HOPE

This is Day 11 out of Ruth Meyers’ book, 31 Days of Priase. I thought it to be so important and filled with the Spirit that I could not hoard it to myself, but deemed it so powerful that I had to share it with others. I will not blog for awhile as these words are words of hope, they are alive, and as I typed them they made my heart radiate with overwhelming joy. What a hope we have in Jesus!

Thank You, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today…that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born…and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.

Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You’ve allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You’re so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph…how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessing, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.

I praise You that the things that happened in my past, both enjoyable and painful, are raw materials for blessings, both in my life and in the lives of others. So I thank You for the specific family (or lack of family) into which I was born and the opportunities You did or did not provide. And thank You for the things in my past that appear to be limitations, hindrances, bad breaks…the wounds of old hurts, the unmet emotional needs, the mistakes or neglect of other people – even their cruelty to me, their abuse.

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

How comforting to know that in all my distresses You were distressed. And how I thank You, Lord Jesus, that on the cross You bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, as well as my sins…that I can kneel at the cross and worship You as the One who took on Yourself all my pain and experienced it to the full. And how comforting to know that in the present, day by day, You feel with me any pain, confusion, inner bondage, or struggles that stem from my past. Thank You that all these seeming disadvantages are a backdrop for the special, unfolding plan You have in mind for me…and that if my past still handicaps me, You are able to lead me to the kind of help I need.

I’m so grateful that all my past circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word…to draw me to Yourself, and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things – You are now, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom, whether or not I can yet fully see it.

And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life – this temporary life – and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried… (Isaiah 53:4)

Scripture References (by paragraph)
1. Isaiah 46:3; 46:9,10; Psalm 139:16; Isaiah 63:9; 53:4
2. 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 5:9; Genesis 37; 50:17-20
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
4. Isaiah 63:9; 53:4
5. Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 66:6-12; 1 Timothy 6:15 (Phillips)
6. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Friday Night Lights

La la la la la laaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!
Tonight is date night.
Steve is picking up fajita stuff at the store.
I picked up the best dang queso in Tejas from Texas Love & War.
At times, this phrase could easily describe our marriage.
He's renting that Adam Sandler movie, Click...
We're making ritas!
We're going to enjoy some good food and a movie.
And, I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you on the flip side.
I'm trying to blog more often.
Can't you tell?
Tell me what you did on your Friday night?
I wanna know...

Oh, almost forgot..
I saw 5 minutes of the Friday Night Lights TV series
and I think I threw up a little bit
Seriously, they act like football is a life or death situation
It's like the stadium is the house of God
and you do not desecrate the laws of football
I will never get it.

Confessions

It comes on after The Office…
It’s embarrassing that I watch it.
I must confess I am a closet Deal or No Deal watcher.
Phew.
Glad that case is off my chest.
A few more cases to open…

dear church (that's me)

(a response to the premise of "dear church" - it got me thinking)

i, myself, am the church.

when i face myself in the mirror i am looking at the church. we (people who follow christ) are the church. i need a positive movement to the greatest commandment, "love the lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. and love your neighbor as yourself." (mark 12:30-31)

the man i disagree with is me. he is a part of the church. i am a part of the church. we are one.

we are the church. we are hosea's wife (the book of hosea). we are christ's bride (eph 5:22-35). we are the adulterous woman (proverbs 22:14). we are the church. we are one (ephesians 4:3-5). we screw up (every character in the bible except christ). when we stub our toe, the whole body feels the pain. when we look in the mirror, we are looking at the body which contains the holy spirit. there is not a separate spirit for each person. there is only one spirit and one faith and one mind (1 corinthians 1:10). we are one. so whether we are healthly or our body is ridden with cancer, we cling to the one who heals, loves, and restores. we cling to christ, abba, and the spirit...and allow the holy trinity to work. we give up our lives. we take risks. we love the unlovable and we restore the brokenhearted. we love the lord with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind and with our whole strength and we love humanity. if we focus on our own condition/ if we criticize our own position, we are going to lose sight of god's heart. he never wanted perfect people to use; he wanted weak people. we are a weak church. christ, let your power be made strong in our insufficiencies.

may we show each other grace when we royally mess up. may we be open arms to a broken spirit. may we pray with all our strength for those who have not tasted your goodness - that they may taste you.


The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people (the church, you & me) will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:11-12

i have a feeling god's going to hold me to all of this.

Good News / Bad News

Friday night I receive a call from the printer I am working with on a huge design project and the voicemail says we have a pretty serious problem regarding my artwork. There were no specifics, just "pretty serious problem" - the message was left at 4:21 in the afternoon. I got it at 10 that evening right before I was going to lay my pretty head on my pretty pillow and now "pretty serious problem" was running through my pretty, little brain.

Saturday, I get a message from a good friend and former boss, and she says she has great news and to call her back! I didn't get a chance to call, but need some advice for future good news/ bad news situations...

What news do you like to hear first? The good news or the bad news? And why?