His Righteousness My Defense

As I was enjoying my coffee and God time today, I happened upon something that made me literally jubilant in my heart. First of all, I think it is the greatest thing when people take the Old Testament and then show how the Old Testament law was fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. (Matt 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am come not to destroy, but to fulfil.) I cannot say that I have ever had the opportunity myself to understand where there was a parallel from the Old Testament to the New before. But today, the Lord showed me something that impacted me so deeply. I want to share it with you and I truly pray that whether you have seen or heard it before, or if this is completely new to you, that you will receive as rich a blessing as I did when the Lord gave it to me. So, here goes!

I was reading in Exodus chapter 28, and for the last couple chapters, the Lord has been instructing Moses how to construct the tabernacle. Now in chapter 28, the Lord begins to describe the wardrobe for the priests, particularly Aaron (Moses’ brother). I have to admit, I was kind of just speed reading through this, until I saw verse 15. “And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.”

Now, I was not really paying a lot of attention, but when I saw “the breastplate of judgment”, I thought, hang on a second, there is no “breastplate of judgment” in the Bible! There is only the breastplate of righteousness, and that is way later. But there it was right in front of me, plain as day. And then I continued to read about it, paying closer attention. The High Priest, Aaron, was to wear this breastplate of judgment all the time. Verses 29 & 30, “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.”

Now, once a year, Aaron would go into the holy of holies, and offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. So, Aaron literally bore the judgment of the children of Israel. It was his responsibility to make the payment that would atone for their sins. Then I realized, Christ, who is the new High Priest also bore the judgment of our sins. But he did not bear them in the form of a breastplate. He bore the judgment for our sins in his own body.

1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Hebrews 9:24-28, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Christ, being the new High Priest, rather than making offerings once a year from the blood of goats and bulls, offered himself as an eternal sacrifice for the atonement of every person. 

Hebrews 9:11-15, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Christ, after his death on the cross, entered into the real holy of holies in heaven to stand before God as the offering for all of mankind. As he did, the veil of the earthly temple was torn signifying that no longer would we need a priest on earth to make sacrifices for us. Christ had become the High Priest and was now our only access to God the Father. 

Matthew 27:51, “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

1 Timothy 2:5 & 6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Now, here is the exciting part. Jesus is now the High Priest. We now have direct access to God through Him. The breastplate of judgment is gone. There is no longer a need for a priestly robe, or an ephod or any of those things pertaining to the priesthood. Christ has given us a new covenant and with that, a new calling.

Ephesians 6:10- 14, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”

First, He has called us to a relationship with Him. For, only through a relationship with him can we be strong in him. Secondly, he has called us to be warriors. Through our relationship with him, he has equipped us. One of the first pieces of the armour he gives us is a breastplate. This breastplate is not one of judgment, but of righteousness. It is the gift of his righteousness that we wear and call our own. It is this righteousness that gives us the boldness to defeat the power of darkness. It is this righteousness that allows us to call out to him, “Abba, Father!” It is by this righteousness that He calls us his sons and daughters.

The Heart of a Branch

I recently acquired a box full of branches to use for craft projects. I began to cut them in pieces today, and one of the first cuts I made revealed this cute little heart! It was such a pleasant surprise! I feel like it was hidden there just for me! I love the little things that nature surprises us with! 

Dirt

I am SO glad football season has started up again! I have been increasingly interested in football over the past two or three seasons. I never really understood the game as a child and young adult, but my husband took the time to explain it to me. And I LOVE it!! Now I remind him when the games are coming on and who is playing and such. We enjoy game days immensely! And being in a new area, it is always easy to talk about the local sports when meeting new friends! It is easy to talk to people about things they enjoy. 

Something that has been increasingly difficult to talk about is my faith. To be honest, with all of the scrutiny on Christianity right now, the last thing I want to do is to start up a conversation with a stranger about Christianity- hoping they will understand and accept the Good News. I don't want to take that chance. Sure, they may listen, understand, and accept Christ, but with growing hostility towards those of us who choose to stand on the principles of God's Word, I fear that I would face ridicule rather than acceptance. I fear that I would anger those to whom I reach out, and I want to avoid that possibility at all costs.

"At all costs"- what is the cost? What is the cost of NOT sharing Christ with others? If Christ is not shared, the souls of men will not be reconciled to God, and those who have not been reconciled to God through Christ will be eternally separated from Him in a place of eternal torment (Hell). That is the cost- a cost that someone will have to pay because I feared rejection. 

How do I overcome the fear of rejection to the point where fear is replaced with motivation and mobilization? I must come to the realization that, I must share the truth with everyone regardless of how I feel they may or may not accept it. Their acceptance or rejection of the gospel will depend on the state of their heart, and only God knows the condition of each man's heart. God knows my heart better than I know it myself, and so it is with every person. 

Matthew 13:3-8 is the parable of the sower. The soil represents the heart. The seed represents the Word of God, or the Gospel. The thing that strikes me about the parable, something that I had never considered before, is that the sower just sowed. He spread the seed around obviously not considering where it went. He just worried about getting it out there. Nature would take care of the rest. The seed that fell on good soil would be nurtured and grow. In the same way, I as a Christian, am commanded to spread the good news of the Gospel. I don't need to worry about the state of the soil. The Holy Spirit is the one who works on the soil (the heart). 

Dear Lord, may I constantly be reminded of my need to share your love. May I have boldness to live out my faith, to love others as you love them. Please Lord, give me courage from a heart of passion to serve you, and to see others come to know you and live victoriously in you! Let your Word be so deeply rooted in the soil of my heart that it overtakes every area of my life. Let all glory be to you for your greatness and compassion and mercy toward me, Amen. 

Sacrifice

Remembering 9/11

Today, as I reflect on the attacks of terror from 14 years ago, I pray for the families of the victims, and I pray for our nation to become a nation of truth, justice, integrity, and a nation that seeks the One True God.

Unbelief < God

Uncommon

Last night I tossed and turned with this verse on my mind, and I almost could not wait to wake up and share my heart on this. I found it yesterday during my God and coffee time. Reading this story in the past, I got the impression that God gave Peter the vision of the animals in a sheet so we could feel better about eating bacon!  Well, I got a different impression yesterday. 

If you read the story in Acts 10, you will see that God gave that same vision to Peter 3 times. And when Peter awoke from the vision, he was informed that 3 men were looking for him (v 19). These three were not just any men. They were Gentiles (not Jews). Up until this point, Jews were not to keep company with Gentiles. (v 28) But the vision that Peter had was not about bacon at all! It was about the family of God uniting! Regardless of their physical lineage, Jewish and Gentile believers were united through their faith in Jesus Christ!

There are a couple of powerful messages this sends to me. The first is that, regardless of racial, social, cultural, denominational, or physical differences that we have, we are all equally the children of God, and equally cleansed by His blood when we accept Jesus' sacrifice as the payment for our sin. 

The second message that I receive from this passage, and one that resonates deeply within myself is that, I, as a believer in Christ, am uncommon. You and I are so uncommon in that, we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within our spirits. This is so magnificent to me! God, the one and only, who created the vast expanse of the universe, sends His own spirit to dwell with my individual spirit. Just stop for a moment. Stop reading this, and take a moment to think about how your acceptance into the family of God makes you completely uncommon.I hope you are catching the power in this realization. Where our strength, talent and self sufficiency are like a pebble, His within us is like a mountain. When you wake up and look at your reflection in the mirror, very often you see the flaws. You see the person who did not complete your "to do" list from the day before. You see the person who yelled at your kids or spouse. You see the person who cannot seem to get it together, the person who needs to be prettier, or smarter, or whatever it is that makes you feel like less than you are. But get this.... When God looks at you, He sees immeasurable strength, passionate love, he sees order, beauty, genius, and every good thing! Know why? Because when he looks at you, He looks past all of your imperfections and He sees His Spirit. 

Today I am determined to push aside all of my feelings of regret, inadequacy, fear, anxiety, and any other thing that tries to pull me down. I am determined to yield to the Spirit of God, and let His power be alive through me! I hope you will realize how precious you are, and that you too will determine to let Him lead you today. 

If you don't know about Jesus, or have not accepted him as your savior, please take a moment to read on. 

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Romans 3:10, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one:" 
          God's standard of righteousness is perfection, and unfortunately, we all make mistakes.

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
          
          The penalty of our sins is an eternal death and separation from God in Hell. But God's gift of love, through Jesus Christ sacrificing himself, enables us to accept His sacrifice on our own behalf and restores us to a standing of righteousness in God's eyes.

Romans 10:9,10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

1 John 5:13a, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life"

         Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for your sins, you are in a standing of righteousness with God, and have the guarantee of eternal life in heaven. Therefore, you do not ever have to confess your sins to anyone as a means of justifying yourself, you do not have to pray for your salvation again, you KNOW from what the Bible says, that Christ's sacrifice on the cross and your acceptance of that has made you righteous forever. 

Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

The Source

Enough!

I awoke this morning in a tizzy! I was sweating, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I was truly sad and angry at the same time. I had a terrible dream. I dreamed of a family that, in my dream, were close friends. In reality I did not know them at all. But in my dream they seemed as close as family. The husband had found a new girlfriend, and was going to leave his wife and children and pursue a relationship with this other woman. In my dream, I looked at the husband and said, "She will never be enough, you know?" And then I looked at his girlfriend and said, "And he will never be enough either." 

The children of the family in my dream had come to me crying, uncertain of how to respond to everything. I know how they felt all too well, and I tried to console them, hugging them, praying with them and crying with them. 

When I woke up, the emotions were still there, and I began to wonder why I had such a dream. I began to think of when I was in college. I had the mentality that I would truly be complete and fulfilled when I got married. I remember as a newlywed all of the hopes and expectations. And then that first year of marriage smacks you in the face. You realize that marriage is not about yourself! It is about your spouse! And while marriage is fulfilling and rewarding in so many ways, it is not the fairy tale cake walk into a life of endless bliss that you had imagined it would be! So my mentality changed. "If I could just have a child, I will be fulfilled and complete." And though I do not come out and say this in such a vain way, it has been an underlying theme in this stage of my life. Am I truly buying into this lie, that my life will be complete "if" or "when"? Most of the time, sadly, I think I do. 

Then I thought about if I take everything away. Take away the husband, the family, the house, take away the freedoms I have, take away the nice clothes, and take away the abundance of food. What am I left with? I would be left with Jesus. He would be all that I have. Would he be enough? It seems that in other countries where Jesus is all they have, He is more than enough! And in truth, if that was all I had I think He would be enough too. So why is my mind always going on to the next thing that I want today? I am surrounded by so much abundance and yet I am seeking the next thing. I know if I let Him be enough, he will be more than enough! 

Regardless of what I have or have not, my goal is to surrender each day to Him, and in turn receive the peace, fulfillment, and satisfaction that I know only He can bring! If I continue to seek fulfillment from anywhere else, I will continually be disappointed. 

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold

I'd rather be his than have riches untold

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands

I'd rather be led by his nail pierced hands

Than to be the king of a vast domain

or be held in sin's dread sway

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

this world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom

He's sweeter than honey from out the comb

He's all that my hungering spirit needs

I'd rather have Jesus and let him lead.

Reach!

Back to the Routine...?

I must say, I have had a lovely couple of weeks! My brother got married, and I got to be a part of their beautiful wedding! I got to catch up with family that I had not seen in years! I got to spend time with my more immediate family and my sweet little nephew! I have been back home for almost a week now, and finally just finished unpacking yesterday! I don't know what it is about unpacking, but I hate it. And I always put it off for as long as possible. But now it is finally done, laundry is done, dishes are done, and I am trying to figure out what else I do on a normal day! Before I went on my trip, I had a good routine going, and now I can't seem to remember what it was! So I suppose I will have to begin from scratch and develop a new one. 

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of you mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!! I want to say a special "Thank you!" to my mother:

Thank you, Mom, for being a wonderful steward of the time you had raising me. Thank you for teaching me to be caring, kind, thankful, and loyal. Thank you for having a sense of adventure! Whether you were "Nancy Drew" or "Christopher Columbus", spying on neighbors and exploring the path less traveled was always exciting! Thank you for showing me what real faith looks like. Thank you for showing me how to stand in faith, unwavering, despite the temptation to bend a little here and there to gain approval. Thank you for loving God's Word. Thank you for those long nights we spent together talking about life, love, and praying together. Thank you for always having my back (even when I didn't want you to)! Thanks for giving me space and letting me go, even when everything inside of you was screaming not to. Thank you for being my best friend some days and my worst enemy on other days. Regardless of the day, I always knew you did what you did out of love. Thank you! I love you!

Next, I want to say a special "Thank you!" to my mother in-law!:

Thank you for raising a wonderful son! I kind-of like him... A lot... Thank you for loving me as your own daughter. Thank you for laughing at all of my cheesy jokes and listening to all of my conspiracy theories. Thank you for letting me use your washer and dryer. Thank you for not disowning me when I messed up your decorative Paula Dean cookware. (I'm really sorry about that, by the way...) Thank you for all of the many things you do. I love you!

A Heart for God

There are some things you just can't teach. You can't teach someone to love. You can teach ways to express love. You can teach characteristics that love should have, such as gentleness, patience, forgiveness, etc. But you will never be able to teach a person to love. 

In the same way that you cannot teach a person to love, you cannot teach someone to have a heart for the Lord. You can show them what a heart for the Lord looks like. You can show the characteristics of a heart for God. No matter how much we may want to teach someone to love the Lord, we cannot. 

It's easy to fall in love with someone. How does it usually happen? Well, let's be honest! Usually the first thing is a physical attraction. You notice the person, you're attracted to the person, you spend time with the person. You get to know their likes, dislikes, views on certain areas, and you continue to learn who they are. During the process of learning that person, you begin to connect to them emotionally. You begin to love them. And as long as you are connecting with them, your love for that person grows. Now, of course there are exceptions, but in a normal, honest relationship, this is usually how it goes. 

So why is it so difficult to fall in love with the Lord? I believe there are two major reasons why falling in love with the Lord is difficult and frankly, very uncommon. The first reason is that it is unattractive to some. The first look at God and Christianity is unpleasant to some, so why would they want to pursue it any further? Now there are those who will never have an interest in God or religion. They hate the thought of it. But some would be open to God, except what they have seen of others who call themselves Christians. This is a problem. There are those who loudly proclaim they are Christian, but are full of hatred, hypocrisy, and doctrinally are blind. Anyone who truly is a follower of Christ can see the evil that is within them. The sad thing is, they get attention. More and more the lost world is seeing a false image of what Christianity is. Those of us who love the Lord MUST show it. And we must share the love that God has given to us with others. We must share it through the gospel, yes, but also through patience, kindness, forgiveness, and genuine compassion. We must become friends to the lost, just as Jesus was a friend to the sinners in his day. 

Many people will come to Christ, and still never develop a heart for God. They may develop a heart for church, or for religion, or for people, but not a heart for God. This is because they are investing their time in church, or religious practices, or people. But they are not investing their time in a personal walk with God. Sure, they will learn more about God, but their relationship with God will not deepen until they spend time with God. It is so rare to find a Christian who consistently spends time in Bible reading and prayer. We live in a busy world. And sadly, the most important things are often pushed aside. 

I sincerely hope that if you have a heart for the Lord, you will show it boldly. I pray that if you do not have a heart for the Lord, that you will develop one. I pray that if you do not know the Lord, you will accept him. He loves you individually, and desires to have an individual relationship with you!

Missing Family

Life is tough. Life is beautiful. It takes you places you never imagined you could go. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to see for myself the giant redwoods and sequoias of California. Last year, we lived in a place literally down the street from

some of those magnificent beauties. As a child, I wanted to be a Canadian mounted police. (random, I know!) I have not been able to fulfill that dream, nor do I believe I ever will, but I was able to visit Canada! I never thought there would be any reason for me to visit Canada, but I was able to go while my sister lived there, to meet my newborn nephew and his sleep deprived parents! I've seen ghost towns, remnants from the days of the gold rush, historical sights from the "Wild West", the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and so many things that many people only hope to see. I have been all over the southern and eastern United States. I have been to Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, and was able to spend a little over 3 months in Brazil. I have been blessed to be able to travel. Today I am really missing my family.

My family is spread out all over the states, and I miss every single one of them! Some of them I have not seen in years, and some I saw only a couple weeks ago. Most of the time, I can distract myself so I don't think about missing them as much. But recently I began a new writing venture, which has caused me to have to really dig deep into my thoughts and memories, and I have all sorts of memories flooding my mind involving my family, and I really miss them! 

So today, I want to shout out to all of my family, semi-near and far away with a big, I LOVE YOU!! 

Morning Thought

Beautiful Weeds

A Momentous Day

Yes, this is MY tire on MY car! How could something like this happen to me?! I was just trying to enjoy my day, doing my laundry at the laundromat down the street, and the nice lady next door informed me that my tire was flat! OH! and on top of that, I found my first gray hair this morning! UGH!! Anyway, back to my flat tire. I tried to call my husband, who was at work, but I am in the mountains right now with terrible cell signal. I think my phone just knew I was in desperate need of help and decided not to cooperate. I finally decided to try and call my brother on the other side of the country who answered and advised me to go to the nearest gas station to put air in the tire. So, I did. I drove back to the laundromat, and as soon as I got out of my car, I could HEAR the air leaking out of my tire. GRRR!! I called my brother back who told me I needed to put my spare tire on. I said, "Ok where do I put the jack?" 

He laughed. He said he would have to see the car to know where to put the jack, and since he was in the middle of a youth activity at his church (and he's on the other side of the country) he could not come help me. So I drove to a place where they do oil changes and asked them to please show me where to put my jack?! They were so nice. They did the whole thing for me! And they showed me where to put the jack if I ever find myself in that situation again. They told me not to worry about paying them, but I told them I would bake them a cake. I am so thankful for nice people! And I am super stoked that I now know how to change my own tire! (I learned how to change a tire a long time ago, but have never actually had to do it. But now I know how to do it on my car!) And I'm not gonna worry too much about my gray hair. I have highlights right now, so it blends in pretty well!

Be Still

Neighbors

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as if they are your own self. (This is a paraphrase of Luke 10:27.)

The lawyer who was speaking to Jesus in this passage, goes on to ask him, "Who is my neighbor," and the Lord begins to tell the story we know as "The Good Samaritan."

After Jesus finished telling the story, he asked the lawyer, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." (v.36, 37)

In essence, the Lord ignored the lawyer's question in order to convey the greater principle. It is not a question of who is your neighbor, but rather who are you a neighbor to? The neighbor, Christ showed us, is the one who showed mercy. Therefore, we are to be the neighbor, showing mercy and compassion, to all.

No Matter What

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Just to give you a clear definition of this verse, the word commend means to entrust someone or something to. In this verse, the word commend is used in the present tense: commendeth/commends. So literally, this verse means that God is right now entrusting his love to us through His Son. Even though we were and are still sinners,Christ died for us so that we do not have to pay the penalty for our sins.

So no matter what wrongs you have done, you are given this priceless gift of love. It is a love that is powerful enough to change the hardest of hearts, to break the bondage of sin, to defeat death and hell, and to restore us to eternal fellowship with the creator of the universe. His gift of love is entrusted to every person. It is up to you what you will do with it. Will you accept his gift of love? If you have accepted it, will you squander it, or will you treasure it and share it?


John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Romans 3:10, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one:" 
          God's standard of righteousness is perfection, and unfortunately, we all make mistakes.

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
          
          The penalty of our sins is an eternal death and separation from God in Hell. But God's gift of love, through Jesus Christ sacrificing himself, enables us to accept His sacrifice on our own behalf and restores us to a standing of righteousness in God's eyes.

Romans 10:9,10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

1 John 5:13a, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life"

         Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for your sins, you are in a standing of righteousness with God, and have the guarantee of eternal life in heaven. Therefore, you do not ever have to confess your sins to anyone as a means of justifying yourself, you do not have to pray for your salvation again, you KNOW from what the Bible says, that Christ's sacrifice on the cross and your acceptance of that has made you righteous forever. 

Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Pleasant Thoughts

Many things inspire me. However, few things inspire me like my mother's yard. She has so many different plants, so many spots you can sit and enjoy nature (except for the mosquitoes), and most importantly, she has my favorite climbing tree! All of these things were on my mind when I painted this picture. It is very basic, but it is from my heart! Love you Mom!

You can visit her blog, simplefascinations.blogspot.com and see some of her beautiful flowers for yourself!

Spirit Healer

I love watching inspirational movies about people who, despite all odds, refuse to give up. Their spirit refuses to be broken. They keep going. Somehow, something inside will not give up. I've known people with physical disabilities that were the happiest people and the greatest joy to be around. Their spirit sustained them.

A person's spirit is not easily broken. We all go through stages of melancholy or even depression. But to break a person's spirit takes something truly catastrophic. Sometimes it is a sudden occurrence, and sometimes it is a series of events from which we have not been able to recover. A broken spirit can no longer see any sign of hope.

My heart hopes that you will never experience the darkness of a broken or wounded spirit. However, most of us either already have suffered through it, are currently going through it, or will at some point. 

I have been there. It is so much deeper than a heart hurt. It causes you to not even be able to feel your heart. Your whole world seems colorless, tasteless, pointless. You go through the motions and wonder why? You wonder if God sees you at all, or are you completely invisible? It is a scary place to be. 

During the time I was going through this, I had people ask me what was wrong, what could they do to help, etc. I could not articulate what was going on inside of me. There was so much hurt, confusion, anger, and uncertainty that I didn't feel I could trust anyone enough to share how I was feeling. I truly thought God was through with me. 

Despite all of my feelings, God was there. He did see me, and surprisingly enough, I believe now that he led me to that place of brokenness. While you may think that God would be cruel to have done so, let me explain why I believe this to be. I had to learn a lesson. I had to understand that despite what people do, despite what I do, and despite what happens on this earth, God  is good. GOD is good, and is the ONLY source of goodness. When people separate themselves from God, they are separating themselves from any goodness. Man always has and always will fail, and cause pain to each other. Any time I looked for guidance, acceptance, or fulfillment solely from a person, I was hurt, confused, disappointed, frustrated, etc. I had to learn that I NEEDED God. I had to come to a heart understanding that I need Him above all else, and that he alone could give the guidance, acceptance, and fulfillment that I needed. I HAD to break. 

If you are currently struggling with a broken spirit, let me encourage you to pray. Seek Him as your source of peace, love, acceptance, fulfillment, and anything else that you feel is missing from your life right now. No matter how alone in your pain you may feel, please know in your heart that he is there. He wants to heal you. All you have to do is take that first step and ask!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I totally forgot today was St Patrick's Day until I got to the bookstore and noticed everyone (except me) was wearing green! (Green is my favorite color.) I must be very unlucky because the leprechauns did not come to my house, I couldn't find a four leaf clover, and there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (Actually, there was not even a rainbow.)

Regardless of my lack of luck, I am happy and today is a good day. 

By the way, do not try to make a Caprese salad with fake (Wal-Mart) mozzarella. It does not work properly at all. It isn't pretty and it has no taste (in case you were wondering.)

So, enjoy your St. Patricks Day, and may real cheese always be with you. 

Smile!

Today started off very differently from most other days. My husband had to catch a flight that was to leave at 6:00 this morning. For some reason his alarm did not go off and he awoke in a panic. He was going to take himself to the airport, but since he was running late, he would not have had time to park and pay and all of that. So, he told me to get ready as soon as possible to take him. Have I told you that I am not a morning person? Ya. On my way back from the airport, I stopped to get some doughnut holes that I have literally been dreaming about for the past two nights now. I don't think any of that is really relevant to what I am about to say, but there it is anyway!

When I got home, I ate my doughnuts, played a bit on the guitar, and then was suddenly overcome with sleepiness. I took an hour nap (more or less) and then made a list of the things that I must get accomplished today. 

I was leaving the parking lot of my first stop of the day, and was pleasantly surprised by the homeless man that was standing on the corner. He was smiling as big as he could to everyone who passed by and was holding this sign (pictured). I smiled at him, and I thought that was all I could give him, until I looked down and saw a dollar. I told him he he had encouraged me, thanked him, and handed him the dollar. 

I drove off with the most blessed and humbled feeling. How often have I driven past those less fortunate and tried to ignore that they were there? This guy was giving what he could to those who passed- his smile. If we have nothing else in the world to give to someone, remember, we can always give a smile. It is such a small thing, but you never know how powerful it can be. It certainly brightened my day!

Forgiven!

I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON. Usually, I do not fully awaken until 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. Before then, I am a walking, semi-functional zombie-esque person. Really, I hate mornings. Anyway, today I was up with the sunrise. And for some rather odd reason, I feel fully awake and cognizant, and it is only 8:00. What is going on?! (By the way, happy Friday the 13th!)

So, I had my coffee and God time, and I was reading in Leviticus (one of my LEAST favorite books in the Bible). If you have read it, you know why. So don't judge me! :) All I have to say is, I am SO EXTREMELY thankful that I live in this time period. As crazy as the world is now, I cannot imagine the stress that the children of Israel went through on a daily basis just thinking about whether or not they had sinned in some area. And then, when they realized they had sinned, the method of sacrifice was so specific! Depending on the sin, you had to sacrifice a specific animal in a specific location, and they had to be divided a certain way... I would have certainly messed it all up. And I would have run out of livestock rather quickly, I'm afraid! 

I am so thankful that Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. His work on the cross was perfect. There is nothing that I can do to make my atonement any more complete! I can enjoy the fact that all of my wrongs have been made right through his blood. I can enjoy getting to know the Lord for myself without having to worry about going through a priest or having to pay for my sins. I do not have to worry about my standing with God because I know I am his child and he loves me unconditionally. 

If nothing else goes right today, it will still be a wonderful day because I am reminded how great a gift I have been given! And not just me, but ANYONE who believes and accepts Christ as the payment for their sin can have this confidence as well!

Persevere

I was in my church small group the other day, and the lesson was on our mountains. The scripture that was used was Joshua 14:12a, "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day." 

The application was that each of us have a mountain (or purpose) that God has intended for us. To some, their purpose is clear and others are on a journey toward figuring out that purpose. I personally, feel that I am on a journey toward finding and fulfilling that purpose. And that is okay! Sometimes the purpose is the journey itself. So whether you know your purpose or you are like me, on the journey, persevere! Keep going! Strive to be your best you every day! Know that wherever you are in life, God knows you are there. 

The little plant in the picture seems the most unlikely to break its way through the cement to the surface. But it did it! One day at a time, one small millimeter at a time, it broke through! Don't get discouraged! Be patient! Keep going! If this tiny, fragile plant can break through something as tough as cement, you can make it to your goal! And if you don't yet have a goal, keep going! Enjoy the journey! You never know where the journey will lead you!

A Full and Heavy Heart

I arose this morning from my sleep with this thought, "Today is what I make of it. I am going to have a great day!" 

And I have had a great day! I got to see some of my former co-workers, got my home cleaned, opened an online shop, and have a great feeling of accomplishment. 

Over my morning coffee and God time, I thought about all of the wonderful things that make up my life. I have a wonderful Savior that completes me and brings me peace no matter how chaotic life gets. I have the sweetest man in the world that I get to do life with. I have great in-laws who I love as my own family. I have an amazing mother who raised me right. I have the craziest, most dramatic and fun siblings in the entire universe! I have this great opportunity to travel and see new places and meet new people. I have a great church and great friends to come back to when we are home. 

Amid these awesome things and people are real struggles, real burdens and real pain. I find myself wanting to fix them. I know in my heart that I can't. Each person has their own path and has to make their own decisions. Each person has to work through their own pain. It is hard to watch. Sometimes it is hard to watch because I know how they feel. Other times, because I cannot imagine how they must feel. 

How much more, if I want to fix the hurts and the struggles, does the Lord want to fix each situation? He KNOWS every pain because he has felt it. He knows every struggle because he has been there. He wants to bring the peace, the hope and the love that some lives SO miss and long for. I rest in the knowledge that I  can pray for my friends and my family, and the Lord hears, understands, and acknowledges every single circumstance, and He will have His way in the end. 

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

"It's out of your hands, you've done all you can do 

You've given God the problem, it's no longer up to you 

You've prayed the prayer of faith, you're standing on God's truth 

While you're waiting on the answer, He has a question for you. 

Is anything too hard for God? 

Who's got a problem beyond His power to solve? 

Are there situations He's not the Master of? 

Is anything too hard for God? 

Only believe, trust His word, you'll see. 

His plans are now unfolding, performing perfectly. 

It's clear how much He loves you, look at all He's done. 

For all your questions, there's really only one. 

Is anything too hard for God? 

Who's got a problem beyond His power to solve? 

Are there situations He's not the Master of?

Is anything too hard for God?"

-Marcia Henry and Niles Borop

Intruder

During one of our family visits, we decided to leave our wonderful home on wheels at a friend's house to store for us. We had been away for approximately a week, and were so happy to be back in our own space! Little did we know, when we moved out, someone else moved in.

 As I was getting our little home back  in order, I found some clues that someone else had been there. First, he had eaten all of my stash of Whoppers, and part of my Hershey bar. Whoever it was clearly had impeccable taste. Then, I noticed the little gifts he had dropped in EVERY drawer. I took ALL of my dishes out and washed them, and then I bleached every surface I could find! I assumed he left when we came back, until one night as my husband and I were relaxing on our couch we heard scratching coming from beneath our kitchen sink. We thought maybe we were just hearing things until I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I looked, and there to my surprise (and his too) was a MOUSE! We made eye contact for a very brief moment, and he took off as fast as he could. 

The next day, my husband went to the store to get some traps. Just so my conscience is clear, we did get the humane mouse traps too. I really didn't want to kill the little guy. I just didn't want him to be our house guest anymore. Unfortunately, the mouse chose the wrong trap, and he died. I almost cried when I saw him. He really was very cute and looked like a sweet little thing. It really is unfortunate he went the way he did, but I am happy to say that as of now, we are rodent free! 

Travels

Wow! It seems like forever since I have been on here! I have been a nomad for the past month! The picture shown was taken on our way back home this last week.

 I must say, I am very privileged to have been able to visit both sides of our family during the holidays! We made so many wonderful memories and really enjoyed our time travelling all over the country. It was not my intention to neglect my blog over the last few weeks, but I ended  up leaving my dear computer at my inlaws' house after our visit there. I have just now reclaimed my trusty electronic device and will continue to share the astounding events of my life with you all as usual! :) Aren't you so excited?! :)