Monday Morning Munch No. 11 - Fairy Tales

Once upon a time there was a 23 year old girl who loved blue ink pens, pumpkin spice lattes, camping and Hallmark movies. 

She loved the Lord more than anything in the world and would be perfectly content curled up with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee as the hours ticked by, or perhaps just a journal and an ink pen (preferably blue) by the fireplace. 

In fact, that's where the following blog was conceived. She hopes it encourages you. 

Hallmark movies are so wholesome and sweet and, although thoroughly predictable, I genuinely look forward to watching each new movie they produce. I get swept up in the (predictable) love story, the quirky characters and the impossible situation which true love always overcomes.

Today, as I was washing dishes I realized those movies probably weren't the best thing for my heart.

I mean, they are nothing more than fairy tales. Fictional stories. Nothing but unrealistic fantasies that cause women (and maybe men?) to set standards for a relationship/marriage so high no human could possibly reach.

And, as I continued washing the casserole pans and giant pumpkin-carving knives, it hit me. No, not the knives, thankfully, but the realization that even though I'm single, I'm a part of a love story that puts even the greatest fairy tales to shame.


God, the Creator of the Universe, has redeemed me from my sins, my morality and my good works--which were taking me straight to hell--and lifted me from that path to destruction and sat my foot firmly on the rock- Jesus. Now that very same God, the One who called stars into being and who took the death I deserved, calls me His bride.

What? Yeah. I'm the bride of Christ.

Wow.

And what a wedding feast it will be when He returns for His Church. We really will live happily ever after.

For eternity.

What a celebration of love.
What a Savior.
What a marriage.

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;

be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

For your Maker is your Husband,

the LORD of hosts is His name;

and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

the God of the whole earth He is called.

(Isaiah 54:4-5 ESV)

Monday Morning Munch No. 5 - He Died My Death

The purpose of MMM is to be a little breakfast of encouragement before the week starts, and today I want to share one of the most humbling but encouraging things I've read in a long time.

"Be hard on sin but easy on forgiveness. I think that's what the cross proves about our God. He's hanging there because I put Him there. God is making a statement about what He thinks about my sin as Jesus writhes in agony trying to get enough leverage to just breathe. He's there on the cross because God is saying something about my sin, "I hate it. I'm hard on sin. You want to know how hard I am on sin? Watch Me as I deal with My Son on Calvary." And without mercy, without grace, without pity, without compassion, He brutally killed His Son and made Him to suffer my hell. God is hard on sin so He can be easy to come to me one day and say, "Forgiven.""

-Michael Durham  

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

-2 Corinthians 5:2

If that doesn't wrap you up in a warm blanket of love, humility and awe, I don't know what will.

Jesus became our sin. We were supposed to have His death, but because of love He suffered in our place so that full atonement could be received by us and full glory could be given to Him.

Man of Sorrows! What a Name:

Man of Sorrows! what a name

For the Son of God, Who came 

Ruined sinners to reclaim. 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, 

In my place condemned He stood; 

Sealed my pardon with His blood. 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we; 

Spotless Lamb of God was He; 

Full atonement can it be? 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die; 

"It is finished!" was His cry; 

Now in heaven exalted high. 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King, 

All His ransomed home to bring, 

Then anew His song we'll sing: 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

I pray you are able to see with what pure, redeeming, relentless love God has loved you. He offers redemption and steadfast love to all [Psalm 130:7-8]. And, while He was hard on your sins, He is easy on forgiveness [which in no way makes it acceptable to sin, Romans 6:15]. If you haven't died to yourself and this world, do it today. If you have, be encouraged by the Gospel and preach it to yourself daily as you continue to die to your identity in this world.

Monday Morning Munch No. 1- Word Study: Equip

Welcome to the very first Monday Morning Munch! It is my goal to post a short devotional-esque blog every Monday morning on something God is teaching me that week. I hope you will continue reading and that God would encourage, refresh and feed your hearts so much with His words, not mine.

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This week, as He often does, God has zoned in on one particular word for me to chew on. Word studies are one of my favorite things to do; if there is a word burning in my mind or if I’m trying to better grasp what a word means in relation to the Bible (the real Word), I’ll look up the definition then every verse that has that particular word in it and try to gain a better understanding.

Clearly you wouldn’t want to do a word study on the word the, and, or so.

Anyway, this week the word was equip.

It all started when I was praying Hebrews 13:20-21,

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good work that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

During Passion 2010, Beth Moore defined equip to mean:

To prepare,

to adjust,

to fit,

to readjust,

to supply,

to mold,

to complete.

So put that definition in the verse:

Our Lord Jesus, by the blood of the eternal covenant, prepares, adjusts, fits, readjusts, supplies, molds, and completes us with every good work so that we may do His will.

Wow.

So then I looked up the other verses with equip in it.

Turns out there are only three passages in the Bible with that word in it.

Short study. 

But so good.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17

Not only does God Himself equip us through life experiences, trials and other people, but His primary way of preparing, adjusting, fitting, readjusting, supplying, molding, and completing us is through His precious Word (which He breathed out).

Question for application:

• Am I ignoring or overlooking this method of His equipping or am I diving head first into His Scripture to be as equipped as possible?

This next verse was my absolute favorite.

“I call you by name, I name you though you do not know Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides Me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me; I am the Lord and there is no other.” –Isaiah 45:4b-6

How awesome to consider that before we knew God He knew us and was equipping us to make His name famous. Think about that. Before salvation ever took place, God was equipping (preparing, adjusting, fitting, readjusting, supplying, molding, and completing) you for the very things you are facing today.

How deep the Father’s love for us!

 

My Mind is Blown

Selfish.
Humbled.
Challenged.
Awestruck.
Inspired.

What I felt after watching the following video on Steve Saint.

Steve Saint (son of Nate Saint who was martyred in Ecuador with Jim Elliot and three other missionaries in 1956) was paralyzed on June 13th. He was conducting a test on a small aluminum airfoil mounted on a rolling test stand when it became unmounted and struck Steve in the head causing cuts to his head and resulting in whiplash and a major spinal cord injury.

The following is a video of him during rehabilitation after his surgery on June 20. I pray that it ministers to you in the midst of whatever trial you’re in and that our perspective is not that of a self-seeking, flesh-gratifying human being, but of one who can see the gift of God even amid suffering.

Give and Take

This culture has a mindset of give and take. You give to me and then I'll give back to you.

But guess what? That's the culture, and, as New Testament Christians, we are called to be opposite of culture and what is popular with the world. Just look at Romans 12:2

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

So, if we're supposed to be opposite of the world, what does New Testament "giving and taking" look like? Well, if you look at scripture it's a whole lot more giving and very little taking, except for taking part in the immeasurable grace and lavish love of our amazing Father. Which, if you think about it, is enough to satisfy us for eternity. So give into His love and take part in His grace. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a win-win situation.

My wonderful brother-in-law, Whitt, has been sharing ways to "Give this Christmas Away" on his supremely awesome blog that you should read here. The inspiration for his daily posts encouraging giving come from Matthew West's book, appropriately titled, Give this Christmas Away, and the purpose of the devotionals is to recognize that God has given to us so we can give to others.

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." -2 Corinthians 9:11 

We are called to put others before ourselves and become servants, following the example of the greatest servant the world will ever know, Jesus Christ.

And, as I've been striving to live radically different from the world, God has heightened my awareness to different ways we can give to others, and as mom and I were standing in the check out lane at Walmart this week one of His ideas came to me.

Lets think about this, the Christmas season has become so commercialized that the hustle and bustle of the season have added two new buddies: stress and press (through the crowds). And who has to deal with these pesky little joy snatchers more than the workers in retail stores? They have to put up with inconsiderate people pushing and shoving, sometimes clawing their way to get to the best sale or to get that last toy on the shelf. Speaking of shelves, customers mess up the displays and don't put unwanted items back where they belong, they don't take the time to wait for others but are too caught up in the moment and the hunt of finding that certain gift to check off their list that they temporarily (or not-so-temporarily) lose even the simplest concern for the workers who must fix the displays, round up the carts left scattered across wintery parking lots and run the cash registers for them while dealing with a less than pleasant 'tude.

Okay, so not every shopping experience is like this. In fact, sometimes Christmas and the "spirit" of the season brings out the best in people (which the Bible says is like filthy rags...) and they're sweet, thoughtful and patient with every person they encounter, but, lets be honest, those occasions are few and far between.

But what if we purchased gift cards from stores or restaurants and carried them around with us and gave them to store workers who seem to be having a particularly rough day? Or maybe give one to the employee who seems to have joy unexplainable and isn't letting their stressful circumstances affect their attitude? Pray for the Spirit to show you who is to recieve the gift, sometimes it won't make sense but just be obedient and leave the results up to God.

Why should we give to others?

Most importantly because the Bible says too.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." -1 John 3:17-18

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." -Luke 6:35

"Give and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put in your bosom for with the same measure that you use, it will be measure back to you." -Luke 6:38

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." -2 Corinthians 9:11

We love because God has loved us. We give because He has given to us. When we didn't deserve it. When we thought we could live without it. When we didn't want Him. When we spit in His face. When we rebelled.

So why shouldn't we pour out what He has poured into us? We are called to love the world and extend a picture of the Gospel to them through our lives. And you might notice as you read through Scripture and follow God through the highs and lows of life, that He didn't just give to us one time. No, He gives to us over and over, His mercies are new every morning. So this whole "season of giving" should be a life of giving, I mean, Jesus gave His whole life. Literally.  

Will you join me in living and giving radically to the world Jesus died for as He has so generously given to us?

Let's take less and give more this Christmas and throughout the rest of our lives.

Giving Thanks

As much as I like to be original, I'm following in the path of my brother-in-law (Whitt Madden ) and others like him who have made lists of what they are thankful for.


So on this day, the last Thursday of November, I will share a few of the things that make me thankful.

• Salvation from the horrible sickness of sin that is given only from and through the Lord Jesus Christ. "Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free//For God the just was satisfied to look on Him and pardon me."
• The cross. This life doesn't make sense without it.
• The Word of God that is living and active and real.
• My family. I've been so blessed with godly parents who love Him and desire to live in a manner that brings glory to Him.
• Murray. The cute little city and school, but especially for the family of believers God has allowed me to be a part of. I am continually overwhelmed by their faith, testimony and desire to serve the Lord in all things, I'm so blessed to have friends my own age who are seeking the Lord's will for their lives and striving to live according to it.
• God's amazing provision.
• C&C (coffee and conversation) with my sister and brother-in-law.
• Music. Especially worship music like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tenth Avenue North, and others who sing the truth and display God's majesty through song.
• Books; like Radical, 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die, When God Writes Your Love Story, and more.
• This summer and all the lessons God taught me through the experience.
• The Church.
• Scripture that says I am the bride of Christ.
• Fall.
• Spring.
• Baseball (St. Louis Cardinals).
• My iPhone.
• Cameras.
• Christmas decorations.
• Love. Infinite, free, matchless, deep; the Love that came to die so we could live. Love that covers all.

It is so important for us to be filled with thanks before and after we are filled with food. Be thankful today and everyday.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." -Hebrews 12:28-29

Updates, Discoveries and Prayer Requests

Updates and discoveries...

• I'm leaving for the internship on Tuesday. 
• I'll be on the East Tour just like we prayed for! The schedule is here if you want to check it out. 12 states. 3 months. Excitement abounds.
• Packing for three months is really hard.
• My neighbor, his wife, and their grandson will be at one of the Tour stops competing. (So cool!)
• Tomorrow is my last day at work, and while the girl replacing me is fantastic, I'm going to miss the easy routine and client interaction.
• God has the best plans. This isn't really a discovery because I've known for years, but He keeps proving His sovereignty and supreme awesomeness over every detail in my life and am blessed and overwhelmed.

 Prayer Requests...

• First and foremost that God would protect us (physically, emotionally, spiritually).
• That He will use this time to minister to me and through me to others. This is a mission experience even if I'm not going to Africa.
• That I'll be placed on the East Tour. (Answered prayer!)
• A laptop with a big HD. I'll be taking three online classes this summer while we're on the tour in order to graduate from the community college and go to Murray in the fall, a laptop is a necessity. (Answered prayer!)
  
• That the people on the tour will be "good" people, and that there would be at least one true believer.
• That the online classes will go smoothly and that balance between work, school and free time will come easily.
• That God would be with my parents and help them through this time of watching their "baby" grow up and leave the home. 
• Not related to the internship but a prayer request nonetheless, that God will supply the finances for fall tuition (and every semester thereafter) at Murray. I know God wants me there so I know He will provide the means to make it happen. He never fails. (He's already doing this! Isn't He awesome?!)
• Related to that, I pray that God will grant me favor in the eyes of the people selecting the scholarships.
• Also related to finances in the fall, I pray that God would give me a good job that will work around school/newspaper. 
• An awesome roommate at Murray. 

I will praise Him if He does all this and I will praise Him if He takes me a completely different way. He has the best plans and I will trust Him with my heart, dreams, and life, come what may. He is worthy of praise despite my feelings and circumstances.

"Many are the plans in the heart of man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."  - Proverbs 19:21

True Love

Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true Love died, the day that true Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day the true love died, the day that true love died

Search your hearts you know you can't deny it
Lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only son just to save us

Jesus is alive
He rose again!

-Phil Wickham

Waiting for Butter

In my pursuit of sexual purity and saving not only my body but heart for my future husband, I've always likened the physical purity as waiting for butter. Butter is the real thing and, when made the way God intended, is healthier and better for you than anything offered on store shelves. Sex in the confines of marriage--the way God intended--is the best. Anything less is margarine. Just a substitute.

Let's list a couple of the offered substitutes in today's society:

• Coke vs. generic
• Butter vs. margarine
• iPod vs. any other mp3 player
• Off-brands in general are substitutes for the real thing (definitely not knocking off-brands, that's basically the only way to shop- I adore Aldi's)

So in a world full of substitutes (and let's just face it, most substitutes aren't as great as the real thing... you can usually tell a difference in quality, taste, and overall satisfaction), Jesus died a substitutional death. (Can I get an amen for the substitute of my sins?) The only substitute that is better than the real thing.

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4

He died as a substitute for my sins so I would have too.

Anything less than God's best may bring temporary (fleeting) happiness, but will not satisfy. God gave His best because He was the only One who could satisfy His judgement.

What an amazing substitute.

How He loves us...

I just saw this and am now bawling my eyes out. Wow. Just wow.

Let the Waters Rise

"Don't know where to begin

It's like my world's caving in
And I tried but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

Sometimes it's so hard to pray
You feel so far away
I am willing to go where You want me to
God I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
‘Cause You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach

God You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding on to You
 

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

There's a raging sea

Right in front of me

Wants to pull me in

Bring me to my knees

So let the waters rise

If You want them to

I will follow You

I will follow You

I will follow You"

Could We With Ink the Ocean Fill...

And were the skies of parchment made
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Let it sink in. Let it resonate through your being. The wonderful, amazing, relentless love of God. We can never absorb it all and we can never deserve any of it, yet unceasingly He pours it out on us. I'm amazed and overwhelmed at His love for me.

An Ear Popping Experience

Today I went to my chiropractor. This is not unusual. I love going to the chiropractor and getting adjusted. I believe with all of my heart that the Power that made the body heals the body, and that in order to function at your optimum level your body must be in alignment—the way God designed.

When I went to Lone Oak Chiropractic (shameless advertising) today, however, I didn’t expect to receive such a practical application of God’s love.

Let me back up and fill you in on some details.

I’ve been going to see the guys at LOC for years, and God has given each one of them a special gift to touch people’s lives and change it for the better. I got sick Saturday night (fever, cough, fatigue, earache); Tuesday morning I went to the office where Jason moved all my bones around while I laid on the table and grimaced. However, I didn’t think things were going terribly bad… until he adjusted my ear. It hurt like crap. Not joking. I cried. Pretty hard. Then I got the hiccups, which made my ear hurt worse. I don’t have the highest pain tolerance in the world, but I’ve never experienced pain like that before, it was almost unbearable. Last night I went to bed and it was still hurting pretty bad, but God finally allowed me to rest.

So this morning: I wake up, feeling much better, and go back to the office for another appointment (because of the sickness I’m getting adjusted every day) and I warn Jason that if he touched my ear I’d do something that would make him wish he hadn’t (I said something to that effect anyway). His response was, “But you need it. And you said you feel better.” I had no comment to that. I knew he was right.

After he finished putting me in my place (structurally), I told him he could adjust my ear. He said, “I’m not going to force you.”

I didn’t think much about his responses at the time, but as the day went on they kept running through my head. The reason: it was a teachable moment. A little life lesson from the Chiropractor’s office.

“But you need it.” For some reason that line would not get out of my head, I kept thinking about it over and over again. Then it hit me. I did NOT want him to adjust my ear. Why? I was scared. I didn’t want it to hurt like it had yesterday. Yet, even with the pain it was what I needed.

God does that too, doesn’t He? He allows things to happen that may bring us pain but it is always for our best. Always for our best. Always what we need. He loves us that much. Crazy amazing!

Then Jason said, “I’m not going to force you.” He was going to let me make my own decision. If I wouldn’t have let him adjust me because of my fear, would I have been right? No. He’s my doctor and he knows best. Just like God is God (enough said right there), and we need to trust Him just because of who He is. But, Jason was going to let me make the decision; he wasn’t going to talk me into it or list all the ways it would help me. In the same way, God lets us make our own decisions. He doesn’t force us do anything, that’s why He gave us free will. He wants our obedience to be just that- our own. Not something mechanical, but genuine. He loves us enough to give us a choice.

Well, Jason did adjust my ear and now it isn’t aching, just a little sensitive. He really knows what he’s doing.

One final thought- just like we as humans need our bodies to be in alignment to function at our highest level, we as Christians need to be aligned with God’s Word as He designed. I so desperately need to remember this. I struggle so much with wanting control of every situation and when I’m not focusing on God and the good plans He has for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), I think I know what’s best for me. When, obviously, I just want to take the easy way out instead of trusting that someone else knows best.

Thanks, Jason, for adjusting me so much this week and letting God use you to teach me an ear popping lesson.

1 Peter 5:10- “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

Jeremiah 29:11- “”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans of good and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.””

Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”