I've been trying to keep my posts up on here.. but I apparently forgot one the other day. ~ That's what happens when you try to keep up with too many sites at one time... I am now posting on wordpress and have been copying the new posts and pasting them onto my blogger account. It worked pretty well in the beginning, but then I began overlooking it accidentally...
I am still posting. Just to let you know. :) Not as regularly as I would like to, but I am still writing just the same. I wanted to keep up my posts on blogger because I know of some people who read it on here specifically.
At this point, I think I am going to just be posting on wordpress, but I intend to leave my blogger address up and running. Every so often I will probably check back and update with some newer posts.
My address at wordpress is: http://pianogirl.wordpress.com, and I imported everything from blogger onto this address. It is nice because it has stats and so many more options than blogger. Plus I think it's easier to use. I was somewhat skeptical when a friend of mine first told me about it, but I quickly shared her opinion. ;)
So.. anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and for your input and feedback on my writing. I so love to hear your thoughts. :) Feel free to drop by my page at my other address!
Looking up while the world looks on,
Tara :)
*1 John 2:5-6*
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
following Christ
Yesterday morning I was sitting in open lab for my digital design class, and as we worked, a friend in my class and I talked. Just like most Monday mornings this semester. Well, I forget just exactly how this came up, but somehow we began talking about the job she had before deciding to come back to school.
She told me that she’d shared a job with another girl, and this girl made it a point to tell her that she is a “Christian.” My friend said this girl had “religious icons” all over their shared work space. You’d think that, especially after putting such an emphasis on being a “Christian,” she would at least make an effort to live it out.
My friend described to me her time of working with this girl… she was constantly belittling my friend, talking about her behind her back, emailing other co-workers and telling them not to send work to her because she didn’t know what she was doing (on their shared email address!)…
I cannot completely express how sick this made me feel, to hear what this girl had put my friend through. I know I have written on this topic so many times, but I really believe it cannot be stressed enough.
The New Living Translation says it like this, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)
Hypocrisy is so unattractive. Nobody wants to be around somebody who says one thing and does another. Nobody wants to be like them. When people don’t live what they claim (or.. when they don’t claim what they live..), that turns people off, and I really cannot say that I blame anybody who says they don’t want any part of Christianity because of all the hypocrites they know. It breaks my heart to see and hear people saying this, to know that there are people in the church today who are ruining the church’s reputation and pushing others away.
Honestly, this is a major reason for my decision to not go out and tell people directly that I am a “Christian” when I started at my college. I know this statement can be so easily misinterpreted, so please.. let me explain myself. Because of the way many people view Christians these days, I decided to conduct an experiment of sorts. If people asked me, I would definitely tell them that, “yes, I am a Christian.” But I was not going to go around saying that to everybody I ran into. I wanted to have a chance to escape the stereotypes; I didn’t want to gain a reputation before having the chance to make one for myself. I decided that I did not want to rely on my words to tell others what I believe… I made the choice instead to rely on my actions and the way I live my life. I guess I figured that if these things were not enough to show others that I follow Jesus, then there’s something wrong. If these things were not enough to speak of the One I love, then it would be better for all of us that I not tell anybody that I claimed I was a Christian, because I would be just another hypocrite.
I am not at all advocating not speaking up and sharing what you believe. I’m all for telling others about God and His love. But if we are going to go and share with our words, then we need to make sure that our lives reiterate what we are speaking. Because.. otherwise.. we’re just turning people off. We are not giving them an accurate picture of who Jesus really is.
I can’t even tell you how many people I have come in contact with - even in just these past two semesters - who had an experience with a “Christian” who didn’t live what they said they believed.. I have had the same basic conversation as the one I had with my friend in class yesterday morning.. so many times.
If I am ever living so that my words and my actions don’t line up with each other… I want to know. I want people to come to me and tell me. Please. I don’t want to be a part of pushing people away or turning them off to the beautiful love of God. I want to live to be an example of how Jesus loves us.
I want people to notice that there’s something different about me. I want it to be obvious that I love and follow Jesus. — Through my love and compassion for others, through the way my words and actions match up, through the things I say and don’t say… I want it to be said of me that I am a follower of Christ.
She told me that she’d shared a job with another girl, and this girl made it a point to tell her that she is a “Christian.” My friend said this girl had “religious icons” all over their shared work space. You’d think that, especially after putting such an emphasis on being a “Christian,” she would at least make an effort to live it out.
My friend described to me her time of working with this girl… she was constantly belittling my friend, talking about her behind her back, emailing other co-workers and telling them not to send work to her because she didn’t know what she was doing (on their shared email address!)…
I cannot completely express how sick this made me feel, to hear what this girl had put my friend through. I know I have written on this topic so many times, but I really believe it cannot be stressed enough.
The New Living Translation says it like this, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)
Hypocrisy is so unattractive. Nobody wants to be around somebody who says one thing and does another. Nobody wants to be like them. When people don’t live what they claim (or.. when they don’t claim what they live..), that turns people off, and I really cannot say that I blame anybody who says they don’t want any part of Christianity because of all the hypocrites they know. It breaks my heart to see and hear people saying this, to know that there are people in the church today who are ruining the church’s reputation and pushing others away.
Honestly, this is a major reason for my decision to not go out and tell people directly that I am a “Christian” when I started at my college. I know this statement can be so easily misinterpreted, so please.. let me explain myself. Because of the way many people view Christians these days, I decided to conduct an experiment of sorts. If people asked me, I would definitely tell them that, “yes, I am a Christian.” But I was not going to go around saying that to everybody I ran into. I wanted to have a chance to escape the stereotypes; I didn’t want to gain a reputation before having the chance to make one for myself. I decided that I did not want to rely on my words to tell others what I believe… I made the choice instead to rely on my actions and the way I live my life. I guess I figured that if these things were not enough to show others that I follow Jesus, then there’s something wrong. If these things were not enough to speak of the One I love, then it would be better for all of us that I not tell anybody that I claimed I was a Christian, because I would be just another hypocrite.
I am not at all advocating not speaking up and sharing what you believe. I’m all for telling others about God and His love. But if we are going to go and share with our words, then we need to make sure that our lives reiterate what we are speaking. Because.. otherwise.. we’re just turning people off. We are not giving them an accurate picture of who Jesus really is.
I can’t even tell you how many people I have come in contact with - even in just these past two semesters - who had an experience with a “Christian” who didn’t live what they said they believed.. I have had the same basic conversation as the one I had with my friend in class yesterday morning.. so many times.
If I am ever living so that my words and my actions don’t line up with each other… I want to know. I want people to come to me and tell me. Please. I don’t want to be a part of pushing people away or turning them off to the beautiful love of God. I want to live to be an example of how Jesus loves us.
I want people to notice that there’s something different about me. I want it to be obvious that I love and follow Jesus. — Through my love and compassion for others, through the way my words and actions match up, through the things I say and don’t say… I want it to be said of me that I am a follower of Christ.
let it shine..
April 12, 2007
So.. there are three more weeks in my semester before finals week. Then comes graduation. Everybody says that is so exciting.. and I can see that. Yes, it is exciting. At the same time, though, I am finding it somewhat depressing. I’ve spent the past three years in school, and honestly, I really enjoy it. So maybe I’m crazy. But I tend to enjoy what I’m doing.
The attitude we take into whatever our circumstances happen to be can have such an impact on how we look at things and how others see us… and it is contagious. If we take a negative attitude to school with us and complain about everything that comes up, others are going to see that. They’re going to complain too, have nothing encouraging to say, and they are not going to want to be around us.
It works the other way, too, though. If we take a smile to school, and when things might not be going our way we find something to be glad about and smile anyway, people will notice that too. Just smiling and saying hi as you walk through the hallways can have such a ripple effect… you never know when a smile is all it takes to brighten someone’s day and make them feel loved. It might even save their life. You never can tell…
Anyway, I got off on a little bit of a rabbit trail there..
At the beginning of my fall semester at Edison, I wrote something about wanting to make my time at school count. I didn’t want to waste any moment.. but instead take advantage of it all. I didn’t want to miss any opportunity to help someone out or to smile or to make a new friend. I can honestly say that I’m pretty happy with the way fall semester went. I made so many new friends. I’ve seen how much influence and impact I can have on others, just by living for Jesus.
But.. now it’s gone. And not only is fall semester gone, spring semester is nearly there as well. There is not much time left. It makes me really think.. how much emphasis do I place on what needs to be emphasized.. on the things that are truly important, the things that make a difference in life? How much do I focus on the stupid little things that will never matter?
Just as I went into the fall semester wanting to make a real difference, I want to end my time at Edison in the same way. I’ve got four more weeks there.
“like the sun swallowed up by the earth, like atomic bombs in reverse, as if a glass could contain the sea, that’s the way You are in me…” (by the Afters)
That is what I want. I want to have so much of God in my life that it’s like an atomic bomb in reverse, like the sun swallowed up by the earth. I want His light to shine through me. I guess I feel like this is my “last chance,” in a way. I don’t know exactly what comes next. He does though, and I intend to trust Him with that, but that’s a whole separate story.
I love this line from Natalie Grant’s song “Live for Today”… “I’m gonna let my little light shine like there’s no tomorrow..”
Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
I want to shine for Him… How well am I doing? Well.. I guess you’d have to ask those around me. It is always so encouraging to me though, when people ask me, “Are you a Christian?” ~~ and I have had that at school.. since writing my post about wanting to be effective and productive and shine for Jesus there. I love when they see my life and ask me this, because that means I’m painting a picture for them of how Jesus lived on the earth. I don’t want to live how so many “Christians” live today. Honestly, I don’t want to be associated with the hypocrisy and fakeness that people think of as “Christianity” today.
“… if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)
That is real Christianity. It is what following Christ really looks like. It might mean befriending some people that others look down on you for befriending. It might mean getting out of your comfort zone in a new way.. It might mean some hard things. But Jesus is worth it.
I am “gonna let my little light shine — like there’s no tomorrow.”
So.. there are three more weeks in my semester before finals week. Then comes graduation. Everybody says that is so exciting.. and I can see that. Yes, it is exciting. At the same time, though, I am finding it somewhat depressing. I’ve spent the past three years in school, and honestly, I really enjoy it. So maybe I’m crazy. But I tend to enjoy what I’m doing.
The attitude we take into whatever our circumstances happen to be can have such an impact on how we look at things and how others see us… and it is contagious. If we take a negative attitude to school with us and complain about everything that comes up, others are going to see that. They’re going to complain too, have nothing encouraging to say, and they are not going to want to be around us.
It works the other way, too, though. If we take a smile to school, and when things might not be going our way we find something to be glad about and smile anyway, people will notice that too. Just smiling and saying hi as you walk through the hallways can have such a ripple effect… you never know when a smile is all it takes to brighten someone’s day and make them feel loved. It might even save their life. You never can tell…
Anyway, I got off on a little bit of a rabbit trail there..
At the beginning of my fall semester at Edison, I wrote something about wanting to make my time at school count. I didn’t want to waste any moment.. but instead take advantage of it all. I didn’t want to miss any opportunity to help someone out or to smile or to make a new friend. I can honestly say that I’m pretty happy with the way fall semester went. I made so many new friends. I’ve seen how much influence and impact I can have on others, just by living for Jesus.
But.. now it’s gone. And not only is fall semester gone, spring semester is nearly there as well. There is not much time left. It makes me really think.. how much emphasis do I place on what needs to be emphasized.. on the things that are truly important, the things that make a difference in life? How much do I focus on the stupid little things that will never matter?
Just as I went into the fall semester wanting to make a real difference, I want to end my time at Edison in the same way. I’ve got four more weeks there.
“like the sun swallowed up by the earth, like atomic bombs in reverse, as if a glass could contain the sea, that’s the way You are in me…” (by the Afters)
That is what I want. I want to have so much of God in my life that it’s like an atomic bomb in reverse, like the sun swallowed up by the earth. I want His light to shine through me. I guess I feel like this is my “last chance,” in a way. I don’t know exactly what comes next. He does though, and I intend to trust Him with that, but that’s a whole separate story.
I love this line from Natalie Grant’s song “Live for Today”… “I’m gonna let my little light shine like there’s no tomorrow..”
Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
I want to shine for Him… How well am I doing? Well.. I guess you’d have to ask those around me. It is always so encouraging to me though, when people ask me, “Are you a Christian?” ~~ and I have had that at school.. since writing my post about wanting to be effective and productive and shine for Jesus there. I love when they see my life and ask me this, because that means I’m painting a picture for them of how Jesus lived on the earth. I don’t want to live how so many “Christians” live today. Honestly, I don’t want to be associated with the hypocrisy and fakeness that people think of as “Christianity” today.
“… if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)
That is real Christianity. It is what following Christ really looks like. It might mean befriending some people that others look down on you for befriending. It might mean getting out of your comfort zone in a new way.. It might mean some hard things. But Jesus is worth it.
I am “gonna let my little light shine — like there’s no tomorrow.”
Monday, April 16, 2007
all the in-between days...
Did you ever learn that Sunday school song when you were little?.. The one that goes…
“put Jesus in your everyday life
not just Sundays and Wednesdays
but all the in-between days
put Jesus in your everyday life
He wants to be your very best Friend..”
That song has been running through my mind off and on for the past several weeks. I remember singing it at Awana when I attended Sparks with a friend of mine at her church, and I think I had it on a cassette (yeah, okay, so it was a long while ago )..
As simple as the words are, they are really quite profound. It’s a simple concept, but it is one that we as the church today tend to have some trouble applying to our lives. It is so easy to go to church on Sunday and Wednesday and then go on with our lives on all “in-between days”.. as soon as the service is over on Sunday (or maybe even before it’s over..), our minds are already onto something else.. — “What’s for lunch?” “Oh wow, I’ve got a lot to do today!” “Maybe I’ll leave just a couple minutes early so I can beat the crowd..”
But when we start to have these thoughts.. our hearts are not really there listening to what God wants to tell us. Something I’ve learned a lot about in the past year or so is slowing down. There is nothing wrong with taking our time. What exactly do we gain by rushing out of a service early? Ten extra minutes to sit in front of the tv? Or is the only thing we really gain from it a growing impatience in our hearts? Who really cares if we have to wait a couple of minutes to be seated at the restaurant for lunch because there is a huge crowd after church?
See.. if we take to heart what this children’s song says, maybe we’ll let it affect us. If we live what this song suggests, if we really put Jesus in our everyday lives, just think of the difference we’d see in our attitudes and our actions. Think of the difference we could make in the world around us.
If we really put Jesus in our everyday lives, He will make us shine like the stars in the heavens (Philippians 2:15) in the middle of this darkness.
When we put Jesus in our everyday lives, people will begin to notice. They will want to be around us, because we don’t put them down or complain and argue when things don’t go our way.
Putting Jesus in our everyday lives makes us real followers of Christ. It pushes away the stereotype of “Christians” who are more into legalism and making up new rules than they are into caring about people. It embraces instead the lifestyle that Jesus lived. He visited the homes of people who were the “worst” that you could be. People looked down on Him for it, but.. that is because they didn’t understand what it meant to be in the world but not of it.
We are called to love people. Others are going to know we are followers of Christ because of our love (John 13:35). We actually owe it to people to love them (Romans 13:8). There is no greater love than to lay aside our own lives and desires for someone else (John 15:13).
So maybe this is a children’s song.. but I don’t think it is just for children. It is so relevant to us all. We need to put Jesus in our everyday lives.. and the world really needs us to as well. We can’t be fake.. which is what we are if we only let Him peek into our lives on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Let’s put Him in our everyday lives and let it change us from the inside out. We can change our world by letting Him first change us.
“put Jesus in your everyday life
not just Sundays and Wednesdays
but all the in-between days
put Jesus in your everyday life
He wants to be your very best Friend..”
That song has been running through my mind off and on for the past several weeks. I remember singing it at Awana when I attended Sparks with a friend of mine at her church, and I think I had it on a cassette (yeah, okay, so it was a long while ago )..
As simple as the words are, they are really quite profound. It’s a simple concept, but it is one that we as the church today tend to have some trouble applying to our lives. It is so easy to go to church on Sunday and Wednesday and then go on with our lives on all “in-between days”.. as soon as the service is over on Sunday (or maybe even before it’s over..), our minds are already onto something else.. — “What’s for lunch?” “Oh wow, I’ve got a lot to do today!” “Maybe I’ll leave just a couple minutes early so I can beat the crowd..”
But when we start to have these thoughts.. our hearts are not really there listening to what God wants to tell us. Something I’ve learned a lot about in the past year or so is slowing down. There is nothing wrong with taking our time. What exactly do we gain by rushing out of a service early? Ten extra minutes to sit in front of the tv? Or is the only thing we really gain from it a growing impatience in our hearts? Who really cares if we have to wait a couple of minutes to be seated at the restaurant for lunch because there is a huge crowd after church?
See.. if we take to heart what this children’s song says, maybe we’ll let it affect us. If we live what this song suggests, if we really put Jesus in our everyday lives, just think of the difference we’d see in our attitudes and our actions. Think of the difference we could make in the world around us.
If we really put Jesus in our everyday lives, He will make us shine like the stars in the heavens (Philippians 2:15) in the middle of this darkness.
When we put Jesus in our everyday lives, people will begin to notice. They will want to be around us, because we don’t put them down or complain and argue when things don’t go our way.
Putting Jesus in our everyday lives makes us real followers of Christ. It pushes away the stereotype of “Christians” who are more into legalism and making up new rules than they are into caring about people. It embraces instead the lifestyle that Jesus lived. He visited the homes of people who were the “worst” that you could be. People looked down on Him for it, but.. that is because they didn’t understand what it meant to be in the world but not of it.
We are called to love people. Others are going to know we are followers of Christ because of our love (John 13:35). We actually owe it to people to love them (Romans 13:8). There is no greater love than to lay aside our own lives and desires for someone else (John 15:13).
So maybe this is a children’s song.. but I don’t think it is just for children. It is so relevant to us all. We need to put Jesus in our everyday lives.. and the world really needs us to as well. We can’t be fake.. which is what we are if we only let Him peek into our lives on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Let’s put Him in our everyday lives and let it change us from the inside out. We can change our world by letting Him first change us.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
life is good..
Have you ever read A Tale of Two Cities? It opens with a line that has become pretty familiar to people… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” I don’t know that I’d ever really related to that sentiment more than I can say that I’ve related to it lately..
These past few weeks have brought some hard times.. One of my best friends since like 4th grade is going through a separation/divorce at the moment.. with two small kids.. and I really can’t say that I know or even can imagine what she’s going through. Another friend is going through a big mess with her family and the law and all.. and she also just lost a dear pet a day or two ago.. Still another friend just had a biopsy done this past week to make sure this lump of something on his neck wasn’t cancerous. (It wasn’t, thankfully.)
So many are going through hard times right now. I feel so helpless about it all, like there has to be something I could do to help. I know I can pray for them, and I am.. but sometimes even though prayer is the best thing I could ever contribute, I feel as though I am almost taking the “easy” way out. I think sometimes a lot of people say they’ll pray for people just because they know they have to say something, but they don’t really want to.. so.. they say “well, I’ll pray for you!” Prayer becomes an excuse, and I don’t want it to ever be an excuse in my life. I believe prayer to be so important, and so practical. But we have to be willing to do more when we can. And.. right now I’m feeling like I should be able to do more, even though I can’t. If that makes any sense…
It even makes me feel kind of guilty, because my life looks so much different than their lives right now.. I know that shouldn’t make me feel guilty, but.. it almost does. Somehow, my life at this moment looks to me like it must look so “easy” and “good” to them all. I want to praise God in the “good” times, but I also want to praise Him in the storms, when it looks like things are never going to clear up. That is what a life lived for God really looks like. It’s what I want my life to look like.
And you know.. even in the hard times, I can look around me and see all that God has blessed me with.. and life is good.
God is good.. so life is good. What more is there to say? He makes everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
He is always with us.. that is reason enough for joy and contentment, knowing that when we live for Him, trusting Him even when we might not really feel like it, He is going to bless that. It is when we cannot see the next step and we trust Him as we step out in faith — not knowing what that step entails, but just trusting that there is a step there and that He has it in His control — it is then that we grow in our faith in God. It is then that we shine and others see God in us and in our lives. I want to live a life of worship to Him.
As I live my life to follow Christ, I am learning so much that even when things don’t go our way, keeping our joy and smile is so important, because others are watching us.. It is a part of reaching out and sharing His love as much as it is a part of praising Him. Keeping the right attitude is so important and even crucial; otherwise, we are hypocrites.. and that turns people off instead of drawing them in and causing them to wonder what we have that makes us live with a constant joy.
Prayer is important. Really important. But we can’t let it become an excuse for not doing something else too. If we use it as an excuse.. then we are just the same as the people who walked right by the guy on the side of the road.. We have to be like the Samaritan who stopped and actually helped the man. I’m sure he would have prayed for him too, but he didn’t let that stop him from helping him physically too. We have to put feet on our faith.. because actions really do speak louder than words.
Anyway.. yeah.. life is good. Not because of anything I have done, but because of God. It might be the “best” of times.. and it might be the “worst” of times. Either way..
God is good. And so life is good.
These past few weeks have brought some hard times.. One of my best friends since like 4th grade is going through a separation/divorce at the moment.. with two small kids.. and I really can’t say that I know or even can imagine what she’s going through. Another friend is going through a big mess with her family and the law and all.. and she also just lost a dear pet a day or two ago.. Still another friend just had a biopsy done this past week to make sure this lump of something on his neck wasn’t cancerous. (It wasn’t, thankfully.)
So many are going through hard times right now. I feel so helpless about it all, like there has to be something I could do to help. I know I can pray for them, and I am.. but sometimes even though prayer is the best thing I could ever contribute, I feel as though I am almost taking the “easy” way out. I think sometimes a lot of people say they’ll pray for people just because they know they have to say something, but they don’t really want to.. so.. they say “well, I’ll pray for you!” Prayer becomes an excuse, and I don’t want it to ever be an excuse in my life. I believe prayer to be so important, and so practical. But we have to be willing to do more when we can. And.. right now I’m feeling like I should be able to do more, even though I can’t. If that makes any sense…
It even makes me feel kind of guilty, because my life looks so much different than their lives right now.. I know that shouldn’t make me feel guilty, but.. it almost does. Somehow, my life at this moment looks to me like it must look so “easy” and “good” to them all. I want to praise God in the “good” times, but I also want to praise Him in the storms, when it looks like things are never going to clear up. That is what a life lived for God really looks like. It’s what I want my life to look like.
And you know.. even in the hard times, I can look around me and see all that God has blessed me with.. and life is good.
God is good.. so life is good. What more is there to say? He makes everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
He is always with us.. that is reason enough for joy and contentment, knowing that when we live for Him, trusting Him even when we might not really feel like it, He is going to bless that. It is when we cannot see the next step and we trust Him as we step out in faith — not knowing what that step entails, but just trusting that there is a step there and that He has it in His control — it is then that we grow in our faith in God. It is then that we shine and others see God in us and in our lives. I want to live a life of worship to Him.
As I live my life to follow Christ, I am learning so much that even when things don’t go our way, keeping our joy and smile is so important, because others are watching us.. It is a part of reaching out and sharing His love as much as it is a part of praising Him. Keeping the right attitude is so important and even crucial; otherwise, we are hypocrites.. and that turns people off instead of drawing them in and causing them to wonder what we have that makes us live with a constant joy.
Prayer is important. Really important. But we can’t let it become an excuse for not doing something else too. If we use it as an excuse.. then we are just the same as the people who walked right by the guy on the side of the road.. We have to be like the Samaritan who stopped and actually helped the man. I’m sure he would have prayed for him too, but he didn’t let that stop him from helping him physically too. We have to put feet on our faith.. because actions really do speak louder than words.
Anyway.. yeah.. life is good. Not because of anything I have done, but because of God. It might be the “best” of times.. and it might be the “worst” of times. Either way..
God is good. And so life is good.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
interview with author tricia goyer.. :)
I recently had the opportunity to ask a Tricia Goyer, a favorite writer of mine, some questions about her life and her work as a part of her blog tour...
Tara: How did you get started as a writer?
Tricia: I sold an article to Light and Life Magazine at the very first writer’s conference I attended. I didn’t sell another one for two years. I think that first article was God’s encouragement that I was on the right track.
Tara: Which of your books has been your favorite to write so far? Why?
Tricia: Wow, that is a HARD question, but I'd have to say my favorite to write so far is my next novel to be released this fall A Shadow of Treason. That book was fun because I was able to continue on with the characters from A Valley of Betrayal. A first for me! It was fun because a minor character--someone I'd least expected ended up becoming a MAJOR character and deepening the plot in an exciting way. It was also fun because there is a mystery involved that totally was a blast to research and figure out. I was able to take a true part of history and create intrigue around it. Fun!
Tara: You have worked a lot with MOPS, right? If you could give young mothers some encouragement and/or advice, what would you tell them?
Tricia: I would tell moms not to get too overwhelmed with trying to do everything right ... according to what the world thinks is best, but instead to turn to God and seek His opinion. So many times we want to do everything/be everything for our kids and this is impossible. Yet, when I get away, pray for my kids, bring them before God, and seek His wisdom I'm amazed how he simplifies things and reminds me the heart is the most important part.
Tara: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Tricia: I like to hang out with my family. We travel A LOT during high school basketball season--on the road nearly every weekend from November to Feb. We watch TV shows together, watch movies, play board games, and DDR (Dance, dance revolution). In between books I try to get up house organized and catch up on what fell behind during deadline, but it doesn't work too well because I get a lot of new ideas when I'm cleaning and organizing, and I end up back at the keyboard! I also go to lunch with friends and take my grandma shopping, which she loves.
Tara: Who or what inspired you new book, A Valley of Betrayal?
Tricia: When I was researching for my novel, Arms of Deliverance, one of the autobiographies I read was from a man who was a B-17 bomber pilot over Europe --but before that he was an American volunteer for The Spanish Civil War. I had never heard of this war before, which happened right before WWII in Spain . I started researching and I was soon fascinated. Some people call it "the first battle of WWII" because it's where that Nazis first tried their hand at modern warfare.
Tara: Do you have anything in particular you'd like to mention about A Valley of Betrayal?
Tricia: This book was very challenging because I knew nothing about The Spanish Civil War before I started. Yet, I felt sure that God was leading me to write these books, and God (again) taught me to trust Him. When He gives me an idea for a novel it is so BIG. I mean there is so much to pull together. Yet, God has shown me time and time again that He is faithful. He gives me ideas, leads me to the right research books, and even brings people into my life to help me!
One example with this book is that God brought someone also to help. A man named Norm Goyer contacted me because his was working on his family tree and he wanted to know if we were related. We weren’t related, but Norm ended up being a airplane expert and consultant for movies. Norm ended up helping me with research on my German pilot in Spain . I think it was an awesome gift from God!
This again shows me that what ever God brings before me, He also has the power to help me succeed.
Tara: What is a Bible verse that means a lot to you? What is special about it in your life?
Tricia:I LOVE Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV):
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."'
It says SOOO much in so little. God is with me. He saves me from the troubles of life (in addition to saving my soul!). He quiets me when I get stressed out ... and He delights and me and rejoices over me with singing. That just does something for my heart. As someone who always notices my weakness I'm reminded that I'm a delight to God!
Tara: What made you get involved with speaking in addition to writing?
Tricia: I think that people assume you speak when you're a writer. You have a platform with your books, and they like to hear the message spoken too. Personally, I'm FAR more comfortable sharing my heart via my keyboard than speaking, but I LOVE connecting with people. I love hearing their feedback and seeing how my words encourage or inspire them.
Tara: Anything else you'd like to add?
Tricia: My next novel, A Shadow of Treason, picks off where A Valley of Betrayal leaves off. It starts THE DAY the first book ends. It continues on in Spain in the lives of these characters, and ... well, soon they discover that more is at stake than what any of them originally thought. It's also published by Moody and it will hit store shelves September 1, 2007.
Generation NeXt Marriage will be released in January of 2008 and My Life unScripted, a teen devotional for girls, this summer. And, of course, I've got several other projects in the works, including A Whisper of Freedom, which is the next novel I have to write.
Thank you so much for having me. God Bless!
Tara: How did you get started as a writer?
Tricia: I sold an article to Light and Life Magazine at the very first writer’s conference I attended. I didn’t sell another one for two years. I think that first article was God’s encouragement that I was on the right track.
Tara: Which of your books has been your favorite to write so far? Why?
Tricia: Wow, that is a HARD question, but I'd have to say my favorite to write so far is my next novel to be released this fall A Shadow of Treason. That book was fun because I was able to continue on with the characters from A Valley of Betrayal. A first for me! It was fun because a minor character--someone I'd least expected ended up becoming a MAJOR character and deepening the plot in an exciting way. It was also fun because there is a mystery involved that totally was a blast to research and figure out. I was able to take a true part of history and create intrigue around it. Fun!
Tara: You have worked a lot with MOPS, right? If you could give young mothers some encouragement and/or advice, what would you tell them?
Tricia: I would tell moms not to get too overwhelmed with trying to do everything right ... according to what the world thinks is best, but instead to turn to God and seek His opinion. So many times we want to do everything/be everything for our kids and this is impossible. Yet, when I get away, pray for my kids, bring them before God, and seek His wisdom I'm amazed how he simplifies things and reminds me the heart is the most important part.
Tara: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Tricia: I like to hang out with my family. We travel A LOT during high school basketball season--on the road nearly every weekend from November to Feb. We watch TV shows together, watch movies, play board games, and DDR (Dance, dance revolution). In between books I try to get up house organized and catch up on what fell behind during deadline, but it doesn't work too well because I get a lot of new ideas when I'm cleaning and organizing, and I end up back at the keyboard! I also go to lunch with friends and take my grandma shopping, which she loves.
Tara: Who or what inspired you new book, A Valley of Betrayal?
Tricia: When I was researching for my novel, Arms of Deliverance, one of the autobiographies I read was from a man who was a B-17 bomber pilot over Europe --but before that he was an American volunteer for The Spanish Civil War. I had never heard of this war before, which happened right before WWII in Spain . I started researching and I was soon fascinated. Some people call it "the first battle of WWII" because it's where that Nazis first tried their hand at modern warfare.
Tara: Do you have anything in particular you'd like to mention about A Valley of Betrayal?
Tricia: This book was very challenging because I knew nothing about The Spanish Civil War before I started. Yet, I felt sure that God was leading me to write these books, and God (again) taught me to trust Him. When He gives me an idea for a novel it is so BIG. I mean there is so much to pull together. Yet, God has shown me time and time again that He is faithful. He gives me ideas, leads me to the right research books, and even brings people into my life to help me!
One example with this book is that God brought someone also to help. A man named Norm Goyer contacted me because his was working on his family tree and he wanted to know if we were related. We weren’t related, but Norm ended up being a airplane expert and consultant for movies. Norm ended up helping me with research on my German pilot in Spain . I think it was an awesome gift from God!
This again shows me that what ever God brings before me, He also has the power to help me succeed.
Tara: What is a Bible verse that means a lot to you? What is special about it in your life?
Tricia:I LOVE Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV):
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."'
It says SOOO much in so little. God is with me. He saves me from the troubles of life (in addition to saving my soul!). He quiets me when I get stressed out ... and He delights and me and rejoices over me with singing. That just does something for my heart. As someone who always notices my weakness I'm reminded that I'm a delight to God!
Tara: What made you get involved with speaking in addition to writing?
Tricia: I think that people assume you speak when you're a writer. You have a platform with your books, and they like to hear the message spoken too. Personally, I'm FAR more comfortable sharing my heart via my keyboard than speaking, but I LOVE connecting with people. I love hearing their feedback and seeing how my words encourage or inspire them.
Tara: Anything else you'd like to add?
Tricia: My next novel, A Shadow of Treason, picks off where A Valley of Betrayal leaves off. It starts THE DAY the first book ends. It continues on in Spain in the lives of these characters, and ... well, soon they discover that more is at stake than what any of them originally thought. It's also published by Moody and it will hit store shelves September 1, 2007.
Generation NeXt Marriage will be released in January of 2008 and My Life unScripted, a teen devotional for girls, this summer. And, of course, I've got several other projects in the works, including A Whisper of Freedom, which is the next novel I have to write.
Thank you so much for having me. God Bless!
Thank you, Tricia!!
Be sure to visit Tricia's blog at It's Real Life..
Monday, March 12, 2007
how do we love each other?
"attitude check - everybody's got x-ray vision
spot a fake, walk away
'cause he's not worth my time, precious attention
does it make you scared to think you stand for something bigger?
but will i ever know 'til you say it with your life?
how they love each other
how they shine
and they follow One
we would like to know ourselves
not your fancy talk, not your upright walk
they're not enough, so chalk one up for love again
here's the same old good news
when you love, you give
and you can never lose, no never
does it make you scared to think you matter in the bigger picture?
but will i ever know 'til you show me with your life?
make a believer
make a believer out of me
just give me a reason
give me a reason..."
~ "how they love each other".. by downhere
John 13:34-35 says that people are going to recognize us as followers of Christ because of our love for each other. Are we loving each other? Sure, we all like to think we are.. but are we really loving each other enough so that others will pick up on that love and know we are followers of Jesus because of it??
I have mentioned before a guy I work with who grew up in the Methodist church and then decided to become wiccan.. I have another friend who, just the other day, said something very similar. She grew up Catholic and was pretty much forced to be Catholic, making her absolutely hate it. She considers herself an agnostic/athiest (I'm not completely sure which..) now.
The hypocrisy of the church -- as a whole -- is killing our world. It turns people off, and honestly, I cannot say that I blame anybody who is turned off by it. It is just sickening.. it is so sad.. We're pushing away the people our love is supposed to draw in.
When you go out in the world and say "hey, I'm a Christian," people do not see that as a good thing. They see it as a label that we give ourselves, and they immediately think we're a hypocrite. Why? Because so many "Christians" are hypocrites. When I started at my college, I decided I was going to try an experiment.. I decided I was not going to come right out and tell people that I'm a Christian. Not out of shame, because I am not ashamed of my faith. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16a) I decided on this experiment because I wanted to be able to show people who I really was. I did not want to be stereotyped and have a reputation before I had the chance to make a testimony for myself.
I have found that.. even without going and telling people that I am a "Christian," other believers and I tend to recognize each other. It is there in the way we talk -- or in the way we don't talk -- and in praying before our meals, it is in the genuine interest in people and what they are going through, it is in the way we dress and act... See, true Christians are going to live it. The fake ones are not.
"You can say what you like, but you are going to live what you really believe."
~ Mark Hall, Casting Crowns (I know.. I've quoted him on that before.. it's appropriate though; it just fits.)
There is nothing wrong with being called a Christian - so long as you live what you claim. I tend to like to say I am a follower of Christ. :) It catches people off guard and makes them ask questions. I've had people at school ~ even people who are not believers themselves ~ ask me very bluntly, "Are you a Christian?" Yes, I am. I love Jesus, I am His child, I belong to Him.
It is so ridiculous how, as the church, we are not doing our job. We are called to love others.. not to accept or agree with sin, but to love the people. Yet here we are pushing people away.. judging, shunning, ignoring the very ones we should be reaching out to and inviting in. We are the ones who are tearing up our generation, pushing them out of the church.
It is our job to love, and to make sure our speech and our actions line up with each other. We have a responsibility to do this.. we need to reach out in love. We are called to be real Christians.. followers of Christ. Not just somebody who calls themselves a "Christian" and might even go to church but then does not live it out.
spot a fake, walk away
'cause he's not worth my time, precious attention
does it make you scared to think you stand for something bigger?
but will i ever know 'til you say it with your life?
how they love each other
how they shine
and they follow One
we would like to know ourselves
not your fancy talk, not your upright walk
they're not enough, so chalk one up for love again
here's the same old good news
when you love, you give
and you can never lose, no never
does it make you scared to think you matter in the bigger picture?
but will i ever know 'til you show me with your life?
make a believer
make a believer out of me
just give me a reason
give me a reason..."
~ "how they love each other".. by downhere
John 13:34-35 says that people are going to recognize us as followers of Christ because of our love for each other. Are we loving each other? Sure, we all like to think we are.. but are we really loving each other enough so that others will pick up on that love and know we are followers of Jesus because of it??
I have mentioned before a guy I work with who grew up in the Methodist church and then decided to become wiccan.. I have another friend who, just the other day, said something very similar. She grew up Catholic and was pretty much forced to be Catholic, making her absolutely hate it. She considers herself an agnostic/athiest (I'm not completely sure which..) now.
The hypocrisy of the church -- as a whole -- is killing our world. It turns people off, and honestly, I cannot say that I blame anybody who is turned off by it. It is just sickening.. it is so sad.. We're pushing away the people our love is supposed to draw in.
When you go out in the world and say "hey, I'm a Christian," people do not see that as a good thing. They see it as a label that we give ourselves, and they immediately think we're a hypocrite. Why? Because so many "Christians" are hypocrites. When I started at my college, I decided I was going to try an experiment.. I decided I was not going to come right out and tell people that I'm a Christian. Not out of shame, because I am not ashamed of my faith. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16a) I decided on this experiment because I wanted to be able to show people who I really was. I did not want to be stereotyped and have a reputation before I had the chance to make a testimony for myself.
I have found that.. even without going and telling people that I am a "Christian," other believers and I tend to recognize each other. It is there in the way we talk -- or in the way we don't talk -- and in praying before our meals, it is in the genuine interest in people and what they are going through, it is in the way we dress and act... See, true Christians are going to live it. The fake ones are not.
"You can say what you like, but you are going to live what you really believe."
~ Mark Hall, Casting Crowns (I know.. I've quoted him on that before.. it's appropriate though; it just fits.)
There is nothing wrong with being called a Christian - so long as you live what you claim. I tend to like to say I am a follower of Christ. :) It catches people off guard and makes them ask questions. I've had people at school ~ even people who are not believers themselves ~ ask me very bluntly, "Are you a Christian?" Yes, I am. I love Jesus, I am His child, I belong to Him.
It is so ridiculous how, as the church, we are not doing our job. We are called to love others.. not to accept or agree with sin, but to love the people. Yet here we are pushing people away.. judging, shunning, ignoring the very ones we should be reaching out to and inviting in. We are the ones who are tearing up our generation, pushing them out of the church.
It is our job to love, and to make sure our speech and our actions line up with each other. We have a responsibility to do this.. we need to reach out in love. We are called to be real Christians.. followers of Christ. Not just somebody who calls themselves a "Christian" and might even go to church but then does not live it out.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
someone's searching..
"face lost in the crowd
feet wandering empty streets
voice crying out loud
heart aching with every beat
someone searching
searching for someone
everywhere and endlessly
wishing, waiting
could there be someone
searching for
someone searching
sould battered and bruised
pride wounded and left for dead
ears deaf to good news
eyes tear-drenched and sleepless red
oh i hear the cry
and i know the pain
can it be denied
that everyone has been
and will be someone searching
love standing alone
hands scarred by the nails of hate
hope suffering long
faith urging that it's not too late
someone searching
searching for someone
everywhere and endlessly
loving, longing
always there's someone
searching for someone
someone searching..."
~ by ginny owens... "someone searching"...
At work yesterday afternoon, a friend of mine and I were talking with a mutual friend that we work with, and somehow the conversation turned a little more personal than it started out as.. Our mutual friend/co-worker said that she's mean to people because she's tired of being nice. She said she cares too much and gets hurt every time, so she doesn't want to do it anymore. That just broke my heart. This girl's attitude and our conversation with her have been the topic of my thoughts and prayers so much since then. I'd occasionally seen her come to class crying before, when I didn't even know her.. but she is not one to be very open. Yesterday was something rare, that she actually shared that much with us. She's not one to let people get close to her like that.. which I find incredibly sad.
My whole way home from school/work, the radio was filled with songs like Third Day's "Cry Out to Jesus" and "If This World" by Jaci Velasquez.. songs that invite the lonely, encouraging them to cry out to Jesus and let Him Love them and hug them. Then later on, this song by Ginny Owens came to my mind, and I thought of how appropriate it is.. how much it applies here.
This girl is so in need. She needs to know that she's not alone.. I want to be friends with her, to let her know that she is Loved. By us in the LC, and more than that, she is Loved by God. It hurts me to know that she doesn't want friends because of her fear of getting hurt. Nobody should have that fear.
People are going to let us down.. that's just the way it is. We are imperfect people in an imperfect world. We can't be everything we were meant to be because we're sinful. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make the effort to be friendly and to have friends though. It makes it all just that more important. We need each other, you know.. we need to help each other and be there for each other.
While people we can see are always going to let us down, God is the opposite. He is never going to let us down. He will never, ever, ever leave us. I love the way the Amplified Bible says it in Hebrews 13:5. ~ "Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money, including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions, and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!'" I remember one time in youth group, Pastor Brian was speaking on this passage, and he said it literally means "never, ever, ever will I leave you." Like "don't even think of it, because it is not going to happen." That has stuck with me ever since. I always think of it when I read or hear or think of that verse.
As long as she's looking for someone visible to satisfy her desires, she's not going to find it. She will be let down.. every time. That is just the way we are. Even when we don't mean to hurt people, sometimes we end up hurting them anyway. She doesn't know - or is running away from - what she truly needs. She is so in need of God to satisfy her and change her attitude and heart. I don't mean it in a critical way at all; I'm sharing what is so heavily on my heart right now.
It isn't often that she lets someone see that deep inside her heart.. she doesn't normally open up like she did in this conversation. I have just right about two more months with her here at work before we graduate in May. Pray with me, please, that God will give me [us] the opportunities we need to share with her the One she really needs who will never, ever, ever let her down. Pray that He will soften her heart and open her to Himself so she'll really listen and realize what she needs. Pray that God will give us the words to share with her, because we really can't do it on our own.. it will fail if we try. But in listening to Him and His words, to what He wants us to say, He will work through us.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." ~ Hebrews 13:8
feet wandering empty streets
voice crying out loud
heart aching with every beat
someone searching
searching for someone
everywhere and endlessly
wishing, waiting
could there be someone
searching for
someone searching
sould battered and bruised
pride wounded and left for dead
ears deaf to good news
eyes tear-drenched and sleepless red
oh i hear the cry
and i know the pain
can it be denied
that everyone has been
and will be someone searching
love standing alone
hands scarred by the nails of hate
hope suffering long
faith urging that it's not too late
someone searching
searching for someone
everywhere and endlessly
loving, longing
always there's someone
searching for someone
someone searching..."
~ by ginny owens... "someone searching"...
At work yesterday afternoon, a friend of mine and I were talking with a mutual friend that we work with, and somehow the conversation turned a little more personal than it started out as.. Our mutual friend/co-worker said that she's mean to people because she's tired of being nice. She said she cares too much and gets hurt every time, so she doesn't want to do it anymore. That just broke my heart. This girl's attitude and our conversation with her have been the topic of my thoughts and prayers so much since then. I'd occasionally seen her come to class crying before, when I didn't even know her.. but she is not one to be very open. Yesterday was something rare, that she actually shared that much with us. She's not one to let people get close to her like that.. which I find incredibly sad.
My whole way home from school/work, the radio was filled with songs like Third Day's "Cry Out to Jesus" and "If This World" by Jaci Velasquez.. songs that invite the lonely, encouraging them to cry out to Jesus and let Him Love them and hug them. Then later on, this song by Ginny Owens came to my mind, and I thought of how appropriate it is.. how much it applies here.
This girl is so in need. She needs to know that she's not alone.. I want to be friends with her, to let her know that she is Loved. By us in the LC, and more than that, she is Loved by God. It hurts me to know that she doesn't want friends because of her fear of getting hurt. Nobody should have that fear.
People are going to let us down.. that's just the way it is. We are imperfect people in an imperfect world. We can't be everything we were meant to be because we're sinful. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make the effort to be friendly and to have friends though. It makes it all just that more important. We need each other, you know.. we need to help each other and be there for each other.
While people we can see are always going to let us down, God is the opposite. He is never going to let us down. He will never, ever, ever leave us. I love the way the Amplified Bible says it in Hebrews 13:5. ~ "Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money, including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions, and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!'" I remember one time in youth group, Pastor Brian was speaking on this passage, and he said it literally means "never, ever, ever will I leave you." Like "don't even think of it, because it is not going to happen." That has stuck with me ever since. I always think of it when I read or hear or think of that verse.
As long as she's looking for someone visible to satisfy her desires, she's not going to find it. She will be let down.. every time. That is just the way we are. Even when we don't mean to hurt people, sometimes we end up hurting them anyway. She doesn't know - or is running away from - what she truly needs. She is so in need of God to satisfy her and change her attitude and heart. I don't mean it in a critical way at all; I'm sharing what is so heavily on my heart right now.
It isn't often that she lets someone see that deep inside her heart.. she doesn't normally open up like she did in this conversation. I have just right about two more months with her here at work before we graduate in May. Pray with me, please, that God will give me [us] the opportunities we need to share with her the One she really needs who will never, ever, ever let her down. Pray that He will soften her heart and open her to Himself so she'll really listen and realize what she needs. Pray that God will give us the words to share with her, because we really can't do it on our own.. it will fail if we try. But in listening to Him and His words, to what He wants us to say, He will work through us.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." ~ Hebrews 13:8
Thursday, March 01, 2007
..and i am so in love with You..
"i am sure all of heaven’s heard me cry
as i tell You all the reasons why
this life is just too hard
but day by day
without fail
i’m finding everything i need
and everything that You are
to me
every time i breathe You seem a little bit closer
i never want to leave
i want to stay in Your warm embrace
oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
and every time i get another glimpse of Your heart
i realize it’s true
that You are so marvelous God
and i am so in love with You
now how could i after knowing One so great
respond to You in any way
that’s less than all i have to give
but by Your grace i want to love You not with what I say
but every day
in a way that my life is lived
wrapped in Your mercy i want to live and never leave
i am held by how humble
yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
captured by grace and now i’m finding i am free
You are marvelous God
and knowing You is everything"
~ "every time i breathe".. by big daddy weave..
Every time I hear this song.. oh my goodness.. it has to be one of my favorites ever. :) It's amazing.
No matter what we go through, even when we think life is so unfair and just too hard, God is here.. He is everything we need, and He will show it to us through our experiences if we'll just let Him. I guess I could sit here and complain that I feel so overloaded in one of my classes, or I could complain that life is hard. Hey, God never promised us that life would be easy or that everything would work out the way we plan it. He never promised me I'd never lose a friend, or that people would always agree with me and respect me. Throughout everything I go through.. I am so constantly seeing God's fingerprints. He is showing me His beauty and Love through it all.
So maybe it isn't always easy, but really, knowing how great is our God and knowing Him personally, how can I respond in any way other than giving Him all of myself? My every breath belongs to Him.. and He's the only reason I have any breath at all. ".. by Your grace I want to Love You not with what I say, but every day in the way my life is lived.." Yes - I want to Love my Jesus with what I say. But words without actions are meaningless, and that is what this is talking about... My actions have to prove that what I say is true. Actions speak louder than words. If I say one thing and do another, you're going to believe my actions rather than my speech. So let my life speak of how great He is.
Pretty much this song just speaks for itself. But I had to share it, and I had to expand on a little, sharing my thoughts and just what this song says to me. "You are marvelous, God, and knowing You is everything." What can I add to that? It is such truth. Such an attitude of humble worship. I am absolutely nothing without God. He's my everything. It is so important to not only remember that, but to also live my entire life, my every moment, letting my complete dependence on Him shape my actions and my words. Let my Love for Him show. When I am completely overwhelmed with being in Love with Him, it is going to shine in my life.
as i tell You all the reasons why
this life is just too hard
but day by day
without fail
i’m finding everything i need
and everything that You are
to me
every time i breathe You seem a little bit closer
i never want to leave
i want to stay in Your warm embrace
oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
and every time i get another glimpse of Your heart
i realize it’s true
that You are so marvelous God
and i am so in love with You
now how could i after knowing One so great
respond to You in any way
that’s less than all i have to give
but by Your grace i want to love You not with what I say
but every day
in a way that my life is lived
wrapped in Your mercy i want to live and never leave
i am held by how humble
yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
captured by grace and now i’m finding i am free
You are marvelous God
and knowing You is everything"
~ "every time i breathe".. by big daddy weave..
Every time I hear this song.. oh my goodness.. it has to be one of my favorites ever. :) It's amazing.
No matter what we go through, even when we think life is so unfair and just too hard, God is here.. He is everything we need, and He will show it to us through our experiences if we'll just let Him. I guess I could sit here and complain that I feel so overloaded in one of my classes, or I could complain that life is hard. Hey, God never promised us that life would be easy or that everything would work out the way we plan it. He never promised me I'd never lose a friend, or that people would always agree with me and respect me. Throughout everything I go through.. I am so constantly seeing God's fingerprints. He is showing me His beauty and Love through it all.
So maybe it isn't always easy, but really, knowing how great is our God and knowing Him personally, how can I respond in any way other than giving Him all of myself? My every breath belongs to Him.. and He's the only reason I have any breath at all. ".. by Your grace I want to Love You not with what I say, but every day in the way my life is lived.." Yes - I want to Love my Jesus with what I say. But words without actions are meaningless, and that is what this is talking about... My actions have to prove that what I say is true. Actions speak louder than words. If I say one thing and do another, you're going to believe my actions rather than my speech. So let my life speak of how great He is.
Pretty much this song just speaks for itself. But I had to share it, and I had to expand on a little, sharing my thoughts and just what this song says to me. "You are marvelous, God, and knowing You is everything." What can I add to that? It is such truth. Such an attitude of humble worship. I am absolutely nothing without God. He's my everything. It is so important to not only remember that, but to also live my entire life, my every moment, letting my complete dependence on Him shape my actions and my words. Let my Love for Him show. When I am completely overwhelmed with being in Love with Him, it is going to shine in my life.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
when i'm a sparrow in winter..
"when i'm a sparrow in winter
You are the seed i find
when i'm a heart with a splinter
Your blood keeps me alive
if i could call You a color
Youd be the deepest of blues
if i had my pleasure of anything
You'd be the One that i'd choose
now it's crystal clear i'm falling for You
now that i can see the mystery's revealed
now i'm coming clean
i can feel my fears release
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
i'm soft like clay
Your hands, they mold me
for You, i would run away
just to hear You calling out my name
... i'm broken and empty
without You i'm blinded
i need You
i need You near me
i need You near me
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
now that i can see the mystery's revealed
now i'm coming clean
i can feel my fears release
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
please catch me
i'm falling for You.."
~ "crystal clear"... recorded by jaci velasquez
Honestly, what caught my ear this time around on this song was the line "when I'm a sparrow in winter, You are the seed I find.." We have had so much snow lately. There's no ground showing, and by the looks of things, it is going to be a while before the ground does show again. It's this lovely, pure white out there... that is, where the snow lies untouched by cars and plows and sleds and all. I love when it's new and pure and white, and not that ugly gray you see along the roads.
Anyway.. the line about the sparrow got me thinking.. we've got bird feeders out, and I love watching as all the different kinds of birds come to eat. Cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds, even a woodpecker or two.. we've got so many kinds of birds out there. They come and find the seed we put out for them.. and that is what I thought of when I heard that line.. When I don't have any hope of food in sight, when I'm all alone.. when I have absolutely nothing left in the world, I still have Jesus. No, I've not actually been in a situation where I have had literally nothing in the world, but you know what.. I've seen plenty of people who are in that situation. The people I encountered in Nicaragua and their way of life is still making an impact on me, even now, when I've been home for what, 7 or 8 months now...
Matthew 10 talks about how God even knows how many hairs are on our heads.. nothing happens even to a little sparrow that He doesn't see. Matthew 6 mentions a similar concept, as the flowers we see in His creation are so lovely.. and yet if He makes them beautiful and takes care of them.. how much more is He going to take care of us, His children... He is our seed.. He is our Provider.
No matter what I'm going through in my life.. He is the One I can always rely on. He has proven Himself faithful to me over and over. He has my complete trust... I have no reason not to trust Him.
You are the seed i find
when i'm a heart with a splinter
Your blood keeps me alive
if i could call You a color
Youd be the deepest of blues
if i had my pleasure of anything
You'd be the One that i'd choose
now it's crystal clear i'm falling for You
now that i can see the mystery's revealed
now i'm coming clean
i can feel my fears release
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
i'm soft like clay
Your hands, they mold me
for You, i would run away
just to hear You calling out my name
... i'm broken and empty
without You i'm blinded
i need You
i need You near me
i need You near me
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
now that i can see the mystery's revealed
now i'm coming clean
i can feel my fears release
now it's crystal clear
i'm falling for You
please catch me
i'm falling for You.."
~ "crystal clear"... recorded by jaci velasquez
Honestly, what caught my ear this time around on this song was the line "when I'm a sparrow in winter, You are the seed I find.." We have had so much snow lately. There's no ground showing, and by the looks of things, it is going to be a while before the ground does show again. It's this lovely, pure white out there... that is, where the snow lies untouched by cars and plows and sleds and all. I love when it's new and pure and white, and not that ugly gray you see along the roads.
Anyway.. the line about the sparrow got me thinking.. we've got bird feeders out, and I love watching as all the different kinds of birds come to eat. Cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds, even a woodpecker or two.. we've got so many kinds of birds out there. They come and find the seed we put out for them.. and that is what I thought of when I heard that line.. When I don't have any hope of food in sight, when I'm all alone.. when I have absolutely nothing left in the world, I still have Jesus. No, I've not actually been in a situation where I have had literally nothing in the world, but you know what.. I've seen plenty of people who are in that situation. The people I encountered in Nicaragua and their way of life is still making an impact on me, even now, when I've been home for what, 7 or 8 months now...
Matthew 10 talks about how God even knows how many hairs are on our heads.. nothing happens even to a little sparrow that He doesn't see. Matthew 6 mentions a similar concept, as the flowers we see in His creation are so lovely.. and yet if He makes them beautiful and takes care of them.. how much more is He going to take care of us, His children... He is our seed.. He is our Provider.
No matter what I'm going through in my life.. He is the One I can always rely on. He has proven Himself faithful to me over and over. He has my complete trust... I have no reason not to trust Him.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
that's when i'll give up..
"no heartbeat is always steady
angels have halos already
please - don't think you're proving yourself all the time
i don't need you to be perfect
i know the wait will be worth it
you and me, baby, we're only just learning to shine
you should know
this my love
how far i'll go
here's when i'll give up..
when the sun is coming up at midnight
when the clocks have all run out of time
when the snow falls in june
that's when i'll give up on loving you
when the earth is finished spinning around
when it's raining up instead of down
when a dream can't come true
when the rivers all run out of blue
that's when i'll give up on loving you
you'll never run out of chances
i don't need you to have all the answers
love isn't something that has to be put to the test
love like this
can't be undone
i'm telling you
if the day should come
when the sun is comin' up at midnight
when the clocks have all run out of time
when the snow falls in june
that's when i'll give up on loving you
when the earth is finished spinning around
when its raining up instead of down
when a dream can't come true
when the rivers all run out of blue
that's when i'll give up on loving you
as you're walking through the world
you gotta know
i'll be with you everywhere you go
you can spread your wings or run back to my arms
i will always hold you in my heart, baby
you'll always be
a part of me
baby can't you see
when the sun is comin' up at midnight-
when the clocks have all run out of time-
when the snow falls in june-
that's when i'll give up on loving you..
when the earth is finished spinning around-
when it's raining up instead of down-
when a dream can't come true-
when the rivers all run out of blue-
that's when i'll give up on loving you..."
"that's when i'll give up (on loving you)"... recorded by natalie grant
I so love the poetry of this song.. these words hold such a promise..
Don't we all want to be loved like this? Sure, it's a "love song".. you could have somebody sing it in your wedding.. But besides just being love like that, like between two people you can see with your eyes.. this song is a beautiful picture of the way God loves us. So unconditionally. Whether we spread our wings or run back to His arms, He loves us. We don't have to prove ourselves, we don't have to be perfect. We don't have to put on an act. God loves us perfectly.
And.. the way God loves us.. we're meant to love each other in the same way. Without condition. True love is love without condition. There is no price. If the other person messes up, our love is to still be there for them. And when we slip and fall, they need to be there for us too.
I read this passage in a book the other day...
"'What if I don't want to be in love?' [Tom asked].
'What do you mean? Of course you want to be in love. You're human.' [Mikal answered]."
(~ Ted Dekker, Black, page 76)
See... we all want to love and be loved. We all want to be "in love".. It is so human of us to want that. Which is not to say that it's wrong of us. God created us to have this desire in our hearts for love. God wants us to love and be loved...
Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind until just now that I'm writing this the day before Valentines Day. How silly is that.. didn't even think about it.. But then, I didn't really know what turn this post was going to take when I started writing. I only knew I needed to share that song.
Anyway, as we are in the season of valentines, red and pink hearts, chocolate, roses, and all.. I don't personally have somebody in my life who I'm close to like that. I don't have a boyfriend, and I never have had one. But that doesn't bother me. ".. I know the wait will be worth it, you & me, baby, we're only just learning to shine.." God's timing is always best. At this moment, He's still growing me into the woman He wants me to be, and the woman my "Gil" needs me to be. He's still growing my "Gil" too. I'm trusting God for all of that. It gives this song a whole new aspect.. sing it to the one you are going to love. Maybe I've met my "Gil".. maybe I haven't. Maybe I've met him but I just don't know it's him yet. God knows though. He's taking care of it for me, working out each little detail, and I don't have to worry about it. He'll take care of me always, because God is forever the truest Love I could ever have.
angels have halos already
please - don't think you're proving yourself all the time
i don't need you to be perfect
i know the wait will be worth it
you and me, baby, we're only just learning to shine
you should know
this my love
how far i'll go
here's when i'll give up..
when the sun is coming up at midnight
when the clocks have all run out of time
when the snow falls in june
that's when i'll give up on loving you
when the earth is finished spinning around
when it's raining up instead of down
when a dream can't come true
when the rivers all run out of blue
that's when i'll give up on loving you
you'll never run out of chances
i don't need you to have all the answers
love isn't something that has to be put to the test
love like this
can't be undone
i'm telling you
if the day should come
when the sun is comin' up at midnight
when the clocks have all run out of time
when the snow falls in june
that's when i'll give up on loving you
when the earth is finished spinning around
when its raining up instead of down
when a dream can't come true
when the rivers all run out of blue
that's when i'll give up on loving you
as you're walking through the world
you gotta know
i'll be with you everywhere you go
you can spread your wings or run back to my arms
i will always hold you in my heart, baby
you'll always be
a part of me
baby can't you see
when the sun is comin' up at midnight-
when the clocks have all run out of time-
when the snow falls in june-
that's when i'll give up on loving you..
when the earth is finished spinning around-
when it's raining up instead of down-
when a dream can't come true-
when the rivers all run out of blue-
that's when i'll give up on loving you..."
"that's when i'll give up (on loving you)"... recorded by natalie grant
I so love the poetry of this song.. these words hold such a promise..
Don't we all want to be loved like this? Sure, it's a "love song".. you could have somebody sing it in your wedding.. But besides just being love like that, like between two people you can see with your eyes.. this song is a beautiful picture of the way God loves us. So unconditionally. Whether we spread our wings or run back to His arms, He loves us. We don't have to prove ourselves, we don't have to be perfect. We don't have to put on an act. God loves us perfectly.
And.. the way God loves us.. we're meant to love each other in the same way. Without condition. True love is love without condition. There is no price. If the other person messes up, our love is to still be there for them. And when we slip and fall, they need to be there for us too.
I read this passage in a book the other day...
"'What if I don't want to be in love?' [Tom asked].
'What do you mean? Of course you want to be in love. You're human.' [Mikal answered]."
(~ Ted Dekker, Black, page 76)
See... we all want to love and be loved. We all want to be "in love".. It is so human of us to want that. Which is not to say that it's wrong of us. God created us to have this desire in our hearts for love. God wants us to love and be loved...
Honestly, the thought never even crossed my mind until just now that I'm writing this the day before Valentines Day. How silly is that.. didn't even think about it.. But then, I didn't really know what turn this post was going to take when I started writing. I only knew I needed to share that song.
Anyway, as we are in the season of valentines, red and pink hearts, chocolate, roses, and all.. I don't personally have somebody in my life who I'm close to like that. I don't have a boyfriend, and I never have had one. But that doesn't bother me. ".. I know the wait will be worth it, you & me, baby, we're only just learning to shine.." God's timing is always best. At this moment, He's still growing me into the woman He wants me to be, and the woman my "Gil" needs me to be. He's still growing my "Gil" too. I'm trusting God for all of that. It gives this song a whole new aspect.. sing it to the one you are going to love. Maybe I've met my "Gil".. maybe I haven't. Maybe I've met him but I just don't know it's him yet. God knows though. He's taking care of it for me, working out each little detail, and I don't have to worry about it. He'll take care of me always, because God is forever the truest Love I could ever have.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
a picture of Aslan..
"in only a moment truth was seen
revealed this mystery
the crown that showed no dignity, He wore
and the King was placed
for all the world to show disgrace
but only beauty flowed from this place
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands
He held the weight of impurity
the Father would not see
the reasons had finally come to be to show
the depth of His grace
flowed with every sin erased
He knew that this was why He came
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands
and we just don’t know
the blood and water flowed
and in it all He showed
just how much He cared
and the veil was torn
so we could have this open door
and all these things
have finally been complete
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands
would you take the place of this Man
would you take the nails from His hands..."
~ "this Man"... by jeremy camp
I have loved this song from the first time I ever heard it, but.. my fascination with it grew when I saw "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." If you have ever seen this movie.. think of the part when they are killing Aslan. Think of the look in His eyes. Think of the jeering and mocking and yelling of the White Witch's crowd.
One day this song of Jeremy Camp's came on the radio, I think while I was on the way to or from school, and it suddenly hit me how much the two relate - the song "This Man" and that scene with Aslan and the murderous mob. The song is talking about Jesus as He was led to His death on the cross that would bring about our forgiveness and life. And.. Aslan is a picture of Jesus. Aslan, like Jesus, held the weight of impurity - Edmund's impurity and selfishness, and our own - and since He chose to hold that for us.. the Father wouldn't see it. He forgave it all. The price was blood. Either Edmund's or Aslan's.. either our's or Jesus'. "The proof of Love, the price of grace, You traded all to take my place, and died for me so I could be a child of God..." ("Child of God" - by Todd Proctor)
"The depth of His grace flowed with every sin erased.. He knew that this was why He came..." Jesus knew. Aslan knew. As each sin was erased with His blood, His grace flowed deeply. Through how much we have been forgiven we see the true depth of His amazing grace. As cliched as that phrase is, it is so true. I don't want to ever get to the point that I think of amazing grace as a cliche.
Anyway, this view and scene of the movie and this song always make me think of each other now. I can just picture a music video that says it all so much better than I have, and without even explaining it. Just the song with the film edited into a video for it. (as I actually commented to one of my friends the other day as we sat and watched some music videos he'd made.. one was a video of Narnia, which was what brought it to my mind...)
It's something I encourage you to think about.. not the music video, but just the song and the movie, the whole picture they both paint. The picture of God's great Love for us. How great is our God. How great the Father's Love for us...
Would you take the place of this Man? Would I?? Could I?? Remember the look in His eyes. Remember as He silently pleads "Know that I Love you. Know that this is for you.." Those people showed Him such disgrace, such disrespect. They spit on Him, they made fun of Him. They taunted Him in every way they could. Yet He stayed there through it all, and He did it for us. My life is His. He gave it to me, and I want - and choose - to honor Him with it. If it doesn't honor God, then it is not going to happen in my life. No, that doesn't mean I don't sin. We all do. We're human. But it means that I am choosing deliberately to honor God with my life. I still stumble and fall. But I get back up again and again, and I know that He Loves me throughout it all.
Sing with me - how great, how great is our God...
Friday, January 26, 2007
undo me..
"i've been here before
now here i am again
standing at the door
praying You'll let me back in
to label me a prodigal would be
only scratching the surface
of who i've been known to be
turn me around, pick me up
undo what i've become
bring me back to the place
of forgiveness and grace
i need You, need Your help
i can't do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
what i've become
i focused on the score
but i could never win
trying to ignore a life of hiding my sin
to label me a hypocrite would be
only scratching the surface
of who i've been known to be
make every step lead me back
to the sovereign way that You...
turn me around, pick me up
undo what i've become
bring me back to the place
of forgiveness and grace
i need You, need Your help
i can't do this myself
You're the only One who can undo
what i've become"
"undo".. by rush of fools
I heard this song on the radio the other day, and I started thinking about what it said as I listened to what they were singing... Don't we all have stuff like this in our lives? Don't we all have days like this? Something that we've done or thought and just kind of let it slip by, thinking that.. oh, it's not so bad. Or something that we think God could never work out for good, so we'd better just run from Him.
We start to run and pretty soon, we've run so far and for so long that we forget what started us running in the first place. We don't even know exactly how to get back. But.. to get back, all we have to do is let go. Just let God have our lives and trust Him to make us new.. trust Him to undo what we've become. Because we cannot do it on our own. He's the only One who can who can show us the grace we need.
There isn't any one particular thing in my life that came to my mind in thinking about this song, but rather just the idea as a whole. How easy it is to let things escalate and get out of hand until we are suddenly in over our heads and don't know what to do to fix things. "Let every step lead me back to the sovereign way that You turn me around, pick me up.. to the way that You bring me back to the place of forgiveness and grace.." We have to become broken and let go of it all, letting God use us in our weakness, in our brokenness, for His glory. We cannot fix our problems on our own, and in order for us to let God come and forgive us and give us His beautiful grace, we have to acknowledge and act upon that acknowledgement that we are really nothing without Him. If we don't become broken and let go like this.. then we're still full of our stupid, selfish pride, and we don't really want Him to make us new. It has to be our decision to let go and come back to Him.. He won't make us do it, but as soon as we turn toward Him and choose to let Him mold us, He is always there, welcoming us into His arms. ~ the story of the prodigal and his father..
now here i am again
standing at the door
praying You'll let me back in
to label me a prodigal would be
only scratching the surface
of who i've been known to be
turn me around, pick me up
undo what i've become
bring me back to the place
of forgiveness and grace
i need You, need Your help
i can't do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
what i've become
i focused on the score
but i could never win
trying to ignore a life of hiding my sin
to label me a hypocrite would be
only scratching the surface
of who i've been known to be
make every step lead me back
to the sovereign way that You...
turn me around, pick me up
undo what i've become
bring me back to the place
of forgiveness and grace
i need You, need Your help
i can't do this myself
You're the only One who can undo
what i've become"
"undo".. by rush of fools
I heard this song on the radio the other day, and I started thinking about what it said as I listened to what they were singing... Don't we all have stuff like this in our lives? Don't we all have days like this? Something that we've done or thought and just kind of let it slip by, thinking that.. oh, it's not so bad. Or something that we think God could never work out for good, so we'd better just run from Him.
We start to run and pretty soon, we've run so far and for so long that we forget what started us running in the first place. We don't even know exactly how to get back. But.. to get back, all we have to do is let go. Just let God have our lives and trust Him to make us new.. trust Him to undo what we've become. Because we cannot do it on our own. He's the only One who can who can show us the grace we need.
There isn't any one particular thing in my life that came to my mind in thinking about this song, but rather just the idea as a whole. How easy it is to let things escalate and get out of hand until we are suddenly in over our heads and don't know what to do to fix things. "Let every step lead me back to the sovereign way that You turn me around, pick me up.. to the way that You bring me back to the place of forgiveness and grace.." We have to become broken and let go of it all, letting God use us in our weakness, in our brokenness, for His glory. We cannot fix our problems on our own, and in order for us to let God come and forgive us and give us His beautiful grace, we have to acknowledge and act upon that acknowledgement that we are really nothing without Him. If we don't become broken and let go like this.. then we're still full of our stupid, selfish pride, and we don't really want Him to make us new. It has to be our decision to let go and come back to Him.. He won't make us do it, but as soon as we turn toward Him and choose to let Him mold us, He is always there, welcoming us into His arms. ~ the story of the prodigal and his father..
Saturday, January 20, 2007
faithful..
"yesterday, today and forever
You are the same
You never change
yesterday, today and forever
You are faithful
and we will trust You..."
~ "yesterday today & forever" by vicky beeching
I just realized how long it has been since I wrote..
I've been learning a lot as I keep seeking what God has for me. School started back up this past week, and with it, work too (since I work at my college...). One thing God has impressed on my heart repeatedly - both recently and not-so-recently - is that as much as I might get distracted and caught up in other things.. He is always faithful. He knows what He's doing and He knows what I need.
I love Hebrews 13:5-8 ~ "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." If you skip back from chapter 13 to chapter 11 in Hebrews, the entire chapter is about faith and about people God saw as faithful, trusting people who lived for Him. They trusted Him to keep His promises and they obeyed even when it did not look promising or like it could possibly work. Well, God does not work in the "possibly" realm, if that makes any sense. Anything and everything is possible with Him. We have to just trust Him.
So.. yeah.. skip back to Hebrews 11. Read about Abraham and Moses, read about Noah and Isaac and when Joshua led the march around Jericho... Read about Rahab. These people stumbled just like I do. Yet God saw them as people of great faith who needed to be mentioned as examples of faith in Him. After reading Hebrews 11... now go back and read those verses in Hebrews 13 again. Verses 5 through 8. God is never ever ever going to leave us. He never left the people He used Hebrews 11 to tell us about, and He is never going to leave us or let go of us. Consider the people in Hebrews 11 and take a look at their lives.. look at the ways God showed Himself to be their Helper. And then remember that He is the same always. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Always. He never changes. He so deserves our trust and our faith.
Maybe it is easy to look at Hebrews 11 and go "yeah, but I'm not as good as those people.." We can't compare ourselves to others, but if you are going to go by comparison... well, Abraham lied. Rahab was a prostitute. Moses killed a guy. Noah got drunk. I'm not saying these things are okay or that they were even excused for the people mentioned. But what I am saying is that we all make mistakes, and God chooses to use us still. He will bring good out of everything that happens if we Love Him. I promise. If God can use a murderer, don't you think He can use us all? Have you ever hated anyone? Jesus said that if you hate someone, it is the same as murdering them. (I think it is in Matthew.. didn't look it up for the reference yet though..) And yes, I am getting into the Way of the Master questions here.. But really think about it.. God is the same then and now and forever. He used them in such great ways. Read Hebrews 11. Go back and read the Old Testament accounts of the lives of these people. He chose to use them. He is the same today. He is going to use us too.
I have this feeling that even the people mentioned failed to notice some of the ways God was using them at the time. Somehow, looking back it always seems to be easier to see God's blessings and the ways He loves to work. But just let Him take captive your heart.
May my life be one unbroken gaze fixed upon Your beauty and Your grace, no other could ever be as beautiful or steal my heart away, because I am captivated by You, my Jesus.
You are the same
You never change
yesterday, today and forever
You are faithful
and we will trust You..."
~ "yesterday today & forever" by vicky beeching
I just realized how long it has been since I wrote..
I've been learning a lot as I keep seeking what God has for me. School started back up this past week, and with it, work too (since I work at my college...). One thing God has impressed on my heart repeatedly - both recently and not-so-recently - is that as much as I might get distracted and caught up in other things.. He is always faithful. He knows what He's doing and He knows what I need.
I love Hebrews 13:5-8 ~ "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." If you skip back from chapter 13 to chapter 11 in Hebrews, the entire chapter is about faith and about people God saw as faithful, trusting people who lived for Him. They trusted Him to keep His promises and they obeyed even when it did not look promising or like it could possibly work. Well, God does not work in the "possibly" realm, if that makes any sense. Anything and everything is possible with Him. We have to just trust Him.
So.. yeah.. skip back to Hebrews 11. Read about Abraham and Moses, read about Noah and Isaac and when Joshua led the march around Jericho... Read about Rahab. These people stumbled just like I do. Yet God saw them as people of great faith who needed to be mentioned as examples of faith in Him. After reading Hebrews 11... now go back and read those verses in Hebrews 13 again. Verses 5 through 8. God is never ever ever going to leave us. He never left the people He used Hebrews 11 to tell us about, and He is never going to leave us or let go of us. Consider the people in Hebrews 11 and take a look at their lives.. look at the ways God showed Himself to be their Helper. And then remember that He is the same always. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Always. He never changes. He so deserves our trust and our faith.
Maybe it is easy to look at Hebrews 11 and go "yeah, but I'm not as good as those people.." We can't compare ourselves to others, but if you are going to go by comparison... well, Abraham lied. Rahab was a prostitute. Moses killed a guy. Noah got drunk. I'm not saying these things are okay or that they were even excused for the people mentioned. But what I am saying is that we all make mistakes, and God chooses to use us still. He will bring good out of everything that happens if we Love Him. I promise. If God can use a murderer, don't you think He can use us all? Have you ever hated anyone? Jesus said that if you hate someone, it is the same as murdering them. (I think it is in Matthew.. didn't look it up for the reference yet though..) And yes, I am getting into the Way of the Master questions here.. But really think about it.. God is the same then and now and forever. He used them in such great ways. Read Hebrews 11. Go back and read the Old Testament accounts of the lives of these people. He chose to use them. He is the same today. He is going to use us too.
I have this feeling that even the people mentioned failed to notice some of the ways God was using them at the time. Somehow, looking back it always seems to be easier to see God's blessings and the ways He loves to work. But just let Him take captive your heart.
May my life be one unbroken gaze fixed upon Your beauty and Your grace, no other could ever be as beautiful or steal my heart away, because I am captivated by You, my Jesus.
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