is that when I don't have them, I have God.  And in truth, He is all I need!  The perfect father, the perfect son, the perfect brother, mother, sister, friend, grandparent...  God can be our everything, and longs to be, if we let Him!  When My life runs a mile a minute, I KNOW that I can find rest, comfort, and encouragement in God alone.  (Psalm 62)

What a blessing.  It seems we focus on family so much more during the "Holidays," beginning after Halloween and all the way through the New Year...There are parties and presents and conversation and love, hugs, kisses, hellos, and goodbyes--then the holidays pass and so do many of our longings for "family time"...  In many ways this imitates our "family time" with God...doesn't it?  We get to the "holidays" in life (Sundays, times of joy, times of sorrow, times of need, times of hurt) when we feel we need our God (our family) and we call to him, cry out to him...and many other things.  And He's always there for us!  Then, after he's filled us up, we begin to feel we don't need Him anymore, we can carry on for ourselves for a while, and we leave Him...BUT He never leaves US!!!  We need to give God more than "family time"...God deserves ALL our time, and we need Him to help us through the battle of life on earth.  Remember to keep God with you always, call out to Him every moment of every day!  There is nothing we can do on our own, there is nothing we CAN'T do WITH God at our side!  Praise Him for that!

Romans 12:2

Have you ever wondered (and maybe you have) how the "word" of the "Lord" fits so well into the "world"?  I noticed this the other day...If we combine the "word" and the "Lord" we see "worLd"...Do you see?  This is SUCH a beautiful revelation to me!  The Lord puts himself smack-dab in the middle of the worLd...which is EXACTLY where He wants US to be...and the most beautiful part about it is that He's right there with us!  In the middle.  All the time.

Friends, we don't have to do this world alone, we have the power and might of the Lord of the Universe within us!  So...be in the world not of the world...short and sweet.  Because without the Lord we have no worLd (He created it, you know) and without the Lord we have no influence in the worLd.

AND...The best and surest way for us to stay IN the worLd and not OF the world is to stay not just IN the word but OF the word of the Lord!  I pray this is as impactful on you today as it was on my whole week!  The Lord just blows me away!  I love it!!!

It's Growth.

God has an answer for everything, doesn't he?  I have found that His answer is almost never the same as mine, or the one I think He should have, or ever in a timeframe that I think is appropriate, sometimes the answer doesn't even feel like an answer...BUT He is always right.

I am at a place in my life where I never thought (or hoped or dreamed) I would be...I didn't ask for it...or did I?  I wanted a new chapter.  I wanted an adveture.  I wanted to expeience God's presence in a new and meaningful way.  I wanted to gorw closer to Him and stronger in my faith.  ...I have gotten EXACTLY what I asked for...  just not the way I thought I would.  This life is much harder than the one I thought I was asking for...but it's fuller than ANY life I could have dreamed of!!!

This doesn't mean I don't question "why?", get frustrated, angry, depressed, feel lonely, forgotten, cast aside...  BUT when those feelings come, I am reminded by the comforting hand of MY Omnipotent God that I am where HE wants me to be...LEARNING what He wants me to learn.  Do I understand WHY?  HECK NO!  Will I ever understand?  Only God knows.  Am I happier than ever?  Yes.  Sure, I have down moments...moments when the Enemy seeps in like a dense fog attempting to suffocate my joy...but light is always stronger than darkness and GOD is always BY MY SIDE!!!  (Some days I need to remind myself of this more often than others)

So I wonder, dear friends, where are you on "your timeline?"  Have you gotten what you asked for in a way you never imagined?  Have you been derailed from your will only to be found in HIS?  Do you question "WHY?"  It's been my experience (thus far) that when we find ourselves asking "why?" (why me? why now? why this? why not?) God's brought us right where he wants us.  Think about it.  It's exciting.  It's painful.  It's growth.

Let Go, and Let God

Good morning!

I hope your Monday has started off well!  I was reminded (with God's help) over the weekend that I can't do everything on my own.  We all know this.  We all also know that "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13)  Unfortunately, I think we focus on the wrong part of that verse...the part that says, "I can do all things..."  We want to think that we can do it all.  Every assignment, every lunch date, every presentation, every scheduled (and un-schedualed) thing, carry everyone's burdens...and at the end of the day still have more left to give at home...but that's not where our focus SHOULD be (nor is this possible).  The focus and power of that verse is "THROUGH Christ, who gives me strength."  I tend to over look that part.  NOTHING can be acomplished without the help of God.

Do you believe that?

I admit, I struggle to keep this in mind (and believe it) through out my whole day.  If we are in Christ and Christ is in us then we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help and guide us through the difficult and the easy moments of life...yet we ignore Him, and try to do it all on our own.  We think that in our own strength we can do that diet, or meet all of those deadlines, or carry the burdens of all our family members and friends, or bring ourselves joy, or all of the above, or insert your own...  the truth is friends, it is through Christ that we can do all things.  And, I am comforted in that.  I don't need to try so hard.  I can give it up to God, and He'll take care of the rest...

That's the hardest part.

I struggle to give it all to God and then let him keep it...I tend to take back all the things I just gave Him...and I forget that sometimes, we need to give it up over and over and over again...  And that's all that God asks.  Give him your busy burdeded day...or your busy burdened moment...so He can comfort you and WORK through you (because you gave up your cares to Him) instead of work on you (because you're stubornly holding on to something that was never meant to burden you).

Jeremiah 29:11

How often are you reminded that God really is in control of everything?  Lately, it seems, I am reminded every day...and yet He still allows me to have a choice.  It's a blessing I can not even begin to understand (or describe) AND one that causes me to stand in awe and wonder in the light of His mercy and the glory of His grace!  The greatness of God is far bigger than I can comprehend...still, He cares for me more than I can imagine.  Each intricacy of my day and life are in the palm of His hand.  He has the power to change my heart and turn my head...BUT...he allows me to choose...He doesn't force me...He waits.  He knows the end result, but I get to choose...

It's something we can not venture to speculate...a miracle SO BIG it can not be contained within the finite matter of our brains...  The coolest thing, though (I think), is that this same power is ALIVE and AT WORK IN ME!!!  When we accept the gift of Jesus into our lives and begin to follow Him with our whole being, His Spirit moves into the house of our heart and begins to clean and rearrange to make our hearts more inhabitable (for Him and for us).  I am such a better person since allowing Jesus to take hold of my heart...changed in so many ways.  And, it's all thanks to God.

Every time that I am reminded that God is in control, I remember the miracle He has done in me, and I let go.  (It sounds easier than it is...and I struggle and whine each time...but the peace and joy that follows CAN NOT be surpassed!)  SO...when everything's going right, or it all comes crashing down...He's got it under control.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
-Chris Tomlin

I Will Praise Him Still!

Fernando Ortega sings:

"When the morning falls on the farthest hill,
I will sing His name, I will praise Him still.
When dark trials come and my heart is filled
With the weight of doubt, I will praise Him still.

For the Lord our God, He is strong to save
From the arms of death, from the deepest grave.
And He gave us life in His perfect will,
And by His good grace, I will praise Him still."
This song, on this day, seems to say so much.  Weather in the trials of life or the trials of attack...or the joys of prosperity, the words and depth and feeling of this song ring so true.  That through everything we will PRAISE him still!!!  God is perfect and God is good and he never changes...therefore, everything he allows in His plan is ultimately PERFECT.  No contest.  So, as they say, 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' ...I don't like lemonade very much...BUT, (the point is) God makes ALL things GOOD.

Bearing Fruit

I read this today:

 "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have served, and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life— that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us —  what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete." 1John 1:1

God makes our joy complete.  Not our job.  Not our wallet.  Not our relationships.  Not our deeds... nor any number of things we are told to value.  No.  God makes our JOY complete.  In EVERY circumstance.  Though it is so hard to find and hold on to that joy.  To escape is so much easier, in fact, it doesn't take much at all to get lost in work, lost in a relationship, lost in our sadness and fear, lost in a book, lost in the television, etc, etc...

But, brothers and sisters, we have been found!  All we need to do is ACCEPT that finding, accept the one who calls after us through EVERY moment of EVERY DAY!  And our joy will be made complete in Him.

Joy is not happiness, I have found.  I don't know if we can be truly happy this side of heaven.  Truly Joyful.  Now THAT is attainable. To be joyful and content is not to be without worry.  Worry finds it's way in like a cockroach.  Like a snake looking for a warm place to hide.  The ONLY hope of escaping worry is turning to God.  I admit, I have not turned to Him like I should recently, and I see the fruit of that...  How revealing it is to take a step back and look at the fruit your souls bears...how good is it really?  Do you polish the outside to make it appear better than it is?  Do the branches of your souls need tending?  Do your roots need to be healed of the Sin Disease?

Take an inventory with God today.  Do you only allow the good to come in?  Or do you take the good with the bad?  Do we think we can give the good with the bad also?  With Christ comes good fruit and with good fruit comes Joy.

  

Trusting the "Unknown"

This Saturday comes with a Hurricane!  Although I am much too far inland to feel the greatest effects, we are experiencing some rain and A LOT of wind.  I have always enjoyed watching storms progress.  Watching the clouds move across the sky and the rain take many forms as it is whipped about by the wind and crashes into the ground...Rain has always been my favorite weather :)  

I recently have rediscovered my love for reading and am currently reading a book called "The Hidden Flame" by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke.  It's the second in a series about the growth of Jesus' followers following his Crucifixion.  It was while reading this morning that God spoke to me...  Here's what I read:

"...'Please, God, just let me serve,' she prayed silently as she sat, hardly aware of the crowd that streamed by, but her words brought no feeling of peace.  No sense that he was listening.  She couldn't have explained which pained her more--a troubled heart or an injured leg.  But even as she struggled a quiet voice inside whispered that here was a new opportunity for her to trust her Savior.

Again she prayed.  Not merely for wisdom, but for submission.  Would she ever be ready--and willing--to let God work out the details of her future?...'help me trust you, Lord,' she prayed..."

We've all been there (whether the situation or circumstances are the same or not).  Praying to a seemingly unlistening hearer...with no comfort of peace, no answer, no quick fix, no sign that we are even heard...and yet, in a quiet whisper, "...here is a new opportunity to trust your Savior..."  Every moment of every day is a NEW opportunity to TRUST your Savior!  I often find myself feeling as this character feels...wondering "Would she ever be ready--and willing--to let God work out the details of her future?..."  It's so difficult in our flesh to trust our future to the "unknown"...  BUT, it's NOT UNKNOWN!  True, the outcome may not be known, we may not know what exactly to expect, we may even be tempted to take care of things in our own power because we struggle to wait...    STOP for a second...    We DO know that Christ came and died and ROSE again!  We DO know that He works all things to the good of those called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28)  So, we DO know what to expect, friends!.. We can EXPECT GOOD!!!!!  And we can ask God for help!  We can ask anything in Jesus' name (according to His purpose) and it's already done in Heaven! (John 14:14, 1John 5:14)  So ask.  Pray for wisdom.  Pray for submission to His will.  Pray for trust.  Pray for his help.  (...yet you do not have because you do not ask.-John 14:14)  And remember, sweet friends, every event in life (good or bad) is a new opportunity to trust our savior!

Church

There is nothing more soul refreshing than time with the Body of Christ!  I tend to forget this.  The world tries to make us believe that all we need to "be refreshed" is a good night's sleep or another coffee or an hour at the gym or some meditation or a yummy plate of food or 3 mindless hours in front a the TV or reading a book or whatever thing the world tries to fill you with...

The truth is, none of these things can truly satisfy.

The truth is, all of these things are ways the enemy tries to pull you away from encouragement.

Granted, all of these things can be good in moderation, but, God created us FOR relationship with Him and with His body (the church).  The Church can mean many things; a close friend, a sibling or parent, a group of friends on a Friday night, or Church on Sunday morning.  The thing we need to be aware of, be on guard against, is that Satan tried to convince us that we don't need this (and sometimes he succeeds).

I know that I am never more refreshed than when I wake up early and get to church...and I know that's because CHURCH is what I am created for...  Reading the Bible is good, and we are called to store up the word of God in our hearts, BUT, we need relationship and help in this world!

When I lack some kind of "Body Gathering" during the week, everything suffers.  I become more short tempered.  I bristle at anything anyone says or requests of me.  I have no desire to help or to be a help.  I can not love as Christ loved.  The body teaches us and reminds us of the ways of Christ so that we can be filled and overflow to those outside the body.  What keeps you from the body of Christ?  From Church?  Are you beleiving the world when they say you can get by without going to Church on Sunday (or any other day)?

Do not be discouraged...

This week has been pretty good but pretty difficult! ...SOMETHING good is BOUND to come...  That's my prayer anyway!  God can do ANYTHING!

I've committed to reading through the Bible...no set time frame just going through at my own pace...I just started the book of Joshua.  What miracles the Lord did before the eyes of the Israelites!  Joshua 1:9 has become somewhat of a mantra for me this week:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Sometimes the fact that He IS with us is the only comfort we have...and it's all the comfort we need!  There is NOTHING to be fearful of, no matter WHAT is going on in life because God is with us.  Death has been defeated!  The battle is won!  And even death (as scary as it is) is more gain and triumph than we could ever imagine because we have erternity to look forward to!  Life on this earth is difficult...it's the only garuntee we have.  But, be strong and courageous!  Live life FOR Christ, allowing HIM to overflow from your heart into your actions/conversations/relationships, and there is NOTHING to fear! (Easier said than done for sure)  That's why God gave us the Holy Spirit and Prayer!  Talk with God.  Listen.  Only He can and WILL give you the strength to carry out the good work he has started in you---and he will cary it through to completion! (Philippians 1:6)

love and prayers,

XOXOX

Victory in Jesus!

Here we are on Sunday again...I'm sorry this isn't as consistent as I want it to be, thank you for bearing with me :)

I am always amazed at how the Enemy can pick out just the "right" lie for each and every day.  Some days it might be how you look..."you're not pretty...that doesn't look good...why are you even trying?...," he says.  And, wouldn't you know it, that's JUST what causes you to have a bad day.  Or maybe he attacks your job performance, or your relationships, or your mood, or any number of things, but each time he chooses the ONE thing that keeps you from puting one foot in front of the other that day (and it may be different every day).  The POINT is, that's his goal.  He wants you to fail.  He wants you to be upset, cower in the corner, snap at your friend, tell yourelf you are any less that what God made you....  The TRUTH is, we have already won the victory(1 John 5:4: ...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith)!  God has given us the power to say:

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23

And the cool part is, Satan HAS to listen!  (I so need to hear this today!)  Satan's hateful half-truths have been coming at me from all sides...and it's hard to say "no" to him (John 8:44: You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.)  But, God has given us the power!  Praise the Lord!  Even though it's hard, it IS possible...and sometimes we need to tell him more than once to remove his influence from out path...all the while guarding our hearts and minds from his constant attack!

So, tell that bad day to get behind you and move on in JOY!  Chirst has won!  The victory is ours!

No words...

What do you do when the words don't come?  When inspiration has kept its distance?  You're staring at a blank screen, page, face...and the words just aren't there...God doesn't seem to be leading.
Or is He?
Sometimes in the face of silence we are to be silent...to sit in wait for that spark of creativity, conversation, or inspiration to manifest itself and grow into a fully formed thought...  It's in those moments when our time together comes on a Sunday, or Monday...BUT, then we are no longer sharing "Saturdays with Sara" are we?  No, it's more like "Devotions with Sara" or "Encouragement with Sara" or any number of things you may or may not get from our time together once a week.
Then, there are other times when we are to fight the silence because it's Satan's way of keeping us from a commitment...silence...hiding the light...keeping you from sharing your voice, wisdom, and love with the people around you.  In these moments we must fight the urge to give up and press on through the awkwardness of "nothing to say;" because a heart overflowing with Christ will always have SOMETHING to share.  Something of great value.  Something no one else can share...
Itself.
In my weakness, He is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)...  So I will most gladly boast in my weakness because it is then, and only then, that God's voice is purest (and loudest)...there is no longer anything that I can contribute...I am only a vessel for Christ.
So, as you go through your day, when you come to those moments where there "are just no words" rely on the fact that God speaks with a still small voice...so listen carefully...because if you have nothing to say, He does!  Therefore allow your heart and mind to overflow with Christ and alow Him to speak through you!  When you share Christ, you share your heart...When you share your heart, you share Christ.
Chances are, You need to be silent so someone else can hear!

What Do You Seek?

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

What do you seek?  As humans we seek wealth, fortune, truth, love, comfort, honesty, leadership, counsel, meaning, worth, gratitude, kindness, et cetra...  Every day is filled with a search for whatever it is we are "missing."  We are consumed with the action of searching with the goal of fulfillment...yet we are not fulfilled.  Nothing we seek, once found, satisfies.  Why?
Our Creator, God, gifted us with the ability to seek and the free will make a choice once we find what we seek...All we need to do is rely on wisdom and reason to make the right choice...right?  But, whose wisdom do we rely on?  Where do we find our model for what is right?
The ONLY answer is Christ.
God created us to seek...Him.  There's an old song that says, "there's a God shaped hole in all of us..."  I believe that.  God created us with a void to fill, a void that can only be filled with Christ.  Before the fall, when Eden was perfect, Adam and Eve never felt that void because God was with them every step of the way...After the fall we have been left to choose to fill the void with Christ and Christ alone.
What do you seek?  What are you searching for right now?  Where are you looking?  To your job?  To your friends?  To yourself?  Are you finding FULL satisfaction IN Christ every moment of every day?
There is no person, no thing, no word, no action, no amount, no status...NOTHING that can fill or satisfy our search OTHER than Jesus!!  How COMFORTING!  We have a God who loves us so much that he created a place for Himself in our hearts, and then PURSUES us so that we might find Him!
How has He pursued you today?  Really think about it...write it down...Share His pursuit of you with others!  We serve a wonderful, majestic, loving God!  (and what girl (or boy) doesn't want to be pursued?)

Power

I went to Myrtle Beach for the first time this weekend!  I went with coworkers, it was so much fun, and all I could think of all weekend was my lack of Internet to "meet with you" yesterday. The ocean always amazes me with the wonder, majesty, and awesome power of God.   It's my favorite place in the world!  Saturday was really really windy and as I attempted to remain standing in the surf, I was not only struck by the power of God, but I could FEEL it!  (Mommy and I share this same thought process...she went last weekend and told me she thought the exact same thing...which I remembered after I thought of it...)  It reminded me of the song "Revelation Song" which reminds us that Jesus' NAME IS power.   Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain Holy, Holy, is He Sing a new song, to Him who sits on Heaven's Mercy Seat [Repeat 2x] (Chorus) Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come With all creation I sing: Praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything, And I will adore You…! Clothed in rainbows, of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder Blessing and honor, strength and Glory and power be To You the Only Wise King Filled with wonder, Awestruck wonder At the mention of Your Name Jesus, Your Name is PowerBreath, and Living Water Such a marvelous mystery! Just the name of Jesus has power and we have that same power in us!  What a gift!  So, in anything you struggle with, in anything and everything you do for the rest of the day and for the whole week, remember that YOU have the POWER of God LIVING in you!!!  Release it with prayer!

God's Perfect and Pleasing Plan

As I was chatting with friends last night, I came to the realization that even though I am going through what I see as "a lot," even though this life is difficult, even though this is NOT where I thought I would be at 25...I am overjoyed to go through it for Christ!  This short time of suffering is a blessing.  And each and every "turn for the worse" is perfect and pleasing because it is God's will!

"Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne."  Hebrews 12:1-2

 Sometimes we forget that Jesus is the "source and perfecter."  Nothing in us comes from what we may have...ALL things are from Jesus and made perfect BY Him!  This means our desires too.  The bible tells us that God will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 20:4, 37:4)... but, the bible also tells us that our hearts are prone to evil and sin (John 8:43-45).  Romans 7 reminds us that because we are born into sin we do the things we hate rather than doing the things we know are right.
I used to think that all my desires came from God...then I would get mad at God for not fulfilling the desires He gave me.  The thing I didn't realize was that the unfulfilled desires were either premature (and might be fulfilled later - that is, in God's timing) or they were not from God (they were from Satan).  The beautiful thing is that God will help us to see the difference!  As we grow deeper in our faith and in the word, as we grow closer to God, He begins to change our heart. I'll never get over that...Jesus CHANGES my heart!!!!  As our heart changes, so do our desires!  Did you catch that...Jesus not only changes our hearts He changes our desires...  As we are made to be more like Jesus, we beging to think, act, worship, and desire more like Jesus!!!
This is not an easy task, however.  We are called to suffer through this Christian life (1 Peter 2:21, 5:10) until we are captured up into Glory with the Father.  But, as Paul tells us, this suffering breings the greatest joy of all!

John 13:35

Sitting here with my coffee thinking of  our "discussion" for this Saturday, and my heart reminds me... As we live life together (in our relationships) we are either influencers or influenced...either way, as Christians, we are a picture of Christ to those around us.

 

In my life, I find that I have different "circles"...there's my friend relationships, my family relationships, and my work relationships...  each "circle" looks a little different AND causes me to ACT a little differently.  With my friends (and at church) I feel I am more encouraging, more joyful, and more serving.  With my family I tend to be a little more irritable and contentious/argumentative.  At work I am more influenced by others' moods and tend to be more easily frustrated. Unfortunately, as open and honest as that all is, it is so very wrong.  As a picture of Christ (a Christian = meaning "little Christ")  I should be the same (that is, have the same attitude) throughout all of my day in all of my interactions.

Jesus treated all the people he encountered with the same service, the same love, the same care, and the same tenderness no matter WHO they were or how well He knew them.  Jesus was always the same because God is always the same...He never changes!  What a great truth!!  So, If God is always the same, why can't we be???

SIN. 

The long and short of life is that we are creatures drawn to sin...we are drawn to the irritable, contentious, argumentative, frustrated, follow the crowd mentality (Romans 7:13-25)...if we weren't, we wouldn't need a savior (Romans 3:22-24).  (Praise God for the Savior!)So, can I explain WHY my attitude and actions are different depending on the people around me?  No.  Except that, Satan seeks to destroy us and therefore seeks to destroy our relationships. (1 Peter 5:8) I DO know that this trend needs to change and I DO know that MY mood is affected my the people in my life and I respond accordingly...instead I should seek to AFFECT the mood of the people in my life by ALLOWING Christ and Christ alone to overflow from my heart!

And now, as I finish the last of my coffee, the last thought is this...God mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 2:22-23) and therefore we have a new opportunity every day to allow God to affect our mood rather than allowing others to affect our mood.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Psalm 56:8

I have been so full of emotion lately.  A wide range, from joy to sadness, all filled with tears.  When I come to seasons like this (the "rainy season" of life) I tend to become frustrated with my self, showing so much emotion, allowing people to see me cry...and then I remember this:

"You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records?" Psalm 56:8
"This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you." 2 Kings 20:5

We are so dear to God that he saves every happy tear and every sad tear.  He keeps them in a bottle!  What LOVE we have from our Savior!  God's love is so great that he sent His sone to die in my place AND He saves each and every one of my tears!  He shares my joys and my sorrows.  THAT is so comforting!

Distracted

Can you think of one word to describe your life in this moment?  Is the first word that comes to your mind "love"?  Is "love" even a word that you think of to describe your life?  It should be.  God IS love.  The Gospel IS love.  Jesus IS love.  SO...if we are Christians, we are therefore imitators of Christ and therefore we are love!  Aren't we?  Does every action, every thought, every movement, every breath revolve around love?  The love of Christ should be SO overflowing from our hearts that we can not contain it...and yet sometimes we struggle just to show it...   Honestly, the one word that describes MY life in this moment is "distracted."  Distracted by the "to do" list, the television, my wants, my needs, my struggles, my work, my laundry, my upset stomach, my movie, my beach day...(etc.)  Common denominator?  ME.  My life is distracted by me (my self and my selfishness).  The most unfortunate, sad, uncomfortable part about this?  That Satan has succeeded in distracting me from Love (therefore distracting me from God who IS love).   The best part?  God allows me to repent and return to Him.  Each moment, each breath is a chance to make a choice to show love.  We were reminded in church today that love is NOT a feeling but and ACTION.  We are not called to "feel" love...we are called to BE love and DO love!   "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jn. 13:35  So, friends, make the choice to show love today in EVERY thought, action, word, and smile!

GRACE

God GRACE is one of my favorite attributes of His character!  There is nothing that can keep His unconditional love from us!  I was able to get to the beach today...SO GOOD!  It's one of my favorite creations (and one that makes it difficult to stay distant from God) all thanks to His grace!

I have been feeling very distant lately.  Not really "far away" distant, or "disconnected" distant...but rather apathetic and luke warm.  I don't understand how things get this way in my walk with God...or at least I thought I didn't...  I realized that since Caswell I have not spent time in the word...at all.  This has truly distanced me from my creator, my love, my God...and...made for some very unfulfilling days.

By His grace, He takes us back AS WE ARE!  God loves us no matter what!  Through the pain of trying to teach us something we just aren't getting.  Through our "dry spells" of not engaging in His word.  Through our selfish, sinful thoughts and actions in each and every day...   Christ died once for all to save all from sin!  And, He saves us as we are.  God does not seek to change us first.  He, like a loving father, opens His arms wide to welcome us home.  No matter what we've done or how far we've traveled away, He gives us chance after chance after chance to come back, try again, and get it right! What's more, He gives us His Holy Spirit to help us stay on the right path!  Praise GOD!

He works WITH us every day to teach us and fill us with wisdom and light...how great is that!?!  And, He is waiting to welcome you and me back into His arms so that He might fulfill His perfect plan through our lives!!!

Lead

I have never considered myself to be a leader.  In fact, for most of my life I have searched for excuses to remain in the background.  I have labeled myself a wallflower, follower, introvert, quiet, not much of a people person (whatever THAT means), socially retarded, and any number of other like labels...but... THAT'S NOT WHO GOD CREATED ME TO BE!!!!!   Praise Him for that!!!  When we think about how we should conduct ourselves as Christians, we should compare our actions with the character of Christ.  So, of the labels formerly mentioned...do they fit the character of God?  of Christ?  No.  God is NONE of those things.

In fact, each person is given gifts (or strengths).  Some are teachers, some are athletes, some are business savvy, etc. EACH of these people need the others to lead them in what they do not know.  This is how community is built.  We are given strengths and spiritual gifts not so we can keep them to ourselves and admire what God has given us, but to SHARE them with others so that we may build and encourage the body.

We do not choose leadership.  Leadership is gifted to us from God!  It is our calling, it is our purpose.  The choice is WILL we use that leadership to influence the Kingdom or will we smother our calling to leadership until we can no longer hear any call from God?  There are no leaders or followers...we all have elements of both.  We lead with our gifts and strengths AS we allow others to lead us with theirs.

♫Come, Let Us Sing A Song♫

1 Chronicles 16:8-9 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.  Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Psalms 66:1-2 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious.
Psalms 95:1-2 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Psalms 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
Psalms 98:4-5 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

God's word tells of Him glory.  God's word (much of it in Psalms) also tells us to SING His praises!  God's creation of song is SUCH a beautiful thing!  The birds and the animals sing a song to their creator, the ocean waves sing a song to their creator, the wind, the rain...I'll bet even the sun, moon, stars, and dirt sing out to the Lord!  Then, God created man.  God gave us words to articulate His song and placed it in our hearts.
I am a crier during worship. Even when I sing with the radio in the car (even if it's not a worship song) I find myself moved to tears.  Why?  Why does music touch our hearts so deeply?  Why is song so special?  I believe it is because God first placed a song within us.  A song that yearns to be heard.  A song made specifically for you to sing to God.  Your song is different than anyone else's.  ---It's not the words you use, the intonation, the musicality, the verse, the chorus, the cracendo...no...it's your heart sending Praise to the Lord!  Therefore, EVERY song that you sing is a praiseful action to the Lord...Are the words you sing so praise-full?

Liar, Liar

Yesterday, as I was teaching, I was confronted with one of my own "little white lies."  I think I told one of the kids how wonderful their picture was without looking at it (because I was "SO" busy)  And although that may not have been a lie, because the picture may have been wonderful, it wasn't honest OR a true picture of the love of Christ.  Christ would have STOPPED EVERYTHING to turn His full attention to the child and his picture to make an honest and helpful comment.  I feel like this applied to those other "white lies" we all use through out the day...I'm sure you can think of many from your own life, as can I...more than I can give words to... 

 

One of the biggest I can think of is when a friend asks how does this make me look, and we say great, even through they look horrid...and is this uplifting?  NO.  Why?  We just allowed our friend to walk out, into public, looking horrid!  What kind of friend are we????

There is a consequence of every lie.  It may not seem like it, but you are not the person you just lied to.  I am not the friend walking around looking horrid!  (or maybe I am...)  Proverbs tells us "The Lord detests lying lips." (Prov 12:22)!  We need to be careful to guard our lips from the evil in our hearts...choose our word and our actions carefully...and live truthful, uplifting lives...  Examine your hearts.  Be honest, and don't worry about "hurt feelings"...your goal should by to glorify God!

Love

So, several months ago I began walking to work.  Every day that I can I leave my apartment an hour early to trudge the 2.3 miles to work...I then work 10 hours, and walk home.  Along my daily travels, I have found, I have more time to talk with God.  It is after all 40-50 minutes of silence filled with the white noise of traffic.  As we walk together, me and God, He brings to mind thoughts and ideas that I would not have/could not have materialized on my own.  Yesterday, walking home, was one such instance of God's touch on my mind.

...Do you love people?  I mean REALLY LOVE people?  And, not just in theory, but in your speech and your actions and your being...do you SHOW people they are loved?
I was confronted within this thought, that I have a long way to grow.  I think about the people I know and love; my friends and my family...how they love others...  and I realized (or God helped me to see) that

my love is conditional.

I do not emulate Christ as much as I could and certainly not as much as I should...  Unfortunately, my flesh still had a deep, dark, strong hold on my personality.  My love is extended fully and with great enthusiasm within the situations I choose...to the people I choose...when I feel like I want to (when there is most profit to me).  This saddens my heart.  Christ did not (DOES not) CHOOSE to love some and not love others, He loves ALL UNCONDITIONALLY at ALL times!!  Do you?

I am SO thankful that God has blessed me with the people in my life who can show me how to truly show the love of Christ...and Praise God that He can change my heart which changes my actions.  I pray today and everyday that I can be a beacon of Christ's love in every moment!  He can do it, He's that good!

The Sabbath

I love the storms spring brings in.  The wind, the rain, the thunder, the lightning...What a wonderful gift God has given us to appreciate storms and sunshine whether in weather or in life!  Unfortunately, sin has tainted how weather affects our lives and our homes...but I believe we can still enjoy storms- with a healthy fear of the power behind them.  I feel the perfect day to enjoy a storm is on a Saturday!

^{Exodus 20:8
8} Remember to dedicate the Sabbath day: ⁹ You are to labor six days and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. ¹¹ For the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

We are called to rest for one full day of the week.  Our American calendar makes that day Saturday or Sunday...the seventh day of the week.  And on this day we are to do NOTHING.  We are to rest.  We are to relax.  NO work should be done.  No housework.  No office work.  No business calls.  Just rest and relaxation and time to sit back and ENJOY what God has done for us through the week...

By the seventh day, God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. (Gen.2:2)

God rested and observed all that he had created and declared it good.  We are to emulate God in this way...we are to rest and observe all the work God has done through us in the past six days and see that He has declared it good (every moment of it!  For, all things work together for the Good of those who love God!)  Have you observed your day of rest this week?  It doesn't have to be Saturday or Sunday...it doesn't matter what day you take your rest, just that you take it.  It's a commandment from our creator!

XOXOX

In Christ alone...

God is all that we are and more than we could ever be!
 
Can you comprehend that?

After we accept Christ, he comes to dwell within us...He makes our hearts His home.  As Christians we have the power of Christ within us to become exactly what God has destined for us to be!  But, more than that, we have the potential to be immeasurably more!  God provides the extra 10% when we can only give 90% (or the extra 90% when we only have 10%).  He's our smile on the worst day of the week.  He's our strength in weakness.  He's our comfort in pain.  He's our support when we feel alone.  He's the hand that lifts us up and the hand that lays us down.  He's everything we can't be right when we need Him!  Can you FEEL that power?  It's amazing!  In every Every EVERY moment of every day, God walks with us, inside us, helping and guiding us.  He WILL fulfill the plans he has begun in us! (Philippians 1:6)

So, in the sea of stress and doubt and failure that is our world, guard your heart, mind, and soul.  Live each day as God gives it allowing Him to guide your steps and lead you to fulfillment of His perfect and glorious plan!

Praise Him for who He is in us and who He has made us in Him!

SaraJo

Monday...

Do you ever wonder how Monday gets here so fast?  I feel like, "Wait, wasn't it just Friday?  Where did the weekend go?"  To tell you the truth I don't really even know what kept me "busy"...but somehow Saturday got away from me...then Sunday got away from me...the next thing I know the alarm is going off to tell me I have work today...when I completely neglected the work I took home to do over the weekend.  I'm guessing it's not just me.

we have such good intentions right? We "sign ourselves up" for anything and everything intending to do the right thing.  to spend more time with a friend or loved one-to work on that report-to finish the project ahead of time-to prepare for that presentation coming up-to spend more time with our Lord and savior...  ---but how "good" are our intentions when we don't (or can't) follow through AND we leave God for last???  {did you catch that?}

how often do we leave Jesus (our one true love) for last?  And, for that matter, how often do we have good intentions to make our yes be yes and our no be no...only to realize we've dropped the ball?  We fill our lives SO full of works we lose sight of The One who makes it all possible.  The One who says "Come to me all who are weary and I will GIVE you rest"  He will GIVE!  There is nothing we can to to work up to or earn ANYTHING that The Lord wants to give.  He longs to be gracious to us.  I know what you're thinking, "the things we fill our lives with are good works and kingdom building and storing up treasures in heaven."  I agree.  We are called to good works...however...there's a line that we all to often cross...Jesus should ALWAYS be the first thought--He should always receive the first fruits--He should always be our number one.  So much of my weekend made ME number one...

...no wonder it went by so fast.  If we spend more of our time with Jesus at the center, we will enjoy more, remember more, and ACCOMPLISH more BECAUSE of our reliance on HIM!

XOXOX

This one was written on a Monday a few weeks ago...but I feel the core issue is always and forever looming over our every Monday...the true reason we "hate Mondays"...  I wanted to share this on an "off" day (waiting for Saturday is just so difficult some times), so, thanks for reading :)