My friends, it's a blessed but weary morning. Most days I'm ready to jump out of bed and start my Bible reading, make breakfast, write a post if I haven't already.
Today I'd love to go back to bed, but this house needs my attention, and so do you. And you and I both need a reminder of the big picture--what life is all about, what the most important thing is. (And I'll tell you what, it's not the fact that I have a lot of picking up to do around here.)
It's this:
Ephesians:
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [Emphases added] [Source]
This is what matters. We can't expect perfection from ourselves, because we're not perfect. We needed saving--which means at one point, we were lost. Specifically, dead (see v. 1). But in our baptisms, God made us one with Christ--one in his death, and one in his resurrection, so both Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness count for us, too. God made us alive with Christ. He has given us the promise of eternal life with Jesus, and because of his grace has given us faith (again, through our baptism and in the Word) which saves us.
Can I add a note here? Perhaps you don't believe the truth of these things. You might have heard about them, but not made them a part of your life. If you don't know who Jesus is, or if you've heard of him but don't believe in him as your Lord and Savior, please, email me (jaimie dot ramsey at cune dot org) and we'll talk. This message is for you, too, because Jesus also died for and loves YOU!
Our salvation is not contingent upon anything we do or don't do. That would make even salvation from sin into a law. But it's not.
Our salvation is entirely about Jesus, and what HE has done for us.
We are children of God and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, enabling us to live obedient lives to God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, God no longer looks at us and sees sinners. He looks at us and sees Jesus. He knows we're sinful, but he also knows Jesus has already paid the price for that sin. He has already forgiven us for everything we have done or will ever do that is against his will for us. There is no more price to be paid, no more punishment to be taken. Oh, we experience the temporal consequences of bad decisions. Sometimes those consequences are acutely painful. But they don't affect our eternal state--our soul has been ransomed by Jesus Christ, and nothing in this world can touch it.
Ah...yes. This is what's important. God doesn't love me more if my house is clean. He doesn't look at my homemaking skills or my good grades and say, "Well done, Jaimie, you've just made your salvation more sure." That would be ridiculous. God doesn't depend on us for our own salvation. He just asks that we don't throw away the faith in his Son that he's graciously given us. And I'm not about to do that.
Today, you and I can rest in the knowledge that God loves us, no matter what our house looks like, no matter how we do in our job or our studies or whatever vocation we're in. Remember that you are saved by grace through faith, and this is NOT of your own doing. It's a gift from God.
Linking today with Upward not Inward, Exceptionalistic, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers
Showing posts with label imperfection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label imperfection. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Abraham: Living by Faith
This week for my Bible study I've been reading in Genesis, chapters 12-22. These are the ones about Abraham and Sarah. I haven't really pondered their journey recently, and reading this story anew brought things to light that I hadn't thought about before.
First, Abram and Sarai (their original names) traveled with Abram's father and family from Ur to Haran-- quite a long way. Then when Abram was seventy-five and his wife was sixty-five, God called them to leave their family behind and move again, this time all the way to Canaan. (Click on this link to see a map of their journey.)
God made a promise to Abram before they left Haran:
2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3
Shortly after their arrival in Canaan they traveled to Egypt to escape a famine (Gen. 12:10-20). Pharaoh tried to make Sarai part of his harem because Abram lied and said she was his sister (see 20:12). Pharaoh found out and was not happy, but gave them riches and servants anyway and sent them on their way.
They went back to Canaan where Abram parted ways with his nephew Lot, who had been traveling with them. Lot got into trouble with local kings and Abram had to rescue him (Gen. 13-14). Abram and Lot were successful, and once again God blessed them through their enemies. God renewed his covenant with Abram, promising him the land in which he lived would belong to his descendants, of which there would be more than there were stars in the sky (Gen 15).
However, Abram and Sarai were getting old, and Sarai doubted that she would be able to have a child. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram to conceive a child, which Hagar did, bearing Ishmael. Unfortunately, as soon as Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous of her and treated her poorly (Gen 16).
Not long after that, God and three angels appeared to Abraham (whose name God had changed) in the form of human men. They told Abraham that in a year's time, his wife would bear a son. God had already informed Abraham of this (17:15-22), but this time it was in Sarah's hearing (18:1-15). Her response was the same as Abraham's when he heard: She laughed.
Later, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot and his family were living. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped, and they did not live God-pleasing lives (Gen. 19).
Another king, this time Abimelech king of Gerar, tried to make Sarah part of his harem and God spared him punishment (Gen 20).
Finally, Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac was born, fulfilling God's prophecy (Gen. 21). Then when Isaac was in his teens, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham was about to do it when God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead, rewarding Abraham for his faith and obedience (22:1-19).
Isaac, of course, was the father of Jacob, who had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. From Abraham the entire Jewish line was descended, and through his son Ishmael the Arabian tribes descended (Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham as well as Jews and Christians). But Abraham and Sarah couldn't see how God's promises would be fulfilled, hundreds and thousands of years into the future. They both struggled to trust. They lied, doubted, tried to do things their own way, and laughed at God's words.
Despite all of this, Abraham was praised by the writer of Hebrews as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). This passage says that Abraham trusted God "by faith," and that even Sarah "considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." And that was after Sarah had laughed at God's prediction of her conception!
In 1 Peter 3 we read that the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful with "the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4).
I think too often we read the Genesis passage in light of the Hebrews one. Abraham was a man of faith, so those things he did in Genesis weren't as bad as they really seem. Well, they really were bad! Abraham was a sinner, just like you and me. But when we look at the Hebrews passage in light of the Genesis one, we see God's grace. We see that God counted Abraham and Sarah righteous, and faithful, not by anything they had done, but because of God's grace and mercy--because of Jesus and what he did for them.
The same is true for us. We are sinners, yes, but because of Jesus, God looks at us with love and grace. He does not look at the sinful things we have done or count them against us, because Jesus has paid the price for those sins. God looks at us as perfect and holy, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place. He died for us and for all people who have ever lived (including Abraham and Sarah) so that we don't have to die eternally, but can look forward to eternity in heaven with Jesus.
Therefore, like Abraham, we may live by faith--by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Can you relate at all with the struggles of Abraham? How do you see God's grace working in your life?
Linking today with Upward Not Inward, Exceptionalistic
First, Abram and Sarai (their original names) traveled with Abram's father and family from Ur to Haran-- quite a long way. Then when Abram was seventy-five and his wife was sixty-five, God called them to leave their family behind and move again, this time all the way to Canaan. (Click on this link to see a map of their journey.)
God made a promise to Abram before they left Haran:
2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3
Shortly after their arrival in Canaan they traveled to Egypt to escape a famine (Gen. 12:10-20). Pharaoh tried to make Sarai part of his harem because Abram lied and said she was his sister (see 20:12). Pharaoh found out and was not happy, but gave them riches and servants anyway and sent them on their way.
They went back to Canaan where Abram parted ways with his nephew Lot, who had been traveling with them. Lot got into trouble with local kings and Abram had to rescue him (Gen. 13-14). Abram and Lot were successful, and once again God blessed them through their enemies. God renewed his covenant with Abram, promising him the land in which he lived would belong to his descendants, of which there would be more than there were stars in the sky (Gen 15).
However, Abram and Sarai were getting old, and Sarai doubted that she would be able to have a child. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram to conceive a child, which Hagar did, bearing Ishmael. Unfortunately, as soon as Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous of her and treated her poorly (Gen 16).
Not long after that, God and three angels appeared to Abraham (whose name God had changed) in the form of human men. They told Abraham that in a year's time, his wife would bear a son. God had already informed Abraham of this (17:15-22), but this time it was in Sarah's hearing (18:1-15). Her response was the same as Abraham's when he heard: She laughed.
Later, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot and his family were living. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped, and they did not live God-pleasing lives (Gen. 19).
Another king, this time Abimelech king of Gerar, tried to make Sarah part of his harem and God spared him punishment (Gen 20).
Finally, Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac was born, fulfilling God's prophecy (Gen. 21). Then when Isaac was in his teens, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham was about to do it when God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice instead, rewarding Abraham for his faith and obedience (22:1-19).
Isaac, of course, was the father of Jacob, who had twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. From Abraham the entire Jewish line was descended, and through his son Ishmael the Arabian tribes descended (Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham as well as Jews and Christians). But Abraham and Sarah couldn't see how God's promises would be fulfilled, hundreds and thousands of years into the future. They both struggled to trust. They lied, doubted, tried to do things their own way, and laughed at God's words.
Despite all of this, Abraham was praised by the writer of Hebrews as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). This passage says that Abraham trusted God "by faith," and that even Sarah "considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." And that was after Sarah had laughed at God's prediction of her conception!
In 1 Peter 3 we read that the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful with "the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4).
5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. (3:5-6)Abraham trusted and obeyed God, and Sarah trusted and obeyed her husband. No, they did not do it perfectly. They sinned. They doubted sometimes. But what does the writer of Hebrews tell us? They had faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)The faith in God that Abraham and Sarah had did not make them perfect. It did not make them impervious to fear and doubt. But that faith was not something that they had by their own doing. God blessed them with faith to trust in him. He blessed them even when they faltered. And God does the same with us.
I think too often we read the Genesis passage in light of the Hebrews one. Abraham was a man of faith, so those things he did in Genesis weren't as bad as they really seem. Well, they really were bad! Abraham was a sinner, just like you and me. But when we look at the Hebrews passage in light of the Genesis one, we see God's grace. We see that God counted Abraham and Sarah righteous, and faithful, not by anything they had done, but because of God's grace and mercy--because of Jesus and what he did for them.
The same is true for us. We are sinners, yes, but because of Jesus, God looks at us with love and grace. He does not look at the sinful things we have done or count them against us, because Jesus has paid the price for those sins. God looks at us as perfect and holy, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in our place. He died for us and for all people who have ever lived (including Abraham and Sarah) so that we don't have to die eternally, but can look forward to eternity in heaven with Jesus.
Therefore, like Abraham, we may live by faith--by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Can you relate at all with the struggles of Abraham? How do you see God's grace working in your life?
Linking today with Upward Not Inward, Exceptionalistic
Monday, January 14, 2013
Marriage: A Challenge and a Blessing
If you are married, you know that marriage isn't always a walk in the park. It's hard work! When two sinful (saved by grace, but still sinful) people merge their lives, there will be difficulties, no matter how compatible a couple is.
At the root of many marital difficulties is communication, or the lack thereof--communication about money, sex, in-laws, jobs, children, etc, etc. Learning to communicate fully with one's spouse is a lifelong process, one for which I definitely do not have all the answers. What I do know is that it is essential for each spouse to seek to understand the way their partner communicates, because, of course, men and women communicate in quite different ways. When each spouse is willing to look at things with the other person's perspective, communication will be easier.
In my experience and in talking with married friends, I've noticed that as married couples, many of us are great at communicating with other people, but not necessarily with each other! But then,
we don’t live with other people, and therein lies the greatest difficulty and the greatest blessing in marriage.
I
think God often give us the spouse he has because that person has something to teach
us, or because something about them helps us realize our own weaknesses and strengths. That's definitely true for Joshua and me. Marriage, I have learned, is one of the most effective ways God teaches us to be more like Jesus. It requires us to be selfless, to give of ourselves for the good of the other person, to love someone even when they're driving us crazy. It requires us to have tough love, and to keep the other person accountable to God's will and direction for their lives. Making a lifetime commitment to another person, and sticking with that commitment, is one of the hardest things anyone could ever do--but it will be one of the greatest blessings they will ever experience.
One unfortunate thing that I have discovered in life, in relationships with my parents, siblings, and husbands, is that it is easiest to hurt and disagree with the people I
love the most (partly because I'm with them so much, and know them better than I know anyone else). This
isn't a pleasant fact, but because we live in a sinful world, it's true.
I also
know that God's love and forgiveness make up for the deficiencies in our own
ability to love and forgive. Therefore, no matter what struggles we have, we have the strength of Christ to work through them and the love and the
forgiveness from the Father to heal after the struggles are worked out. This is the only way my marriage works, and it is the backbone of all the relationships I have: God's love and his forgiveness.
Marriage is by no means easy. We have to fight against our sinful natures every day, but by God's grace he enables us to become more like him, and love our spouse the way God loves both of us. Even when we do fail, God gives us a second chance (and a third, and a fourth...). He constantly forgives us when we repent, and helps us try again. And I, for one, am glad I have an entire lifetime with my husband to work on getting this marriage-thing right!
Marriage is by no means easy. We have to fight against our sinful natures every day, but by God's grace he enables us to become more like him, and love our spouse the way God loves both of us. Even when we do fail, God gives us a second chance (and a third, and a fourth...). He constantly forgives us when we repent, and helps us try again. And I, for one, am glad I have an entire lifetime with my husband to work on getting this marriage-thing right!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
How I've Been a Hypocrite
My dear readers, I have a confession to make.
I've been quite a hypocrite this summer.
Here I've been writing all these posts about how to be a good, godly wife, what I've been learning about marriage, how to love my husband, the importance of really listening to him...
and I've messed up. Big-time.
Let me set up the scenario for you:
Joshua and I have started reading The Lord of the Rings together. He had already read The Fellowship of the Ring, and I read that and half of The Two Towers, but a long time ago. So we read some chapters together, and I was reading a few on my own, to catch up and because bibliophile me can't really put a book down once I start reading it (and getting into it, which I definitely am with Lord of the Rings!).
Sunday night, my husband asked that I not start reading The Two Towers because he wanted us to read it entirely together.
By Monday morning, that request had slipped my mind, and yesterday I read the first two chapters.
Last night, my husband discovered this and was not happy.
You need to know a couple things about my Joshua:
1) He is an introvert.
2) His primary love-language is quality time.
I did not realize how much reading this book together meant to him. I thought (forgetting that he asked me not to) that he wouldn't mind if I read a couple chapters.
It means a LOT to him, and he minded quite a bit.
Looong story short, we're all good now, I'm forgiven, I understand where I went wrong, everything is okay.
But I have some work to do. Because my blunder led me to discover several very important things that I've been blind to all summer.
1) Neither my husband, nor I, have been content with the routine we've gotten into this summer: Joshua comes home from work, he relaxes with some TV or computer time, I make supper, we eat, we watch a movie or both do things on the computer, we go to bed.
I realized why neither of us has been content with this routine. Very little of it is about us being together. Neither of us has liked this...but both of us assumed, wrongly, that the other one was content and/or not interested in doing anything together. We both messed up on this...but now that we've realized it, we can work to right it.
2) I cannot assume things about my husband; I need to talk to him if I can't figure things out on my own. (Because we all know what it means to assume...the person who pointed that out to me shall remain nameless.)
3) Sometimes the solution is staring me in the face, and is a lot simpler than I realize.
Togetherness. That's all my husband wanted. He doesn't want me to think up elaborate ideas for date nights. He doesn't need me to write a list of twenty-five things we can do together. He just wants me. He wants my attention, my time, and my presence.
4) The things I think my husband wants and needs are not necessarily the things he really does want and need.
I figured that if I kept the house in order, fed him a nice supper, let him do his thing on the computer and TV, watched a movie with him, and had sex before we went to bed, that my husband would be happy.
Eating, rest, alone time and sex are all necessary...but they don't replace actually being together and giving my husband my full attention and self. It doesn't work if I'm constantly thinking of other things I need to/should be doing, or if I spend the entire evening in the kitchen after he gets home. He wants ME. That's it.
5) This problem is fairly easy to fix if I a) get DONE with housework before Joshua gets home each day, b) keep chore-doing to a minimum in the evenings when he is home and c) be intentional and put time together in our schedule. As soon as this post is written I'm going to write, in ink, on the calendar, "DATE NIGHT" at least every three weeks. And nothing, absolutely nothing, will mess with those nights.
6) I realized last night how much I really mean to my husband. That was huge. It's good to know how much he appreciates the meals I make or that I keep the house in order...but knowing he just wants me?? That made me feel so treasured and loved. And it made me resolve to make HIM feel the same way, by focusing more on him.
It's horrible when it takes a bad thing to wake me up to more bad things I've been doing...but the result of all this is that I think things in our marriage are really going to change for the better. I can't believe how blind and stupid I've been all summer....but THANK GOD for the forgiveness which he has given me and which he has enabled my husband to give me.
Once again, it's Romans 8:28 in action. God uses ALL things, even our silly, selfish sins, to work for our good. I'm praying that he will enable me to be a much more selfless, loving, and attentive wife, and that our marriage will continue to grow, mature, and become more joy-filled every day.
And I'm sorry for being such a hypocrite!
Linking up today...
Cornerstone Confessions; Far Above Rubies; Growing Home; Thankful Homemaker; Time-Warp Wife; Lessons from Ivy
I've been quite a hypocrite this summer.
Here I've been writing all these posts about how to be a good, godly wife, what I've been learning about marriage, how to love my husband, the importance of really listening to him...
and I've messed up. Big-time.
Let me set up the scenario for you:
Joshua and I have started reading The Lord of the Rings together. He had already read The Fellowship of the Ring, and I read that and half of The Two Towers, but a long time ago. So we read some chapters together, and I was reading a few on my own, to catch up and because bibliophile me can't really put a book down once I start reading it (and getting into it, which I definitely am with Lord of the Rings!).
Sunday night, my husband asked that I not start reading The Two Towers because he wanted us to read it entirely together.
By Monday morning, that request had slipped my mind, and yesterday I read the first two chapters.
Last night, my husband discovered this and was not happy.
You need to know a couple things about my Joshua:
1) He is an introvert.
2) His primary love-language is quality time.
I did not realize how much reading this book together meant to him. I thought (forgetting that he asked me not to) that he wouldn't mind if I read a couple chapters.
It means a LOT to him, and he minded quite a bit.
Looong story short, we're all good now, I'm forgiven, I understand where I went wrong, everything is okay.
But I have some work to do. Because my blunder led me to discover several very important things that I've been blind to all summer.
1) Neither my husband, nor I, have been content with the routine we've gotten into this summer: Joshua comes home from work, he relaxes with some TV or computer time, I make supper, we eat, we watch a movie or both do things on the computer, we go to bed.
I realized why neither of us has been content with this routine. Very little of it is about us being together. Neither of us has liked this...but both of us assumed, wrongly, that the other one was content and/or not interested in doing anything together. We both messed up on this...but now that we've realized it, we can work to right it.
2) I cannot assume things about my husband; I need to talk to him if I can't figure things out on my own. (Because we all know what it means to assume...the person who pointed that out to me shall remain nameless.)
3) Sometimes the solution is staring me in the face, and is a lot simpler than I realize.
Togetherness. That's all my husband wanted. He doesn't want me to think up elaborate ideas for date nights. He doesn't need me to write a list of twenty-five things we can do together. He just wants me. He wants my attention, my time, and my presence.
4) The things I think my husband wants and needs are not necessarily the things he really does want and need.
I figured that if I kept the house in order, fed him a nice supper, let him do his thing on the computer and TV, watched a movie with him, and had sex before we went to bed, that my husband would be happy.
Eating, rest, alone time and sex are all necessary...but they don't replace actually being together and giving my husband my full attention and self. It doesn't work if I'm constantly thinking of other things I need to/should be doing, or if I spend the entire evening in the kitchen after he gets home. He wants ME. That's it.
5) This problem is fairly easy to fix if I a) get DONE with housework before Joshua gets home each day, b) keep chore-doing to a minimum in the evenings when he is home and c) be intentional and put time together in our schedule. As soon as this post is written I'm going to write, in ink, on the calendar, "DATE NIGHT" at least every three weeks. And nothing, absolutely nothing, will mess with those nights.
6) I realized last night how much I really mean to my husband. That was huge. It's good to know how much he appreciates the meals I make or that I keep the house in order...but knowing he just wants me?? That made me feel so treasured and loved. And it made me resolve to make HIM feel the same way, by focusing more on him.
It's horrible when it takes a bad thing to wake me up to more bad things I've been doing...but the result of all this is that I think things in our marriage are really going to change for the better. I can't believe how blind and stupid I've been all summer....but THANK GOD for the forgiveness which he has given me and which he has enabled my husband to give me.
Once again, it's Romans 8:28 in action. God uses ALL things, even our silly, selfish sins, to work for our good. I'm praying that he will enable me to be a much more selfless, loving, and attentive wife, and that our marriage will continue to grow, mature, and become more joy-filled every day.
And I'm sorry for being such a hypocrite!
Linking up today...
Cornerstone Confessions; Far Above Rubies; Growing Home; Thankful Homemaker; Time-Warp Wife; Lessons from Ivy
Friday, August 17, 2012
Stretching My Spirit
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::
Stretch…
Most mornings when I wake up, I stretch--my arms above my head, my back, my legs. It's a way of readying my body for a new day, transitioning from sleeping to wakefulness. It tells my body what my brain already knows: It's time to get up, start moving, start the things that need to be done today.
What if I stretched my spirit, too?
I confess, my spiritual habits have been lacking lately. I do devotions with my husband every single morning--I read the Scripture passages, sometimes nearly a whole chapter, he reads the devotion, and we pray together. But I haven't been reading my Bible on my own much recently. And my first thoughts in the morning aren't always prayer.
This morning my husband and I both woke up feeling way better than we had when we went to sleep. So my first thought was this morning, "Thank you, Jesus, for helping us feel better!" I was singing the Doxology in my head when I went to make breakfast.
But it's not always that way. I wish it were.
Exercise of the body takes discipline.
So does exercise of the mind--or of the spirit.
It will take discipline for me to remember to stretch myself spiritually each morning, and throughout each day.
But I know that's something God wants me to do. So when I pray and ask for his strength, his courage, and his help to do so--I know he'll answer that prayer. God wants me to be closer to him, and I know he'll help me as I seek to approach him more and in a deeper way.
Stretching my body feels so good every morning. I know stretching my spirit will be even better.
Linking up today with:
Lisa-Jo Baker (of course, with FMF); Your Thriving Family; Consider the Lilies; finding joy; Susan Godfrey
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
When You Don't Feel Beautiful
Physical beauty is pleasant to have.
Well...
That kind of beauty does not come from you.
It comes from within, yes... but from a source that is not you at all.
But by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit enables us to obey, please and honor God in our words, thoughts and actions--and God forgives us when we do fail.
It is God who makes us beautiful...inside and out.
Linking up with thanks:
Growing Home; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy
We all like to have good hair days, clear skin, white (or mostly white) teeth, and flawless makeup, with our clothes fitting just right and flattering our bodies.
However, if you've read 1 Peter, chapter 3, you know that physical beauty isn't everything.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, 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 Peter 3:3-4We all desire that kind of inner beauty. But what about the times when you feel like you don't have even that kind of beauty? When "a gentle and quiet spirit" is the last way you would describe your inner self?
Well...
That kind of beauty does not come from you.
It comes from within, yes... but from a source that is not you at all.
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19Your inner beauty comes from the Holy Spirit, because as you are a saved and forgiven child of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you.
"For the fruit of the Spirit is love, you, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25Yes, we sin every day.
But by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit enables us to obey, please and honor God in our words, thoughts and actions--and God forgives us when we do fail.
It is God who makes us beautiful...inside and out.
Linking up with thanks:
Growing Home; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy
Monday, July 16, 2012
Trusting God's Promises
This is what I have been hearing from God the last few days:
I have chosen you; I have called you; you are Mine. (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4-6)
I know you're not perfect. I've forgiven all your sins; just tell Me about them, and then we'll forget it. (1 John 1:8-10)
No, you're not a failure. I still want you to help carry out My purposes. (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 3:9)
I have a plan for you. It's okay that you don't know all about it yet. I do, and that's what matters. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 33:10-11)
I know your life is hard sometimes, and you don't always understand why things happen the way they do. I do understand, and most importantly, I have control of everything. Nothing happens without my permission. (Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7)
Trust me. In everything. I'm bigger than all your problems, and I will take care of you. (1 Peter 5:6-7; Romans 8:35-39)
These promises of God are true for you, too.
Read those passages from His words to you. Yes, God wrote the Scriptures with you in mind--and me, and everyone else who has ever lived.
Just trust in his promises. Read these words of God, spoken through Paul to the Thessalonian believers:
I have chosen you; I have called you; you are Mine. (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4-6)
I know you're not perfect. I've forgiven all your sins; just tell Me about them, and then we'll forget it. (1 John 1:8-10)
No, you're not a failure. I still want you to help carry out My purposes. (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 3:9)
I have a plan for you. It's okay that you don't know all about it yet. I do, and that's what matters. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 33:10-11)
I know your life is hard sometimes, and you don't always understand why things happen the way they do. I do understand, and most importantly, I have control of everything. Nothing happens without my permission. (Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7)
Trust me. In everything. I'm bigger than all your problems, and I will take care of you. (1 Peter 5:6-7; Romans 8:35-39)
These promises of God are true for you, too.
Read those passages from His words to you. Yes, God wrote the Scriptures with you in mind--and me, and everyone else who has ever lived.
Just trust in his promises. Read these words of God, spoken through Paul to the Thessalonian believers:
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." -1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
God Calls the Unlikeliest of Servants
The book of Judges is one of the most exciting books of the Bible, in my opinion. It's full of battles, bravery, and unlikely heroes. And more importantly, it contains stories about God's righteous judgment, His mercy, and forgiveness.
Many chapters in the book begin with the phrase, "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." Over and over God's people turned away from Him and worshiped the false gods of the people in whose land they were living. Over and over God gave the people over to their enemies because they had abandoned Him. Again and again the people pleaded with God to rescue them, so He sent people to care for them, rescue them from their enemies, and lead them into victorious battles.
Only when God was in charge of the Israelites did they win those battles. And God almost always chose the unlikeliest of people to lead Israel. One of those people was Gideon. He, his family and their people were in a desperate situation. The Midianites had taken over their land, destroyed all their crops and livestock, and forced Israel to flee to caves and hideouts in the mountains for refuge. Israel was so afraid of Midian that when Gideon, the youngest of his father's sons, was given the job of threshing wheat, he had to do it in a winepress in order to not be seen by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-11).
It was this man, who had lost almost everything and living in constant fear, who God called to lead His people.
Gideon was reluctant. He protested that he was too young and weak. He asked where God had been, why He had abandoned His people to Midian (Judges 6:13-15).
God was patient. He reassured Gideon. He gave him instructions, and God also gave Gideon proof and signs that God would do what He had promised. He would save Israel.
And he did. Gideon gathered thirty-two thousand men from the tribes of Israel. In order to make clear that God would save them, not Gideon, God instructed Gideon to pare down the army from the thirty-two thousand, to twenty-two thousand, to three hundred men. Those three hundred were the men God used to rescue Israel from the Midianites.
(The battle story is an exciting one. To read the whole thing, go to Judges chapter seven!)
Gideon and the Israelites are not unlike many believers in God today. We often ignore His laws, and then question God as to why He has abandoned us--when it is not He who has left us, but we who have left Him. Then, when he calls us to serve him, we protest that we are unable, that we need more proof from God that this is really what he wants us to do.
This is exactly what Israel did, and it is exactly what I see myself doing.
I don't always obey God. Then, when I have troubles, I wonder why He's not getting me out of them. It's not that He's turned away from me. It's I who have turned away from Him!
He is gracious, and He still calls me his child. He still has work for me to do. But I question whether or not I can do it.
I'm just a young woman. I don't have much experience in anything. I don't have money to travel anywhere to share the Gospel. I'm not that good of a writer. I fail all the time as a wife.
I protest and find excuses why I'm not qualified to serve God.
Why do I think it's all about me?
God doesn't need me. He has chosen me to serve Him, and to help fulfill His purposes.
He doesn't rely on MY strength to fulfill His will. He gives me HIS strength!
No, Gideon wasn't qualified.
I'm not either.
But that doesn't matter to God. We don't get in His way.
He gives us jobs to do, and then He gives us the means to do them.
All He does is ask that we are obedient. That we listen to Him, and follow His calling.
And we can have faith that He will do what He has promised.
God will take care of us. He will provide for us. It will not always be in the way we imagine. But it will be in the way that God knows is best, and that will bring Him glory.
Have you ever heard this phrase:
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls."
That was true for Gideon.
It is true for me.
AND it is true for you.
God has a plan for you. You are someone He has chosen to help carry out His purposes. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do it.
He is big, almighty, eternal, and all-powerful. We can trust that He will keep His promises...just like he did for Gideon.
Linking with:
Many chapters in the book begin with the phrase, "Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord..." Over and over God's people turned away from Him and worshiped the false gods of the people in whose land they were living. Over and over God gave the people over to their enemies because they had abandoned Him. Again and again the people pleaded with God to rescue them, so He sent people to care for them, rescue them from their enemies, and lead them into victorious battles.
Only when God was in charge of the Israelites did they win those battles. And God almost always chose the unlikeliest of people to lead Israel. One of those people was Gideon. He, his family and their people were in a desperate situation. The Midianites had taken over their land, destroyed all their crops and livestock, and forced Israel to flee to caves and hideouts in the mountains for refuge. Israel was so afraid of Midian that when Gideon, the youngest of his father's sons, was given the job of threshing wheat, he had to do it in a winepress in order to not be seen by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-11).
It was this man, who had lost almost everything and living in constant fear, who God called to lead His people.
Gideon was reluctant. He protested that he was too young and weak. He asked where God had been, why He had abandoned His people to Midian (Judges 6:13-15).
God was patient. He reassured Gideon. He gave him instructions, and God also gave Gideon proof and signs that God would do what He had promised. He would save Israel.
And he did. Gideon gathered thirty-two thousand men from the tribes of Israel. In order to make clear that God would save them, not Gideon, God instructed Gideon to pare down the army from the thirty-two thousand, to twenty-two thousand, to three hundred men. Those three hundred were the men God used to rescue Israel from the Midianites.
(The battle story is an exciting one. To read the whole thing, go to Judges chapter seven!)
Gideon and the Israelites are not unlike many believers in God today. We often ignore His laws, and then question God as to why He has abandoned us--when it is not He who has left us, but we who have left Him. Then, when he calls us to serve him, we protest that we are unable, that we need more proof from God that this is really what he wants us to do.
This is exactly what Israel did, and it is exactly what I see myself doing.
I don't always obey God. Then, when I have troubles, I wonder why He's not getting me out of them. It's not that He's turned away from me. It's I who have turned away from Him!
He is gracious, and He still calls me his child. He still has work for me to do. But I question whether or not I can do it.
I'm just a young woman. I don't have much experience in anything. I don't have money to travel anywhere to share the Gospel. I'm not that good of a writer. I fail all the time as a wife.
I protest and find excuses why I'm not qualified to serve God.
Why do I think it's all about me?
God doesn't need me. He has chosen me to serve Him, and to help fulfill His purposes.
He doesn't rely on MY strength to fulfill His will. He gives me HIS strength!
No, Gideon wasn't qualified.
I'm not either.
But that doesn't matter to God. We don't get in His way.
He gives us jobs to do, and then He gives us the means to do them.
All He does is ask that we are obedient. That we listen to Him, and follow His calling.
And we can have faith that He will do what He has promised.
God will take care of us. He will provide for us. It will not always be in the way we imagine. But it will be in the way that God knows is best, and that will bring Him glory.
Have you ever heard this phrase:
"God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls."
That was true for Gideon.
It is true for me.
AND it is true for you.
God has a plan for you. You are someone He has chosen to help carry out His purposes. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do it.
He is big, almighty, eternal, and all-powerful. We can trust that He will keep His promises...just like he did for Gideon.
Linking with:
Monday, July 2, 2012
My Husband's Helper
In the first few days that this world existed, God looked at Adam, the human he had created, and said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18).
God had created many animals. He brought them to Adam so that Adam could name them, and see if one of them would be a helper for him. "But for Adam no suitable helper was found."
So God created the woman.
This was the helper suitable for the man. This was the person with whom he would become "one flesh." This was his perfect partner!
I'm smiling as I write this. Because I know how twisted this truth has been. "Women weren't created for men," some have said. "We aren't supposed to take care of them. They can take care of themselves! Women should be able to do whatever they want, take care of their own lives, and not have to worry about men."
I beg to differ.
God created women to be the helpers of men.
This doesn't mean women are of any less importance than man! On the contrary, Paul's words to the Galatians, inspired by the Holy Spirit, say this: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28).
God created all human beings to be of equal worth in his sight. We are all equally sinful and we are all equally saved and forgiven, and we are all equally loved by our Creator.
But we were created with different roles.
Men were created to take care of women, and women were created to be the helpers of men.
That doesn't make us weaker, although physically, most of us are. But spiritually, emotionally, mentally, women are not weaker, they are just different! Imagine how boring the world would be if women acted like men in everything, or vice-versa.
My role as a woman, as a wife, is to be my husband's helper. The writer of Proverbs 31 said this about the "wife of noble character":
Surprisingly, it's not in ways I would expect.
Men consider help to be a different thing than women do.
For example, I thought it would be helpful if I placed mail, including bills, on my husband's desk so he would see them the first thing when he came home. That way we would both know what was going on, we'd be on the same page, and there wouldn't be any confusion.
Well, my husband was already aware of the bills. He didn't need that reminder when he came home from work tired and worn-out. He knew what needed to be taken care of, but an unpleasant reminder like that was not helpful.
Some women might consider it helpful to rearrange their husband's dresser drawer, but their husband may well be frustrated to open his drawer and not know where everything is right away.
So what can I do to help my husband? Here are a few things I've been learning:
1) Talk to him. I'm no mind-reader, and although I can sometimes guess at what might be helpful for my husband, I've messed up enough times to know that my guesses aren't always correct. So I ask my husband what he would like me to do, and in what ways I can be a helper for him. This has included things like: let him sit quietly for a few minutes right when he comes home instead of bombarding him with talk right away; get his attention before telling him something important, especially if he's distracted; keep up with the laundry so he always has clean clothes to wear.
2) Listen to him. This is almost more important than talking to him! My husband has given me verbal hints in the past as to ways I could help him, and I wasn't paying attention so I missed them. Men communicate in different ways than women do. I need to be careful to pay closer attention when he talks so I can fully comprehend what he means, because I might not understand it in the way he wants me to.
3) Learn about him. What are my husband's habits? Does he need coffee before anything else in the morning? Does he want to check his email as soon as he comes home? Does he want a fresh towel in the bathroom every day? Does he have a favorite food he would like to have once a week? If I know what he usually does, I can predict ways that I can be helpful to him.
If he checks his email when he comes home every day, I can leave a love note on his computer to let him know I'm thinking of him--without getting in his face or talking to him too much.
If he's hungry when he comes home from work, I can have a snack out on the table already so he doesn't go digging in the fridge and eating tomorrow's supper. (That's helpful for me, too!)
If he's running low on clean socks, I can do laundry today so he has clean clothes for tomorrow.
The ways a woman can be a helper to her man are as different as men are. Talk to your husband. Listen to him, and learn about him, so you can discover ways you can be his helper.
God created us women to have this role. He will give us the strength, wisdom, and resources necessary to fill it to his glory and our husband's benefit.
What ways can you be a helper to your husband? Share them in the comments!
Linking up:
Also linking up: Raising Homemakers; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; To Love, Honor and Vacuum; Women Living Well
God had created many animals. He brought them to Adam so that Adam could name them, and see if one of them would be a helper for him. "But for Adam no suitable helper was found."
So God created the woman.
This was the helper suitable for the man. This was the person with whom he would become "one flesh." This was his perfect partner!
I'm smiling as I write this. Because I know how twisted this truth has been. "Women weren't created for men," some have said. "We aren't supposed to take care of them. They can take care of themselves! Women should be able to do whatever they want, take care of their own lives, and not have to worry about men."
I beg to differ.
God created women to be the helpers of men.
This doesn't mean women are of any less importance than man! On the contrary, Paul's words to the Galatians, inspired by the Holy Spirit, say this: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28).
God created all human beings to be of equal worth in his sight. We are all equally sinful and we are all equally saved and forgiven, and we are all equally loved by our Creator.
But we were created with different roles.
Men were created to take care of women, and women were created to be the helpers of men.
That doesn't make us weaker, although physically, most of us are. But spiritually, emotionally, mentally, women are not weaker, they are just different! Imagine how boring the world would be if women acted like men in everything, or vice-versa.
My role as a woman, as a wife, is to be my husband's helper. The writer of Proverbs 31 said this about the "wife of noble character":
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." -Proverbs 31:10-12In what ways can I be my husband's helper, bringing him good, and not harm?
Surprisingly, it's not in ways I would expect.
Men consider help to be a different thing than women do.
For example, I thought it would be helpful if I placed mail, including bills, on my husband's desk so he would see them the first thing when he came home. That way we would both know what was going on, we'd be on the same page, and there wouldn't be any confusion.
Well, my husband was already aware of the bills. He didn't need that reminder when he came home from work tired and worn-out. He knew what needed to be taken care of, but an unpleasant reminder like that was not helpful.
Some women might consider it helpful to rearrange their husband's dresser drawer, but their husband may well be frustrated to open his drawer and not know where everything is right away.
So what can I do to help my husband? Here are a few things I've been learning:
1) Talk to him. I'm no mind-reader, and although I can sometimes guess at what might be helpful for my husband, I've messed up enough times to know that my guesses aren't always correct. So I ask my husband what he would like me to do, and in what ways I can be a helper for him. This has included things like: let him sit quietly for a few minutes right when he comes home instead of bombarding him with talk right away; get his attention before telling him something important, especially if he's distracted; keep up with the laundry so he always has clean clothes to wear.
2) Listen to him. This is almost more important than talking to him! My husband has given me verbal hints in the past as to ways I could help him, and I wasn't paying attention so I missed them. Men communicate in different ways than women do. I need to be careful to pay closer attention when he talks so I can fully comprehend what he means, because I might not understand it in the way he wants me to.
3) Learn about him. What are my husband's habits? Does he need coffee before anything else in the morning? Does he want to check his email as soon as he comes home? Does he want a fresh towel in the bathroom every day? Does he have a favorite food he would like to have once a week? If I know what he usually does, I can predict ways that I can be helpful to him.
If he checks his email when he comes home every day, I can leave a love note on his computer to let him know I'm thinking of him--without getting in his face or talking to him too much.
If he's hungry when he comes home from work, I can have a snack out on the table already so he doesn't go digging in the fridge and eating tomorrow's supper. (That's helpful for me, too!)
If he's running low on clean socks, I can do laundry today so he has clean clothes for tomorrow.
The ways a woman can be a helper to her man are as different as men are. Talk to your husband. Listen to him, and learn about him, so you can discover ways you can be his helper.
God created us women to have this role. He will give us the strength, wisdom, and resources necessary to fill it to his glory and our husband's benefit.
What ways can you be a helper to your husband? Share them in the comments!
Linking up:
Also linking up: Raising Homemakers; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; To Love, Honor and Vacuum; Women Living Well
Monday, February 20, 2012
Never Alone
It's been so long since I've written. At least five days. :)
I had an insanely busy weekend...homework, housework, spending time with my hubby and family and friends. And since yesterday afternoon I haven't been feeling well. I've been drinking a lot of tea, trying to combat the gunk-filled, itchy, scratchy throat and a cough. And taking painkillers for the headache and aches.
But I miss writing, and I need to write. Not that I care so much about the pageviews. I know I'll share this and people will read. You always do, and thank you. But I need to write. To get in the written, or typed, word what's in my mind.
I had a long talk with my friend Stephanie today. And before that I had a talk with a favorite professor. And before that class with another great prof. All three things had something in common: they reminded me that I'm not alone. That I'm not in this crazy thing called life by myself.
Let me explain. In my first class today ("Exile to Christ," a history course covering that period in history), we were talking about the things that Christians in the early church, and even Jews in the time before Christ lived, went through. Things like wondering when the Messiah would come, and for the Christians, wondering when He would come back. Things like trying to live according to God's laws. Things like fighting against the ways of the world, because the ways of the world are so different from our ways. What we as Christians experience today, this minute, is no different than what Christians have been experiencing for hundreds of years.
After my second class, I stayed behind to talk to my professor for a little bit. I forget how the conversation started, but we talked about struggles we've had, and that we've witnessed in others. How he struggled with depression without knowing that he even had it. How I had to fight a life-affecting phobia in high school. How a beloved friend of mine struggled with her self-image. And my professor and I talked about how we had loved ones who helped us through those hard times. For him, it was a psychologist friend who realized that my professor had depression. For me, it was Joshua who helped me fight the phobia till it's now almost gone. And more than anything, it was our faith in Christ that got us through.
Then my friend Stephanie and I were working together at the library. And we started talking about our faith, struggles we've had, things we've learned, ways God has taught us and brought us closer to him in the last few years. And we realized how much we have in common, and she and I were able to encourage each other and just listen. She's a good listener. :)
Tonight our dear friends Ruth and Joe came over with yummy snacks and a great movie, to keep sick little me company while Joshua was at work. It was exactly what I needed.
In so many ways, God has revealed himself to me. So many people have been Christ to me throughout my life. They have been his hands, his arms, his smile, his voice. God has chosen to love me through other people. Through them I know that God takes care of me. That he is always near me. That he is watching over me, and that he has my life, my self, my soul in his hands. That he has been working in everything in my life for my good and his glory.
"Never will I leave you," Jesus told his disciples. "Never will I forsake you."
He hasn't. He won't.
I had an insanely busy weekend...homework, housework, spending time with my hubby and family and friends. And since yesterday afternoon I haven't been feeling well. I've been drinking a lot of tea, trying to combat the gunk-filled, itchy, scratchy throat and a cough. And taking painkillers for the headache and aches.
But I miss writing, and I need to write. Not that I care so much about the pageviews. I know I'll share this and people will read. You always do, and thank you. But I need to write. To get in the written, or typed, word what's in my mind.
I had a long talk with my friend Stephanie today. And before that I had a talk with a favorite professor. And before that class with another great prof. All three things had something in common: they reminded me that I'm not alone. That I'm not in this crazy thing called life by myself.
Let me explain. In my first class today ("Exile to Christ," a history course covering that period in history), we were talking about the things that Christians in the early church, and even Jews in the time before Christ lived, went through. Things like wondering when the Messiah would come, and for the Christians, wondering when He would come back. Things like trying to live according to God's laws. Things like fighting against the ways of the world, because the ways of the world are so different from our ways. What we as Christians experience today, this minute, is no different than what Christians have been experiencing for hundreds of years.
After my second class, I stayed behind to talk to my professor for a little bit. I forget how the conversation started, but we talked about struggles we've had, and that we've witnessed in others. How he struggled with depression without knowing that he even had it. How I had to fight a life-affecting phobia in high school. How a beloved friend of mine struggled with her self-image. And my professor and I talked about how we had loved ones who helped us through those hard times. For him, it was a psychologist friend who realized that my professor had depression. For me, it was Joshua who helped me fight the phobia till it's now almost gone. And more than anything, it was our faith in Christ that got us through.
Then my friend Stephanie and I were working together at the library. And we started talking about our faith, struggles we've had, things we've learned, ways God has taught us and brought us closer to him in the last few years. And we realized how much we have in common, and she and I were able to encourage each other and just listen. She's a good listener. :)
Tonight our dear friends Ruth and Joe came over with yummy snacks and a great movie, to keep sick little me company while Joshua was at work. It was exactly what I needed.
In so many ways, God has revealed himself to me. So many people have been Christ to me throughout my life. They have been his hands, his arms, his smile, his voice. God has chosen to love me through other people. Through them I know that God takes care of me. That he is always near me. That he is watching over me, and that he has my life, my self, my soul in his hands. That he has been working in everything in my life for my good and his glory.
"Never will I leave you," Jesus told his disciples. "Never will I forsake you."
He hasn't. He won't.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
It's Not About Me
I've been reminded in a lot of ways this week that I'm not perfect.
And that is okay.
Our dear friend Joseph's birthday was yesterday. So Monday and Tuesday I was a busy-bee homemaker, figuring out how to make the perfect birthday cake from scratch. I was also planning a fancy dinner for my husband for Valentine's Day: roast chicken, homemade stuffing, steamed veggies, and turtle cheesecake.
The cake turned out lovely...other than misspelling "Birthday" (it read "Happy Birthay"). And the frosting was runny and a little sparse. But it tastes great. :)
The Valentine's Day dinner turned out well, too...but the chicken took a lot longer to cook than I thought. I cut into a leg and it was still red and bloody. And when it was cooked all the way, I realized that I had put it in the pan upside-down. oops. The cheesecake was yummy (so yummy that Hubby has eaten over half of it by himself already)...but the crust kept falling apart.
And our evening with dinner and a movie was fun...until I was doing dishes and the drain pipe fell off again, leaking water all over the kitchen floor. I did not react well. Tears and screeching. Hubby was very forgiving.
Aaand my house is not clean, my homework is not done, the kitchen is messy, and today I haven't been feeling quite up to doing any of that.
But I had a long talk with my friend Sara yesterday. She's had an insane week, and she was fretting about not getting everything done as well as she wanted to be able to. I told her that it's okay to not get solid A's on everything. That not practicing organ for a full ten hours was not going to completely ruin her lesson. That her professor would understand. That it's okay not to do everything perfectly. That she doesn't need to be so hard on herself.
Because I'm the same way: I am my own harshest critic. I get so down on myself when I don't measure up to my own expectations. When tiredness, not feeling well, or other things get in the way of doing what I think needs to be done I blame myself.
In some ways I'm justified in this. I should try to do my best in honor to glorify God. I should honor my professors, classmates, and husband especially.
But I am not perfect. I am not going to always get everything right. I won't always handle trying situations well. I am not a perfect wife, student, friend, cook, homemaker, whatever. I won't ever be.
And that is OKAY!
I focus so much on my sinful nature: what I do wrong all the time. But a professor reminded us in doctrine class recently that we are always saints as well. When I am in class, I'm honoring God. When I'm at work, I'm serving him. When I put food on the table (misspelled, wrongly cooked, or not!), I am blessing my husband and sharing the gifts God has given us.
No, I'm not perfect. But God is. And it's not all about me, after all. It's about him. Focusing on myself all the time is downright sinful. My focus should not be, "How can I be the best person I can be?" but "How can I serve God the best I can?"
God has already done all that was needed to make me perfect in his sight. Jesus died to take the punishment for my imperfection on himself. He rose again so that I can have his perfection. His Holy Spirit is in me, giving me faith and the power to be his tool and partner in carrying out his will.
That's an incredible thing: I am one of the people who help God carry out his purposes. I am his servant and his tool--but I am not inactive in serving him. Because I am saved and redeemed, I really do serve and honor God of my own free will. No, I don't do it perfectly...but he uses my imperfections and allows me to serve him despite them.
What a beautiful truth this is! What incredible grace.
And that is okay.
Our dear friend Joseph's birthday was yesterday. So Monday and Tuesday I was a busy-bee homemaker, figuring out how to make the perfect birthday cake from scratch. I was also planning a fancy dinner for my husband for Valentine's Day: roast chicken, homemade stuffing, steamed veggies, and turtle cheesecake.
The cake turned out lovely...other than misspelling "Birthday" (it read "Happy Birthay"). And the frosting was runny and a little sparse. But it tastes great. :)
The Valentine's Day dinner turned out well, too...but the chicken took a lot longer to cook than I thought. I cut into a leg and it was still red and bloody. And when it was cooked all the way, I realized that I had put it in the pan upside-down. oops. The cheesecake was yummy (so yummy that Hubby has eaten over half of it by himself already)...but the crust kept falling apart.
And our evening with dinner and a movie was fun...until I was doing dishes and the drain pipe fell off again, leaking water all over the kitchen floor. I did not react well. Tears and screeching. Hubby was very forgiving.
Aaand my house is not clean, my homework is not done, the kitchen is messy, and today I haven't been feeling quite up to doing any of that.
But I had a long talk with my friend Sara yesterday. She's had an insane week, and she was fretting about not getting everything done as well as she wanted to be able to. I told her that it's okay to not get solid A's on everything. That not practicing organ for a full ten hours was not going to completely ruin her lesson. That her professor would understand. That it's okay not to do everything perfectly. That she doesn't need to be so hard on herself.
Because I'm the same way: I am my own harshest critic. I get so down on myself when I don't measure up to my own expectations. When tiredness, not feeling well, or other things get in the way of doing what I think needs to be done I blame myself.
In some ways I'm justified in this. I should try to do my best in honor to glorify God. I should honor my professors, classmates, and husband especially.
But I am not perfect. I am not going to always get everything right. I won't always handle trying situations well. I am not a perfect wife, student, friend, cook, homemaker, whatever. I won't ever be.
And that is OKAY!
I focus so much on my sinful nature: what I do wrong all the time. But a professor reminded us in doctrine class recently that we are always saints as well. When I am in class, I'm honoring God. When I'm at work, I'm serving him. When I put food on the table (misspelled, wrongly cooked, or not!), I am blessing my husband and sharing the gifts God has given us.
No, I'm not perfect. But God is. And it's not all about me, after all. It's about him. Focusing on myself all the time is downright sinful. My focus should not be, "How can I be the best person I can be?" but "How can I serve God the best I can?"
God has already done all that was needed to make me perfect in his sight. Jesus died to take the punishment for my imperfection on himself. He rose again so that I can have his perfection. His Holy Spirit is in me, giving me faith and the power to be his tool and partner in carrying out his will.
That's an incredible thing: I am one of the people who help God carry out his purposes. I am his servant and his tool--but I am not inactive in serving him. Because I am saved and redeemed, I really do serve and honor God of my own free will. No, I don't do it perfectly...but he uses my imperfections and allows me to serve him despite them.
What a beautiful truth this is! What incredible grace.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Always Sinner...and ALWAYS Saint.
I've heard it twice in two days now.
See God in everything.
See Him in me, always.
My Christian doctrine teacher says that we Lutherans focus too much on our sinful natures. But my husband whispered over to me, "Simul justus et peecator." Simultaneously saint and sinner. That's what we are. But we, at least I, tend to focus so much more on the sinner, and discount the saint.
Today I read Ann's words in One Thousand Gifts, "Why do I reduce The Greatest to the lesser instead of seeing the lesser, this mess, as reflecting The Greatest? I have to learn how to see, to look through to the Largeness behind all the smallness."
Even in my own sinfulness, I can see Christ. Moreover, the new person in me--the sanctified, justified saint--is here ALL THE TIME. Yes, the sinner is here all the time too. But I am always holy.
My professor explained it this way. "You don't always think about loving your husband, do you? Love is often an unconscious decision. You don't always think about serving God, either. Are you serving God by being in class right now?" I replied that yes, I guessed so. "You are. You might not realize it; you might not even be doing it intentionally. But you are here to learn about the faith in order to be able to teach it better in your future ministry. Your being here, respecting your teacher and your classmates, is following God's will. You are being led by the Holy Spirit and you are being obedient to God just by being here."
That got me wondering how often I really am obeying God without realizing it!! Is that not the epitome of grace: that he allows us to obey him without our knowledge, even as we so often sin without consciously deciding to. Doing dishes is being obedient to God. Bathing is being obedient to God. Grocery shopping...doing homework...folding laundry...even sleeping! All of these things are fulfilling God's will for me in one way or another.
So very often I am hard on myself for sinning so much. But do I thank God that, by his grace, I am able to obey him so much? I think we as Christians either give ourselves too much or too little credit. We do sin much, yes. But we do good things for God as well.
Most importantly: we believe in God all the time. Yes, faith is a gift, so we did not consciously choose to receive it. But we don't have to consciously work to believe, either. Believing in God makes us saints: his children, his chosen ones. Since we believe all the time, we are saints, all the time.
I have the power of the Holy Spirit living in me.
That never changes.
And just imagine...when we join Christ in heaven one day, we will lose the sinful side of ourselves, and be only saints. Only holy. Always obedient to Christ.
Can you just imagine how wonderful that will be?
See God in everything.
See Him in me, always.
My Christian doctrine teacher says that we Lutherans focus too much on our sinful natures. But my husband whispered over to me, "Simul justus et peecator." Simultaneously saint and sinner. That's what we are. But we, at least I, tend to focus so much more on the sinner, and discount the saint.
Today I read Ann's words in One Thousand Gifts, "Why do I reduce The Greatest to the lesser instead of seeing the lesser, this mess, as reflecting The Greatest? I have to learn how to see, to look through to the Largeness behind all the smallness."
Even in my own sinfulness, I can see Christ. Moreover, the new person in me--the sanctified, justified saint--is here ALL THE TIME. Yes, the sinner is here all the time too. But I am always holy.
My professor explained it this way. "You don't always think about loving your husband, do you? Love is often an unconscious decision. You don't always think about serving God, either. Are you serving God by being in class right now?" I replied that yes, I guessed so. "You are. You might not realize it; you might not even be doing it intentionally. But you are here to learn about the faith in order to be able to teach it better in your future ministry. Your being here, respecting your teacher and your classmates, is following God's will. You are being led by the Holy Spirit and you are being obedient to God just by being here."
That got me wondering how often I really am obeying God without realizing it!! Is that not the epitome of grace: that he allows us to obey him without our knowledge, even as we so often sin without consciously deciding to. Doing dishes is being obedient to God. Bathing is being obedient to God. Grocery shopping...doing homework...folding laundry...even sleeping! All of these things are fulfilling God's will for me in one way or another.
So very often I am hard on myself for sinning so much. But do I thank God that, by his grace, I am able to obey him so much? I think we as Christians either give ourselves too much or too little credit. We do sin much, yes. But we do good things for God as well.
Most importantly: we believe in God all the time. Yes, faith is a gift, so we did not consciously choose to receive it. But we don't have to consciously work to believe, either. Believing in God makes us saints: his children, his chosen ones. Since we believe all the time, we are saints, all the time.
I have the power of the Holy Spirit living in me.
That never changes.
And just imagine...when we join Christ in heaven one day, we will lose the sinful side of ourselves, and be only saints. Only holy. Always obedient to Christ.
Can you just imagine how wonderful that will be?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Loved By God, Just the Way I Am
I've come to a place where I can accept, and like, the person I am. I'm not exactly satisfied with that person, but maybe I'm not supposed to be. There's always learning, growing, becoming to do. God still has a lot to teach me, so "who I am" will never be completely finished. I'm not a static being. I don't like the word "evolving" (for the evolutionary connotations) but that's a fairly apt description for how I'm changing.
Part of the reason that we're not supposed to be quite comfortable in the skin we're in is that there's something more coming, something better--a glorified body. One that's sinless. Flawless. Perfect.
That's a weird concept...to think of myself as perfect. Because I am so not. I beat myself up a lot--figuratively, of course--about my imperfections. The list is long: selfishness, thoughtlessness, faithlessness, worry, discontent. I could go on. But I've come to terms with the fact that I'm going to stay sinful, and there's no use fretting about it.
That is NOT to say I shouldn't try not to sin! There are a lot of bad habits I could and should work on breaking. There are so many things I have yet to learn.
But God won't love me any more, if and when I try to become a better person, than he does right now. He can, will, and does use even my worst faults for his own purposes. He gives me jobs to do for his kingdom. He loves me unconditionally, and forgives me constantly. I'm beautiful and holy in his eyes--so who am I to put myself (or others) down? We're all worth more than that. We're priceless: creations of the God of the universe.
That's another huge concept to try to wrap my mind around, but when it comes down to it, that is what is most humbling and most encouraging to me.
The GOD
of the universe
loves/made/forgives/redeemed
ME.
Sounds insane. It should be. But it's true. And that's what gives me hope, purpose, joy, life! Being a child of God is the greatest blessing in life. I'm more thankful for this than anything else.
Compared to him, my flaws are pretty minor. They're not to big for him to handle. They do't get in the way of his love for me. And-
Nothing.
Ever.
Will.
Part of the reason that we're not supposed to be quite comfortable in the skin we're in is that there's something more coming, something better--a glorified body. One that's sinless. Flawless. Perfect.
That's a weird concept...to think of myself as perfect. Because I am so not. I beat myself up a lot--figuratively, of course--about my imperfections. The list is long: selfishness, thoughtlessness, faithlessness, worry, discontent. I could go on. But I've come to terms with the fact that I'm going to stay sinful, and there's no use fretting about it.
That is NOT to say I shouldn't try not to sin! There are a lot of bad habits I could and should work on breaking. There are so many things I have yet to learn.
But God won't love me any more, if and when I try to become a better person, than he does right now. He can, will, and does use even my worst faults for his own purposes. He gives me jobs to do for his kingdom. He loves me unconditionally, and forgives me constantly. I'm beautiful and holy in his eyes--so who am I to put myself (or others) down? We're all worth more than that. We're priceless: creations of the God of the universe.
That's another huge concept to try to wrap my mind around, but when it comes down to it, that is what is most humbling and most encouraging to me.
The GOD
of the universe
loves/made/forgives/redeemed
ME.
Sounds insane. It should be. But it's true. And that's what gives me hope, purpose, joy, life! Being a child of God is the greatest blessing in life. I'm more thankful for this than anything else.
Compared to him, my flaws are pretty minor. They're not to big for him to handle. They do't get in the way of his love for me. And-
Nothing.
Ever.
Will.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thankful for my husband
I realize more and more every day how blessed I am by my husband. It's so terribly easy to take him for granted. But lately I've been intentional about looking for ways to praise and honor him.
I'm learning how to listen better when he talks, and how to get his attention properly when I want to talk to him.
He has communicated to me how much he likes having me home, and how much he doesn't like it when I have to be gone in the evenings for work or class. I know this is him saying, "I love you and I love spending time with you."
In the last week, he has:
had chocolate cake made (with homemade chocolate frosting) when I got home
had steak on the stove and rolls out of the oven the next day when I got home
taken down the Christmas tree and packed up a lot of decorations so I didn't have to do that depressing task
picked up and organized the bedroom AND made the bed properly for once (the next day he poked his head in the bathroom when I was taking a shower and asked if I was going to wear the jeans that were on the bedroom floor, because if I wasn't they needed to go in the hamper, not on the floor. I about fell out of the shower.)
helped me with dishes WITHOUT BEING ASKED
taken care of bill-paying, a job I detest
taken initiative to get us to the DMV today to get his license renewed and get me my first Nebraska license
worked it out with his parents to get the four of us to go get our car on Saturday (finally!)
Yeah. My husband is awesome. And I could add other things to that list. ;)
How often do I look at the negative things about my husband instead of the positive? How much do I put him down instead of praising and honoring him? How much do I talk back to him instead of respecting him and submitting to him?
A lot.
Which is not how it should be.
But how often does he forgive me and let me try again? How often does he love me in spite of my faults? How often does he put up with my quirks?
All the time.
So today, I'm thankful for my husband. He is my greatest gift--God is so good to both of us!
I'm learning how to listen better when he talks, and how to get his attention properly when I want to talk to him.
He has communicated to me how much he likes having me home, and how much he doesn't like it when I have to be gone in the evenings for work or class. I know this is him saying, "I love you and I love spending time with you."
In the last week, he has:
had chocolate cake made (with homemade chocolate frosting) when I got home
had steak on the stove and rolls out of the oven the next day when I got home
taken down the Christmas tree and packed up a lot of decorations so I didn't have to do that depressing task
picked up and organized the bedroom AND made the bed properly for once (the next day he poked his head in the bathroom when I was taking a shower and asked if I was going to wear the jeans that were on the bedroom floor, because if I wasn't they needed to go in the hamper, not on the floor. I about fell out of the shower.)
helped me with dishes WITHOUT BEING ASKED
taken care of bill-paying, a job I detest
taken initiative to get us to the DMV today to get his license renewed and get me my first Nebraska license
worked it out with his parents to get the four of us to go get our car on Saturday (finally!)
Yeah. My husband is awesome. And I could add other things to that list. ;)
How often do I look at the negative things about my husband instead of the positive? How much do I put him down instead of praising and honoring him? How much do I talk back to him instead of respecting him and submitting to him?
A lot.
Which is not how it should be.
But how often does he forgive me and let me try again? How often does he love me in spite of my faults? How often does he put up with my quirks?
All the time.
So today, I'm thankful for my husband. He is my greatest gift--God is so good to both of us!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
What's Better Than "Happily Ever After"?
The story is a familiar one:
Boy meets girl.
Boy likes girl.
Girl likes boy.
Boy asks girl out.
Boy and girl hold hands during movie.
Boy and girl decide to date.
Boy calls girl's dad for permission.
(Girl very impressed.)
Boy and girl decide to get married.
Girl's parents decide on wedding date.
Boy and girl get officially engaged.
Boy and girl get married.
It could be Nancy Meyers' latest romantic comedy.
It is, in fact, a true story--our story, Joshua's and mine. (Yes, my dad decided on the wedding date...we weren't thrilled with the fifteen-month wait. But it all worked out in the end.)
I love romantic movies with story lines like this, especially funny ones. We watched What Women Want last night and although I wouldn't watch it with my thirteen-year-old sister, it was great fun for just the two of us. And of course, I love happy endings, whether they involve the prince and princess getting married after major trouble getting together, the clueless guy finally understanding how to love the girl who's crazy about him, the husband and wife who work through a rough spot in their marriage...whatever. All these stories have one thing in common: they leave the audience or reader with the belief that the characters "lived happily ever after."
But do they really?
Take Cinderella and Prince Charming, for example. They rode away in the carriage kissing. But what about life after the honeymoon? How did Cinderella adjust to being royalty? What kind of mother did she become, considering her rather poor role model in that regard? How was she accepted by the prince's family? And what kind of love is based on one solitary dance between strangers?
Or consider Snow White. She doesn't even meet her prince till nearly the end of the story. And we're left with no knowledge as to what happened after that. Did they get married at all? What happened to the dwarfs without Snow White to take care of them?
And, considering how dysfunctional a lot of characters in popular romantic comedies seem to be, how do their relationships last after the credits roll?
Okay, I know perfectly well that these are all stories. Fiction. Not true. But these are the stories that are read to children at bedtime, watched by couples of all kinds on dates, wept over by girls at sleepovers. These stories pervade our culture, and they're popular for good reason: they portray life the way many of us wish life could be.
What a lot of people seem to forget that in real-life relationships, it almost never works out the way relationships do on-screen. Sure, Joshua and I have tons of fun together. We laugh. We enjoy each other's company. We can be sweet, funny, romantic, and sexy.
But not all the time! The reality of relationships is that life can be good, and very good, but expecting the "happily ever after" will only lead to disappointment.
I think that life as it is, is better than any fairy tale. No, we're not perfect. We argue sometimes. We're lazy sometimes. We're not always very interesting people to be around. We certainly aren't very funny most of the time. But this is real. This relationship is for a lifetime. I know my husband is going to stick with me in my best and my worst times, and I'm going to do the same for him.
And if you ask me, a lifelong marriage, with its highs and lows, is better than any "happily ever after" a fairy tale could end with.
Boy meets girl.
Boy likes girl.
Girl likes boy.
Boy asks girl out.
Boy and girl hold hands during movie.
Boy and girl decide to date.
Boy calls girl's dad for permission.
(Girl very impressed.)
Boy and girl decide to get married.
Girl's parents decide on wedding date.
Boy and girl get officially engaged.
Boy and girl get married.
It could be Nancy Meyers' latest romantic comedy.
It is, in fact, a true story--our story, Joshua's and mine. (Yes, my dad decided on the wedding date...we weren't thrilled with the fifteen-month wait. But it all worked out in the end.)
I love romantic movies with story lines like this, especially funny ones. We watched What Women Want last night and although I wouldn't watch it with my thirteen-year-old sister, it was great fun for just the two of us. And of course, I love happy endings, whether they involve the prince and princess getting married after major trouble getting together, the clueless guy finally understanding how to love the girl who's crazy about him, the husband and wife who work through a rough spot in their marriage...whatever. All these stories have one thing in common: they leave the audience or reader with the belief that the characters "lived happily ever after."
But do they really?
Take Cinderella and Prince Charming, for example. They rode away in the carriage kissing. But what about life after the honeymoon? How did Cinderella adjust to being royalty? What kind of mother did she become, considering her rather poor role model in that regard? How was she accepted by the prince's family? And what kind of love is based on one solitary dance between strangers?
Or consider Snow White. She doesn't even meet her prince till nearly the end of the story. And we're left with no knowledge as to what happened after that. Did they get married at all? What happened to the dwarfs without Snow White to take care of them?
And, considering how dysfunctional a lot of characters in popular romantic comedies seem to be, how do their relationships last after the credits roll?
Okay, I know perfectly well that these are all stories. Fiction. Not true. But these are the stories that are read to children at bedtime, watched by couples of all kinds on dates, wept over by girls at sleepovers. These stories pervade our culture, and they're popular for good reason: they portray life the way many of us wish life could be.
What a lot of people seem to forget that in real-life relationships, it almost never works out the way relationships do on-screen. Sure, Joshua and I have tons of fun together. We laugh. We enjoy each other's company. We can be sweet, funny, romantic, and sexy.
But not all the time! The reality of relationships is that life can be good, and very good, but expecting the "happily ever after" will only lead to disappointment.
I think that life as it is, is better than any fairy tale. No, we're not perfect. We argue sometimes. We're lazy sometimes. We're not always very interesting people to be around. We certainly aren't very funny most of the time. But this is real. This relationship is for a lifetime. I know my husband is going to stick with me in my best and my worst times, and I'm going to do the same for him.
And if you ask me, a lifelong marriage, with its highs and lows, is better than any "happily ever after" a fairy tale could end with.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
catch-up and God-talk
I haven't had much time to write, and haven't been able to think of much to write about.
Finals week begins Monday. I only have one test, but six papers to write this week. None are terribly long, but it's a little overwhelming. I did finish a short story this evening, with Joshua's help to get the male perspective accurate. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
This week has been fairly typical otherwise. Last week of classes. I feel perpetually sleep-deprived. That's partly my own fault, though. Last night there was a formal dance and we went with Ruth and Joe, and then went to IHOP for a midnight pancake run. I've never been to IHOP at all and certainly not at such an hour! But it was fun, and delicious. We didn't get home till 2:30, however, so this morning was slow and lazy. But it was nice. :)
Today I also got laundry and grocery shopping done. It's nice to have clean clothes and a full fridge!
The story I wrote is based on the experiences Joshua and I had over Thanksgiving break: broken-down car, both of us upset, tow truck ride, all that. My English professor had an incredible insight when she read the story. I wrote about how the young couple in the story (basically us) had to put the car in neutral, and let the tow truck driver take control of the car to get it on the truck and driven to the repair shop. The couple had to let go of the wheel entirely and trust their car to someone else. They had to let him take the wheel and just go along with the ride.
I'm surprised I didn't see the spiritual application of this story myself, but I'm sure glad my teacher did. We have to let God take control. We have to get in the passenger seat, let go of our lives, and let him take us where we need to go, where we'll be safe. Considering that the story is based on real life...it was very emotional for me. It's like God was talking to me, but it took nearly two weeks for me to hear the message, and then I had to be told by someone else what it was.
I hear you, Lord. Let you take over. Trust you. Don't worry. Don't fret. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Life is so much easier when I don't have to focus on the particulars of the trip--when I don't see what's ahead in the road. Because you, God, can see, and you'll get me through everything safely.
Finals week begins Monday. I only have one test, but six papers to write this week. None are terribly long, but it's a little overwhelming. I did finish a short story this evening, with Joshua's help to get the male perspective accurate. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
This week has been fairly typical otherwise. Last week of classes. I feel perpetually sleep-deprived. That's partly my own fault, though. Last night there was a formal dance and we went with Ruth and Joe, and then went to IHOP for a midnight pancake run. I've never been to IHOP at all and certainly not at such an hour! But it was fun, and delicious. We didn't get home till 2:30, however, so this morning was slow and lazy. But it was nice. :)
Today I also got laundry and grocery shopping done. It's nice to have clean clothes and a full fridge!
The story I wrote is based on the experiences Joshua and I had over Thanksgiving break: broken-down car, both of us upset, tow truck ride, all that. My English professor had an incredible insight when she read the story. I wrote about how the young couple in the story (basically us) had to put the car in neutral, and let the tow truck driver take control of the car to get it on the truck and driven to the repair shop. The couple had to let go of the wheel entirely and trust their car to someone else. They had to let him take the wheel and just go along with the ride.
I'm surprised I didn't see the spiritual application of this story myself, but I'm sure glad my teacher did. We have to let God take control. We have to get in the passenger seat, let go of our lives, and let him take us where we need to go, where we'll be safe. Considering that the story is based on real life...it was very emotional for me. It's like God was talking to me, but it took nearly two weeks for me to hear the message, and then I had to be told by someone else what it was.
I hear you, Lord. Let you take over. Trust you. Don't worry. Don't fret. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Life is so much easier when I don't have to focus on the particulars of the trip--when I don't see what's ahead in the road. Because you, God, can see, and you'll get me through everything safely.
Friday, November 18, 2011
One of those days...
It's been one of those days.
When the house is a mess. I mean a complete disaster.
When we go on a wild-goose chase trying to find Culver's, my choice, (and realize half an hour later, on the way home finally, we were going the right direction the first time).
When I lash out at Joshua in anger and frustration.
When, in short, I pretty much feel like a complete failure.
It's days like this when I have to remember that my identity is not based on my failures or achievements. It's not based on how good a wife or homemaker I am. It is based on the fact that Jesus Christ died for all my sins, including every one I committed today, and that I am a child of God, loved, forgiven and saved by him.
Yes, I strive to be a good wife and homemaker (and trust me, I will be spending most of tomorrow cleaning!!). But I don't have to base my self-worth on my performance. I didn't create myself, after all: God created me, and it is he who gives me worth and value.
It's been one of those days, too:
Visiting my father-in-law and seeing how much better he's doing.
The last day of classes before Thanksgiving break!!
Subway for supper--no cooking necessary!
Extra hours at the library.
Family and friends who love me.
It's SO amazing how much God blesses me, even and including those days when I fail to thank him for what he's given me, and in fact throw it back in his face with my contempt. I'm not nearly perfect, but God loves and blesses me anyway. And what's more, he'll give me a new start tomorrow, a new day in which to love, honor and serve him--a new day full of more of his blessings and grace.
When the house is a mess. I mean a complete disaster.
When we go on a wild-goose chase trying to find Culver's, my choice, (and realize half an hour later, on the way home finally, we were going the right direction the first time).
When I lash out at Joshua in anger and frustration.
When, in short, I pretty much feel like a complete failure.
It's days like this when I have to remember that my identity is not based on my failures or achievements. It's not based on how good a wife or homemaker I am. It is based on the fact that Jesus Christ died for all my sins, including every one I committed today, and that I am a child of God, loved, forgiven and saved by him.
Yes, I strive to be a good wife and homemaker (and trust me, I will be spending most of tomorrow cleaning!!). But I don't have to base my self-worth on my performance. I didn't create myself, after all: God created me, and it is he who gives me worth and value.
It's been one of those days, too:
Visiting my father-in-law and seeing how much better he's doing.
The last day of classes before Thanksgiving break!!
Subway for supper--no cooking necessary!
Extra hours at the library.
Family and friends who love me.
It's SO amazing how much God blesses me, even and including those days when I fail to thank him for what he's given me, and in fact throw it back in his face with my contempt. I'm not nearly perfect, but God loves and blesses me anyway. And what's more, he'll give me a new start tomorrow, a new day in which to love, honor and serve him--a new day full of more of his blessings and grace.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Those times I just need to cry.
I am female.
I am emotional.
Sometimes, I am very hormonal.
Often I am stressed.
Sometimes I am worried.
Rarely I am angry.
Regularly I am happy.
Sometimes I am tired.
Other times, I have no explanation for how I am feeling, but in all these times...
I cry.
Call me crybaby, call me a wimp, call me a little girl who hasn't grown up yet, but I have discovered the universal, all-purpose expression of emotion and a never-fail stress reliever: tears.
I have heard that some chemical is released in tears that relieves stress in a cool biological way. God's awesome like that. But whatever it is, when I cry, I feel better.
Today was one of those stressed-humbled-relieved-frustrated-tired-confused-thankful sort of days when I cried three separate times.
(and no, it is not that time of the month)
Do I feel better? You bet. Have I heard God's message loud and clear ("TRUST ME.")? Yes. Have I felt the squeeze of my husband's hand and his reassuring words, "It will be okay"? More than once.
Am I going to bed NOW so the tiredness isn't a factor?
As soon as I click "Publish Post."
And have I gained fresh perspective on life today, that despite what seem to be life-interrupting frustrations (but really aren't that bad), I have so much to be thankful for and am so well-off compared to millions of other people?
Yes, thanks to Pastors Matthias and Bruick, and most especially thanks to my heavenly Father who understands when I need to cry.
I am emotional.
Sometimes, I am very hormonal.
Often I am stressed.
Sometimes I am worried.
Rarely I am angry.
Regularly I am happy.
Sometimes I am tired.
Other times, I have no explanation for how I am feeling, but in all these times...
I cry.
Call me crybaby, call me a wimp, call me a little girl who hasn't grown up yet, but I have discovered the universal, all-purpose expression of emotion and a never-fail stress reliever: tears.
I have heard that some chemical is released in tears that relieves stress in a cool biological way. God's awesome like that. But whatever it is, when I cry, I feel better.
Today was one of those stressed-humbled-relieved-frustrated-tired-confused-thankful sort of days when I cried three separate times.
(and no, it is not that time of the month)
Do I feel better? You bet. Have I heard God's message loud and clear ("TRUST ME.")? Yes. Have I felt the squeeze of my husband's hand and his reassuring words, "It will be okay"? More than once.
Am I going to bed NOW so the tiredness isn't a factor?
As soon as I click "Publish Post."
And have I gained fresh perspective on life today, that despite what seem to be life-interrupting frustrations (but really aren't that bad), I have so much to be thankful for and am so well-off compared to millions of other people?
Yes, thanks to Pastors Matthias and Bruick, and most especially thanks to my heavenly Father who understands when I need to cry.
Monday, November 7, 2011
An Imperfect Life
I am a bit of a perfectionist.
Okay, that's putting it mildly.
I'm also really critical of myself and others, which combined with the perfectionism can get pretty messy.
Did I mention I'm also a clean freak who has a lazy streak and is stressed in a cluttered living space?
Yeah, not a good combination.
Being married, working, college students, we have time to get the house messy but not really time to get it clean, except for afternoons and evenings when we're usually both home. And when we're home at the same time, cleaning is usually the last thing I want to do. (It can be theraputic, however, because I'm relaxed when my house is in order!)
This past Friday we got home from school and I was going on about needing to get the living room picked up, dishes done, supper made, etc, etc. I was lying on the couch, not wanting to get up and do anything, and I fell asleep. Joshua brought a blanket and I napped for an hour. When I woke up life seemed a lot better even though nothing had really gotten done. But that was okay.
Joshua is my reality check. He reminds me that sometimes it's a good thing to sit and do nothing. That it's okay when our house isn't picture-perfect (which it rarely is). That there are things that matter a lot more than having a clean kitchen. That it's just fine to not be perfect.
He doesn't expect perfection of me.
Now, that doesn't mean he does not have high expectations for me. We each expect a lot of each other, and sometimes that causes frustration when we fail to live up to those expectations.
God does expect perfection of us. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," Jesus said (Matthew 5:48). He also knows that because we're sinful people, we can't be perfect. That's why he sent Jesus to pay the price for our imperfection, and put on us his own perfect-ness. When God looks at us now, he sees not our failures but Christ's perfect obedience.
And God forgives us. Constantly. For everything. He gives us a new start every day, making us always right with him when we repent of our sin.
So I can live freely in my imperfection, not being lazy or disobedient, but knowing that Joshua loves me anyway, and God loves me no matter what. He doesn't really care if I have a messy house, and neither does my husband. The state of my kitchen or bathroom doesn't have much of an impact on eternity. The time I spent serving and loving my husband, those people God puts in our lives, and God himself, are far more important.
That's a truth I can live with.
Okay, that's putting it mildly.
I'm also really critical of myself and others, which combined with the perfectionism can get pretty messy.
Did I mention I'm also a clean freak who has a lazy streak and is stressed in a cluttered living space?
Yeah, not a good combination.
Being married, working, college students, we have time to get the house messy but not really time to get it clean, except for afternoons and evenings when we're usually both home. And when we're home at the same time, cleaning is usually the last thing I want to do. (It can be theraputic, however, because I'm relaxed when my house is in order!)
This past Friday we got home from school and I was going on about needing to get the living room picked up, dishes done, supper made, etc, etc. I was lying on the couch, not wanting to get up and do anything, and I fell asleep. Joshua brought a blanket and I napped for an hour. When I woke up life seemed a lot better even though nothing had really gotten done. But that was okay.
Joshua is my reality check. He reminds me that sometimes it's a good thing to sit and do nothing. That it's okay when our house isn't picture-perfect (which it rarely is). That there are things that matter a lot more than having a clean kitchen. That it's just fine to not be perfect.
He doesn't expect perfection of me.
Now, that doesn't mean he does not have high expectations for me. We each expect a lot of each other, and sometimes that causes frustration when we fail to live up to those expectations.
God does expect perfection of us. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," Jesus said (Matthew 5:48). He also knows that because we're sinful people, we can't be perfect. That's why he sent Jesus to pay the price for our imperfection, and put on us his own perfect-ness. When God looks at us now, he sees not our failures but Christ's perfect obedience.
And God forgives us. Constantly. For everything. He gives us a new start every day, making us always right with him when we repent of our sin.
So I can live freely in my imperfection, not being lazy or disobedient, but knowing that Joshua loves me anyway, and God loves me no matter what. He doesn't really care if I have a messy house, and neither does my husband. The state of my kitchen or bathroom doesn't have much of an impact on eternity. The time I spent serving and loving my husband, those people God puts in our lives, and God himself, are far more important.
That's a truth I can live with.
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