Longsuffering

As a normal human, I avoid even the slightest amount of pain whenever possible, but there are times you just have to bear it.

Considering Jesus in my discomfort this afternoon, it hit me that He is the most longsuffering person is the history of ever. Duh, I know. But get this- He never had to put up with suffering for His own mistakes. Ever. Not even once. He suffered for mine. For yours. For us. That's amazing.

A quick word search and I found that He really is the only one who has this longsuffering thing down, anyway:

Exodus 34:6
"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"

Psalm 86:15
"But thou, O Lord, [art] a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."

Galatians 5:22
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith..."

2 Peter 3:9
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:15a
"And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation..."

I am so grateful my Lord is willing to suffer long!

 

A Shadow of God's Holiness

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:27‬

God designed mankind to be an image, like a "shadow" or "picture" - a visual representation of who He is on earth. 

“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:4-5‬

Satan tempted Eve with the rebellious idea that we could be the ones to decide what that "picture" should look like- we should decide who god is, by being a god to ourselves.

But God, in His mercy, saves those who follow Him to true freedom.

“For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭11:45‬

He created and saves us to be like Him- holy as He is holy! A shadow of His magnificent holiness.

Warm Hearts

This year, since my pastor's wife was great with child (and is now an amazing and even more busy Mommy!) she asked me if I would be willing to give a devotional at our Ladies' Christmas Brunch. So here are the thoughts on the topic of "warmth" that I shared...

“Cold hands, warm heart”, “That just warms my heart”

I greatly dislike being cold. How much worse is it to have a cold heart!

With so many needs, and so much to do, how do we keep from having cold hearts toward the Lord and those He has placed around us?

We keep our bodies warm by being near a heat source, like fire, and putting on clothing, and covering up with a comfortable blanket. I believe God made the physical world to reflect spiritual realities.

So how can we keep our hearts from being cold? By being near the “fire” of God, by putting on the humble mind of Christ, and being “wrapped” in the true Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Luke 3:16 “ John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Hebrews 12:19 “For our God is a consuming fire.”

The Bible uses fire to describe God's character. In His holiness, he consumes our sinfulness, refining us, and changing our hearts to reflect His image as we draw near to Him.

This inward change is reflected in outward actions. As James 2:14-18 says “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Another way we keep warm, is by putting on clothing. As girls, we especially like to think about what we will wear, and how it will look to those around us. I Peter 5:5 and Romans 13:14 tell us what we should be wearing all the time:

1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble”



Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

We are to be “clothed in humility” and to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”

Philippians 2:5-8 tells us just how humble the mind of Christ is, that He would give up His rights, and be obedient to the point of dying on the cross:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Don't worry about what to wear this winter – seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

The last we will look at way to keep a warm heart is by being surrounded by the Comforter.

John 14:15-27 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (the Comforter), that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper (Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Some of Jesus' last words to His disciples telling them if they love Him, they will obey Him. Knowing how easy it is for us humans to forget things, He made a wonderful promise to send the Comforter to remind us all things that He has taught us. There have been many times in my life I have been thankful for God reminding me to do something or correct my attitude towards serving, giving, or speaking a soft answer.

So as we move into this chilly season, let's don't let our hearts grow cold. Instead, let us draw near to the fire, letting our sinful desires be consumed by His love. Let us be clothed with the humble mind of Christ, and let us give thanks for the Comforter who guides our hearts, words and actions.

“O tidings of COMFORT and joy!”

Musings for Christians who Make Movies

I'm in a quandary. Feeling like I'm in the crossfire of a battle between to camps. Each side determined to be the one doing things "right." The problem is - they are both kind of right.

I'm speaking about Christians who make art - particularly music and movies. 

The one side says "There is no point of making art if there is no clear gospel message in it" - That presenting the gospel is the only purpose of art. 

The other says "If you don't make excellent art that appeals to everyone, it's no good for anyone." - That art is just an expression of self, and therefore will have moral values if you happen to be Christian.


And here I am in the middle saying "We are on the same team, guys!!!"

Truth is we need both kinds of media. We need films with the clear gospel message AND the parables with a moral message. Jesus taught both, why wouldn't we? Interestingly, He never said it would be the gospel message or the excellent quality of our art that would show we are His disciples.

Jesus told His disciples "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:35

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." Romans 12:9-11

We are called to build one another up! (1 Thess. 5:11) To be one in Christ! (Rom. 12:5; Gal. 3:28) We are his body - why are we fighting ourselves? Aren't we here to serve the Lord the way HE calls us to serve Him?

"...there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." - 1 Corinthians 12:5-7

We have different purposes- and it's OKAY! God wants us to serve Him in different ways! And just because you personally may not be benefited by a particular service or ministry, does not mean some one else is not.

Example: I'm not crazy about the color green, but I love red! I have friends who love the color green. Do we argue about it? In jest, yes, but it's okay that we like different colors! The same applies to art styles. I like the sound of CMM. Others do not. So find another style to make music for the glory of God! 

It's not that complicated. It's just harder to create new art than to complain about poor art. But we need to. ("We" includes me)

Let's stop tearing each other down about the method, please! This life is not about us, dear friends - it is about our Lord Jesus! Let's love and serve Him by making art to encourage one another.

 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31

2014 Snapshots

I'm enjoying a quiet moment to reflect on the blessings and adventures I've had this year.

Here are a few of the highlights for me:

Helping with after school Bible clubs was a blessing again this year. I am always challenged and encouraged as I teach about how wonderful and gracious the Lord Jesus is! Truths I need to be reminded of daily.

This year I finished the quilt I've been working on for two years, finally- yay! It was a fun project, but I don't plan on making another one anytime soon.

My family made a trip down to Texas for the CWFF this year. Great to reconnect with filmmaker friends. It was fun to have Jamie and Arielle as travel buddies for that trip!

I had some great opportunities to use my photography skills this year. The JAF Family Retreat camp needed a few camp photographers to fill in this year, so I got the pleasure of capturing the smiles of happy campers with this cool chick. (And I may or may not have had a camp crush on the 70-200mm lens we got to use for the job...)

A few other events I was privileged to take photos of were Ryan and Beka Chartier's wedding as well as Elijah and Claire Maddux's wedding. Each such sweet unions in Christ.

There was so much great rain for gardening this year! I am grateful I took advantage of the weather and planted when I did. Tomatoes, onions, carrots, corn, and green beans were thriving in my garden this year.

An awesome opportunity I had this summer was working with international children at an American Orientation training working with 7 and 8 year old age group. Which resulted in a few babysitting jobs I have been enjoying. :)

I'm sporting a Canadian flag pin one of the kids gave me in this pic:

In August, my Mom and I took a short trip to WI for Kathrine & JD King's wedding. Such a joy to be part of the celebration!

Wesley and Amaris made time to visit KC this summer and we had a grand time together. Looking forward to working on So Broken Up with them next year!

Concerts I got to see this year included WinterJam, Switchfoot, Ed Sheeran (thanks, Cory!) and LifeLight SD. Good friends and good music are always a winning combination.

And can I just say - GO Royals!!!

A blessing and answer to prayer for me this year was getting a part time job working at Queen's Pantry in town. I am loving it! Working while drinking tea all day is definitely my cup of tea. I am currently saving to go on a trip to visit missionary friends in Indonesia the beginning of 2015.

I've been able to help with a few short film projects this year, as well as fill in for wardrobe one day for a feature film Trust Fund - which you will want to see!

So many great moments in 2014! Coffee with friends, sailing with my brothers, dinner with my folks, each day with it's own reason to smile. Of course there were hard moments, sad good byes, and unpleasant pains, but the blessings far outshine the not-so-nice.

And here I'll leave you with the best of 2014 ~

Here's to a fantastic 2015! Happy New Year, folks!!!

Immanuel - God With Us

Isaiah 7:14 ~Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

I have been dwelling on this promise this week. God came to earth. To become a man. To be with us.

These are verses I shared with my Sunday School class last week. I hope they will be a blessing to you!

Matthew 1:18-25 ~ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.


From the very beginning of creation, God's desire to fellowship with people is evident:

Genesis 3:8-9 ~ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

When God delivered His people Israel from slavery in Egypt, He tells them plainly what His purpose was:

Exodus 29:45-46 ~ I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Moses reminded them of His presence when they went it was time to go to battle to take the Land the Lord had promised to give Abraham and his decedents:

Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

God confirmed His presence to Joshua, too:

Joshua 1:5-6 ~ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

When David was king of Israel, he understood God's desire to dwell among His people, continually:

2 Samuel 7:1-3 ~ Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

But God said it was not for David to build His house, but his son Solomon would build a temple for the Lord. Yet it is so amazing that God would choose dwell among sinful, broken, people, that Solomon declares in his prayer at the dedication of the temple:

2 Chronicles 6:18 ~ “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!”

But this is His desire! The prophets declared over and over how He longs for His people to be with Him.

Micah 6:8 ~ He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

He wants to be with us! This is why He was born in flesh. He came to die, to be with us, and to bring us to Himself.

At the last supper with His disciples, He tells them:

Luke 22:15 ~ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

Matthew 26:26-29 ~ Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

He could have just said, "new... in my Father's kingdom" but He longs to have us with Him in the kingdom of God.

One of the last things He told His disciples before His death:

John 14:1-3 ~ Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

And so, even in death, we need not fear:

Psalm 23:4 ~ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ~ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

What a promise! What a hope! And if this is our hope, how will we live to prepare?

1 John 3:2-3
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Comfort in death, and purpose in life.
He gives us the command to go, and make disciples, but not on our own:

Matthew 28:19-20 ~ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As we go, there will be trials and persecution. Do not lose heart! He is still with us!

2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ~ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

And lastly, because it's easy to get distracted and think that material blessings are our source of joy in during this season. Consider this exhortation:

Hebrews 13:5-6 ~ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
    I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”


Don't set your heart the things you don't have.

Remember Who is with you.

Immanuel. God is with us!

With us in our ministry.
With us to sanctify us.
With us in our trials.
With us in persecution.
With us in life.
With us in death.

He will never leave us or forsake us.

Immanuel! GOD is WITH us!

~~~~~

 

Life as a Sheep

Jesus is my Good Shepherd.
He is really all I want.
He provides for my every need.
He makes me rest in Him.
He leads me in the right way to go, for His glory and my good.

Even in the darkest times, when I can't see where I'm going, and I feel like I'm going to die,
He is with me. So I won't be afraid.
His correction keeps me on the right path.
It is comforting to know I'm where I should be.

When I am tempted, or the world gives me grief,
He gives me more of Himself to feast on.
He is more delightful than their charms or approval.
He chooses me, and blesses me for ministry.
I have more than I need, so I can share with those in need.

I am confident that His goodness is unchanging,
And His love and kindness will never end.
He will be with me every day of my life.
And when this journey is over,
I will live in His home where He is preparing a room for me.
And I will be with Him forever.

Tour de Ville

There's something very fun about pretending to be a tourist in your own hometown. I don't do it often enough! Having a traveling amie in town was the perfect excuse for a little tour de ville.

 "Belle" was loving these book cases, which reminded me I've been wanting to visit the library...

~We delightfully found the Jane Austen section~

"Man is more robust than woman, but he is not longer lived; which exactly explains my view of the nature of their attachments... Your feelings may be the strongest... All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one, you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone." ~Anne Elliot, of Persuasion

A lovely day was had by all. :)

 

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; 

and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." ~1 John 4:7

P.S Check out my friend's blog!

Adventures in 2013

2013 in pictures...

Starting with my brother's house... many a fun evening was spent here!

 

Walked on the San Antonio river walk in February

 

Spent several hours in the car... TX, VA, TN,  OH... here we go!

 Got a fun camping trip combined with concert in the spring...

"He's the reason for, every good thing, every good thing!"

Visited several movie sets including "SKID" and "Uncommon"

Went to the coolest camp ever in June!

 

Enjoyed a lot of tea, coffee, toast and blueberry muffins!

 

 

Danced!!! ^_^

Just had to slip this one of me having fun while working as a BTS photographer, PA 

and my first "real" time acting on the movie Polycarp:Destroyer of Gods

Went on a road trip to visit this pretty girl at college :)

Took some pictures at weddings with Memory Catcher Photography

Watched this beautiful sunset in Israel

 ...and enjoyed every minute of it!

So grateful for the family and friends that have made this year so full of blessing!

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 

 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

 Psalm 27:13-14

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

Better Than Sliced Bread

Is there anything better than freshly baked bread? Add some butter and watch it melt and it's-- ooh so wonderful! Ah! But it's just a reflection of what is truly wonderful!

I was vacuuming yesterday when the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread" came to mind, followed with Jesus' words "I am the bread of life". Somehow in that moment, it clicked. When I ask Him to fill my desires, He fills them with Himself. In the same way I need food every day, I need Him to satisfy me every day. Old bread is just not the same as fresh bread. Relying on yesterday's Word to be enough to sustain me for today is not going to cut it. I need a new Word today. Right here. Right now.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Ever since I was a child, Revelation 3:20 has convinced me that Jesus Christ is real and wants me to know Him:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

He is standing there knocking. But we have to listen in order to hear Him. And when we hear Him, we must open the door. How often to you leave your friend standing outside the door of your house when they come to visit? Of course not! That's just plain rude. So you let them in. Maybe offer them tea and toast. You share, you talk, you laugh. After all, you are friends! This is what Jesus wants. He wants to share life with us. He provides the bread, but ours is the choice to open the door.

"Give us this day, our daily bread" - Matt. 6:11

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." - John 6:32-35

 "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." - Psalm 34:8

Are you hungry, yet? I hope so! Jesus offers us the bread of Himself. Now what? How do we eat Him?

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." - Luke 4:1-4

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." - Deuteronomy 8:3

" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." - John 1:1
" And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14

We eat Him by eating His Words. Every day He offers us His Word to read, memorize, and meditate on. The question is are we eating it? If you don't read His Word every day, let me challenge you to do so! Read it often, read it all, read it over and over again!

I'm looking at the end of another year which means finishing one Bible reading plan and starting a new one. Of all the things I've done this year, or any year, taking the time to read the Word each day is something I do not regret.

Listen. Do you hear it? He is knocking.