showing His mercy

“When Lord? When will I get asked out? When will a guy like me? When will I have my chance at love?...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

“When Lord? When will I get asked out? When will a guy like me? When will I have my chance at love? When will I meet my husband?”

I wish I could say that I walk through the season of singleness with a heart full of hope, bursting with thankfulness to God and embracing every moment for His sake. Some seasons, yes. Some seasons I love being single. Some seasons I am totally content and satisfied with it just being Jesus and me.

But often, I fight to be content. I fight to be thankful. I wonder why. I wonder when. Sometimes I find myself bitter. I’m fearful—Has God forgotten me? Does he see me?

And through a heart breaking summer two years ago I found that yes, He sees me. Yes, He knows my very heart, my every longing and desire and hope. He did not forget me. And He has not forgotten you beloved. He is for your joy. He is for your good and His glory. God is always at work in our lives—we may not know how, we may not understand—but we must believe.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Is. 55:9

God is for you. If you are in a season of singleness right now, know—believe—trust that God has you there because it’s for your best. It wouldn’t be best for you right now to be with someone. Maybe He’s refining you and purging you of a sin that needs to be dealt with before you bring someone into your world. Maybe it’s because He wants you to truly trust Him and build a solid foundation with Him first. Maybe it’s because He is using you in a mighty way that couldn’t be done if you were married or in a relationship right now….

I know personally God has been working on me for the past two years with this. There was a lot of pruning to be done in my life for sure! One big one being that I needed to be healed and restored in was how I viewed myself. Two years ago I had an eating disorder. I wanted to be in control and fell into the lie that I had to be skinny to be beautiful. No. God wanted to purge me of that and bring me into wholeness; to see that I am created in His image and therefore need to be a good steward of how I take care of my body. To know that I am beautiful because He created me, because He died for me—He gives me worth, not a boyfriend or husband. The Lord has brought me through the valley and mountaintops of waiting well on Him—of truly trusting Him with His choice for me. So do you really believe in His Fatherly care for Yourself? In His mighty power? In His ability and wisdom? There’s a lot of things I wouldn’t be able to do if I was a married woman like I had planned two years ago. Things like; mission trips to Haiti, and Detroit. Volunteering at a Revive Youth Center On Fridays. I would probably never be apart of the amazing church I am at now. I wouldn’t probably get those late night ice cream runs I do with my friends, or sleepovers in my living room…ladies be content in where God has you in life! There’s a reason He has you there. Enjoy this time of being single. Use this time to glorify God in anyway possible.

Take HOPE that God knows your heart.

He sees you.

He is for you.

Run into His arms and nestle yourself right into His chest. Think of your life as a ball of yarn. Pull out just a few inches…that’s your single season. Short. Oh so short compared to the rest. You can wait. In Him. And beloved, remember that our yarn goes to eternity. Our lives here on earth are very short. Soon, we will be with the Lover of our Souls, our Husband in Heaven, scarfing down food at the wedding feast. Soon we will be with our True Love. The One who pursued us, proposed to us on the cross and has given us His Holy Spirit as our engagement ring. He’s coming back. We don’t know when. But He is coming to get us. On a white horse, no less!

Take hope. He is for you. Wait well beloved. :)

I wanted to share 5 specific things that the Lord has laid on my heart to pray for my future...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:30:00 -0400

I wanted to share 5 specific things that the Lord has laid on my heart to pray for my future husband… Obviously there are so many things you can pray for that are specific to the men in your life, by no means is this an exhaustive list! But my hope is that this will encourage and spur you on to pray for specific things regarding your guys’ hearts, minds and souls.

Here are 5 things that I regularly pray for:

He’d passionately love Jesus above all else, with all of His heart, mind, soul and strength & that he would be intimate with our Lord.

He’d walk in purity, integrity and honesty.

He’d walk in humility.

He’d continue to be a light, persevering in passionately proclaiming Christ and making disciples.

He’d know, rest and rejoice in who he is ‘in Jesus.’ (forgiven, new, loved, clean, blameless, washed, righteous, and spotless.)

What You Can Do For Your Men

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:17:48 -0400

For a month now I have been going through the book “How to Pray for Your Future Husband” by Robin Jones Gunn. (Remind you I’m not married or am I even dating for that matter!)

One quote by her I’ll never forget though. It said, “Ladies, pray for your men. Satan’s game plan is to take down the leaders, the men. Only God’s Spirit can draw a man to seek Him and free him to be the man, and leader God wants for him to be. Whether you marry or not, DO BATTLE! Pray!”

Do battle I thought?

Me?

The girl who is scared to go in her creepy basement and do laundry

The girl who is afraid to walk from my car to my house at night?

But the more I sat there starring blankly at my book the more I was moved, my spirit stirred deep within, saying “Yes! Fight for our men.”

My heart has been so heavy lately for boys and men in our culture. On average, boys are exposed to pornography at age 8-11. No longer is it a question of if they’ve seen porn or not, but whether or not they’re addicted, and most are. Video games are rampant in our culture. The most popular among games are ones that include high violence, and advancement to the next level is achieved by killing a certain number of people.

I see boys becoming apathetic, lazy, rebellious, angry. They have contests at school to see who can get the lowest GPA. They revel in one-night stands. They compete, trying to sleep with the most girls, or better yet, sleep with the most wanted girls. Boys are staying boys well into their 30′s, living at home and having their moms provide for them. So many boys grow up without fathers at home, or if they are home, they may not be present.

So where do these boys learn to be men?

MTV?

The radio?

Older friends?

I’ve seen this over and over with volunteering for a youth ministry and short missions to Detroit schools.

It’s so easy for me to get sad, disheartened and discouraged. Where have all the good men gone!? What’s going to become of this next generation!? What’s going to happen when I have kids?

Have you ever found yourself asking these same questions?

There is nothing more that Satan wants than to steal, kill and destroy us. (John 10:10) And the best way to do that is to take down our men. God created men to be our leaders. When you go into battle, the goal is always to take down the leaders, the commanders, the king, because once they fall, you’ve got them all.

There is a battle going on that we can’t see. But we are called to fight. Ladies, the time has come. Rise up. Commit yourself to prayer. Take up your shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.

AND PRAY.

FERVENTLY.

WHOLE-HEARTEDLY.

CONTINUALLY.

We as women have a high calling on our lives. We have the joy of going before our Father’s throne and uplifting the men in our lives to Him. To the King of Kings. The Loving Father. The Holy God. The Mighty One. He is all-powerful and He is more than able to change hearts, stir in spirits, give wisdom to the humble, lead the weak, and give power. He sees us. He knows our hearts. He is raising up men for this generation to be like Him, to serve Him, to be laborers among the harvest, to disciple younger men, and you have the opportunity to join in on His work.

Don’t just pray for your future husband. Pray for your brother, father, pastors, professors, and friends.

Don’t sit on the sidelines and watch.

Gear up. Bow down. And pray. Watch God work, change, transform, and move in these men. He is faithful. He hears our cries. DO BATTLE.

“For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it, He answers you” (Isaiah 30:19 ESV).

Ladies, do you pray for the men in your life?

Future Husband..

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:30:00 -0400

“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
Matthew 22:37-38

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant” Psalm 25:14

When I was 15 I wrote a list of character traits I hoped my future husband would have. The first one on the list was that he would love Jesus passionately. I knew I didn’t want to marry a man who simply said they were a “Christian.” I didn’t want a guy who lived like everyone else, except just avoided the “big sins” a little more. I wanted to be with a man whose very heart longed for Jesus. A man who adored, worshipped, honored, and lived his life for the Lord. A man whose heart belonged to Jesus. I wanted a God-lover.

When asked what the greatest commandment is in the bible, Jesus said it was to love Him with every fiber of our being. He is after the heart and wants all of us. He longs to be with us, to have fellowship with us. He made us for relationship, the greatest being relationship with Him.

I daily pray this for my future husband. That he would love Jesus with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength. I know that if my future husband is pursuing Jesus as his main desire, it will actually free him up to love and pursue me more fervently also. I ask the Lord to draw him near, that he would seek Him and spend time at His feet, talking with His Savior.

Why? Because this is the sweetest thing we can possibly do as a believer. The beauty of the gospel is that we get God. He has torn the veil and invited us into deep intimacy with Him. I long for my future husband to stay close to our Lord, in a world that does everything possible to distract and drag us away. I long for him to deeply know Jesus- not just in a scholarly sense, but a deep, intimate, knowledge like one who has with a spouse.

I also pray this because this is the cry for my heart. Often I find myself being distracted by the world (busyness, loving other things more than Christ, etc) and missing out on the gift of deep intimacy with Christ. My heart’s cry is that I would stay close to Him and love Him with all my heart. All my mind. All my strength. And all my soul.

And as our men grow to love Jesus more, they will grow to love us more. For our love for people flows out of Christ’s love for us.

Ladies, does your man put God first in his life? Does he love Jesus with all his heart, mind, and soul?

Take The Risk

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:30:02 -0400

We take risks everyday. Board airplanes. Drive cars. Ride the bus. And yet we act like it’s nothing.
Your putting your life on the line and yet the person next to you doesn’t know the love of Jesus Christ… Wether you like it or not were not going to be here forever. You never know when your going to leave this Earth. Are you following your assignment right now? Or are you just waiting till “tomorrow”?
Truth is, we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. So why wait until the next day to share the love of Jesus Christ with our neighbor? For all we know, tomorrow they could die and spend an eternity in Hell.. Harsh. But True.

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (James 4:14)

The light is shining outside the cabin window of the plane, desperately trying to come in.. unless you open up that shade, everyone in the cabin will never be able to see the light.
Why keep the light concealed?!

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14)

You’re God’s tool. We have to be the ones to step out of our comfort zone and let the light shine. God will work through you, don’t you worry. :)

I wont sit here and act like I am an expert and that I have it all together, because beeeelieve me I’m NOT. Sometimes I can’t even muster up the drive to desperately seek out the ones that are spiritually dying in our world. It is unbelievable how much I think of myself, and how selfish this heart of mine can be, when in turn I should be thinking about others. —But the good Lord has been working on that with me :) — We are all going to live forever wether we like it or not..It just depends on where that Eternity is spent. We have no reason to be afraid. If the Lord of the universe can willing give up His life by hanging on a cross for your’s and my wicked sin then the least we can do is live for Him!

We take risks everyday. We give insurmountable trust and faith to unknown, sometimes unseen, people to keep us safe. An we can’t even give full faith to a God that is perfect and all-powerful—Yet we give more faith to a human being, who has the possibility of screwing up, anytime, all the time. God is faultless. There are no “screw ups” with Him, no disappointments. So why aren’t we giving more faith to Him? Is it because you can’t see Him? You can’t see the pilot flying the plane. But he is. God is the same way. He is flying your plane. Taking off: Cruising you above the clouds. Seeing His wonderful creation, learning new things about Him and sharing those discoveries with the ones sitting next to you on the same flight. Then landing: ready to aboard another plane, with new sights, and new people around you (Seasons) Sometimes He even shows up. He opens that cock-pit door, and you get to see a glimpse of Him. :)

Today I hope you decide to take that “risk”, the risk of putting yourself out there and sharing the love of our awesome Savior. I pray that you trust God with all your might, and with ALL aspects in your life.

Have faith. Love others. Share your Story. All for His Glory.

-Liz

telletheworldofhislove: He drew us out so we could be with...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:20:01 -0500

telletheworldofhislove:

He drew us out so we could be with Him.

"I need Christ, not something that resembles Him."

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:23:38 -0500

“I need Christ, not something that resembles Him.”

- C.S. Lewis (via tonidapony)
❤

"Giving God the Pen"

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 23:01:00 -0400

Okay, I’m going to finally begin my self-given task of jouranaling while I continue to spend more time studying God’s Word. Tonight is my first step!

As much as I hate to admit it, I struggle with the topic of ”singleness”, but the last year and a half of being single I must say God has shown me so much! God has intervened in my life and has tugged at my heart, an has shown me how to trust Him with this area of my life. Just a couple nights ago I was sitting on my floor by my bed praying about this topic, and what God told me that night, has been playing in my head over and over like a broken wreckord What God told me is that, He knows me better than I know my own self. And that He is perfectly capable of bringing a man into my life on His own time, in His own way… and He DOESN’T NEED MY HELP.

“…. and I don’t need your help” WOW!!! How foolish of me to think the God of the universe would need my help! God doesn’t need us as much as He wants us. So for us to say that we are in control of our love life (or even our life in general) is a complete lie. Before you go and think God is some self-absorbed, stuck up God, let me finish! He isn’t self-absorbed, nor is He stuck up! He loves you, He wants to help you. He is saying “Come to Me, rest. Don’t worry about what kind of man you might marry someday. Give it to Me, I will write this story for you.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty great! He doesn’t need us to tell Him what kind of guy we are looking for, or what kind of character we want our future husband to have, God knows it all! He knows our every thought, and He knows the desires of our heart.

The last thing I want to talk about is expectation. I don’t know about you, but when I pray to God there’s always these little thoughts in the back of my head that silently hope that God will fulfill my wants and my desires, of which I spoke about in my prayers. What I’ve been learning is that we should have no expecations while praying. We should have the mindset that we are the Lord’s, and that we truly and honestly need to give everything to Him.

I have yet to be wisked away by my “prince charming” but when I think about it I’m instantly reminded of the times I had wished of a romance just like that, or the ones in the movies. And every time I had prayed to God “surrendering” all of my worries to Him— in the back of my mind I was hoping that somehow my furure husband would show up at my front door. The truth is- your future husband is not going to show up in a horse drawn carriage with red roses while palying a guitar. He’s not going to magically show up at your front door minutes after praying to God that He will show you who you will marry someday. Your future husband is going to show up when God knows you are ready to meet that special man. :)

Don’t have expectations, just trust in the Lord and wait on Him. Find your hope and your acceptance in Him, rather than in boys who will fail you every time.

What I look for in a man

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:05:48 -0400

A man who is a follower of Christ.

A man who will encourage me to keep pursuing God.

A man who shows compassion for others.

A man who is comfortable praying with me.

A man who cares for “the least of these.”

A man who loves children.

A man who is forgiving and able to admit when he’s wrong.

A man who has a positive outlook on life.

I’m doing my best to be the kind of woman who deserves this man. :)

Just another topic of singleness

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I know God has given me this time as a single woman because He’s preparing me for something. I’m getting to know His heart on a deeper level than I have before and He’s showing me new things. He’s showing me the really beautiful things in life. He’s showing me what to look for in a partner. He’s showing me how to treat others so that, someday, I will be a wonderful wife and mother. He’s showing me that everything I need to be joyful and satisfied… is already right in front of me.

It’s the most glorious relationship I’ve ever experienced. The best part…?

His love never fails.

I want a Job 29 kind of man

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:18:11 -0400

Date a guy who aims to be a Job 29 Man. Do you know the characteristics of a Job 29 Man? Well.. Let me tell you.

He is the kind of guy who would rather stay at home reading his bible and spending time with God worshiping Him than to be out partying with a group of friends on a Friday night.

He is the kind of guy who constantly longs for God’s presence and who walks closely with Him. He desires for his heart to be transformed into His. Even if life gets tough, he knows that The Mighty One is holding his every moment and nothing seemed to be too difficult for him.

He is also a genuine follower of Christ. He knows that in order to be a great leader, he needs to learn how to be a genuine follower. Don’t be surprise if this guy is well respected and everyone greets him & honors him. That’s because whenever he speaks, he speaks with love and grace. And when he walks, he walks with confidence and boldness Just like King David, he knows that his identity isn’t based on his height or stature, but on Christ alone.

With that said, he is also verypassionate about Jesus and His Gospel. You’ll know that he is because he will find a way to always help other people. He will help that blind lady cross the street and become her eyes, or even help that lame old man to stand up and be his feet. He will also stand up for those who are being mocked and persecuted. Even if it means him getting hurt, he will not fight back just like how Jesus did not fight back when He was being brutally tortured and beaten to death. That’s when you’ll know he is a solid follower of Christ.

Also don’t forget, if ever you get to sit next to him during worship, watch and observe him how he worships God. I’m talking about eyes closed, hands raised or perhaps you’ll see him open His bible and even read and then next thing you know, he’s on his knees crying. It’s contagious! So you want to make sure you sit next to him during worship, because man… He knows how to worship Jesus with such reverence and awe!

One of the coolest things about a Job 29 Man is that he knows that he’s not perfect. He acknowledges his flaws andmistakes. But that doesn’t bother him because he knows that he is constantly being renewed everyday by His perfect Savior Christ. So it’s normal for him to be prideful sometimes, but whenever that happens, he immediately repents and turns his eyes to God.

Another thing about a Job 29 Man is that unlike any other guys, he has made a covenant with his eyes to not look at any woman lustfully. He knows that your beauty is far more than what you look like on the outside, it’s about letting Jesus shine from the inside. So for him, what matters is your heart, not any of your body ‘parts’

He’s not the kind of guy who jumps from one girl to the other. No, he is patient and he waits upon the LORD and His perfect timing. He’s a hard worker and he knows not only he understands hard labor, but he understand what it means to work out his salvation by keeping God’s command and living out the gospel. He embraces Matthew 6:33 ‘to seek Him first and His kingdom and let the other things be given at the right time’

So if you’re a Proverbs 31 Woman & If you endup dating a Job 29 Man, consider yourself blessed because it’s hard to find these kind of guys nowadays. Realize that if you have this kind of guy, the LORD has specifically hand picked him just for you and prepared the both of you for each other and for the gift of marriage and the ministry that He will set for both of you. That is to honor God and glorify Him by showing the world what a ‘real love’ should look like. You both are pretty much going to be the ‘power couple’

So Ladies, if you’re single and not married and you have the desire to be married one day, this is probably the right time to for you to pray for your Job 29 Man. Why? Because this man is going to be the man who will love you, lead you, help you, defend you, cherish you, adore you, provide for you and raise your future kids and teach them the way of Jesus.

So yeah, date a guy who has all these God-given characteristics. Someone who is a Job 29 Man. Or better yet,

.. Marry a guy who loves Jesus.. period.

To Love

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:58:19 -0400

I can’t find words that do Him justice. Instead, I’ll keep this to a few disjointed thoughts and pray that if God knocks on your door this week, you’ll answer. Thank you, as always, for reading and being part of my journey.

You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  - Galatians 5:13

God changed my world this past year.. He changed me.

Last year I struggled through the Holiday seasons, I had just finished my sophomore year of college and fresh out of a break-up, anxiety and loneliness were my winter companions.

As I get ready for the holidays again this year, I realize I’m still “alone” and still working on my future…

But I’m not lonely :)

It says in Revelations 3:20, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” And because God is the ultimate gentleman, he knocked and waited patiently outside my door for a long time.

I finally answered. I’m glad He thought I was worth the wait.

At this time last year I had hoped I would have been in another serious relationship by now. Instead, my heart is longing for a different kind of companionship…

To love people who cannot love me back.

I want to love someone who will never thank me. I want to be a giver, not a taker. I want God to humble my heart until it won’t be satisfied with anything other than Him. I want God to transform my selfish heart into one that serves Him every day.

And if I do that, if I keep pursuing Him, I know that even if I spend every holiday for the rest of my life alone…

My heart will be happy. My heart will be so happy.

May you walk with joy in your spirit and peace in your heart, today and always. ♥

Purpose

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:33:40 -0400

It’s easy to be dissatisfied with where we’re at. God has each of us in a certain place doing certain work with certain people. We so often want bigger,better,even just different. We have dreams and can’t understand why our present situation is necessary. What we have to realize is, God wants us to be faithful and consistent in the small,boring,hard, or undesirable things in life before we take on more responsibility. It’s difficult to see the benefit of a growth period when you’re in it. Every season of life has a purpose,and though we may change and even lose faith,God is eternally unchanging and infinitely faithful. I know that I personally need to constantly be reminded of verses like Colossians 3:23 and Proverbs 16:3 which speak right to this issue. The point is,if we commit all of our lives, including work big and small,to God, everything immediately becomes purposeful and important to Him. We can serve God in joy through whatever it is that we’re doing,at any time. All this to say,I know that I need to stay grounded in God and His word even more through these times. How about you?

I Carry Your Heart With Me..

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:20:12 -0400

I’m not convinced that relationships ever really end. Even when one person says “it’s over” and both people move on. We reach this point and our environment pressures us to pretend like the people of our past never existed. We’re encouraged to write our ex’s off as crazy and “just forget about them.” At the very least, we’re expected to stop loving them.

I see things differently.

For me I love the man of my past relationship even more after the break-up. Not in a way that keeps me chained to the past, but in a way that increases the capacity of my heart. Sometimes you love more by sincerely letting go– by releasing another person to go wherever they need to– than you could have loved if you stayed in a relationship. If this is true, then the separation of two people is not the end. It’s just a new chapter. You may not speak or see each other in this new chapter at all but it’s still okay.

I don’t like thinking of someone as an “ex.” What does that even mean? To many people, it means regarding someone they used to love deeply as something less. Especially when new people get involved– then we really start to get jealous, control, and justify. I’ve been there. I’ve felt threatened by “ex-girlfriends” and insecure or maybe even a little jealous. I’ve picked others apart so I felt better in comparison. In these moments of raw jealousy, I forget that these women are not my enemies… In Christ, they are my sisters. The guy I dated in my past is in no way “crazy” or a “jerk” in fact he’s a wonderful God fearing man. I like to remind my friends when they talk bad about their past relationships that, they arern’t what they claim them to be but rather in Christ they are your brothers..

It’s hard to know why someone comes into your life. All relationships require flexibility and change. How do we know when we’re supposed to fight to make it work or when we’re supposed to let it go? I wish I had a good solution to this question, but I don’t. Perhaps I need to start listening to what I tell friends– you never know. You never know what’s best for another person. Sometimes you don’t even know what’s best for you. You never know if God will bring someone from the past into your future. You never know… But God does. Just have faith.

We don’t expect the people who teach us the really beautiful things in life to be the same ones to teach us the really difficult things. I think that’s what hurts the most. If you’re hurting because you expected a happy ending and found yourself in a world of pain… Let those tears soften your heart. Keep loving and don’t worry about chapters that have closed. Your story is still being written by the Creator..His plans far exceed your own :)

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Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:06:47 -0400

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Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:05:26 -0400

Winning the "Am I Good Enough?" Game

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:04:36 -0400

I wasted too much of my life playing the “am I good enough?” game.

I constantly compared myself to other women and felt inadequate if they appeared better than me. This was not only devastating to my confidence and self-worth, but impossible to win. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, better dressed, and more talented than me.

We attempt to fill the void of insecurity in many ways–a romantic relationship, friendships, popularity, achievement–but these will never be enough. Although it’s normal to seek acceptance and relationships with others, our security must come from God. His love and promises offer more security than anything else possibly could.

Here are some verses that help us recognize God’s truth when we feel inadequate:

Matthew 10:29-31

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

1 Peter 3:3-4

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ^{4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self}

^{, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”}

1 John 4:4

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

“

Colossians 2:10

“And in Him you have been made complete.”

Beth Moore provides a very comforting truth about security. “When you and I are triggered to expose the most vulnerable, broken parts of ourselves through a rush of insecurity, we can train ourselves to immediately recite this truth to our souls: ‘It’s okay. I’m completely covered [by God].’ And oddly, that very thought all by itself begins the healing. We are not nearly as likely to react with the same level of insecurity when we remember how well covered we are by God.”

God loves you. It’s not a boyfriend/girlfriend, best friends forever, close siblings kind of love… It’s a far greater love than you can imagine. So, when you start feeling jealous, inadequate or unworthy, close your eyes and know that you are completely covered in God’s love.

May your whole life become a response to the truth that you’ve always been loved, you are loved, and you always will be loved. And may you know — may you know deep in the depths of your soul — that there is nothing you could ever do to make Him love you less. There is nothing you could ever do to make God love you less. Nothing you could ever do to make Him love you less. Nothing. Nothing.

- Rob Bell

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Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:59:40 -0400

A Selfless Heart <3

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I mentioned in a conversation that I won’t be dating again until my heart’s aligned with God’s heart. Shortly after the conversation was cut off due to poor connection. I received an e-mail from that someone asking for an explanation. I could not answer the inquiry concisely, so I’ll respond with this post.

Relationships should be about giving. People often say that relationships are “give and take” but I disagree. We live in a society that promotes independence, self-preservation, and selfishness. People often look at romantic relationships in the context of “what can this person do for me?” and not “what can I do for this person?” But, if both parties enter a relationship with the mindset of giving, they will both receive. If one or both people are not giving, the relationship cannot work.

If you want to have something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do things you’ve never done before. If I were to jump from relationship to relationship, I would never become the woman I know I’m capable of becoming. God is the center of my focus now because He can make my heart more selfless. Being single is not about my independence– it’s about finding unity with God. It’s asking Him to extinguish the selfishness in my heart so I can be the best possible partner for somebody in God’s perfect timing. For now, I want Him to be my completer– not another person.

Our desire for independence can be fueled by many sources– pride, unresolved issues, pain from the past, bitterness, etc. People say that time heals all wounds, but sometimes time just prolongs our pain. Jesus heals all wounds. He fixes broken hearts, relieves our minds of bitterness, and humbles us enough to get out of our own way so He can use us.

I think God’s purpose for romantic relationships, beyond supporting one another, is that we would reflect His image to a lost, dying, and self-focused world. If we love one another in a way that is truly selfless, then others will want what we have. If we pursue peace, offer forgiveness, and live in love… We might just change the world. It’s been said that people who are hurt, hurt other people. But the same works in reverse– people who are healed, heal other people.

I will never pretend to know what’s best for anyone else. I cannot judge your journey because I have not walked your path. I just know that this is the direction my heart is being pulled and I want to share my heart with you.

To the person who e-mailed me: I hope that answers your question.

The King of Kings Calls Me His Child

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

If I had to choose one struggle that has held me captive for too much of my life, it would be worrying about what others think of me.

I used to think this struggle came from not fitting in, or not being good/smart/pretty enough, but that is simply not true. My problem was not a lack of talent or intelligence… It was a failure to recognize who I am.

We live in a society that tells us joy comes in the form of a large bank account and a number on a scale. We are inundated with information that suggests that we need to be better in order for people to like us. Advertisers profit from us feeling insecure and unsatisfied, and they work to keep us this way.

You can escape this destructive trap by knowing who you are. Knowing who you are helps you find your purpose. Finding your purpose produces joy and peace in your life.

I finally know who I am.

I am chosen.

(1 Peter 2:9)

I am bought and paid for at a high price.

(1 Corinthians 7:23)

I belong to light, not darkness.

(1 Thessalonians 5:5)

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

(Psalm 139:14)

Can you imagine how we would live if we saw ourselves the way God sees us? We have been set free! We don’t have to live in captivity of whatever has been holding us back anymore. We can escape this bondage by knowing who we are, aligning our thinking with what the Bible says about us, and regaining the promise that we are the children of a God who always triumphs.

If you’re still not convinced, look at the Biblical story of Esther. Her parents died when she was very young. She lived during the time when the Hebrews were exiled to Persia and suffered many hardships. I’m sure Esther often felt out-of-place after being separated from her family, customs, and country. Esther went on to not only find her place, but realize God’s great purpose for her life– a purpose that blessed the lives of many people.

You may go through periods where you don’t understand God’s purpose for your life. Take heart; God sees the ending while we only see the pain now. Not only does He have a place for us in this life, but He has one prepared for us in heaven too.

If you find yourself in a place of feeling like you don’t fit in, remember that no place is out-of-place when you’re in God’s place. Remember that the king of kings calls you His child.