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.

Wonderful Wednesday

I absolutely love Wednesday mornings at 9am. It's probably my favorite time of the week. At this time of day, I am showered and ready for the day. I enter my room with tea and toast in hand, ready to read my daily bread from God's word.

...In my favorite chair, of course. :)

 

Wednesdays, for me, is laundry day. I like to have some good tunes playing while I fold clothes, like TobyMac's new album Eye On It.

Yesterday, it was finally time to pull out fall decorations and transform our house to an autumn haven.

 And with a little extra free time, I was able to make this Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Butter Cream recipe I found on Pintrest here. They were delicious and quickly gone, but you can make some of your own and see for yourself!

 "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."

~Psalm 16:6~

Stars

I haven't been adding to the internet pool of information in a while. I've been waiting for new inspiration. Sometimes waiting takes time... actually, waiting always takes time!

I'm seeing a pattern and rhythm to my life. 

Times I feel organized and on schedule, and times I feel my little world is falling apart. 

Times when I want to write a book and times when there are no words to express my thoughts. 

Times when I feel close and intimate with Jesus, and times I forget to listen to His Word.

Then there are times I realize how small my world is in light of how big His universe is. 

Like last Saturday night, looking at the stars from on top of a hay bale. There was a constellation shaped like a giant heart. It was beautiful. Even though I felt small and insignificant, I knew something big.

I am loved.

Genesis1:16b

He made the stars also.