Good Friday

The idea of having a God who would sacrifice his Son-human yet knew no sin- overwhelms me.  After reading through the Old Testament and understanding the laws the people had to abide by to stay clean, holy, and righteous, I now understand in greater depth the gift God gave us on this day- the miraculous gift of life when three days later He arose from the dead, and after spending some time on earth ascending to heaven and leaving His Spirit to live among us.   

We were terrible people.  God gave us all these true promises.  As He led us out of Egypt, he supplied us with all our needs and promised us a Holy Land full of milk and honey.  But we were selfish and impatient.  We wanted the “good” things now.  We served all these man made idols like they were going to give us what we wanted.  God knew our needs. He promised to take care of us.  He gave us laws so we could stay holy and right with Him.  And yet we abandoned him over and over again-we did what was “evil in the sight of God”. And through all our sin, all our rejection to Him, God loved us enough that He sent His very perfect, only Son to this earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus was perfect. He lived a perfect life.  He wasn’t sent to earth to have “form or majesty that we should look at him” (Isaiah 53:2), but He was borne of a virgin girl-a commoner- and He held the occupation of a carpenter.  He was tempted the same as us and yet He never gave to temptation.  He loved EVERYONE even those people who were rejected by others.  And he was persecuted and ridiculed.  He-the perfect and spotless lamb- gave his life on a cross.  He shed his own blood.  He died for your sins and my sin so that we could be free from the law (Romans 7) and have His Spirit live in us. 

Praise the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest. Jesus. Messiah. Name Above All Names. Worthy of All Praise.  Blessed Redeemer. Emmanuel.     

God of Love

"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. 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 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."

1 John 4:7-12

The past couple of months, I have been placed in a few situations where I've had to serve people with love that are honestly just not that easy to serve.  In these situations, I could feel anger and bitterness trying to overtake me.  But every time Satan has began to have his way, God has taken me back to what He's commanded me to do- Love One Another as I love myself, Not Love One another as they have loved me. He's taken me back to His Amazing LOVE for me.  He has reminded me that He carried the Cross (death) for me and my sins. He died for my selfishness, my pride, my worry, my envy of others, and the slew of many other character flaws I have, and He died for all others too. Because I know Him personally I'm able to have His Spirit live in and throughout me. His Spirit which produces fruit of love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-24). If I abide in Him, He'll abide in me (John 15:4). If I love Him, I'll love others sincerely.  I can't love God if I hate my brother(1 John 4:20).   Though my flesh says burn those who aren't easy to serve or love,  I'm able to act in love because of Christ's Spirit living inside of me.  I'm so humbled because I KNOW I can't love others genuinely without Him.  I cry with joy because God is working in me- He is testing me (James 1:2)- and I am able to respond in love because of His love for me! 

How great is our God that He doesn't ask us to do things on our own.  How great is our God that He loves us enough to send His Spirit to live inside of us (Acts 2) if we choose to trust in Him. God is faithful always and His words are true.  When He tells us if we will abide in Him then He will abide in us and we will produce His fruit-it is true. I cry with joy today because God is showing me how to love the "least of these". He's showing me how to love the Pharisees and the Tax Collectors, the Prostitutes and the Young Rich Rulers.  While the battle still rages and my flesh does win too often, I'm so thankful my God loves me enough to have already won the battle for me. I do and will continue to fail. I will have a terrible attitude and I will act in pride and I will sin, because I haven't the strength to be perfect.  But my God is perfect and He will lovingly discipline me yet forgive me for all my sins!  Oh how I'm in need of a Savior! Every single day, I need a Savior!

So today I will continue to challenge myself to dig into His Word more, because without His Word I can't know Him or His will for me... When I am in the Word, I'm more likely to choose Him and bear His fruit allowing me to respond with love to those who are anything but love in return. If I am not in the Word, Satan sadly has his way, and harsh words are said while anger and bitterness and pride and worry boil up inside of me.  

I challenge you along with myself to study His Word, memorize scripture, and pray without ceasing.  Without a loving vertical relationship with our Father, we are unable to have a loving horizontal relationship with each other. 

God is good, and oh He is so faithful. He is Love. And only through His love are we able to love others.  God has called us to love one another. He's called us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5:44).  After all love does covers a multitude of sin. (1 Peter 4:8) So let us love.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with it passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."  Galatians 5:22-25

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

"We love because he first love us. If anyone loves says "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:19-21

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the just and unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not eve the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'" Matthew 5:43-48

"Above all, keep loving each other earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."  1 Peter 4:8

October 7, 2012

I thought I'd share a few pictures from the best day of my life with more to come at a later date.

Mom, Dad, and brother.

sweet best friends

My new precious and beautiful family.

Is he not the most handsome ever?  I love my husband and his heart for God.

The most joy filled day.

My Eternal Valentine

Just a little something I wrote last Valentine's Day (2012). 

For the first time in my twenty three years of life, I have a boy here on earth who will call me his valentine tomorrow. Forever I thought of Valentine's Day as a silly holiday-Actually, I think I had a bitterness towards the day. I always joked about the day but deep down I was dreaming of the day I would actually have someone shower me with love on that day.  

This year I  am finding love in the day not only because I have a boy to spend the day with but because it suddenly hit me that for all twenty three years of my life I've had the ultimate Valentine every single day of my life.   I have a Savior that died for me. He knows the depths of my heart and He still continues to love me. He knows my every thought and move, and HE STILL LOVES ME. He'll always love me. It's kind of crazy to think that I've spent so many years being slighty bitter about a holiday of love when all along I've had the greatest love of all.   I am so overwhelmed that I have a God who sent His only Son to this earth to live a perfect life just so that he could be persecuted and condemned for loving others; He was nailed to a cross to become the ultimate sacrifice for my sins and rose again so that I can live for eternity.  

None of us should feel unloved today or tomorrow or any day because we all have the greatest love of all, a love that has no depth or end, "a love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19), AN EVERLASTING LOVE!  

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone whoe 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 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."  1 John 4:7-12

This year (2013), I have a HUSBAND for my Valentine- one who shows me amazing love daily-  and I am SO blessed. I thank God for Seth daily, sometimes hourly.  But Seth and I are both human, and we fail each other. Praise God for the gift of forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

 While Seth will only be my Husband and Valentine for my days here on earth,  one thing will always remain the same- I have a perfect, unfailing Valentine for eternity. One who knew me before I entered my mother's womb, and I praise my Father in Heaven this day and forevermore!

Looking to the things that are unseen, things that are eternal.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

It is a reoccurring theme for my life to become completely overwhelmed by busyness and a to-do list a mile long.    And the preceding scripture is one I remind myself of often, although not often enough.   In this new season of my life (being a married woman), I'm learning I cannot be the perfect wife, friend,  or daughter. As hard as I try and push, I'm going to fail, and I'm going to become weary and overwhelmed by the day-to-day tasks.... unless I allow God to take control.... unless I allow God's grace to live through me... unless I allow myself to be humbled.

I can't do this without HIM. I can't live life with joy and love and patience and humility without GOD. Without fixing my eyes on the unseen- eternity.

My outer self is wasting away, but my inner self is being renewed day by day.  That is so refreshing, knowing that if I fix my eyes on Christ and rest in Him, He will renew me from the inside out so that I won't be weary.  Knowing that the everyday trials and chores are only momentary, allows me to live more joyfully taking heart that Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33).   It is my prayer that I will surrender my burdens to God, choosing to serve others with humility, love, joy, and selflessness.

2012, Change, Growth, and Hope in the Lord

2011 was a year of change for me, and I honestly thought 2012 would not hold a candle to 2011 as far as change is concerned. But 2012 remained consistent in the amount of change that would occur while I began the year with a  change in job which included change in finances followed by an engagement and marriage to the love of my life (let's face it, getting married is a pretty large commitment).  Marriage included a change in name, a change in responsibilities and a change in my self centered life all along with the gain of another amazing set of parents, the most wonderful Paw Paw anyone could ask for as well as a fantastic aunt and uncle and three cousins! :)   2012 has included a new church along with new friendships and community here in Gadsden, AL.

I look back on 2011, and I entered the year with much more fear than excitement. After spending nearly 20 years of my life in a classroom, I knew that was going to be ending and I had no idea what the future would help.  I struggled finding hope in God and trusting Him with my future.  But God is so good and so faithful, and showed me that His perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:18).  And that He gives a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and sound mind ( 2 Timothy 1:7).  He showed me through a series of events, that I am wasting time worrying about the future because He is sovereign and has promised to take care of me (Matthew 6:25-34). 

 2012 brought a lot of changes, but praise God I was able to face these changes with a new hope and trust.  I had learned that change was good as long as I sought the Heavenly Father and trusted in Him. I remember being in my last semester in college (Spring 2011), and all I wanted was to settle down- to have stability.  I thought this constant change in life and this constant unknown of what I was going to do once I graduated was the scariest and most miserable thing.  Over the past year, God has shown me that change is good.  If there was no change, there wouldn't be growth.  Growth requires change.  And as long as I'll trust God with my future, the change will be a lot less stressful and a lot more exciting.  My prayer is that this coming year, change will be a part of my daily life.  I pray that God will radically change me through my thoughts, words, and actions.  And my prayer is that Seth and I will not have a spirit of fear, but that we will seek God and trust Him wholeheartedly to lead us to do "whatever, whenever, wherever".

the Exodus.

I am currently reading through the book of Exodus, and the encouragement I have received from my Father through His word is so extremely overwhelming.  


God's people came to Egypt during the beginning after Joseph was sold by his brothers to be a slave, and through a series of events he became Pharaoh's right-hand man. Through God's grace, God used Joseph to save all the people from famine.   The Israelites began settling in Egypt and for a long time they had favor with the Pharah and Egyptians. Over many many years, it was forgotten how the Lord used Joseph to save the land, and the Israelites had become slaves to Egypt.  It was finally time for them to leave and return to the land God had promised them.  God called on Moses to be his messenger, and Aaron was his spokesperson.  God told Moses he would bring the people out of Egypt.  God hardened Pharaoh's heart over and over again and Pharaoh did not want the Israelites to leave, but finally after many plagues and the Passover, Pharaoh wanted them gone. And he let them go until his heart was hardened again and decide to chase after them and bring them back to Egypt as his slaves once again.

"The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations."  Exodus 12:40-42

God  brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. He watched over them then, and He watches over us now.  How comforting is it to know that God is watching over you and I now?  And He protects us!

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle." Exodus 13:17-18

God watches us, and He guides us.  He led the people through the wilderness because He was protecting them and their eyes from war.  He wanted them to feel safe, and He knew their hearts to know that seeing war might make them return to Egypt where it was comfortable  even though the people could not freely worship Him.    He wants the best for us and knows the course we need to take if we will allow Him too. He will protect us and guard us.

 The people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 

  He equips us with His Word for battles.  He equipped His people in the Great Exodus, and He equips us now.  He's given us His Word, and because of Jesus's death, resurrection, and ascension, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  I'm so overwhelmed.  I don't have to fight Satan on my own because God will do it for me if I'll allow Him to.  The Israelites were afraid.  But God stayed true to His promise.  He fought the fight for them.   He led the people across the Red Sea and swallowed the Egyptians into the Red Sea.  All so that the people would never have to see them again, and God would receive the glory.

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.  For the Egyptions whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you only need to be silent."   Exodus 14:13-14

Fear Not, Stand Firm, and See the salvation of the Lord.

He will fight for you.  Just be silent.  Don't try and fight it on your own, but wait for Him. Let Him fight the battle for you.  After all, He is God, and He already won the battle for us when He sent Jesus to die on a cross for us.

And right now as I struggle in a battle I'm trying to fight on my own, God is telling me to be silent and stop trying to fight this own my own.  Let HIM take control.  I'm letting Him take control.  He had the power to part the Red Sea, let us pass through, then swallow the enemy by the Red Sea.  So today, I will allow God to lead me across the Red Sea . I will not look back, and I will trust Him to part it, take me across, and swallow the enemy behind me.