After we accept Christ he transforms our heart to be more like his. This is one of my favorite things to experience, in my life and others. These changes are scary to some... will I still be myself, will I have the same feelings or will I like the same things? In my experience, you are such a better version of yourself that you would never look back, ever!
Last night I was having a late night snack at Waffle House with my husband. There was a father there feeding his son who was wheelchair bound. This father had obviously taken his son to the same country music concert we had been to, they were in cowboy boots and jeans (my kinda men) and having a great time. My husband and I just couldn't help but notice what a perfect picture of love this was.
Before we would have looked and quickly looked away, not knowing how to feel. But Christ has transformed our hearts, not only break for the same things, but to break for what breaks His. Now we look and take in this beautiful picture in deep admiration, respect and genuine love. What a bright light the two of them were... I felt honored to be eating in the same Waffle House :)
Love one another fiercely today... like LIONS!!!
May God give you eyes to see beauty only the heart can understand.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Humility
I am going through a process of learning more humility. I like knowing things, not to be better than anyone else, just to know I have the answer. But I can imagine, and I do, that this comes across negatively. The 'less is more' rule applies here... I need to speak less so that when I do, it will mean more. This is a God-given work in progress.
... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.. James 1:19
It is sometimes hard not to be proud when you have fought so hard to keep your son alive and healthy... I am proud this, of him, of my family and of how far he has come. I am proud that it brought my husband and I closer to each other and to God. I am proud of the trials we have faced and conquered.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4
Know-it-all, bossy, blunt, rude... I have been called all of these things. I am always trying to help, but I just need to be quiet and more supportive. I hope persevere through this and become more mature in my faith and in this world.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Just Moments
Let Jesus be in your heart,
Eternity in your spirit,
The world under your feet,
The will of God in your actions.
And let the love of God shine forth from you.
Catherine of Genoa
This was a tough week, but I tried to keep a clear vision of God's calling on my life (allow his will into my actions)... so i could walk the lighted path instead of the dark road. I have dark moments, like we all do, but they are just moments.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Choose to Follow and Serve
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. (Psalm 37:4)
I really do believe we serve a God that loves us and wants to give us all we want. Of course there is bad, evil and ugly things in this world. But I am so much happier following Christ and serving a God that IS love. Bottom line, God is good even though life is hard... choose to serve and follow.
Thankful of all things today, my supportive husband, our grill (yum), prince lionheart one and two, opportunity and grace.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Herd
“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21
"... But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:31
How hard is this? We all want money, maybe not excessive, but the comfort money brings. He is not only talking about money here, any earthly possessions are wealth, and we all have those. I love boots, not more than I love Jesus, but I love them none the less. If I am wearing a beautiful new pair of boots and I encounter someone who needs my boots, how much do I really love them? Jesus asks us to not hold on to our earthly possessions, if he put this person in my path then I guess I need to hand over my boots. This is a great example of stepping away from the herd. The herd likes stuff, the herd likes money and I'm not so sure that the herd would give away their boots?
But after giving away your boots is when you start to discover the treasure that you are, the impact you can make, and the love that lives inside of you. You start finding the REAL you, the one Christ intended you to be.
After writing the above, re-reading and re-reading...
With tears streaming down my face, I need this message to resonate in my own heart... I struggle with stuff (not in a pathetic way - but in a real kinda way). It's not so hard for me to get rid of it, I can easily give something to someone who needs it, but there is always more that I want for myself and my family. I have earthly dreams and goals that I'm not so sure fit in with who God is calling me to be.
Praying for people who give no matter how little they have.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Good Things
Some good things i have heard recently...
What 2 things can you get rid of to make more room for God in your life?
Is Jesus center of your world or something you fit in when you have time?
You don't pray FOR something you pray FROM it. With trust in God we don't have to ask, we know it will be done. He knows what we desire before we ask.
What 2 things can you get rid of to make more room for God in your life?
Is Jesus center of your world or something you fit in when you have time?
You don't pray FOR something you pray FROM it. With trust in God we don't have to ask, we know it will be done. He knows what we desire before we ask.
Friday, September 9, 2011
God vs 9-11
Anyone ever have those days where your struck by the absolute fragility of human life? With all these 9-11 specials on TV, anticipating the ten year anniversary, I find myself meditating on this.
Ten years ago I was a student at the Fashion Institute in NYC, I lived on Long Island and commuted three days a week into Manhattan. On September 11, 2001, I started my day with a stop at 7-Eleven to grab some coffee, then hit the Long Island Expressway for my two hour drive into the city. I was just about to head into the Mid-Town Tunnel when the song broke on the radio and the news cut in that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Initially it was thought that it was an accident, so I called my Mom and kept driving. We talked about how impossible it was for that to be an accident and that maybe I should turn around before I get into the city. Just as we spoke the words the second plane hit. I pulled a U-turn and sped home as fast as I could with the image of the smoking towers in my rear view mirror. I watched the rest unfold on TV, from the safety and comfort of my childhood home.
So one of the specials I watched was on PBS, regarding how 9-11 affected peoples faith. Some saying they had to turn to God because nothing else could make them feel better or explain where their loved one went after such a violent death. One woman's mother died in the towers and she just couldn't imagine that, that was it for her wonderful, loving, kind and amazing mother... so she turned to God. Then others argued, "if their is a God he must be very indifferent." Or that there could be no God if things like this happen. I understood and had compassion for all sides of the argument.
Another tragedy is all the volunteers who felt compelled to help clean-up, dig up bodies, and just generally get lower Manhattan back up and running. These guys are all dying now, they all have so many cancers and other illnesses from the chemicals, ash, and residue they breathed in on Ground Zero. Some have died already, and some have been given a few years. So where is God?
I wish I had amazing answers to these questions and accusations against God... but I am not that wise. What I believe is that we live in a world under the attack of evil and if we allow these evil things, done by evil people, to pull us away from God, then evil wins. We are constantly fighting this battle, even when it's: do I read my Bible or watch Jersey Shore (you can't tell me Jersey Shore isn't evil)? God is good, he wants good for us and he can make good out of bad - of course this is easy for me to say sitting in my house watching things unfold on TV. But I have been through my valleys before, and in my experience, God has never forsaken me. He always leaves me better than I was before.
One of the many reasons I know there is a God, is the presence of evil. I think most people can agree that there is evil in this world. So for me, if there is evil then there has to be good. God is good.
Ten years ago I was a student at the Fashion Institute in NYC, I lived on Long Island and commuted three days a week into Manhattan. On September 11, 2001, I started my day with a stop at 7-Eleven to grab some coffee, then hit the Long Island Expressway for my two hour drive into the city. I was just about to head into the Mid-Town Tunnel when the song broke on the radio and the news cut in that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Initially it was thought that it was an accident, so I called my Mom and kept driving. We talked about how impossible it was for that to be an accident and that maybe I should turn around before I get into the city. Just as we spoke the words the second plane hit. I pulled a U-turn and sped home as fast as I could with the image of the smoking towers in my rear view mirror. I watched the rest unfold on TV, from the safety and comfort of my childhood home.
So one of the specials I watched was on PBS, regarding how 9-11 affected peoples faith. Some saying they had to turn to God because nothing else could make them feel better or explain where their loved one went after such a violent death. One woman's mother died in the towers and she just couldn't imagine that, that was it for her wonderful, loving, kind and amazing mother... so she turned to God. Then others argued, "if their is a God he must be very indifferent." Or that there could be no God if things like this happen. I understood and had compassion for all sides of the argument.
Another tragedy is all the volunteers who felt compelled to help clean-up, dig up bodies, and just generally get lower Manhattan back up and running. These guys are all dying now, they all have so many cancers and other illnesses from the chemicals, ash, and residue they breathed in on Ground Zero. Some have died already, and some have been given a few years. So where is God?
I wish I had amazing answers to these questions and accusations against God... but I am not that wise. What I believe is that we live in a world under the attack of evil and if we allow these evil things, done by evil people, to pull us away from God, then evil wins. We are constantly fighting this battle, even when it's: do I read my Bible or watch Jersey Shore (you can't tell me Jersey Shore isn't evil)? God is good, he wants good for us and he can make good out of bad - of course this is easy for me to say sitting in my house watching things unfold on TV. But I have been through my valleys before, and in my experience, God has never forsaken me. He always leaves me better than I was before.
One of the many reasons I know there is a God, is the presence of evil. I think most people can agree that there is evil in this world. So for me, if there is evil then there has to be good. God is good.
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