Meditating

If you know me and have been a reader of my blog you probably know that I took a 40 day journey with God a few years ago. I went seeking answers to several things and though I didn't necessarily get clear cut answers to those questions I was seeking I found a special relationship with my Father that I hadn't really known before.

I had so much fun as I drove, each day deciding which road to take, two lane road, or highway...north first then west or west then north? I let each day be directed by God and absolutely had one of the most fabulous times ever. Part of that fabulous time was just discovering His creation, how vast and beautiful it is. The details of the world around me are so beautiful and He created it all. I love to get lost in my thoughts and meditations.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." --Colossians 3:2

Lately I have been trying to direct my thoughts Heavenward instead of toward myself and the world around me and thinking about the experiences I had on my trip help because I have such beautiful memories of His creation and our time together. When I think about the times we had, all other thoughts and worries fade away. I am able to focus my thoughts heavenward...

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." --Isaiah 55:8-9

I think we gain so much when we take our focus off of our needs, our insecurities, our future, our pride, our fears, the situation we are currently in, the situation the world around us is in, etc. We HAVE to focus Heavenward to be effective for Christ. It is NOT about us...

"I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes." --Psalm 119:99

By meditating on the "higher things" we are able to see things in this world more clearly and take them on.

My encouragement for you is to find your avenue to meditating on things higher. Find a way to focus your mind upward whether it be through His creation, or through another means.

How do we spend our time?

I have been thinking a LOT lately about what I think I deserve sometimes and what I deserve in reality.

In our current world, we are so used to thinking that we "deserve" a break, or we "deserve" a treat, or we "deserve" relaxation. When we look to the Scriptures, the ways that they did these things are supposed to be our examples of how to live AND they were so different.

For example, I want to be alone sometimes...yet when I am alone, what do I do with my time. Sometimes I choose to watch some TV, sometimes, read a book, etc. Most of the time my alone time includes eating...HA! When we look at Jesus, our example, his alone time was with the Father in sweet conversation and fellowship.

What things do I get excited about? Well, I LOVE shopping, coffee, UK basketball, Facebook and a lot of other things. And I think that these things can all be ok...but how much time do I devote to these other things, when I could be devoting time to my God. And how much more effective would we be as Christians if we ALL took this time and devoted it to fellowship with Him and each other, building each other up as He builds us up?

I have just been convicted that my God is so much more deserving than I give Him credit for. In my mind and heart I know without a doubt that He deserves more but my actions fail to show Him and the world just how much I love Him and honor Him.

Though I am convicted to try and "do" better, I know that I will fail...Lord willing, I will improve but perfection is beyond my reach. That is why I am so thankful for the Savior who came and gave His life for me, that I might be covered by His blood and made righteous through my faith in HIM.

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."

--Romans 3:22-25a

Wait for the Lord...then follow

I am participating in Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture memory team for 2011.

We pick one verse, every 2 weeks throughout the year, to memorize and my first verse was chosen ON New Years Eve at about 11:58pm. I asked God to lead me to it because I wanted my first act of the New year to be an act of obedience and love for Him. So, I found and wrote down Psalm 27:14,

"Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord."

It is so hard to wait sometimes. I am not sure what I am waiting on honestly. I know I am tired of waiting on people (one in particular) and I can't do that anymore. That brings me to my second verse, which showed up in my devotion on the day I had to have a new verse!

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:4

So...needless to say, I am waiting on HIM and when I hear his voice calling, I will follow. Wherever, whenever He calls. I know He is there right now making the way for me and that brings me peace.

This comes a little late, but I pray that your new year will be filled with peace and whether you are waiting or following his voice, I pray you are in His will!

So blessed to be...

Tonight I attended the annual Candlelight service at my church...

I reflected, between taking pictures, on the God I serve, the family I was surrounded by, and the church family that I am surrounded by and was overwhelmed. I am just so blessed to be me!

Here are a few pics from the service...

Story of Forgiveness.

So here is the thing. In the past I have been one to be easily offended at times. I get my feelings hurt and I want to find someone, or anyone, for that matter, to blame for my hurt, so I blame it on someone else for hurting me. While the hurt might be real, I have no reason to judge them or to stop being their friend at all.

There are two stories I am reminded of. The most obvious being Jesus Christ, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." While we were SO hateful towards Christ, and each ONE of us put Him on the cross with our individual sin...HE LOVED US and DIED FOR US!!! We are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER and to hold our brothers up. Not think of ourselves higher than anyone else so that we ignore them or are LESS than what Jesus is to us. We are called to not only be Jesus to the world, but Jesus to one another. So, if you have a problem with your brother go to him...but don't condemn him...lest YOU be condemned.

The second story I am reminded of is one I heard at the National Missionary Convention. The ULTIMATE example of forgiveness in today's modern world. Ajal Lall, from India told a story about Immanuel, his friend:

Immanuel and his wife were called to a specific people group on India. A group of Hindus that had never accepted the message of Christ. Well, after years of hardwork and dedication to God and HIS people, they began to see the fruit of their labor and were baptizing up to 30 people a week. PRAISE THE LORD! Well, some government officials caught wind of what was going on and three of them came and took Immanuel and his wife out into seclusion, presented them with papers stating that they renounced their faith and that Hindu was the supreme religion, and told them that if they didn't sign those papers, they would cut their hands off. Well, of course, Immanuel and his wife were faithful to their calling and would never sign such papers.

Instead of cutting off their hands, these three officials tied Immanuel to a tree and raped his wife in front of him.

Let that sink in for a minute and think of the deep hatred you would feel for those men, either as the woman, her husband, or as a family member or close friend of that woman...

Then...forward years later. Immanuel calls Ajal (The man I heard speak at the National Missionary Convention) and is rejoicing about 10 baptisms...which is great but Ajal questioned why the rejoicing when they had been baptizing up to 30 a week at one point. Immanuel said, "The men that raped my wife were 3 of them."

WOAH!

The ability of that man and woman to forgive has resonated with me ever since. I know they were able to do it because of CHRIST'S forgiveness for them on the cross and I am so thankful for their example. Glory be to GOD!

BREAK MY HEART FOR WHAT BREAKS YOURS...

Break my heart for what breaks yours....

This line from a powerful song is stuck in my head as I walk through the aisles at the National Missionary Convention...I walk through the booths, scanning for people I know, glancing, but not paying attention to the booths, I have been here so many times after all...

I walk to a booth with really cute purses, journals and paraphernalia that I of course fall in love with...and it is ALL for sale! I don't pay attention to the title of the booth selling it but I begin looking at prices and thinking about what I can buy for myself and others that I know that would also like those things because one thing is for sure, regardless of the mission sponsoring this booth, it will be for a good cause...whatever the cause is.

As I am looking at a particular purse, I hear a girl speaking with a strong accent, saying, "I am from Cambodia."

Immediately I got "Jesus bumps" and I knew exactly what I was looking at. Rapha House is an organization that aids in the restoration of girls rescued from sex trafficking. The items I was looking at were all handcrafted by the girls that had been rescued and were now learning trades to make a living with.

Later, I attended a workshop on "Male sexuality, porn, and sex trafficking." That night in the main session statistics were thrown up on the big screen and I literally have a feeling in my gut like I have been punched and tears are constantly on the brim of spilling over.

Recently, when I invited someone to attend the "Missionary" convention with me...they said, it was "my thing." I am here to say it is not MY thing...it is GOD'S thing and it is the GREAT COMMISSION...to ALL believers...

Praying, and giving are not enough...Jesus prayed, but then he got up and WENT...

If you don't think you are called to go beyond our borders then making yourself aware of the issues that face the church is your responsibility. Shutting ourselves into our comfortable homes and spending our money on ourselves is selfish and NOT what God had planned. 80% of the world is living on 20% of the world's income...the rest of us 20% live on 80% of the world's income. We are called to LOVE others...not pity them from our living room couches and church pews.

Stay tuned for some more stories and thoughts from this past weekend...

If you are uncomfortable with some of the things I have written...good...we aren't called to a life of comfort...turn your eyes and hearts upward toward HIM and when He calls....GO.

Thankful!

Today I am just so thankful and blessed...

Yesterday was my birthday...I was scheduled to work 5am-1:30pm (So I thought)...my favorite shift...

I got up, got ready, finishing my look for the day with glitter in my hair! :) My birthday also landed on our Christmas launch day at Starbucks! Starbucks recognizes what a great day my birthday is of course...HA!

Anyhow, I got to work, and found out I wasn't scheduled till 6:45...bummer...

So, instead of driving home (less than a mile) and going back to bed, I got my Bible out of my car,bought one of our new Christmas mugs (SUPER CUTE), french pressed our brand new blend of Espresso Christmas Roast, a Cranberry Bliss Bar (YUM!), and sat and memorized Proverbs 2:1-5:

My son, if you accept my words and store up
my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
find the knowledge of God.

I had a fantastic day at work, received a call from a fantastic man along with a special delivery of some happy daisies from said man...

After that I got to join fantastic friends for dinner.

The day was simple, yet I couldn't feel more blessed! I am so thankful to God for those He has surrounded me with in life.

I seek to do as the above verses say in my daily life...I want to accept HIS Word, apply it, and I want to find the knowledge of God...My morning set the tone for the day...praying that we each find the quiet time we need to fill up on HIS word DAILY!!!

Blessings!