Thankful in the Storms

I got up this morning with the intention to mow the back yard (at my grandparents' house... we've been housesitting for them for a week but they're coming home today!).  Then, when we were finishing breakfast, I heard thunder.  It's stormed nearly every morning for the last week!

I have Pandora on (it's kind of become an obsession... I love all the fun/inspiring music playing while I'm writing at home or working at the library), and a little while ago the song "Praise You in the Storm" came on. My life isn't really a "storm" right now, but it just made me smile because of the thunderstorm that was going on at the time.  (It's since quit... now I have no excuse to not go mow the lawn!)

The point is, it was little reminder that I can always be thankful, even when it might not make sense (thank you, God, for [insert really difficult thing here]).  It's been easy to be thankful for a lot of things-- the fact that my grandparents basically let us eat whatever we wanted out of the fridge and freezer, so I didn't have to buy groceries this week.  The wonderful friends and fantastic coworkers I have.  Time to rest and relax with my husband in the evenings.  The opportunity to witness and enjoy an incredibly beautiful wedding last weekend.

But I know that life isn't always made up of things for which it's easy to say "thank you."  We experience loss.  Grief.  Depression.  Financial difficulty.  The day-to-day stress which, when it piles up, seems too much to bear.  The sick child.  The loss of a job.  The death of a parent.  The move of a dear friend.

In those times, it's hard to be thankful.  I've had experiences of my own when I wondered, what good can possibly come from this?

Sometimes I've seen the good that has come from those times.  A lot of the time I don't... but I know that God always brings good even out of the worst things.  He promises that he will, so I can trust that.

It's not easy to trust in that, but that's why faith is a gift from God, not something I can produce on my own.

If you're in a valley right now, I just want you to know that God is there, too.  He has a plan--even if you don't know what it is--and he will bring about blessing through those trials, whether for you or someone else.

Evil has already lost in this world: Satan has been vanquished and Jesus has conquered.  Even the most horrible things are temporary.  Christ has died and risen, and is in heaven waiting to bring us to be with him in paradise for eternity.

When I can't see the good that could come from a situation, that's why I take comfort in: knowing that it's temporary, and ultimately, I have victory in Jesus.

I pray that you are encouraged by that knowledge today!

(P.S. The song that's playing now?  "Grace Like Rain.")

Linking today with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, Uplifting Love, There's Just One Mommy, Graced Simplicity

Thankful Thursday, "V" Edition

Today I am thankful for variety.  It's said that variety is the spice of life, but I think it adds some sweetness as well.  I just started varying the way I drink coffee.  I normally don't drink it often, because coffee plus rich creamer tends to not settle well with me, but last week I tried something: mixing about half a cup of coffee, half a cup of milk, and a teaspoon of coconut oil and foaming it with my immersion blender.  Folks, I may never drink coffee any other way again.  It tastes as good as any coffeehouse drink, isn't too sweet or rich for my stomach, costs pennies, and tastes amazing.  My immersion blender is a pro at foaming up the warm milk and coffee!  I'm loving this variety in my life.

I'm thankful for the knowledge of our soon-to-come summer vacation.  Next week is our last week of classes, then we have finals, and then school is DONE for the year.  I can hardly wait.  Bubbling in my head are so many plans and ideas for the summer...when I FINALLY have free time!

On that note, I'm thankful for vocation--specifically the ones of wife, homemaker, student, daughter, sister, friend, that God has given me.  I'm excited to focus on "wife," "homemaker," and "friend" this summer, and put "student" away with the books for a few months!

I'm especially thankful--today and every day--for the victory that I have over Satan, sin, and death in Jesus Christ my Savior.  Because of his life, death, and resurrection, the battle against the devil is already won.  We, as believers in him, are victorious!!

What are you thankful for today?  Can you come up with a "V" word in your list?

Sexuality: What it should be {Marriage Monday}

Mondays are "Marriage Mondays" here at Living in the Light!  If you're new here (especially if you're visiting from the A to Z Challenge)--welcome!!  I'm so happy you're here.  Check out my "About Me" page HERE, some of my favorite posts on marriage HERE, and my two most popular posts HERE and HERE.

Today's letter for the A to Z Challenge is "S."  And on Mondays I write about marriage.  So what better topic for today than sex?

(By the way, no worries about graphic content here... my mother reads my blog!)

I believe that our society has a perverted view of sex.  This should be a fairly obvious fact.  Sex outside of marriage is so normal it's practically encouraged, homosexuality is legal in several states, pornography is way too easily available, and adultery within marriage is so common that it's joked about on television shows and in movies.  Half of all marriages nowadays end in divorce.

Obviously, our culture is doing something very, very wrong when it comes to sex.

For the Bible-believing Christian, the reason for this is quite obvious as well.  As a society in general, we don't do sex God's way anymore.  Celibacy outside of marriage is no longer encouraged as it used to be.  Faithfulness within marriage isn't stressed as essential.  Sexual promiscuity doesn't garner the disapproval it once did.  And as a result of Hollywood and the media as a whole, poor examples of what sex should be are displayed on our TV and computer screens every day.

I'm here to tell you that sex God's way is fantastic.  No, you don't need the details.  But sex, reserved for marriage and kept sacred within marriage, is incredibly fulfilling.  It contributes to the unity of husband and wife in a beautiful way.  It is the means by which God has provided for the procreation of children.  It is a source of great delight for husband and wife.  Sex within the bonds of marriage is a beautiful, blessed thing.

Satan does everything he can to make us forget that.  He has used the media to great effect to convey the idea that sex should be whatever we want it to be--that it's all about making ourselves feel good, so we can do whatever we want to gain our own pleasure.  He has twisted the Biblical design for sexuality to make it into something it was never intended to be.

When God created humanity, he made one man and one woman and gave them to each other with the command to "be fruitful and multiply."  Sex is reserved for marriage, and within marriage it is to be limited to the husband and the wife.

Sex is not dirty or gross.  We don't need to talk about it clandestinely.  It shouldn't be cause for blushing and giggles when it comes up in conversation.  Parents, please talk openly with your children about sex.  Don't give them details they don't need, of course, but make sure they aren't afraid to ask you about it.  Instill in them the understanding that sex, when used as God intended, is a beautiful gift to be cherished.

Also, I think that as the Church as a whole, we need to stop treating sex outside of marriage as if it's the unforgivable sin.  It's not.  It's a serious sin, to be sure, and it can come with all sorts of major consequences--sexually transmitted diseases, spiritual brokenness, damaged relationships, and disruption of lives.  But just like any other sin, where there is repentance, there is always forgiveness.  Each of us succumbs to temptation of one kind or another.  Sexual temptation is no different.  But we can't treat sexual sins as if they're "no big deal," either.  They are a big deal.  They are in direct contradiction to God's laws.  But God is always willing to forgive the repentant believer, and he is amazing at giving second (and third, and fourth...) chances.

So let's celebrate God's gift of sex!  But let's keep it within marriage.

Let's tell our children how great sex is within marriage... and let's help lead them to repentance, and then forgive them, if and when they step outside God's bounds for marriage.

Sex is a beautiful thing. And that's why I'm not afraid to write about it.


Linking with: The Alabaster Jar, What Joy is Mine, A Proverbs 31 Wife, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, Yes They're All Ours  , To Love, Honor and Vacuum, Messy Marriage

Redeemed

Redeemed: bought back, exchanged, purchased, reclaimed, ransomed.

I have been redeemed.  I would be a slave to sin and Satan if Jesus had not paid the price for me.

Had he not given his life for mine, I would have had to pay for my sin with my own eternal soul.  I would have spent eternity in hell.  But Jesus paid the life-debt for me and all other people.  He took the guilt of our sin on himself and gave up his life as a ransom for us all.

Thus, I am free.  Saved.  Redeemed.  And so are you.

I am no longer bound to sin; now, because Christ is my Redeemer, I am bound to him.  I am one with him through my baptism, and my life belongs to Christ--to God-- because he made me.  In response to what he has done for me, I strive to love and serve him by loving and serving others.  I can't do this perfectly--I fail all the time--but he already took care of the guilt of my sins, including the failure to love and obey him fully, and even the sins I haven't committed yet.

I don't have to live in fear of punishment.  Jesus already took the punishment that I deserve.  He destroyed the power of Satan, death and hell.  They no longer hold power over me, or over you.  Satan still has power in this world, but the battle is over--he has already lost, and he knows it.  Those who believe in Jesus will spend eternity with him in heaven, no matter what Satan tries to do to them in this world.  Why?  Because we belong to Jesus, and he is more powerful even than Satan.

We can therefore live this life in joy.  We are free from the weight of our own sin, and from the weight of the sin of the world.  Jesus bore it for us.  Despite the evil that is still rampant all around us, our life doesn't have to be one of sadness or despair.  Not for us.  Not for those who are children of God.  We have the promise of eternal life, and we know that nothing can separate us from God's love--because he has redeemed and saved us.

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
He lives, he lives, who once was dead--
He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save.
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare--
He lives to bring me safely there.

(I Know that My Redeemer Lives, vv 1, 3, 7; text by Samuel Medley.)

Forgiveness, and why it's amazing.

On Saturdays I'll be talking about a "serious" topic for the A to Z Challenge.  If you're a new visitor (especially if you're visiting from the Challenge)--welcome!!  I'm so happy you're here.  Check out my "About Me" page HERE, some of my favorite posts on marriage HERE, and my two most popular posts HERE and HERE.

Of all the blessings of being a child of God, forgiveness is one of the ones I'm most thankful for (besides salvation!), but it's the one I often find hardest to accept.

The concept is a difficult one for our minds to wrap around sometimes.  Here's how God's forgiveness works:  We sin.  Jesus died to pay the price for that sin.  We confess our sin and our desire to repent, to turn away from it.  God says, okay, your sin is gone.  My Son eliminated it.  It's no longer on your record, I'm not going to remember it, and now you get to try again, and I'll help you.

Sometimes there are consequences, even when we are forgiven, but the guilt is gone.

What Satan often tries to do (and sometimes succeeds) is to make us think that we're still guilty.  Or that we have to do something to earn forgiveness.

We're not.  And we don't.  Forgiveness is a gift.  It's not something we deserve, it's not something we earned because we're good enough, or because we're faithful enough.

We have forgiveness--we NEED it--because we're not good enough.  That's why it's a gift.  It's all about grace: God's undeserved kindness toward us, because of His Son Jesus.

Another amazing thing about forgiveness is that we get to share it.  Because we've been forgiven, we are free to forgive others.

Sin is a part of life.  It's inevitable.  It's inescapable.  But IT HAS BEEN CONQUERED.  Christ's death destroyed forever the power of Satan, sin, and death.  We still fight the battles against our sinful natures, but the war has already been won.  Because of this, we have the ability to pronounce forgiveness to others.  Because we have been shown God's grace, we can show grace to those who sin against us.  And we can tell them the good news of God's forgiveness.

It's funny, I struggle with remembering that I'm forgiven, and with forgiving myself.  But I have no trouble reminding others that THEY are forgiven!  Sometimes I need to preach to myself as much as I need to encourage others.

That's when I turn to God's Word, and the words in 1 John chapter 1:

"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  (1 John 1:8-9)

the lies Satan tells {and then there's the Truth}

You can never get anything right.


You will never be good enough.


You are a failure...as a wife, a homemaker, a daughter, a sister, a friend.


You are miserable.  You are pathetic.  You are weak.


You don't deserve any good thing.  You don't deserve to be loved.


These are the lies Satan tells me.
These are the words that sometimes fill my head.
This is how Satan gets past the truth.
This is how he twists reality.

Yes, I am a sinner...
but I am also a child of God, saved by the grace of Jesus Christ.


No, I will never be good enough--on my own--
but that's why Jesus was good enough--PERFECT--in my place.
So that I wouldn't have to be.


No, I can't do everything right--by myself--
but that's why the Holy Spirit lives in my heart.
So He can help me live a life that honors God.


Yes, I will mess up.  A lot.
But I am forgiven because of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose again
so that I could have eternal life.


No one is perfect.  No one can, on their own power, live a life that pleases God.
That's why we need Jesus.
That's why God sent Jesus, his only Son, into our sinful world--
to save us from Satan, from sin, from death, and from our own sinful natures.
Now, because of Christ, we are new creations.  We are pure, holy, redeemed.
And we have the promise of eternal life.


Jesus said to the people who did not believe in him,

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lied, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."  -John 8:44

Jesus said to those who did believe in him,

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  -John 8:31-32

Later, Jesus said to his disciples,

"I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6

Satan is the father of lies.  Jesus is the Truth.

Who shall I believe?
Who will you believe? 

 (Growing up, I had an old portable tape player on which I listened to cassette tapes--I'm just old enough to have not heard of CD's when I was really little.  My favorite tape was an old "Best of Amy Grant," and this was my favorite song on it.  That tape is so worn-out now that it hardly plays properly--but the song is as great now as it was then.  Also of note is the pianist in this video.  Do you recognize him?  It's a very young Michael W. Smith!)

My Sickness...HIS Suffering

So I've been down with a rather nasty case of influenza since Monday.  I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Today is my second day home from school, and this is the girl who NEVER skips classes.  Today Hubby isn't feeling well either, so at least I don't have to stay home alone all day!

Since it's Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, I've been pondering the connections my physical illness has to my spiritual one.  This sickness is a result of the fact that spiritually I'm sick with sin.  Before I was baptized and given faith by the Holy Spirit, I was literally DEAD in my sin.  Now sin does not have control over me like it once did--I'm not going to die permanently from its presence in my life--but it still rears its ugly head on a regular basis and causes much frustration, pain, and suffering in my life.

Then it hit me: I don't REALLY suffer all that much for the sins I've committed.  Yes, I have to deal with the consequences.  Sometimes they're very serious ones that affect my life and the lives of those around me.  Sometimes they cause feelings of guilt that I have to deal with until I realize, once again, God's amazing forgiveness.

But here's the thing: compared to how Jesus suffered on the cross, my sufferings are pretty minimal.  First of all, having the flu is nothing compared to being beaten nearly to death, being nailed to a cross, and then hanging there for six hours until He finally died.  The worst of it?  Jesus was literally, completely separated from God.  Because He took the sin of the whole world on Him, God couldn't bear to be in his presence, because of God's complete perfection.

Jesus took the physical sufferings  and the separation from God that I deserve--on HIMSELF.


Yes, I am sick with sin.  But MY sin caused HIM to die.

The incredible thing is, the story doesn't end there.  Yes, He suffered.  Yes, He died.  But Jesus is not only Man--He is GOD.  And as God, He didn't stay dead.  After conquering Satan, sin, and death completely, Jesus rose from the dead.  And He is still alive.  And He has promised that I and everyone who believes in Him will not die forever.  We will not have to endure eternal separation from God--or even get a taste of it like Jesus did.

And the physical suffering that we endure now, in this life?  Those won't last forever.  Compared to what a lot of people experience, this sickness I have is so short, so mild, so temporary.  But even the worst illness will be healed completely in time.  And in heaven, there will be no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering.  The perfect bodies we will have there will last for eternity, because we will be with God.

All because of what Jesus did for us.

http://www.thesefiveofmineplustwo.net/search/label/A%20Handful%20of%20Heart

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Ten years ago, it seemed like the world was ending.
For a lot of people, over three thousand, it did.  Their time on this earth ended.
Their families and friends probably felt like the world was ending for them, too.  But they had to live through their pain and grief.  Ten years later, I'm sure they're still living through it.

It's at times like that when the whole world cries out, "WHY?!?"


Why does an all-loving God allow evil things to happen?  If God is supposed to be good, where was he when those planes crashed into the World Trade Center?  If those things happened, does he even exist at all?

I'm one of those people who firmly believes in the existence of an all-loving, all-good God.  Sometimes I wonder, too, why he lets things happen.

Why he lets young fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, die, before it seems they've lived their lives fully.  Why so many babies get aborted, gypped out of a life they should have lived.  Why wars happen.  Why diseases take the lives of hundreds, thousands.  Why tyrants control innocent people.  Why people starve and go without clothes or homes or money.

I even wonder why he lets annoying little things happen to me.  Why do I get sick?  Why do I sometimes not have money for the things I want and think I need?  Why do things go wrong?

Enough questions.  I have an answer:

I don't know.


I don't always know why bad things happen.  I do know what causes them: SIN.  God has reasons for allowing them that my human reason cannot understand.  When I don't know why, I DO know that God DOES.  He is all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful.  Nothing happens to me or anyone else without God knowing about it.

I can't understand why sometimes, but what I do understand is that God loves me more than I can imagine.  I know that I have a finite mind, that I can't see or understand the future.  I know that he's God, and I'm not, and I'm happy and content with that.

God has my life in his hands.  He has your life in his hands.  He does, in fact, have the whole world in his hands.  And considering how big, gentle, loving, and caring God is...I can't think of any place for my life to be.  No matter what happens.  And when this world ends for good, I know where I'll be...in God's arms.

He Conquered, He Rose, He Lives!

He didn't stay dead.
He didn't stay in that tomb, given by the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea.
He didn't stay humiliated by Satan.

He conquered: Satan, sin, death.
He rose: Out of the tomb, by the power of God.
He lives: death was brief, life is eternal.

Christ went to hell, but not to be punished.  He went to declare his victory to Satan.  Death is vanquished, life is won.  Sin is powerless, grace and forgiveness reign.

And the resurrection of Jesus isn't a nice story about a nice man.  It was a real-life miracle, it happened in a real place and time in history, and it was the most life-changing event in history.  It had eternal, glorious repercussions for all of humanity.  Because Christ was raised from the dead, having taken the debt to death that we paid, we also have life.

In 1 Corinthians 15 we read, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (15:13-14, 19-22).