Surrender

I Surrender Song

"There is no love, sweeter than the love You pour on me.
There is no song, sweeter than the song You sing to me.
There is no place, that I would rather be,
Than here at Your feet, laying down everything.

All to You, I surrender,
Everything, every part of me.
All to You, I surrender,
All of my dreams, all of me.

If worship's like perfume, I'll pour mine out on You.
For there is none as deserving of my love like You.
So take my hand and draw me into You,
I want to be swept away, lost in love for You.

All to You, I surrender,
Everything, every part of me.
All to You, I surrender,
All of my dreams, all of me.

I surrender...

No turning back, I've made up my mind,
I'm giving all of my life this time.

Your love makes it worth it,
Your love makes it worth it all,
Your love makes it worth it all.

All to You, I surrender,
Everything, every part of me.
All to You, I surrender,
All of my dreams, all of me.

Your love makes it worth it,
Your love makes it worth it all,
Your love makes it worth it all.

- Kim Walker Smith

32 Lessons God Taught Me This Week

Here are some lessons that I learned this past week... May they be a blessing & encouragement to you!

1) Sin will always be found out.
2) Boundaries are there for a reason
3) You will reap what you sow.

"Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner

from the error of his ways will save him

from death & cover over a multitude of sins."

- James 5:20

4) It's a "slow fade"
5) Sin has consequences6) You can become the woman that you swore you would neverbe

 "In repentance & rest is your salvation,

in quietness & trust is your strength."

- Isaiah 30:15

7) You will realize the depth of your own sin, the depravity of your soul & the magnitude of God's love, forgiveness & mercy.
8) Sin affects a lot of people (collateral damage)
9) Sometimes the Lord gives us wisdom/ knowledge before He presents the challenge. Pay attention!

 "Therefore let anyone who thinks
that he stands take heed, lest he fall."

- 1 Corinthians 10:12

10) It is possible to unintentionally hurt the people you love most
11) I have learned what real grace looks like, played out in everyday life.
12) If you aren't advancing (gaining new ground), you are retreating (losing ground you already had). It is a fact of life.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found;

call upon Him while He is near,

let the wicked forsake his way,

let the unrighteous man his thoughts,

let him return to the Lord, that He may

have compassion on him & to our God,

for He will abundantly pardon."

- Isaiah 55:6-7

13) "Integrity is doing what's right when no one is watching." - author unknown

14) Growth is mandatory, required & commanded by God (not an option).

15) A man is nothing without his character, honesty, integrity, good name, reputation etc.

"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed."

- William Shakespeare

16) It is possible to undo months or years of good behavior with one bad decision- It's not worth it!

17) It is absolutely necessary to think through one's thoughts & actions (& the consequences of them), before doing them. Weigh the consequences!
18) If a lot of people are concerned about a certain issue, there is probably a reason why. Do not ignore the "warning signs"!!!!

"For at the moment all discipline

seems painful rather than unpleasant, but later
it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it."

- Hebrews 12:11

19) "Honesty is always the best policy." - author unknown Even when it hurts!

20) It does not work to ignore issues & problems- they only fester & grow worse. 21) Trust lost is incredibly hard to regain.

"What good is it for a man to gain

the whole world, yet lose his soul?"

- Mark 8:36

22) It is possible to put on a good front & deceive the masses. But the Truth is known by those who love you most.

23) Sometimes the Lord has to bring you to your knees before your eyes are opened to the utter depravity of your soul & the desperateness of the situation.
24) It is better to do something right the first time, rather than spending time, energy etc to go back & redo it a second time.

"If you call out for insight & cry aloud for understanding
& if you look for it as for silver & search for it as for
hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of

the Lord & find the knowledge of God."

- Proverbs 2:3-5

25) Sometimes you come to that point in your life where there is nothing YOU can "do" to "make it better." You have to put it in God's (capable!) hands & leave it there, to "surrender your precious dreams."

26) Sometimes God wants to teach you a lot of really HARD lessons in a short amount of time- Pay attention!
27) You have to constantly be in the Word, to have the weapons/ strength to fight sin.

"Love covers over a multitude of sins..."

- 1 Peter 4:8

28) It is possible to stumble & disappoint lot of people, including people who look up to you and the ones that you respect & love most.

29) Raw, open, honest accountability is essential.
30) You must take responsibility for what you have done (no more, no less). Scapegoats & blame shifiting is not an option.

31) Less is more. Keep your mouth shut, unless you have something that has to be said.

32) How quickly things can change!

"There is Power in the blood of Jesus/ to break every chain..." - Jesus Culture

"And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love Him,
who have been Called according to His Purpose."

- Romans 8:28

Similar Topics to read-
Idolatry
Faithfulness in Marriage
The Power of the Tongue
Fully Surrendering Our Dreams to God
Surrendering Our Precious Dreams to God
Only What's Done for Christ Will Last
Hearing the Voice of God
Better Hearing the Voice of God
Obeying the Voice of God
Temptation
God First
Walk with the Wise
All for the Glory of God

Hindsight
Unrepentant Sin

Faithfulness In Marriage

 I am to be marry to the man of my dreams in 5 short months. We have been courting for 7 months & yet I am still in shock & surprised by it all! Mark is amazing & I do not deserve someone as awesome as him in my life!!! He has exceeded my wildest dreams! God's ways are definitely better than our ways!!! :) [Isaiah 55:8-9]

In preparation for getting married, my mind have turned towards thoughts of love, marriage, children, a house of our own etc. Asking questions like, "What does a God-centered marriage look like? How can I best serve & honor my husband? What is 'true love'? What does 'true love' look like?" I am thinking about the sacredness, solemnity & responsibility of marriage. Of the real depth & magnitude of the words "'til death do us part."

On those lines, if someone were to ask me what character qualities I most desire/ look for in a husband, I would definitely say that he must be a man of strong faith. No if's, and's or but's about it.

But a close second to that would be that he must plan on being faithful, a man of no compromise. This is very important to me. Divorce is not an option, in my eyes.

Two & a half years ago, something happened that radically changed the way I view everything- God, faith, family, life, love, marriage etc. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it all. September 2010 was the hardest thing that I have ever walked through. [You can read more about that situation here]

Back then, my friends & I had a lot of conversations about what real love, faithfulness in marriage, sacrificial love etc look like. About what really matters in life. How there is a "slow fade" into sin. [Here I am reminded of the "Slow Fade" song by Casting Crowns] How it starts with small, baby steps in the wrong direction & all of a sudden, you wake up, years later & you are way off the beaten path, not knowing how in the world you ended up there! What we can do, to keep "that" from happening with us. The importance of prayer, accountability, community etc. How we are Called to a life of integrity, of living "without a hint of... immorality" (Ephesians 5:3) in our lives

Almost 3 years later, I still haven't forgotten those conversations. This desire for purity, faithfulness, accountability etc has not waned. If anything, it has grown stronger with time. I want my marriage to "go against the odds." To change the divorce statistics (that one in two marriages end in divorce; how more 'Christian' marriages end in divorce, than those of unbelievers!) To show the world what real, Christ-like, God-centered, sacrificial love looks like.

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
- 1 Corinthians 10:12

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;
& from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

- Luke 12:48b

What to DO While You Wait???

Many times, I have heard girls ask what they are supposed to do while they are waiting for the Lord to bring the right young man into their lives. Questions like "But what will I do, spending all day at home? What are you supposed to do, if you choose to not go to College? Can't I better serve God by getting a degree? But what if _________________ happens???" So many times I have heard phrases like "You must have a lot of free time, right???" haha! I wish!!! ;) People, just don't have a clue, do they?

My advice is this: use this time of singleness to actively prepare for your future. Stay at home. Serve your parents & siblings. Learn everything you can, from home. Read profusely (non-fiction, of course!), on all beneficial subjects. Do the mundane, everyday, so- called "boring" tasks that no one else wants to do. Learn a new skill, that will bless your family. Serve your family, Church body & the community. Learn more than just how to cook, clean, budget, balance a checkbook, decorate, teach school, do laundry, garden & sew. That is the bare minimum. Walk with integrity. Strengthen your faith. Ask God to purify your character. Go above & beyond what is expected or required (Do Hard Things #2). Do everything you can now to learn how to be a good wife & mother. And above all, do it with a happy heart.

"A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

- Proverbs 17:22

I say this, speaking from experience. I am to be married to the man of my dreams in 5 short months & there is SO much to do, learn & prepare. I feel ill- prepared. If I could go back & do things over, there is SO much I would change & do differently, to be more prepared to better serve my husband! Speaking from experience, do NOT waste this time of singleness. Because you can't get back this season of your life!

I am reminded of the Apostle Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 7 (especially verses 32-34), about how a single person is able to use this time to serve the Lord & her or her family, while a married person is primarily preoccupied with serving his or her spouse. Use this time of singleness to best serve the Lord & your family, to learn & to prepare!

Another thing us girls can do is to pray for our future husbands now, even if you might not know who he is yet. Ask the Lord to bless him mightily, to increase his faith, to strengthen his character, to teach him how to lead your family, that God would give him a multi-generational Vision, that He would teach you how to be a good helpmate & wife to him, that the two of you might raise a godly family, walking in His Ways.

"I continually bring to mind the fact that I will not be single
forever & I do not want to waste this time as a single! There is no
other season in life like it, when it's just me & the Lord!...
Another thing I do is to pray & ask the Lord what specifically my
future husband needs me to pray for right now, in this moment.
Even though I don't know him, God does, & I want to pray very
intentionally for him. Sometimes I hear very specific things &
sometimes I don't, so I just pray about more general things for him.
Either way, mountains get moved in the spirit."

- When God Writes Your Love Story, testimony by Lauren (age 24)

You can also use this time of singleness to practice being a wife & mother, by serving your parents & siblings. "The habits you form now & how you treat your family now will have a direct impact on how you will treat your own husband & children someday." That can be a scary thought!

You can also serve your future husband now by closely watching how you interact with other men, whether they be fathers, brothers, friends, your Pastor, strangers or acquaintances. You do not want to cultivate habits of flirtatiousness, immodesty, disrespect, dishonor, flightiness etc now (& thus gaining that kind of reputation), if you do not plan on acting like that once you are married.

Faithfulness is a discipline that is refined & honed through years of practice. It is developing a habit of loving your future husband through patiently waiting, consistently hoping & living by the high standard to which you've been Called. It is strength learned through persevering; integrity gained through waiting.

I am reminded of the Proverbs 31 woman, who "does her husband good ALL the days of her life," (verse 12), not just after she has met him, or once they are married. There are good habits, character traits etc to be cultivated & practiced now, in preparation for the "someday," when we are married, the good Lord willing.

And, we must remember that not all people are Called to marry. Some strong Christians remain single their entire lives, married to their Eternal, Heavenly Bridegroom, instead of an earthly husband. Marriage is not the end- all goal of life. The goal of life is Christ-likeness. Marriage is just one of the means of achieving that.

Remember Who it is that you are working for. We are working for the Lord, seeking to honor Him (& not man) in our activities, educational pursuits, hobbies, pastimes, decisions about the future, how we use our time etc. We are not required to compete with (nor report to) society, the culture, the world etc as to how we spend our single years. We are Called to something better than that!!! :)

 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Him... Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord & not for men..."
- Colossians 3:17, 23

Do not waste away your life, simply dreaming of & longing for "that blissful state." Instead, be active while you wait! :)

Persevero, my friends!

Read Part I of this series here- "Waiting for God to Write Your Love Story"

---------------------------------

Related blog posts to read-

Don't Waste Your Life (January 2013)
Guard Your Heart (October 2012)
Surrendering Our Precious Dreams to God (September 2012)
Fully Surrendering Our Dreams to God (July 2012)
Walk with the Wise (July 2012)
Are You a Woman That a Man Would Die For? (July 2012)
All For the Glory of God (July 2012)
A Multi-Generational Vision (July 2012)
Why Modesty? Part I (May 2012)
What Is "True Modesty"? Part II (May 2012)
Contentment (May 2012)
Goals (April 2012)
God First! (Priorities) (March 2012)
Do Not Give Up! (March 2012)
The Rubber Meets the Road (February 2012)
Contentment (Waiting on God) (November 2011)
Surrendering Yourself to God (November 2011)
Obeying the Voice of God (November 2011)
Do Hard Things! (October 2011)
Only What's Done For Christ Will Last (September 2011)
The Tragedy of a Wasted Life (August 2011)

Waiting for GOD to Write Your Love Story

Hello dear readers!

I hope y'all are doing well. I want to apologize for the recent silence on this blog. While I have been more faithful in posting on my photography blog, I have sorely neglected writing on here. In fact, in preparing to write this post, I just realized that I haven't written anything on here since January 17th! Wow.

The fact is that I have not had much time at all to read or write recently. Work was very busy over the Christmas celebration. Then the man of my dreams proposed!!! on February 13. Since then we have been feverishly been making plans for the wedding (this September), house & new business.

But, this morning, I was able to do some reading. I finished the book When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric & Leslie Ludy, which I highly recommend. I read it before (two or three years ago, I think), but I definitely learned a lot more from it this time!

The second half of the book really impressed me. Especially the theme of "waiting patiently for God to bring the right person into your life," of letting Him write your "love story."

I feel like every girl dreams of a "fairytale wedding" from the time they are little girls, playing dolls & house & reading fictional novels. This ideal has been much propagated by the Disney Princess movies. Every girl dreams of her "Prince Charming" to come riding into her life & sweeping her off her feet...

But, when these girls become teenagers, too often they say they are waiting for God to bring the right young man into their life. But as time goes on, they get frustrated with the waiting & decide to take life into their own hands. They start to decide what path they will take. They lower their standards to match the ungodly, worldly guys around them. They compromise. They give away parts of their heart, piece by piece, to each different guy they date. They fall into sin. By the time their "knight in shining armor" does come into their life, they have nothing left to give him.

Ladies, there IS another way. We have been Called to SO much more than this!!! I strongly encourage you to wait patiently for God to write your love story. Put the Pen into His hands & leave it there. Trust Him to write your love story- done His way & in HIS perfect Timing.

Some questions we must ask ourselves are, "Are we content with where God has us right now? Is God enough to satisfy us??? What is the greatest desire of your heart? Is it to glorify God, no matter what? Whether he calls you to marriage OR singleness? What if God's Plans for your life don't match yours??? Whose Plan/ Will shall prevail???"

We must not lose sight of the fact that we are living in purity as an act of love for our King, not just so we can reap the reward of a God-written love story. The only way we can be really happy & fulfilled is for God to fill the void in our hearts. Nothing else will satisfy that "God-shaped hole in all of us"! Remember- "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find her.":) Focusing solely on Christ & His Path is the only way that you will be absolutely content & fulfilled, single or married.

"Your longing to be with an earthly lover may be overwhelming at times.
But until your heart is consumed with love & longing for your heavenly
Bridegroom, you'll miss out on the greatest love story of all time. Jesus
Christ is not meant to be our stand-in until we meet our spouse. Rather, Jesus
Christ is our spouse- our Bridegroom, our Husband, the Lover of our soul. Earthly
marriage is only meant to give us a small glimpse of a much more important marriage:
our heavenly marriage. Our longing to be with our future spouse should pale in
comparison to our longing to be with our true Bridegroom..."
- Eric & Leslie Ludy, in When God Writes Your Love Story

"Delight yourself in the Lord & He will give you the desires of your heart..."

- Psalm 37:4

" For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

- Luke 12:34

Speaking from experience, it is WELL worth the wait!!! :) If you would have told me 8 months ago, that I would meet the man of my dreams within the month, I wouldn't have believed you. Mark came literally out of nowhere, without any help from me or any other human (except maybe Momma Ritter! hehehe). I was not "looking" for a guy & was finally content with where God had me in life. I had (literally!) just put the Pen back into God's Hands, saying, "God, I don't know what You are doing here, but I am going to trust You with this part of my life, because I know You know what to do, better than I do!" And I am SO glad that I did!!!

God's Plans are WAY better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Speaking from experience, He definitely knows what He is doing!!! :) Trust me, there are still good, godly, strong Christan guys out there. My man is way better than I had ever hoped, expected or dreamed he would be!!! ;) Looking back, I am SO glad that I trusted God with this area of my life. He has blessed me SO much!!! I do not deserve someone as amazing & perfect (yes, I am just a bit biased!!! ;) as Mark in my life!!! God is SO Faithful!

"We serve a big God. It's time to start believing He is capable of bringing a
marriage partner into your life in His own perfect, miraculous way-
and that He doesn't need your help. He doesn't need your fumbling fingers
grabbing the pen back out of His hand & trying to script your own story.

This doesn't mean you remain passive in the process. But your role

is not to frantically search for a spouse & then ask God to bless

your selfishly motivated decisions. Rather, your role is to pray, to
trust, to build your life around Him, to listen to His still, small
voice of guidance... and let Him take care of the rest..."
- Eric & Leslie Ludy, in When God Writes Your Love Story

"Be assured, if you walk with Him,
& look to Him & expect help from Him,
He will never fail you."
- George Mueller

 Obviously this theme of total surrender to Him & dependence on Him applies to all of life (& not just your love life!)

Speaking from experience, believe me, it is well worth the wait!!! :) Press on, to win the prize! 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Read Part II to this series here- "What to DO While You Wait???"
----------------

Related blog posts to read-

Don't Waste Your Life (January 2013)
Waiting Patiently For the Lord's Timing (October 2012)
Guard Your Heart (October 2012)
Surrendering Our Precious Dreams to God (September 2012)
Walk with the Wise (July 2012)
Are You a Woman That a Man Would Die For? (July 2012)
Fully Surrendering Our Dreams to God (July 2012)
Why Modesty? Part I (May 2012)
What Is "True Modesty"? Part II (May 2012)
Contentment (May 2012)
 Do Not Give Up! (March 2012)
Contentment (Waiting on God) (November 2011)
Surrendering Yourself to God (November 2011)
Obeying the Voice of God (November 2011)
Do Hard Things! (October 2011)

Hindsight

There is a Country song that goes "I thank God I ain't what I almost was". I haven't been able to get the lyrics out of my head all day. They keep playing over & over again in my mind. (Naturally, his next song on the CD was about regret)

It got me thinking, though... I wonder how many times in life we convince (read here- deceive) ourselves into believing that our plans are really God's Plans for us? How often do we want something so badly that we deceive ourselves into thinking that it is the Best thing for us? Even sin? Suppressing our consciences? That we ignore other people's advice & proceed full-steam ahead, to fulfill all our dreams & plans? Out of stubbornness, pride etc, despite everyone's cautions & warnings? Only to wake up five years down the road & say, "What was I thinking??? If only I had listened to their advice..."

I am reminded tonight of the utter importance of accountability- of staying in close relationship with strong fellow believers, who aren't afraid to tell you the "hard Truth" in life, of confronting you when you are walking in sin... Of having a close walk with the Lord- totally in tune to His Voice, Plans, Will & Purposes (for more on this topic, read here & here). Walking in obedience to Him. Of fully surrendering our Dreams to Him (read more here & here), even if it means that He changes them & conforms them into His Will for our lives... Of walking in contentment with where He has us in life right now- of unconditionally trusting in His Plan (read more here).

 I feel like we are at a cross roads in life. We have the Choice to obey God & follow Him & listen to His Voice (& wise counsel). Or not. To live a Life of Blessing or curses. To Choose His Way, Path, Will, Purposes, Promises etc or to choose our own desires over His- rushing ahead of God's Plan for our lives. Trusting in His Plan and His Timing. There is a way to do things & a way to not do them. Sometimes a good thing can be gained in the wrong way, making it a wrong thing after all & not worth the effort invested... A lot is at stake here...

I don't think there is anything wrong with daydreaming, BUT you must make sure to incorporate the "God factor" into your so-called "plans." Because, you never know, He might have a different Plan for your life. Are you okay with that??? I'd strongly encourage you to submit to His Plan for your life, because it's most likely a bigger, better Plan than you could ever come up with on your own!!! :)

"And we know that ALL things work out for the Good

of those who love God, who have been Called

according to His Purposes..."

- Romans 8:28

"For I know the Plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“Plans to prosper you & not to harm you,
Plans to give you Hope & a Future..."

- Jeremiah 29:11

" A man plans his course,
    but the Lord establishes his steps..."

- Proverbs 16:9

God Keeps His Promises

 Yesterday, in our family Bible study, Dad was teaching us about the legacy of faith that Caleb had. His text for yesterday was Joshua 14:6-15.

Dad gave some background on the story, about how Caleb & Joshua had given a glowing report about the Promise Land (Numbers 13), saying that the inhabitants of the land were large, but that the Israelites could overcome them, with the LORD's help, even though their fellow spies had doubted the Lord. The Lord made a Promise to Caleb, that he would inherit the Land, because of his hope, faith & trust in the Lord (Numbers 14:20-24).

Then he told us how Joshua moved up in the ranks, becoming Moses' right-hand man & then assumed leadership over the nation of Israel when Moses passed away (Joshua 1). And how Caleb was right beside him, in all of this. Still serving the Lord. Still doing His Work.

Dad read to us from Joshua 1: 

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the
son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 'Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over
this Jordan, you & all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people
of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you,
just as I promised to Moses... No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of
your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake
you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being
careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn
from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you
will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'”
- Joshua 1:1-9

Dad pointed out (from the text above) that God had given all of the Promise Land to the Israelites (verse 3- "every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you"), that no man could stand against them (verse 5). That God was still with them, even though Moses had died (also verse 5). That the Israelites must be very careful to follow the Path that the Lord was Calling them on (verse 7-8). 

That took us to our text for yesterday (Joshua 14:6-15). Caleb asks Joshua to remember the Promise that the Lord made to him forty-five years earlier. Caleb had served the Lord faithfully all this time & was now ready to received the Promised Inheritance. Joshua rewarded Caleb's faithfulness in serving the Lord, how He blessed Caleb for following Him wholeheartedly. Now the Lord remembered His Promise to Caleb, made forty-five years earlier.

This reminded of 2 Samuel 7- God's Covenant with David. How God promised some very specific things that David didn't receive in his lifetime- a multi-generational Promise. But how David understood that & continued to trust in the God of his Salvation. And also of Hebrews chapter 11- the Hall of Faith. 

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised,
but having seen them & greeted them from afar, & having acknowledged that
they were strangers & exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it
clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that
land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."

- Hebrews 11:13-16

 This is not our Home. We are seeking a better home, in Heaven. And God always keeps His Promises- both years later & in future generations. His ways are not our ways. He has a Plan & a Purpose for this. No Promise He has made will ever return void. The Word of the Lord will stand forever. There will always be a Remnant. God is Sovereign over the affairs of man. He is still on His Throne. Be a faithful steward of all that the Lord has entrusted you with. You will be blessed. Trust Him. Do not lose heart. Be strong & courageous!

 "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up..." 

- Galatians 6:9

Waiting Patiently for the Lord's Timing

Four weeks ago, my best friend sent me some encouragement concerning the story of Abraham & his maidservant Hagar. Last Sunday, Pastor Serven mentioned the story again (speaking on God's Sovereign Choice- his text was Romans 9:6-13, also referencing Genesis 17:15-27 among other passages). So apparently this was something I needed to hear.

The background on the story is this- Back in Genesis 12, God had Called Abram. In chapter 15, God established His covenant with Abram & his seed.  In chapter 17, God confirms His covenant with Abram & changed his name to Abraham (meaning, "the father of a multitude"). In chapter 18, Abraham & his wife are are promised the birth of their son Isaac.

In between those chapters, we have chapter 16- the chapter in which Abraham fails to trust the timing of God's Plan & takes things into His own Hands. You see, God had promised a godly seed, a son, a legacy to Abraham. But he was in his late eighties & his wife Sarah was in her late seventies. They had never had children before & Abraham thought they were too old to have children. He trusted the Lord's Promise, but thought he might "help" the Lord a little. Bad idea.

To that which God Calls us to do, He also Equips us to do. Nothing is impossible with God.

In Genesis 16, Abraham's wife Sarah gives her servant Hagar to Abraham, to bear him a son. When Hagar was pregnant with Ishmael & saw that Sarah still could bear no children, this caused enmity between the mistress & the maidservant, which led to more drama, hate & mistreatment. Hagar fled from Sarah's wrath into the desert. There the Angel of the Lord met Hagar & gave her a Promise concerning her son Ishmael & his legacy.

One man's decision has affected the course of nations. Ishmael (Abraham's son through Hagar) is the Father of Islam. Judaism comes from the line of Isaac (Abraham's son through Sarah). The strife in the Middle East, in Israel, in Jerusalem all results back to this one bad decision made by Abraham. Think how much pain, killing, strife could have been avoided if Abraham had simply waited for the Lord's timing!

And that is the reminder that my friend Megan & Pastor Serven have given me. If we really trust God, this means that we are willing to wait for His Timing. To trust Him & wait for Him to do things His Way. Do not rush ahead of God or His Plan for your life.

May we learn, like the Apostle Paul, to be content in every situation-

"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low, & I know how to abound.
In any & every circumstance, I have learned the secret
of facing plenty & hunger, abundance & need.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
- Philippians 4:11-13

I will leave you with this Scripture-

"Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint
& to him who has no might He increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    & young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run & not be weary;
    they shall walk & not faint."

- Isaiah 40:28-31

As Megan said to me a month ago, "Are you going to take what man is offering & create generations of problems? Or are you going to wait for GOD to deliver on His Promises?"

May you be encouraged today!

Surrendering Our Precious Dreams to God

This quote has changed my life. It hangs framed on my wall, on the dashboard in my car etc.
May we learn how to surrender our precious dreams to God!

God has been teaching me this lesson of trust & surrender for about four months now. I still haven't fully grasped the significance of it yet...

Deep down, I do believe in trusting God fully, no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at me. But when it comes down to actually living out that belief, I have a harder time with it.

"'For I know the Plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,

'Plans for good & not for evil, to give you a future and a hope...'"

- Jeremiah 29:11

This is not my first post on surrendering our precious dreams to God. (You can see my other post here). Also see what I've been reading on this topic- here (what inspired this thought 2 months ago), here & here.

Last night, I read a quote that impacted me. It is-

"Stress often comes from holding onto a dream too tightly."

 

I don't know who said it. Or how I ran across it. But it's stuck in my brain all night & again this morning. I can't get it out of my head.

 

"And we know that all things work

together for the good of those who love God,
who have been Called according to His Purpose..."

- Romans 8:28

(my life-verse)

 

Expanding on the topic, carrying it further- It's also about us failing to entrust that dream to God, letting Him mold His Will into our desires; trusting Him with the outcome, no matter what happens.

 

This is a hard lesson for me to learn, especially when my dreams don't match God's exactly. Sometimes I desire things that God doesn't have in mind.

 

"'For My Thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My Ways,' declares the Lord.
^'For as the Heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My Ways higher than your ways
    & My Thoughts than your thoughts...'"

- Isaiah 55:8-9
 

I am reminded of these song lyrics-

 

"All to You, I surrender/
Everything, every part of me/
All to You, I surrender/
All of my dreams, all of me..."

- Kim Walker-Smith

("Surrender")

 

And of

 

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

- 2 Corinthians 5:7

 

And of my favorite song-

I will Walk by Faith/
Even when I cannot see/
Well because this broken road/
Prepares Your Yill for me.."

- Jeremy Camp

("Walk by Faith")

 

As one of my friends brought to my attention today, it isn't just our dreams that we sometimes struggle with leaving at God's feet. Sometimes we hold onto things (possessions, wealth, careers, hobbies, activities, people etc) too closely, not daring to fully trust God with them. Like we could do a better job ourselves. What blasphemy! (and what a rediculous thought!)

 

So, in closing, some food for thought...

 

* What are you holding onto too closely?
* What are you afraid to surrender to God fully?
* What are you afraid to lose?

* Do you trust God completely, no matter what?

* Have you fully surrendered your dreams, desires, passions etc to God?
* Do you trust that God knows best?

 

"And I am sure of this,  that He who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.."
- Philippians 1:6

A Multi-generational Vision

 
Being in the catering industry, I have the opportunity to watch a lot of different types of people- to observe, listen & learn from their words, actions, mistakes, decisions etc. It's a very interesting field of work to be in... Gives me a lot to think about.

For example, I catered a small family dinner earlier this week. Just the family pulling together in a time of crisis. The grandmother was telling me about her eleven children, forty grandchildren & six great-grandchildren. She & her husband are in their late sixties/early seventies, I would assume. Their children in their thirties & forties. Grandchildren in their teens & twenties. Young great-grandchildren. You get the idea.

As we were talking, I was amazed- this is what it looks like! The practical side of the Vision, having it play out in real life! This is it! Having lots of children while you're young, seeing them grow up & have children of their own, being able to instruct your grandchildren & still having many years left when your great-grandchildren are born! This family must be doing it right!

But, as she continued on, I came to realize that they lacked one vital thing- a multi-generational vision. They didn't have all of the puzzle pieces. You see, the idea of having a lot of children & spending time together died in her children. You see, they are all spread out all over the country, living isolated in several states.

"Great!" you might say, "They now can impact world & react the nations for Christ!" Wrong. God is a covenantal God. He works through families. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 4:7-12-

"Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother...

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up^.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken..."

 If two can defend themselves & a cord of three is not easily broken, think of the impact of five, ten, twenty, fifty, seventy five, one hundred, one thousand family members working together!

This Grandmother was telling me how she'd only met this grandchild once, or how she hasn't seen that one in several years... Hearing her children in conversation with each other, they were more concerned with wealth, money, strong drink etc than on building up their families. Although the Grandmother professed to be a Christian, I saw little evidences of that character trait in the lives of her children & even less in the lives of her grandchildren.

To me, that is a shame. She has failed at her task. Her children have forgotten the Lord & have abandoned the Covenant. May they repent & return while the Lord yet has mercy on them!

And may this stand as a warning to us. Let us not get caught up in worldly things & forget the Lord. May we ever strive to remember the Promises He has made to us. May we walk in His Law & honor His statutes. May we intentionally raise our children in these things. May His Word ever be on their tongues. May we teach them diligently when we rise up, when we walk about the way & when we lie down (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). May we pass on the Vision & leave a godly legacy for many generations to come. Then we shall be blessed.

"Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
 things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

He established a testimony in Jacob
    and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
& arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
    but keep his commandments;
and that they should not be like their fathers,
     a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God..."

- Psalm 78:1-8

Joshua Steven Eddy, Go with God

 On May 5, 2012, the Lord called 19-year-old Joshua Steven Eddy Home. He was the second oldest of 9 children. He was a faithful servant of Christ. He had just graduated from the International ALERT Academy & wanted to be a EMT/Paramedic. He was an avid photographer & was filming his first film, with his brother & best friends. He was going to be the best man in his brother's upcoming wedding. They had just purchased their tuxedos.

 "Do not let anyone look down on you, because you are young,
but set an example for the believers in speech,
in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

- 1 Timothy 4:12

But all of that changed on May 5th. On a hiking trip with friends, along the Rouge River (Raine Falls) in Oregon, Josh decided to snap a photo on the edge of the gorge. He slipped, lost his footing & fell to his death.

The photo above was taken on the hike, just minutes before his death. He was about to turn and aim for the shot that would be his last. He was a minutes from death, and he didn't know it. He was ready... are you?

" He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
& death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning,
nor crying, nor pain anymore,
for the former things have passed away.”

- Revelation 21:4

I didn't know Josh & had never heard of him before his passing. But his testimony has greatly impacted my life in this past month. His story has given me a LOT to think about.

Namely, he was so young when he died. Yet he had accomplished so MUCH for the Lord. And his testimony has affected so many people. He was living a righteous life, right til the end. What will my testimony be, when my time has come??? Him dying so young has also reminded me- we don't know the time nor the hour of our passing (James 4:13-14). Our time on this earth is short. Don't wait until it's too late to repair that broken relationship. Don't put off salvation til you've had your fun. "If you tarry till you’re better/ You will never come at all..." The time is now. What are you waiting for??? Don't become the tragedy of a WASTED life. 

"So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day. 
For this light momentary affliction is preparing
for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen
but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are temporal,
but the things that are unseen are eternal."

- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Josh lived & died to glorify God. His death was not in vain. He will not be forgotten. And his legacy will continue to inspire people around the world, for years to come... RIP Joshua Steven Eddy. 

"For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also."
- Luke 12:34

 In Josh's honor, his sister Mariah wrote a song in his honor called "To Surrender a Precious Dream." His good friend Ariel recorded it soon after his passing. Hearing it made me cry... WOW. It's so raw, fresh & passionate... I can only imagine what his sister & dear friend were feeling when they wrote/sang it... You can hear the song & view the lyrics here- http://arielstrom.bandcamp.com/ . All proceeds from the song go to Josh' ALERT scholarship fund. 

 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been Called according to His Purpose."
- Romans 8:28

For more information about this great man of God, please visit-

His facebook tribute page- https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaSEddy
His Blog- http://joshyeddy.blogspot.com/
A tribute by his (soon to be) sister-in-law- http://tiannalovesandrew.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-brother-joshua-eddy.html

Another tribute- http://ghettotime.blogspot.com/2012/05/i-tweeted-recently-about-my-boss-loss.html
A local news article- http://www.rogueriverpress.com/archives/RRP05092012.pdf

 "To surrender a precious dream is a fearful thing, but to pursue anything but the full measure of the glory of God's love is a wasted life." - Josh Eddy 

 "For I know the plans I have for you,'
declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you & not to harm you,
to give you a future and a hope."
- Jeremiah 19:11

* Note: All photos courtesy of the Eddy family (taken from Josh's facebook tribute page)