Quotable Quotes

Here's an excerpt from one of my devotionals today . . . really hits home.

What a need there is to counsel our hearts according to the truths of God's Word, "to teach them diligently" to our children (Deut 6:7) and to "write them" into our lives (Heb 8:10).  Both we and the generations coming behind us must endure a world that is often dark and distressing. We are confronted by challenges that seem to leave no other option than worry and panic. But His word is our sanity.  It is what keeps us from losing our equilibrium when all around us appears to be spinning out of control.  It tethers us to truth, mentally and emotionally, protecting our minds, and reorienting our perspectives.

Store up God's Word in your heart.  Memorize it; meditate on it; allow the Spirit of God to personalize it to your life.  And be continually renewed as God uses it to transform you into the likeness of Christ.

Taken from "The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Reading"

Day 3 of 21

Well.....my night last night didn't go as well as the night before. Sleep was elusive.....but again I praise God for giving me 3 hours of rest towards the end.

Day 3

From " Practicing the Presence of God" by Kim West

Read David's description of always being in God's presence in Psalm 139 1-12

"As we read David’s life story we see that he lived with adversity, power, sin, betrayal, war, faith, marriage, fatherhood and always with the presence of God. He knew that he was never apart from his Lord. God would never forsake him.

"God is always present with you because He loves you and delights to be with you. Do you
believe that?" I can't say that I honestly do at all times, especially that he delights in me, especially while going thru trials.

"Come into His presence and allow Him to remove any blocks to believing that you are loved by
God. Sit quietly with Him and allow Him to speak to any lie that says that Psalm 139 is untrue 
for you. 
      -  Going thru trials, sometimes you feel so alone, and it's hard to feel God's presence.
      -  Sometimes, while going through trials, it's hard to believe God is doing this for my good and He will never forsake me.

Now, spend time in His love and write what He has shown you. Read through Psalm 139 again 
today."

     - He has shown me that despite my circumstances, He is always there.
     - There is nowhere I can go that can be too far away from God.
     - Any earthly darkness, is never too dark for the Lord, He can be the light no matter how bad things get.

Day 2 of 21

I slept! Praise God!
Sleep has been one of my biggest struggles since all of this started, so I rejoice in God for giving me a restful night sleep.
On the other hand, I am also human, so of course, my negative thinking rears it's head and says ....."how long is this going to last?" But I digress, that's exactly the kind of thinking I need to stop. I'm trying to live moment to moment and at this moment I THANK GOD for 9 hours of sleep!

So Day 2 points ....

- Becoming aware of God and His presence with us will help us to realize that He is not
passively watching but actively involved in our lives even when we don’t know it.

-He showed Elisha and his servant that He was Sovereign over all that was happening. Nothing
was out of His control. (Read Elisha's story 2 Kings 6:15)

- Awareness of God’s presence gave Elisha the peace he needed in circumstances that looked so
daunting. Maybe we can find the same peace in Him as we wake to our world today. (I need to let this point really sink in.)

Questions for today to think about ......

In what circumstance do you need to be aware of God’s presence?
Allow yourself to know God’s presence there in all that He is. How does the circumstance change?

21 days

It has been an interesting 3 weeks in my life. I should just start with that.
I was going through life on my merry way when God allowed some changes to occur in an instant. Absolutely terrifying at first, but now, just sort of living with it.
Without going into details, the last time it happened, it lasted 2 weeks, and it was done. When I look back at that time, I thanked God for allowing this trial to come into my life, because I was closer to HIM more than I ever was in the past.
When out of the blue it happened this time, 6 years later, and the 2 weeks have come and gone, it feels more than disheartening that I am still in the midst of this trial.

This blog has in the past served as a reminder of God's miracles in my life. When this trial does pass, and it SHALL, I want to look back and never forget how God delivered me .....because as it says in Philippians 4:4-7

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So I am starting a 21 day challenge of sorts. I am starting a workbook called "Practicing the Presence of God. A 21 day journey of mind an heart." by Kim West. I hope to chronicle this journey on here to keep me accountable, and that it may be undeniably evident that we serve a living and ever-present God! So here goes!

DAY 1 - How will I come up with a way to know and remind myself that God is with me? I plan on wearing a ring or bracelet on my right hand and it will serve as a reminder that God is there. The goal of today is to bring myself awareness of his presence as many times throughout the day as possible. 

Food for Thought

In my devotional for today....

"A commitment to holiness calls us to have a life, by the grace of God, that can stand up to unannounced scrutiny-whether by God or by others.  What do your downtimes look like, those moments when the public persona is turned off, the doors are closed, and no one (humanly speaking) is watching?"

--"The Quiet Place"

Reminders...

Currently doing a Beth Moore Bible study on Esther and a few things she's said has struck me doing this week's homework:

"Some crises are too important for saving face.  Saving lives is worth losing face every time.  When was the last time you had to risk losing face to try to save something more precious than pride."

"Of all the rights bestowed on us as the children of God, perhaps none exceeds the right to repent and turn back to the Lord."

"In daily living, strength comes from muscle, and muscle develops with a workout.  This is as true spiritually as physically.  What we don't use, we lose."

"We are not the fragile flowers we've considered ourselves to be.  We, like Esther, are the warrior princesses of God."

"Sometimes we fear that fighting for what is right will kill us.  Then again, it occurs to us that to stand by and do nothing out of self-preservation is to be dead already."

"God has profoundly used the conviction that those heightened times of decision in my toughest trials could be 'make it or break it' moments in my destiny....in the times of greatest struggle when you make the Godward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to a critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny.  A defining moment.  A war is being waged over your head in the unseen realm.  You have no idea what's at stake."

"Sometimes our most important moments come hand-in-hand with our willingness to reveal that we aren't really who we've seemed to be." 

Looking for Hope . . .

A prayer by Max Lucado in response to the Conn. school shooting:

Dear Jesus, 

It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.  This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,Your Children

How would you love someone without prayer?

"I woke up in the middle of the night recently with this rather odd question in mind:
How would you love someone without prayer?
I mean, what would it look like if you loved someone but couldn't pray for that person?
It was a puzzle to me.
I couldn't figure out what it would look like.
Love without being able to pray feels depressing and frustrating, like trying to tie a knot with gloves on.
I would be powerless to do the other person any real good.
People are far too complicated; the world is far too evil; and my own heart is too off center to be able to love adequately without praying.
I need Jesus."
 - A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller

I've Been Feeling Disconnected . . .

. . . and reading this gives me peace that I can never stray too far.

Do You Feel Spiritually Dull?

John Bunyan:

Sometimes when my heart has been hard, dead, slothful, blind, and senseless, which indeed are sad frames for a poor Christian to be in, yet at such a time, when I have been in such a case, then has the blood of Christ, the precious blood of Christ, the admirable blood of the God of Heaven, that run out of His body when it did hang on the Cross, so softened, livened, quickened, and enlightened my soul, that truly, reader, I can say, O it makes me wonder!

The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded (London, 1708), 183.; Taken from the Desiring God blog

Praying a very selfish prayer tonight: asking for passion, growth, repentance, and wisdom.

Quotable Quotes

"Because sin entered the world, there is emotional distress and disappointment with other people and with ourselves too.

We set expectations for what our lives should look like and then stress out when we aren’t as successful as we think we should be, or our bodies don’t look as good as we want them to, or we still struggle with bad habits or addictions that we know we should have overcome by now.

Now that doesn’t mean we should stop striving for Christlikeness; it just means we need to adjust our expectations.

This world we live in is not heaven.

It is not perfect, and it never will be.

We are not perfect, and we never will be while we’re alive on this earth.

So give yourself and everyone around you a break, and remember to thank God for his grace in this broken world."

         - Rick Warren in "The Daily Hope: The Emotional Costs of Sin"

Something Beautiful

Driving back tonight, lost in thought and half listening to the radio, I had one of those tugging of the heart moments when this chorus and song started filling my car's airwaves . . .

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for...

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

The power of POWER

{Side Note: I was going to post something else today (something silly I'll have to share later) and realized I had a few drafts saved that I've never posted....not quite sure what I was waiting for.  I wrote this particular one sometime in March after the Japan earthquake.}

It's terrifying and heartbreaking to listen to the news these days. Currently the world has their eyes on Japan as they deal with the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake, the tsunami, and now the threat of nuclear catastrophe.  As I was watching the events unfold on TV, tears began to well as they showed images of people and their lives washed instantly away with one shake of the earth and one wave of the sea. Powerful.

Nature is powerful and with these events we get jolted into remembering just how destructive and powerful its forces can be.  Just look at all the craziness planet earth has experienced in the past 10 years, the numerous earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, and so on.  But somehow I compartmentalize these massive powers of nature as something different or more than what the Lords power is....

Recently I was having dinner with a high schooler and she was telling me about some high school drama, and after suggesting prayer as a step to changing her situation, she said, "I don't see how God could possibly change all this and make things better." I instantly thought, "Seriously!?! You don't think God, the ruler and creator of the universe, could change this teeny tiny little problem you're having in school."  Thankfully I didn't say that out loud.

The truth is, I am guilty of thinking exactly the way she does.  I feel like with certain situations, I've gotten to a point where they feel so hopeless, that I don't see how God could possibly change things .....and as a result I stop praying about it.  And if I'm not asking, it's because I don't really believe that He can change things.  Then you see the stories about Japan, and Haiti, and Katrina, and so on and so forth. And you realize the wielding and unyielding power that God possesses.

Just how powerful do I really believe is God's power?  If I believe He's powerful enough to control these events in nature, why do I keep doubting and living like He's not powerful enough to change me, my sins, or my life.

Just as I chuckled when my high schooler was telling me about her woes, I have to believe that God is chuckling quite a bit at silly old me and my woes as well.

A little less than Holy

A few friends were over for dinner last night and I said something like, "It just doesn't feel like Holy Week this year." The silliness of what I said made me chuckle after the words left my mouth.

Exactly what should Holy Week feel like?

Or maybe it's that I'm feeling a little less than holy these days?

But that's the point of today, isn't it?

I AM a lot less than holy.
But because of today's sacrifice, my sins aren't counted against me.....regardless of if I happen to be feeling holy or not.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Eph. 2:4-5).

Amen to that.

The Year of "I Do's"

2011 is the year of weddings for me.  After going to so many weddings, and being a person with my own issues and emotions in regards to marriage, sometimes the whole day can make me feel a bit uncomfortable and uneasy.  
Fortunately this year, I really am joyful and thankful for the unions I do get to witness, mainly because these people are near and dear to my heart.  They include old friends, new friends, siblings, and to top it all off, an island wedding =).  I think why I am so excited to celebrate is because in most of these cases, I know how the Lord has worked in bringing these people together, and it’s such a blessing and encouragement to me to see how the Lord does answer prayer.  
I’m attending a wedding (my 2^nd of 5 this year) this weekend, and while I was perusing the website of the beautiful couple, this song from Alison Krauss was playing in the background ….just a beautiful song to enjoy.  

I'm Letting Go

Trying very hard to let go of my life's plans, ideas, and expectations .... and just LIVE

I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go

This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace
The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone . . .

Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid

Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
Feels like I’m falling and this is the life for me
 
 - "I'm Letting Go" Lyrics by Francesca Battistelli
from the album My Paper Heart

Why some, not others?

Early this morning we got a phone call from India that my first cousin was clinging for life on a ventilator after being found passed out on the street.  Late this evening, we received news that he passed away, likely due to severe liver damage.  For the past several years he had been fighting a losing battle against alcoholism and depression.  He was a bachelor in his early 40's, a pilot by trade, and was expected to go places with his life.  I remember him as a smart, handsome, charming guy who was always looking to make people laugh. 

I don't know the details of his life to know what started his downward spin.  But what I think about is that we both come from the same family.  In particular from the same grandfather who really loved and worshipped the Lord.  A prayerful man that would send each of his grandchildren off with a personal prayer and blessing before we would leave his sight.  A man that I distinctly remember praying for his future generations.

So in saying all this, it makes me think about why the Lord chooses to intervene in some lives, and not others? Why has he honored the prayers of my grandfather for a few of his grandchildren, and not all.
I'm not questioning the Lord, because I know His ways are beyond my understanding, but tonight I'm just wondering, why Lord did I hear your call, and not him?

Quotable Quotes

"Do you feel more loved by God because He makes much of YOU, or because He enables you to make much of HIM."

- John Piper
Getting to the Bottom of your Joy

Quotable Quotes

I started reading a new book a few days ago and honestly if I could quote every other sentence, I would, it's that good. Allow me to share one sentence that struck a chord with me:

The very thing we are afraid of, our brokenness, is the door to our Father's heart.  -  Paul Miller, A Praying Life

A Time for Everything

We're coming up on the last month of 2010, and looking back, this year has been filled with a lot of good things and a lot of difficult situations I could not have imagined. But as I start to end this year, I find myself back to a state of neutrality.  Despite the past year's many ups and downs, I feel like God has kept me mentally and emotionally grounded, something I'm extremely grateful for.

If you take a look back at your own life, it's amazing to see everything you experience as a human being living on this earth....there's the good, the bad, and the ugly.  We have seasons in our life and I've noticed amongst my friends and my family, some are experiencing great joy, and some experiencing personal struggle.  Whether you find yourself in a season of happiness or a season of sorrow, it's important to remember it is just that....a season, a temporary circumstance that will change whether it be good or bad. Though seasons change, one thing remains the same:

. . .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

I find such hope and joy in that! Do you? God knew everything I would experience before I was even conceived. Of course I'm human, and I question His timing and why He allows certain things, but there's hope in knowing that God's timing is perfect, that I can't come up with a better plan for my life than He already has. 

So no matter what season you're currently in, remind yourself that God is in control....and as is it is written in Scripture, there is a time for everything:

A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

JJ Heller - What Love Really Means