Ann-- where is God anyway?

I love Ann VosKamp's wording for everything!  One Thousand Gifts has got to be my all time favorite book and now it's been converted to a Bible study and here is a glimpse of Ann...

a link to her blog.

Middle of Your Heart

My new favorite band. I love so many of their songs, and this is my prayer.
"Middle of Your Heart" by for King and Country

showing respect?

Over the years I've read plenty of books &/ or blogs on 'being a godly wife.'  Typically, there will be something that I most definitely need to change how I 'wife' and more often than not I get all discombobulated and the enemy attacks hard.  After this last book I read, which leans very legalistic if you ask me, I had to seek God and just simply ask HIM to show me what it is to be a godly wife to my husband and to correct me when I'm wrong--- right in the moment.
Very often He'll show me what it's not.  I was at a meeting last night and the leader said something about a husband screwing up her diet and thinking about looking for a second one & then proceeded to say how long it took her to train this one so she figures she'd keep him-- all in jest.  She makes snide comments about how pathetic men are every week.  It doesn't matter whether the circle is religious or not, in our culture it seems like there is this underlying joke about how men don't do this or that, and if you want something done right don't ask your man to do it.  And I felt the Holy Spirit tell me deep down in my gut, that this is what being disrespectful toward your husband looks like, even behind his back.  And I felt sick.
Don't talk trash about your husband, to his face or behind his back.  If you need to talk to him about something important-- do, but by no means should we be mean or be a nag.

1 Peter 3, encourages us to be gentle and peaceable (that's the literal translation for quiet).
Proverbs, encourages us not to be argumentative.
Proverbs 31, gives us a glimpse of a godly wife, and tells us that her husband has full confidence in her,  she brings him good & not harm... it further says that he is respected at the city gate--- to which I read between the lines and say that she must be gentle, peaceable, non-argumentative, & there is no way she's talking trash about him behind his back.

Links

Links:

Ann Voskamp's blog
today I've done a little catching up on Ann's blog. she is the author of "1000 Gifts" which is somewhere in the top 3 best books I've ever read. I love how she explains Lent in her Feb 12th blog ... I love how she describes anything an everything, she has both talent and anointing in her writing. 

"It is an irrefutable law: one needs to be dispossessed of the possessions that possess — before one can be possessed of God.

Let the things of this world fall away so the soul can fall in love with God. God only comes to fill the empty places and kenosis is necessary – to empty the soul to know the filling of God" -- Ann VosKamp, Feb 12.

southwest chicken recipe
I've been craving this all week! It's on the menu for tomorrow night! can't wait

 date night!
it's our favorite night of the week. this link has some ideas for a little change of pace. :)

hind sight is always 20/20?
this blogger had some good marriage advice, but it's from the view point of having lost his.

Audience of One

Audience of One by Big Daddy Weave

It's nice to have someone tell you you've done a good job. But living in a way to win the approval of others is exhausting, and what kind of friend would I be if that's all I wanted from you?  It's an easy trap to get sucked into and I still catch myself craving approval then I'll talk to God, because it's His approval that matters. It's His approval that keeps me grounded rather than being thrown around by the winds of of people approval.  And I find peace with Him.

in or out?

It seems as easy as breathing to get caught up in my appearance-- I know for a fact I'm not alone on this. There isn't a woman dead or alive that hasn't looked in the mirror and wanted to change something. And we do all kinds of things to "improve" our appearances. Even if she doesn't wear a stitch of makeup she might still put a flower in her hair or wear a flattering dress & of course there is the complete other extreme of women getting cosmetic surgery, then there's all the in between of makeup, hair color, manicures, jewelry and so on. We ALL attempt outward beauty in some way shape or form.
I've been working out at the gym for about a year now & this last 6 months have been a little shaky with children's cold & all.. I want exercise to be a priority for the sake of my health but I'd be lying if I said appearance had nothing to do with it. Anyway my workouts have been pretty half-hearted lately & God showed me in prayer today that more than just my workouts have been that way. My time with Him & my spiritual diet have been suffering a great deal, I need to take more time to consume His Word & to be with Him. Then I remembered 1peter 3:3-4 where it says that women should be concerned about their inward beauty which is to have a gentle & peaceable spirit. What i gather from the whole passage is that Outward beauty should just be the "cherry on top" & inner beauty to be the dominant priority in our lives ,or to keep with the analogy, the "cake" on which that "cherry" rests. The in fading beauty of who we are in Christ is far and above more important than the fading beauty of our flesh. We can start by giving it to God & then shifting our thinking toward His beauty standards outlined in 1peter 3 & several places through out proverbs.

What is my life adding up to?

Reading through the book of Matthew as I've been considering how I spend my time drew my attention in to Christ's return. It's not something I think about much because it still seems like its a ways off, but then Jesus did say that no one knows when He'll return. No one knows when the rapture will take place, but what if it did happen today? Am I living my life today with Love toward The Lord? Am I spending my time in a way that He commends?
Tracking back from rapture thinking, I just have to ask myself what my life is amounting to. What will the majority of my life consumed by? And how will I answer for it to God on the day of judgement?
Just some thoughts to consider.

speaking of priorities

To Know You by Casting Crowns

"to know You is to want to know you more."

jumbled priorities

Thinking back over the last two years I can honestly say that God has done a lot in my heart. I honestly love Him. I've come a long way-- yet today I'm looking back on some of my bad habits that are still hanging around. My thought life is much different but how I spend my time is not.  It is more valuable than anything, yet I tend to squander it away as it passes as fast as the wind.  I suppose it has to do with budgeting-- I intensely dislike budgeting, whether it's money, diet/ exercise, or time. It's like I expect it to all work out with little effort, but the fact of the matter is that we are responsible for managing our lives-- budgeting them.
The question we should ask ourselves is: if what is important in my life could be measured by the time I spend with it then looking introspectively what is actually most important?  It's easy to say what I want to be most important is at the top of my priority list, but looking at the value of time, is it really?
In a small group I was in last year I was shown a slightly different perspective of priorities, I'll see if I can remember the list accurately (if you were also in that small group & I post an error, please correct me). In order first to last:
1. God
2. me (this is taking care of our physical, emotional, & spiritual well-being).
3. my spouse
4. my children
5. my extended family
6. work
7. ministry
8. neighbors
9. me & my escape (that's the other aspects of self)

that #9 is in serious competition for all the other slots!  So where do you spend your time; it is the litmus test of where your priorities actually are.  I whole heartedly believe that when God is genuinely in first place that the rest start to find their rightful places too, but if "me" is in #1 in any aspect of life they'll all be jumbled according to each individual personality.

what faith can do

what faith can do by kutless

my little faith.

Today I read through Matthew 15-16. Somewhere in the midst of all the verses Jesus heals a woman and tells her how great her faith is, and then in another part His disciples who have seen so many miracles are confused by something He is telling them and He responds by telling them how small their faith is. 

So often we look at this faith to mean we believe that God can do anything, and yep He can-- look around.  Obviously the disciples knew He could do anything.  So what did Jesus mean in chapter 16? They misunderstood what He was telling them because they were looking at what is temporary rather than seeking the eternal in His words.  If they had only referenced the power He had displayed earlier they would've recognized what He was telling them. 

In chapter 15 a woman who is from a group of people who worshiped false gods, cried out from the crowd to Jesus asking for her daughter to be cleansed from a demon.  Jesus tested her by  saying "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour." She saw passed the flesh and blood temporal aspect of being from a different group of people and right into the power of the living God. That's why her faith was great.

In other places over and over again in the gospels Jesus heals people and says something like 'your faith has made you well'

Faith is far more than simply believing that God can heal us, it is seeing straight through this temporal world and our temporal problems and into eternity, into the mighty miraculous power of God.  It is moving through every obstacle that seeks to keep us from moving into His presence.  Peter did that when he walked on water to go to Jesus, but the second his eyes were back on the temporary, which in his case were waves crashing down around him, he sank straight into them.  It's not easy to stay so focused on Christ when the temporary presses in against us so heavily, but it is possible and when we do it... when we press right in to God and seek and ask for His power to come right into/ through us something powerful will happen. This is the very place of the miraculous. 

I recognized today that I am in the crowd of those with little faith.  Most of us are; if it were not so we'd be seeing miracles at every turn. Lord please fix our faith!  

No Sacrifice

No Sacrifice. by Jason Upton

Sometimes a song can just say exactly what you're feeling.

peace

Peace by Jason Upton

Steady my Heart.

The first video is the story behind the song, "Steady my Heart" by Kari Jobe.

The second is the song.

being chipped away to grow peace?

Recently, I started reading this book:"Idol Lies" by Dee Brestin.  I chose it because it was on a list of books that Ann VosKamp recommended a few months ago.  I've only read the first couple of chapters and the Lord used it to put words to the junk going on in my heart.  Dee calls it an invisible idol; I'm sure it could be called lots of things, but an invisible idol is exactly what it is and it is a big, growing, & as old as I am.  And in America these are the things we bow down to-- the things that are invisible and she names several in her book.  Of course there are visible symptoms of the invisibly lurking hard as a real stone idol lodged deep in my heart.  I'll tell you mine is comfort/ safety and the symptoms range from something as comforting as food can be to something as uncomfortable as panic attacks due to agoraphobia.  It's lodged deep and only God can remove it and I already feel the angst as bits are starting to get chipped away.  And pruning is part of real Christian living-- going to a Loving God blindly and being pruned so more fruit of the Spirit can grow within. Pruning is definitely uncomfortable and more than worth it.  And going to Him, knowing that He loves us with an immeasurable Love, is making peace with Him-- simply going to Him willingly & in obedience to His will & the pruning grows peace first.
<3

Cling

We cling to Christ because the is the only one that can pull us out of the mucky pit we find ourselves in over. & over -- or just constantly living there.
We don't know what we're missing til we grab hold of Him to be pulled out. And then we hold Him because He saved us & we love Him because He loves us enough to help us.
He saves us by helping us through the messes we find ourselves in & isn't that the icing on the cake to the eternal security we receive from Him when were born again.
These things are on my mind because I found a mountain in my heart that must be removed. And God is saving me from it by removing it. And I cling all the more to Him
<3

where is my freedom?

Why do we lack freedom? Freedom from alcohol. Freedom from porn-- whether 1/2 dressed soft porn or full on pornography. Freedom from drugs. Freedom from over eating or not eating.  Freedom from over indulging in anything. Freedom from depression. Freedom from anger. Freedom from anything.  These things we need freedom from because they are the things that call to us and we can't say no to them even when we want to.
We lack freedom because we lack an authentic relationship with Christ.
If I'm falling apart & my vices come back it's because I haven't had much of a conversation with Him lately or for some it may be that they've never given their lives to Him to begin with. After all, it's true that "Christ doesn't make me stronger, He is my strength" (VosKamp).  Naturally without Him my weaknesses are glaringly obvious; and with Him, His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
I need Him more than my next breath. Anything I am, any discipline I keep, it is because of Christ.

please

Just a quick note to ask you for prayer today.
thank you.

When Life has you Paralyzed.

Beth Moore-- When Life Has You Paralyzed.

This is so so good. If you have a little time to watch... do. It's about 57 minutes

Cry Out to Jesus- Third Day

Madelyn's Bake Sale.

A few months ago Madelyn started getting curious about orphaned children.  After a couple of conversations with her Daddy, her passion for them started to build.  She wanted to get involved and do something meaningful for these children who don't have parents.  Scott told her about Danita's Children and she started saving every penny of her allowance.  After a few months of saving she donated all of it to Danita's Children, an orphanage in Haiti.
As soon as the money was sent her gears started turning and she started developing a plan of how to make a lot more money to donate.  Yesterday with the help of our church and a lot of baking volunteers  we hosted a church bake sale.  Everyone who donated received delicious baked goods.  Madelyn raised nearly $1000 for Danita's Children--- I'm not sure of the final numbers quite yet.  I'm so stunned by her passion and generosity; I can only say that it is surely God working something amazing in her.   I cannot take even the most remote amount of credit.  When she gave her heart to Jesus on her 5th birthday she has continued to grow in Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.  She honestly surprises me at every turn-- a great work of God.
If only we could all have such pure childlike faith.
Madelyn is teaching me what these verses mean:


""About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven"" (Mt 18:1-4, NLT)

He is telling them that when we turn from our sins we'll become innocent like children and admitting to being a sinner takes a great deal of humility.  No one is perfect; everyone sins-- even the best people.

Madelyn very simply gives her life to God without thinking about it and without getting all discombobulated about her relationship with Him. She reads scripture, and prays, and does what He gives her a passion for. She loves Him.   Honestly, I felt a little dragged along for this bake sale ride, but it was one I am immensely blessed to have been on and I am so grateful for the opportunity!!

This child. My first born of 4 babies. I am so honored and eternally grateful to the Lord to have the opportunity and pleasure of raising her into adulthood.

If you're interested in learning more about Danita's Children click here.

get out of that pit

Beth Moore.
If you have some time to listen to even part of this... please do!
She is sharing from the book "Get Out of That Pit".
I read that book around this time last year and God showed me through all the scriptures she shares and the points she makes that He Loves us passionately and nothing we ever do can change that.

movie night.

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...”  (1 Corinthians 13--NASB).

I recently saw a movie that made me laugh out loud a lot.  Unfortunately it was also the kind of movie that should've made me get up and leave and it would've been funny without the language and 'in your face' vulgarity. I usually don't go to see movies like this, but everything I read about it said how "real life" funny it was and left out the rest.  Tonight as my husband and I were talking about it he had to remind me of a few of the scenes that I'd forgotten.  I'm embarrassed that I laughed so hard during it and even though it also made me blush I still stayed.  There are a lot of movies out there regardless of rating that "rejoice in unrighteousness" and doesn't it mess with our thought lives? It makes us see unrighteousness as something desirable rather than something to be pruned from us.  Should we start asking ourselves if we'd want to be real life friends with the characters in the movies or tv shows we enjoy?

Still learning how to walk this journey of loving God with my whole self in every single moment of life. I'm all His and He is mine. I love Him.  Praying and asking a lot of questions tonight. <3

teach me how to pray... song.

more from Jason Upton: "Teach Me How to Pray-- Psalm 23" live.

I'm falling.

Good grief.
Where is the reset button anyway?
Once I get in a routine, I'm good to go, but give me any reason to screw with it and I'll take it!
Take eating healthy for instance.  I'm more there than I have been in a while. I want to eat healthy on a permanent level rather than an "I'll eat this way until x,y, or z"level.  But what is it about a frustrating day or vacation that makes us want to take a flying leap off the healthy train when we're finally starting to enjoy the ride?  Is there really ever a good excuse to slack?  I understand the concept of splurging on vacation, but that splurge will most likely cost me gaining the 5 pounds in 4 days that it took 6 weeks to lose. So I ask, is it worth it?  To take this another step further, this same concept happens in many personal relationships with God.  For some reason, the thing that used to comfort us beckons... and Christ pleads because He knows that He is the absolute only comforter.  Vacation is only a break from routine, but most often vacation is not a time of rest but of adventure and somehow even God gets left home.
Christ is pleading with us to invite Him into our entire lives. Stop trying to work through frustrations, fears, disappointments, sadness, anger...vacation... life without Him.  He only wants to Love us fully. Why do we keep withholding ourselves? He is our comforter among the everything He can be in our lives.  Falling more in Love with the One who Loves us completely and who is completely faithful and true. I learned this week that the word "kind" in 2 Corinthians 13 where is says "Love is patient & kind..."  has a 2 part meaning in the original Greek translation, not 1 or the other but both and.    The Greek word is a verb and means "kind & in full service to others" --- it is how God Loves us. This is not to say that He gives us our own way, because He Loves us way too much for that... as I love my children too much to allow them a diet that completely consists of candy.  No, He Loves us so much that He is kind in full service to us, to help us through this life... it's repeating every verse that says He'll never leave or forsake us... He's there to help us through this life. I'm just astonished at how much He loves us.  Why would I not want to give my entire life to Him? Loving Him in return... it is the most important thing to Him.

just like you

Scott's favorite song. :)
Jason Upton's "Just Like You"