love

I've discovered lately that too many people put emphasis on the fact that love is expressed only through sex.  It's not.  I actually feel sad for those who believe this.  Love is something that is expressed by the way we treat each other, by the way we SHOULDN'T treat other, and as Josh Harris puts it, "by self-control, patience and even words left unsaid."  Love is not a one-size fits all kind of program.  It's shown in various forms.  God expresses His loves in more ways than I will ever be able to recall.  One way, at least for me, that God shows His love for me is when I sit and I am just listening and He talks to me the way that I have known my Earthly father to talk with me.  He shares with me His love for me and His plans for my life (not necessarily in detail).  I feel comfort when things are horribly wrong; I feel happiness when I have done nothing but enjoy His creation; I feel love when I need someone to hold me.  He is everything to me.  Notice He does not express His love in the superficial ways that many humans think that love needs to be expressed.  He is the best way to find out what Love is all about. 

For me, loving God is loving others before myself.  Serving them the way that He has called me to serve.  I will screw up.  There is no getting around it.  But, showing them who God is by the way I react, or treat them, or care for them, even giving them the best of whatever it may be, and I take the second hand.  An example of the last is something simple even, taking the back seat and giving them the front seat of the car.  Not giving yourself the best.  Newsflash, you already have the best.  You are just able to show others what that is by the way that you love them.  It's amazing the response that you may get when someone notices.  Now remember, you don't want them to notice something YOU did.... it's what God is doing.  You are just being used to show who He is.  When someone says, "You are such a sweet person for doing that."  I just reply, "Thank you."  I always thank God that they were able to see Him through something so simple.  You never have to "go big or go home."  You can show God through the little things and people will be just as impressed.... with God.  Being humble is what Jesus did.  He was on this Earth to put Himself below others.  He was a humble man.  He did not proclaim it, He just was.  He referred back to God when someone commented on Him.  It wasn't Him, it was God.  I know that if He had the choice, He would not have died on the cross for us.  I mean, He did pray that it be taken away from Him if there was another way.  But, because He chose to follow God, He did as God asked.  He loved God so He loved us to die for us.  THAT is Love.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

Okay, so I've been reading "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris.  It's such a great book!  However, I did realize that the title is not quite what he means.  So, when I read through it, "dating" made much more sense to me.  One of the main ideas that he portrays in his book, is how many people have you given yourself to?  It does not necessarily mean physically.  But, emotionally as well.  How many people have you invested your time in instead of investing your time in God?  So instead of "dating" people, date God! 

I love this idea because we are supposed to be living our lives out FOR God so why not invest the time that you have in the person that is going to be with you for eternity?  I started looking at my life and the men that I've invested my time in (not many, but there are still a few) and how those people helped me prevent giving my WHOLE heart to someone that I will love with everything I am.  Not just my husband, but my God!  I have allowed people and things to get in the way of the one true thing in my life.  Now, how have you done?  What have you invested your time in that has prevented you from growing closer to God? 

I am learning that the person that I am supposed to be with will never ask of me something that God does not see fit.  He will love me the way that God loves me (and obviously in the best way he can).  He will encourage my walk with God even if that means, that he needs to be on the sidelines waiting for the right time that God (coach) puts Him in to play the game.  I have asked myself.... are you trying to satisfy yourself?  Are you trying to let God handle ANYTHING?  Is He the center of the decisions you make or an afterthought?  With potential relationships, are you making sure that God is the focus and not the relationship at hand?  What is the motive?  I do want a husband and children........ someday.   Right now, since I do not have either, I want to serve God the best way I know how.  I want to obey Him when He calls me to do something, or even asks me in such a way that only I can understand.  People on Earth will never understand your relationship with God.  And honestly, they're not supposed to.  It's your relationship with God.  They need to have their own.  However, if you (I) live my life out to please God, then nothing else matters.  Those people have seen a difference in the way that I choose to live because God IS my life.  I am so thankful that they see that.  I thank Him that He has been able to show Himself even through the crap I do.  This is a great witness.  Even living your life out in a way that is pleasing to God, is a great witness to the magnitude of His mercy and grace and love.  So are you choosing to live a life for the One who saved yours?  Or give your life away to anyone or anything to please your gratification?  I know which one I want to choose and I know which one I will fall into sometimes.  But, picking yourself up and repenting and regaining that is the life of a Christian.  I pray you do the same.

selfish surrender

This title may seem strange to read but this can be so completely true.  Why do you choose to surrender whatever you are called to surrender to God?  Is it possessions?  Singleness?  Finances?  Family?  What is God calling you to surrender?  Now, when He asks us to surrender, did you know that we are not supposed to bargain with God?  Many decide that when they surrender their desires to God that He will automatically return the favor in fulfilling the desires almost as soon as the desires are His again.  Um, not true.  There are so many out there (and I cannot explain this to any of them without hurt on the other side) that believe that when they give something to God, that they are going to expect something almost immediately in return.  A lot of the reason why God asks us to give things to Him is so that we can selfLESSLY serve Him.  When we expect Him to give us our desires back in a timely manner then we are not holding God to the standard that He calls us to.  God promised us that He would be with us if we gave our everything to Him.  He did not promise comfort, security, marriage, family, wealth.  None of that.  He just promised that He would walk with us every step of the way.  When we start putting God in a box that He is automatically going to pull through because you gave something up to Him, then He will probably hold out that completing or giving back our desires because we actually have not given Him everything.  We still hold out that as soon as we "stop looking" then it's going to be given to us.  Ha.  I have done this and sometimes still do.  But, have you noticed that nothing has happened yet?  It's probably because you still have one eye looking around instead of both on God.  Like I said I do this too.  When we surrender anything and everything to Him, He wants us to give our all, not just part of it.  So we need to give and surrender selflessly.  Surrendering selflessly basically means to give God everything and just live for Him.  Not holding out hope that the future that you have been waiting for is right around the corner.  But, more living your life that whatever happens is all for the glory of Him.  When we basically forget about the world and live for Him, SELFLESSLY, that's when He is able to grant our desires because He knows that we don't NEED those, but He wants to bless us with them because we are faithfully following His commands.  So, I will challenge myself as well as you to selflessly surrender your life and your all to the glory of God's kingdom.

giving things up for God

I miss my family.  I'll shout it from the rooftops if I could see them today.  I have not seen them in almost two months.  I know that sounds insane but seriously, we are all so close.  I cannot imagine how my brother and sister-in-law do it (they live in North Carolina).  All I want to do is get a hug from my parents and kiss on my nieces and nephews and just be able to SEE my family.

I was lying in my bed thinking about them when, of course, I started getting teary-eyed.  I heard God ask me, "What would happen if they were not here tomorrow?"  That is when I started bawling.  I could not imagine my life without my family the way that it is now!  I miss them terribly, but what would happen if I no longer had them at all?  Why was God asking me this question?  Why was He putting me through the possibility of never seeing my family again, when that is all I longed for?!  But, I suddenly realized, He wasn't putting me through any of that to put me through pain, He was asking me could I live with only God in my life?  Was I able to give all of these people who mean so much to me, to God?  I not only have been purging my life of things that mean nothing to be but God was asking me to give those who are dearest to me over to Him.  That is a hard pill to swallow.

I am sure as parents, most people would say that they needed to be with their children all the time just to make sure that their children were safe.  Trust me, I just had this conversation with my mother.  But, God does not ask us to hold on to those thins.  He actually asks us to give those things over to Him because He has a plan for those people.  He asks us to trust that He is taking care of them.  Who better to take care of those that we hold dearest to us, than Him?  That night I felt a peace of knowing that if my family were gone tomorrow, that I will still be satisfied with just God.  I say that like it's a bad thing.  I will be satisfied with Just God!  How can I live a life WITHOUT God?  So, I am satisfied with God.  I don't need anything else.  I want those people in my life because I love them so much it hurts.  But, being asked that question brought a new perspective in my life that I never thought possible.  He not only was asking me to give those people over to Him but He was asking me to give ME over to Him.  Ha.  Gladly!  Thank you God for asking me the difficult questions so I know that You are who I can lean on. :)

Are you satisfied with only God?

I have been asking myself this question for some time now.  Not only with earthly relationships but with everything in general.  Am I really satisfied with only God?  I have to honestly say that I am scared to have only God because I have not known that part of my life for very long.  I'm being honest right?  What about you?  Are you scared for it to only be you and God?  Can you give you your life of comfortablility if He asked you to? 

Many people shy away from this question because they don't want to give up what they know.  Well, if God is asking you to give up everything, then you better do it.  This does not mean that God asks everyone to give up all of their belongings, friendships, family, life all the time.  I mean, He has the authority to do so but that does not mean that is right for you.  He could ask me tomorrow to sell or give away all of my possessions and live in a cardboard box.  This is when I ask myself, am I able to do this?  I will admit that this is a scary thought and I do selfishly still want to hang on to a few things because it's what I know.  But, this past week I started looking at what I own in my tiny apartment and realized that most of my stuff, I never use.  Then why do I have it?  I am not saying any of this to put myself on a pedestal.  I do, however, want you to think about why you have what you have?  I went through my items, and got rid of what I don't use or what I have not used in a while and packed up all of it.  I logically asked myself, "Am I keeping this because it glorifies God?"  There are a few things I kept because as an educator (or future educator) I am going to need some things to teach my kids.  There are also things I kept that if people came over that they would feel comfortable and I can show them who God is.  Other than those two reasons, I pretty much got rid of what I didn't need.  It's a tough thing to do but let me tell you, it is so liberating.  So, my question is are you completely satisfied with only God?

Valentine's Day

Okay, so I know I'm a few days late on this post but that's okay.  Better late than never.  But, speaking of Valentine's Day and all the craziness about it.  First of all, I have never been big on Valentine's Day... probably because it always reminds me that the person I am going to be spending it with is not here right now.  But, I realized something tonight.  For those of you who are single and hate Valentine's Day, write your loved one a letter!  Seriously!  In a way, you get to surprise them with it in the future and you get to talk to your future spouse!  So, instead of looking at Valentine's Day as something to mourn over, I decided to take action and use if for a better cause.  Yeah, I did spend Valentine's Day physically alone, but first of all it was amazing!  I watched a dramatic movie, ate chocolate filled with caramel, drank sparkling grape juice and had a crazy Mexican meal!  And, then?  I wrote my future husband a Valentine's Day love letter!  So, all of you who are single, write or do something for your future Valentine!  Do something special and then put it in a keepsake box to give it to them when the time comes around!  I cannot wait to see his face when he opens it.  That I've waited this long to give him a little letter.  But, it'll mean that much more to him when he opens it. 

Also, remember that God loves you more than you could ever imagine.  So, when you think you don't have a valentine to spend the day with, remember that you can spend ALL DAY with God, no matter where you are and have the best valentine.  No one can compare with that!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Hillsong's "The Stand"

This song hit me hard today!  As in I was cleaning my apartment and then I had to stop because I was completely overwhelmed by God.  It is amazing how He can pull us out of the mundane routine of life and show us who He is.  Amazing!

You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
And You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what could I say?
And shat can I do?
But offer this heart, oh God
Completely to you

So I walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
This life to declare your promise
My soul now to stand.

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
So I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours