"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." ~1 John 1:5-7
That's something I've had to remind myself of continuously lately.
GOD IS LIGHT. In Him there is no darkness AT ALL.
Not even a hint.
When our minds grow dim and full of negativity, that's the enemy at work. Waging war against what we know to be true. What Jesus says is true.
We must allow His light to take over and fill every inch of our being.
And when we allow His light to shine in us, we have fellowship with one another.
Fellowship means we don't judge one another.
We don't compare ourselves to one another.
And when we see a fellow brother or sister entertaining thoughts that are not full of God's light and Truth, we gently remind them of what IS true.
They are beautiful.
They are strong.
They are LOVED.
They are God's child.
All negative descriptors are thrown out the window.
No matter what circumstances they've been through.
No matter what mistakes they've made.
No matter what regrets they may have. They are children of LIGHT.
They are NEW.
They are CLEAN.
They are FORGIVEN.
They are loved and cared for unconditionally.
By Jesus. And by us, their fellow brothers and sisters, because that's the kind of love we're called to.
Recently, the enemy has decided it'd be cool to attack me in regards to past mistakes I've made. And by making me feel "less than" others who appear to be "better." (he knows I'm about to embark on an incredible journey to expand the Lord's Kingdom....he's scurred!)
I've decided his lies are not allowed anymore.
God has continuously spoken His Truth over me and over my life, and it has been amazing to experience His grace in whole new way.
Comparing myself to others is something I've struggled with for as long as I can remember. It's tough, especially when it seems like it's based off of things that are actually true. But one thing I've come to realize is that GOD IS TRUTH. Earthly "truths" don't matter, because they aren't really truths at all!
When we are redeemed by The Redeemer, all that counts is what HE says about us.
He forgets our sins as if they never happened, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus, our Savior.
That's why comparing ourselves to one another is completely irrelevant and foolish.
"When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." ~2 Corinthians 10:12
We've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. (Romans 3:23)
Period.
No one needs Jesus "more" than anyone else.
We ALL need Him.
Whether you lie every now and then, mouth off to your parents occasionally, or have murdered 25 people.
We all need a Savior equally.
My home church pastor once said, "It's not 'big sin, big grace; little sin, little grace.' It's INFINITE sin, INFINITE grace."
What a beautiful Truth.
We forget that we measure ourselves and others by imperfect, human standards. WE, not God, have placed degrees of severity over certain sins, gaging some as being "worse" than others. Really, GOD is the perfect One. He sets the standard. And when compared to His perfection, none of us even come close.
We are all sinful, and because of that the Lord allows some of us to experience different kinds of hardship and troubles, some are seemingly worse than others, but only by human standards.
I believe one of the main reasons (if not THE main reason) He allows us to all experience varying degrees of sin and pain is for the purposes of reaching out to those who are lost.
After all, life (contrary to popular belief) has NOTHING to do with us. It has EVERYTHING to do with bringing glory to God and leading people to Jesus, plain and simple.
Soak in this Truth for a minute:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28
In ALL things He works for our good.
Everything we experience serves His purposes.
God doesn't make mistakes.
In the light of the Cross, regrets have no place.
Because God uses EVERYTHING for His glory.
even our sins.
When we've known and experienced sin patterns, we are better equipped to reach out and show compassion to those who are still bound to their sinful ways, especially those who have struggles that are similar to ours.
So really, your horrible awful sins you hate most (that Jesus has forgotten about, by the way...) are often most valuable when reaching out to others.
And because God has been gracious and merciful to us regardless of what we've done, we are able to extend the same grace and mercy to others.
Crazzzzzzyyyyy, right?!?!
That's why comparisons are such a waste and serve no positive or godly purpose.
"Don't compare yourself to other people. God anoints us all in different ways." -Joyce Meyer
So, don't let the enemy fool you into believing you're too dirty or too messy. Don't let him tell you you're a failure or make you feel "less than" anyone else. That's exactly what he says to those who are capable of and WILLING to be used by God for His glory, to make a difference, to reach the lost, and to expand the Kingdom of heaven. Remember, God uses our weaknesses to make us strong through Christ Jesus. Then, He uses the strength He's given us to lift up the weak and weary, to point them toward the Cross, and show them the path to redemption.
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Over the years in my walk with the Lord, God has broken my heart for what breaks His multiple times. In the past, it's been over various issues - much of which has come from mission opportunities I've been given ((being heartbroken for orphans, widows, the lost, those who've been abandoned, rejected, etc.)) - but for the last week or two, He's been breaking my heart in ways I've never experienced so heavily before...
over my own sin.
Sure, I've felt guilty for my past sin before. The Holy Spirit has convicted me and led me to repentance more times than I could count. I've even felt the Lord's forgiveness and accepted it on many different occasions. But being SORRY for it, to the point of sobbing; spending hours of alone time wailing, actually in tears, with the Lord; and feeling total remorse for my mistakes? I've never felt it to this extent. never like this.
You see, being heartbroken over your sin for yourself is one thing. I've done that before. I've felt angry toward myself for giving in to worldly things and desires of the flesh. I've been upset with those who stood back and allowed me to do it - some of whom actually cheered me on through it, or literally forced me into it at times. I've been genuinely remorseful toward the Lord, repented, and received His forgiveness.
But an entirely different kind of pain sets in when you realize that your past sin does NOT just affect you. When you're able to see the pain of your past sin in someone else's face, the weight and reality of it crashes down on you in a way that instantly makes it seemingly impossible to breathe.
You realize in the deepest areas of your soul just how horribly selfish you've been. And it hurts. It hurts really bad. Because you no longer just feel your own pain, you feel the pain you've inflicted on another person as well.
but.
wanna hear something amazing?
There are people in this world who actually WANT to bear with you, and who CHOOSE to be a part of your life and love you regardless of your past, present, and future sins.
not even kidding.
These people know what the definition of "unconditional love" is, and actually strive to live it out. They know that real love, true love, endures ALL things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Love doesn't pick and choose what it perseveres through. When it says "all things," that's actually what it means. These people know this and live by it.
If you're one of those individuals who's more on the "doubtful" side, who doesn't quite buy the idea that another human being is REALLY capable of this kind of love toward you, I honestly feel your pain. I used to be a firm believer in the notion that "no one can REALLY love me, faults and all, except Jesus and the majority of my earthly family." The End. Done.
what a ridiculous lie!
Unconditional love absolutely exists with the help of our wonderful Jesus. All things are possible through Him! Don't believe me? Please observe the relationship between Hosea and Gomer.
Are people perfect? Always loving, kind, and caring toward one another? Absolutely not. We are still human. We are flawed. We do not always love perfectly. We still stumble and fall short of God's glory. And we do fail one another. But even though we experience momentary faltering, it's what we choose to do after we've stumbled that matters.
Because of the Lord and His life in us, we can choose to love one another anyway - dirt and all.
We may hurt one another along the way, in fact it's almost a guarantee since we have not yet been made perfect, but the ones who persevere alongside you regardless - they love you. Never push them away.
To those of you who have truly loved me unconditionally, an infinite amount of "thank you"s would not be enough. You are the few and far between, some of God's greatest blessings in my life, and I am humbled to fight the good fight of faith beside each of you.
To those of you who still don't quite buy it, my sincere prayer is that the Lord would surround you with His loving arms and bless you with someone in your life who breaks through every ounce of disbelief in unconditional love you have.
Hosea wasn't just a Bible character you learn about in Sunday School when you're ten years old. He was a real man who God used to reflect His unconditional, fierce, relentless love for us all. And believe it or not, there are still real-life "Hosea"s in the world today being used by God for His purposes. Over the past 23 years, I've been blessed enough to know a few. Even though I've done nothing to deserve it, the Lord has blessed me with a best friend who is one of the most ridiculous, most Hosea-like men I've ever known. Knowing people who love unconditionally, living life in service alongside them, makes me want to return that love to them and extend it to others. I cannot wait to share that same love - God's love - with people all around the world for 11 months, and to everyone else I come in contact with for as long as the Lord puts breath in my lungs.
life is full of choices.
seems simple enough, right? kind of a common sense statement. but let's think about this for a minute.
we make choices every day.
some of them are "simple" choices and part of our daily routine;
others are much more difficult.
some are spur of the moment;
some are very well thought-out over time through prayer, seeking wise counsel, processing information, etc.
some choices are outward and obvious,
while others are personal and unnoticed. but it's our choices regarding what we BELIEVE which shapes us into who we are and who we become (regardless of whether or not our "truths" actually line up with THE Truth - God's Truth).
what we choose to believe in our minds and hearts determines everything about us.
it determines....
how we think
how we make decisions
how we react to our circumstances
how we speak to one another
how we act towards one another
how we view ourselves
how we view our sin
how we view God
....and so on....
it determines literally EVERYTHING.
what you are choosing to believe?
this question is crucial.
believing the enemy leads to death.
he says that you are unworthy, unloved, forgotten, weak, insecure, alone, a failure, hopeless.
if you’ve been believing him (and I think the vast majority of us have at some point), I'm here to tell you these statements are complete LIES and are NOT from God in any way, shape, or form.
the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). he wants nothing more than to drive you away from the light and into darkness using fear, coupled with your greatest weaknesses. he prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). he's most threatened by those filled with the LIFE found in Jesus. he’s threatened by that which is GOOD and PURE. and the spiritual warfare around those who act as bright lights in this world is more real than we can fathom in our human minds. but luckily, he doesn't stand a chance against our God! Jesus alone gets the victory! He has already won!!!
I want to seriously urge every single one of you (and myself) to CHOOSE to believe the Truths we've been given in Christ. Stand firm against the enemy and his schemes. Choose life. Choose freedom. Choose Jesus.
Be challenged to continuously grow in faith and be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Stop focusing on your circumstances and the people around you. Instead, pay attention to how you react to them, because out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Position yourself to be constantly reminded of God’s Truth regarding His faithfulness, grace, peace, mercy, and love. He is sovereign over us; trust Him! Show love and respect to everyone you encounter, grow in humility, and strive to become more and more like Christ every day in everything you do.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." ~Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)
One of my squadmates has challenged us all to write 100 facts about ourselves, so this is my attempt....
1. I was born and raised in Wilmington, NC - lived here for almost 23 years and wouldn't change it for anything!
2. I couldn't possibly ask for better parents.
3. I have one younger brother, Micah, who will be 18 in two weeks.
4. My extended family on my mom's side all live in NC, for the most part, and are all very close....one of my favorite things about my family is how close we all are!
5. When I was little, I used to go stay with my grandparents on Oak Island just about every weekend. If my grandpa picked me up, we'd make up and sing silly songs all the way there.
6. He used to take me fishing a lot. On one particular occasion I caught way more fish than he did, and being very proud of this accomplishment, bragged about it to everyone in their church that Sunday.
7. My Granny and I used to bake Christmas cookies together every year. Baking with her was always one of my favorite things to do, and still is.
8. I have my entire family to thank for my faith in the Lord. I'm immensely blessed to be in a family with so much love for Jesus!
9. If you can't tell, family is what matters most to me, apart from my relationship with God.
10. I started dancing when I was 4 years old.
11. I started competing in dance not long after, and continued until I graduated from high school.
12. Tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, pointe, clogging, hip-hop, lyrical.....there isn't much I haven't tried.
13. Contemporary was always my favorite.
14. I really wish I knew how to play an instrument. Especially the banjo. Or the violin. Or an upright bass. Or really just anything.
15. I made an effort to learn how to play the banjo recently. It was a total fail and I'm still not completely over it.
16. Music is pretty high up there on my "top 5 favorite things in the world" list.
17. My ipod is the most random assortment of music you'll ever see.
18. The Civil Wars have been my new obsession over the past month. If you haven't listened to their music, you should.
19. I've been to three foreign countries thus far - the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Italy.
20. I'd love to go back to Venice some day.
21. And I really want to visit Ireland.
22. And the Bahamas!
23. With the exception of the countries we'll be visiting in Africa, I'm most excited to do missions in Thailand!
24. This seems a little strange to me because I've never had a desire to go to Asia or do missions there until I signed up for the World Race. Funny how God does these things
25. I very much prefer dogs to cats.
26. Cats kind of scare me a little bit.....you never know when they're going to pounce!
27. But I love lions.
28. The Lion King is my favorite classic Disney movie.
29. I'm slightly terrified of large birds. If I can see them and they aren't in a cage, they're too close to me.
30. I especially dislike them if they're flying overhead. Not cool.
31. Pink is my favorite color.
32. Green comes in at a close second.
33. I really like all colors, but my least favorite color is yellow.
34. Which is weird, because I chose to have my room painted yellow.
35. Picasso is my favorite painter.
36. Kandinsky too.
37. I enjoy abstract art (specifically, painting) more than most.....just looking at it and actually doing it myself.
38. I wish I was better at more realistic painting.
39. The Impressionists are some of my favorites.
40. I'm kind of an art nerd. Sorry I'm not sorry.
41. Reese cups are where it's at!
42. I'm one of those "freaks" who eats all the cholocate off the outside, then eats the peanut butter. Don't judge. It's the best way to eat it!
43. Lilies, daisies, tulips, and forget-me-nots are my favorite flowers.
44. I love going to the beach when no one else is out there.
45. Fall is my favorite season.
46. I want to have three kids of my own one day.
47. I used to want more than that, until I realized how insane that could possibly be. But I still think a "bigger" family is the way to go. Keeps things interesting!
48. And wayyyyy before that, when I was much younger, I wanted zero children. So I've made progress over the years.
49. I love horses.
50. I've only riden them a few times over the years and wish I did it more.
51. I went to Passion 2012 in Atlanta, where God completely rocked my socks.
52. Francis Chan is my favorite pastor/speaker. ever.
53. Since middle school, I hadn't really enjoyed reading that much....
54. until the past couple of years.
55. I still don't really enjoy reading story books very much.
56. With the exception of children's books. (I'm simple minded and still a little girl at heart....shhhhh)
57. I mostly just stick to inspirational/Bible study type books these days.
58. In terms of pets, I've pretty much always had at least one dog at any given time.
59. I had a guinea pig once....her name was Crystal. I didn't like her very much. I don't think she liked me either.
60. Rodents just really are not my favorite. not even a little bit.
61. I've never had a cat, nor do I ever really want to.
62. Elephants! I love elephants.
63. Dolphins are my favorite. I wish I could be one for a day.
64. Zebras are pretty awesome as well.
65. I like cold weather clothes.
66. Loud, repetitive noises annoy me.
67. I used to bite my nails a lottttttttt. Especially when I would get nervous or anxious.
68. I paint them now, so I can't bite them anymore.
69. I secretly want a pet monkey....
70. except for the fact that they apparently stink really bad. So maybe I just want one for a day!
71. Drowning is one of my biggest fears.
72. Despite living at the beach my whole life, I don't know how to surf.
73. I've tried to learn multiple times before....it just doesn't work out for me.
74. Some people think silence is awkward. I think it's beautiful.
75. I'm a really quiet person, for the most part. Maybe that's why.
76. Given the above statement, I'm generally pretty shy when I first meet someone.
77. But as I get to know them, I become a whole lot more outgoing than they probably thought I was originally.
78. I'm especially quiet in large groups, especially if the group is vastly extroverted, and regardless of how well I know everyone.
79. I went on my first mission trip (to the Dominican Republic) when I was 16 years old.
80. My second and third ones were both to Kenya, in August 2009 and 2010.
81. I studied abroad in Italy for a month.
82. I originally went away to Elon University for college.
83. I stayed there for almost 3 years, then I moved back home to Wilmington and started going to UNCW.
84. I graduated from UNCW this past December...
85. with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
86. My cousin, Kelsey, is one of my best friends. When she and I get together....it's legit madness. And I love it! We love it! Really, our whole family loves it. We're entertaining
87. People tell me I look like Julia Stiles. I get it a lot.
88. I love leggings. Possibly one of the best female clothing inventions ever.
89. I aspire to get a solid pair of overalls in the near future.
90. I say "solid" a lot....
91. I also use abbreviations a good amount, like "presh" instead of precious and "legit" instead of legitimate.
92. I'm a big fan of highlighters and sharpies.
93. I write down quotes I want to remember.
94. I also write down Scriptures and put them around my room, on my laptop, and in my car for daily reminders.
95. Kenya is full of the most beautiful hearts I've ever seen. I'm ecstatic the Lord is sending me back this year.
96. I have one tattoo at the top of my back, in the middle. I got it with one of my Kenya teammates in October of 2010. It's the ichthys fish, with "1 Peter 2:24" written inside and "Bwana Asifiwe" (meaning PRAISE THE LORD in Swahili) written around it.
97. I want another one but I'm not sure when, where, or what.
98. I love helping people...in whatever capacity necessary. It's what I was made for.
99. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. It is by Him, through Him, and for Him that I have my very being and existence. Absolutely nothing matters apart from Him.
100. The World Race is a long-awaited dream of mine. I feel so honored to have been chosen for this mission and been told to "GO!"
A little crazy, but I'm realizing just how TRUE God's Word really is.
You think, "Well, my gosh, Megan. You're just now getting this? Didn't you grow up in the church? You've been learning about Jesus since you took your first breath! Weren't you saved when you were in 2nd grade and baptized at 8 years old? Haven't you been on multiple mission trips around the world? Served the Lord, and led non-believers to Christ, both directly and indirectly?"
Yup. That's all 100% accurate.
But I've been awakened to just how easily we read God's truths in scripture over and over again, learn about the Lord and His character, and KNOW these truths in our brains, without fully comprehending them. I've realized that, for me at least, it often takes actual experience to truly begin understanding the God of the universe.
One truth, specifically, that I've been realizing this through is one I've KNOWN for as long as I can remember. Yet, I never really saw it quite in "full force" on my own heart until recently. Here it is...
The enemy stops at nothing in his attempts to destroy God's plans. The guy legitimately prowls around, looking for any and every foothold he can grab onto in our hearts and minds. And when he finds a foothold, his efforts to steal, kill, and destroy everything good begin.
his attempts have been never-ending in my life as of late.
Nothing wigs satan out more than knowing that the Lord is about to use one of His children as a LIGHT to the world and for His GOOD purposes. he gets even more wigged out when it turns out to be a group of 60+ children of light who are bound together by Christ's love, PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING THE NAME OF JESUS FAMOUS, and determined to spread His love throughout the nations no matter what the cost.
That's exactly what this opportunity with the World Race is; and that's exactly why myself, along with my fellow future racers are being attacked so viciously as the time when we set off on this Spirit-led journey quickly approaches ((just 5 more months until launch at this point....crazy!)). No matter what tactic he has used, whether it's been through the people around us or our own inner-thoughts, he has been attacking us in any way possible. he has been lying to us about our "lack of qualifications" for doing the Lord's work, discouraging us in our fundraising, making us believe that we are not worthy of such an incredible opportunity, and using any and all of our weaknesses to back up his negativity. his goal has been to make us run as far away from this mission as possible.
Why? because he knows exactly what the Lord is capable of doing through this group of God-fearing, God-loving, God-serving warriors! he knows what incredible light is capable of shining in and through us as we go throughout the world spreading God's love! and he knows that we will stop at nothing to lead those who are lost to the path of hope and righteousness found in our Lord Jesus!
Up until this point, most of the enemy's efforts in my life have worn me down; making me tired, confused, frustrated, angry, and most every other negative emotion possible. I've been trying to deal with it on my own for the most part, and foolishly thinking that I can somehow handle taking control of my life. Luckily, over the past couple of weeks, God has been consistently smacking me over the head with truth and my severe need for surrender. I had been "picking and choosing," placing my trust in Him only with the things I was comfortable with instead of recognizing His sovereignty, releasing my grip, and giving Him full control of EVERYTHING. Much like when a parent tells their 2-year-old not to do something only to have the child do it anyway, so have I been with God ((and if we're honest, many of us are)) in a lot of cases - especially the ones I tend to want to control myself. I've been hearing Him when He's spoken, but I haven't been LISTENING.
so, I am surrendering EVERYTHING. every single bit of my life.
the enemy and his lies are NOT welcome here anymore.
I am not allowing him to have a foothold.
Even more importantly --- the all-powerful, righteous, mighty, holy, completely indescribable God who created EVERYTHING and makes all things new is not allowing it either.
For the remainder of 2012, I am choosing to focus on the word "listen" in my relationship with my Heavenly Father. When we take the time to listen to God, obeying Him and trusting Him in every aspect of our lives, we honor Him. And by forsaking our selves ((our wants, needs, desires, and "plans")) and giving him control, He is able to fully reign in our lives, making way for His perfect, holy, and pleasing will. All we have to do is humble ourselves and raise our white flags in surrender to Him, trusting that He works all things together for our good.
I've KNOWN this truth about surrender for as long as I can remember, but finally believing it and living by it has been a different experience entirely.
Praise God for his endless, immeasurable grace and love.
How blessed I am ((and we all are)) to serve Him.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."~1 Peter 5:6-11
I just returned home from Passion 2012 at the Georgia Dome.
45,000 18-25 year olds worshipped the Lord for 4 days straight.
45,000 18-25 year olds made a difference in Atlanta and throughout the world.
45,000 18-25 year olds declared FREEDOM for those who are held captive in human trafficking.
45,000 18-25 year olds joined together in unity for one purpose: JESUS
On the way back today, I started writing out both new and old prayers. This is the cry of my heart, especially after the past few days, and I hope you'll join me in praying for these things...
Hey Jesus.
Reflecting on these past four days seems almost impossible to me right now. You allowed us to hear and learn from some of the most incredible men and women of God in our country, and in the world. You inspired us to rise up for FREEDOM. You showed Your true power and faithfulness, all because we simply had faith that You would show up and make Your presence known. And good grief, did You come through for us or what!!! You are SO GOOD. Money was donated by those of us in attendance to various organizations throughout the world that serve to prevent, rescue, and restore victims of human trafficking. We donated over $3 MILLION in three days! All because of YOU and YOUR provision. Help this generation to continue to rise up and declare freedom for those who can't declare it for themselves!
If there's one thing weighing heavy on my heart at this moment, it's this: I AM BOUND TO NOTHING AND NO ONE BUT JESUS CHRIST BECAUSE HE HAS SET ME FREE!!!
I pray and declare this over the captives who have been set free, are being set free, and will be set free in Jesus' name!
Help me and all of my fellow believers to always remember...
We are FREE from fear.
We are FREE from insecurity.
We are FREE from lies.
We are FREE from guilt.
We are FREE from shame.
We are FREE from lust.
We are FREE from anger.
We are FREE from hostility and bitterness. We are FREE from sin!
Because of this freedom that we're given in Christ, help us to be a LIGHT to others for You, Lord, in hopes that they will also find freedom in You! Help this generation to LIFT UP AND DECLARE YOUR NAME TO THE NATIONS! Equip us. Guide us. Give us wisdom, understanding, and discernment. Give us BOLDNESS to proclaim "Jesus" in ALL that we say and do....
MAKE US UNASHAMED AND FEARLESS! KEEP US FROM BEING INEFFECTIVE, NEARSIGHTED, AND BLIND IN OUR WORLD!
Help us to live by 2 Peter 1:5-9: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness,love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, THEY WILL KEEP YOU FROM BEING INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has FORGOTTEN that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Help us to never forget that You've cleansed us, and make us more mature in Your ways so that we can better serve You!
My greatest prayer is that we would all unite as ONE. God, remind us to pray for ourselves and for one another that we would be fearless in proclaiming your gospel; not allowing distractions or lies from the enemy to interfere with the goal - to make YOUR Name, YOUR honor, and YOUR glory known throughout the world! In praying these things for one another, we pray for what Paul asked for prayer for in Ephesians 6:19-20: Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will FEARLESSLY make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Lord, make it so that when we speak, Your Spirit LITERALLY comes flowing out of our mouths and pours into those who we're speaking to!!!!
We want tomake much of You with our lives! Help us to live for You alone! Thank you, Father. You are so good and so faithful, always.
Please join me in praying for these things for my generation; for your generation; for all current AND future generations. My hope is that the Lord will use each of us DAILYto profess the gospel so that we will NOT be ineffective in the world! Then, His Name will be made GREAT among all nations, and those who are still trapped in the slavery of sin will be able to proclaim this song withintense JOY!!!!!!!!This was one of the most fun songs to sing all week, for me....be blessed, sweet friends :)
There's one word we all learn to dislike from a very young age.
WAIT.
this word and I....we don't get along too well.
I think many people would agree that periods of waiting are very frustrating and have the potential to be exhausting.
but waiting is a fact of life that we all face at some point or another.
so we just have to suck it up.
yeah, I said it.
suck it up.
this is me talking to myself, specifically, as well as to all you other "waiters" out there.
I don't know about you, but I tend to overexaggerate during times when I'm told to wait.
for some reason, everything feels so much worse than it really is.
but guess what? waiting is for our own good.
because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ((Romans 8:28))
waiting is a time of learning to TRUST the Lord and rely on Him fully.
waiting is a time of fixing our eyes on Him, and Him alone.
waiting is a time of strengthening our faith.
waiting is a time of rest.
so if you're anxious during a spell of waiting...
Trust that you're right where He wants you. Rest in His arms, beloved...it's the best place you could possibly be.
"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3
It seems like every time I've sat down to write a blog lately, I'm literally speechless.
And it's not because nothing comes to mind.
It's because about A MILLION things come to mind.
Our God is amazing. I've been learning so much about Him lately that my thoughts almost never make sense because I'm so overwhelmed by Him. THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE CARES ABOUT MAKING THE TINIEST DETAILS OF EACH OF OUR LIVES ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Holy moly, I could write an entire blog just about how awesome that is. There are about 7 BILLION people in the world, and He coordinates every single second of every single day in each life. He is not a God of coincidence either. He is intentional. I was reminded of how true this is earlier this week...
Recently, I’ve found a lot of joy in seeing God throughout His creation – particularly in the evening/night sky and the beach. Something about them both makes me remember just how small I am and brings me back to a place of humility. When the two are combined, I feel and act like a giddy 5-year-old. Because of my newfound love for these things, I went out on the beach on Monday night. I was having some alone time with the Lord, praying over people in my life, relationships, heart issues, and just thanking Him for the incredible blessings He’s given me throughout my life, especially those I’ve received lately. It was cold and windy because there were a few rain clouds on their way in, but the sky was totally clear and the stars were just perfect. As I was sitting there praying, laughing, and tearing up all at the same time, I prayed that He would send me a shooting star. I had never seen one before ((I know, I’ve been so incredibly deprived!)), and with the intense emotions I was feeling, I just felt like that would top off a wonderful night! Well, He apparently disagreed with me, because I did not see a single shooting star that night. I was a little bummed about it, but my Jesus had a way better plan in mind!
funny how that always seems to happen…
So, the following night I was riding in the car with one of the most wonderful friends I’ve been blessed enough to have, when we see this huge, bright flash shoot across the sky!!!!!! I almost died. I was SO excited because I had just asked for a shooting star the night before, and I had asked for one again maybe 5 minutes prior to seeing this! Due to my overwhelming excitement, I was no longer tired in any way, shape, or form. I really just wanted to go out on the beach, look at the stars, and marvel at how unbelievably faithful our God is! So that’s exactly what my friend and I did! It was freezing, and I’m pretty sure most of my body was numb by the end of that hour and a half on the beach, but it was totally worth it. We saw not one, but FOUR more shooting stars while we were out there!!!!! I’m still completely overwhelmed by that night and the sheer perfection of God’s plans.
Since I’ve been processing that whole night, it seems like the Lord has continuously been saying,
“Darling, my plans for you are perfect and they are WAY better than anything you could ever ask for or imagine yourself! I always keep my promises. Rest in me; rest in the fact that I am always faithful to provide exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. I am infinite. I am not bound by time, distance, or any other human standard – stop worrying about human limitations when you have a God inside of you who is limitless. Continue to hold your life out in surrender to me. Then I can show you how much I love you and give you all of the amazing blessings I have in store! Don’t let the world fool you. You are beautiful. You are loved. I am molding you into the radiant woman I intend for you to be. Where you are right now is exactly where I want you. Keep following me and I will lead you to my perfect will. I will be glorified through your life and relationships; it will be beautiful. Trust me.”
I’m clinging to His words.
I am so unworthy of His unfailing love and promises, but I will wait patiently for Him and delight in His goodness, for He alone is worthy!
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him..." ~Psalm 37:4-7
So it seems like everywhere I turn these days.....marriage. is. everywhere.
Maybe I'm just noticing it more than I usually do, or maybe God is just getting a big laugh out of it. Either way, He has been preparing me in crazy ways, and by crazy, I mean extremely unpleasant. He has been showing me my major points of weakness, breaking down all of my walls, and peeling all the calluses off of my heart created by past relationships. I'm not going to lie, it has been ridiculously painful and I have not enjoyed it one bit, but somewhow, He always brings me right back to Himself and His truth. So, at the end of each day, I've been able to smile about the things He's been teaching me and laugh about my prior foolishness.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: the lies the enemy feeds us are totally absurd.
He has tricked me into believing things for 22 years that are completely inaccurate and are just the opposite of what God has to say about me and about all of us who are His children. Satan tells us we're never good enough, pretty/handsome enough, smart enough, perfect enough, we have to compete with everyone else to be the best, and we'll never measure up to the expectations set for us. Believing these things has caused serious problems for me and my relationships in the past, and over the past month or so, I've come to realize just how much of an impact they've had on how I've viewed myself and others. But redemption is a beautiful thing...because the God of the universe tells us we are perfect, holy, and blameless in His sight through Jesus Christ. He says we are beautiful, forgiven, and loved.He loves us. And if the God who created all things and is perfect in every way says this about us, His word and truths far exceed any of the lies we may be told by the enemy.
Truly believing what the Lord says about me, taking every lie from Satan captive, and allowing God to destroy them is a continuing process that will probably take years. But how I let them affect my relationships with others is something I can see actively changing for the better. Don't get me wrong, it has been really difficult, and there have been times where I've had to totally separate myself from people because the lies were getting too heavy to carry; that way I could just have some time with my Jesus and let Him scoop me up and remind me of His truths. But the changes, even just in my level of awareness and need for renewal, have been great enough to cause ripple effects in my heart.
I know He is using this time prior to the World Race to prepare me for the things I'll encounter and experience while I'm gone, but I also think He is preparing me for what will happen beyond that in my future marriage. Thanks to the Lord and a wonderful series on marriage at my church, I'm realizing the importance of my walk with the Lord in all of my relationships, my role as a woman and a member of Christ's church, what it looks like to be transformed into the Proverbs 31 woman, how to be submissive and responsive, what it looks like to not hesitate, and how to fully TRUST God ((further confirming why He was so set on trust being My One Word for 2011)). I've learned that marriage is lived by grace and it is NOT about my happiness. Its ultimate purposes are to spread the Gospel by making sure that my children's children know Christ, and to be a reflection of Christ and His love for the church.
My prayer is that the Lord would continue to mold me into a godly woman, friend, and wife. That He would help me to continue to trust in Him so that I will be able to give myself fully and freely to my spouse. Continue to shape my future husband's heart into a reflection of Christ's; show him what living for Christ truly looks like, and give him a godly vision for our marriage. Protect his eyes and protect my heart. I pray for a marriage that seeks only to bring glory to His name in every aspect of our life together, and that our children's children will know and walk with the Lord all the days of their lives.
I'm praying this prayer without ceasing, and I know He will be faithful to provide!
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life....
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.~Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-30
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. ~Ephesians 5:21-33
I've been doing a study of David for a while now, and a few weeks ago, I came across Psalm 23.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
For many people, that passage is a very familiar one, but the part that stuck out to me has nothing to do with the valley of the shadow of death or dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. It's only three words, but they're the most beautiful words of that whole passage to me: "my cup overflows."
The visual symbolism of a cup is used quite a bit in the Bible, but this particular instance is different than most of the others. It's not talking about drinking from a cup, or having a particular cup handed to you; this passage gives you the mental image of a cup that's not only full, but OVERFLOWING. In other words, it is so full that it's contents are flowing over the sides...
Let's think about this for a second. Cups are used to hold things; their contents have substance. They're almost always used to hold something that provides some sort of nourishment to you when you're thirsty. You drink from it and it fills you. Spiritual cups work the same way, but in some cases, the human nature can tamper with it. There are a couple of different ways this can happen. The first - if we, or someone else, add something to our cup that can actually harm us. The second - if our cup topples over and spills, causing all of it's contents to vanish, prohibiting us from being nourished and filled; it can be intentional or completely accidental. The point is, either way, nourishment no longer occurs.
So many people walk around this world carrying cups that are totally empty. Not a drop left in them. Cups that got spilled due to recklessness, or all of it's contents got spent on all the wrong things. When our cup is dry, it's easy to fall into the thought pattern that it can never be filled again; to think that we were way too reckless with it for God to ever consider filling it for us again. This kind of mindset is not only completely false, it's also dangerous. We then walk around, frantically, holding our cup out in hopes that other people and things will fill it again for us. The only thing that will result from this ever so temporary feeling of "being-filled-but-NOT-REALLY" is an even deeper feeling of emptiness, and pain. Lots of pain. I know. I've been that person before.
but here is the beautiful part.
GOD DOES WANT TO REFILL YOUR CUP. HE WANTS TO HEAL YOU. HE WANTS TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING. HE WANTS TO OVERFLOW YOUR CUP WITH GOODNESS AGAIN. IN FACT, HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN.
so let Him. let Him fill you. place all of your hope in His love. He is the only one who can replenish you.
"all my hope is in Your love...deep, deep love that gladly bought, it bought me a new life. and hope, all my hope is in nothing less than this love..."
