God's been at work in me for some time now. And so faithfully too. I've been really slacking off in my prayer and devotions life. Ugh! I hate spiritual ruts! But God, in all His mighty grace, is still speaking and still working. Thank you, Jesus!
In the reading of the Word that I HAVE been doing, God is pulling a few different verses together - a few different thoughts that can all be pointed back to ... yep, you guessed it ... an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. :)
Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
Luke 16:10 - "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much ..."
The Parable of the Persistent Widow - Luke 18:1-8 ... specifically, verses 7 and 8 - "And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily ..."
Good stuff, huh? :)
It IS good stuff! And each verse targets a different struggle/situation in my life.
~ For a while now, I've struggled with accepting who I am. I have a hard time focusing on my good qualities most of the time, and it's pretty easy for me to think on my flaws. I'm also a worrier. I struggle to trust God a lot of the time. I worry that I'll make mistakes, not be accepted by others, not live up to my too-high standards. So being reminded that I will not be shaken - I will not fall; I can not be condemned; I am valuable to God - helps me keep my fears and worries and insecurities in the right perspective - the ETERNAL one. :)
~ I've never been a person with lots of self-control. I love to eat - and eat whatever I want ... and drink as much sweet tea as I want. I'm a procrastinator - especially when it comes to school work, preparing lessons/games for my jobs, and getting to my prayer and devotions each day (if I get to them at all, these days ... gosh!). I don't budget my time or my money very well at all. If it were up to me, I'd sleep in till 11am everyday, watch movies for the rest of the day, and spend all my money on going to movies, buying music, eating out .... wow. This is brutal ... getting really honest with myself. Ewww.
So being reminded that I must be faithful in the small things pushes me to remember that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore, eternal, and I must work to improve the fruit I bear.
~ I've been feeling God move in my heart concerning His calling for me over the past year. The Praxis was a bust ... and although, I'm not giving up forever, I'd like to take a break from even thinking about the silly thing, much less take it again. And in the midst of my break from the Praxis, God's been stirring youth ministry in my heart. I'd like to go back to school for a Bible/theology degree, but so many things go into that ... money (and lots of it!); questions like, "do I REALLY wanna give up on the Praxis right now, or should I try again?"; "what about the fact that I'm ALREADY working in youth ministry?"; "what if I make a mistake - read God's call the wrong way and mess everything up?"; leaving home; SoZo; going back to school - bluck, I don't want to; etc. ... And so, I have been, am, and must continue to seek God through it all.
So the persistent widow reminds me not to give up praying about God's call for my life. Whether I hear the answer I want to hear or the one I don't want to hear ... whether the answer comes clearly or fuzzy ... whether the answer comes soon or I must continue to wait ... I must CONTINUE praying. I must continue seeking God and TRUSTING that HE is sovereign.
Oh, how great it is to hold on to the promises, lessons, and convictions of the Word of God. Lord, don't let me falter in seeking Your face.
. . . about life lessons, parenting lessons, and faith lessons learned and LEARNING!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My Dance Instructor :)
God's grace. It's always at work.
I've been struggling with where I'm at in my life these days ... not doing what I thought I'd be doing; my heart's not in SoZo right now; after school's not my favorite place to be ... in short, I've not been keeping an eternal perspective - even though that's the goal. And when our eyes get off Jesus, we tend to be discontent. But I'm also restless. Been feeling God at work in me for quite sometime - He's getting ready to move me ... somewhere, for something big - just trying to pinpoint exactly what it is. So I've been battling some up and down emotions for the past month or so.
I walked in to the dance studio tonight down, but I left more up than I've been in a long time. Randy is my dance instructor, and he is amazing. He really helped me tonight, with so much more than dance. We danced, and we talked about dance, sure ... but oh, the conversation! I think it all started when he asked me about my frustrations with dance, but that turned into my fears about life, which turned into me spilling some struggles I've been trying to deal with for quite some time, which turned into some great advice, which turned into another eternal perspective realization.
Randy helped me realize that an eternal perspective can be used with the snap of the finger ... For example, when I find myself thinking negative thoughts, any thought that is dragging me down and putting me into a funk, I need to change what I'm thinking about. An eternal perspective can be changed in a second if I replace the negative thought with a positive one. "For every negative thought, think of three positive ones," Randy told me. And he's right. He reminded me that I had so much to be thankful for. And with his advice, and his digging around to help me draw out my fears and frustrations, he has helped me think further on this eternal perspective thing. ... And what a blessing the whole conversation was. I came away so encouraged and even more impressed with the person Randy is. He is a gift from God! ... I was telling my mom tonight that dancing is simply a PERK ... that the real privilege of being apart of the dance studio is knowing and talking to and getting hugs and encouragement from Randy every day. Thank you, Lord, for Randy Rud. :)
I've been struggling with where I'm at in my life these days ... not doing what I thought I'd be doing; my heart's not in SoZo right now; after school's not my favorite place to be ... in short, I've not been keeping an eternal perspective - even though that's the goal. And when our eyes get off Jesus, we tend to be discontent. But I'm also restless. Been feeling God at work in me for quite sometime - He's getting ready to move me ... somewhere, for something big - just trying to pinpoint exactly what it is. So I've been battling some up and down emotions for the past month or so.
I walked in to the dance studio tonight down, but I left more up than I've been in a long time. Randy is my dance instructor, and he is amazing. He really helped me tonight, with so much more than dance. We danced, and we talked about dance, sure ... but oh, the conversation! I think it all started when he asked me about my frustrations with dance, but that turned into my fears about life, which turned into me spilling some struggles I've been trying to deal with for quite some time, which turned into some great advice, which turned into another eternal perspective realization.
Randy helped me realize that an eternal perspective can be used with the snap of the finger ... For example, when I find myself thinking negative thoughts, any thought that is dragging me down and putting me into a funk, I need to change what I'm thinking about. An eternal perspective can be changed in a second if I replace the negative thought with a positive one. "For every negative thought, think of three positive ones," Randy told me. And he's right. He reminded me that I had so much to be thankful for. And with his advice, and his digging around to help me draw out my fears and frustrations, he has helped me think further on this eternal perspective thing. ... And what a blessing the whole conversation was. I came away so encouraged and even more impressed with the person Randy is. He is a gift from God! ... I was telling my mom tonight that dancing is simply a PERK ... that the real privilege of being apart of the dance studio is knowing and talking to and getting hugs and encouragement from Randy every day. Thank you, Lord, for Randy Rud. :)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Inspirationals :)
Today on Facebook, I discovered a blank you can fill in that I've never seen before: Who inspires you? I tried to fill it out, but it won't let me publish it. I must have to pick someone lame, like a famous person or something. And I don't want to do that ... 'cause not many, if any, famous people inspire me ... only people I know and love. But yeah ... it wouldn't let me post it, so I'll post it here instead. :)
People who inspire me ...
Ben Nilsen - for his spiritual depth and unfailing devotion to the Lord.
Sara-Ruth Riggs - for her passion for life, people, and Jesus and compassion for the world.
Andy Schnur - for his faithfulness, leadership, friendship, and love for God.
Wes Masterson - for his positive perspective of life and desire to see the world come to know Jesus as Lord.
What a gift from God to have these people in my life!
People who inspire me ...
Ben Nilsen - for his spiritual depth and unfailing devotion to the Lord.
Sara-Ruth Riggs - for her passion for life, people, and Jesus and compassion for the world.
Andy Schnur - for his faithfulness, leadership, friendship, and love for God.
Wes Masterson - for his positive perspective of life and desire to see the world come to know Jesus as Lord.
What a gift from God to have these people in my life!
Glorying in Christ
Tonight, for SoZo, we looked at Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians 3:3 says, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."
We took a closer look at each part of this verse, and my favorite part is part 3: "glory in Christ Jesus."
What does it mean to "glory in Christ?"
I took a look at a commentary by somebody Ironside ... it was on Pastor's shelf in his office. Why not? :) Glorying in the Lord is boasting in the Lord. Well, what does it mean to "boast in Christ?" So I took a stab at it ... glorying in Jesus is boasting in and about Him ... it's realizing that we are NOTHING without Him and living in light of that understanding - living humble, thankful, and servant-filled lives.
To take this a step further, glorying in God is always striving to keep an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. Eternal Perspective - living humbly and in thankfulness, asking how we can honor God in every situation, realizing that nothing on this earth compares to knowing and living for Christ, and living in light of eternity. My SoZo kids are probably nearly insane from all my references to EP during youth group, but maybe that'll make it "set in" in their minds too. ;)
I'm so excited that this eternal perspective is beginning to set in. I can't do much these days without thinking "eternal perspective" ... "okay, I'm upset when I need to have an eternal perspective in this situation" ... "breath. Where's your eternal perspective?" .... Okay, so I don't always think this. But I think it often. So I'm excited about that ... and I'm excited to keep trying - not only in "thinking EP" but putting it into practice - actually HAVING an eternal perspective in those specific instances. It's a process, that's for sure.
Continuing on .... :)
Philippians 3:3 says, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."
We took a closer look at each part of this verse, and my favorite part is part 3: "glory in Christ Jesus."
What does it mean to "glory in Christ?"
I took a look at a commentary by somebody Ironside ... it was on Pastor's shelf in his office. Why not? :) Glorying in the Lord is boasting in the Lord. Well, what does it mean to "boast in Christ?" So I took a stab at it ... glorying in Jesus is boasting in and about Him ... it's realizing that we are NOTHING without Him and living in light of that understanding - living humble, thankful, and servant-filled lives.
To take this a step further, glorying in God is always striving to keep an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. Eternal Perspective - living humbly and in thankfulness, asking how we can honor God in every situation, realizing that nothing on this earth compares to knowing and living for Christ, and living in light of eternity. My SoZo kids are probably nearly insane from all my references to EP during youth group, but maybe that'll make it "set in" in their minds too. ;)
I'm so excited that this eternal perspective is beginning to set in. I can't do much these days without thinking "eternal perspective" ... "okay, I'm upset when I need to have an eternal perspective in this situation" ... "breath. Where's your eternal perspective?" .... Okay, so I don't always think this. But I think it often. So I'm excited about that ... and I'm excited to keep trying - not only in "thinking EP" but putting it into practice - actually HAVING an eternal perspective in those specific instances. It's a process, that's for sure.
Continuing on .... :)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The 2010 Recap
Alright. Well, I have orders, from my bosom buddy, to get blogging again. So here, I try. :)
Day one of 2011. Isn't it nuts how fast life goes? Older folks always tell me that life gets faster as you get older ... and that blows my mind 'cause my life is already zooming by! ... In effort to not forget this past fast year, Emily, I loved your idea to recap your 2010, so I'm gonna do the same.
In all its hurry, my 2010 is already gone, 'tis true ... but some great stuff came out of it too!
~ At the beginning, I set out on a journey through God's grace. What a journey it was! I was incredibly blessed to really focus on God's grace ... just glimpses of it. I learned that a hug from one of my after school kids and a conversation with one of my SoZo kids and rain and song lyrics and a day spent watching movies on the couch were all glimpses of God's grace at work in my life. How incredible, to know and experience a (THE) God who loves His children so much that He lavishes His grace on them in both big and small ways. I will never forget this year's grace. :)
~ I finished working in the writing center at IUPUI and continued working with the SoZo-ers and started my job at the after school program in Danville .....
*Writing Center - I said goodbye to some really great people and tutors ... and the campus on which I spent 3 1/2 years of my life trudging back and forth to classes, feeling lonely and even, uncomfortable, with all the secular vibes.
*SoZo - I continued to grow in my leadership position ... slowly started overcoming insecurities in youth ministry (although I've still got a long way to go!) ... grew to love the teenagers even more ... and developed a friend in Andy - he's not just one of my kids; he's my friend and a huge encouragement to me.
*After school - whew! That's been a trial! 15-20 crazy 5 and 6 year olds all to myself everyday after school. They are beyond a handful ... and I lose my patience far too often. But I've tried to be consistent in apologizing to the kids, starting over the next day ... and I'm doing something right 'cause I get bombarded with hugs when I walk in everyday. :) And I can find something that I like about each one of my "little crazies," and I've had a few chances to instill godly ideals and even outright talk to them about Jesus ... so God knew what He was doing when He provided this job. It's been pretty crazy there ... but I'm looking forward to trying again this year.
~ I started taking dance lessons!!!! And they have been totally amazing!!! I've been learning so much ... and doing so well. I've found one of the greatest passions of my life in DANCE. I'm good at it! I love it! I'm enjoying it more than anything I've ever done in my whole life! And there's so much more dancing to come! :)
~ And probably the greatest part of 2010 is that I got to see the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD at work in my life. 2010 was the worst year of my spiritual life ... in that ... I struggled to desire God and His Word and prayer more in this past year of my life than in all of my other "following God" years! I strived and strived and strived. And striving may sound good ... but I don't think it was ... or at least I hated it! The definition of striving is "to exert serious effort; to struggle in opposition." And that's what I did almost all year. It was such a struggle ... almost like an invisible wall was standing in opposition against me ... keeping me from WANTING God and His ways. I just got so sick of it all ... not even wanting TO WANT Jesus! Blah. But anyways ... God, in all His mighty grace and faithfulness and love for me, never stopped working. He never stopped tugging at my heart or let me go. He's been stirring hopes and dreams in me, confirming things in me, exciting things in me ... pushing me to dwell on gaining an eternal perspective ... and I've just been so thankful.
So now ... for 2011 and beyond ... I am dedicating my life to working at this thing that I harp on all the time - GAINING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. And I bet that part of the eternal perspective has to do with not letting the "hurry" of life be couch time and neglecting my Bible. Ha! Of course it isn't! An eternal perspective can only come from putting more of Jesus into my life ... or rather ... making Jesus my life! And that's what an eternal perspective is all about ... JESUS. Thinking like Him, being like Him, living for Him. So here's to JESUS in 2011. :):):)
Day one of 2011. Isn't it nuts how fast life goes? Older folks always tell me that life gets faster as you get older ... and that blows my mind 'cause my life is already zooming by! ... In effort to not forget this past fast year, Emily, I loved your idea to recap your 2010, so I'm gonna do the same.
In all its hurry, my 2010 is already gone, 'tis true ... but some great stuff came out of it too!
~ At the beginning, I set out on a journey through God's grace. What a journey it was! I was incredibly blessed to really focus on God's grace ... just glimpses of it. I learned that a hug from one of my after school kids and a conversation with one of my SoZo kids and rain and song lyrics and a day spent watching movies on the couch were all glimpses of God's grace at work in my life. How incredible, to know and experience a (THE) God who loves His children so much that He lavishes His grace on them in both big and small ways. I will never forget this year's grace. :)
~ I finished working in the writing center at IUPUI and continued working with the SoZo-ers and started my job at the after school program in Danville .....
*Writing Center - I said goodbye to some really great people and tutors ... and the campus on which I spent 3 1/2 years of my life trudging back and forth to classes, feeling lonely and even, uncomfortable, with all the secular vibes.
*SoZo - I continued to grow in my leadership position ... slowly started overcoming insecurities in youth ministry (although I've still got a long way to go!) ... grew to love the teenagers even more ... and developed a friend in Andy - he's not just one of my kids; he's my friend and a huge encouragement to me.
*After school - whew! That's been a trial! 15-20 crazy 5 and 6 year olds all to myself everyday after school. They are beyond a handful ... and I lose my patience far too often. But I've tried to be consistent in apologizing to the kids, starting over the next day ... and I'm doing something right 'cause I get bombarded with hugs when I walk in everyday. :) And I can find something that I like about each one of my "little crazies," and I've had a few chances to instill godly ideals and even outright talk to them about Jesus ... so God knew what He was doing when He provided this job. It's been pretty crazy there ... but I'm looking forward to trying again this year.
~ I started taking dance lessons!!!! And they have been totally amazing!!! I've been learning so much ... and doing so well. I've found one of the greatest passions of my life in DANCE. I'm good at it! I love it! I'm enjoying it more than anything I've ever done in my whole life! And there's so much more dancing to come! :)
~ And probably the greatest part of 2010 is that I got to see the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD at work in my life. 2010 was the worst year of my spiritual life ... in that ... I struggled to desire God and His Word and prayer more in this past year of my life than in all of my other "following God" years! I strived and strived and strived. And striving may sound good ... but I don't think it was ... or at least I hated it! The definition of striving is "to exert serious effort; to struggle in opposition." And that's what I did almost all year. It was such a struggle ... almost like an invisible wall was standing in opposition against me ... keeping me from WANTING God and His ways. I just got so sick of it all ... not even wanting TO WANT Jesus! Blah. But anyways ... God, in all His mighty grace and faithfulness and love for me, never stopped working. He never stopped tugging at my heart or let me go. He's been stirring hopes and dreams in me, confirming things in me, exciting things in me ... pushing me to dwell on gaining an eternal perspective ... and I've just been so thankful.
So now ... for 2011 and beyond ... I am dedicating my life to working at this thing that I harp on all the time - GAINING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. And I bet that part of the eternal perspective has to do with not letting the "hurry" of life be couch time and neglecting my Bible. Ha! Of course it isn't! An eternal perspective can only come from putting more of Jesus into my life ... or rather ... making Jesus my life! And that's what an eternal perspective is all about ... JESUS. Thinking like Him, being like Him, living for Him. So here's to JESUS in 2011. :):):)
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Eternal Perspective Adventure Begins ...
I've decided to write a book!
This is a fairly abrupt decision, so we'll see if I really follow through with it. But I've put "write a book" on my bucket list. And as I think more and more about this idea of an eternal perspective, not only do I WANT ONE(!!!), but I also want to WRITE about it! I want to keep track of how God is at work in me concerning this HUGE lesson of gaining an eternal perspective.
I spent a day, earlier this year, sitting on the beach of the most southern tip of Lake Michigan, reading my Bible and going through a devotional book, when the book asked me to write a "life statement." As I hashed out several ideas surrounding the scripture "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2)," I decided that my life goal is to one day learn to consistently see the world and everything that goes on in it with God's eyes. A pretty attainable goal, right? I'm not asking for too much, am I? ;) Hahaha! Riiigghhhhtt! ... Haha! But I sure do want to try. I want my entire life to be one big constant lesson - I want my life to be all about Jesus first of all ... but within HIM, I want my whole existence to be about honoring Him with an eternal perspective.
And what an adventure it will be ... especially, when we think about the definition of "adventure." I looked it up, and Webster defines adventure as ... "a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a remarkable occurrence in one's personal history; a stirring experience." ... That's EXACTLY what a thriving relationship with God and His perspective are!!! It is stinkin' DIFFICULT to live for Jesus and to see everything the way He does. We must be willing to deny ourselves and lay down our desires, our needs, and our very LIVES in following hard and daily and completely after Him! Nothing we do can be seen or known ahead of time. We have to step out in faith, with the eyes of Christ, expecting hardships but realizing the joy that comes from them. And finally, we will undergo the most fulfilling experiences of our lives as a result.
So 2011 and beyond ... here I come!
A day by day adventure into the eternal perspective I long for!
This is a fairly abrupt decision, so we'll see if I really follow through with it. But I've put "write a book" on my bucket list. And as I think more and more about this idea of an eternal perspective, not only do I WANT ONE(!!!), but I also want to WRITE about it! I want to keep track of how God is at work in me concerning this HUGE lesson of gaining an eternal perspective.
I spent a day, earlier this year, sitting on the beach of the most southern tip of Lake Michigan, reading my Bible and going through a devotional book, when the book asked me to write a "life statement." As I hashed out several ideas surrounding the scripture "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2)," I decided that my life goal is to one day learn to consistently see the world and everything that goes on in it with God's eyes. A pretty attainable goal, right? I'm not asking for too much, am I? ;) Hahaha! Riiigghhhhtt! ... Haha! But I sure do want to try. I want my entire life to be one big constant lesson - I want my life to be all about Jesus first of all ... but within HIM, I want my whole existence to be about honoring Him with an eternal perspective.
And what an adventure it will be ... especially, when we think about the definition of "adventure." I looked it up, and Webster defines adventure as ... "a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a remarkable occurrence in one's personal history; a stirring experience." ... That's EXACTLY what a thriving relationship with God and His perspective are!!! It is stinkin' DIFFICULT to live for Jesus and to see everything the way He does. We must be willing to deny ourselves and lay down our desires, our needs, and our very LIVES in following hard and daily and completely after Him! Nothing we do can be seen or known ahead of time. We have to step out in faith, with the eyes of Christ, expecting hardships but realizing the joy that comes from them. And finally, we will undergo the most fulfilling experiences of our lives as a result.
So 2011 and beyond ... here I come!
A day by day adventure into the eternal perspective I long for!
EP 2011
I'm back! And with a new adventure!!!
It sure won't be a blog project for every day of the year ... ha! What a flop that was! At least the "every single day" part. I'm excited to get bloggin' again though! .... I really want to spice up my life somehow ... and specifically, my walk with the Lord. I've been in a real rut for several months. Just living for myself. Not doing anything "too bad" ... but just not reading my Bible, not praying, not doing much with God at all, really. Well, hmm ... I've been a Sunday Christian for a while. Bluck! And it's been awful!!! I've been incredibly impatient with my after school kids, slacking with SoZo preparations, reading my Bible only 2 or 3 times a week, falling into sins that I disgust ... just been out of step for a long time.
AND I'M SICK OF IT!!!!!
So I'm trying again. I'm working to read my Bible and talk with God every single day. That's where it all starts. Once I begin to really nurture my relationship with Jesus, everything else will start to fall into place.
So now ... how do I begin again?
I want an adventure. Something big! I'd love to travel to New Zealand or rent a cabin by one of the Great Lakes or take a cross-country road trip. But the funds are very low ... especially after my dance lessons. So I guess I'll start there. Dancing is really adding some spice to my life! Especially the TANGO, the MAMBO, the RUMBA, and the CHA CHA! :)
Adventure #1 - dance, dance, dance!!!
How do I make the rest of my life an adventure?
After school ... hmm ... I could blog about each of my kids. Pay more attention to what I like about each one of them. Work on being patient with them ... now, that's an adventure!!! ;)
SoZo ... I could work on trusting God with my position in the youth group, at Calvary, in my life!! Accepting and really getting excited about where God has me.
Hey! I have a phrase for these "adventures." ... ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (EP)!
Ooo, yes!!! My life goal. My journey. My adventure!!! :)
So ... I'm almost a month early, but I want 2011 to be my first year of the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE ADVENTURE!
It sure won't be a blog project for every day of the year ... ha! What a flop that was! At least the "every single day" part. I'm excited to get bloggin' again though! .... I really want to spice up my life somehow ... and specifically, my walk with the Lord. I've been in a real rut for several months. Just living for myself. Not doing anything "too bad" ... but just not reading my Bible, not praying, not doing much with God at all, really. Well, hmm ... I've been a Sunday Christian for a while. Bluck! And it's been awful!!! I've been incredibly impatient with my after school kids, slacking with SoZo preparations, reading my Bible only 2 or 3 times a week, falling into sins that I disgust ... just been out of step for a long time.
AND I'M SICK OF IT!!!!!
So I'm trying again. I'm working to read my Bible and talk with God every single day. That's where it all starts. Once I begin to really nurture my relationship with Jesus, everything else will start to fall into place.
So now ... how do I begin again?
I want an adventure. Something big! I'd love to travel to New Zealand or rent a cabin by one of the Great Lakes or take a cross-country road trip. But the funds are very low ... especially after my dance lessons. So I guess I'll start there. Dancing is really adding some spice to my life! Especially the TANGO, the MAMBO, the RUMBA, and the CHA CHA! :)
Adventure #1 - dance, dance, dance!!!
How do I make the rest of my life an adventure?
After school ... hmm ... I could blog about each of my kids. Pay more attention to what I like about each one of them. Work on being patient with them ... now, that's an adventure!!! ;)
SoZo ... I could work on trusting God with my position in the youth group, at Calvary, in my life!! Accepting and really getting excited about where God has me.
Hey! I have a phrase for these "adventures." ... ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (EP)!
Ooo, yes!!! My life goal. My journey. My adventure!!! :)
So ... I'm almost a month early, but I want 2011 to be my first year of the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE ADVENTURE!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Final GoG ... a couple months early
Well, I am beyond behind with my GoGs once again. I don't think I kept up with 'em for more than a week straight this year. Sheesh. And although the year isn't over yet, I've decided to end my glimpses of grace project early. So, let me post one last GoG to finish out the year ....
I may not have posted something every single day, but I sure did get a lot out of this project. God's grace is such an amazing thing! So much more awesome than we really understand. Without it, we'd all be destined for HELL. So praise You, Jesus, for Your MIGHTY and AWESOME and NEVER-ENDING GRACE in our lives!!! ... Grace is beyond awesome ... and it was such a joy and a wonder to find glimpses of God's grace in the ordinary things of life ... the simple things. And the project has helped me see life in a whole new way. Just think ... grace starts with God giving us another day ... simply waking up to our alarm clock everyday is GRACE. And each of us can find grace in really everything we do and experience. Let me challenge you, as I will challenge myself, to never let a day go by without finding grace in at least one part of your day ... and then thank God for it. Heck, you could even blog about it!
And let me leave you with an amazing passage all about God's grace - it's probably in my top ten favorite passages in all of scripture. Read it. Dwell on it. Let it change you.
Titus 3:3-8
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His GRACE, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
I may not have posted something every single day, but I sure did get a lot out of this project. God's grace is such an amazing thing! So much more awesome than we really understand. Without it, we'd all be destined for HELL. So praise You, Jesus, for Your MIGHTY and AWESOME and NEVER-ENDING GRACE in our lives!!! ... Grace is beyond awesome ... and it was such a joy and a wonder to find glimpses of God's grace in the ordinary things of life ... the simple things. And the project has helped me see life in a whole new way. Just think ... grace starts with God giving us another day ... simply waking up to our alarm clock everyday is GRACE. And each of us can find grace in really everything we do and experience. Let me challenge you, as I will challenge myself, to never let a day go by without finding grace in at least one part of your day ... and then thank God for it. Heck, you could even blog about it!
And let me leave you with an amazing passage all about God's grace - it's probably in my top ten favorite passages in all of scripture. Read it. Dwell on it. Let it change you.
Titus 3:3-8
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His GRACE, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Monday, October 18, 2010
It'll Be (more than) Alright! (Posted once before, but SO good!)
Wow. I'm ready to give up.
Have you ever felt that way? Ever felt like life is just too much sometimes? Like you want to pull your hair out and burn all your school books and skip all your classes and ditch all your jobs and forget about all of your commitments and throw a temper tantrum and cry till your heart hurts worse than it already does and laugh at all of your "problems" and "pains" and dig yourself a hole and never come out? Yeah ... me neither. ................ Ha ha ha ha!
Well, my mind feels like ALL of these things at the moment, but my heart is telling me to chill out and rest in God's peace. Ya know, if God wasn't so incredibly and entirely faithful, I WOULD have given up by now! Life is hard sometimes, isn't? Whether you've had all of your heart's deepest longings put on hold (yep, I'm saying put on hold, instead of lost - aren't you proud of me?!) or you have lost a loved one or you're battling depression or you're feeling hopeless or any other countless things that seem to go wrong in this life. There is hope! Hope in God's MIGHTY faithfulness! ... God has been pouring on His faithfulness ... pouring it into my life for so long! And I find myself griping and complaining - like tonight - I got home from a super long day at school and work and just spilled it all out for my mom to hear. I'm sure she was tired of listening long before half way through, but thank God she just listened ... and then said "it'll be alright." .... "It'll be alright." ... Those are such simple words, but don't you want to hear that every now and then? ... I do!
Tonight, I want to shout out a message of God's faithfulness to you AND TO ME! IT'LL BE ALRIGHT! ... Actually, it'll be MORE than alright! God promises that He will take care of us. And His EVERYDAY, NEVER-ENDING faithfulness reveals that He DOES take care of us - each and every day - each and every moment - with each and every breath of our lives. Some verses that God's been using in my life lately to reveal and instill His faithfulness are the following. Read these now. Read these later. Soak 'em up! For they are LIFE to your whole self!!!!
Psalm 73:25-26 --- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION FOREVER!"
Psalm 62:7 --- "My salvation and my honor DEPEND on GOD; He is MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE!"
Psalm 32:8 & 32:10b --- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ... but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."
Proverbs 19:21 --- "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 3:5-6 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 --- "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 29:11 --- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 --- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an ETERNAL GLORY that far outweighs them all. So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL."
I am writing this MORE as a comfort to myself! But ya'll might need some of this stuff too! :)
Keep trusting Jesus, Mical! Keep seeking Him and loving Him, Mical! Keep your eyes FIXED on Him, Mical! Keep at it, Mical! It'll be (MORE than) alright, Mical!
Have you ever felt that way? Ever felt like life is just too much sometimes? Like you want to pull your hair out and burn all your school books and skip all your classes and ditch all your jobs and forget about all of your commitments and throw a temper tantrum and cry till your heart hurts worse than it already does and laugh at all of your "problems" and "pains" and dig yourself a hole and never come out? Yeah ... me neither. ................ Ha ha ha ha!
Well, my mind feels like ALL of these things at the moment, but my heart is telling me to chill out and rest in God's peace. Ya know, if God wasn't so incredibly and entirely faithful, I WOULD have given up by now! Life is hard sometimes, isn't? Whether you've had all of your heart's deepest longings put on hold (yep, I'm saying put on hold, instead of lost - aren't you proud of me?!) or you have lost a loved one or you're battling depression or you're feeling hopeless or any other countless things that seem to go wrong in this life. There is hope! Hope in God's MIGHTY faithfulness! ... God has been pouring on His faithfulness ... pouring it into my life for so long! And I find myself griping and complaining - like tonight - I got home from a super long day at school and work and just spilled it all out for my mom to hear. I'm sure she was tired of listening long before half way through, but thank God she just listened ... and then said "it'll be alright." .... "It'll be alright." ... Those are such simple words, but don't you want to hear that every now and then? ... I do!
Tonight, I want to shout out a message of God's faithfulness to you AND TO ME! IT'LL BE ALRIGHT! ... Actually, it'll be MORE than alright! God promises that He will take care of us. And His EVERYDAY, NEVER-ENDING faithfulness reveals that He DOES take care of us - each and every day - each and every moment - with each and every breath of our lives. Some verses that God's been using in my life lately to reveal and instill His faithfulness are the following. Read these now. Read these later. Soak 'em up! For they are LIFE to your whole self!!!!
Psalm 73:25-26 --- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION FOREVER!"
Psalm 62:7 --- "My salvation and my honor DEPEND on GOD; He is MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE!"
Psalm 32:8 & 32:10b --- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ... but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."
Proverbs 19:21 --- "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 3:5-6 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 --- "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 29:11 --- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 --- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an ETERNAL GLORY that far outweighs them all. So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL."
I am writing this MORE as a comfort to myself! But ya'll might need some of this stuff too! :)
Keep trusting Jesus, Mical! Keep seeking Him and loving Him, Mical! Keep your eyes FIXED on Him, Mical! Keep at it, Mical! It'll be (MORE than) alright, Mical!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
GoG 286: The Mical Who Thinks She's Funny ...
Ya know those people who start telling a joke or something they think is funny but start laughing before they finish?
Umm ... yeah. I'm one of 'em.
Tonight, my parents and I were getting some dessert from The Porch ... we were sitting at the table, chatting about my mom's work day and my dad and I's dinner at McAlister's. At one point, I started to say something that I thought was funny. But as soon as the first word came out, I started laughing .... pretty hard. I could barely stop. And of course, my parents started laughing too. Probably thinking "what the heck? You didn't even finish ... you didn't even start, for that matter!" But I just got goin' ... and I had a hard time stopping. Oh, it was so funny.
So the next time a friend of yours (probably me) starts a joke and can't finish because they're laughing too hard .... just laugh right along with 'em. The joke may not be funny by the time they get it out ... but believe me ... y'all will have a good laugh! ;)
Umm ... yeah. I'm one of 'em.
Tonight, my parents and I were getting some dessert from The Porch ... we were sitting at the table, chatting about my mom's work day and my dad and I's dinner at McAlister's. At one point, I started to say something that I thought was funny. But as soon as the first word came out, I started laughing .... pretty hard. I could barely stop. And of course, my parents started laughing too. Probably thinking "what the heck? You didn't even finish ... you didn't even start, for that matter!" But I just got goin' ... and I had a hard time stopping. Oh, it was so funny.
So the next time a friend of yours (probably me) starts a joke and can't finish because they're laughing too hard .... just laugh right along with 'em. The joke may not be funny by the time they get it out ... but believe me ... y'all will have a good laugh! ;)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
GoG 285: The Hope in Rain :)
Oh, the rain.
The rain was my glimpse of grace for today.
Although it was way too brief, it made me think of HOPE. My hope in Christ. The hope that I have for my future because I belong to God. The hope for cooler weather. The hope for God's grace in my everyday life. :)
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on us :)
The rain was my glimpse of grace for today.
Although it was way too brief, it made me think of HOPE. My hope in Christ. The hope that I have for my future because I belong to God. The hope for cooler weather. The hope for God's grace in my everyday life. :)
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on us :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
GoG 284: The Sprite
Today's glimpse of grace ... yes, today! Can you believe it? Not last week ... not two months ago - TODAY. Today's glimpse of grace came in the form of a bottle of Sprite.
Miss Sandi, our awesome leader at after school, stopped by my room and gave me a Sprite. It was a gift ... in the midst of the craziness of the day. And it really meant a lot to me.
Oh, the simple things :)
Miss Sandi, our awesome leader at after school, stopped by my room and gave me a Sprite. It was a gift ... in the midst of the craziness of the day. And it really meant a lot to me.
Oh, the simple things :)
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