Monday, June 29, 2015

Oh What A Legacy!

Here is just a morsel from my reading today:

we give up all for the love of God? When the surrender of ourselves seems too much to ask, it is first of all because our thoughts about God Himself are paltry. We have not really seen Him, we have hardly tested Him at all and learned how good He is. In our blindness we approach Him with suspicious reserve. We ask how much of our fun He intends to spoil, how much He will demand from us, how high is the price we must pay before He is placated. 

If we had the least notion of His loving-kindness and tender mercy, His fatherly care for His poor children, His generosity, His beautiful plans for us; if we knew how patiently He waits for our turning to Him, how gently He means to lead us to green pastures and still waters, how carefully He is preparing a place for us, how ceaselessly He is ordering and ordaining and engineering His Master Plan for our good-if we had any inkling of all this, could we be reluctant to let go of our smashed dandelions or whatever we clutch so fiercely in our sweaty little hands?

If with courage and joy we pour ourselves out for Him and for others for His sake, it is not possible to lose, in any final sense, anything worth keeping. We will lose ourselves and our selfishness. We will gain everything worth having. 


The Path of Loneliness 
Elisabeth Elliot
pages 123-124

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Be Still

I started this blog 3 years ago. Last year I did not write any posts as I was happily living out my dream. I thought I had met the man I was going to marry and I was done blogging for a while. That all changed almost a year later and my dream crashed and burned. 

God performed a miracle to bring me to where I am now in life. I have learned the height, depth and breadth of the everlasting love of God. I have felt His comfort, His peace and His mercy. I have learned the truth Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 9-His grace is sufficient. 

This is my 100th post. It excites me and humbles me to see how God has used this blog in my own life and in the lives of others. As this world continues to reject God and His truth, He calls us as believers to be still. He is sovereign. He is still in control-always! Song Sunday comes from Jeremy Camp's album I Will Follow and is aptly titled "Be Still." 


Be still and know that I am God. 
I will be exalted among the nations, 
I will be exalted in the earth! 
Psalm 46:10

Saturday, June 27, 2015

#LoveWins

Yes love does win, but not with a Supreme Court decision that marriage is no longer just between a man and a woman. Love won a long time ago on a cross. Love won when Jesus Christ willingly laid down his life and was crucified for every person's sins (yes, EVERYONE). Love won when Jesus rose from the grave conquering sin and death. Love wins everyday when people turn from their sin, repent and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, surrendering their lives to Him. Love will win again when Jesus returns to rule and reign. 
Love always wins! 

Yesterday I had to repent and ask God to forgive my initial reaction of anger and worry. I was wrong in my reaction and God revealed that to me throughout the day and night. As I saw pictures of the White House lit up in rainbow colors, I was speechless. Then God reminded me today that someday that house will crumble. It is temporary. It is not eternal. The people in it, however, still need a Savior. They need the eternal love that does not depend on a Supreme Court ruling. So do the millions of others caught in the lies of enemy. 

So yes I will stand on God's word and speak His truth in love for that is what He calls all believers to do. I will not be silent because I love you too much. I want to see all people turn to a saving knowledge of Christ, to live for Him and to spend eternity with Him. Yes, love does win. 
It will always win- here and in eternity! 

Below is a response from Nancy Leigh DeMoss about the Supreme Court ruling and how believers should respond to this decision by the court. Great listen! 


Sunday, June 21, 2015

Salt and Light

When I find a new artist and start listening to their album I find that I have a hard time making it to the end of the playlist. I keep repeating the songs in the beginning and middle because I love them so much! I always find that I keep missing those last two or three songs. Does this happen to anyone else?

Of course, those last few songs are gems. They are just as wonderful as the other songs but it might take me months to hear them. The song that has been on "repeat" in my head this week is an "end of the playlist" song. It is from Lauren Daigle's album How Can It Be. The song is "Salt and Light." 

Beautiful reminder of God's redeeming work in my life! Beautiful words that capture the desire of my heart- "Let my heart overflow with passion for your name, Let my life be a song revealing who You are."



Oh the beauty of the King
You make righteous those who seek
You have written and redeemed my story

Let my eyes see Your kingdom shining all around
Let my heart overflow with passion for Your name
Let my life be a song, revealing who You are
For You are salt and light 

Oh the love that set me free
You bring hope to those in need
You have written and redeemed my story

For You are salt and light
You are love's great height
You are deep and wide
You are a consuming fire


Monday, June 15, 2015

Do the Next Thing

At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me
It's quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that,
as it seems to me, teaching from heaven. 

And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
like a low inspiration, "Do the next thing."
Many a questioning, many a fear
many a doubt hath its quieting here. 

Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer
do it reliantly, casting all care
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
who placed it before thee with earnest command

Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing
leave all resultings, do the next thing
Looking to Jesus, ever serener
working or suffering by thy demeanor 
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm
Do the next thing. 

-Anonymous

This anonymous poem, made famous by Elisabeth Elliot, seems fitting to remember on the day she passed from this temporary home to her eternal dwelling place. Her life was lived with steadfast determination, to trust and obey, the One who laid down His life for her-no matter what the cost, no matter what the next thing was going to be. As the world mourns this faithful servant of God, all of heaven rejoices over a life lived with an eternal perspective!



Linking with Inspire Me Monday, Monday's Musings and Titus 2 Tuesday

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Eternal Perspective

"Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs." 
Jonathan Edwards

I should be writing report card comments that are due Monday morning, but these words keep echoing in my head and I just needed to share them. This past Wednesday I listened to an interview that Erin Davis had with Gloria Furman at The Gospel Coalition national conference a few months ago. It was played on Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The program is titled "What is Your Top Priority?" It is a must listen for moms with young children, but I found it is a message that can apply to all women,
 no matter what season of life your in. 

I had known a little bit about Erin Davis. Erin Davis is the head of the Lies Young Women Believe blog for Revive our Hearts and has three young sons. 


Gloria Furman was a name I had never heard. I am so thankful I do now. She has blessed my life and been an encouragement to me through this interview with Erin Davis. God knows what we need to hear and God knows what He wants us to hear, learn and then apply in our life. Gloria Furman is a pastor's wife, mom of four young children and serving God in Dubai,  which is in the United Arab Emirates. She has written 3 books and has a blog. 


The focus of this program was about priorities and treasuring Christ when our hands are full (which is the title of one of her books-Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full-Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms).  I cannot do it justice so I want to share the link with you so that when you find time in your busy schedule you can listen to it. You can also listen to it by podcast like I did while driving to and from work. 




The end of the interview is featured in the following days program called
"Seasonal Obssessive Disorder."



God wanted to impress upon me to live with an eternal perspective, to "stamp eternity on my eyeballs" and I pray that He will use these messages the way He wants to in your life-for your good and His glory. 

Sunday, June 7, 2015

SS: I Am Yours

Change. It can be good or bad. It can be positive or negative. It could be both. The changes that keep popping up (in some of the least expected places) have me feeling like I am standing in a thunderstorm in the middle of the ocean. I am up, I am down. I am exhausted, beaten and barely treading water. Dramatic, huh? 

Ever since I started to ask God to make me more like Him, telling Him that I want nothing less for my life than He does, that I want to completely trust Him no matter what, that I want to have the kind of faith talked about in Hebrews...the storms, I mean, change, has come. It definitely feels more like storms (yes with an "s", plural). 

BUT...God is good and God is good at being God. I heard Lysa TerKeurst say that at a ladies retreat I went to in April. What a big truth in a few simple words! I am going to write them again: God is good and God is good at being God. There is nothing that He doesn't already know about. He knew that all these changes would be happening and He knows that I have a choice to make. To blame God and walk away from Him or to rest in His promises and cling to Him. 

This choice happened to me at 22 and I chose to walk away, to do it my way. I was tired of waiting for God and I wanted what I wanted now. It wasn't the dream I had pictured. This time, I choose to lay myself down on the altar. I choose to trust Him, to cling to Him and His Word like never before. I choose to have faith that He is good even when it hurts and the enemy is attacking. And I'm hurting right now-single and 32 with the desires for marriage and a family- not seeing how it could ever be possible with these chronic health issues. However, that is why I am not God. My God can do anything! This is where Song Sunday comes in and Lauren Daigle expresses so perfectly how I feel with her song "I Am Yours." 

Yes, let the rain fall harder. Bring on the storms. I will stand because God is over the storms. My God is in complete control and I am His. 


I could not find a lyric video, so for lyrics please click here


Saturday, June 6, 2015

My Prayer

You are waiting for us to move
There is so much more
Deeper than I've ever known and known before
When we draw near
I see the mysteries of who You are
 Reveal my heart to be renewed 
Until nothings left but You
Only You

Here I am
Falling to my knees I'm crying out again
Jesus, take me deeper than I've ever been
Lord, here I am
All of me reaching to the places that I cannot see
Desperately, I need You to know me 
Here I am

You are waiting for me to see 
All of who You are
God, You are so patient with me
Day after day
Come Living Water, let me drink from Your amazing grace
Reveal my heart to be renewed
Until nothing's left but You
Only You

Let the things of Earth lose their hold on me
Let Your river flow, You are breaking me free
I will lift my hands in Your presence God
Make me like You are

Here I am
Everything surrendered
I am Yours 
Nothing else that matters 
Laying down every one of my fears 
God, won't You
God, won't You move me
Here I am 

-Here I Am- Jeremy Camp