This week has been a week of waiting. Waiting for the sun to come out, waiting for a huge life altering exam on Saturday, and most importantly, waiting for God's voice to become clear on a number of things. It has been a week of trying to find moments of peace and calm where I could sit and reflect. Today, as I have begun to recognize God's hand in specific areas of my life, I am so thankful that I have a God who wants control of my life. I returned to a passage which I hadn't read in a very long time, Jeremiah 29:11-14.
I know what
I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not
abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.
As I sit and let this truth wash over me, I find that place of peace. God is always speaking to me, his voice always there. When I ask, he will answer in some way. So as I wait again this upcoming week, I know that I can wait in the peace that comes with the understanding that I have an all powerful God who has control of my life. He will open and close doors as I wait for him.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Spring Cleaning: Both Inside and Out.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
-Psalm 51:10
Despite the massive amounts of snow piled up outside of my residence, SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Yes, this is a cause for celebration... It is also a cause to pull out the vaccuum and clear out the dust that settled in all those hidden corners during the cold months of winter. As I was doing some rearranging in my room this morning, I realized that I need to do some Spring cleaning in my spiritual life as well. University life doesn't make it easy to keep priorities straight... I've messed up big this year with friendships, time management, and most importantly, my relationship with God. As I look at my previous blog posts, I see a girl who was so on fire for her Creator. She wanted to share it with the world. Everyday she would search for new ways that God was speaking to her. Now, those areas have gathered dust and it's time that I cleaned them out and let them shine again. :)
Psalm 5:10 is a plea from David, asking God to completely renew him. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use some renewing these days. This is why, as of today, I am asking God to help me with my spring cleaning. I'll handle the physical cleaning of my room, but I know that I am going to need his assistance in cleaning up my relationship with Him. Luckily for me, God is merciful. He doesn't look at the mistakes I have made these past 7 months; rather He looks at the fact that I am coming to Him with the knowledge that I need Him to make me whole again.
So as we all embark on this new season, take a moment to think about the areas in your life that you have let get filled with dust and cobwebs. Guaranteed, you have at least one place. Make it a spring goal to clean that area out with the help of your Creator! Spring is a time for new beginnings, so what better time to find a new beginning for yourself!
and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
-Psalm 51:10
Despite the massive amounts of snow piled up outside of my residence, SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Yes, this is a cause for celebration... It is also a cause to pull out the vaccuum and clear out the dust that settled in all those hidden corners during the cold months of winter. As I was doing some rearranging in my room this morning, I realized that I need to do some Spring cleaning in my spiritual life as well. University life doesn't make it easy to keep priorities straight... I've messed up big this year with friendships, time management, and most importantly, my relationship with God. As I look at my previous blog posts, I see a girl who was so on fire for her Creator. She wanted to share it with the world. Everyday she would search for new ways that God was speaking to her. Now, those areas have gathered dust and it's time that I cleaned them out and let them shine again. :)
Psalm 5:10 is a plea from David, asking God to completely renew him. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use some renewing these days. This is why, as of today, I am asking God to help me with my spring cleaning. I'll handle the physical cleaning of my room, but I know that I am going to need his assistance in cleaning up my relationship with Him. Luckily for me, God is merciful. He doesn't look at the mistakes I have made these past 7 months; rather He looks at the fact that I am coming to Him with the knowledge that I need Him to make me whole again.
So as we all embark on this new season, take a moment to think about the areas in your life that you have let get filled with dust and cobwebs. Guaranteed, you have at least one place. Make it a spring goal to clean that area out with the help of your Creator! Spring is a time for new beginnings, so what better time to find a new beginning for yourself!
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Power of Music...
This week as I've read through Joshua, I have felt God speak to me in many ways other then through His word. Yes, I have been touched by many of the verses but that is not what I feel lead to write about today. Instead, I feel that I need to reflect on a song that came on my ipod while I was reading a few days ago. Music is my connector to God. He speaks to me on so many different levels through various artists and songs allowing me to become so emotionally and spiritually involved in Him. Bellarive has quickly become one of my absolute favourite Christian bands. They lead the worship times at Youth Quake, a conference that I attended in February, and their songs have God's presence weaved right through each word and line. The song that really stuck out to me though as I read through Joshua was a song called Tendons(The Release). It reflected what was occuring in my heart at that moment and as I listened, I felt a prayer coming from my soul to God my Creator. It was spectacular, a feeling that is very hard to describe! So I am giving you the second half of the lyrics to ponder over and I pray that they will touch you the same way that they touched me.
Tendons(The Release)
By Bellarive
....
If the Titanic was made to sink
Then so was my heart
For I made sure it was impenetrable
Oh, what a wretched man I am
Who will save me from this flesh
Paul whispers in my ear,
“Oh, don’t worry my friend …
You’re in good company”
Poets before me have tried
to measure this love
And if 40,000 brothers cannot
with all of their quantity of love
make up this sum
Then how can my heart contain this mass
It would only burst at the seams into
a million tender pieces
So what then
What good is a broken heart to You
Could you even hear my heart from there
And like a father assuring his son
to come home
“Oh my son, it’s enough, it’s enough”
So who am I to accept this grace
that just falls like rain
‘Cause we all know I chose to lay
my head in this desert
But like a fish out of water
We only know then what it means
to be parched
So if Christ is alive, the love,
and the groom
Then take heed my friends
For chivalry is not dead
For I know no other lover who would
have met me here in this place
So I awake and I rise from my bed
of complacency
Oh, my God I’ve been sleeping
with a corpse
Oh, and these bed sores they still
rest in my bones
Oh, how I’ve made a beautiful dance
with this cadaver but my audience
is appalled
Oh, how strong these tendons
How they desperately need to rip
from this ancient Adam
So light up the sky and
Set me a flame
Burn this bone and tissue
For I no longer want to be
entangled in this sinew
That hinders my reach towards You.
<3
Tendons(The Release)
By Bellarive
....
If the Titanic was made to sink
Then so was my heart
For I made sure it was impenetrable
Oh, what a wretched man I am
Who will save me from this flesh
Paul whispers in my ear,
“Oh, don’t worry my friend …
You’re in good company”
Poets before me have tried
to measure this love
And if 40,000 brothers cannot
with all of their quantity of love
make up this sum
Then how can my heart contain this mass
It would only burst at the seams into
a million tender pieces
So what then
What good is a broken heart to You
Could you even hear my heart from there
And like a father assuring his son
to come home
“Oh my son, it’s enough, it’s enough”
So who am I to accept this grace
that just falls like rain
‘Cause we all know I chose to lay
my head in this desert
But like a fish out of water
We only know then what it means
to be parched
So if Christ is alive, the love,
and the groom
Then take heed my friends
For chivalry is not dead
For I know no other lover who would
have met me here in this place
So I awake and I rise from my bed
of complacency
Oh, my God I’ve been sleeping
with a corpse
Oh, and these bed sores they still
rest in my bones
Oh, how I’ve made a beautiful dance
with this cadaver but my audience
is appalled
Oh, how strong these tendons
How they desperately need to rip
from this ancient Adam
So light up the sky and
Set me a flame
Burn this bone and tissue
For I no longer want to be
entangled in this sinew
That hinders my reach towards You.
<3
Sunday, August 19, 2012
And the Challenge Reveals Itself...
Reading through Leviticus and Numbers has been a challenge for me as it isn't the type of stuff that I read very often. I'll admit, I skimmed through alot of Leviticus, and for Numbers, I listened to it on my ipod while I was packing. It gave me a new perspective to hear someone else reading God's Word outloud to me. Unfortunately, I was easily distracted and I had to go back and reread some of the chapters.
Anyways, I got a glimpse of how this 90 Day Challenge is indeed a challenge. God's Word doesn't always become personal the first time (or the second time) that you read it. I realize now that for scripture to really hit home, I need to be focusing on it more in depth and with a deep longing to learn and be changed. This is one area that I am excited to grow in throughout this Challenge.
Another thing that became clear to me today during church is that knowledge is not wisdom. The things that God is teaching me through this Challenge mean NOTHING to me unless I am able to apply in my everyday life. I got the chance to see this in action today even as I was learning it through the message at church. Just saying a simple "yes" to God when He asks me to do something is a huge step in the right direction on the pathway of wisdom. So as I sit here writing this, I am thankful for all of the second chances that God has given me when I have said "no" to him. As I reflect on God's Word, I am also going to begin praying that God will give me the oppertunities to apply each thing that He teaches me to some aspect in life. I have an feeling that this is just the beginning of an incredible journey which God is going to take me on, as well as any other person who has a willing heart to be a servant for Christ. :)
Anyways, I got a glimpse of how this 90 Day Challenge is indeed a challenge. God's Word doesn't always become personal the first time (or the second time) that you read it. I realize now that for scripture to really hit home, I need to be focusing on it more in depth and with a deep longing to learn and be changed. This is one area that I am excited to grow in throughout this Challenge.
Another thing that became clear to me today during church is that knowledge is not wisdom. The things that God is teaching me through this Challenge mean NOTHING to me unless I am able to apply in my everyday life. I got the chance to see this in action today even as I was learning it through the message at church. Just saying a simple "yes" to God when He asks me to do something is a huge step in the right direction on the pathway of wisdom. So as I sit here writing this, I am thankful for all of the second chances that God has given me when I have said "no" to him. As I reflect on God's Word, I am also going to begin praying that God will give me the oppertunities to apply each thing that He teaches me to some aspect in life. I have an feeling that this is just the beginning of an incredible journey which God is going to take me on, as well as any other person who has a willing heart to be a servant for Christ. :)
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Details, Details, Details...
I remember last year, during my Christian Ethics 20 Class, when I was supposed to read through the Old Testament. My teacher had told us to read each book throughly with one exception... Leviticus. Being the good student I was, I made sure to do exactly as he said and I skimmed through Leviticus without giving it much thought. This time, however, as I read through the end of Exodus and all of Leviticus for the 90 Day Challenge, I have decided to try and find areas in my life where the over all themes of these two books apply to my own life. One of the key things that has stuck out for me so far is the emphasis that God places on details. Normally I would try and use one of the verses to back up this but basically the entire book of Leviticus does that for me. If you want proof of what I am saying, just go check it out for yourself!
In the end of Exodus and Leviticus, God seems to have an interest in the details of life. He specifies every little thing for the creation of His Sanctuary. From the type of wood that everything should be made out of down to the underwear that the Priests needed to wear, God knew exactly what He wanted and He made sure that He would get it. By the time we hit Leviticus, God is describing in detail the different kind of sacrifices that needed to be made, how they needed to be made, what should and/or should not have been done, and what was clean and unclean. To me, this almost seems like a little bit to much attention paid to the details. But who are we to question God right?
Confused about all of these details, I sat down and looked at my own life and then it hit me. If God would pay this much attention to the details of a man made sanctuary (Yes, it was also God inspired which makes it pretty awesome) and to everything else, then that means that He pays that much attention to the details in my own life. Things that currently seem to be large problems to me such as finances for university, finding a good church to attend, and the fact that I am moving out on my own in two weeks, are minor details to God. He sees my life as a whole, each individual excitement, worry, or event being a small puzzle peice fitting into the larger picture. So I ask myself one final question to finish this off for the night (I would encourage you to reflect on it for a moment as well). Why do we spend so much time worrying about these details when God has them under control? He knows what we need and promises to provide for us. Isn't that enough?
In the end of Exodus and Leviticus, God seems to have an interest in the details of life. He specifies every little thing for the creation of His Sanctuary. From the type of wood that everything should be made out of down to the underwear that the Priests needed to wear, God knew exactly what He wanted and He made sure that He would get it. By the time we hit Leviticus, God is describing in detail the different kind of sacrifices that needed to be made, how they needed to be made, what should and/or should not have been done, and what was clean and unclean. To me, this almost seems like a little bit to much attention paid to the details. But who are we to question God right?
Confused about all of these details, I sat down and looked at my own life and then it hit me. If God would pay this much attention to the details of a man made sanctuary (Yes, it was also God inspired which makes it pretty awesome) and to everything else, then that means that He pays that much attention to the details in my own life. Things that currently seem to be large problems to me such as finances for university, finding a good church to attend, and the fact that I am moving out on my own in two weeks, are minor details to God. He sees my life as a whole, each individual excitement, worry, or event being a small puzzle peice fitting into the larger picture. So I ask myself one final question to finish this off for the night (I would encourage you to reflect on it for a moment as well). Why do we spend so much time worrying about these details when God has them under control? He knows what we need and promises to provide for us. Isn't that enough?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The Road Less Travelled...
If given the choice, no one, in their right mind, would choose the harder paths through life. Dodging bullets such as pain, grief, sadness, despair, and depression is what everyone wants to be able to do. Unfortunately this isn't the case for anyone. Exodus chapters 1 to 15 is a story about some of the struggles of God's people as they fall under the harsh authority of the Egyptian Pharaoh. At first (or second or third in my case) glance, it seems that the trials that the Israelites are put through are based on human choice. The Pharaoh's choice to be specific. But as I read through these chapters today, God pointed out to me that this wasn't so. All throughout these chapters, it specifically says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. God even warns Moses before any of this happens that He was going to cause Pharaoh to stand firm. So one has to take a moment and ask: Why does God allow hard things to happen in one's life? I found the answer a few chapters later in Exodus 13: 17&18.
"It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God though, 'If the people encounter war, they will change their minds and go back to Egypt.' So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea..." (The Message)
As seen in this passage, God wasn't looking out for their immediate comfort and wants. Instead, He was looking ahead into the Israelites future. He picked the best route that would keep them close to Him. So often in life, I tend to ask God why He places me in certain situations. As I look back though, I am able to see in many of those situations the good that came out of dark and hard moments. Back in those specific times I may not have understood God's plan but now I am able to realize that it was in those moments that I have had the most spiritual growth! So whenever God places me in a tough situation, I try and remember this. Though I am on the road less travelled, I trust that God will never give me more than I can handle and that He knows what is best for me and for the big picture of my life.
"It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God though, 'If the people encounter war, they will change their minds and go back to Egypt.' So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea..." (The Message)
As seen in this passage, God wasn't looking out for their immediate comfort and wants. Instead, He was looking ahead into the Israelites future. He picked the best route that would keep them close to Him. So often in life, I tend to ask God why He places me in certain situations. As I look back though, I am able to see in many of those situations the good that came out of dark and hard moments. Back in those specific times I may not have understood God's plan but now I am able to realize that it was in those moments that I have had the most spiritual growth! So whenever God places me in a tough situation, I try and remember this. Though I am on the road less travelled, I trust that God will never give me more than I can handle and that He knows what is best for me and for the big picture of my life.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Chosen and Pursued by the Creator
Today I finished reading through Genesis so I took a few moments to reflect on the book as a whole. This isn't the first time that I have read through it so I was expecting to reflect on the same stuff as I normally do. Of course, God doesn't go for that! As I reflected on each individual story, the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph... ect... I realized that they all had one thing in common. One God. When thinking of the Old Testament, I think that Christians tend to think of a life where God couldn't stand to be around His creations because of how sinful we were. In Genesis though, this isn't the case. God sought out specific individuals to have personal relationships with. He walked with those people(Adam and Eve), talked to them(Noah and Abraham), and even physically fought with them(Jacob)! God took a specific interest in the lives of these people no matter how many times they messed up.
It strikes me that this is the kind of relationship that God wants to have with each one of us. As Christians, we are chosen by God and He pursues a close relationship with us. How lucky are we?!?!? No matter how many times we mess up... (Admit it, that is alot of times)... No matter where we are in life at that moment... No matter who we are... God wants to walk beside us and talk with us! The CREATOR of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE desires to be our friend. But He won't force us into a relationship with Him. That is true love right there. So I don't know about you, but I choose to accept that friendship and to walk through life with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. :)
It strikes me that this is the kind of relationship that God wants to have with each one of us. As Christians, we are chosen by God and He pursues a close relationship with us. How lucky are we?!?!? No matter how many times we mess up... (Admit it, that is alot of times)... No matter where we are in life at that moment... No matter who we are... God wants to walk beside us and talk with us! The CREATOR of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE desires to be our friend. But He won't force us into a relationship with Him. That is true love right there. So I don't know about you, but I choose to accept that friendship and to walk through life with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. :)
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