Good for my soul

I've been a bit sporadic on my blog post. It is funny how life can get busy and things I enjoy doing have to take a backseat. 

A friend and I do the same bible study together. She does it in the morning and I do it in the evening. She had a picture of her bible and the lesson and wrote. "My flesh fights against keeping up with my Bible study, but my soul needs it."

Those words are so true. We live in reality and we battle our flesh on a daily basis. I'm coaching track, leading a bible study, taking care of my family, trying to finish my MG book, and just being available to anyone. Oh, and trying to blog once a week. :)

Life gets busy but we need to stop and look to Christ.

Even if you only have ten minutes or an hour, spending time with your Savior is always a good thing. Let your heart become quiet before the throne of grace will only draw you closer to the Lord. We need Christ. We need His word because it is good for our soul.

May we not run to the Lord when times are tough. But even in the moments of rest, may we be fervent for Him.

Let us press on and finish the race well. 

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, revving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure making wise the simple.

Holy, Blameless, and Beyond Reproach

One of my favorite books of the bible is Colossians. It is so rich with truth and you can see Paul's love for believers he has never met. 

Our Sunday School class is going through this amazing book and there was a passage that stopped me in my tracks. I have been meditating on it these past few weeks and am thankful for the Lord's goodness.

And though you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Colossians 1:21-22

To think, we were separated from God and running away from Him. We hated God and wanted nothing to do with Him. He is holy and we can see it in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned, they had to leave the garden. 

The only way we can love God is through His Son. I think we can take John 3:16 for granted sometimes. We know it well but do we think about the words and what God has done.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

He is gracious to let us live and even hear the gospel and even read His Word.

I love the transition Paul makes. We were hostile toward God and alienated from Him but through His Son we are holy, blameless and beyond reproach.

I can get disheartened by my sin and the battle I face on a daily basis. This passage encourages my heart that the Father sees Christ in me so I can approach Him with confidence and without fear. 

I love this reminder that despite of my sin He loves me still. And He loves you too. 

Canada: The Best Place on Earth, but I'm Biased

This past week we were in Vancouver, Canada and it is always good to go home. The weather was mild and I have to admit I've become a wimp to the colder temperatures. I've gotten spoiled living in California. 

But Vancouver is a beautiful place and if you ever get a chance you have to go.

The best part of the trip was hanging out with my husband and watching hockey on TV. :)

Obedience

An unbeliever can’t obey God. It is impossible for them to do and most have no desire at all to obey or please God. The natural man wants to glorify himself and not glorify the one who made all things and sustains all things.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:2-3 ESV

This isn’t true for the believer because we have faith to please Him. 

When we obey God, it proves our love for Him, it glorifies Him to the world, it shows the world our loyalty to Him, and it opens avenues for blessings for us. Here’s the thing, we obey His commandments, not because we have to, but because we desire to, because we love Christ. We are not walking in the flesh any longer. We are walking by the spirit and we are a new creation.

However, when we disobey God it is an act of rebellion, it is sinful, it is a form of idolatry, it disrespects God’s word, and at times is based on looking good to other people rather than the Lord.

If we love the Lord, we will have a desire to obey him, not always perfectly, but our desire to obey Him and our lives give evidence of that desire. It assures us that we belong to Him. God commands us to obey Him throughout the pages of scripture. And when we do it brings us joy, confidence, peace, comfort, and blessing in a world where people are searching for these things in everything other than Christ.

It doesn’t matter how much knowledge we have if we refuse to obey the Lord. Obey not out of obligation or duty but obey because you love Christ. 

“If I could simplify the Christian life to one thing, it would be obedience.” John MacArthur 

Joy

What brings us joy? Is it getting a job? Finding a husband? Having children? Eating a great meal? Talking to a loved one?

 

And we are writing these things so that your joy may be complete. 1 John 1:4

These are all good things and they can bring us joy and pleasure. 

For a believer, though, there is a joy that is rooted not in what is seen but the unseen. It is rooted in Christ.

The epistle and the other books of the bible should produce joy in our hearts. Not a superficial joy that comes and goes depending on the circumstances but a joy that is anchored in the truth of the gospel, anchored in the truth of who God is and His wonderful works. 

This joy can only come from the Father and believing in His Son Jesus Christ. Our fellowship with the Father produces joy in us that shows our loyalty to Him. Our love for His Son produces a joy in us that reminds us of our salvation. Our love for His word produces a joy in us that is unshakable. 

Others should see this joy shine on our faces. 

When we walk in the light, we will see that in the midst of the storm, even when it is difficult, we should have feelings of sweet joyfulness down in the depths of our souls. To know that we are kept by God and belong to Him, that He loves us, and the He is our helper will be our delight in the midst of our troubles. 

Of course, doubts and fears are mixed in with our joy, but if we remember that God is our refuge and strength we will persevere. When we hide ourselves in His word, He gives us he ability to move forward. When we trust Him, His word eases the pain and discomfort of the trial because it points us to Him and He will let the doubts and fears disappear.

Let us be women that walk in obedience and know our joy doesn’t reside in things or people but our joy always resides with Christ. 

He is the delight of our heart. 

The Delight of Your Heart, Prayer

Prayer is our life line to God.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3

Daniel knew this and so did the other writers of Scripture. Communion with our Lord should delight our hearts and souls. It should cause us to rejoice that we have access to the Father because of His Son. 

Prayer is an act of humility and dependence on the one true God. We can talk to people but there is no one else that can direct our hearts and bend our stubborn wills. There is no one else that knows the depths of our hearts and still shows us grace and mercy each day. There is no one else that see the sins we hide but God sees right through it. There is no one else who hears the secret prayers we whisper only to the Father.

Prayer is our life source.

We see this in Daniel’s prayer.

I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. Daniel 9:4-5

At times we can go directly to our requests, needs, wants, and desires, instead of praising God for who He is and what He has done. There is nothing wrong with making requests.Daniel did this but his first response was to praise the Lord. 

He knows what we need before we even ask or before it even becomes a thought in our mind. He sees the tears of joy or sorrow that bleed into the pages of His word. He hears the joys and anguishes that come from His beloved children. 

The Lord wants us to come to Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to long for His word. He wants us to bow our hearts to His will.

Daniel says it so well in the last part of his prayer.

O my God, incline your heart and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city this is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. Daniel 9:18-19

May our lips always praise our Lord, may we confess our sins to Him, may we let Him know of our faith in Him, may we tell Him of our need for Him, and may we humbly thank Him for everything He has done in our lives especially in saving our souls.

Let us go before the throne of grace one knee at a time, and praise our Father because prayer is our life line to Him. 

The Delight of Your Heart

If you read the account in Genesis 22, you see how Abraham offers his son Isaac to the Lord. 

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

The Lord doesn’t just tell him to offer his son for a burnt offering. He uses your only son(the one you have waited years for and the promised one) and by the way, the one whom you love.

God tested Abraham to see if he feared God. Abraham did and he passed. 

What can we learn from Abraham and what is God telling us?

• Abraham obeyed without question. He rose early in the morning and went with his son.
• He went willingly.
• He obeyed all the way to the point of almost killing his only son, whom he loved.
• He feared God.
• He worshiped God.
• He knew God would provide.
• He had confidence in God.
• He considered God is able to raise people even from the dead.
• He trusted God. 

Through these points we learn one thing for certain. He loved God. His delight was in Him. He knew God was better than anything this life had to offer. This was a man that was meditating on the character of God. Abraham was consumed by the Lord and knew Him well. 

Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words become for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Abraham surrendered his intellect, affections, emotions, and his will when he was about to sacrifice his only son. The test was to find out what was in his heart and to put to death the things he wanted in order that he may desire what God wanted.

His loyalty and love for Him. His reverence for Him. His trust in Him. If you look at the list again, look how the character of our Lord is put on display. Isn’t that what He wants? For us to fix our eyes on Him, to look to Him for all things, and have complete confidence in Him.

The more we delight in the Lord. The more we meditate on His word. The more we love His law. The more we will love Him. We will never do it perfectly but it is the pursuit to do this on a daily basis.  

Let us behold the beauty of our Savior each day and praise Him for the wonderful things He has done. May our hearts and souls be drawn closer to Christ as we read His word, meditate on His word, and worship Him. He is our all and all.

Delight yourselves in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:4-5

I pray that we will be utterly and completely in love with our Lord. And our love for Him will be contagious to those around us.

Let Us Draw Near

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Drawing near with a true heart is the first condition of acceptable approach to God for true worship. We can honor God with our lips, but we can worship Him with our heart. True worship is heart worship.

This is where it all starts.

May we remove the distractions of life from our minds and take the time to worship our Father. And why should we do this? Because He is our God, our praise, and our joy.

Love & Loyalty

Our bible study is going through the book of Jude. We finished 1 & 2 Peter and it is so rich with great truths.

Steve Lawson wrote a quote that made a huge impact on me.

"The deeper we dig into the word, the higher we will rise in worship and the longer we will preserve in trials."

I thought this is so true. As our bible study is going through Peter and Jude, we are learning about the false teachers, that we are called, we need to preserve in trials, we need to stand firm for truth, His word is all we need, He will judge the wicked, He will come again, and we could continue with the great truths in these books.

The more I thought of these things the more I saw I don't dig into His word enough. The world is getting darker or maybe sin and evil is more blatant. I have to admit the things I see on the news are a tad scary. Yikes! But I also know the Lord is in control.

We need to know God's word and give a defense to those around why we believe what we believe. We need to give people the truth of Scripture because there are so many lies that people want to believe.

Where am I going? There is so much pressing on my heart but this I know for sure and I hope it will encourage you too.

As we dig deeper into His word, may our love and loyalty to Christ be evident to those around us. I pray that it is our desire to grow in wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and may our joy always reside in Him.

How about you? Are you being loyal to the Lord or to the world? You can't have both.

Let us stand firm for truth and not waver because our King is coming.

Resting in the Lord

Last night was hard and nothing bad happened. My husband had to go back to work. He flew in for the weekend and we enjoyed our time together.

I have to admit it gets harder each time he leaves. My heart ached as we drove to the airport and the the girls got a bit quieter too. He tries to make the issue light but I know it crushes him every time he has to leave. It saddens him that he misses the little things such as the laughter in the morning, the pitter patter of feet stomping on the floors, the touch of your wife holding your hand, driving in the car together to get groceries.

He sees the kids getting bigger and changing. It's hard.

On  the way down to the airport, I just started to thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy. Even though it is difficult, I must keep my eyes fixed on eternal things and the truth of His word. I remind the girls how faithful our Lord is to provide daddy with a job. It isn't the norm but that is what God has given us and we have to trust Him. 

God is good.

When he landed he told me they had a bit of a hairy landing. The pilot flew by the airport once, then gained altitude very steep and very fast. He tried it again and landed. He said, "God is so sovereign." He mentioned that there were some OMG when they were climbing at a 45 degree angle and he was revving the engines and the seats were creaking. He laughed, then said, "No atheists in foxholes."

I have to admit those things worry me and the Lord knows this. What if something happens to him when he is away? But my husband said it well, "God is in control."

I can rest in His sovereignty. So even though we miss him, I'm glad I can trust my Savior each day. He is always good and teaching me to cling to Him so I can grow in His likeness. 

Let our soul find rest in God alone. 

A quote

Note: You may not be a mom but you can encourage those around you who are. We never want to dismiss something because it doesn't pertain to us. We want to build the body of Christ in all areas. Never think we can't say or help that person because we haven't experienced it. We have God's word and you point them to Him. 

I usually write my posts the day of and there is the rare occasion that I right it the night before. However, I had only accomplished that once.

Last night I struggled on what to write about as I had nothing pressing on my heart to say. Then I skimmed through Instagram and a friend had taken a picture of this quote.

"Mothers need to study their own role, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions. At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, 'He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he can not lose.' Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the souls that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field." Mom Enough by Rachel Jankovic

This is such a beautiful reminder of what God has called us to do as mothers. The job isn't easy and it takes time and care. There are days that are harder than others as we walk down this road and it can seem endless and it does get tiresome.  Changing diapers, breaking up an argument,  cleaning up things from the floor you wish you didn't have to, screaming babies,  and sleep deprivation can make us think we signed up for the wrong job. But we need to focus our attention on the one who gives us help. We need to remember what God has called us to do. We need to remember to stay faithful. We need to remember to encourage other moms when they are tired and discouraged and finally we need to remember that they are our MOST important work.

We only have these precious gems for a certain amount of time.  Let us be good stewards of what the Lord has given us.

His Word Is Enough

What is your view of Scripture? Do you believe every word is inspired by God? Do you question somethings? Does it really matter?

These are very important questions to ponder. Your view of Scripture whether high or low is going to dictate how you live. It will dictate if you believe what God says is true. It will dictate if you believe every wind of doctrine. It will dictate when trials come if you cling to Christ or to the world.

If you have a low view of the Word, you will have a low view of God. If you have a high view of the Word, you will have a high view of God. 

God’s word is unchanging. When we open the pages of Scripture, the voice of God is speaking to us. When we are lonely, His word gives us comfort. When we are scared, He says, “Fear not for I am with you.” When we are angry, He tells us to let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you.  When we ask Him to teach us how to love, He tells us love is patient and kind. He tells us fearing Him is the beginning of wisdom. 

His Word has given us everything we need to live a godly life. He has given us everything we need to walk humbly with Him. He has given us everything we need to point someone to Christ.

His Word is sufficient. If we believe this, we won’t be attracted to the views of the world because our feet stand on the rock. 

Yes, we can discuss translations and there are many which is good and bad. It is good because His Word is available to anyone who needs it in an easy to-understand, accurate translation. It is bad because it can create controversy and can split the church and ruin relationships.

So which is the best?

I think the authors from http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-translations.html give a good answer. 

An author said a good technique to use is have a set of Scripture verses you know well, and look those verses up in a translation you are unsure of. This way you can determine if the particle Bible translation is accurate. For example, the deity of Christ (John 1:1,14; 8:58; 10:30; Titus 2:13)

I think we can stand with confidence that God’s Word is true and He will accomplish His purposes through it. (Isaiah 55:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:2)

When I went through my mammogram scare, I clung to what I know is true of my Lord. And I will always cling even when I’m scared. As Peter had said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Where else can I go you have the words to eternal life."

Friends, when we doubt His Word we begin to slide down a slippery slope. The moment we doubt we can turn to other things that appeal to our souls. The moment we doubt we say the Lord isn’t enough.

May we share this truth with love and gentleness to the world. May we point them to the only one who can save them. And may we live lives that show our trust and loyalty to God’s Word. 

He is all we need.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

So My Third Grader Heard. . .

Disclaimer: This post isn't really a mom thing. :)

A couple of weeks ago my third grader heard the F word at school. One of the kids didn't know what the F word meant so the one girl blurted it out.

My girls go to a Christian school so I'm never under the impression they are immune to worldly things. Kids are kids and say and do things that can be inappropriate at times.

I had three options: 1) Freak out, 2) ignore it, or 3) deal with it in calm matter.

I chose three by God's grace. I asked her if she knew what the word meant and she told me no. Phew! 

I told her that it is a word but it is used in a bad way and it's not one you want to use. It is offensive. 

She was fine with that, then moved on to the next topic. I love that kid! 

I always want me kids to come to me and tell me anything. After fifth grade, I told my parents  nothing. I kept everything to myself and they knew only what I wanted to share. I learned to be good at avoiding topics and keeping silent. I never did anything wrong per se but I didn't reveal some things until later on in life. 

I don't want my kids to be that way. I want them to share their joys and sorrows. I want them to know that they can come to us with anything. They should never have to be afraid of being attacked, ridiculed, or made to feel like an idiot. Again, I don't do this perfectly. The Lord is teaching me to react less and listen more and I'm thankful I'm growing in that area. 

I want to be purposeful about sharing Christ to my kids. My biggest fear is that they will grow numb to the gospel because they hear it all the time. That their hearts will harden and they will reject Christ. But the Lord always reminds me of this one thing. I can't save them and He calls be to be faithful.

And this doesn't just have to be about kids. It goes across the board. It can be with a husband, child, friend, parent, etc. God has called us in different areas of life and He wants us to grow and look to Him on a daily basis. 

Friends, let us be faithful in whatever area has us.  May we remember we can't do it on our own. We can only do through Christ. This way He gets the glory. 

Parenting isn't easy. I have no idea what I'm doing but by God's grace He shows me through my failures and triumphs how to walk with Him and how to love my kids they way He wants me to.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1

Please, Forgive Me

"What's it like being raised in a Christian home?"

This was the question one of the women asked in our preschool group a few years ago. Many of the women in the group, including myself, were first generation Christians and wanted to know what it was like. They wanted insight.

The mother's who were raised in a Christian home didn't really know how to answer. They said things such as: our siblings fought, our parents got angry, we yelled, we were disrespectful to parents, we lied, and did other things.

They one thing that they all agreed on was their parents pointed them to Christ. Were there parents perfect? No, but they pointed them to the one who is.

But one mom said something that has always stuck with me. She said, "Whenever my mom got angry or frustrated with us, she would always ask us to forgive her."

As parents, friends, kids, etc we can let pride rule in our hearts and not humility. We can puff out our chests and justify our actions. Pat ourselves on the back because we are right and the other person is wrong.

This is hard for me. I wasn't raised in a home where people said they were sorry so I struggle with asking my kids or husband to forgive me when I have sinned against them. As a parent, I'm the authority I don't need to. As a wife, I'm just right even if I'm wrong. :)

Oh, Pride, how I loathe you. This isn't how the Lord wants me to act. God is clothed in splendor and majesty and he wants me to clothe myself in humility. And I want to show my children Christ. I want them to love the one I love. I want my husband to see Christ in me. And one of the ways of living out the gospel is asking for forgiveness.

When we ask someone to forgive us, it can melt a hard heart. It can save marriages and friendships. It can draw people closer together. Sometimes it doesn't work that way. You can ask and the person rejects it and that is difficult. However, God calls us to obey and trust Him even if it doesn't turn out the way we want. The point is we need to do what God has called us to do.

Friends, don't justify your sin but repent and go to the person quickly even if it is a child.

I love what Micah says. "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you. But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

It is simple but we can make it hard.

A friend sent me this verse over the weekend.

"One thing I have asked of the LORD. that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

This is a great thought. If we have this heart attitude, all else will follow. If we are in His word and gazing on His beauty, it won't be difficult to ask for forgiveness. We are living out what we believe.

It doesn't matter what stage of life we are in so I pray that we will be women that desire to walk humbly with our Lord.

The Call

One of the great privileges about turning forty, is going in for a mammogram. Oh, the joy.

It is an uncomfortable and awkward moment that you want to end quickly.  I went last month and she (the tech)said I would receive the letter about the results. I thought nothing of it until ten days later when I received The Call.

My heart pinched.  The nurse informed me that I had to return again for more pictures. I asked why and she was very vague. She kept telling me not to worry and this happens to 30% of women. The statistic she told me didn't help. I had to make an appointment and the next available one was January 15. I received The Call on Dec. 22.

The following day. The radiologist gave me more information. She informed me that I have a 7mm asymmetrical focal in my breast. The tears ran down my face even though I wasn't sure what that meant. She too told me not to worry and 9 out of 10 women are fine. Again that didn't help. My mind immediately went to the worst case scenario.

I went down What If Lane, which is the worst thing to do. And more tears came and panic. I prayed and told the Lord this is not what I want. Yes, I want a deep faith and a full joy but just in a different way.

I called two friends who put my eyes back on Christ, which is the best thing to do. Our flesh can take over so quickly that we lose perspective. Seriously, I'm a child of God. I know I'm going to see Christ and I love Him.  Get a hold of yourself. Why am I panicking? Because as my dad would say, "We are still in the flesh."

My eyes went to the things of man instead of the things of God. Once I started to remember who my God is, the worries of this situation began to fade. The Lord brought me to this passage in Lamentations 3.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion. "I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my pleas, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help!" You came near when I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear!' Lamentations 3:21-24, 31-32. 56-57.

I love God because every time we open His word He is speaking to us. He is reminding us of who He is. We don't need to fear because He is with us and will always be with us. He has already paved the road for  us we just have to trust Him and walk faithfully. Yes, are there scary moments, of course. He knows this but when we remember Him we can walk with confidence. We are all going home. Some are going earlier than others and some later but Christ is taking us to heaven.

It took a few days but my mind set shifted. It went from no to okay, Lord, your will not mine. It's okay whatever you decide. I'm thankful that He is patient with me. I'm thankful that He is rooting out the sin and stubbornness in my heart. And I'm thankful that He saved me.

I ended up getting an earlier appointment on Dec. 31. Again, this was the Lord's work and I'm amazed at His grace and mercy to me and us each day. We are undeserving.

Even though I knew the truths of God's word, I was still nervous. I think that is okay because the Lord knows this and as long as we sing a hymn or recite a verse we are clinging to Him and He is comforting us. I had another uncomfortable mammogram and awkward ultrasound because the tech decided to take a phone call while I'm on the bed. Don't worry about me lying here exposed while you talk to DMV.

But I think the Lord has a great sense of humour as He wanted me to relax and laugh.

Friends, I'm rejoicing because I am fine. It was nothing. But God would still be good even if it was something.

He reminded me that He is in control of all things. And all I need to do is rest in His sovereignty.

Remember our lives our penned by God, and lived out by us for His glory.