Hope

The word hope has been coming to my mind a lot lately. For some reason I usually think of hope as a somewhat passive action. I wait by quietly hoping that something will happen. I hope that my circumstances will change soon.  I am nervous and hope everything is going to turn out OK.  

I began thinking that hope is not passive but it is extremely powerful because God is a God of hope. Hope allows us to be filled with joy and peace while everything around us may be uncertain and scary. Hope helps us persevere and endure through hard times. Hope enables us to be encouraged and encourage others. Hope allows us to take risks with great faith.

 I pray that I can live a life overflowing with hope!

Motions

So I don't really like posting a blog that is not my own. But this morning, I heard this song on the radio by Matthew West. I absolutely loved the lyrics. I will let the words speak for themselves. 

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

Actions

So lately I have thinking about my own selfishness.  As I think about combating selfishness the word love comes to mind. But then I started thinking about how love truly manifests itself. I realized here is where the hard part comes in. It is easy to say that I love people but do I really always show love? Do I really love all people? 

“Is Jesus acting in our hearts to reach out to the person who isn’t like us – the oppressed, the poor, the unchurched – and to humble ourselves, give of our money, build our communities in love, give our time, our creativity, get on our knees before our enemies in humility, treating them as Scripture says, as people who are more important than we are?” – Donald Miller

 I pray that love will not just be a word in my life but continual actions. Actions filled with forgiveness, mercy, and justice.  Actions that don’t care if anyone else is looking. Actions that see no bounds, no barriers. Actions that aren’t afraid of looking foolish. Actions that take risks.  

You've heard it a million times - actions speak louder than words. So go out there show love!

Do Not Lose Heart

In years past, I like so many others have made goals or resolutions for the new year. I often have the common resolutions - eat healthy, exercise more, etc. In January, I start off strong and then month by month my motivation and determination slowly begin to fade. 

I began to relate this to my spiritual life. God has a specific purpose for each and everyone one of us. He calls us to ministry and to be ministers on a daily basis.  When God first convicts, calls, or shows me something - I am deliberate! I am excited! I am consistent! Unfortunately these feelings fade - I become weary. I become tired. I become frustrated. Somewhere along the way I take my eyes off of Jesus. I do not live with the same resolute and determination that I had in the beginning. 

Since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.  II Corinthian 4:1; 16-18

I pray that I will not lose heart and that I will stay deliberate, excited, and consistent in all the God has called me to do. 

God's Comfort

The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. II Corinthians 1:3-4

No matter what trials, troubles, or stresses we are going through - God is there to comfort us. When people let us down - God is there to comfort us. When we feel all alone - God is there to comfort us. 

I know this truth in my head but it is sometimes difficult for me to always feel and experience God's comfort. I realized that this is hard for me because God is not always the first one I go to when I need comfort. I run to people or comforts of this world. Instead, I need to run to God first with my hurts and my troubles. He is faithful, he is the only one that can provide ultimate comfort in difficult situations.  

I sometimes forget the end of theses verses. God is our ultimate comfort but we should not neglect comforting those around us. When we feel true comfort from God,  that comfort should be a natural overflow of our heart impacting those around us.  

So is God the first one I run to when I need comfort? Does comfort overflow out of my heart, helping others? I pray that comfort will become more evident in my life day by day.  

Love without Stopping

This entry is somewhat similar to my previous blog. So I apologize for any repetitiveness but this has been on my heart lately.

Often I struggle with knowing God's will for my life. I pray that God will show me his will for my future and wait for the "next big thing" he is calling me to do. I find myself getting hung up on knowing the exact will of God that I miss all of the daily things that God is calling me to do. 

As I read the Bible, God clearly shows me how I should live everyday and how should I interact with people on a daily basis. I love Jesus' words in Matthew 25:35-36; 40:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me.  

It is recently becoming more and more clear to me. This is what God is calling me to do. There is so much hurting, suffering, and need all around me. I need to act instead of ignoring. I need to love instead of being selfish. I need to leap out in faith instead of standing still. 

Yes, I continue to pray daily for God's will in my life. God continues to be faithful in directing my paths is some very specific ways. But I must continue to walk daily with God and not miss the "small" things he puts in my path. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference! I need to go out there and Love without Stopping!

Waiting

Lately, I have started to realize that much of my life has been wasted in waiting. Waiting is not always a bad thing, The Bible tell us to wait on the the Lord. But for me waiting often gets in the way of doing the things that God has called me to do. I wait for all of the right doors to be opened. I wait for everything to line up and be "perfect." 

I often feel like I don't know what God wants me to do in situations. I sometimes live in fear of doing the wrong thing or making the wrong decision. So instead of acting - I wait. Instead of going - I wait. Instead of obeying -  I wait.  

Much of my waiting is simply a lack of faith. If God only allowed situations in my life that were risk free, I would become faith free. Instead of always waiting, I want to live a life obeying God, taking risks and allowing God to work in mighty and incomprehensible ways. 

Imagine

I Corinthians 2:9 - "No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—What God has arranged for those who love him."

God loves each one of us so much. I know that he has a perfect plan and purpose for each one or our lives. So then why do I often find it so hard to trust him and give him all parts of my life – especially my dreams and desires. I find myself often praying for my own desires and my own wants. I find myself praying and “talking” God into how I think my life should go. But when it comes right down to it – why do I want things my way when God has arranged a life for me that is so much better. If I can imagine the best life ever for myself God can do even more - I am not able to imagine anything quite like it! How often do I settle for my own desires and miss out on what God has arranged for me? How often do I settle for what I think is great for myself instead of what God knows is great for me?

God's Ways

I have so many thoughts racing through my head right now. So I hope that this entry makes some sense and is not just a jumbled mess! I have been feeling a little bogged down with life lately. It doesn’t always make sense and isn’t always “fair.” But throughout my confusion and frustration God continues to reveal himself to me.

I have been praying a lot lately and when some of my prayers were not answered I was crushed. I didn’t understand and began to doubt God’s working in my life. But then God quickly showed me that he is always with me and has never left me. Just because a prayer was not answered the way I thought it should be answered doesn’t mean that God didn’t answer it. His ways are perfect – I don’t know what it is going to take until I realize that.

Isaiah 55: 8 & 9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I don’t know why but I sometimes find it easier to trust God when trials come into my life compared to when trials enter the lives of those around me that I love most. I talk myself into believing that I trust God but am just worried how others in my life will handle these trials. Then I realized that I don’t underestimate others I underestimate God. I was afraid to admit this and disguised it in my care for others.

So all of this to say – Do I have a right view of God? Do I trust God with all areas of my life? Do I trust God to answer my prayers his way opposed to my own way? 

I continue to work on my view of God. I need to stop limiting God and putting him in a box. I must continue to trust God and claim his power and might in all areas of my life. Nothing is impossible for my God!

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you God that your ways are perfect and that you give me hope and power as I journey through this life you have so graciously given me. 

Welcome Back

Matthew 18: 12-14 - “If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn't he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers.”

 I have heard the parable of the lost sheep many times. As I read it this time, I loved the fact that even after we are saved God continues to seek us out. He doesn’t just seek or “go after” non believers. He wants to have an on going relationship with us even after he saves us. Although we sin, make mistakes, and choose not to seek God, he is always there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He continues to draw us back to him through convictions, people, circumstances, and ultimately his love and Holy Spirit.

 Thanks you God that even after we wander off over and over again you come after us and bring us back to you. You don’t just allow us to come back but you want us back. You welcome us back with arms wide open full of grace and love.

 

Compassion

Throughout the Gospels Jesus performs many miracles and heals people. The Bible often says that Jesus had compassion on them. He over and over again showed people compassion. Not with an agenda, not with the hopes of getting something in return. No matter how tired he may have been, no matter if he had other things to be done he stopped and showed people compassion. He showed people compassion because of the simple fact that he loved them and they needed it.

This made me think - how often do I show people true compassion without having an underlying selfish ambition? How often do I see people that are in need of true compassion but choose not to act? How busy do I get with my own life that I don't even see people around me that need compassion?  

I love the words to this song and think that it sums up compassion perfectly - "Give me your eyes for just one second.
Give me your eyes so I can see.
Everything that I keep missing,
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted.
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten."

Hope

Romans 4:18, 20-21

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed. . . Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Wow I love these verses. When life is hard and all hope seems to be gone I have the hope and privilege of leaning on God’s promises.

As I read these verses, I asked myself - How strong is my faith in God’s power? Do I feel strengthened by this hope and power or does my faith waver and trials begin to drag me down? I need to have true faith that God and His power will help me in any situation however hopeless it may seem.

I love that the verses also say that Abraham gave glory to God. Often times I pray to God when I feel hopeless, I plead with him for help. He graciously answers my prayers and helps me and then I forget to praise Him and give God the glory. But he is still faithful to me even when I am not always faithful to him – thank you God!

Deliberate

One word has been coming to my mind lately – Deliberate. I feel like I need to be more deliberate in my Christian walk – in both my words and my actions. I do not want to go day after day just “doing my job” or just “being a nice person.” I want to be deliberate in furthering the Kingdom of God. I believe that God gives all of us opportunities each day to serve him and to be a light for him. So now it is my choice – Am I going to be deliberate in taking advantage of every opportunity or just go through another day, another routine, another schedule, or another obligation. 

Harvest

So lately I have been reading in the book of Matthew. I came upon The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. Verse 23 in the Message really stuck out to me: 

"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."

 As I read this verse, I started asking myself some questions - Am I producing any harvest? A little harvest? Let alone a harvest beyond my wildest dreams? I can imagine a “revival,” a “great awakening,” or a “movement.” My mind can imagine God working in so many mighty ways yet sadly it many times stops at just imagining.  I limit God and am unfaithful to him when I only imagine instead of acting.  

God can do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine. We need to live our lives, day-by-day, step-by-step, in being faithful and following his will. Then a harvest can be produced beyond our wildest dreams!

Beginnings

So for a while now I have jotted down some of my thoughts, questions, and prayers with paper and pen in a good old fashion journal. For sometime now, I have been thinking about entering the world of online blogging. I am not going to lie -  the thought of it made me a little nervous. I felt vulnerable actually putting my thoughts up for anyone to read. Then I came to the conclusion that I just needed to do this. As silly as it may sound I think this is going to stretch me. I know that it will be beneficial for me to be a little more open with my thoughts and feelings. 

So my blog may not always have the best writing, perfect grammar, or the most profound thoughts but it will be my genuine thoughts and my real questions that I sometimes ask myself. My hope is that when reading my blog  you may sometimes stop and laugh, stop and think, or simply just stop and enjoy.

So here it goes - I'm officially a blogger!!