Engaged Affections

The true cure for a dull memory in religion, is to get deeper love toward Christ, and affections more thoroughly set on things above. We do not readily forget the things we love, and the objects which we keep continually under our eyes. The names of our parents and children are always remembered. The face of the husband or wife we love is engraved on the tablets of our hearts. The more our affections are engaged in Christ’s service, the more easy shall we find it to remember Christ’s words. The words of the apostle ought to be carefully pondered: “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” (Heb. 2:1.) | J.C. Ryle

Waiting for the Big Moment

As I finish up Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts,  I've been sifting through my own lack of gratitude and establishing intentional ways to build gratitude and a lifestyle of miracles and thanks (eucharisteo).

From a broader, less personal perspective, I've also been thinking through our culture and the ways that ingratitude is cultivated all around us each and every day. Simple politeness and manners aren't taught or demanded as they have been in the past, communication is scattered, and verbal and non-verbal ingratitude nearly reigns in the American mindset.
We have an entitlement complex like no other: we deserve extra, free, better, more! Always. It never stops, we are never satisfied... and we are unthankful for what we have because it's not enough. But what is enough? Is there not joy in the everyday, in the simplicities of life, in the common ? We're so busy looking for the extraordinary and the unique in our ideal realities that we miss the extraordinary miracles of our actual realities.

This is highly reflected by our culture's revolution around our ideal [false] realities that we create on Pinterest, Tumblr, facebook, Instagram, and even our blogs, literature, and other media. Isn't it harder to embrace real life when I have such "better" things online? We find ourselves in constant states of discontent, covetousness, and depression. Yet, God has given us every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), has not withheld anything good from us (Psalm 84:11), and is working all things in our lives together for good according to His purpose of making us more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29). The goal, as I've said before, is not happiness, but holiness.

For me, it's time for a reality check. If I'm not living fully in each moment, is my life really full? Our lives are more like leaky buckets, always running out, unable to satisfy and quench, than the overflowing fountains of blessings that God is really giving us. These holes aren't from our circumstances, but from our attitudes.

Marli Tague, a friend of mine, shared this quote over at Cause for Joy:

“I have always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be that person I always thought I was on the verge of becoming, waiting for that life I thought I would have. In my head, I was always one step away. In high school, I was biding my time until I could become the college version of myself, the one my mind could see so clearly. In college, the post-college “adult” person was always looming in front of me, smarter, stronger, more organized. Then the married person, then the person I’d become when we have kids. For twenty years, literally, I have waited to become the thin version of myself, because that’s when life will really begin.

And through all that waiting, here I am. My life is passing, day by day, and I am waiting for it to start. I am waiting for that time, that person, that event when my life will finally begin.

When Trials Come

Through my human circumstances of severed relationships, an unknown future, a demanding schedule, and raw emotions through it all, it's so easy to let myself be discouraged and frankly ransacked by guilt or anger or fear. Yet, as God reveals my idols one by one and graciously takes them out of my life, He also gives me the grace to remember His regenerating mercy and His finished work atoning for all my guilt. How He pursues my whole being despite my willful disobedience and my simple ignorance of His true glory

What a glorious God I serve who constantly purifies, cleanses, and molds my life to be more and more like my Christ who gave His all to be my all in all! Over the past week or two, God has deeply ministered His grace to my heart through the words of this song:

When Trials Come

Words by Keith 7 Kristyn Getty

When trials come no longer fear,

For in the pain our God draws near,
To fire a faith worth more than gold.
And there His faithfulness is told,
And there His faithfulness is told.

Within the night I know Your peace;
The breath of God brings strength to me,
And new each morning mercy flows,
As treasures of the darkness grow,
As treasures of the darkness grow.

I turn to Wisdom not my own,
For every battle You have known.
My confidence will rest in You;
Your love endures Your ways are good,
Your love endures Your ways are good.

When I am weary with the cost,
I see the triumph of the cross.
So in it's shadow I shall run,
Till You complete the work begun,
Till You complete the work begun.

One day all things will be made new,
I'll see the hope You called me to,
And in your kingdom paved with gold,
I'll praise your faithfulness of old,
I'll praise your faithfulness of old!

Creation's Symphony: The Stars and Whales

A Hundred Prayers

Earlier today, I received this message from a dear friend of mine. I think it speaks for itself, so read on:

I was convicted today by a quote in one of my textbooks. I thought I would share. St. Patrick stated,

"Tending flocks was my daily work, and I would pray constantly during the daylight hours. The love of God and the fear of him surrounded me more and more-and faith grew and the Spirit was roused, so that in one day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and after dark nearly as many again, even while I remained in the woods or on the mountain. I would wake and pray before daybreak - through snow, frost, rain - nor was there any sluggishness in me (such as I experience nowadays) because then the Spirit within me was ardent."

Wow, to be in constant prayer, and never feel full! To have a cup that's overflowing, and still have room for more! To be in such communion with my God! And to know that no matter my circumstances, or physical capabilities, I would never fear of being "sluggish" or worn, because the ardent Spirit is within me, giving me all the grace I need! To dwell on this truth, and the be engulfed in it's richness and blessing is not where I am, but where I long to be!

Is the Spirit ardent in you?

Silence: the Deafening Din

I have, O Lord, a noisy heart. And entering outward silence doesn't stop the inner clamor. In fact, it seems only to make it worse.
When I am full of activity, the internal noise is only a distant rumble; but when I get still, the rumble amplifies itself. And it is not like the majestic sound of symphony rising to a grand crescendo; rather it is the deafening din of clashing pots and clanging pans. What a racket! Worst of all, I feel helpless to hush the interior pandemonium.

Dear Lord, Jesus, once you spoke peace to the wind and the wave. Speak your shalom over my heart. I wait silently...patiently. I receive into the very core of my being your loving command, "Peace, be still." Amen. 

(Prayers from the Heart. 1994, Harper San Francisco.)

As we prepare for a new year, the thought of a new set of 365 sets of 24 hours is refreshing. Though it is also somewhat daunting.  Too appealing is the temptation to mull over the worries and anxieties those days will bring through the trials and hardships that are sure to arise. The temptation to dwell on needs unmet, desires unfulfilled, and dreams crushed. Those things surely happened on some level over the past twelve months, so the coming year will no doubt be yet another roller coaster of crashing circumstances and surging emotions.

When we find our minds wandering in this direction, meandering through Memory Lane and making a wrong turn onto Regret Drive, we must stop and reevaluate our path. If we really believe that God is still in Heaven and that He is who He says He is, who are we to allow anxiety and worry to claim our hearts? A loving God dwells within us who reigns in ultimate goodness: holiness and love. I find that when I allow my perspective to be introspective and self-analyzing, my thoughts and emotions truly clamor within me to an unbearable level. However, when I turn my perspective to be God-analyzing and truly seek out the face and character of my Savior, my worries turn to prayers, my anxieties are overcome by promises, and my fears are ruled out with patience. What an awesome God we serve, and when we humbly recognize that He is in supreme control over every second of our lives, we can then rejoice in both the joys and sorrows that our days may bring. To spend our days wisely in spite of our emotions is to remember that when God made time, He surely made enough of it.

And when the clamor is too loud and the silence is deafening, we can quiet our souls with the cleansing promises of our Savior.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
{Psalm 139:16}

~ GE (College Sophomore)

Thoughts of Late

First of all, I apologize for being so lackadaisical in maintaining a consistent flow of posts! Lately I have been quite overwhelmed by life in general, but particularly school.
However, today the Lord has been teaching me some things that I just need to write out and share. I am remembering what was going on last year at this time, how I was in a different season of waiting and was focusing on trusting God and doing the next right thing. As I think back, I looked back at some things that I had written a year ago, including some of the posts on this blog.

Anyway, this is nothing profound, but I just wanted to share with you all a little something. So, a little glimpse into my thoughts lately includes:

~The importance of building spiritual memorials.
Throughout today, I have been thinking back to God's faithfulness, provision, and goodness in my life. I firmly believe that one of the biggest faith-strengtheners is simply recalling God's amazing faithfulness displayed to me personally.
I am reminded once again about the importance of setting up spiritual memorials (Joshua 4:4-7), whether they are written down or not. However, writing them down certainly makes tracing back through them a much simpler task. Not to mention, my memory is certainly aided in recalling all of the beautiful details of God's working.

~The importance of the constant reading of the Word.
Lately, diligence in my daily time in God's Word has truly been a struggle. However, He has been reminding me that my feelings do not change fact, nor do they matter, really! My feeling tired or unworthy or guilty or whatever does not change the fact that I am called to diligently (Hebrews 11:6) pursue my relationship with my God. The Word of God cleanses, convicts, renews, encourages, and equips, and it is God's communication of all that is necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

~The importance of remembering the Cross.

All Out for Him

This is 2012.

By God's grace I will go all out for Him.

I will be a total "God-nerd" because God is the best thing to be nerdy about. 

If people say that I'm doing it for attention, I will strive to be even nerdy-er! 

I will be a true friend to my friends, and be the iron that sharpens them, if need be. 

If people say I'm a hypocrite, I will be an even sharper iron.

I will let Christ's light shine through me  in this dark world, and make sure that everyone can see something different in me.

If people reject me, or laugh at me, or treat me worse as a result, I will strive to tell them even more. 

I will read God's Word every day and tell as many friends as I can what I learned in God's Word as often as I can.

If people say that I'm just doing it to mark it off the checklist, I will strive to read and share even more.

I will not be selfish with my time, and will be ready and willing to help anyone that has any needs. 

If people say that I need to save my time for schoolwork or music practice, and that serving others with my time is for when you're older, I will strive to find more oppertunities to serve, and give up even more of my time. 

I will pray for my friends and acquantences every day, and remind them that I love them and are praying for them.

If people say that I'm doing to to try to prove my spirituality, I'll pray for them even more and love them even more.

I will go out of my way to talk to my friends about their spiritual walk, and help them if I can.

If people say that I can't help disciple Christians because I'm too young, I'll strive to make an even bigger impact in people's lives.

Why? Why would I do this? 

The answer: I want Christ to be the most important thing in my life, and I want others to have that same focus. 

Lord, you are the CREATOR! You made everything and everyone and have a plan for my life!  WOW!  

In Whatsoever State I Am: Content!

        As 2011 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all the Lord has brought me through this year. Last year about this time, I was reading several blogs, and I kept coming across the idea of picking a word to live out in the year ahead. As I got to thinking about the idea, I decided that in 2011 I wanted to focus on having contentment. So my theme for the year became "Contentment v. Complacency."  At first, I thought that I would kind of learn about these two concepts through personal study. However, I quickly realized that God knew that I needed to learn about these concepts through circumstances and direct experience.

        The year quickly spiraled into unmanageable busyness as I tried to plan for college, my senior trip to New York City flew by, high school ended, graduation came and went, the summer brought an evangelism trip to the Philippines, the fall took me to my first semester at Bible college, and my mom took a new job and moved across the country last week. Now here we are, at the end of another year. Although 2011 was incredibly packed with changes, it was also a year of waiting. Waiting on college decisions, waiting on high school to end, waiting for scholarships to be awarded, waiting for job applications to be accepted, waiting to see souls (in whom I had deeply invested) saved, waiting to start college, waiting for prayers to be answered, waiting to see my family, waiting to know God's revealed will. 


        It seemed to go on forever. But God knew what I needed to learn. He knew that I needed to experientially find out the difference between contentment and complacency. In all of my seasons of waiting, I had to wait on God to provide  for my needs. And ya know, He always came through! He had a plan far before I did (Psalm 139:16), and He had a lesson in contentment waiting for me far before I even desired to learn it.

        A passage on contentment that I have been studying recently is Philippians 4. I have heard people quote verse 13 many, many  times. However, I never realized that when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," he is speaking in regard to his finances! He is saying that, regardless of how dismal his bank account may appear at any given time, God is fully able to meet his financial needs for whatever God wants him to do. Paul is thanking the Philippians for giving him financial support as directed by God. He is relaying to his fellow Christians that God has taught him to be joyful with little and how to be responsible with a lot. But, Paul makes it clear that God has taught him to be content in any financial situation. Paul can do this because he is resting in the fact that his God has no limits on His financial ability! 

Purpose and Peace

We live in a violent, vulgar time.

- a time when people have little purpose

- a time when many desire personal peace 

- a time when one must turn to God for purpose and peace.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Colossians 3:17


Let's break it down

1. "And whatsoever you do in word or deed" 

     - If I'm not doing it, then I'm probably saying it.
  
Thought Question:

Since actions and words are generated by thoughts, then how important are my thoughts?


What do my thoughts reveal about me?  (Proverbs 23:7)


So what things should I think about?  (Philippians 4:8)  

Hint: There are 6.


What is the result of proper thoughts and actions?  (Philippians 4:9)  

Hint: P______ of G_____

2. "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" 

    - Everything I do should be done with Jesus in mind.


With whose name should I be willing to have my actions (words and deeds) associated?


Thought Question:
To whom do my actions actually bring glory (attention or praise)?

What do we call something that brings honor to self and dishonor to Christ?
Hint:  S __ __


3. "giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
    - I should be able to thank God for my words and actions.

If I can't thank God for them (my words and actions), then what must be the reason?
It's simple; it's sin.
    

Conclusion: All my words and deeds should be done in such a way 
that I can thank God for them.  

PM