In the Blink of an Eye

This song is by Mercy Me. I heard it yesterday and I feel like it goes hand in hand with my last post.

You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe

Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine
In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

And though I'm living a good life
Can my life be something great?
I have to answer the question
Before it's too late

Cause in a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

If I give the very best of me
That becomes my legacy
So tell me what am I waiting for?
What am I waiting for?

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

Taking Action...NOW

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Philippians 3:17-21

Bible commentary on Phil. 3:19:
“But we must ask ourselves is too much of our time spent on efforts that will not endure in eternity, seeking earthly pleasures, or satisfying our physical desires? We must set our minds on knowing Christ, not on the pursuits of this world.”

You know, it is so easy to get caught up in the ‘world’s way.’ I mean, everywhere you turn there is some convincing argument persuading you to buy the next fashionable item, the latest and greatest gadget, a better car, to upgrade your significant other—or at least be sleeping with the one you have. It’s no wonder we start to fall into the belief that life is about what we can get out of it. We all strive for the American Dream—getting the best family, the biggest house, the raddest toys. We are under the impression that looking out for ‘numero uno’ (…that’s you…) and doing whatever feels best should be foundational principles in living. It is ESPECIALLY easy to think this way when young. Heck, you have your whole life ahead of you to a.)figure it out/make a contribution, and/or b.)put away your self-focused ways and settle down. But what if the rest of your life means 24 hours?

It’s amazing how death sobers us up. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of not only losing my aunt this past month without notice, but also losing a college friend two days ago while he was serving with the Marines over in Afghanistan. My Aunt Cindy was “young”. Early 50’s. But Nic Madrazo…he was really young. MY age. Twenty five. Tragedies like these always cut deep, never making sense. Never an answer to the “why” question. BUT it reminds me that if you read the Bible I do, it tells us this world is temporary. Our life here is just a blink of the eye compared to our eternal lives. The end goal is not to live a good life here. The end goal is salvation, and heaven. There is a sense of urgency to life that those in the younger generations forget about since they easily overlook the fact that bad things can happen to them too, not just those around. It’s that whole being-young-and-truly-believing-we-are-invincible factor. So let’s step back and remember we ARE mortal. And the goal here is to love others with Christ’s love, and encourage everyone to find out about this ‘Good News’ we believers tend to take for granted. How tragic to lose friends/family that never believed, but moreover, that you overlooked taking the time to speak to about Christ and what He offers us all. I don’t want to experience the feelings associated with such a realization. Do you?

So instead of getting so focused on our ‘five year plans’ (don’t get me wrong, I support all you planners out there), how about we focus on the here and now, and how we can make an impact in the present? Because five years may not come for some of us. OH we all like to think it will. I’m sure Nic believed the same thing about his life until two days ago. BUT NONE OF US KNOW. At least Nic was one step ahead of many. He WAS making a difference. Let’s learn from him. Let’s engage with those around us, and learn how to help them. And LOVE them. I beg you all to consider what you can start doing...TODAY.

Poetry...

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

~William Cowper


Read it twice. Read it out loud.

God is good. And He DOES have a perfect plan for each one of us. And even when we can't see it, or despair that maybe it does not exist, the good news remains that our feelings about the situation does NOT change the fact that God is in control AND He knows what He is doing. Rejoice in that truth. I know I am...

Changing your perspective by changing your mindset

I linger over this point—that seeing the glory of God may not require making a trip to the mountains or buying a ticket to the theater, but only opening our eyes—because I believe untold resources for mental health and spiritual joy in God lie all around us if we would but open our eyes
pg. 197

That was taken from When I Don’t desire God: How to fight for Joy by John Piper. I like that. I like even better the 11 steps his professor Clyde Kilby lectured on for how to see past ones self-absorption and notice God’s glory. It gives you something to think about, that is for sure.

“1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky ad remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above me and about me.

2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death, when he said: There is darkness without and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing.

3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.

4. I shall not turn my life into a thin straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.

5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.

6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what [C.S.] Lewis calls their divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic existence.

7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder.

8. I shall follow Darwin’s advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.

9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, fulfill the moment as the moment. I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is just now.

10. If for nothing more than the sake of a change of view, I shall assume my ancestry to be from the heavens rather than from the caves.

11. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life in the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls Himself Alpha and Omega.”

Going through a rough patch?

“Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength
till each appears before God in Zion.”
Psalm 84: 5-7

I really like the comment from strength to strength. That so is life, isn’t it? Always working, always growing. We are never perfect and can always use improvement, while also learning more about ourselves and the world we live in. The phrase reminds me of an expression Dahlstrom used in one of his sermons (which sidenote: was a pivotal sermon day in the life of Joelle). He said that we as Christians are to grow “from glory to glory to glory.” And while stating that sentence, he used his hand to motion stair stepping up with each progressive “glory”. Granted to grow from glory to glory, we can only do so by allowing God to take our burden at each turn we come to. Otherwise we stay on that stair step for as long as we refuse to give into God’s help and HIS way.

But that was just a Joelle tangent. I liked the Bible commentary on the above three verses:

“Because Baca can mean ‘weeping,’ it may have been a symbolic reference to the times of struggles and tears through which people must pass on their way to meet God. Growing strong in God’s presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives. The person who loves to spend time with God will see his or her adversity as an opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness even more deeply. If you are walking through your own Valley of Baca today, be sure your pilgrimage leads toward God, not away from Him.”

I’m sure all of us can relate to numerous challenging life scenarios. It goes along with being human. Oh the joys. But I think the key is how you view your hardship. Is the glass going to be half empty—the pessimistic view that life sucks and God is against/hates you so this must be punishment, or is the glass half full—the optimistic view that trials come with being alive, and are not specifically created by God, but rather He can use them to grow you as a person and teach you through the pain? I personally find life easier to deal with when my glass is half full.

Cheers.

Let's talk about the "P" word

I’m not one to back down on promises, and I gave you my word in an earlier post that John Piper’s book When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy would be discussed at a later date. Whelp, the time has come.

Prayer is a powerful thing. I think sometimes, myself included, forget just how life-changing it can be. I have a lot of thoughts about prayer, but so does John Piper. In fact he has devoted pages to it in this book. I’m going to let John do the talking today and quote a number of paragraphs from chapter ten titled The Practice of Prayer in the Fight for Joy. There were many other outstanding points made in this chapter, but here is just a taste:

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(1 Thess. 5:14-18)
…
What then is the key to this rejoicing, or this delight, which sustains the life of fruit-bearing love? Verse 17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” And verse 18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” So the answer seems to be that continual prayer and thanksgiving is a key to joy in God that makes a person durable and fruitful in relation to all kinds of people. Therefore one biblical key to maintaining joy in God and his Word is to pray without ceasing.

WHAT DOES “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING” MEAN?

If we are going to be fruit-bearing people, and not wither under the pressures of idle, fainthearted, weak, and hurtful people, then we must fight, as 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, to “rejoice always” or to “delight…in the word of the LORD…day and night” (Ps. 1:2). And to do that, as verse 17 says, we need to “pray without ceasing.” Which leads to the question of what that means.

Praying without ceasing means at least three things. First, it means that there is a spirit of dependence that should permeate all we do. This is the very spirit and essence of prayer. So, even when we are not speaking consciously to God, there is a deep, abiding dependence on him that is woven into the heart of faith. In that sense, we “pray” or have the spirit of prayer continuously.

Second—and I think this is what Paul has in mind most immediately—praying without ceasing means praying repeatedly and often. I base this on the use of the word “without ceasing” (adialeiptos) in Romans 1:9, where Paul says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing [adialeiptos] I mention you.” Now we can be sure that Paul did not mention the Romans every minute of his waking life, or even every minute of his prayers. He prayed about many other things. But he mentioned them over and over, and often. So “without ceasing” doesn’t mean that, verbally or mentally, we have to be speaking prayers every minute of the day in the fight for joy. It means we should pray over and over, and often. Our default mental state should be: “O God, help….”

Third, praying without ceasing means not giving up on prayer. Don’t ever come to a point in your life where you cease to pray at all. Don’t abandon the God f hope and say, “There’s no use praying.” Jesus is very jealous for us to learn this lesson. One of his parables is introduced by the words, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). He knew our experience in prayer would tempt us to quit altogether. So he along with the apostle Paul, says, Never lose heart. Go on praying. Don’t cease.

So from the context of 1 Thessalonians 5 I say that the key to “rejoice always” is to “pray without ceasing.” Lean on God all the time for the miracle of joy in life. Never give up looking to him for help. Come to him repeatedly during the day and often. Make your default mental state a Godward longing for all that you need, especially for spiritual desires.”

Thank you, John Piper.

Six (Easy???) Steps

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”
Romans 6:12

Bible commentary:
“How can we keep this command to not let sin reign over us, to not give in to its desires? We can take the following steps:
1.) Identify our personal weaknesses
2.) Recognize the things that tempt us
3.) Stay away from sources of temptation
4.) Practice self-restraint
5.) Consciously invest our time in good habits and service
6.) Lean on God’s strength and grace”

We all are pretty capable of getting to #1 and even #2. But #3 and #4 get much more difficult to live out. It takes determination and a great amount of strength. It is easy to verbalize things, but to put action behind those words is a step many are unwilling to proceed to, which I believe leads to their downfalls. It is the will power of recognizing that yes, these things that “feel good”, or “temporarily satisfy/resolve a problem”, will cause havoc in our lives in the long run, and it IS worth it to stay away from the immediate gratifications not glorifying to God. Have you ever heard the saying Idle hands are the devil’s workshop? That saying is the reason step #5 needs to be implemented. The more time we spend investing in others and working toward God’s glory, the less time we have to spend mulling over sinful desires and entertaining selfish thoughts and actions. It all starts in the mind; hands down. I like that the list ends with step #6, because 1-5 are all key to cutting out sin, but without leaning on God, we WILL fail. We have got to invite Him in to be an integral part of our walk, and be willing to accept His offer and be filled with His power to get through.

I think this is a GREAT recipe for success. None of us may be perfect, and are bound to sin, but gosh, if we could actively live out these six steps we WOULD avoid a lot of unnecessary heartache. When I reflect on different life scenarios where I gave in to sin, I—without a doubt in my mind—could have avoided those sins if I had only applied these six steps to my situation.

This week’s challenge is as follows: memorize and act out the steps listed above. See what happens.

OH Joseph

As of late, a deep appreciation for historical “Bible people” has grown in me. I will admit, the Old Testament used to bore me, and I felt like I had heard those stories a billion times. But gosh, now that I have committed to really READING the OT, I am seeing the accounts with a different lens. It is amazing how much we can LEARN from people in the Bible (both in the OT and NT). And to see how God works in those that were willing to listen is just grand. I value the fact that these folks God worked through were sinners just like you and me, and most of them screwed up—a LOT. But God kept with them because they kept with God.

Here is an excerpt on Joseph—whose story is found Genesis 30-50:

“Perhaps you can identify with one or more of these hardships Joseph experienced: he was betrayed and deserted by his family; he was exposed to sexual temptation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped. As you read his story, note what Joseph did in each case. His positive response transformed each setback into a step forward. He didn’t spend much time asking “Why?” he went and whatever he did, God was with him. When you’re facing a setback, the beginning of a Joseph-like attitude is to acknowledge that God is with you. There is nothing like His presence to shed new light on a dark situation…what matters is not so much the events or circumstances of life, but our response to them.”

Enough said.

Being Real.

Save me O God,
For the waters have come up to my neck…
I am worn out calling for help…
But I pray to you, O Lord,
In the time of your favor,
In your great love O God,
Answer me with your sure salvation.
Rescue me from the mire,
Do not let me sink;
Deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O Lord,
out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly,
for I am in trouble.

Psalm 69:1,3a, 13-17


I just read Psalm 69 this morning. It is a long one, so I only put part of it up. Sometimes Psalms are so encouraging to me, even the ones where the author is crying out in distress. The emotions just resonate with me. I find comfort in the fact that even people like David who “walk with God” and find favor in His eyes, have downer times. He doesn’t pretend that life is always good and easy and carefree when you follow God. Many passages in Psalms remind me of journal entries and I love it. It’s a confirmation to me that we have the “green light” to cry out to God, express our frustrations, despair, etc.

What would a blog entry on a verse be without the Bible commentary? Here is what was said:

“But still he prayed. When we are completely beaten down, we are tempted to turn from God, give up, and quit trusting Him. When your situation seems hopeless, determine that no matter how bad things come, you will continue to pray. God will hear your prayer, and He will rescue you. When others reject us, we need God most. Don’t turn from your most faithful friend.”

He is your most faithful friend by the way. The only one who will never let you down. I hope you see this trait in Him. Friends and Family will disappoint. I do it, you do it. It’s bound to happen—it goes hand in hand with being human. But God never does. And it is AWESOME.

Monday's Thought

I am currently reading a John Piper novel, When I don't desire God: How to fight for Joy. I like it. A lot. I am sure I will quote and discuss from it at a later date. Today I will just list two semi-correlating quotes and let you do your own thinking.

Piper quoted John Owen who said, "Be killing sin, or it will be killing you."

John Piper's mom wrote this inscription in the Bible he had at age fifteen, This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book"

Ponder away.
Happy Monday!

Mutual Submission

“So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”
Acts 21: 23,24

Life Application Bible Commentary:
“Although Paul was a man of strong convictions, he was willing to compromise on non-essential points, becoming all things to all people so that he might save some (1 Cor. 9: 19-23). Often churches split over disagreements about minor issues or traditions. Like Paul, we should remain firm on Christian essentials but flexible on non-essentials. Of course, no one should violate his or her true convictions, but sometimes we need to exercise the gift of mutual submission for the sake of the gospel”

I really don’t think I could state that any better than above. Too often we lose focus and take sides within church denominations over “non-essential” issues. I don’t find that productive. For anyone. Don’t lose sight of the fact that all Christians, whether Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc. have the same end goal in sight. To spread the Good News to all people. Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Awesome. Are you living a life that is focused on serving for Him and working out His will? Great! Everything else is just details.

Please don’t take my simplification as me not finding value in tradition or the details. I definitely do. But I do NOT find value in arguing over points the Bible is not clear on, or becoming so focused on different traditions that we create chasms with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we get to that point, Satan starts winning the battle, because pointless bickering divides/weakens us as the driving Christian force we can be when unified, and causes us to lose focus of the end goal. Each tradition has its own niche of people it will speak to. So let each speak accordingly. If people are learning about our Lord, well that is a GOOD thing. You’ve got to leave some of it up to God. He will move differently in people’s hearts as He sees fits. Remember, it’s not about us and what we think. It’s all about HIM.

Taking a moment to walk in their shoes…

“Then Paul said, ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.”
Acts 22:3

Life Application Bible Commentary:
“By saying that at one time he was as zealous for God as any of his listeners, Paul was acknowledging their sincere motives behind their desire to kill him and recognizing that he would have done the same to Christian leaders a few years earlier. Paul always tried to establish a common point of contact with his audience before launching into a full-scale defense of Christianity. When you witness for Christ, first identify yourself with your audience. They will be much more likely to listen if they feel a common bond with you.”

There are so many lessons we can learn from Paul’s life. That guy was an amazing example of how one can be drastically transformed and utilized by God to further His kingdom. In this particular passage, we learn a captivating way to witness.

Its sounds so simple, right? To “identify with your audience”. And it makes so much sense. I mean, think of all the lectures you attended. Is it just me, or do you tend to put more value in what is discussed when you feel the speaker is credible, that he has been where you have been, or at least understands your way of life? It’s a shame more speakers don’t begin their lectures with this tactic. Paul had that approach down, and had a wonderful way of showing empathy toward whatever audience he stood before. I think the reason we don’t find more lectures structured with this guiding principle is because it actually is a gift not as easy to come by as one might think (partly due to society’s ‘self-focused’ mentality). It takes stepping outside oneself, and seeing life from another’s perspective. When given the platform, we tend to like to puff out our feathers, declare all our credentials, you know, convince the audience of why we deserve the stage. But the humble speakers who get alongside their audiences are the ones that more effectively captivate their listeners.

When I say “audience”, I use that term in the broadest sense possible. A speaker can talk to a few people, or hundreds of thousands. I believe the technique will hold true to any size gathering. I must admit, though awed by Paul, I do often find myself intimidated. Thinking thoughts such as “Oh I could never do that. I will leave that to the more ‘capable’ people.” Or “Gosh, after I learn enough, then I will start trying to witness.” But what if we all thought that way? We can get some basic groundwork from reading the methods leaders in the Bible used to share their faith (Conclusion you should draw…READ your Bible). I say, get out there with what you know. Practice makes ‘perfect’, right?

The method of identifying with your audience may make speeches more effective, but it is a truth that can also spill over and be integrated into building relationships. Just think what could happen if you kept this mindset when meeting new people and interacting with people you already knew. Instead of getting annoyed that someone doesn’t live life like you would, or doesn’t see this world through your lens, try stepping into their shoes for a moment. Take time to get to know the person, what experiences molded them into who they are today. I guarantee your eyes will be opened at how you view them. Their ‘annoying’ character traits might become something you are a bit more patient and compassionate about when you realize where this person has come from. It takes being selfless though. Stopping for a second to realize this world is not all about what you can get out of it, and that maybe, just maybe, all your views and life habits aren’t the “correct” ways, but rather just the familiar for you as an individual.

So that is the challenge for now. To open your mind and see others’ perspectives. I mean really see them. LISTEN to people. Hear where they are coming from. See what happens. You might be amazed at the platform this opens up to you for speaking the Good Word.

Nothing Great

Today is one of the "fewer Joelle words" days. I just like this song. I am sad they broke up. :(

LATE TUESDAY
Nothing Great
Same old stuff we have to do.
Over and over and over again each day it seems.
Nothing great to show off my abilities and my worth.
So show me my purpose in the midst of this routine.

Because I am trying to understand why I am here at all,
with so many guesses and too many simple answers.
Could it be that life is not what I think at all.
It’s not the big things but the ordinary in between.
And maybe this is not the time to be waiting for
any better reason to be glad that I am alive at all.
So help me take each day,
each simple thing that I must do to bring glory to You.

And I can search out a lot of ways to keep me doing things
in an attempt to make my mark.
But then maybe I missed the mark of Your desire for me.
So I will trust in You.
In everything I do, I will do it as for You.

And I am learning to understand why I am here at all.
There is no need for guesses when You are the simple answer,
And You showed me that life is not what I think at all.
Its not the big things but the ordinary in between.
And maybe this is not the time to be waiting for
any better reason to be glad that I am alive at all.
So help me take each day,
each simple thing that I must do to bring glory to You.

And maybe this is not the time to be waiting for
any better reason to be glad that we are alive at all.
We can take each day,
each simple thing we must do to bring glory to You.

Remember

“Even when everyone else forgets, God doesn’t;
when no one seems to notice, God sees;
when no one seems to care, God cares;
when you feel all alone, you aren’t.”

Pulling Through...

“Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:26

Bible commentary:
“God encourages persistence in all areas of our lives, including the spiritual. Where in your spiritual life do you need more persistence? Strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions.”

Persistence. It takes SUCH dedication. We are a people (lets give a big hand to the society we live in) that find ourselves easily bored and quickly uninterested in what lay before us. It is just too easy to move on to the next thing, with so many other options out there. Consistency and routine are virtues many of us just don’t have the patience for. Mind you I said “many”, not all, of us. To remain consistent requires commitment and endurance. Rewarding work results if we buckle down.

The question was asked where our lives might require more persistence. It’s a great question all of us should reflect on. I’m sure I have plenty of areas that I could act a bit more dedicated. With regard to my spiritual walk, I need more diligence in my prayer life and personal relationship with Christ. This is something that I don’t feel I will ever be satisfied with where I am at, no matter how solid I become. I am learning to avoid the mentality that I feel all too many of us take about prayer and talking with God. And that is the belief that if we get in our x amount of minutes of prayer, and x amount of minutes of communication with God, we can pat ourselves on the back and go about the day-to-day of life. You know, check that ‘talking with God’ thing off the day’s To Do List. I’m guilty, 100%, of this logic.

But then I started to reflect on the term personal relationship. And I started thinking about other relationships in my life. When have I ever “checked” a friend or family member off the list? When have I allotted only x amount of minutes and not one second longer? When have I set up one specific time in the day to talk with them, and then only be available at that time? I mean REALLY. How can you have a REAL relationship with all those parameters? For you Marrieds out there, imagine trying to set such restrictions with your spouse! Talk about paving the road for marriage counseling! So then, why is it, that I find this type of attitude toward God, my Father, Creator, Redeemer, etc., okay? It so is NOT. I don’t knock the idea of setting up a prayer time in the day. In fact, I encourage it. Routine helps. But I want to point out that following the routine is not enough. Talk to Him at whatever time of the day you have set aside, but don’t stop at that. If He is to truly be your #1, then carry on a monologue throughout the day. That’s what you would do with a best friend, so why should it be any different with God?

And on that same note, if we never treat God like a real friend, then how can we truly expect results from our petitions? We aren’t showing true dedication or perseverance if we can’t even establish a solid relationship with God. It’s no wonder that we are not seeing answers and experiencing all the blessings available to us! God can’t give us all He wants to give us if we don’t jump in entirely and make ourselves available to receive all He has for us. Please don’t misunderstand my intentions of that statement. I’m not drawing the conclusion that perseverance in your spiritual walk equals a life filled with daisies, roses, and candy coated rainbows. But you WILL have found your center. You will see life with a clarity you never thought you could. And the difficult times in life, though still hard, become SO much more bearable when you know who you are living for, and what you are living for.

Growing Pains

“’Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
Isaiah 6:5-8

Life Application (NIV Version) Bible Commentary on this:
“Before we accept God’s call to speak for Him to those around us, we must be cleansed as Isaiah was, confessing our sins and submitting to God’s control. Letting God purify us may be painful, but we must be purified so that we can truly represent God, who is pure and holy.”
Pretty good words. Key words that jump out at me are accept, cleansed, confess, submit, letting God. If we truly desire to be used by God, it takes recognition and action on our part.

I will be the first to fully AGREE that being molded into the man/woman of God that our Lord desires to see us become is not an easy, or pain-free, process. And depending on what age one finally throws their hands up and declares “Ok ok God! I get it. I can’t do it. Not my way. YOURS.” sets the bar for how much cleansing/damage control they will need from God for the matters they have acted on without God thus far in life. That declaration is the “foot in the door”. Then the “fun” begins. The cleansing/purification process. We humans loooove this. You know, the whole pulling old skeletons out of the closet, be it restoring a broken relationship, forgiving past hurts, etc. etc. We all have our secrets. And letting them out is particularly hard, but SO freeing once given to God. It’s painful in some respects, but a good painful.

What do I mean by “good painful”? Think of working out. The first few minutes are a breeze. Oh you might start to perspire a bit, but you’re feeling good. You got this thing handled. Then the minutes tick on. That perspiring turns into sweating, and breathing is getting a little labored. Not to mention, you can start to really feel each heart beat in your chest AND your muscles are starting to scream at you a bit. It’s not so comfortable anymore. But you don’t give up. And after you might feel a little weak and sore, but it is a satisfying weak/soreness. The next day is the best. It’s the oh-it-hurts-to-move-my-legs-arms-neck-or-any-body-limb-for-that-matter feeling that satisfies. It proves you got in a GREAT workout the day before, and you know your body will love you for pushing it to the point of that “good hurt.” AND if you keep it up, you get the rewarding results of big muscles (boys), and a toned up bods (girls). Who’s with me on that??

Apply that same logic to your growth as a man or woman of God. Getting to that “good hurt” is required in order to avoid becoming stagnant in your spiritual walk. Rewards are so much more satisfying when they require our blood, sweat, and tears. Not sure, why, but truth nonetheless. In fact, I will go as far to say that most anything (if not all) worthwhile in this life requires sacrifice from us.

I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to go through a little pain if that is what the purification process requires to make me holy, pleasing, and able to be of service, for my Father’s will.

Oh Jennifer Knapp.

Not sure who's with me on this, BUT when I am going through hard points in life, I like to relate my life to lyrics of music I have. I find an artist/song and listen to it over and over again. November 07 was probably one of the most pivotal times in my life. This song spoke to me then, and still speaks to me now. In fact the entire Kansas album speaks to me.

His Grace is Sufficient for Me
I've exhausted every possible solution
I've tried every game there is to play
In this search for Christ-like perfection
I'm convinced I've only left my God ashamed
I cry, I wonder can He hear my despair
Afraid to lift my hands, afraid He doesn't care
And if He answers and I fall again
Can I still be His daughter
Can I still depend on Him
When I'm down I search every mistake
I'm looking for new regrets
Sometimes I forget, I forget
That His grace is sufficient for me
That it's deeper and wider than I can conceive
His grace is sufficient for me
My convictions seem to fade with desperation
My hope declines with each and every tear
My sin an anchor and this grace just an illusion
The gavel's heavy and justice is near
Up comes the light and finds the stains on my hands
Up comes my pride, I hideI know He won't understand
Cause it's deeper than deep and it's wider than wide
Why did I ever doubt, now I'm dying inside
His grace is sufficient for me
His grace, His grace is sufficient

That marriage thing...

Marriage has been on the brain lately. This little train of thought was actually spurred earlier this week, as I burned some calories working out on my beloved Life Fitness machine, zoning out to my Ipod. Jem's Falling For You song came on. The topic then came full circle today when the marriage topic was brought up in some Bible reading I did later this afternoon.

The stanza from the Jem song that caught my attention was as follows:
It's true I've become a skeptic
How many couples really love
Just wish I had a crystal ball
To show me, if it's worth it all
It was that second line that got me thinking. I mean really...how many couples do love like they should? Webster defines love many ways, most involving words that describe emotions and feelings. All true, but it is a different aspect of love that I think is the glue which holds "marriage love" together. Devotion. This was a synonym found in the dictionary for love. It portrays the 'commitment' characteristic of love, which I feel can be quickly overlooked in our society that teaches immediate gratification, and always needing the next newer, and better version of the stuff we have.

I, like 99.97% of single Christian females around my age, want to get married. MOST DEFINITELY. And though being single has its lonely moments, and all around not-fun times, I have surprised myself at how okay I am with it all of a sudden. Now don't take that comment the wrong way. My desire for marriage has not dwindled, I have just been given a peace for where I am to be for this day. More so because I have been viewing marriage differently. The whole "The grass is always greener on the other side" saying comes to mind. The one blessing I can truly appreciate about being single at my "old" age, is the ability to observe and talk with married family and friends. Both newlyweds all the way up to the "Baby Boomer" generation. And I am THANKFUL. I am learning from observation, and storing up mental notes. I am surprised at how many Marrieds (*Ahem, thank you KRISSY for such a great term) exist that put on a great display of living out the perfect marriage. Showing the outside observer that they are "perfectly" in love and enamored with each other. But to see the "behind closed doors"...its...well...'eye opening' to say the least. Bitter sweet. Bitter because I am discouraged at how many unhappy marriages exist and find myself letting doubt about my own future creep in. Sweet because I have not jumped into anything just to have a husband, or someone to wake up to each morning.

But I don't want to imply that I think marriage sucks and no one is ever happy. There are two sides to every story. And Lord knows the other side DOES exist. I was re-encouraged of that fact when reading Acts 18. It was here that Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned. The commentary provided in my Bible about this married couple is THE type of marriage I am holding out for. See below for a couple excerpts I selected:

-->"Some couples know how to make the most of life. They complement each other, capitalize on each other's strengths, and form an effective team. Their united efforts affect those around them. Aquila and Priscilla were such a a couple. They are never mentioned separately in the Bible. In marriage and ministry, they operated as one. "
-->"...they went on using their home as a warm place for training and worship...In an age when the focus is mostly on what happnes between husband and wife, Aquila and Priscilla are an example of what can happen through husband and wife."

I know God can use me in my singleness, and being single I can do things that I might not have the opportunity to do while also juggling the responsibilities of marriage. But Priscilla and Aquila's story encouraged me that God can use married couples devoted to Him as well! (Obvious statement, I know.) I want my cake and I want to eat it too when it comes to this revelation. Call me a dreamer, but I WANT to be used for great things right now, and different, but equally great things when I finally get married.

I want to be one of the success stories, and I am willing to wait for it.