Suffering's Sake

God doesn't call us to a masochistic desire to suffer for suffering's sake, but a humble willingness to suffer for Jesus' sake. He suffered to the point of death Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5: 1-5 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

Finally, brothers and sisters,

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Philippians 4:8 Yesterday this scripture was running through my mind with a bit of revelation. I considered the fact that whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, varies from person to person. While I may find a camping trip lovely, you may find it uncomfortable and therefore undesirable. It's a beautiful scripture in the Word. One that many people are capable of reciting. Preached, I'm certain, from nearly every pulpit that's ever existed. One of my favorites and because of that fact, I brushed the "bit of revelation" aside and continued on in my day. But this morning, it was the verse of the day on YouVerse. Out of thousands of scripture that could have been the verse of the day, it was this one. And the Lord spoke to my heart. True. Noble. Right. Pure. Lovely. Admirable. Excellent. Praiseworthy. Think about such things. Why??? Why did Paul give us these very specific instructions on what we should entertain in our minds? He goes on to tell us in verse 9 when he writes, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (italics added). There. So that we can have peace. So any time I'm dealing with a subjective subject -- I love words -- I try and always bring it back to the law that brings freedom. Matthew 22:36-40King James Version (KJV) 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

learning and praying.. praying and learning

I've not written here in quite some time. Life and I have been doing an entangling dance full of unforeseen twists and dips and turns and I've been so focused on not falling, well, sometimes that's all that we can do. There are times when we are so desperately vanquished in a learning process, that we are unable to share or even understand, ones self, what it is we are learning. You are simply moving and breathing, and hoping for love as you go. Some have grown tired of such a thing... learning. Some too accustomed, some too arrogant.. some simply too tired or unequipped to continue wading into life's cold, blue waters. Some may simply prefer a cozy cot on the beach near the fireside, avoiding the waters all together. Spectators, they are. Safe, they are. Warm? Afraid? Wise? Useful? ... Happy? Our hearts are all that drive us on.. whether out of fear or love, wisdom or foolery, doubt or belief. It is here, where the decision whether or not to stay by the fire. We don't wear hearts despite popular belief, but our hearts wear us. Never hidden from the world are they. The Lord has shown me that His view of our hearts is a clear one. He sees each of us as precious children. He does not care whether or not we stay by the fire, walk ankle deep for a few moments in the cold, or dive in, surfing each wave under the sun and moon. He cares for us. He longs for us to be well and to be happy, not "even" despite the past, but "definitely" despite the past! As mothers, there are limitless amounts of decisions that will impact our children's lives. We make these decisions daily and we do so with one desire in our hearts. For our children to be happy and healthy. There is no way for us to make the right decision 100% of the time when it comes to raising our children. We are not perfect. Our children are not perfect. But He is perfect. He holds our loved ones in His hands. Not you and I!!! And not only does He hold them, He has greater plans for their lives than we could ever plan or hope for or imagine, just like his plans for you and I.

Prayer: So Father, use me. Help me to exasperate your unending goodness. Father, help me to share your unwavering grace. Father, forgive me for not trusting You. In every moment, I aim to trust you. In my failure, Father, you are my grace. When my soul feels trapped under the waves of life, you Lord, extend your hand toward me and lead me. Out of the waves. Out of the sun. Into the comfort of my loving Father.

the giver, not the gift. part 1.

My husband and I have been serving the Lord for over a year now. He serves Him when he loves me, I serve Him when I submit to my husband. We serve Him together when we honor each of our parents. And we serve Him when we love our neighbor. We are sell outs. Our desire is less of us... more of Him. And the blessings? Woah, the blessings. Peace and joy and health. Our children. Our families. Our friends. Things that we've always had, but not in the healthy form in which they exist today. Isaiah 61:1-7. The Favor of The Lord The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. Looking at the old ruins in your life, the rubble, the ruined cities. Whether it is friendships, devastation among family members, isolation, shame of poor decisions, guilt, neglect. Rebuild the old ruins. Raise a new city out of the wreckage. Serve God. Heal the brokenhearted. Comfort all who mourn. Messages of joy instead of news of doom.

#blessed

An encouragement to be aware of God's presence in all aspect of our lives.

I have been reading a book called "Seven" by Jen Hatmaker. A mega church pastor's wife who eventually traded in a life of luxury to live a life that more resembles the life of Jesus.

I've, personally, never been one to care much for appearances. I've probably cared less than I should however. More out of laziness than injustice. However, some could argue there have been days as a newborn mother of a newborn and toddler, that what my husband came home to WAS an immeasurable injustice. Poor guy!

So in my recent desire to show the world the same love and grace that the Lord has shown me, I have begun caring more and more about my appearance, out of honor and respect and humility more than out of pride or well... pride. I take time to present myself clean, hair combed, a bit of makeup for some color in these frigid winter months that make me pale as the snow itself, and not only do I put on a bra, but I don't even SAVE the Target special I purchased last week for a special occasion. Nope. I'll wear that $7 beauty just for my sweet, faithful husband. And he appreciates it. Not because he loves me for outer beauty (we have been through far to much for that), but because he recognizes that I cared enough about him to put the effort and time into his opinion of me.

Perhaps in the past I haven't respected his opinion much. Or the world's opinion. Or even God's. Perhaps I was too focused on my own exhaustion, weariness and feelings of anxiety and inferiority, than on serving others. Where is the fun in servanthood after all? Serving God, serving my husband, serving my family. The idea is all well and good, but I was locked in a chains of deceit. Perhaps I would claim serving was my intention, but the reality was I often times based the success on my efforts on what I received in return.

I am aware that many women in the US have the opposite dillema. They care TO MUCH what the world thinks of them. Their social status, the car they drive, how beautiful they look, and who they are able to keep up with in the consumer rat race, but we each have our own battles.

So. This is not a judgement call on how you should dress or what sacrifices God would find pleasing in your life. How could I possibly know what God has asked you to let go of? Fears, shame, anger, bitterness, pearls, clothing, the new cowboy boots you got for Christmas, the infant clothes you've been saving for years, a dream, a desire, a habit. The job that causes you to stumble. The tv show that mixes up your priorities. Now I can handle Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but HGTV sends me into a reno mode with design choices that are only affordable for ACTUAL royalty. So - I'm not saying it's what you watch per se or wear or drive, but what gets your personal flesh raving. Please don't take my Income Property with Scott McGillivray away.

We often associate "blessings" with material objects. At times my facebook timeline are filled with phrases like, "Just got a brand new front load washer/dryer for mother's day! #blessed!!!" (Nothing against front load washer driers! Or even last night after being invited to a Thunder game five rows off the court (not even for the first time), it's tempting for me to tout on the goodness of God! His love endures forever! Look at these awesome NBA seats that would have cost $500 for my friends and I!"

Problem is, I am blessed. I am thankful. God blows my mind every day. He lets me see things through His eyes when I seek His vision. He alone enables me to see the beautiful world He created, even though there are shadows and downright darkness. He alone has taught me that the light is not afraid of the dark. It cannot be squelched by darkness when it is illuminating. It simply causes the darkness to flee.

So. It got me thinking about our many "blessings" (term coined from many a housewife across the MidUSA). Here is a definition (you know how I love definitions) according to Merriam Webster whom I am certain studied it's meaning more than I have had time for (I am, after all, a housewife in the MidUSA). So a definition and of course, a look at the scriptures should settle our minds on what a blessing from God really is.

bless·ed adjective \ˈble-səd\ : having a sacred nature : connected with God : very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated —used to make a statement more forceful Full Definition of BLESSED 1 a : held in reverence : venerated b : honored in worship : hallowed c : beatific 2 : of or enjoying happiness; specifically : enjoying the bliss of heaven —used as a title for a beatified person 3 : bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune

So according to this definition, a blessing is something that has a sacred nature or is connected with God. While those basketball tickets are certainly not connected directly with Jesus (although some NBA Thunder fans here in Oklahoma may disagree) the fact that it was a couple from our church who received this as gifts from strangers, and viewed them as a blessing from God, well, we fellowshipped. We thanked Him. We worshipped Him for His goodness! We would have worshipped him anyway, but we His glory was displayed in our humble and gracious hearts.

Matthew 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Let's be conscious of our many blessings and how we share them with others, that they may edify the Lord and not the object. Let us walk in the discernment as to what constitutes fortitude in His sight. In our hearts, we will know the truth. In His word, we will find it.

Perhaps.

Perhaps I am not the most intellectually superior individual on earth. Perhaps my speech not the most eloquent. My college career was sparse at best. Perhaps my past has blemishes. My present, mistakes. My future, regrets. Perhaps I am of no repute. Or ill repute. Or good repute. Perhaps none of those things matter too much. Perhaps the Lord has given me a heart of gold. Perhaps he has given me enough love to move mountains in His name. Perhaps he has given me the mind to impact this world. Perhaps he has given me the desire. Perhaps I am exactly who He intended me to be at this exact moment. Perhaps His love in my heart is all that I need to do the work, whatever that may be. Perhaps the river of love is immeasurable. Not by length, or depth, or how many people's thirst it quenches or what gulf it eventually pours into. Perhaps the moving and winding and splashing is all that matters. At any pace, to any place, with any creature or thing afloat. Or soaking. Either which way.