A beautiful and endearing poem that I recently read on Facebook. I hope that is brings a smile and joy to your life like it did mine. :)
Wait
by Russell Kelfer
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Adonai
Adonai can mean "our Lord," "Master," or "Father." This word can also be used when referring to men or angels, but in the old testament it was frequently used in reference to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is amazing the way our heavenly Father treats us, and instead of dispelling the punishment we rightly deserve for bringing upon ourselves sin and hurt He uses the opportunities to mold us and discipline us, so we never experience that hurt again. The Lord may also ask things of us in order to challenge us and grow us and these things come when we seek Him with all of our heart. Beth Moore discusses that often God will say, "sit right there child and watch me work." Other times He may say, "Stay out of this because I must do this on my own." Still other times He says, "I need you to will your sword a little bit," or He may even ask us to "Step into the middle of a raging battle and drop all of our defenses and wholely and completely trust Him." When He asks this of us, it will be the most difficult thing you have ever faced, but if you trust Him enough to give the battle and place your life completely in His hands He will never let you down and you will witness His power in such a mighty way that you will never be the same again!
In Joshua 10, Joshua and the Israelites are called to fight a war that was not their own, but they trusted God completely and His glory was displayed for all to see. During this war, Joshua asks God to have the Sun stay still so they could finish the battle, and in the only time in history God made the sun stand still for twelve hours in the middle of the sky--incredible! This also makes me realize that God wants us to ask for amazing things, things that we think could never come true. He may chuckle sometimes and then just respond with, "Oh Child, I have so much greater things in store for you, just wait!. Regardless, He is Adonai and will always take care of us. Do not ever think you are too lost, too damaged, to weak, or too burdened to where you cannot come to His feet and lay everything before Him and watch Him work in you, because He will!
In Joshua 10, Joshua and the Israelites are called to fight a war that was not their own, but they trusted God completely and His glory was displayed for all to see. During this war, Joshua asks God to have the Sun stay still so they could finish the battle, and in the only time in history God made the sun stand still for twelve hours in the middle of the sky--incredible! This also makes me realize that God wants us to ask for amazing things, things that we think could never come true. He may chuckle sometimes and then just respond with, "Oh Child, I have so much greater things in store for you, just wait!. Regardless, He is Adonai and will always take care of us. Do not ever think you are too lost, too damaged, to weak, or too burdened to where you cannot come to His feet and lay everything before Him and watch Him work in you, because He will!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Apathy and fear have no place here...
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart is also." -Matt. 6:19
Tonight I stopped by Hastings coffee shop to decompress with a spice chai latte and a meaningless book. Instead, the Lord allowed me to run into three young men, whom I struck up a wonderful conversation about the abomidable nature of the "christian church" and "christians" in general. We were all sadened by the apathy and fear that hold so many believers back from pursuing the Lord with all they have. I recently found myself in this position, where I thought I was content to remain at "basecamp" instead of climbing to the "summit" to experience all the Lord has to offer me and bless me with. The Lord wants us all to experience the "summit," but so often we look ahead and become apathetic or fearful about pushing through the challenges that often come with meeting the Lord at the top and becoming overwhelmingly blessed through the process. We also miss out on experiencing all the beauty and opportunities He has for us when we do not meet Him at the peak.
The whole chapter 6 in the book of Matthew speaks to us about actively living out our Christian faith. We should not only verbally talk about it, but people should see our love for Christ overflowing in all we do. So many "Christians," myself included, often times find themselves in this slump I like to call apathy and/or fear. But the Bible, clearly states that the Lord did not want us to be fearful and apathetic, but ever pushing forward and continuously seeking Him with a strength we will begin to experience when we do this (2 Tim. 1:7). Be encouraged by the fact that God never leaves you and His presence is never out of reach--it is our responsibility and free will to challenge ourselves daily to live for Him with all we have and in the meantime meet Him at the peak instead of remaining at the base of the mountain along with all the others who are faced with apathy or fear. He has so much more for our lives and wants us all to experience the wonder and fulfillment we will find when we serve our purpose and vision He wants to direct us in!
Much much love!
Tonight I stopped by Hastings coffee shop to decompress with a spice chai latte and a meaningless book. Instead, the Lord allowed me to run into three young men, whom I struck up a wonderful conversation about the abomidable nature of the "christian church" and "christians" in general. We were all sadened by the apathy and fear that hold so many believers back from pursuing the Lord with all they have. I recently found myself in this position, where I thought I was content to remain at "basecamp" instead of climbing to the "summit" to experience all the Lord has to offer me and bless me with. The Lord wants us all to experience the "summit," but so often we look ahead and become apathetic or fearful about pushing through the challenges that often come with meeting the Lord at the top and becoming overwhelmingly blessed through the process. We also miss out on experiencing all the beauty and opportunities He has for us when we do not meet Him at the peak.
The whole chapter 6 in the book of Matthew speaks to us about actively living out our Christian faith. We should not only verbally talk about it, but people should see our love for Christ overflowing in all we do. So many "Christians," myself included, often times find themselves in this slump I like to call apathy and/or fear. But the Bible, clearly states that the Lord did not want us to be fearful and apathetic, but ever pushing forward and continuously seeking Him with a strength we will begin to experience when we do this (2 Tim. 1:7). Be encouraged by the fact that God never leaves you and His presence is never out of reach--it is our responsibility and free will to challenge ourselves daily to live for Him with all we have and in the meantime meet Him at the peak instead of remaining at the base of the mountain along with all the others who are faced with apathy or fear. He has so much more for our lives and wants us all to experience the wonder and fulfillment we will find when we serve our purpose and vision He wants to direct us in!
Much much love!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Faithfulness
The Lord is faithful, and hopefully you will begin to see this through my blogs and how He hs transformed and redeemed my life in the matter of days. Today (or I suppose, yesterday now), I had the most wonderful time with my best friend, Jordy, decorating for VBS at her church. I am so happy to see the work God is doing in and through her and her husband, Robert, at this church. I also watched my new favorite movie, Transformers 3, with my friend Megan who I have not had the chance to hang out with as of late. It was nice to hang out with my friends and just spend a nice and productive day in good company. "The Lord is great and greatly to be praised!" So exhausted and ready for some shut-eye now. :)
Much love,
Your sister in Christ
Much love,
Your sister in Christ
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Belief
I just heard the most wonderful, convicting, and faith-induced talk with Beth Moore (what an incredibly anointed and gifted woman, who practices what she preaches). The beauty of it all is that we can all live a life that is as fulfilling as hers.
Jesus Christ wants each and every one of us to experience the hope, encouragement, and fulfillment through using our giftings for His glory every waking moment. However, in order for us to do this we must embrace a faith-induced obedience. This means that when we reach the point of unbelief in life we have the choice to disobey God's calling and plan for our life (it may be fearful and not as enticing and I have done this a thousand times over) or we can step into the promised land He has for each of us and re-characterize ourselves by taking a step of faith and believing He will carry us through and do what He says He has promised (Joshua 4:19-5:12). When we take this step of faith, between unbelief and disobedience, we will no longer allow shame have a hold of you. We also will not allow that shame of our old reputation pull us down any longer (we are a new creation).
Just like the Israelites (In Joshua) were brought full circle by God in Gilgal (circle), they allowed him to break their old cycle and thus they inherited all God promised them. The more insight we can gain from which point our cycles go wrong every time, the more we can reverse that cycle.
For me, I compromise my standards and values in every relationship. I tell myself I will not date someone who will not be the head and the spiritual leader. However, everytime, I fall into this cycle of believing I can help and fix the guy I am dating in becoming the man of God I know he can be. There are several problems with this scenario....I intitally am not trusting God to do that work in that guy, I am being sucked under by trying to keep myself and my boyfriend spiritually grounded, and I compromise other values in the meantime (thinking that may fix the problem). Now that I have identified this bad cycle, I must work on reversing it, in order to demonstrate faith in my Lord Almighty and to receive all He has promised me.
We must not become enslaved by unbelief and failure like the Egyptians, and like the enemy is constantly trying to bring upon us. "Often a wounding precedes our full reception of God's promises, but healing always follows (Beth Moore, Belief series)!!!" We must stop being victims of our shame and the entanglement that the enemy brings. Prevailing belief always leads to the promised land, where we will naturally learn how to use our giftings and love for the glory of God!
Children's Beauty
Camp Cardinal Hill was so fun today and reminded me of how much I love children and why I am going to be an OT. Also, I am excited about having my own kids one day to invest in and be an example to (crazy how many areas of my life I have really witnessed God's tranformation in)! Children are really the essence of naivity and innocence, but even still, their sin nature comes creeping in at times, and I am reminded of why, even they, need Jesus in their life. Cannot wait for another day tomorrow with these beautiful children who lift my spirits so much!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Contentment
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13
My best friend, Jordan Delaney, reminded me of this beautiful and heart-lifting verse today. God is so so sooooooooo faithful!! Today I desired to get back into yoga and prayed that God would encourage me to do so. Just hours later, Mary Alice tected me suggesting we should go to Hot Yoga after Jazzercise--what an answer to prayer and what amzing friends God has placed in my life! I think I burned around 1500 calories, and sweated everything out of my body in 2 1/2 hours of pure conditioning. It felt good! It felt good to feel again, and witness such a quick answer to prayer. The endorphins probably helped a little as well. :)
Keep pressing onward! Don't lose sight of why were are here on earth and do not forget to focus on others and love them in the process! The more you focus on other people, the less you are able to pout about your own life and dwell on your hurt, which will only cater to the enemy's schemes.
Love, love, love! :) And HOPE!
My best friend, Jordan Delaney, reminded me of this beautiful and heart-lifting verse today. God is so so sooooooooo faithful!! Today I desired to get back into yoga and prayed that God would encourage me to do so. Just hours later, Mary Alice tected me suggesting we should go to Hot Yoga after Jazzercise--what an answer to prayer and what amzing friends God has placed in my life! I think I burned around 1500 calories, and sweated everything out of my body in 2 1/2 hours of pure conditioning. It felt good! It felt good to feel again, and witness such a quick answer to prayer. The endorphins probably helped a little as well. :)
Keep pressing onward! Don't lose sight of why were are here on earth and do not forget to focus on others and love them in the process! The more you focus on other people, the less you are able to pout about your own life and dwell on your hurt, which will only cater to the enemy's schemes.
Love, love, love! :) And HOPE!
Friends & Family
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion FOREVER!" ~Psalm 73:26
Friends and family are just a few of the many blessings the Lord has placed for us here on earth. Ladies, boyfriends are incredible, but you must be careful to not let yourself be vulnerable, because then the hurt that comes with losing that guy who was your best friend is something you will never forget. Yes, you can be healed, but the memories take a LONG LONG time to ever forget. Guard your heart ladies, and save it for the Lord, and that incredible, and I mean INCREDIBLE, man of God has planned for you in HIS TIME. It is hard to believe it at this moment in time, but we must begin by professing positivity and the Lord's blessings upon our lives, because only then will we begin to believe them.
Now, back to friends and family. It is incredible how the Lord places people strategically in your lives at the right moment. When you begin to feel lonely friends come along who you did not even realize you had missed so much--what a blessing! :) Family....Family is the encouragement God wanted to give us here on earth. Now are families dysfunctional? Of course. Are some families broken and in desperate need of the grace and love of Jesus? Most definitely. I know mine is. However, the beauty that comes with hurt and despair in one family member's life becomes felt by the whole family. And guess what? This moment and pain in one family member's life can bring the whole family together and show them things about themselves that they were not ready to changes before.
I was always praying for my family. Praying direction and faith in their lives, and guess what? Through my pain they are beginning to find this. They have hope, we have been praying for guidance and direction as a family, and my wonderful Dad is finally beginning to see the amazing things God has ordained him to do. Wow, so exciting! Also, through this pain, I am beginning to shed light on my giftings and have begun to use those giftings to bless other people around me. Yes, I still have plenty of moments of weaknesses where I just want to give up, but with the love and strength God has given me and the people He is strategically placing in my life I am pulled through the mire and stand firm on their hope and faith as well as my own (Rom. 1:12).
Thank you my wonderful Father!
Friends and family are just a few of the many blessings the Lord has placed for us here on earth. Ladies, boyfriends are incredible, but you must be careful to not let yourself be vulnerable, because then the hurt that comes with losing that guy who was your best friend is something you will never forget. Yes, you can be healed, but the memories take a LONG LONG time to ever forget. Guard your heart ladies, and save it for the Lord, and that incredible, and I mean INCREDIBLE, man of God has planned for you in HIS TIME. It is hard to believe it at this moment in time, but we must begin by professing positivity and the Lord's blessings upon our lives, because only then will we begin to believe them.
Now, back to friends and family. It is incredible how the Lord places people strategically in your lives at the right moment. When you begin to feel lonely friends come along who you did not even realize you had missed so much--what a blessing! :) Family....Family is the encouragement God wanted to give us here on earth. Now are families dysfunctional? Of course. Are some families broken and in desperate need of the grace and love of Jesus? Most definitely. I know mine is. However, the beauty that comes with hurt and despair in one family member's life becomes felt by the whole family. And guess what? This moment and pain in one family member's life can bring the whole family together and show them things about themselves that they were not ready to changes before.
I was always praying for my family. Praying direction and faith in their lives, and guess what? Through my pain they are beginning to find this. They have hope, we have been praying for guidance and direction as a family, and my wonderful Dad is finally beginning to see the amazing things God has ordained him to do. Wow, so exciting! Also, through this pain, I am beginning to shed light on my giftings and have begun to use those giftings to bless other people around me. Yes, I still have plenty of moments of weaknesses where I just want to give up, but with the love and strength God has given me and the people He is strategically placing in my life I am pulled through the mire and stand firm on their hope and faith as well as my own (Rom. 1:12).
Thank you my wonderful Father!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Strength
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." ~ 2 Cor. 12:9
I am so weak. My mind is weak, my spirit is weak, and I am tired. I am tired of crying, tired of praying, and tired of attempting to practice self-control. The sad thing is that I am drained and it has only been one day. The Lord has done so much in the past few days to evidence His hand in my life. However, I am still continually having to fight the enemies thoughts and my owns thoughts and actions. When will I relinquish everything to Him? At the end of the day, yesterday, I thought I had submitted everything to the Lord, but when I woke up this morning I realized that is not the case. I am hurting deeply, but at the same time reflecting on all the Lord spoke to me yesterday. It is incredible how part of the reason I am hurting is because I lost the vision and purpose for my life. Deep down I know I am very responsible for the hurt I am feeling and it is a guilt-ridden feeling, knowing that I pulled someone along with me. I took someone else's vision and made it my own.
However, God's timing is always perfect and last night He opened up an opportunity for me to attend a church service about personalities and giftings. I learned my giftings (which wasn't a complete surprise). I realized I knew myself a lot better than I thought I did. I am gifted in Mercy, Exhortation, Faith (this one was actually shocking considering the circumstances), Service/Help, and Hospitality. This is a step towards discovering and developing my purposed-driven life and is very encouraging.
The hurt is more difficult in the mornings, with the LONG day looming in front of me. It felt like yesterday would never did, but IT DID! And I slept--Praise the Lord!
Wow do I feel better after I write down all that my soul is oppressed with. Thank you my beautiful Jesus for coming to my rescue and giving me outlets and resources in my time of need.
Love your daughter.
I am so weak. My mind is weak, my spirit is weak, and I am tired. I am tired of crying, tired of praying, and tired of attempting to practice self-control. The sad thing is that I am drained and it has only been one day. The Lord has done so much in the past few days to evidence His hand in my life. However, I am still continually having to fight the enemies thoughts and my owns thoughts and actions. When will I relinquish everything to Him? At the end of the day, yesterday, I thought I had submitted everything to the Lord, but when I woke up this morning I realized that is not the case. I am hurting deeply, but at the same time reflecting on all the Lord spoke to me yesterday. It is incredible how part of the reason I am hurting is because I lost the vision and purpose for my life. Deep down I know I am very responsible for the hurt I am feeling and it is a guilt-ridden feeling, knowing that I pulled someone along with me. I took someone else's vision and made it my own.
However, God's timing is always perfect and last night He opened up an opportunity for me to attend a church service about personalities and giftings. I learned my giftings (which wasn't a complete surprise). I realized I knew myself a lot better than I thought I did. I am gifted in Mercy, Exhortation, Faith (this one was actually shocking considering the circumstances), Service/Help, and Hospitality. This is a step towards discovering and developing my purposed-driven life and is very encouraging.
The hurt is more difficult in the mornings, with the LONG day looming in front of me. It felt like yesterday would never did, but IT DID! And I slept--Praise the Lord!
Wow do I feel better after I write down all that my soul is oppressed with. Thank you my beautiful Jesus for coming to my rescue and giving me outlets and resources in my time of need.
Love your daughter.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
JOY=Vision
I have been angry, at myself and God, but at the end of it all I realize I have free will and the choice to control the attitude I decide to encompass. I can choose to follow the amazing path God has for my life and choose JOY, or I can make the choice to cater to the enemy that is lurking behind every bend in the road and makes other choices, that are not of the Lord, look enticing. So, guess what?...I choose JOY. Yes, the hurt is still there and sleep is still difficult, but we have the promise that the Lord will never leave or forsake us and will never give us more than we can handle (Habrews 13:5).
Vision. Vision is what we must strive for and seek with all our hearts. We must not let our focus stray beyond that of what God has planned for our lives;Because when our vision strays from the Lord's will and starts to take the shape of our vision or the world's around us we become disenfranchised with the beauty and the plan the Lord has for our lives. With this disenfranchisment comes discontentment and hurt. The hurt not only hurts yourself, but so many others around you,which is the biggest struggle many of us have to find forgiveness and grace in. Without vision there are not constraints and boundaries, which also bring hurt and discomfort--none of which God has planned for our lives. Darkness and light cannot inhabit the same place, and that is why we must choose vision. Furthermore, worship is so crucial in finding your vision and destiny, thus we cannot lose focus and CANNOT ever, ever stop worshipping our wonderful Lord and Savior. We must take every thought into captivity (2 Cor. 10:5), so we can carry out obedience for the Lord. Only then can we begin experiencing OUR VISION and DESTINY. If you choose to worship and continually engage in the Word the Lord, your thought mode will lead to your destiny. Just as King David had everything, but was not content with his many wives and so chose the one woman who he could not have, he lost his integrity, but still the Lord never was too far away for him to be forgiven and still be blessed (2 Samuel). Yes, he faced hurt and punishment because of his poor choices and lost his firstborn son, but the Lord still blessed him abundantly by given him Solomon, the wisest man in all of history. If God can blessed David after all his integrity was demolished,due to his sin and poor choices,think how much more the Lord can deliver us and bless us abundantly if we seek Him with all our hearts and follow our vision He will show us (Jer. :13; Deut. 4:29).
So, have you been hurt and thought you would never recover? I have all. Most people have. And if you have not already, you probably will because it is our human nature. We are sinners and with sin comes despair and hurt. However, it does not have to be that way. You can believe God has the plans for your life (Jer. 29:11), seek him wholeheartedly through loving others daily, and go after your gifts that the Lord has possessed you with. Yes, we may falter along the way and with that unsteadiness may come some heartache. However, by placing God at the forefront of your journey and valuable spirit-filled people in your life the journey will become much more bearable and you will reach a place where you have total faith and trust in our amazing God and begin to embrace all He has in store for you.
Please, before you reach the hurt and despair that the enemy is so desperately trying to push upon your ordained life, remember that we can admit our sins and problems (before they become known to the world and lead to worse despair), we can renew and transform our mind and body (Romans 12:2), and lastly we can forget and forgive (allowing ourselves to move on and push towards our vision and destiny).
Learn to love yourself as Christ loves you, embrace your God-given gifts, and share that love and gift with those around you and will begin to find healing and contentment in your daily life. Does this mean it will always be an easy trek? Of course not. Every day the enemy will try to creep into our thoughts and mind and try to engulf our presence, but remember you have been given the strength to overcome every obstacle and everything that will continue to be thrown your way. Don't lose heart by what our culture tells you and continue to run your race for the Lord and seek that which is unseen, because what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).
I love you and I love Jesus Christ!!!!!
Vision. Vision is what we must strive for and seek with all our hearts. We must not let our focus stray beyond that of what God has planned for our lives;Because when our vision strays from the Lord's will and starts to take the shape of our vision or the world's around us we become disenfranchised with the beauty and the plan the Lord has for our lives. With this disenfranchisment comes discontentment and hurt. The hurt not only hurts yourself, but so many others around you,which is the biggest struggle many of us have to find forgiveness and grace in. Without vision there are not constraints and boundaries, which also bring hurt and discomfort--none of which God has planned for our lives. Darkness and light cannot inhabit the same place, and that is why we must choose vision. Furthermore, worship is so crucial in finding your vision and destiny, thus we cannot lose focus and CANNOT ever, ever stop worshipping our wonderful Lord and Savior. We must take every thought into captivity (2 Cor. 10:5), so we can carry out obedience for the Lord. Only then can we begin experiencing OUR VISION and DESTINY. If you choose to worship and continually engage in the Word the Lord, your thought mode will lead to your destiny. Just as King David had everything, but was not content with his many wives and so chose the one woman who he could not have, he lost his integrity, but still the Lord never was too far away for him to be forgiven and still be blessed (2 Samuel). Yes, he faced hurt and punishment because of his poor choices and lost his firstborn son, but the Lord still blessed him abundantly by given him Solomon, the wisest man in all of history. If God can blessed David after all his integrity was demolished,due to his sin and poor choices,think how much more the Lord can deliver us and bless us abundantly if we seek Him with all our hearts and follow our vision He will show us (Jer. :13; Deut. 4:29).
So, have you been hurt and thought you would never recover? I have all. Most people have. And if you have not already, you probably will because it is our human nature. We are sinners and with sin comes despair and hurt. However, it does not have to be that way. You can believe God has the plans for your life (Jer. 29:11), seek him wholeheartedly through loving others daily, and go after your gifts that the Lord has possessed you with. Yes, we may falter along the way and with that unsteadiness may come some heartache. However, by placing God at the forefront of your journey and valuable spirit-filled people in your life the journey will become much more bearable and you will reach a place where you have total faith and trust in our amazing God and begin to embrace all He has in store for you.
Please, before you reach the hurt and despair that the enemy is so desperately trying to push upon your ordained life, remember that we can admit our sins and problems (before they become known to the world and lead to worse despair), we can renew and transform our mind and body (Romans 12:2), and lastly we can forget and forgive (allowing ourselves to move on and push towards our vision and destiny).
Learn to love yourself as Christ loves you, embrace your God-given gifts, and share that love and gift with those around you and will begin to find healing and contentment in your daily life. Does this mean it will always be an easy trek? Of course not. Every day the enemy will try to creep into our thoughts and mind and try to engulf our presence, but remember you have been given the strength to overcome every obstacle and everything that will continue to be thrown your way. Don't lose heart by what our culture tells you and continue to run your race for the Lord and seek that which is unseen, because what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).
I love you and I love Jesus Christ!!!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Peace only He can give
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.
~John 14:27
Being hurt by and losing the person you love most in the world is a feeling that is indescribable in words. It consists of losing your appetite, becoming sleep deprived, and also learning how much God loves you. Yes, human nature pushes me to hate myself for the mistakes I made, wants me to rack my brain on how I could have done things differently (would it really have changed things?), but most importantly makes me want to go back to my old self-sufficient/independent self where I keep my heart hardened. However, known of those get me any closer to becoming the person God has planned me to be, and definitely does not give me the love of my life back. The hardest part of the situation is having no clarity. But, clarity would also not increase my faith and trust in God. I truly believed my heart could not take this, but although it feels like daggers piercing my soul I know I will become stronger and one day will understand everything I do not understand now (which is a whole lot).
One of the main things I do not understand is why God would bring people together multiple times and then once again take them apart. Yes, you can work on yourself and growing in Christ as an individual anytime, but when does the growth as a couple and with the mate God has ordained for you come into play?
Also, when someone promises you all these things, and you trust that, and then plan the next year of your life in accordance, how do you do all the same things without them beside you when you had planned them together?? Huff--had to vent Lord.
Timing really is everything. But, how can you trust the Lord when that time really aligns? Furthermore, praying for patience is one of the hardest things I have ever done. (I guess God decided to wreck my life in order for me to see Him in all His glory and follow Him with all my heart--at least that is what Pastor Joe always says)
All I know is that the ONLY thing you can trust and count on in life is the love of Jesus Christ. No, I will never forget the person who I prayed for everyday and saw things in them that they did not see in themself. I will pray they find themself in Christ and in his grace and mercy, but most importantly I will pray that at the end of their journey they find their way back to me ( a new, refined, sanctified me). And if this is not the Lord's plan for my life I will pray that my heart is pieced back together along the way and that I am not damaged and hard-hearted if God brings someone else He has planned for me along.
I cannot write anymore because my tears are not allowing, but I pray and hope someone is touched because of my human struggles and confusion, but mostly because of my love for the Lord.
~John 14:27
Being hurt by and losing the person you love most in the world is a feeling that is indescribable in words. It consists of losing your appetite, becoming sleep deprived, and also learning how much God loves you. Yes, human nature pushes me to hate myself for the mistakes I made, wants me to rack my brain on how I could have done things differently (would it really have changed things?), but most importantly makes me want to go back to my old self-sufficient/independent self where I keep my heart hardened. However, known of those get me any closer to becoming the person God has planned me to be, and definitely does not give me the love of my life back. The hardest part of the situation is having no clarity. But, clarity would also not increase my faith and trust in God. I truly believed my heart could not take this, but although it feels like daggers piercing my soul I know I will become stronger and one day will understand everything I do not understand now (which is a whole lot).
One of the main things I do not understand is why God would bring people together multiple times and then once again take them apart. Yes, you can work on yourself and growing in Christ as an individual anytime, but when does the growth as a couple and with the mate God has ordained for you come into play?
Also, when someone promises you all these things, and you trust that, and then plan the next year of your life in accordance, how do you do all the same things without them beside you when you had planned them together?? Huff--had to vent Lord.
Timing really is everything. But, how can you trust the Lord when that time really aligns? Furthermore, praying for patience is one of the hardest things I have ever done. (I guess God decided to wreck my life in order for me to see Him in all His glory and follow Him with all my heart--at least that is what Pastor Joe always says)
All I know is that the ONLY thing you can trust and count on in life is the love of Jesus Christ. No, I will never forget the person who I prayed for everyday and saw things in them that they did not see in themself. I will pray they find themself in Christ and in his grace and mercy, but most importantly I will pray that at the end of their journey they find their way back to me ( a new, refined, sanctified me). And if this is not the Lord's plan for my life I will pray that my heart is pieced back together along the way and that I am not damaged and hard-hearted if God brings someone else He has planned for me along.
I cannot write anymore because my tears are not allowing, but I pray and hope someone is touched because of my human struggles and confusion, but mostly because of my love for the Lord.
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