Sovereignty

One thing that I lack in so many of life's circumstances is "security" or "assurance." It seems that one thing after another can plague us and we could most certainly let it get to us and knock us down, however God is God and He is sovereign! Praise the Lord!

I am doing a study on the names of God, and the lesson today spoke of God's sovereignty.

Sovereign itself means, being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc. God is above all others...

In the study I am doing it says, "Just as a grain of sand cannot rightly be called a beach, other deities likewise cannot rightly be called gods. There is no other god beside Him (Isaiah 44:6)."

Many tend to think that God being sovereign, or above all others, or in control of all things, means that we are robots and that we do not have freewill, on the contrary we certainly are fully responsible for the choices we make in life but we do not have the ability to act independently of God. We are always under his sovereign rule.

How does that make you feel?

It makes me feel secure and assured in a world full of chaos and uncertainty, that He is working toward a predetermined goal and I am a part of that plan. His greatness is my anchor and when all is said and done, it will be good!

A sovereign God=a God I can trust!

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!

--1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Things that make life beautiful!

Just wanna share that...

--I love Jesus more than air or life...He fills my cup to overflowing!

--I miss home and my family and I visited today, but I also KNOW that I am not supposed to be there anymore. I am where I should be! Praise the Lord for that assurance!

--I am looking forward to a lot of things...

--I absolutely LOVED the thunderstorms during my drive today, and the fact that I got a call from somebody who is at the beach because he wanted to walk on the beach with me...too bad I couldn't hear him over the wind and we had to end the call early...but oh how the thought woos me and makes me grin! :)

--AND...the sun peeping out from behind the storm clouds and shooting glorious rays through the sky...reminds me of what I think Heaven might look like, even though I know it is a smidgen of the glory found there!

--I love my 6 year old nephew, his honest candid remarks, how he laughed today when I caught him in a lie...He told me he hugged Ariel for me at Disney and when I asked his Paw paw (the one who took him) he said, "YOU WOULDN'T GO NEAR ARIEL!" And my nephew just giggled...oh dear how I love that boy! I love kissing his face and will miss the day he won't let me anymore...

I think I am done with my blog...but not done praising Jesus for the things that make life beautiful!

Constant suspense...

At the Beth Moore conference in Pittsburgh Beth talked about being in a state of “constant suspense.” I have most certainly been experiencing the state of constant suspense in one area of my life. While in that state it is so hard to remember what is true. The words I speak to myself and hear from others, has mostly been negative. I have a couple of close friends have been encouraging through this phase however some that I thought were close have asked me, “why do you keep waiting? Why don’t you just move on?” and other such questions and then proceed to tell me it is a lost cause.

It is so hard to keep moving forward with these thoughts that are plaguing me and beg me to give up. I have been so close several times to giving up and just moving in a different direction, but I KNOW that God has called me this way for a reason. I know that His glory will come from it, no matter what the outcome, even if the outcome is not what I want, I know that God is in control and He has my best interest in mind!

So...as Beth spoke of “constant suspense” she also said that when experiencing this, we need to have 10 truths that are Biblical to focus on and recite daily. That is what I am currently working on. I am seeking Scriptural truths in particular because if it is Scripture, it is certainly true and not something I am saying to make myself feel better, it was placed there by God for a time such as this.

I have mentioned some of this in a previous post, but I have been so focused on it, being in the state that I am, that I had to write about it again...

Here are the truths I have gotten so far:

• “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’” (Exodus 3:13)--God’s name here is YAHWEH...background to this Hebrew word reveals several truths...God is self existent (not created), God is self sufficient (He doesn’t depend on anyone or anything), God is self directed, God is eternal, and God is consistent (He is true and consistent.)
• I am His child whom He loves. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” --Romans 8:15-17
• "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other.” --Deuteronomy 4:39
• ”but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” --Isaiah 40:31
• “Who I am and what I struggle with are not the same thing.” --Jennifer Rothschild from her book; Me Myself and Lies.
• “The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” --Matthew 12:34 (All the more reason to fill it with these truths!!!)
  

That is all I have so far, but I am taking my time toward the 10 because I want to make sure they are what I need in this present time...I pray that you all would seek and know the truth that God is trying to speak to you!

Because your love is better than life...

Even when everything seems so bleak, my soul feels completely at ease and joyful when I remember God is in control. I am not necessarily immediately happy go lucky but I am at peace.

His Word fills me, strengthens me and reminds me of who He is.

"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you."

--Psalm 63:1-3

Weary

Well...not many words to describe how I am feeling right now except weary.

I am straight up tired.

I am tired of being unsettled, tired of waiting (on many things), tired of driving, tired of not having privacy while being tired of being alone, if that makes any sense at all...

I am just tired.

Friday night at the Living Proof conference, the Lord began speaking through Beth and the worship band. Since I have moved to Ohio I have had fears and many ups and downs. What stood out to me Friday night was that I have been battered by some storms...maybe more than one storm at a time and I am tired of being tossed around in them! I have thrown cargo overboard, a LOT of it, and I have been trying to follow God as close as possible but still doubts plague me and there are so many unknowns.

Then Beth said, DO NOT BE AFRAID...

I had quite the evening, got lost on the way to eat, broke down sobbing in my car, and then Friday evening in the hotel room, Tammy hit the nail on the head by saying, "You're just weary aren't you?" DING DING DING!!!

It clicked...and I am...

As in Acts 27:33, and Beth said...I am in a state of "constant suspense" right now. I need to hold tight to what I know is TRUTH because everything around me is so shaky and unreliable right now.

The first truths God gave me are the following...

”but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” --Isaiah 40:31

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other.” --Deuteronomy 4:39

Living Proof Live video

Watch for me and some friends!!! We are to the left...if you know us you'll see us!!!

Living Proof Live from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

More than I can handle?

One of my peeves is misquoted Scripture...

I know that people don't do it intentionally so I never hold it against the person but I have to correct it...in love of course!

One of the most misquoted verses that I hear is 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

The way I often hear it quoted is, "God won't give me more than I can handle."

Well, BECAUSE of someone misquoting this verse today, I was reflecting on it.....

As far as I am aware (correct me if I am wrong) the Bible never mentions that God will not give us more than we can handle. I think there are times He most certainly gives us more than we can handle! We are human and He is God.

He wants us to be in relationship with Him! Of course when we can't deal with the things life throws at us, we will be on our knees before His throne talking to Him...or at least we SHOULD be there. So, it is a way for Him to draw us back to Him when we have a lot on our plate!

He wants us, and others to recognize His power at work in the world! When He loads us up, and we allow Him to carry the load, as we always should, then we recognize Him. Then we get to share the story, or others witness the story, and we let them know WHO it was that got us through...GLORY TO GOD!

I love knowing that He is there...I know for a fact that during the past few months, I have been given more than I could handle. But God is so faithful in providing for us and He does it in so many different ways that we need to be sharp, in the Word, and ready, so that when the time comes, He gets to show off for us and the world...and we can learn more about Him and ourselves!

Beauty for Ashes

he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
--Isaiah 61:3

This week has been fabulous and difficult in many ways! I have rejoiced as God has laid things out before me that weren't expected and were "immeasurably more" than I thought they would be, yet I have struggled through other times of missing the familiarity of home and friends while at the same time enjoying new people and sites. Needless to say it has been different levels of up and down all week! I have been here A WEEK! In some ways it feels longer, in other ways I can hardly believe it has been that long already!

The above Scripture spoke to me today, as I have been having a hard time and almost mourning the things and people I left behind in my ol' Kentucky home. This Scripture reminded me that He HAS proven this to be true this week, and I have received so much more than I thought was possible, because of His people here on Earth living out His word. I have truly received a "joyous blessing instead of mourning" and am striving to give "festive praise instead of despair" and the people in my life along the way have been "like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory."

Thank you Father for working in my life and the life of others!

Ohio

I have moved to Ohio...

Well, it isn't looking exactly like I imagined...but, AGAIN, nothing ever does! I am quickly learning that whatever I imagine is usually outdone by God...He is such a showoff! I most certainly love HIM for it!!! Thank you God for knowing what I need more than I myself know!

Here is the story...

If you read the last post you got the part about moving up here and the help He provided. Well, I came up here yesterday expecting to work on my apartment and to stay there this week and work on it so that I could live in it before I began work on the 8th, this coming Monday.

Well, I arrived, and the landlord was completing a few last minute things, so I drove to Target to pick up some cleaning supplies. Well, it wasn't until I was about to place a big pack of paper towels in my cart that I realized not one more thing was going to fit into my car because it was still packed to the gills! So, frustrated, I returned to my car, in which the low fuel light turned on and I headed to the gas station...

While at the gas station, Ryan's dad, Rod, called and told me that a gentleman called the church office today. He said that since I was coming up here to help with the Romanian mission that he would let me rent one of his apartments for what it costs him...PRAISE THE LORD!!!

The timing couldn't have been more perfect...I went to see it today...

I was not complaining about the other apartment that I was planning on moving into but I was also missing some of the things my old house had including ceramic tile, a back porch, etc. Well, the new place has ceramic tile AND a back deck! Praise the LORD, who is able to provide immeasurably more than I could imagine or ask!

I am amazed daily at how God is working in my life and in the lives of those around me...so, don't forget, when little details work out...give Him praise! When little details don't work, He probably has something better in mind!