Abide

There are so many needs in the world.
Orphans, oppressed, enslaved, sick, hungry, imprisoned, persecuted.
I get overwhelmed thinking about how much needs to be done, and how little I can do.
So I cry, pray, and wonder what to do. I ask God to show me who to help. I listen, expecting some dramatic calling.

But His answer isn't "go to Africa" or hold some huge awareness rally.

"Abide in Me."

What? That's it?

"Abide in Me, and you will bear much fruit, and My Father will be glorified."

Abide. Live in. Dwell. Stay.

So, you just want me to stay here with You? But what about all those needs? This world needs to be saved, Jesus!

"I already did that."

Oh, yeah, He did, didn't He?

The truth is, He doesn't need me to save the world for Him. He did that already. What He wants is for me to stay with Him. To choose the good part of loving Him first. Only then will He be able to pour out His love to those around me through my life.

God may never call me to something big and important (in my eyes). He doesn't have to. He has His Church all around the world to do His work. He does want me to be faithful to abide in Him and do the work He has prepared for me to do. Here. To love Him. And to share His love with those around me.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

John 15:4-5 and 8-9

Give Thanks x 7

This November I was challenged by KBR Magazine to write down 7 things to be thankful for each day of the month. What a blessing it has been! Some days, I'll admit, were much easier than others, but I wanted to share my list here:


1) The Lord is holy (Ps. 97:12)

2) Rain

3) Colorful fall leaves

4) Hats

5) Coffee

6) Fridays

7) Phones

8) That God knows everything

9) The gift of friendship

10) Flowers

11) The color red!

12) Sunshine

13) Saturdays

14) Life

15) That God is good

16) Church

17) an extra hour of sleep

18) Piano lessons I took as a child

19) Patience

20) Sundays

21) Hugs

22) God cares for me

23) Tea

24) Toast

25) Hot showers

26) Lunch with Aunt Robin

27) Mondays (yes, really!)

28) Hangout time with Anna

29) Jesus is always the same

30) blueberry muffins

31) Spotify

32) hoodies

33) clean socks

34) toilet paper

35) Good News Club

36) that God hears my prayers

37) my prayer partner, Grace

38) clean clothes

39) suitcases

40) finger nails

41) facial tissue

42) Wednesdays

43) that God is everywhere

44) alarm clocks

45) airplanes

46) scarves

47) music

48) pictures

49) Thursdays

50) God is kind

51) pocket sized Bibles

52) buses with AC

53) a good bus driver

54) the ocean

55) blankets

56) sleep

57) that God's timing is perfect

58) window seats

59) drinking water

60) pita bread

61) cameras

62) plug adapters

63) today is not the end of the world

64) Jesus is I AM

65) freedom of worship

66) potato chips

67) rocks

68) dirt

69) my messenger bag

70) light

71) God is faithful

72) olive trees

73) pita bread

74) branches

75) shoes

76) boats

77) sunsets

78) Jesus is High Priest

79) bananas

80) Tuesdays are twice good

81) whatever those chocolate filled, peanut butter flavored, Cheeto-like snack things were called

82) that *I don't* play candy crush

83) tents

84) stars

85) Jesus is my Prince of Peace

86) wildernesses

87) Jeeps

88) maxi skirts

89) fans

90) shade

91) salt

Thursday, day 14:

92) God keeps His promises

93) the nation of Israel is proof He does

94) Seeing the view from the old City of David

95) Singing Christmas carols on the hill overlooking Bethlehem

96) Candlelight

97) Tunnels

98) Pillars

Friday, day 15:

99) Quiet time

100) Walking through the streets of Jerusalem

101) Pink and purple flower bushes

102) The helpful man who gave us directions at a coffee shop

103) Shopping for Christmas gifts

104) Finding our tour group

105) Worshipping on the steps to the Temple Mount

Saturday, day 16:

106) Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

107) Jesus is praying for us

108) Jesus is the Lamb of God

109) Jesus obeyed the Father's will

110) Jesus died for my sin

111) Jesus rested when His work was finished

112) Jesus rose from the dead!!!

113) Jesus is mine and I am His

Sunday, day 17:

114) To be going home!

115) For new friends, B, L, I and Y, to name a few

116) Miracles still happen

117) Helpful people who work for the airlines

118) contact lenses

119) eye glasses

120) American food

Monday, day 18:

121) being home

122) truth is true no matter how I feel

123) full moons

124) pictures

125) electrical outlets 

126) snail mail

127) finished to-do lists

Tuesday, day 19:

128) peanut butter

129) window cleaner

130) my cleaning apron

131) a full tank of gas

132) chicken pot pie

133) laughter

134) my bed

Wednesday, day 20:

135) answered prayer

136) thunder storms

137) the Comforter

138) a good iron

139) raw sugar

140) my toothbrush

141) safety

Thursday, day 21:

142) a new day

143) bacon

144) warm coats

145) paper

146) stamps

147) tape

148) scissors

Friday, day 22:

149) mornings

150) icicles

151) dish gloves

152) mops

153) dancing

154) a garage

155) evenings

156) my own room

157) hair straighteners

158) Christian music that speaks truth to my soul

159) pumpkin pie for breakfast

160) little black dresses

161) weddings

162) movie nights with friends

163) Christ died for me, that I can die to sin

164) grace for the moment

165) my thick wool sweater

166) orchestra concerts

167) Novembers

169) sunsets

169) chili

170) jazz

171) birds

172) Hannah

173) extroverts

174) chocolate pumpkin bread

175) dishes

176) lotion

177) my Bible!

178) journals

179) mechanical pencils

180) steamed milk

181) make-up

182) books

183) cheese

184) beauty

185) laundry day

186) washing machines

187) a clean house

188) Hanukkah

189) doughnuts

190) guitars

I'm thankful for all my friends and family, but I wouldn't be who I am without...

191) Jesus

192) Dad

193) Mom

194) Caleb

195) Cory

196) Mary-Kate

197) Deana

198) Thanksgiving leftovers

199) Christmas lights

200) Christmas trees

201) pinecones

202) pizza

203) icicles

204) kiddos

205) sparkles

206) sleigh bells

207) snow

208) cinnamon

209) nutmeg

210) ginger

211) vanilla

212) butter!!!

213) candy canes

214) hot chocolate

215) marshmallows

216) Christmas carols

217) holly

218) popcorn

219) gum

220) grocery stores

221) chocolate muffins

222) birthdays

223) orange juice

224) hugs from mom when you're feeling down

225+) EVERYTHING!

 

  "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

~1 Thess. 5:18

He's Got This

I turn 25 in less than two weeks.

That means I will have lived on this earth for a quarter of a century.

There is no getting around that fact.

Another fact that will not go away, is that I will never be a child again.

It is time to embrace this whole "adulthood" thing.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." ~ I Corinthians 13:11


So I will put away childish things because I'm a big girl and "I've got this," right?
After all, I can cook, drive, and take care of things on my own, thank you very much!

Or perhaps ^that^ is a childish attitude I must put away.

Because, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights," (James 1:17a)

And Jesus said: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  (John 15:5)

And "he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5b)

I have nothing my Father has not given me, and can do nothing His Son does not give me grace to do.

My Father has taken good care of me all my life. There is no reason He would stop now!

So I won't worry about the next 25 years, because after all- He's got this.

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:"

 ~Psalm 146:5~

:::

Do I do what I do because I am a Christian?
Or am I a Christian who happens to do what I do?

Is there a difference?
Is it okay to be either, or both?

Am I doing my own thing asking God to bless it?
Or am I asking God to show me what He has blessed me to do?

My way or His will?
That is the question.

Fresh Gleanings

This morning I opened my Bible to see what was next in my reading schedule. My eyes lighted on the book of "Ruth". Only a month ago I was teaching this story for the Valentine Party at Good News Club. "Lord, I just studied this book. Please show me something new about Yourself in here today," was my quick prayer. He seemed to remind me that the character "Boaz" was a reflection of Himself, so I decided to pay extra attention to Boaz's speaking lines.

Then, there it was. So fresh! So applicable! So amazing!

He spoke to me.

"Then said Boaz unto Ruth,

Hearest thou not,

my daughter?

Go not to glean in another field,

neither go from hence,

but abide here fast by my maidens:

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap,

and go thou after them:

have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?

and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels,

and drink of that which the young men have drawn."

~Ruth 2:8-9

Each line had a special meaning to me. A revelation of His heart for me, and instruction on what to do where He has me right now.

So, since I'm a big fan of bullet points and summarizing, I translated this passage into application:

~He bids me listen

~He calls me His daughter

~He asks me not to leave

~He encourages fellowship with like-minded maidens

~He wants me to look at the harvest

~He tells me to go to the harvest

~He promises to protect me

~He provides refreshment

~He instructs me to benefit from what other men have "drawn" from His well

I pray this was a blessing to you. It certainly was an encouragement to me. Yet another reminder to let His Spirit speak through His Word each new day ~ even when it's an old, familiar passage.

Options, Options

Options, Options

One of the challenges of my generation is having too many options. From coffee to cars, there are endless choices to be made. Never have we had so many opportunities to educate ourselves. There is virtually no limit to the information at our fingertips.

Not only is knowledge so readily available, there have never been so many vocational options as this generation has had afforded to them. We don't just have the limited choices of farmer, doctor, and banker. There are a million and one jobs to be done- from filmmaking to car repair; from owning your own business to working at a franchise. The work is out there waiting for us.

Then, there are relationships. These days, contacting people via electronic devices and social media is even easier than snapping your fingers. If you need to get information to someone, there is some way to do so. This makes for larger spheres of acquaintance, and therefore even more opportunities for relationships.

And yet, in the midst of all this access to knowledge, we are not a very wise generation, and some of us are downright ignorant. Who cares about current events, when a new season of our favorite tv show has just been released?

I believe this lack of knowledge also contributes to why we have a hard time getting and keeping jobs. We want easy work and big pay. What is the best job for me? Not, what talents do I have that can I can use to help others?

We may have the most “friends” on social media, but how many deep relationships do we keep up with? We may know the latest quippy quote our favorite band just tweeted, but do we know the cares of those we are closest to?

There are so many options out there, but we want to choose the best one. How can we commit to one thing for life, if there is a chance that something better might come along? In the mean time, what's wrong with just having fun? I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy life. I am saying we are not children forever. At some point we must grow up and do something.

It is time for us to use wisdom, work hard and care about others. That's what grown-ups do. They make hard choices. And I believe that when we do, we will see that choosing to do something is more satisfying than waiting around for the perfect dream option to fall in our lap.

So there you have it: do something.

I write this because I am part of this generation. These challenges are my challenges.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor...

 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:23,24 & 31