God's Got Our Back

"But even there, if you seek God, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to God, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. God, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won't bring you to ruin, he won't forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them."

"Know this well, then. Take it to heart right now: God is in Heaven above; God is on Earth below. He's the only God there is. Obediently live by his rules and commands which I'm giving you today so that you'll live well and your children after you—oh, you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you."

Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 39-40 (Message)

I have to admit something. I did not want to read my Bible tonight. I had a terrible attitude, knowing that I was in the Old Testament, wondering what on earth I would read in Deuteronomy that I could apply to my life today. But, God decided that I needed an attitude change and really showed me how amazing he is!

Among all the stories of war and conquer in the Lord's name, I kept seeing one thing was repeated in my reading tonight. As long as the people obeyed him and trusted in his provision, they were blessed beyond belief! They were given what was promised to them! There are so many times in my life that I find it hard to finish what God has already started.

I really liked the Message version of chapter 2:31. " Look, I've got the ball rolling - Sihon and his land are soon yours. Go ahead. Take it. It's practically yours!"

How many times have I ignored God when he says that? Obviously I am not in a physical battle and fighting for what God has promised in a war, but what things in my day to day life am I not completely trusting that God has already taken care of? What is holding me back?

I read a bit out of Psalm 42 as well and really like this part that is repeated twice in the Psalm.

"Why are you down in the dumps dear soul?

Why are you crying the blues?

Fix my eyes on God -

soon I'll be praising again.

He puts a smile on my face.

He's my God."

I don't know about you, but I just read the last two lines of that Psalm out loud and could not stop smiling. He is my God. He is your God. He loves us more than we can ever know! Doesn't that just make you giddy with happiness?

Thank you Lord for changing my grumpy heart and showing me that you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Thank you for your love!

Flowing With Milk And Honey.

Do you ever feel like it has been weeks, or months, or years since that last time you were on the right path? It's as if God forgot that he is supposed to be walking with you and helping you through the troubles that come your way?

Now, we know that God uses our trials to help us grow close to him, but occasionally our natural human tendencies lead us to believe that he has completely abandoned us.

When you're going through a time that you feel like God has abandoned you, it's comforting to read through the Bible and see stories of people thousands of years ago that felt the same way and see the amazing blessings God poured out on them when they were faithful through their trials.

Numbers 14:7-8
"They said to the community of Israel, 'The land we explored
is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us,
he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us.
It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey,
and he will give it to us!'"

Joshua and Caleb were part of the group that was chosen to explore the land that God promised to the Israelites. They saw all the riches and beauty that the land had to offer. It was easy for them to see God's plan and how he would bless the Israelites if they were faithful to him. But, for the rest of the Israelites, it had been years of wandering in the wilderness and it was becoming easier and easier to believe that God had abandoned them.

If we faithfully follow the Lord, even when we feel that we've spent years wandering aimlessly in the wilderness, God will bring us safely where we belong and his abundant blessing will be poured upon us.

{Through The Bible In One Year Update: Numbers 21}

Praise: I got the job I applied for at a local church!

Prayer: Working on patience & kindness

SIMPLE!

[Matthew 6:7-13]

"In praying, do not babble like the pagans who think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is how you should pray:

Our Father
who art in Heaven,
hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give is this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen"

This prayer is so peaceful.
It is a scripted little truth to pray.

If you ever wish God would just tell you what to say, this verse is when he does.
If you ever wish God would flat out tell you what to do, this verse is when he does.

Trust God's will.
Forgive.
Fight temptation.

It's summed up so well. In the spirit of Lent, along with the entire Rosary, I've been spending a lot of time on this prayer.
It's comfortable. It's the right words when you need them, every time.

Lent is my Favorite!

"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest,

if we do not give up.

So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all…"

Galatians 6:9-10.

" Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
1 Corinthians 12:27

[I stole the first verse from a facebook status. It was exactly what I needed to hear.]

For Lent, I gave up being...a feisty little brat. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and I'm not sure that I did very well. "Feisty brat" is a pretty general bad habit to work on, which is why this season will probably will extremely difficult, but equally rewarding. We reap what we sew, right?!

Let me define some vocabulary for you...

Feisty (adj) with sass, perhaps cruelty, almost almost always unnecessary comments.

Brat (n) one who whines, complains, and talks about people behind their backs when she's not being feisty to their faces.

[I used to be a nice girl]

Work is one of the most difficult places to work on my promise. So at 6 AM on Ash Wednesday, that's where I was. I didn't do a very good job, but Caitlin texted me and reminded me that I could be some of these people's only window to God. No, that doesn't mean I stood outside the door of the break room, preaching and passing out pamphlets, it just held me accountable for being KIND. Caitlin talks about this in her lat post, it's chance to let God use you!
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When I got home, I determined that my only obstacle there is that I get annoyed easily. Living with a 14 year old and 2 13 year olds who keep reminding you that in a few weeks they'll be 15 and 14 and 14, is a little...loud. :) If I just remember to be amused by them, I'll probably have no problem being less feisty.
My parents are going to take a lot more work and figuring out.


What I'm thinking is that every moment is an opportunity to be the "hands of God." And if I just master each moment, one at a time, eventually, acting for God will become more habitual.

Ash Wednesday turned into a day of identifying the moments that make me want to smash faces in; hopefully the rest of Lent will be me never reaching that point of annoyed or angry.

:)

Happy Lent!



[i like caitlin's thing she does at the bottom of her posts so i'm stealing it]

Prayer of the day: Help me focus on being non-feisty and non-bratty, and figure out what makes me that way!

Praise of the day: I feel ready for this day.

Job Search.

1 Corinthians 5:58 "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and
steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know
that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

I've been searching for a new part time job lately and it just has not been too much fun.

As I search for a new job, I find myself listing off reasons why I already would hate each job I read:

-i would hate having that many hours
-i would hate not having enough hours
-i would hate driving that far to work
-i would hate making that little pay
-i would hate working with fast food
-i would hate working that early
-i would hate working that late
-i would hate working with that type of co-workers
-i would hate sitting in an office all day
-i would hate working outside
- i would hate....

Well, you get it.
I cross all of these jobs off my list without considering where God wants me and where he can use me.
Maybe that job that requires me to drive further, start earlier, work with more difficult people, and pays less is the one place that God wants me so that he can use me to accomplish work for his kingdom {Don't feel too much pressure - he can use you anywhere if you let him!}.

It's hard to remember when you're scrubbing toilets, flipping burgers, stocking shelves... that God can use you in every situation, even the ones that seem useless.


Be enthusiastic about your work. And let God use you for HIS work.

Ephesians 5:7 "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were
working for the Lord rather than for people."

{Through The Bible In One Year Update: Numbers 4}

Praise for the Day: Finally being reunited with my bible study ladies.

Prayer for the Day: That God opens up doors for whichever job he wants me to take.

Encourage

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

It has been a whirlwind of adventures the past few weeks, and I have seen God at work so much both in Chile and here in the states! I am still trying to process everything, so bear with me as the words are not quite there...

I feel like I have seen the family of God and the church in a different light recently. God has given us this amazing gift of brothers and sisters in Christ so that we may have fellowship, accountability, encouragement, and in all of that people to travel with in this journey that we are all in together.

People have been asking me why we went to Chile, and what we did. Although we did not do too many physical things besides a small construction project, we did share God's love.

We showed 40+ kids just how special they are to God by throwing them a birthday party, knowing that this was the first party for many of them.

We gave hugs and kisses to Mapuche children, who are some of the lowest social standing kids in Chile. Many had never been told that they are loved.

We listened to people's stories and prayed for them.

We shared our faith stories and found people 6000 miles away who were going through the same things we are.

We gave encouragement to a pastor and his family who have had a really rough two years, and were told that our being there was like an "injection" from God.

We worshiped our amazing Savior together, despite a language barrier, and we all knew that God understood each and every one of us.

We were blessed by people that have next to nothing.

It's amazing to me that we are part of such a big family of God. I often get so absorbed in my own little bubble at my church and forget to pray for and encourage those who are not so close to home. It is a blessing to be able to encourage and to be encouraged in our faith.

So, take a chance to encourage someone today. Ask them how they're doing. You never know the impact that you might have.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Closer

[James 4:8-10]

Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts,
for you are double-minded.
Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up.

I've been thinking about how excited I am to push myself closer to God...
Sometimes, I just get excited, and then stop there. This happens a lot at work, when I feel a rushing need to drop what I'm doing and be in a total state of worship. (ever happen to you?) But without a bible on hand, or since I am required to do work while working, I have to keep my worship in my head. By the time I get home, I tend to let myself lose the motivation to read any scripture or devotionals or anything.

As if suddenly bursting out in praise means I was Christian enough for one day.

So to keep myself "near to God" like the verse says, I keep a little notebook in my pocket, and in it, I write down all my little moments of joy, with little prayers usually. I used to only use this little notebook to write down my struggles when I was too angry or upset to pray my rage away. It was such an amazing tool then. I could just read back through these rants when my sanity returned, and feel more articulate in prayer.

In the same sense, when I write down my joys (so that I can't let myself forget they happened) I can draw closer to God. When I get home from work I can read back through my joy-book and remember how good God is to me. It's usually the jump start I need to read a verse or two...which gets me even closer to God.

[see the pattern!?]

To "humble myself before the Lord," I am trying to remember to always, in praise or sad-prayer, to ask God to guide me in each situation.
[You know, instead of saying, "GAD I HATE THIS! Amen." Or, "God, I GOT this! Don't worry!! Amen." ]
Teach me how to stay happy; teach me how to use my little sad days to learn, and grow, and teach.

God loves us, I think it's clear that He just wants to help.
So let's not forget to let Him.

Defeat.

Lamentations 5:17 "Our hearts are sick and weary,
and our eyes grow dim with tears."

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel completely and utterly defeated?

That is exactly how I am feeling today.

I know my current troubles are no big deal in the eternal perspective and I know that God will always provide for me.
But sometimes life just gets to me.

I just need to remind myself today that God is in control and he cares about every detail of my life {and yours!}.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 "We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up
and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked
down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these
bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of
Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

{Through The Bible In One Year Update: Leviticus 16}

Prayer for the Day: Renewing of My Spirit

Patience Might not Even be Required

On Saturday night, I NEEDED to get out of the house. I forced my recently single, sad, little self into the company of some friends I hadn't seen in a while.

We went to a party.

[I don't drink, so when I go to parties, I treat myself to things like grape pop, which I enjoyed immensely.]

When we got there, the room was split into 2 teams for a rowdy trivia game. One of our questions was, "How long does it take for a ray of sun shine to reach the earth?"

8 1/2 Minutes.

My friend, Adam, knew the answer, so we got the point! YES! And I thought a lot about sunshine, after that, so I was thrilled.

The next day in church, Mr. Makes-announcements-and-gives-random-trivia told us that, "Hey! Did you know it takes 8 1/2 minutes for a ray of sun shine to leave the sun and reach the Earth??!"

And I said, "Yes, Mr. Makes-announcements-and-gives-random-trivia, I did know that.


So yesterday, during a spot of downtime, I thought about my sunshine coming in. I figured I would just give myself 8 1/2 minutes and I would feel warm and sunny. But I wasn't about to sit for 8 1/2 minutes. I was so still for my last blog entry and I don't know if I can be still much longer. So I compiled a list of things that I could do in 8 1/2 minutes, when I should have just held still...

I could
-Run 1 mile (maybe)
-Read a little book
-Read some bible
-Say a thoughtful prayer
-Put a few stitches in the latest quilt I've been neglecting
-Hang out on Facebook
-Read some ee cummings
-Write a poem
-Call somebody and say hello
-Check the mail and actually read through each junk piece
-Mix up some cookie dough
-Do enough sit ups and push ups to HURT
-Practice braiding my hair
-Make a grilled cheese and eat it
-Go sledding...just a couple times down the back yard hill
-Clean my room
-Do the dishes
-Write a lovely letter to someone I love
-Roll all my change
-Listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech
-Make a list of things that take about 8 1/2 minutes.

Bah.
The point is:
When you're waiting for your sunshine, you realize how long 8 1/2 minutes is.
And sometimes the sky is hellbent on raining.




Isn't it peaceful, and comforting, and exciting, and astonishing when you realize that God is instant!