In the Beginning...

With an hour to kill sitting in the bleachers at my daughter's gymnastics lesson, I decided it would be a good time to finish up my homework for Bible Study the next morning. I pulled out my copy of Lord, I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur, my favorite pen, and my shiny new, green, spiral notebook, and settled in to study.

As I read the chapter, two questions the author asked jumped out at me:

1. Why do you think it is important to know Him as Creator?

And

2. What role has God had in your life?

Drowning out the noisy gym, I let my mind chew on these questions for awhile. Why is it important to remember He is the Creator? I asked myself. And I wondered if someone asked, What role has God played in your life? how I would answer.

I opened up my new notebook and put my favorite pen to work brainstorming. Here are some of my disorganized thoughts on these two questions:

• Knowing Him as Creator, reminds me of His power. The same One who created stars so large I cannot fathom them, and who's very fingerprints are all over the tiniest of cells my eyes cannot even see, is the same One who knows me AND He is knowable. Amazing! This knowledge leads to worship and gratitude.
• Knowing Him as Creator leads to humility. I am reminded that I am created, He is my Creator, therefore I submit to Him, to His will, His ways, and have no right to dictate how things should be. (Job 38) I don't even know enough to know how He does the simplest of things in creation, how can I then tell Him how to run my life?
• Knowing Him as Creator, reminds me that He is worthy of my trust. As my eyes sees all that He has made around me, and as I'm reminded of how mighty He is, how powerful that He could speak life into existence, I'm no longer anxious or afraid. I am His.

And how would I respond to what role God has played in my life? Well....that would take a very long book to write. : ) But here is a shorthand list:

• He had a plan for me, my life, my purpose, and my salvation before the foundation of the Earth.
• He created me. Perfectly. Even with my imperfections. He allowed my left eye to be small and blind for a purpose and my body, my personality, my mind, everything to be formed according to those plans and purposes He had for me before time began.
• He called me and accepted my little girl invitation to come into my life and be my Savior.
• He directed my life, but gave me free will to decide to love and follow Him.
• He forgave me every time I strayed, and welcomed me back with open arms. (Still does)
• Allowed trials, hard things to draw me to a deeper relationship with Him, more reliance on Him, a stronger character, and an ability to comfort and minister to other people in a way I would never have been able to do if I hadn't been there myself. During all of it, He carried me and comforted me.
• He healed my broken heart and made me whole again
• He gave me hope, purpose, and eternity.
• He filled me with peace that is unexplainable and completely outside of the circumstances in my life.
• He loves me with a love that NO ONE and NO THING can ever take away from me.
• He is my everything, my very reason for existing.

Now it's your turn. Because meditating on these two questions blessed me so much this week, I wanted to deviate from my regular devotion format and encourage you to contemplate these questions yourself this week. Feel free to use the comment section to do some brainstorming and sharing of your own. It would be awesome for me to read what your thinking about our Creator.

Love,

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Wise Investing

From God's Word:

Click and Read Matthew 6:19-21

Key Verse:

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. -Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

Without Googling his name, can you tell me who Millard Fillmore is?

A few history buffs will be able to tell me, but most of us won't have a clue.

Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States of America. You would think we would know the name of someone who held such a prestigious office, right? If I don't even know the name of someone who was president, who will ever remember me when I'm gone? Does this life even matter?

It is a sad fact that most of us will be completely forgotten within two, maybe three, generations after we pass away. Here today, gone tomorrow. No matter how much we gain or accomplish, no matter how noble the causes we fight for, no matter how powerful the positions we hold, our lives truly are just a vapor.

Solomon saw it. When he looked at the works of mankind, he said, "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV).

This has been a reoccurring theme for me this week. I've been reminded so much in sermons and my own study time, that time is short. So what am I doing with it? With the time I have been given, is it possible to do something meaningful? Can I devote myself to something more than chasing after wind?

I've been looking at my life and doing some self-inventory. I don't have the answers yet, but I've been going through my day today asking:

• What in my life has eternal value?
• In what ways am I investing in eternity?
• What activities am I wasting my time on?

It's been good just to ask the questions. If this is all there is, then life is utterly meaningless. I should just go have fun, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow I die. But since this is not all there is, I want to build a life that is meaningful and purposeful.

Our pastor taught us this weekend that the key to a purposeful life is doing life as if you are doing it unto God. Whatever you do, do it unto Him. I'm not famous or powerful. I am a mom. I'm a wife. I'm a homemaker. Not very exciting!

Cleaning my toilets, changing the diapers, serving my family, all of these appear meaningless, but they have the potential of being more eternally significant than being President of the United States if done with the right heart. If I do my life, the things I've been called to do, and do them as if I was doing them for God and for His glory, that work will last. And it will bring me joy.

Personal Application:

Do your own self-inventory this week:

• Can you identify ways you are chasing after wind and wasting time?
• How are you investing in eternity?
• If you were to die tonight, is your life in order? What would you be able to take with you?
• Are you ignoring eternity or building up treasure there?
• How can you do your own life as if unto God? What meaningless activities can become eternally significant just by changing your heart and attitude about them?

Dear Lord,

Thank you that this life is not it. Give me an eternal perspective and help me to build my life in a way that will have eternal significance. Help me to set aside the things that are worthless and to strive for the things you value. Show me how to do my everyday life for you.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word:

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. - Colossians 3:1-2 (The Message)

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I Was Afraid to Ask

From God's Word:

Click and Read 1 John 4:7-21

Key Verse:

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. - 1 John 4:16a (NIV)

I was afraid to ask.

In my personal Bible study I came across this prayer of King David's:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV))

I wanted to pray it myself. I wanted God to search my heart and let me know if there was "any offensive way in me" so I could fix it, but I was afraid of what the answer might be.

I've always been a pleaser, an achiever, and never one who took criticism well. But after four consecutive pregnancy losses, I was broken and ready to know why God was punishing me, why He had stopped loving me, and why He had abandoned me.

So, I steeled myself and waited for His answer. I waited for the list of all of my offenses to come, motivated to get to work on them. I was ready to make things right between us.

His answer shocked and humbled me. He spoke to my heart and told me this:

"Becky, do you want to know what is in your heart that offends me the most? That thing that hurts me to the core? It is that you have doubted my love for you. This is where I want you to start. Start by KNOWING I love you. Be assured of that fact and stop questioning my love for you. This will be the foundation I want to grow you from. The foundation of absolute assurance of my love for you."

Once again, I had waited for a laundry list of to-dos. Once again, He went straight for my heart.

Life would never make sense without that assurance. I would never have anything to offer this world without that assurance. Without complete confidence in God's love for me, I would be stuck. It truly was the place to start.

Personal Application:

Are you confident of God's love for you? Do you doubt it? Confess your doubt and ask Him to fill you with a fresh assurance of His love for you. Ask Him to help you "know' and "rely" on that love.

Father,

Thank You that You are love. It is Your very nature. Before I can share Your love with this hurting world, I need to be absolutely assured of Your love for me. Forgive me for doubting Your love for me. I know Jesus paid the ultimate price to demonstrate that love for us all. I will trust in Your unfailing love.


In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:


1. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

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Drifting From the Dock

This is the devotion I wrote for Women's Ministry at church this week. I hope you all had a great 4th of July celebration. I'll be back later to update you on mine. : )

From God's Word:

Click and Read Psalm 86

Key Verse:
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. - Psalm 86:5 (NLT)


This is the season for playing in the water. When the temperatures soar, there is nothing better than getting wet.

One of my favorite summer pastimes is floating on an air mattress or inner tube in a lake or the ocean. I close my eyes, listen to the lapping water, and enjoy the peace as I float along. Ahhh, luxury!

That is until I open my eyes, sit up, and realize just how far from shore or the dock I've drifted. It's amazing how little time it can take in the water to drift a long distance. Once you realize how far you've gone, it takes so much work and effort to get back to where you need to be. You have to jump in and swim back, or doggy paddle your way in slow motion. Why is it that it takes so much longer to get back then it did to drift out?

Life is like that. When you drift off course, you have to work so hard to get back to where you want to be. It's true in finances, life goals, careers, and relationships.

Isn't it wonderful that Jesus does not operate that way? When we drift spiritually and find ourselves far away from Him, all we have to do is repent and instantly we are at His side once again. He greets us with open arms and forgives us, continuing the walk right where we were.

He doesn't ask us to perform penance or to work our way back to Him. He pulls us back to Him the minute we turn and say, "I'm done straying. Please forgive me."

We may have to endure the consequences of the sinful choices we've made, but we will not have to earn our Savior's love and acceptance. We won't have to work our way back to His side. He will bring us back to where we need to be when we allow Him to do it.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from the old hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Is that you? Are you prone to wander? Or have you drifted spiritually?

Just call His name, and let Him bring you back across the distance. Don't waste your time dog paddling back. Repent and get back to walking by His side.
Isn't He wonderful? Thank Him for His forgiveness and love.

Dear Lord, Thank you for your grace. I pray I will not take that grace for granted or treat it lightly. It is an amazing gift. Thank you that when I stray, you are so kind to bring me back. I love you! In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1 (Amplified)

2. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. - Psalm 51:17 (NLT)

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Have You Said, "I Do" ?

Key Verse:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Romans 19:7 NKJV

Recently, I attended the wedding of Scout the Dog and Jessica Bear.




Boy the Bear officiated the ceremony.

Guests like Sarah the Doll enjoyed dancing, cake, and watching the happy couple open their gifts.

My daughters planned this event in their bedroom and pulled off a pretty decent wedding. They even remembered the most important detail: Scout and Jessie each said, "I Do."

Watching my girls set up the wedding for their stuffed animals and seeing their imagination hard at work, I was struck by the fact that they instinctively knew that Scout and Jessie were not actually married until those words were uttered.

It reminded me of an analogy I read in a book called The Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee.

An engaged couple may intellectually know they want to marry each other, and they probably feel very close to one another but until they willfully say, "I do" to each other, they're not married. Many people are at this point in their relationship with Christ. They need to say "I do" to Him.

As I planned this week's devotion, I felt there would be someone reading this who would be able to relate. You've shown up, you're wearing the pretty dress, you've gone through the motions of the ceremony, but when it comes to saying the vows, when it comes to letting go of control of your own life, you've never said "I do" to Jesus.

You aren't alone. It is comfortable to stay back at a safe distance, liking the idea of religion, but feeling unsure about the accountability that would come with giving all to Him.

But ALL of you is what He wants, what He requires. How many grooms would be satisfied marrying a woman who said, “I’ll give you some of me, some of my heart, but not all of it.” Jesus, your Bridegroom, wants all of you. All of your heart.

Personal Application:

When it comes to your relationship with Jesus, are you play acting at the wedding but never getting to the marriage? Don't be distracted by the ceremony, the other guests, the pageantry or the tradition. Focus on the groom. Are you married to Him yet?

So how do you get ready for this wedding? Some think they are supposed to get all cleaned up before they come to Jesus. You'll never be able to do it. The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to His righteousness. Instead, when you admit your need for Him, when you make Him Lord of your life, He puts His salvation on you like a beautiful wedding gown.

Read Isaiah 61:10:

I delight greatly in the LORD;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Jon Courson says it this way, "Good news! The validation of our relationship with our Bridegroom doesn't depend on our sinlessness, but on his."

I want to encourage you today, take the leap! Make the commitment. Give Him ALL of you! There is no one you can trust more. Let Him be Lord. Give up the control. Accept His free gift of salvation. Don't wait until it is too late. Know with confidence that you will be at the wedding feast when He comes back for His bride.

Jesus, I admit my need for You. I accept the gift of salvation You freely offer. Thank You for paying for my sins on the cross. I give You all of me, not holding back a single part. I am saying "I do" to you today, my Beloved Bridegroom. Amen

More of God's Word:

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
-Revelation 22:17

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Looking at the Wrong Person

It is an ABSOLUTE MIRACLE but I do believe that David the Fish is going to pull through. Hallelujah!!!

I'll keep you updated! Thanks for the encouragement and prayers! Ha ha. : ) My cousin, Danny, said I need to go get a Goliath fish to keep David in line.

Sorry, Danny, one fish is more than I can handle at the moment. : )

On to more serious things, this is the devotion I wrote this week for Women's Ministry at church and wanted to share:

From God's Word:
Click and Read Matthew 14:22-33

Key Verse:
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:30 (NIV)


I made a startling discovery this week.

There are some awesome people out there doing some amazing things for the Lord, and I DON'T MEASURE UP!

When the kids are tucked in for the night, I love to put my feet up, grab my laptop, and surf my favorite blogs. There are some that I follow on a regular basis and look forward to seeing what has been going on in the lives of my blogging buddies. This week, it became clear to me that my blogging buddies are stellar people. I came across stories of people feeding the hungry, traveling to Africa to serve orphans and other ministries, families adopting here and abroad, people reaching out and ministering to hurting people. Others who are missionaries far from home.

A great wave of discouragement rolled over me. Inventory of my life showed much lacking: Inconsistent prayer life, no time in the Word, nothing done to meet the spiritual or physical needs of hurting people. In my own estimation, I've been boring, blah, and of little value to the Kingdom of God.

As I pushed my stroller along the greenbelt on Thursday afternoon, I prayed about the situation. And I got a strange answer.

The Holy Spirit said to my heart, "Turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the glory of Jesus."

I remembered Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus. As long as his eyes were locked on the Lord, he was doing the miraculous, but as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord, looked at the waves and thought about his own inability to do what he was doing, he sank.

When my eyes and focus are locked on Jesus, I will reflect His glory to this hurting world. When I'm stuck focusing on myself and my sin and failures, I get nowhere other than discouraged. My eyes this week have been on the wrong person.

Awhile ago, I read about a mom who was seriously struggling to love her adopted teenage daughter. She confided in a missionary friend how difficult this girl was to love. The missionary told her, "Quit working so hard to love her. Instead focus on loving God. That is where you will find the ability to love her."

God's purpose in my life is to make me more and more like Jesus. Focusing on my sin and failures won't make me more like Jesus. Focusing on Jesus will make me more like Jesus.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from Andrew Murray's book Humility:

Being occupied with self, even having the deepest self-abhorrence can never free us from self. Not to be fully occupied with your sin but to be fully occupied with God brings deliverance from self. This gives us the answer to the question so often asked and seldom clearly understood: How can I die to self? Death to self is not your work: it is God's work.

Commit today to turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the Lord Jesus, desiring to know Him more, so you can reflect Him more. That is when you will make a significant impact on this hurting world.

Father,

Forgive me for my self-focus. Turn my eyes off of me and my failures and on to Jesus and His glory. Make me more like Him. Help me to know Him more and more daily, so I can be transformed into His likeness. Be glorified through me.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

2. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV)






Turning my eyes to Jesus,

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He is Not a Tame Lion

From the Word:
Click and Read Isaiah 55:6-11

Key Verse:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. -Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)

Yesterday, I went on a field trip to the zoo with my daughter's Kindergarten class. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing this guy:

My friend, Daiquiri, took this picture with a simple digital camera and no zoom lens. We were literally this close to him, the only thing separating us was a sheet of glass. It was surreal to be so close to a lion. Awe inspiring, really.

Mildly curious, but undisturbed by the strange humans oohing and awing over him, he lounged right by the front of the cage the entire time we were in front of him. He almost appeared cuddly, like I could reach out and pat his furry mane or snuggle up next to him for a nap. But then I saw the scars on his face and realized, this guy is for real. He's not some play thing or a pet. He's dangerous and unsafe. Thank goodness for that glass between us!

The adults seemed to have a healthy respect for him, but the kids were clueless of how dangerous he was as they climbed on the outside of the exhibit and pounded on the glass. Many grew bored with it all and wanted to move on, while their parents stood and stared.

"How often do we see God this way?" I wondered. As clueless little children, forgetting His majesty and power, expecting Him to be "cuddly" and "safe" and to do our own bidding, according to our own will?

C.S. Lewis wove a similar theme throughout his Chronicles of Narnia series. In the books, Aslan the Lion represents Christ. Often the characters are reminded that Aslan is "not a tame Lion." He is powerful, merciful, loving, kind, and trustworthy, but he is not tame, predictable, controllable, or even safe.

I love this quote from Lewis' novel, The Last Battle:

Do you think I keep him in my wallet, fools?" said Tirian. "Who am I that I could make Aslan appear at my bidding? He's not a tame lion."

I enjoyed watching Disney's movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where this concept appeared again through this scene:

Mr. Tumnus: [of Aslan] He's not a tame lion.

Lucy Pevensie: No... but he is good.

What a MIGHTY God we serve! How worthy of our worship! How strong on our behalf! Thank God that He is not safe, not a puppet who dances at our whims, nor a small thing to be contained in the box of our limited understanding. He is HUGE, MAJESTIC, AWESOME, and not at all tame.

Yet, He loves me. He always acts in my defense and on my behalf. All that He does is good, even when I don't understand it. How safe that makes me feel!

And He loves you. Even when He isn't doing what you think He should. Even when His ways are incomprehensible to you, when it feels like He is doing it all wrong, remember that He isn't tame, but He is GOOD.

Personal Application:
Are there circumstances in your life where God isn't acting as you think He should? Take time to confess your desire to control and tame Him. Ask His forgiveness and worship Him despite the circumstances.

I'm not sure who said this, but it fits, "If God were small enough to understand, He wouldn't be big enough to worship." God is worthy of our worship. AND He is knowable. We can snuggle up to Him and feel safe and protected, unlike the lion at the zoo. We just can't expect to control Him.

Father, I worship You. Your ways are not my ways. I submit to Your perfect will. Forgive me for the times I have been more concerned about my own will than Yours and expected you to do my bidding. Thank you for your forgiveness and patience with me. Thank you that in the midst of your majesty and power, you love me, and know me, and have my best interest at heart. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen

More of God's Word:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. - Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

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What I've Been Training For

Cross posted at Counting the Cost

From the Word

Click and read >Hebrews 12:1-12

Key Verse:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. -Hebrews 12:1

Bright and early Saturday morning, I ran a 5K to help raise money for the YMCA. It was a special moment for me. The weather was absolutely perfect. The greenbelt was beautiful. And I was surprised by how easily I was able to run the three miles.

I have been training for this race for the last 10 weeks, following a plan called 'From Your Couch to a 5K" Ten weeks ago, I was only running for 60 second spurts followed by 90 seconds of walking for a total of about 15 minutes. Saturday, I ran 30 minutes straight without a need to stop and rest. My training paid off.

Friday night before the race, I went to pick up my number, timing chip and course map. While I was there I was so impressed by the people I considered the real runners, those who planned to run the 1/2 marathon and marathon races.

Marathon runners train for something called "Hitting the Wall." It is common to run out of glycogen stores in your muscles and liver somewhere around the 20 mile mark. They have to train to persevere through that crash of energy, when the race feels unbearable. I saw some runners this weekend that must have hit that point in their race when I passed them. One lady was sobbing, others looked in physical pain.

It made me think of the spiritual implications of running the marathon race of this life. Walking faithfully with Christ, remaining faithful to him through persecution, heartache, and overwhelming trials of this fallen world, is the ultimate endurance run. Thankfully, we do not have to rely on our own strength. When our "glycogen" stores run out, we rely on His strength and energy to keep us going, and we put our faith into practice. When burdens feel unbearable and our strength is gone, we must remind ourselves that "this is what I have been training for," this test of my faith will make me stronger. Press on! Don't quit! Run with perseverance that race marked out for you.

At the end of my race on Saturday, I hit a point where I wondered how far I had already run and how much farther I had to go. Then all of a sudden, on my left through the trees, and over the river, I caught glimpses of the finish line. There were hundreds of people celebrating with loud music, cheering on the runners as they came in. My speed picked up, my hope increased, and I ran faster than I knew I could just to get to that party! As I ran across the finish line I was huffing and puffing but I felt so much joy and victory. I did it! I was "home free."

I was surprised by how much it helped to know the end was near, to get those little glimpses of the finish line through the trees, and to know what was waiting for me. That's what the hope of Heaven is intended to do for us. As that day draws ever nearer, as we look up in anticipation, we can run faster toward the prize waiting for us. We can remember that our faith is strong enough to carry us home because we've been training for this. Don't lose hope! Just like the crowd was cheering for me during the race, I'm cheering for you, "Keep going! You are doing awesome! You're almost there!"

Personal Application:

Are there areas of your life where you can see your faith being tested? Have you "hit the wall" in the race of life? Pray for God to strengthen you to push on, to persevere, and to remember that you are almost there.

Father,

Thank you for training my faith, making it grow and increase. Thank you for equipping me with the strength I need to endure this marathon of life. Please keep reminding me of the prize that awaits. My very great reward on the other side of the finish line is You! During this time of trial and struggle, please give me your grace and help to persevere.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:4

2. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything -James 1:4

3. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. -James 5:7

4. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

When We All Get to Heaven

Eliza E. Hewitt, 1898

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav’ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.


Pressing on with you!

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Princess School

From the Word

Click and Read Hebrews 10

Key Verse:

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
-Hebrews 10:14 (NLT)

"I have to walk on my tiptoes," my daughter told me when I met her at the school bus stop. "I'm going to Princess School and this is how a princess is supposed to walk."

As we walked home, she explained that her new library book was called Princess School and she was officially training in all things princess. She's been very committed to this plan all week, insisting on wearing dresses and paying lots of attention to manners because "princesses are very polite."

As I've watched her practicing her princess skills, it reminded me that I too am a princess. Because of my faith in Jesus, I have become a child of God, the Daughter of the King of Kings, and the bride of Christ. Royalty.

How very un-royal I feel at times! It is easy for me to slip into condemnation mode and to wonder if I'm ever going to get things right. But the truth is, whether or not I pass Princess School or get an A+ in Royal Manners, I have already been made a princess. That can not be taken away from me.

The struggles I have to overcome sin in my life do not and can not take away from who I already am in Jesus. I had a counselor help me understand this with this analogy. He said:

When a prince or princess is born, they are immediately a part of the royal family. They already are a prince or princess. Then they spend the rest of their lives learning how to be royal.

That's how the sanctification process works for us. When we turn our lives over to Jesus in faith, at that moment we are positionally perfect. God sees us through the lens of justification. We are already made perfect, even as we are being made perfect or holy.

Throughout my lifetime, God will be making me into the image of his son. I will be learning how to be royal, but I can rest in the knowledge that that work is already completed. I am his. He promises to finish the work he began in me, so condemnation and discouragement have no place in my life. I need to lift my head up in confidence and start walking like the princess I am.

Personal Application:

Do you ever doubt your salvation? Do you find it difficult to believe that you are forgiven and free? Replace the lies with truth by confessing your false beliefs and replacing them with scripture that tells the truth.

This royal position does come with responsibility. There are warnings throughout the Bible to not treat this amazing grace cheaply. It is our responsibility as a princess to bring honor to our King. We should strive for holiness. We should try to win people to Him by our goodness and by our example that Biblical principles really do work. The difference is in our hearts. We are motivated by love and gratitude, not because we think we can earn our salvation or because we are afraid of His wrath.

After you are aware of this amazing gift, how terrible it would be to throw it all away. The end of Hebrews 10 can be scary and appear to contradict what the beginning of the chapter says. It does not! I think Matthew Henry did a great job of explaining it in his Concise Commentary, so I'll let him explain:

The exhortations against apostasy and to perseverance, are urged by many strong reasons. The sin here mentioned is a total and final falling away, when men, with a full and fixed will and resolution, despise and reject Christ, the only Saviour; despise and resist the Spirit, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life. Of this destruction God gives some notorious sinners, while on earth, a fearful foreboding in their consciences, with despair of being able to endure or to escape it. But what punishment can be sorer than to die without mercy? We answer, to die by mercy, by the mercy and grace which they have despised. How dreadful is the case, when not only the justice of God, but his abused grace and mercy call for vengeance! All this does not in the least mean that any souls who sorrow for sin will be shut out from mercy, or that any will be refused the benefit of Christ's sacrifice, who are willing to accept these blessings. Him that cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out.

This is a final throwing away of God's grace. We know from Jesus' story of the prodigal son that there is always hope that someone like this will come home and a grand reception of forgiveness and love will be waiting when they do.

Dear Father,

I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of this truth. From the time I was a little girl, I dreamt of being a princess. You have made me a princess. You forgave my sins, made me right before you, and are now molding me, shaping me, and training me for this royal position. Thank you for redeeming me and for forgiving me. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you. Thank you that I get to enjoy the benefits of your Kingdom even now. How good you are! How amazing your grace and love!

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

2. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

3. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. -John 1:12 (NIV)

Love,

Princess

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The God Who Sees

I've got quite a few blog posts planned~ We've had an exciting week with Oldest Princess turning 7 and finishing up her basketball season. I'll get to it soon, I promise! I know Grandma is anxiously awaiting video of Prince Charming and his latest tricks, too. I've even got that coming Grandma. Hold your horses!

In the mean time, I just finished writing my devotion for the week and thought I'd cross post it here. Love you all!

Today's devotion was inspired by my own personal Bible study. I'm following a plan for reading the Bible in a year in chronological order. I love it. It is so interesting to read the Word in the order the events were happening in history. I highly recommend it. Here's a link to the same plan that you can customize for yourself.

From the Word:
Click and read Genesis 16

Key Verse:
Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
-Genesis 16:13 (NLT)

During my reading recently, I read about Hagar. God promised Abraham he would be the father of countless descendants. While waiting for the fulfillment of that promise, his wife, Sarah, decided to take matters into her own hands and offered her husband her servant, Hagar, to provide his heir.

(Note: Taking matters into our own hands is a topic I'll have to tackle in another devotion. Bad Idea! Ha ha)

What stuck with me after the reading was how hard life was for Hagar. She must have felt so alone, and of so little value. She was property, to be given to an old man for sex without her consent. How insignificant she must have felt!

This is an overused analogy, but it always amazes me when I'm in an airplane and look down at the ground. People become smaller and smaller and more and more insignificant the higher the airplane goes. Looking out that airplane window, I can relate to the feelings of the agnostic. Why would God care about me, someone so small in the sea of humanity?

But the Word tells us that God is intimately aware of us. He knows our name. He cares about our circumstances. We are known! We are seen! He knows even the number of hairs on our heads.

In today's reading, Hagar says, "You are the God who sees me!" Isn't that an amazing thing to consider? The God who is big enough to create the universe, and small enough that His fingerprints are seen in the tiniest of cells, saw Hagar, an insignificant servant girl with a rough life. He also sees you and me.

What a comfort to be KNOWN and SEEN. I join Hagar at being amazed by this truth.

Personal Application:
Do a study on the names of God. You can do a Google search or check out one of the many book on that subject. His names give insight into His character. Worship Him for who He is! Thank Him that in the midst of your everyday life, in the midst of the joys and sorrows, you are seen by the One who loves you. Trust him today and rest in knowing that you are not alone.

More of God's Word

1. You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day. -Psalm 139:15-16 (The Message)

2. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? -Psalm 113:5-6 (NIV)

3. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. - Matthew 10:30 (NIV)


Love,

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All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand

On Friday, I was so upset by the passage of the new stimulus bill, I sat down and wrote a ranting blog post. I never published it, though, because I knew it wouldn't be fruitful. Instead, I started thinking about an old hymn called "The Solid Rock" that has been on my heart and mind lately. It inspired the devotion I wrote for my church's Women's Ministry website this week. So instead of posting my rant about the stimulus bill, I decided to cross post this week's devotion here, too. I love the You Tube videos at the end and I also posted the lyrics to "The Solid Rock." Old hymns like that are sermons all by themselves.

From the Word:

Click and Read Matthew 7:24-29


Key Verse:

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. -Matthew 7:25

My good friend and I were on the phone talking about some of the national news upsetting us lately. Shook up, she said, "I have to stop reading the news. It is too scary."

I told her, "I know what you mean. Sometimes, I feel like the America I have always loved and trusted in is eroding before my eyes, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Until recently, I was unaware of how much trust I've placed in our country, or how much security I've felt simply from being an American. In this current climate of uncertainty and change, I've felt like I'm standing on shifting sand, that my foundation has been shook. It's not a pleasant feeling.

During one of these episodes of fear, I suddenly remembered an old hymn from my childhood. I could only remember a few phrases, so I looked up the lyrics on the Internet. What a sermon that old song has preached to me these past few weeks. I can't get it out of my mind. I sing it in the shower. I sing it in the car. I sing it to my baby. (He doesn't mind how off key I am)

Every time bad news, politics, or current events trigger that insecurity anew, I sing again, "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand!"

As a follower of Christ, my security does not come from the success or failure of the U.S. Yes, I love my country. Yes, I'm proud to be an American. But, my foundation is the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ. He will never fail. He will never forsake me. My foundation hasn't been shook at all. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.

Personal Application:

Have you placed your faith and trust in anything other than Jesus Christ?
All other foundations are weak and will fail you.
Renew your commitment to trust in nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.
As you look at current events, remember to whom you belong and in whom you trust. He will NEVER fail you!

More of God's Word:

1. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. -Psalm 10:25 (NLT)

2. But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. -Psalm 11:4 (NLT)

3. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. - Psalm 75:3 (NIV)

Are there fears and worries facing you this week? I pray these songs will encourage you as they did me this week:









Here are the lyrics I've sung in the shower this week:

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

God Bless You!

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Hidden Treasure

I discovered hidden treasure in my closet this weekend.

The "treasure chest" is an old stationary box. On the lid is a 3x5 card with the words "Thy Will Be Done" handwritten on it, and inside are scraps of paper notes. It is my "God Box," something I made after reading a devotion years ago. The devotion recommended making a box to place your worries into, giving you a physical representation of letting go, of leaving the worry in God's hands, and trusting Him to take care of all of your needs.

This weekend, when I took the lid off, I realized the notes inside were written over six years ago, and I hadn't read them since I put them into the box. Standing in my closet, I read every piece of paper. Some were one or two words, while others were full page letters pouring out my concern and anxiety to the Lord. All of them were legitimate needs and worries of the past, bringing back memories of lost sleep. But the me of today stood there realizing that every single need in that box had been met. There wasn't one worry written down that was a current worry today.

Finding the box truly was a treasure arriving at the perfect time. I've been dealing with anxiety lately, and it was so good to be reminded of God's faithfulness to me. My discovery allowed me to see my anxiety through a proper perspective. Left in His very faithful hands, God will work out the issues of today just as He has so faithfully worked out the issues of yesterday.

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An Apology, A Thank You, A Carnival, and A Juggler : )

Wow...I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blog so much. I've been having fun with the book club on my Fitness Blog and forgot to keep up over here. I'm thankful you are patient readers. : ) I'll try to do better. And I do promise more pictures. : )

As a side note...Did you know the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival started today? Oh man! It is going to be tough to stay off my computer this week. That thing is absolutely addicting! I wanted to be organized enough to do my own giveaway, but alas organization left me when I gave birth in August. : ) There is still time...maybe I can pull it together before the carnival ends. I hope you enjoy entering the contests. I'd love to hear if any of you are winners.

I also wanted to thank those of you who are following my blog. (See sidebar to learn how to become a Follower) It means a lot to me. I'm so grateful for all of you who read. When I started our adoption blog in January of 2007, I didn't really understand what blogging was. I didn't know how much fun I'd have with it and the wonderful people I'd meet.

I'll be back soon to update you on Prince Charming and the Princesses and life here in the castle. In the mean time, here's the latest devotion I wrote for church:

The Apprentice Juggler:

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. - 1 Corinthians 12:18

My mom read the book Tales of the Kingdom as a bedtime story to my brother and me when I was young, and it quickly became a family favorite. Staring at the pictures, I often wished I could be in the story myself. I've read it over again several times as an adult, getting something new out of it every time. (Sorry Mom, you can't have it back)

Written as a fairy tale, each chapter expresses a different Biblical truth and ends with a moral for the story. One of my favorite chapters is called "The Apprentice Juggler."

The Apprentice Juggler wants nothing more than to join the troupe and perform on a regular basis at the Great Celebration. Unfortunately, he has a terrible secret he is afraid the Juggling Master will find out about. His inner count is different than the other jugglers, and he is terrified he will mess up the next performance. Doing everything in his power to hide the fact his rhythm is off, he works hard to suppress the count he hears inside of his head.

Eventually, he cannot suppress it any longer and during the performance he lets himself follow his own rhythm. He ends up delighting the audience as a clown and learns a clown is "the best juggler of all." It is a rare talent to be both a juggler and a clown and the Juggling Master is thrilled.

When asked why he never revealed his different rhythm, he answers, "I-I thought I would lose my place in the troupe." To which the Juggling Master replies, "Lose your place? Find your proper place, rather. Didn't you know that in the Great Celebration, all who desire a place, find a place?"

Have you ever felt like the Apprentice Juggler; afraid you have nothing to offer in the Kingdom of God because you aren't like the other people you see serving? I have. And I was convinced I didn't measure up. I was also convinced serving meant doing something I didn't like to do.

But here I am, writing a blog, something I love to do and happens to be a hobby of mine. God gave me the opportunity to do something I love for Him.

Do you march to the beat of a different drum? Great! No one has the unique talents God has instilled in you. No one can tell your story. God has created so much diversity and we do not need cookie-cutter Christians in the Body of Christ. Listen to your own inner rhythm and offer it up to God. He wrote your rhythm, and He will use it!

Personal Application:

Make a list of your dreams, passions, talents, gifts, etc. and talk to God about them during your prayer time this week. Trust Him with those things. Praise God for your uniqueness. Ask Him to use you for His Kingdom.

Do you feel unqualified? I've heard this quote said two different ways, and I love it both ways:

God doesn't call the equipped, He equips those He calls.

AND

God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies those He calls.

More of God's Word:

1. Read 1 Corinthians 12

2. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:17

Lord,

Thank you for making me, me. Help me to stop comparing myself to others and to enjoy the way you made me. Help me to trust You with my unique gifts, talents, passions, and dreams. Show me how they can be used for You. May I glorify You with my life.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

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Impossible?

(This is the devotion I wrote for our church's women's ministry this week)

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." - Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)

Fret, fret, fret.
Worry, worry, worry.

This week can be measured not in days, but in time spent worrying. I can't count how many times I've said the words, "It's impossible."

My "impossible" this week had to do with more hurdles in what has felt like a never-ending adoption process we began two years ago. I have to figure out a way over this new hurdle before an immigration deadline expires in two weeks, and in my eyes it is impossible.

As I've prayed over the problem, God has been gracious to gently remind me who is in control. He reminded me of my last two devotions where I wrote these things:

-He is trustWORTHY

-Don't be afraid to pray the prayer that never fails, "Thy will be done"

-Remember where our help comes from

Then He asked me to let go and rest in Him.

It was midnight last night when I finally surrendered and applied these truths to this situation. I still didn't know how this hurdle was going to be overcome (I still don't) but worry was replaced with the "peace beyond understanding" that comes from trust.

I was ready to go to sleep anxiety-free, but I wanted to check on one of my favorite blogs before I went to bed. As her blog loaded on my computer screen, tears popped into my eyes. I couldn't believe what she had written for her latest blog post. This is all it said:

"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done."

-J. Hudson Taylor of China Inland Missions

Personal Application:

What about you? Do you have your own "impossible" to overcome this week? Run to the throne and lay it at His feet. Be persistent in your prayers over this issue. Find a prayer partner to pray with you about it and to hold you accountable as you let go of worry.

More of God's Word:

1. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

2. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

3. For nothing is impossible with God. - Luke 1:37 (NIV)

Love,

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The Prayer That Never Fails

I have been asked to write a weekly devotion for my church's women's ministry website, so I thought I'd cross post them here for Daiquiri's Seek The Lord Sunday meme.

From the Word:

Click here and read Luke 22:39-45

Key Verse:
Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. -Luke 22:39-45

I love good books and some of my favorites are Jan Karon’s novels “The Mitford Series.” Set in the small Southern town of Mitford, they tell the story of a lovable, Episcopalian priest, named Father Tim. The magic of the books lies in how ordinary life is in Mitford.

I have learned so much from Father Tim. Before he starts his day, he always prays, “Make me a blessing to someone today.” What an attitude! Whatever happens today, Lord, please let me touch someone’s life! He has a firm grasp on grace, and it shows up throughout the books. But I think the most important lesson that I have learned from Father Tim is his famous “prayer that never fails.”

Whenever he is counseling someone or trying to figure out a situation, he suggests that they pray the prayer that never fails, “Thy will be done.”

Why don’t we pray this prayer more often? Fear! We forget that our God is trustWORTHY. If we are honest, many of us are afraid of what that Will might include. It is almost as if we see God in Heaven saying, “Yippee! She finally surrendered. Now I can pour on the really hard stuff!”

We must remember God’s character and His heart toward us. He says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

He isn’t out to get us. He is out to love us, mold us, shape us, draw us to Himself, and ultimately work out what is best for us individually and for the Kingdom as a whole. Pray the prayer that never fails and trust for just the right answer.

Personal Application:
Does praying this prayer terrify you? List what you are afraid of, confess your unbelief, and ask God to help you trust Him more.

In his book, Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray gives this exhortation:

“Oh, I want to encourage you, and I want you to cast away every fear. Come with that feeble desire. If there is the fear which says- ‘Oh, my desire is not strong enough. I am not willing for everything that may come, and I do not feel bold enough to say I can conquer everything’ – I implore you, learn to know and trust your God now. Say: ‘My God, I am willing that You should make me willing.’”

Give the Lord Your fear, and then ask Him to make you willing and able to surrender to His good will.

More of God’s Word:
1. Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief! Mark 9:24 (KJV)

2. All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. – Psalm 111:7 (NLT)

3. God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); - 1 Corinthians 1:9a (Amplified Bible)

Dear Lord, Thy will be done. As scary as it is to pray, I know that I can trust You because you are worthy of that trust. Thank you that I can rest in knowing You are sovereign over the details of my life. Equip me to let go and wait for Your perfect will.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen

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