tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28502140665952484602023-11-15T08:54:52.121-08:00one day at a timeFor God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6lbickhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18382637653508938448noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-45147168974270298002011-04-23T22:20:00.000-07:002011-04-23T22:21:23.219-07:00easter thoughts: the glory of it all<i>The LORD saw it, and it displeased him<br />
that there was no justice.<br />
He saw that there was no man,<br />
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;<br />
then his own arm brought him salvation,<br />
and his righteousness upheld him.<br />
Isaiah 59:15b-16<br />
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In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. <br />
1 John 4:9-10</i><br />
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Praise God that He was pleased to stretch out His own hand to save sinners that could not and would not save themselves. Sinners like me. Praise God for His grace... I do not deserve favor or forgiveness but I have it in Christ because of His sacrifice. Praise God that He can change hearts that are bent toward sin, and woo them and sanctify them according to His goodness and faithfulness. What a comfort that is...<br />
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I am moved by these words to this song tonight. <br />
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<b>The Glory of it All</b> <br />
<i>David Crowder Band</i><br />
<br />
At the start<br />
He was there<br />
He was there<br />
In the end<br />
He’ll be there<br />
He’ll be there<br />
And after all<br />
Our hands have wrought<br />
He forgives<br />
<br />
Oh, the glory of it all<br />
Is He came here<br />
For the rescue of us all<br />
That we may live<br />
For the glory of it all<br />
Oh, the glory of it all<br />
<br />
All is lost<br />
Find Him there<br />
Find Him there<br />
After night<br />
Dawn is there<br />
Dawn is there<br />
And after all<br />
Falls apart<br />
He repairs<br />
He repairs<br />
<br />
Oh, He is here<br />
With redemption from the fall<br />
That we may live<br />
For the glory of it all<br />
Oh, the glory of it all<br />
<br />
After night<br />
Comes a light<br />
Dawn is here<br />
Dawn is here<br />
It’s a new day, a new day<br />
Oh, everything will change<br />
Things will never be the same<br />
We will never be the same<br />
<br />
Oh, everything will change<br />
Things will never be the same<br />
We will never be sameAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-76220578193947703022011-04-05T12:44:00.000-07:002011-04-05T13:19:43.003-07:00dying to myselfRight now I am going through a study called Her Hands by Heather Hendrick with my mentor and some other girls in my Life Group. It is a study that takes God's Word seriously about what it means to be a godly woman. Here's an idea of what it covers: "Although not an exhaustive list, some of the things we cover in this class are biblical womanhood, purity, submission to authority, dating, marriage, motherhood, debt, and how the Bible, the gospel and God's grace molds our thinking in each of those areas." You can read more about it <a href="http://www.herhands.blogspot.com/">here</a>. Traditionally, Her Hands is a class that Heather teaches at church but, the Hendricks are now living/ministering in Haiti, so we are doing things a bit differently. We are going through the book steadily as a group and trying to finish before the summer. <br />
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There has been, and continues to be, so many times in this study that God has revealed areas of my life that have been set in their ways for a long time and then confronted me with the truth of His Word to transform those areas. Today, praise God, this happened to me again. And it was not a nice, quiet Kumbaya moment, but more like a ton of bricks hitting you... in a good way.<br />
<br />
<i>Dying to myself.</i><br />
<br />
Now I know there are many ways this can impact our lives as Christians, but today I was challenged in how it should dictate the way I interact with others. Here is the quote that really got me:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"...being a believer means we have thrown away the idea that life should be fair, that life is all about 50/50. Being a believer means we have been crucified with Christ. We no longer live. Our circumstances and the behavior of others around us do not have to dictate our response or our behavior. In other words, my behavior as a believer is contingent upon NOTHING else besides the Word of God. There is no place for "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" in a believer's train of thought. That thought process was derailed when we were crucified with Christ. As a believer, we must realize that we are called to keep scratching someone's back even if they NEVER turn around and scratch ours or say thank you. Ouch." <br />
</blockquote><br />
Ouch, is right. My natural response (in my flesh) when things don't go my way or when there is conflict, is to get hurt, angry and/or disappointed. And all the people involved in whatever that thing is, feel the effects of my response. We cling to the fact that "we don't deserve this!", our personal "freedom" (not the freedom we have in Christ), our reputation, or whatever else we use to justify being self centered. As long as we are doing that, we cannot be quick to forgive or love anyone; that is, anyone but ourselves. And there is the problem. <br />
<br />
The only way to stop this pattern is to stop looking at <i>me</i> and start fixing our eyes on <i>Him</i>. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. <b>Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.</b> Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<br />
Philippians 2:1-11</blockquote><br />
Paul says tells us to grow in love and unity as believers, and then he shows us how (through humility) and then he shows us why (because of Christ). God who is completely holy and all powerful, became a servant to sinners and was obedient even to death on a cross. That is almost incomprehensible. That is Real Love. The reason why we can die to ourselves is because of the gospel; because "God shows his love for us in that <i>while we were still sinners, Christ died for us</i>" (Romans 5:8). In all my wretchedness and wickedness, God moved toward me and made me alive (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%202:11-14&version=ESV">Colossians 2:11-14</a>). I did not deserve any favor from God, in fact I deserved punishment, and yet He freely gave me grace and life in Christ Jesus. <br />
<br />
<i>I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.<br />
Galatians 2:20</i><br />
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How many times am I quick to anger because things didn't go like I planned them to go? How many times do I put conditions on serving people? How many times do I justify sinful behavior/emotions because I have been wronged? <br />
<br />
Friends, let's be honest with God and with ourselves about sin in our lives and repent and depend on Him to continue to change us. It is really freeing when you meditate on what Christ has done and who you are because of Him... Let's rejoice in that freedom and let our lives and our relationships with others be a beautiful picture of the gospel.<br />
<br />
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<i>Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.<br />
<br />
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.<br />
<br />
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.</i><br />
1 Corinthians 13:4-13Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-10810548411201603932011-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:002011-03-07T16:48:45.417-08:00sweet to my soulI am so thankful for music. God creates beautiful things, and music is one of them. It can be such a beautiful vessel of worship--our response to the goodness, majesty, and glory of our God, nothing less. <br />
<br />
I love this song right now. <br />
<br />
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<b>Let no one caught in sin remain<br />
Inside the lie of inward shame<br />
But fix our eyes upon the cross<br />
And run to Him who showed great love<br />
And bled for us<br />
Freely You've bled for us<br />
<br />
Christ is risen from the dead<br />
Trampling over death by death<br />
Come awake, come awake<br />
Come and rise up from the grave<br />
Christ is risen from the dead<br />
We are one with Him again<br />
Come awake, come awake<br />
Come and rise up from the grave<br />
<br />
Beneath the weight of all our sin<br />
You bowed to none but heaven's will<br />
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown<br />
No burden great can hold You down<br />
In strength You reign<br />
Forever let Your church proclaim<br />
<br />
O death, where is your sting?<br />
O hell, where is your victory?<br />
O church, come stand in the light<br />
The glory of God has defeated the night<br />
<br />
O death, where is your sting?<br />
O hell, where is your victory?<br />
O church, come stand in the light<br />
Our God is not dead<br />
He's alive! He's alive!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Those words are sweet to my soul. My heart is full; praise God, He is perfect and so good.<br />
<br />
<i>The law of the Lord is perfect, <br />
reviving the soul;<br />
the testimony of the Lord is sure,<br />
making wise the simple;<br />
the precepts of the Lord are right,<br />
rejoicing the heart;<br />
the commandment of the Lord is pure,<br />
enlightening the eyes;<br />
the fear of the Lord is clean,<br />
enduring forever;<br />
the rules of the Lord are true,<br />
and righteous altogether.<br />
More to be desired are they than gold,<br />
even much fine gold;<br />
sweeter also than honey<br />
and drippings of the honeycomb.<br />
Psalm 19:7-10</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-5579640653084046222011-02-23T20:04:00.000-08:002011-02-23T20:48:54.489-08:00bless the Lord, O my soulBless the LORD, O my soul,<br /> and all that is within me,<br /> bless his holy name!<br />Bless the LORD, O my soul,<br /> and forget not all his benefits,<br /> who <span style="font-weight:bold;">forgives</span> all your iniquity,<br /> who <span style="font-weight:bold;">heals</span> all your diseases,<br /> who <span style="font-weight:bold;">redeems</span> your life from the pit,<br /> who <span style="font-weight:bold;">crowns you</span> with steadfast love and mercy,<br /> who <span style="font-weight:bold;">satisfies you</span> with good<br /> so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.<br />The LORD works righteousness<br /> and justice for all who are oppressed.<br />He made known his ways to Moses,<br /> his acts to the people of Israel.<br />The LORD is <span style="font-weight:bold;">merciful</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">gracious</span>,<br /> slow to anger and abounding in <span style="font-weight:bold;">steadfast love</span>.<br />He will not always chide,<br /> nor will he keep his anger forever.<br />He does not deal with us according to our sins,<br /> nor repay us according to our iniquities.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For as high as the heavens are above the earth,<br /> so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;<br />as far as the east is from the west,<br /> so far does he remove our transgressions from us.</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">As a father shows compassion to his children,<br /> so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">For he knows our frame;<br /> he remembers that we are dust.</span><br /><br />As for man, his days are like grass;<br /> he flourishes like a flower of the field;<br />for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,<br /> and its place knows it no more.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him</span>,<br /> and his righteousness to children’s children,<br />to those who keep his covenant<br /> and remember to do his commandments.<br />The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,<br /> and his kingdom rules over all.<br /><br />Bless the LORD, O you his angels,<br /> you mighty ones who do his word,<br /> obeying the voice of his word!<br />Bless the LORD, all his hosts,<br /> his ministers, who do his will!<br />Bless the LORD, all his works,<br /> in all places of his dominion.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bless the LORD, O my soul!</span><br /><br />Psalm 103<br /><br /><br /><br />I am weak... but He is strong. His power is made perfect in my weakness, and His grace is sufficient for me. More than enough. His love is incomprehensible--<span style="font-style:italic;">as high as the heavens are above the earth</span>. He has washed me clean and removed all my iniquity from me--<span style="font-style:italic;">as far as the east is from the west.</span> And he shows <span style="font-style:italic;">compassion</span> to me--like a father.<br /><br /><br />What a wonderful Father we have. <br /><br />And to think, "<span style="font-style:italic;">now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.</span>" (1 Corinthians 13:12). <br /><br />I hope this passage of Scripture is as encouraging to you as it has been to me...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-37202077552566273342011-02-20T20:51:00.000-08:002011-02-20T21:58:09.943-08:00a post about scripture<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FOkLP6VHtWk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Please, please watch. I was so challenged and encouraged by this. I know it is 45 minutes long, but it is way worth it. <br /><br />The Lord has been teaching me lately about Scripture. Just like food sustains my physical body, His Word, along with time spent in prayer and fellowship with Him, sustains my spirit. It is that important. It is just as <span style="font-weight:bold;">fundamental</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">essential</span> to my walk with Him, as nutritional sustenance is to my physical body. <br /><br />His Word is truth, and I need truth every second of the day--to fight temptation, to discern what it is right, and to be satisfied in my Father and not seek other things to satisfy me. One of the primary ways God communicates to and sanctifies his children is through His Word. My mind and heart are prone to distraction and discontentment, and His truth is the one antidote. It is pure, satisfying, and sanctifying. <br /><br />Write it down. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Surround yourself with it. <span style="font-style:italic;">Let it move you, captivate you and change you. </span><br /><br /><br />Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Deuteronomy 6:4-9</span><br /><br />For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hebrews 4:12</span><br /><br />How can a young man keep his way pure?<br /> By guarding it according to your word.<br />With my whole heart I seek you;<br /> let me not wander from your commandments!<br />I have stored up your word in my heart,<br /> that I might not sin against you.<br />Blessed are you, O LORD;<br /> teach me your statutes!<br />With my lips I declare<br /> all the rules of your mouth.<br />In the way of your testimonies I delight<br /> as much as in all riches.<br />I will meditate on your precepts<br /> and fix my eyes on your ways.<br />I will delight in your statutes;<br /> I will not forget your word.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Psalm 119:9-16</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-50976212701315091022011-02-08T12:14:00.000-08:002011-02-08T16:46:02.078-08:00HisI am heavy today. Heavy with my sin and with my past and with things that I regret. Shame is constantly there to steal my joy and lie to my heart. The gospel is always sweet to me but on days like today I am reminded that it is the one thing that is certain, the only thing I can cling to and the only thing that satisfies me.<br /><br />In him also <span style="font-weight:bold;">you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands</span>, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were <span style="font-style:italic;">dead in your trespasses</span> and the uncircumcision of your flesh, <span style="font-weight:bold;">God made alive</span> together with him, having forgiven us <span style="font-weight:bold;">all our trespasses</span>, by <span style="font-weight:bold;">canceling the record of debt that stood against us</span> with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.<br />Colossians 2:11-14<br /><br />God made me <span style="font-weight:bold;">alive</span>. God forgave <span style="font-style:italic;">all</span> my trespasses. He completely cancelled my infinitely large debt of wickedness that stood between me and Him--all the sins I would commit before I trusted Him as my Savior, and all the sins after. My whole life of sin was nailed to the cross and <span style="font-style:italic;">set aside</span>. A just God put all of His righteous wrath that should have gone towards me, onto His beloved Son, who was perfect and without sin.<br /><br />"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."<br />2 Corinthians 5:21<br /><br />Jesus, <span style="font-style:italic;">who knew no sin</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">became my sin</span> for me. <br /><br />And because of this and only this, can I stand justified before a perfect and holy God; clothed in the righteousness of His Son, because of His great mercy and steadfast love and because <span style="font-weight:bold;">He is good</span>.<br /><br />Clinging to the cross is all I have, and all I need. <br /><br />"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? <span style="font-weight:bold;">Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!</span>"<br />Romans 7:24-25b<br /><br />I am His, and praise God, that is enough.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jaXMkJfW-k0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />“There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel.” <br />–Milton Vincent, A Gospel PrimerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-78729399801636873862011-02-05T14:40:00.000-08:002011-02-05T16:40:10.394-08:00...With all of your heart, soul and mind.I was having a conversation about singleness, dating and marriage with my mentor today and I realized a lot of things (<a href="http://codyandchelseagroves.blogspot.com">Chelsea</a> you are great) but most of all I was reminded of something really important: <span style="font-style:italic;">I already have a first love.</span> The Lord of heaven and earth is my first love.<br /><br />I feel like God has laid this verse on my heart today:<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.<br />Matthew 22:37-38</span><br /><br />Its humbling to think that I have and can become apathetic to this verse and its implications. It is a verse that many people can quote quickly, almost mechanically. But this verse is not mechanical at all. It describes how my relationship with God should be; it is real, living and dynamic. I must love Him with all of <span style="font-weight:bold;"> my heart</span> (my emotions, passions and pursuits), all of <span style="font-weight:bold;">my soul</span> (who I am at my innermost being), and all of <span style="font-weight:bold;">my mind</span> (my thoughts, intelligence and decisions). With my entire being that He created, I must love Him. <br /><br />And He loved me first before I loved Him. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.</span> <br />Ephesians 2:7<br /><br />The gospel changes everything doesn't it? Ultimately, I am fully justified, fully loved, and fully secure in Jesus Christ. May I never look elsewhere for any of those things... and may I rest in the perfect character of my God and trust that He holds my future. Singleness, dating, or being married is not what defines me, and it is completely secondary to my relationship with <span style="font-style:italic;">my first love.</span> <br /><br /><br /><br />In <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=RTtaSZ08M8EC&printsec=frontcover&dq=did+i+kiss+marriage+goodbye&hl=en&ei=HONNTdW1HMvdgQfgvv3VDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">C.J Mahaney</a>'s words:<br /><br />"Your greatest need is not a spouse. Your greatest need is to be delivered from the wrath of God-and that has already been accomplished for you through the death and resurrection of Christ. So why doubt that God will provide a much, much lesser need? Trust His sovereignty, trust His wisdom, trust His love."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-42711609227272574622011-02-01T09:54:00.000-08:002011-02-01T11:41:59.372-08:00Beloved, let us love one another.First, read <a href="http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/02/she-was-eighteen-years-old-and-she-had.html">this blog post</a>. I'll be here when you get back.<br /><br /><br />Did you read it? If not, go back and read it. It is worth it I promise.<br /><br />Last semester, the Lord began stirring my heart. He began to open my eyes to physical and spiritual need. The world is full of it, and my selfish heart had been looking the other way. Africa, in particular, was a place that I felt burdened for and my mentor, knowing this, told me to read through the Kisses for Katie blog. So, one night I decided to check it out. It was just me and the Lord in my apartment that night, and He used <a href="http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/02/she-was-eighteen-years-old-and-she-had.html">this post</a> to reveal deep-seated things in my heart that didn't look like Him. <br /><br />It is times like these where the Lord chooses to reveal Himself and His heart to me in such a deep and overwhelming way that all I can do is be still, worship and most of all, repent. It is during these times that He convicts me in a painfully loving way of the sin that exists in my wicked heart. <span style="font-style:italic;">Do I look on others with the compassion and love of Jesus? Do I give of my treasures, time and myself to the least of these? Do I really <span style="font-style:italic;">count the cost</span>?</span> He is a Perfect Father--a Good Dad. Because of the love and mercy that I don't deserve, I am one of His kids. And because His love is perfect, He is determined to rid me of sin that leads to destruction and make me more like His Son. <br /><br />The God of the universe loved me and pursued me when I was unlovable. <br /><br />"For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." <br />2 Corinthians 4:6<br /><br /><br />I love the way John explains it.<br /><br />Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. <br />1 John 4:7-12<br /><br />Literally, "Because you are loved by God and you know what love is, love others."<br /><br />I can only truly love others when I am fully and completely satisfied by His real, perfect love for me displayed in His Son. <br /><br />Christians, if we truly have fallen in love with this perfect God who loved us first even when we cared nothing for Him, shouldn't our lives look like it? Shouldn't we love the things that He loves, hate the things that He hates, and hurt for and minister to a world that is lost and dying?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-3968409174105159432010-04-15T22:33:00.001-07:002010-09-26T09:07:16.937-07:00[untitled]I sometimes wonder why break-ups can hurt us so bad? No matter what, one person is always left hanging on when the other has moved on. One person always feels like they'd do anything to have the other back. It is an ache that is heart wrenching and everyone has felt it at some point (if you haven't you will). I feel like it is a feeling, not so dissimilar to the grief that ensues with the loss loved one--at least initially. How is it possible to have such a great desire for a single thing? <i>If only they would have stayed, if only we were together, I could be happy again.</i> And that is where the problem begins. <div><br /></div><div>I was reminded of this as I was talking with one of my friends going through a situation similar to this one. So why does it hurt so bad? There are obviously many responses to this (some dependent on circumstances), rejection, adjusting to change, etc. But what I have noticed, is that more often than not, there is a common underlying cause for the misery that we feel. </div><div><br /></div><div>Humans were meant for community and we crave intimacy and relationships, whether they are romantic or not. We strive to fulfill this need through many things actually (just look around at our materialistic, addiction-prone society...), and romantic relationships constitute a huge part of this incessant pursuit to love and be loved. This is especially true in our society today, where our definition of "true love" stems largely from the picture painted by the media and pop culture. It shows up in songs, are favorite books, and our favorite chick flicks. I would venture to say that most girls would love to have a "Noah" in their life (in reference to everyone's favorite love story, The Notebook) or an "Edward Cullen" (although, sorry Twilight fans, I do NOT share in your fascination). The reason this kind of love is so attractive to us is because it, on the surface, is perfect and seems to fulfill every need. </div><div><br /></div><div>You don't have to look too far into this perception of "love" to hit the wall of logic that says it is impossible. Before you write me off as heartless and hardened, listen to my reasoning. What every person is looking for is complete and perfect fulfillment and no matter how hard you look, you will never find a perfect person on this earth. The reality is that people are imperfect and finite, no matter how hard you look for the "right person". Because we crave this perfect and complete fulfillment and need to love and be loved, the temptation to find it all in one person is great--especially when our society accepts and encourages this idea. The unfortunate thing, is that this idea is unrealistic and cannot last. If you put everything into one person, you are setting yourself up for failure. What happens when this person is no longer in your life?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And this leads me back to where we started. I think we hurt so bad and yearn for that person so much because we have misplaced our affections. We have convinced ourselves that if only we could have that person once again, we could be happy and everything would be perfect. We have put unrealistic expectations and security in someone that can never live up to it--and we only hurt ourselves in the process. </div><div><br /></div><div>So were we just meant to wander around empty and dissatisfied our whole lives? Absolutely not. We were not created with this desire for love on accident. The Love we are ultimately looking for will never be realized in a person. Perfect love and fulfillment can only be found in One--God, the only perfect One that has ever been. He is the only one that can live up to the standards. Not until we have the most important Relationship right, can we ever hope to have our other relationships right. When we put our ultimate security and love towards Jesus, we are free to give of ourselves and pour into others because we are not constantly wanting to use them for our own fulfillment. We are finally able to appreciate them for who God has made them to be, and to prioritize their relationship where it should be--as a wonderful, exciting <i>contribution</i> to our lives, not the <i>center</i> of it.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-65949262549212409572010-04-13T18:21:00.001-07:002011-02-01T21:38:22.503-08:00Thoughts on Donald Miller, Love and GodI love when something someone says, or something you read hits you like a ton of bricks--when it completely clicks with you. I have this experience a lot when I read books from Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors. His book, <a href="http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/bluelikejazz.php">Blue Like Jazz</a>, is written so relaxed and frank that you don't realize how direct and profound it can be. One of my favorite quotes in the book is this, "Believing in God is as much like falling in love as it is making a decision. Love is both something that happens to you and something you decide upon." I love it because it is so true. When you fall in love, it is not wholly a choice and not entirely something that just happens to you--just like it is not wholly and act and not entirely a feeling. It is something that is irresistible and natural. When you believe in God, it is not entirely a concious mind-choice, nor is it entirely an intuitive "feeling". It is somehow a mixture of the two and it, too, is irresistible and natural--something that you can't help when you've experienced the magnitude of God. It is a natural response. The analogy Miller makes is perfect, because God <em>is </em>love.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-57751248052418597792010-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:002010-03-23T10:36:40.372-07:00DecisionsThis past weekend I had a conversation with my pastor at home that made me realize something about myself. He asked how school was going and if I had decided on a career path. I told him how I had been working towards physical therapy but now have decided to switch to teaching. As we began discussing everything, I told him how I feel like I am such an indecisive person--how it takes me so long to make decisions, even small ones, and how overwhelming the decision about a career has been for me over the past couple semesters. He responded by saying, "No, Lindsay, I don't think you are an indecisive person. I think you are just one of those people that wants all the facts about the situation before making a decision. Some people are very instinctive and go with their gut and some people need the facts--and that is not a bad thing." It was a different perspective that I hadn't considered. The sermon he preached that Sunday was about Elijah in the Old Testament of the Bible. The statement that stuck out the most to me was when my pastor said, "Notice how God's instructions to Elijah are on a step-by-step basis. Often times he doesn't know what is coming next until he has completed the task God had commanded him. Elijah had to step out in faith." It made me realize that it is not possible for me to always have the facts and know the outcomes before I make a decision. That may seem like a very simple and obvious revelation, but I think sometimes I become obsessed with wanting to be in control of my life/decisions and not wanting to fail, that I lose perspective. It made me realize that I need to be able to step out in faith sometimes and be okay with not knowing what is on the other side of my decision.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-13613946167609955022010-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:002010-02-07T22:31:21.014-08:00OrdinaryI don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like the most stressful things in college are not the huge looming situations that we would typically assume--it is prioritizing and fitting in all of the little day to day things. It is the multiple trips to the grocery store because you forgot something. It is your attempt at being productive and going to the library between your classes (but you realize that by the time you finally walk to the building, through the door, up the stairs and sit in a chair you now only have 30 minutes before you need to leave to be in time for your next class). It is that burst of motivation that gets you to the rec for a quick workout (that turns into a 2 hr. ordeal when you park, workout, drive home, shower, etc.). Planning your own day (as opposed to having it planned for you in high school)can be a great thing, but learning how to maximize your time effectively is a process, for sure. Last semester I constantly felt like I was struggling just to keep my head above water--surviving, not thriving. But I am realizing that the things that required so much planning and energy, are slowly becoming habits and time management is not as much of a chore. This semester is different--in a good way. It is a new day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850214066595248460.post-74095087885535934282010-02-02T10:11:00.001-08:002010-02-02T10:11:46.620-08:00Opening Thoughts<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">This is a new experience for me--writing down my thoughts, feelings and experiences. I suppose I should start by introducing myself. My name is Lindsay, and I'm a pretty average college student at Texas A&M University. I think, like a lot of us here, I am still unsure of a lot of things regarding my future and myself. It's like we are thrown out of our comfort zone where everything is safe and known and predictable, and forced to hit the ground and run--regardless of the lack of faith we may have in our leg's ability to run or to even stand. Or, to put it in another way, we are pushed out of the crowd where we have fit so nicely and unnoticed for so long, and into the spotlight. We look around and there is suddenly only one person left--me. The parents and support group we may have had at home are gone and we are left with ourselves. It may sound like a pretty bleak affair at this point, but I think it is in this climate of uncertainty that we find out who we really are and who we are willing to become.</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1