To NOT Do:

Well, I've already shared what I'm doing over break here (tackling the reading list I was given for Children's Lit, which I'm taking next semester). But there is something else I'm doing - or rather, not doing - over break (for an indefinite period of time - maybe 'til January, maybe til break ends, maybe longer).

Let me start by saying this: I love love songs. They're so cute and they make me happy, plus they are just fun to sing along to. I also really enjoy romantic comedies, or books that include love stories, and other similar things. But over the last couple weeks I have realized that this is dangerous. It totally breeds discontentment in my current state of singleness. Don't get me wrong - I am enjoying being single. I love the time I have to spend time with sweet girlfriends and serving in my church. But when I am constantly bombarded with "love stories" and things like that, my contentment dwindles.

Another thing is this: the "love" shown in these movies/songs/books is not real. And if it does happen to be real, it's not the lasting kind of love. It's only the romantic love that is shown. But a good marriage includes more than just romantic love, because that comes and goes. It needs to have a self-sacrificial love. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25). How did Christ love the church? He gave His life for her. This is the love that marriage must be built on. (Wives should also love their husbands this way.) Should the romantic kind of love be there? Of course! But it needs to be so much more than just that. But when people only see the romance of relationships, they develop unrealistic expectations.

Speaking of unrealistic expectations, Meredith said something that was really helpful, too. She said that in chick flicks, the man is willing to bend over backward and do whatever it takes to catch the attention of a woman. He will fight as hard as he needs to, for however long he needs to, to get the woman of his dreams. But in real life, this doesn't happen. Most guys will stop pursuing if they can see that it's clearly doing no good. (I think...I can't say that with authority because I'm, you know, not one of them.)

For these reasons, I am not going to listen to love songs (have to go through my iTunes and change the music it plays) or watch romantic comedies. I am not going to read any books that have romance stories either (not that I read many of those, but sometimes you start reading a novel and realize it's just a fatty love story). I know that I can't entirely avoid romance over break - it's not a realistic goal. And it's not what I want necessarily, either. As long as romance/a relationship is not the main focus of the movie/book, it's ok.

Why am I doing this? I don't want to have a worldly view of romance/relationships/marriage. While I'm single is a good time to take the time to think about this. If God blesses me with a husband in the future, I do not want to have unrealistic expectations of what our relationship should look like. I want my thoughts toward this to be based on truth from God's Word. I don't want it to be affected by the world's cheap ideas and definitions. The Bible says not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). This is one area my mind needs renewal, so that is what I intend to do.

Growing up, I was taught that when you "put off" one thing, you must "put on" something else. So I'm "putting off" love songs, chick flicks, etc, and putting on truth. The best thing I can do in life is to know and love God more. These things can often be a distraction from God and from the truth of His Word. As I study His Word and spend time in prayer, I always learn so much about Him. And the more I know Him, the more I love Him. As I see His character, I will also see truths about marriage and things like that. I will also be more content in my singleness. Whether or not I ever marry is in the Lord's hands, and as much as I'd love to have a husband and kids someday, I know that it may not happen. I need to trust Him in this area of my life (though this is often hard). This little project is about renewing my mind. But even more than that, it is about knowing Him. He is the main focus.

Why am I posting this on my blog? It may seem like a kind of personal thing to post on the internet. But I am pretty much an open book. I enjoy sharing what God does in my life, and I know that He's already worked through this project and will continue to do so. I may post more about it as time goes on and as I learn more. But I'm not sure if I will, so if you're reading this and ever want to know how it's going, feel free to ask. Also feel free to keep me accountable in this.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And if you're on break from school, enjoy this time and be refreshed (but do not become spiritually lazy-life is a constant spiritual battle) by the time off!! Love you all.

Guard Your Heart

As a woman who has grown up in the church and in a Christian school for most of my life, the phrase "guard your heart" (Proverbs 4:23, NIV) is one I have heard many a time. Let's be honest - it's one we hear and use quite often. Single Christian girls/women are constantly reminded to guard their hearts in reference to the opposite sex. But as I was reading a blog post by someone older and wiser, I saw that this is so wrong. Look at the context of this verse in Proverbs 23:

²⁰ My son, give attention to my words; 
Incline your ear to my sayings. 
²¹ Do not let them depart from your sight; 
Keep them in the midst of your heart. 
²² For they are life to those who find them 
And health to all ^[g]their body. 
²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence, 
For from it flow the springs of life. 
²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth 
And put devious ^[h]speech far from you. 
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead 
And let your ^[i]gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 
²⁶ Watch the path of your feet 
And all your ways will be established. 
²⁷ Do not turn to the right nor to the left; 
Turn your foot from evil.


 (This quote is from the NASB version of the Bible. It's a different version than the previous one mentioned, and it doesn't use the words "guard your heart" specifically. This is my preferred version, but when people talk about the verse, they always use the NIV version, so I am using that specific phrase in this post...sorry if this is confusing.)

If you take a look at the context of the verse, it's not talking about romance at all. What are we to guard our hearts from? Sin. Walking with God is an active lifestyle. You must fight your sin, or it will destroy you, hence the words "guard"/"watch over" and "with all diligence". The other night I had a conversation with a sweet girl about the effects of sin. We have both watched it absolutely destroy those we love recently. It must be kept in check. If you don't destroy your sin, your sin will destroy you. This is why we must guard our hearts from it. Ultimately, our goal of guarding our hearts from sin must be out of our love and fear for God. His glory must be the driving motivator of our actions. He gets the most glory when we destroy our sins.

Note: it is important to be careful with where you place your romantic affections, and it is important to encourage others to do the same. It's also important to make sure that your thoughts, attitudes, words, actions, motives, etc. are pure in regards to relationships/romance. This just is not the verse from which to base those ideas.

Kept by God {Valley of Vision}

Jehovah God,
Thou Creator, Upholder, Proprietor of all things,
I cannot escape thy presence or control, nor do I desire to do so.
My privilege is to be under the agency of omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom, patience, mercy, grace.
Thou art love with more than parental affection;
I admire thy heart, adore thy wisdom, stand in awe of thy power, abase myself before thy purity.
It is the discovery of thy goodness alone that can banish my fear,
allure me into thy presence,
help me to bewail and confess my sins.

When I review my past guilt
and am conscious of my present unworthiness
I tremble to come to thee,
I whose foundation is in the dust,
I who have condemned thy goodness,
defied thy power,
trampled upon thy love,
rendered myself worthy of eternal death.

But my recovery cannot spring from any cause in me,
I can destroy but I cannot save myself.
Yet thou hast laid help on One that is mighty,
for there is mercy with thee,
and exceeding riches in thy kindness through Jesus.
May I always feel my need of him.
Let thy restored joy be my strength;
May it keep me from lusting after the world,
bear up heart and mind in loss of comforts,
enliven me in the valley of death,
work in me the image of the heavenly,
and give me to enjoy the first fruits of spirituality,
such as angels and departed saints know.

As I was reading in the Valley of Vision this morning, I just did not want to put it down. But I had to, and it was sad. I can't wait for break so that I can read it as long as I want to!

Wimpy Women

"Wimpy theology makes wimpy women. That’s my assumption that I bring to this evening. Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, and good enough to handle the realities of life in away that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ.

Wimpy theology is plagued by woman-centeredness and man-centeredness. Wimpy theology doesn’t have the granite foundation of God’s sovereignty or the solid steel structure of a great God-centered purpose for all things."

John Piper, found here.




Also, if you get a chance ladies, read this. It's old - from 1995 - and from John Piper also. It was encouraging and convicting. Definitely worth the few minutes it takes to read.

Thankfulness

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise,

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I have seen many facebook/blog posts about thankfulness and things that people are thankful for. I love it! I decided to follow suit, not for the purpose of following the crowd, but to (semi-)publicly praise God for the wonderful things He has given me.

First I wanted to look at the Psalm at the top of this post. We are to enter into the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise, blessing His name. Why are we thankful to Him? Look at the latter half of the passage - we're thankful to Him for His goodness and His everlasting lovingkindness (mercy) and faithfulness. (Side note: as I write this, I am listening to How Great Thou Art. It's cool writing about His goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness-just three reasons He is so great-while listening to this hymn!) This shows me something else important - because we are thankful for who He is, we can be thankful in any circumstance. His goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness are always there, never changing. Even when He is refining us through the fire, we can be thankful, because He is good, merciful, and faithful. He is such an awesome God!

Here is a list of some things I'm thankful for

(this is NOT exhaustive):

1. The fact that I am saved from my sin - though my sin is still present, it no longer has power over me
2. My awesome church families (plural because I kind of live in 3 places; therefore, 3 churches)
3. My family (immediate and extended)- as confusing as it can be to outsiders, I love it!

5. Laughter

6. Being at The Master's College

7. Studying Teacher Education - my classes have taught me SO much

8. Foundation, my college group- awesome teaching and faithful leaders

9. Sweaters, argyle socks, and scarves (can you guess what I'm wearing today?)

10. Being home for 5 nights for Thanksgiving

11. Service opportunities at church

12. My awana kids - they make me laugh and melt my heart

13. The opportunity to meet with Meredith weekly and the friendship that has come from it

14. My wing - full of loud, crazy, fun, and God-loving ladies

15. Spinach (never thought I'd say that)

16. Friends - especially those that include fellowship and fun

17. Red Velvet - cake, cupcakes, cake pops, anything

18. Being able to do laundry free at home

19. The Word of God - it truly is "a lamp to my feet (for guidance for each step I take) and a light to my path (giving me an overall picture of God's plan and the goal of it-His glory)" Psalm 119:105

20. Hymns and other music that is focused on God and on truth

21. Growing up

22. A roof over my head and food in my belly

23. Homemade white bean chili (one of those foods that makes me question why I chose a school that I would have to leave home and eat in a caf....okay not really, but I do enjoy it)

24. My small group on my wing (here's why I love it)

25. Nail polish

26. Pretty things - I have learned a lot about the value of appreciating beauty this semester

27. Banjos, ukuleles, guitars, mandolins - love listening to them

28.  Victory over sins in my life and help from the Holy Spirit

29. So many good memories

30. Good food tomorrow. Favorite T-day foods: biscuits and green been casserole!

31. The sibs - 3 sisters and 1 brother - my best friends and the funniest/funnest people I've ever met

32. Swap meets and swap meet finds

33. Early mornings before other people wake up - such a peaceful time of day that I don't see enough

34. The Valley of Vision

35. Fun

36. Taste buds. They are some of my best buds, that's for sure.

37. Seeing pictures of the snow in Maine (I think I get the better end of the deal...I see the beauty but I don't a) have to shovel the driveway, decks, or roof, b) have toes that I can't feel, c) have a frozen and runny nose...okay none of those are that bad. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't want to be there right now)

38. Things that smell good

39. Things that make me smell good

I could say so many more things that I am thankful for. Because everything that is given to me is good! Even the trials that come are good for me, because I do grow from them and afterward I always see how it is actually better that I went through them than it would have been if I didn't. I do want to clarify something though. More important than the things I am thankful for is the One I am thankful to. James 1:17 - Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. Every good thing in my life comes from my heavenly Father. He is so good.

A Couple Thoughts as of Late

God has been doing so much in my life lately. In almost every area of my life, He has pulled me and stretched me and taught me valuable things. But there are a couple things in particular that have been consistently on my mind.

• I love hearing what God has done in people's lives. I love when people tell of a way He has provided for, helped, answered prayer, reassured, saved, sanctified, taught, etc. them or someone they know. It's such an encouragement. These stories are almost always followed by an amazing truth: "God is so good." I love it. But sometimes I think, do we say that in the midst of trials? When we do not see an end of our/someone else's suffering? When God is closing a door we do not want closed? When someone or something is taken away from us? When sin is prevalent in the life of someone we deeply care about? When He says "no" or "wait" to a prayer that we expect a positive answer to? I have been convicted of this lately in my own life. It's like the phrase goes, "God is good all the time; all the time, God is good." It just seems like often people only say that when He is giving them what they want. He has given us life, salvation, forgiveness, the ability to be reconciled to Him, the ability to be seen as righteous in His sight, and provides for our needs, on top of so many things. That alone shows His goodness. He is good, even when our circumstances aren't.
• On a completely separate note, it's often hard to trust that God will provide for our needs. Do I trust Him as my provider? To say that I never fail in that area would be a (big) lie. I struggle to have faith that He will provide everything I need sometimes. Which shows that often my theology is in the "quite messed up" department. I know God will provide for every need. Sometimes I have trouble trusting in the details or in the "how" of His provision. But deep down, I really do know He will provide. Why? Because He promises to do it. He always keeps His word. If He promised to do it, He will. But as I was talking with a friend the other night, I had a realization. God will keep His word, so if He promises to provide, I can rest assured that He will. But it's more than just a promise - it's who He is. One of His names is Jehovah Jireh (the Lord provides). God does not just provide because He promised to do so. He provides because it's who He is. That just really encouraged me. (I had similar thoughts along these lines several months ago; if you want to read my post it's here.)

I could say so much more about what I've learned. But this is what I wanted to/had time to share tonight. Hopefully I'll have more time to write posts over Thanksgiving break (I leave for home TOMORROW). Enjoy your week, friends!

Small Groups

This semester, I have been reminded of one of the best parts about being here at TMC - small groups. My freshman year I was part of one and it was seriously one of the biggest blessings in my life. Last year, unfortunately, since I was so busy with classes (in the fall I had 7, in the spring, 6) at all hours of the day, 6 days a week, I was unable to participate. Even though there were two, on different days, neither semester it worked out for me to be a part of one. So, I was extremely excited to be able to join one this year.

Let me tell you...I so look forward to that time every Tuesday. Though our group is bigger than one I've been in here (10 people total, I believe), it is still small enough for everyone to be open. Or, maybe it's the fact that our wing is very open in general. Either way, we are all comfortable enough to tell things that we normally wouldn't tell so many at once. The girls are such a sweet encouragement, always.

For the last two weeks, we've begun with singing. It's awesome to sing together as a group of friends/sisters in Christ. And, it's cool to see people using their talents you did not even know they had (e.g. Bree playing guitar..never would have known otherwise). Then we share what God has been teaching us the past week, either through classes or chapel or personal time in the word or through whatever other venue He uses (and man, does He use many different kinds). After that, we dive into the Word - we are studying the "I am" statements Jesus made in John. It is so cool to see what He proclaims Himself to be, and how it was shown in the context, and how it is shown today (because He never changes).  After this, we share prayer requests or anything else on our minds. We then close in prayer, and the last couple weeks we have also gone to dinner together afterward.

Some benefits/blessings that come from small groups I've come to appreciate over the years:

• Getting to know people you would not necessarily know otherwise
• Getting to know people on a deeper level...
• ...which leads to deeper relationships
• Investing in others, who are also investing in you
• Having time set aside for conversations of eternal value
• Accountability
• Related to that, having people who will ask you about your walk with the Lord, consistency in devotions, prayer requests, struggles, etc.
• People being real. Sometimes, in passing, it's hard to be genuine. But small group is a safe place to talk about your problems and get advice from others who love the Lord and will encourage you to walk uprightly before Him
• More time studying the Word. Time in the Word with other girls. (Plus, now I'm studying Isaiah and reading Joshua for class...it's nice to be studying in the New Testament too.)
• Talking about my own struggles and sins (and having others relating to the same things) and how the Lord has worked through them with me and given me victory
• Sometimes, we have some girl time thrown in there. There are conversations we just need to have sometimes. It's good to have a time to talk with several girls, to share in one another's joys and sorrows

There is so much more I could say. I love my small group. Though at times I'm sure we're loud enough for all of Cdub to hear, it is such a sweet time of encouragement and conviction. If at all possible, I would encourage every Christian to be a part of a small group. In my opinion, it's worth any sacrifice you can make (reasonably...I wouldn't say drop a class you need for your major, for example) to be a part of one. The blessings are immense, and the rewards are eternal. 

Proverbs 29:5

Proverbs 29:5 - A man who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his steps.

I read this verse this morning and it immediately caught my eye. So many times we think of flattering people as a good thing, but Solomon (the writer of Proverbs) is saying that flattery spreads a net? What does this mean?

So I turned to the most handy Bible study tool that I know of - Blue Letter Bible. Meredith showed it to me last year and showed me how to use it, and I am now so grateful. One of the options it gives you is to read commentaries by different people on the chapter you're studying. I went to Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse and this is what it said (it's long, but please read it - so worth it):

Pro 29:5

Those may be said to flatter their neighbours who commend and applaud that good in them (the good they do or the good they have) which really either is not or is not such as they represent it, and who profess that esteem and that affection for them which really they have not; these spread a net for their feet. 1. For their neighbours’ feet, whom they flatter. They have an ill design in it; they would not praise them as they do but that they hope to make an advantage of them; and it is therefore wisdom to suspect those who flatter us, that they are secretly laying a snare for us, and to stand on our guard accordingly. Or it has an ill effect on those who are flattered; it puffs them up with pride, and makes them conceited and confident of themselves, and so proves a net that entangles them in sin. 2. For their own feet; so some understand it. He that flatters others, in expectation that they will return his compliments and flatter him, does but make himself ridiculous and odious even to those he flatters.

A. R. Fausset's commentary is short and to the point: "By misleading him as to his real character, the flatterer brings him to evil, prepared by himself or others."


So flattery is deceitful, misleads a man about his own character, is brought by selfish motives, and has an evil effect on the person being flattered.


This is not to say that complimenting people is wrong. It's talking about flattery that is misleading and born from selfishness. When you want to compliment someone make sure it is genuine and that it comes from a heart wanting to encourage the person, not in hopes of receiving a compliment in return. Also, something we've talked about a lot in my college group throughout my time at PBC is how easy it is to always compliment people on the outward things, to say things like "your hair/makeup/outfit/etc looks great today" all the time. But how often to we comment on the character of people? It's much easier to compliment someone's appearance rather than their integrity, honesty, servant's heart, Christ-likeness, trustworthiness, etc. That is really what we should be focusing on more, rather than vain [fleeting] things like appearance. If someone looks nice, go ahead and tell them. But make sure that you're more often complimenting people for what's on the inside, because that is what really matters. It is also more encouraging to the listener to hear something positive about their character than their appearance, because character comes from living a consistent life, while appearance changes every day.

Selfishness

Lately, I have noticed an over-abundance (I do not know if this is a word, but it is exactly the word needed here) of selfishness in my heart. Through many situations I have really seen how much I focus on myself and my own desires. When I feel as if my desires are not met, I complain. When I feel like I am privy to certain rights and others take them away, I'm just plain unpleasant to be around. I have also noticed other people's selfishness lately. I see theirs way more than I do my own. Of course. Because when other people act selfishly, it affects me negatively. So I, selfishly, am more bothered by their selfishness than my own. There have been times when I have gotten extremely frustrated with a person for their selfishness. Then, I realized that is a manifestation of my own selfishness. Ouch. If I wasn't so focused on myself and my wants and my needs and my rights etc. then I would not care as much when other people act selfishly toward me. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Then, today I was on Twitter and saw a quote by C.S. Lewis that totally sums this up perfectly: "The more pride we have, the more other people's pride irritates us." It was so convicting, and a perfect summary of what I've been learning lately. Tozer has an interesting point on the subject, too. He says, "The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed... The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest." Always "looking out for number one" is exhausting work! Here's what the Bible has to say about selfishness:

I Corinthians 13:5 -  "...[love] does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,"

Philippians 2:3-4 - "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

These are just a couple of the many places in God's word that He calls us to not be selfish. But, as always, it is not enough to only put off selfishness. As Philippians 2:3-4 points out, we must also put on humility. We often see humility as not bragging about our own accomplishments, and sometimes people see it as denying compliments they receive. The former is obviously pride, but so is the latter - it's called false humility. Being humble does not mean that if someone praises you for something that you have to say "No, I didn't do it that well" or whatever. C.S Lewis (yes, him again) says, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less," and "God is not proud...He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him." Wow. Now those are food for thought. Humility is not having a low view of self, but rather, just not thinking about yourself. God is the perfect example of humility - how often are we willing to be in a relationship where we are pouring so much into it, and the other person is not? Not very often, if ever, that's for sure. But He is always willing to do just that to us, who refuse to show that same kindness to others.

Picking up where we left off in Philippians 2, the writer Paul goes on to give a beautiful picture of humility - "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant [slave], and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" v5-8. Wow. So, Jesus left heaven, where He was given the worship and adoration He is worthy of, and came to earth to live as a man for 33 years. As we all know, life is hard. He chose this hard life, leading up to the most painful death possible (crucifixion), and also the most humiliating, because it was that of a common criminal. He chose to do all this out of His obedience to the Father and love for us, but also out of His humility. He was not thinking of Himself and what He deserved while He was here on earth and during His death. He was thinking of us, who would later reject Him continually, even though we call ourselves His people. This is such a beautiful picture of humility. 

Jacqueline Heasley summed all of this up really well when she said, "The man, full of himself, can never proclaim the Christ who emptied Himself."

I'd encourage anyone who reads this to take a look at your own heart. Look for areas of pride/selfishness in your own life, because I guarantee they're there. This is something everyone needs to work on, myself (definitely) included. Please pray for me as I fight this sin in my life, and feel free to keep me accountable  by asking how it's going or what I've been doing to fight it.

Hope you all have a wonderful evening. :)

When Trials Come

This semester has been a time of testing for me, for sure. It seems as if I've been hit with hard things from all sides. In it, I see so much of God's goodness and don't wish any of my problems away, because I know He's teaching me so much through them.

Today in OT, Abner talked about how, for once, he had his phone with him in class. Unfortunately, it was because he was anticipating the possibility of a call of bad news - his wife is currently in the hospital, with complications with her pregnancy. Then he started talking about why God allows trials in our lives. Tests come not because He doesn't know how we will respond or where our heart is, but to show us where our hearts are.  He compared it to classes - he could sit down and chat with us for a while and figure out how much of the material we know, but a test shows us how much of the material we know. He said that trials show if we have the right frame of mind or not. They bring out what matters to us and what we love first.

I thought this was so profound. I've always tried to figure it out, because I knew that tests show where are hearts are but I also knew that God already knows that. I didn't understand that tests are to show US where we are. I thought this was super interesting.

James 1:2-4, 12 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing...Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

Ultimately, the purpose for every trial is our sanctification. When your faith is tested, and you see your reliance on the Lord and what He's taught you, it produces endurance (verse 2), because you know it will end, and you know it was best for you. And as verse 12 points out, perseverance brings blessing. This is such a great thing to know! So anytime you are encountering trials [which you WILL - it's been said that either you're just coming out of a trial, are currently in one, or are about to be in one - they're inevitable], remember this passage and the comfort and hope it brings! Also, listen to this song :)

Comfort in the Midst of Trials

As I mentioned in my last post, the last couple weeks have been difficult. Soon after writing that post, things got even more complex and difficult. I'm learning to lean hard on the Lord, because He's really all I have. He's also all that I need, and is teaching me that He's all that I want. His comfort is so sure. No matter what happens, I know He will be there with me. He is the one constant in my life, and I am so grateful that He is a refuge when we need it. Seriously, no matter what you're going through, He will be there for you, just ask! Sometimes, it's so hard and I can't even figure out how to pray, but all I do is ask for help and strength and He gives both. I have some really godly people speaking truth into my life, and it's been a huge blessing. A friend encouraged me to read this passage, so I thought I'd share. I know everyone goes through trials and needs encouragement at times, and hope that God uses these verses to help you as He did for me.

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. - I Peter 5:6-11

Verse 7 is very popular ("casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you"). But so often, the emphasis is on the first part - we can cast our cares (as another version calls it) on Him. Which is so true. But people often forget the rest - the reason we are able to cast our cares on Him is because He cares for us. How awesome is that? He cares so much about us that He wants us to come to Him when we're hurting. We serve an awesome God, you guys. Also look at the hope in the last two verses - after suffering for a while, God will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. So awesome to think about. And then it ends with pointing to where the focus of all this should be, on God, who has dominion forever. I am so thankful for His Word that is a constant comfort to me during this time.

Truth

The last couple weeks have been full of ups and downs. Some really high "ups" and some really low "downs". It's also been pretty crazy with school, so I haven't gotten a lot of sleep. Lack of sleep = lower lows than necessary, at least for me. Meredith was gone all last week, so there was a lot to catch up on when we met today. After recounting the mess that has been my life as of late (though God has been SO good to me during this time), she told me something that I'd heard a long time ago but forgotten. She said,

God doesn't waste pain.

This was such a good reminder. None of the pain we experience is wasted. There is always truth to learn. There is always room for sanctification. There is always hope. Most of all, there is always room to grow in love for God. So I would encourage you all to remember this truth when you encounter your own trials. Look for ways to grow. Look to God for comfort so that when others have similar trials, you can comfort them with the same comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Look for ways to glorify God through your trials. Learn to not be selfish and have pity parties (have definitely failed in these lately). God will take you through trials. Just remember to look to Him in the midst of them, and you will come out better off than you did going into them. 

Reconciliation {Valley of Vision}

This is just an excerpt of the prayer entitled Reconciliation, found in The Valley of Vision (of course).

"Thou hast taught me the necessity of a Mediator, a Messiah,
to be embraced in love with all my heart,
as king to rule me,
as prophet to guide me,
as priest to take away my sin and death,
and this by faith in thy beloved Son who teaches me
not to guide myself,
not to obey myself,
not to try to rule and conquer sin,
but to cleave to the one who will do all for me."

So many times I've found myself trying to mortify (put to death) my sins by trying to just stop doing them. While getting rid of sin is obviously a good and necessary thing, I need to be reminded that on my own strength, I can't do it. I need to cling to God, because He's the only one who can really help me "rule and conquer sin". He was able to defeat sin once and for all, so why do I not come to Him for help whenever I try to get victory over particular sins in my life? This prayer was such a great reminder that I need to depend on Him, not myself.

Also, if you are able, I encourage you to read the rest of the prayer. It's a really good one over all. It contrasts what God does for us with what is our responsibility to do in response. And it is such a good reminder that I am often unable to do things on my own strength and how important it is to ask Him for help in those situations.

The Precious Blood

As I mentioned in my other blog, sometimes I find out songs I really like are based off of prayers from The Valley of Vision. The first one I found was from To The Cross I Cling (to see the post, click here). Today, while I was reading The V. of V. to calm myself (I've had a bit of a stressful morning with the wedding today, and I couldn't find my camera which was bad....but I did find it eventually), I came across The Precious Blood. I read it, and right away I realized it was the basis for a song I really like by Sovereign Grace Music with the same title. I figured I'd post the words to the prayer and the song, so you can enjoy them if you so choose.

The Precious Blood

Blessed Lord Jesus,

Before thy cross I kneel and see the heinousness of my sin,

my iniquity that caused thee to be 'made a curse',

the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.

Show me the enormity of my guilty by 

the crown of thorns,

the pierced hands and feet,

the bruised body,

the dying cries.

Thy blood is the blood of incarnate God,

its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.

Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price. 

Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper,

born in my birth,

alive in my death,

strong in my character,

dominating my faculties,

following me as a shadow,

intermingling with my every thought,

my chain that hold me captive in the empire of my soul.

Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,

the air supply my breath, 

the earth bear my tread, 

its fruits nourish me,

its creatures subserve my ends?

Yet thy compassions yearn over me,

thy heart hastens to my rescue,

thy love endured my curse,

thy mercy bore my deserved stripes.

Let me walk humbly in the lowest depths of humiliation,

bathed in thy blood,

tender of conscience,

triumphing gloriously as an heir of salvation.

The Spirit's Work

"O God the Holy Spirit,

Thou who dost proceed from the Father and the Son, have mercy on me.

When thou didst first hover over chaos, order came to birth, beauty robed the world, fruitfulness sprang forth. 

Move, I pray thee, upon my disordered heart;

Take away the infirmities of unruly desires and hateful lusts;

Lift the mists and darkness of unbelief;

Brighten my soul with the pure light of truth;

Make it fragrant as the garden of paradise, rich with every goodly fruit, beautiful with heavenly grace, radiant with rays of divine light.

Fulfill in me the glory of thy divine offices;

Be my comforter, light, guide, sanctifier;

Take of the things of Christ and show them to my soul;

Through thee may I daily learn more of his love, grace, compassion, faithfulness, beauty;

Lead me to the cross and show me his wounds, the hateful nature of evil, the power of Satan;

May I there see my sins as the nails that transfixed him, the cords that bound him, the thorns that tore him, the sword that pierced him.

Help me to find in his death the reality and immensity of his love.

Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in his, 'It is finished'.

Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of atonement achieved, expiation completed*, satisfaction made, guilt done away, my debt paid, my sins forgiven, my person redeemed, my soul saved, hell vanquished, heaven opened, eternity made mine.

O Holy Spirit, deepen in me these saving lessons. 

Write them upon my heart, that my walk be sin-loathing, sin-fleeing, Christ-loving;

And suffer no devil's device to beguile or deceive me."

Last night I read this prayer from The Valley of Vision before I went to bed. It was amazing, so I knew I needed to post it. Hopefully it will be as encouraging to anyone else who comes across it as it was to me.

*As I read it again a few minutes ago, I realized I had no idea what "expiation" meant, so I looked it up on dictionary.com. It's defined as "the means by which atonement or reparation is made." I understand the concept of atonement, but since I was unable to define it well, I looked that one up also - "satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends." Jesus Christ died to satisfy God's wrath that existed toward us because of our sin. Sometimes it hits me how powerful this is. We serve an awesome God.

Today while I was thinking about hurricane Irene and the effect its had on my family on the east coast. I realized just how many people are affected by the potential impending disaster, and that it could be quite a doozy for quite a lot of people. Then I remembered a line from This Hope's "This is Our God" - the waves and wind obey Him. Hurricane Irene will obey God. It will do exactly what God plans for it. Now, if His plan includes damage, that could cause some people to shake their fists at Him and ask "why?" But we can't know His ways, because we are too depraved and too finite to understand God and His will. But we can know that it is what will bring the most glory to Him. And that brings so much comfort.

Spurgeon Quote

"Whether I am up or down, the Lord Jesus Christ is the same. Whether I sing or sigh, the promise is true and the Promiser is faithful. Whether I stand on the summit or am hidden in the vale the covenant stands fast and everlasting love abides." -Spurgeon

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love-that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's cross, though 'legions of angels' might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us-not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process."
--Elizabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity

For the Father up Above Is Looking down in Love

So many songs I learned as a kid in things like Sunday School, VBS, or Awana are full of doctrine. Serving in Awana last year was such a blessing (one of the biggest of my life) because I had the ability to be reminded of these songs which bleed rich truths, ones I took for granted as a kid. For several weeks, I've been toying with the idea of writing a blog post with quotes from some of my favorites. Then that idea turned into possibly writing a series of posts, each one about its own song. So this is my little experiment. Yes, I am a kid at heart.

"Oh be careful little eyes what you see...

"Oh be careful little ears what you hear...

"Oh be careful little feet where you go...

For the Father up above is looking down in love,

...so be careful little eyes what you see."

...so be careful little ears what you hear."

...so be careful little feet where you go."

This song, which I've known almost my entire life, is one I would do well to sing to myself and meditate on each day. If I truly lived my daily life remembering that God is watching me, I wonder how different what I see, what I hear, and where I go, would be. It's wildly important to remember to be careful, to be on your guard, each and every day. Peter reminds us, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8). This is crucial to remember.

Also, the line in the middle is an amazing one - "For the Father up above is looking down in love." I can't even begin to tell you how many times today God's love was made evident to me. He really is up there, looking down here and helping us fight temptation, comforting us, teaching us, answering prayer, etc. And He really does love us. So, so, so, so much. If you're ever tempted to doubt that He's there, start looking back and counting your blessings. They're there, and there's an immense number of them. Sometimes, you just have to reflect a bit before you realize something was actually a blessing in disguise.

The Danger of an Imaginary Life

I was reading different parts of the GirlTalk blog today and came across a quote that I needed to hear. Nicole Whitacre was talking about her courtship with (her now, husband) Steve. While telling their story, she talked about some doubts she had about Steve. She'd always wanted to be either a missionary or married to a pastor, and Steve wasn't sure that either of those were God's will for his life. She said, "Pause. If I may be so bold as to offer a word of advice to single women everywhere: beware of creating an imaginary life around an imaginary man so that when a real man comes along you can’t see him for the imaginary life you’ve created."

This was a good reminder to me, and probably to any other girl who reads it, that we can't think of what we'd like our lives to look like when we're married and decide that anything different would be less than ideal. As Nicole said, it's dangerous to have some made up fantasy and compare any future life partner to that. Because what we want or think we want may not be what God wants for us. And His way is always better than ours. We need to trust Him with who our spouse will be and not worry about it so much.

Nicole ended her post saying that she'd had to learn to trust God and that she had to marry (or not marry) Steve based on who he was, rather than what he did. Then she said that he now was a pastor at a Sovereign Grace church. But she's glad he wasn't when she married him, because now she doesn't have to wonder if she'd only married someone because he was a pastor.

Such a good story, and a good reminder that it's God we have to follow and trust, not ourselves and our made up ideas of what we want in life.

A Good Reminder

Today our college Sunday school class was led by Victor, who is one of the students. The lesson came from Ephesians 2:1-9 and overall it was very good. But something he said near the end really got me. It may have been a quote from the book The Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney or it may have been something he came up with, I'm not really sure. But he reminded us that "the cross-centered life is built up by cross-centered days." Wow. If that's not encouraging/convicting, I don't know what is. It was a great reminder to be faithful in even the little things every day. If you can't be faithful in the little things, you won't be faithful in the big things. If your days aren't centered on the cross, of course your life won't be characterized as Christ-centered.

Learning to Thrive at College - Desiring God

My college group at PBC, called Foundation, posted this link on its facebook page. I read it and was really challenged by it. I hope you enjoy reading it and are challenged like I was. That's part of why I am posting it. The other part is so that I will remember to go back and look at it from time to time, preferably when classes are back in full swing.

Learning to Thrive at College - Desiring God

Taken from GirlTalk

I love to read the GirlTalk blog that the Mahaney girls (C.J. Mahaney's wife and daughters), who are part of Sovereign Grace Ministries, write. I love the blog because much of it is about biblical womanhood but a lot of it is just about living the Christian life in general and loving Christ more. It's such an encouragement to read, and many of the stories and articles posted are such a blessing. Here are two things that I really enjoyed reading on it lately:

This quote by Paul Tripp on waiting is from a post written by Nicole Whitacre-

"Waiting on God isn't about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It's part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life. Waiting on God isn't to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan. Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn't simply about what I'll receive at the end of my wait. No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I'll become as I wait. God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He's promised. Through the wait He's changing me. By means of the wait He's altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires. Through the wait He's causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom. And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands" (emphasis hers).

The second post I'd like to mention came from their archives and was written by Carolyn Mahaney. The actual post was written about motherhood but can really be applied to all walks of life. She talks about the first answer of the Shorter Catechism, which says, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." Then she takes a point from J.I. Packer's book Praying the Lord's Prayer. Packer said that this statement uses the word "end" and not "ends". So both glorifying and enjoying God are the same end - they go together. To glorify God is to enjoy Him, and to enjoy Him is to glorify Him. [Though she does clarify that this doesn't mean that obeying God is always going to be the easy, joyful thing to do.]

The links to the actual posts are here: first post and second post.
Hope you enjoyed :)

Punishment vs. Chastisement

There is a difference between God's punishment and His chastisement. I feel like I've known this, but never really recognized it is there and what it is. I listened to a short podcast by A.W. Pink - "Correcting in Love - Not Smiting in Wrath!" the other day, and it explained this so well. Basically all of this comes from him, not me. Any quote is from Pink, and basically I'm summarizing what he said. Just so credit is given where it is due. 


First of all, Christians will never be punished by God.

God's people can never, by any possibility, be punished for their sins, for God has already punished them [sins] at the cross. The Lord Jesus, our blessed substitute, suffered the full penalty of our guilt. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Neither the justice nor the love of God will permit Him to again exact payment of what Christ discharged to the full.

Since Christ took the punishment for our sins once and for all, those who've placed their trust in Him will not be punished for them. 


Pink gave three differences between divine punishment and divine chastisement.
A. The character in which God acts

1. Punishment - God acts as Judge.
2. Chastisement- God acts as Father. Christians are considered sons of God, so there is a Parent-child relationship between the two. As God's children, we must be disciplined for wrongdoing. As I learned through a couple of my major (teacher ed) classes, discipline is not punishment. Discipline is training - rules are given and consequences come when a person is not compliant. The purpose of discipline is the correction/bettering of the person being disciplined. God's chastisement of His sons and daughters is disciplinary, not penal.

B. The receipts of each.

1. The objects of the former (punishment) are His enemies. Again, God is acting as Judge.
2. The subjects of the latter (chastisement) are His children. Again, God is acting as Father.

C. The design of each.

1. Retributive. Flows from His anger. "Divine punishment is never sent for the good of unrepentant sinners, but for the honoring of God’s law and the vindicating of His government."
2. Remedial. Flows from His love. "Divine chastisement is sent for the well-being of His children."

Then Pink proceeded to talk about God's chastisement. He said it flows from His goodness and faithfulness. It evidences our sonship and shows that He is working for our good. Often, His chastisements 

are sent to empty us of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness.They are given to discover to us hidden transgressions and to teach us the plague of our own hearts. [They] are sent to strengthen our faith, to raise us to higher levels of experience, to bring us into a condition of usefulness.

He summarized by saying that we can be thankful for His chastisement. He said that we need to learn to see it as "proof of God's love - purging, pruning, and purifying you." Anyway, this is something I learned and thought might be good to share. Hopefully you understand it better, just as I did.

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." C.S. Lewis

Blessings

I keep seeing this song, Blessings by Laura Story, popping up everywhere on facebook. After about ten different friends of mine posted this link, I figured I should check it out. I have her first album and have really enjoyed it and been encouraged by it. But for some reason it was like I needed convincing to listen to this song. And man is it powerful! You should definitely listen to it right now. 

If you want the lyrics, you can see them here,

One of my favorite lines comes at the end of the chorus:

"What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise"

It's funny, because yesterday Trevor said a very similar thing to me, addressing a certain trial. But it's so true. Sometimes we have hard times and we fail to see that it's for our good.

Anyway, you really need to listen to this! And look at the lyrics. This is such a good song.

"Show me Thy ways
Teach me Thy path
Free me from all of my sin
Trusting in You is so easy to do
When I see You as You really are

As You really are [God and King]
As You really are [Lord of everything]
As You really are
Help me to see You as You really are
As You really are [risen and living]
As You really are [just, yet forgiving]
As You really are
Help me to see You as You really are"

Valley of Vision - A Prayer of Confession and Petition

"Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to see Thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power."

So thankful I found this. It was exactly what I needed to read this afternoon. So many other sins can stem from a "failure to find [His] mind in [His] Word" and "neglect to see [Him] in my daily life." So thankful for God's grace that is more abundant than sin (Rom 5:20). Also thankful that my sins "will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ."

The song Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken was new to me when I came to college. It's an old hymn written by Henry Lyte. The melody we use is different from the original though, and was written by Indelible Grace (I think?). Each verse is extremely convicting/encouraging/just thought-provoking in general. Seriously, if you haven't heard this song or do not know it very well, look it up! The version by Enfield is my favorite. 

Again, each verse is packed with truth. But here's one that is particularly challenging at times. It was pointed out sometime in chapel, or dorm chapel, or college group at my church, or something. But whoever was leading music pointed this verse out and reminded us of its meaning, which I will elaborate on after writing it out:

"Soul, then know thy full salvation

Rise o'er sin and fear and care

Joy to find in every station

Something still to do or bear

Think what Spirit dwells within thee

Think what Father's smiles are thine

Think that Jesus died to win thee

Child of heaven, canst thou repine?"

I'm mainly going to focus on the last 4 lines of it [though the whole thing is good]. As Christians, we can find joy in every part of life. No matter what we're going through, there is joy to be had. If it seems hard to find joy, then think about this: 

You have the Spirit of God dwelling within you, giving you all the fruits of the Spirit (including joy!), discipling you, strengthening your faith, encouraging you, convicting you of sin, comforting you, and showing your more about your awesome God. 

You also have a Father in heaven who loves you enough to kill His perfect, righteous Son so that you too can be adopted into His family; He is the creator of the universe yet cares about the minute details of your life; He now sees you as righteous because you've confessed and forsaken your sin, clinging to Christ who died in your place; He looks at you and smiles lovingly at you, no matter how many times you fail. 

You also have Jesus Christ, who GAVE UP HIS LIFE for you and DIED IN YOUR PLACE. He left heaven, where He was worshiped by angels and had the ability to be with His Father to come down to earth; while here he was: born in a stable, forced to flee with His parents as a baby because the king wanted Him dead, the perfect brother (with unperfect siblings...imagine how they must have felt when compared to Him by their parents...probably weren't always nice to Him), and as an adult He was called drunk and a glutton, misunderstood by family and neighbors, didn't always have a place to rest His head, was considered blasphemous and hated by the leaders of Judaism, mocked, used for free food and free healing, mistreated by so many. That was before the end of His ministry. When that came, He: was betrayed by one of His 12 disciples and abandoned by the rest of them, suffered a great deal, knowing the wrath He would endure - enough that He literally sweat blood - also enough to almost kill Him. He was mocked, beaten, scourged, spit upon, had a crown of thorns rammed into His head, and was completely unrecognizable - BEFORE the cross. Also before the cross, He, the holy Son of God, was tried by wicked men and found blameless. But because of their fear of man, He was still killed. While on the cross, He (Son of God, also the King of kings and Lord of lords), humbled Himself to die the death of the common criminal - literally the most humiliating and most excruciatingly painful thing possible. Worst of all, the SINLESS Lamb was made to endure the wrath of God towards ALL sin that had ever been or would ever be committed by everyone. But He voluntarily did this - for you! Why? Because He loves us, and because He was obedient to His Father.

You have all of that. "Child of heaven, canst thou repine?" I looked up "repine" in my Webster's dictionary app. It is defined as "to feel or express dejection or discontent : complain." You have ALL of that, can you even complain about the small (or even big) things that you face in life? We really shouldn't. He is the reason we should not complain. He is the reason we have joy in all things.

Once again, my mother is right!

Lately I have really been convicted of my ungrateful heart and always complaining attitude. I say that I know I have everything I need and most of everything I want too. I can easily sing things about Christ being "more than enough", but do I always mean it? No. 

It's summer vacation for me (!!) now. But my last week of school and ever since, the weather has not acted summer-ish. It's been cold, cloudy and often rainy. Instead of enjoying some days of chilly weather right before the hot summer I know is coming begins, I complain. I wished that it was prettier so I could go to the beach during my last days in southern California. I wanted be able to tan every day when I first got home. Instead, God's had other plans for the weather. And we are called to rejoice and be thankful in every circumstance. Have I been doing that? Not really.

I didn't really see this as a problem, or as sin. I just knew what I wanted (sunny, gorgeous weather), saw that I didn't have it, and whined. Then yesterday I saw my mom's facebook status. It said, "I have not lost my home to earthquakes, a tsunami, a tornado, or flooding. So I will NOT whine about a few days of clouds and patchy drizzle...." Ouch. Even from 3,000 miles away she has reminded me of important truth. I am so blessed to have a home and have all of my belongings safe and dry. Not everyone has that right now. Nightly I read the news on my handy fox news app, and have seen article after article on the devastation in places like Mississippi. I haven't been faithful to pray for those people suffering, or even really been interested enough to care. Instead, I'd whined about not getting to sunbathe? It's so selfish.

I am so grateful for my mom who posted that and reminded so man people to not focus on and complain about our slightly disappointing circumstances when other have it so much worse.

Thanks Mom! :)

Journaling

Last summer, between my freshman and sophomore year of college, was definitely a time of growth for me. It was a summer full of fun things, but was still hard at times too. That was part of the reason I started this blog. I was learning a lot and wanted an outlet for it. Around that time (about halfway through the summer...I think?) I started reading Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot. That book changed my life. There's no other way to put it. All single girls (and even married girls, or guys too) should read it, if you ask me. 

One of the things she wrote in her book, and another one I read by her since this summer (Keep a Quiet Heart), is that she strongly recommends every Christian keep a journal. She said it would be extremely beneficial, because you can go back and look at what you learned previously, so you can remember it later on. I took her advice, and began journaling when I learned something profound or heard a great message at church. Over Christmas break, it became a daily thing - I wrote when I read my Bible in the mornings. I still am pretty consistent with journaling (though it's not quite every day), and have really enjoyed it. Since I haven't posted a blog in a few weeks, I decided I would. I decided to go through my journal and write some of the things I have been learning this semester. It could be specific verses, quotes by godly men and women, things I learned from a sermon, encouraging conversations I had with friends, lines from songs, or random thoughts that are a result of the sum of all of these things...I really don't know what will end up here. So bear with me, and enjoy :)

January 15, 2011 - "Many Christians, myself included...thoughtlessly meander up to God as though He were a doting old grandfather in the sky, giving out grace as He would pass out chocolate chip cookies" - Joni Eareckson Tada, Seeking God.

January 16, 2011 - Deuteronomy 7:9-10 - "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenan and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; but repays those who hate Him to their faces to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face."

January 22, 2011 - [not an exact quote] "Submission is not based on the worthiness of the person submitted to, but because of God's command" - Voddie Bauchum, Truth&Life Conference.

January 23, 2011 - "Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace" - Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson

February 6, 2011 - "It's not about me. I don't need to take attention for myself - it's prideful. Pride and selfishness are sin. God hates them. Jesus had to die for them. He redeemed me, so that all the sin I commit would not reign over me. So take your focus off of self and put it on the only One who deserves it, who is 'beautiful beyond description' and 'too marvelous for words'". 

February 16, 2011 - "Nahum 3 is an even clearer, scarier picture of the destruction of Ninevah [than Nahum 2]. The heading of the chapter is 'Ninevah's Complete Ruin', and that is definitely what's described. This is an extremely vivid picture of God's wrath and justice. People who only focus on God's love need to read Nahum."

February 19, 2011 - Romans 2:4 - "...the kindness of God leads you to repentance."

March 3, 2011 - "Romans 13:2 - 'Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God...' To resist authority is to be opposed to God's commands."

March 21, 2011 - "Thankful for the unconditional love and mercy of the Lord, as well as His protection and sovereign control over every situation."

March 23, 2011 - [Background: during this time, I was reading Esther. Again and again, I saw her humility.] Esther 3 talks about Haman's plot against the Jews. He was filled with so much hatred toward Mordecai that he wanted to destroy all of his people too, not just Mordecai. How much pride does it take to get that far? Pride needs to be dealt with or else it just grows. Proverbs 29:23, 'One man's pride will bring him low but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.' (Haman is the first one, Esther is the second)." [Later in the book this happens, Haman is killed and Esther is honored.]

March 25, 2011 - "James 3:16 - 'For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.' - Haman shows this is true."

Always Forgiven

I love this song.

Always Forgiven by Sovereign Grace Music

I don't deserve to be Your servant
And how much less to be Your child
Anger and wrath, sure condemnation
Should be my portion, my just reward
Never have seen it, never will know it
Your lovingkindness, enfolds my life

All You have shown me is grace, love and mercy
Now and forever, I am Your child
Freely You pour out Your lovingkindness
Father of grace, You welcome me in

All of the sin I have committed
Was placed upon Your righteous Son
And now You see me through His perfection
As if I'd never done any wrong
Always forgiven, always accepted
No fear of judgment before Your throne.

All You have shown me is grace, love and mercy
Now and forever I am Your child
Freely You pour out Your lovingkindness
Father of grace You welcome me in


I was going through to find specific parts that meant a lot...but I would have ended up emphasizing more than not..it's all good - think about it!

Funny....

This post is more on a personal note, but I have a semi crazy story.
Very soon [freakishly soon] after writing my last post, my computer was stolen from my kitchen table.
It was quite an interesting situation. Very unnerving. But the Lord definitely showed His faithfulness and His goodness through the situation, and once again showed me He will provide for all my needs.

So, my computer was stolen Wednesday morning. By Saturday afternoon, God had provided the money for and I had purchased my new computer. My dad helped me pick it out, and it was a great computer for a great price! I was so grateful for the people who helped make it happen (my grandma and my dad) and for all of the people who were there for me.

It was a stressful situation because I had spent hours working on a study guide for my earth science midterm (which was 50% of my grade) and it was lost, along with all my notes for that class. Also lost was history notes, including from the class day that none of my friends went to and were all relying on me for the notes. In addition to that, none of the music or pictures from this school year were backed up (though everything that was on there at the end of last summer was backed up). I was working on compiling a list of lines from hymns that were powerful, and often the hidden lines we sing without noticing. I had almost two pages of those, and added new ones all the time. That too is lost. I'm so bummed because I worked on that for months and was getting close to having enough to post on here.

But here's the thing - God is sovereign over the situation, even in lost documents that were an encouragement to me and potentially to others, too. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Yes, it still affects me and was/still is a huge hassle and bummer. But really, I do have so much to be grateful for - He was watching over and taking care of me throughout the situation, nothing else was taken, He answered prayers for a)finding a good computer and b)being able to afford it. Though it made my spring break...interesting (and made it very hard to answer quickly when people ask how my break was), I have so much to thank God for.

I just find it that all of this happened so soon after writing a post on prayer...I think the Lord was seriously trying to tell me something!