Jay and I met a man today at McDonald's who was spending time with his great-grandkids, watching them play in the play place. He was a man, probably in his 70's or 80's.. with white hair and a beard. He took great pride in his family and the fact that last year he got to play Santa at his great-grandson's school. He was even more proud about his 26 years in the Navy. He showed us his Navy ID card with the expiration date stating "Indef". He shared how he could hop aboard any military plane, and go anywhere in the world.. but after 26 years traveling in the military, he never wanted to leave the states. He told us how it was hard, that he was gone all the time but he remained faithful to his wife and they had 4 children, some of which he wasn't able to be around for their birth.
As he talked, we noticed he began repeating himself, word for word. The more he talked about his life, the more I realized how sad he was. Sad about the events he missed out on, and a deep sadness hid in his eyes.. a loneliness, maybe the memories of war and the experiences he wished to not share. He would occasionally stop and ask "Did I already tell you about this?" Some times I would say yes.. but other times I would let him go on. I couldn't really tell if it was the beginning of Alzheimer's, or the long lasting effects of war. I guess either scenario doesn't really matter. He is a man who sacrificed so his family could have a better life, even if that meant not being able to be there for a lot of it. He is a man who fought to support and defend this country, even if this country didn't always support and defend him. A true Veteran, a true hard-working man.
What touched me so much about this man, was how full of life he still was, how he is still very much a fighter today in a different way. He knows his memory isn't perfect, yet he goes out of his way to strike up conversation with strangers. He puts a smile on his face and reaches out to share his life with others. He wasn't always able to physically be there for his children, but is making efforts to fix that with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is out LIVING because he is ALIVE. How precious life is to him. It was an honor to meet him, and an honor to speak with him, even if he won't remember it.
His Navy ID.. Expiration Date: "Indef", speaks more than just to travel. It speaks of Indefinite sacrifice, Indefinite appreciation for life, and Indefinite effects of war. I only pray that in my life.. I can be marked with such attributes by my Heavenly Father and to never lose zest and zeal for life, no matter what may come.
A Life Not My Of Own
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
You can't Handle it Without Him
I always hear people say "God will never give you more than you can handle." I also see a lot of comments protesting against this saying, some include: "God won't give me more than I can handle, He must think I'm pretty strong!" "I've heard God won't give you more than you can handle.. well I'm at my breaking point!" I thought to myself the last few times, does this even come from the Bible? So I looked it up, and here's what I found.
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.- 1 Corinthians 10:13
The scripture above speaks of false idols, temptations or anything that we would put first, before Christ. The truth is, yes, we will have things in our lives that we cannot handle on our own. There will be hard times, there will be loss, there will be battles in and of ourselves as well as with others. But He is so faithful, that He is telling us "I've got this..", "I won't let you fall". Remember playing CandyLand and picking the card with the candy that is closest to the Castle? (somehow my 5 y/o pick that every time! I'm not bitter..) That's what God does for us, He give us a way out and by doing so, it is not we who handle anything, but God Himself.
There will be times when we struggle to get up, when it hurts to move on. Times when it seems it would be better to give in, and give up. Yet, He steps in and gives us a motive. He is our strength:
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
There are times we think we are going to lose it, that we're at breaking point and He's right there ASKING for us to give Him our problems, our stress. He grants us endurance:
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.- Psalm 55:22
And just when we think we are done "relying" on Him, and we're laying prostrate, exhausted from carrying or sobbing.. what does He do? He gives us rest:
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.- Matthew 11:28
When He is ruler of Your heart, the saying has some truth to it.. He won't give us anything we can't handle with His help. I would be lying if I said I never uttered the old saying myself, but I will never use it again. Why? I see too many being hurt by the misinterpretation, too many people become angry. The fact is, we sometimes can't handle things on our own strength or might.. but only through His spirit. I thank God that when temptation rears it's ugly head, that there's a bridge waiting for me to put me back on course. He gives us peace in our hearts, indescribable peace even though our world is falling apart around us.. our hearts hold steadfast under His wing. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
<>< Blessings!
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.- Matthew 11:28
When He is ruler of Your heart, the saying has some truth to it.. He won't give us anything we can't handle with His help. I would be lying if I said I never uttered the old saying myself, but I will never use it again. Why? I see too many being hurt by the misinterpretation, too many people become angry. The fact is, we sometimes can't handle things on our own strength or might.. but only through His spirit. I thank God that when temptation rears it's ugly head, that there's a bridge waiting for me to put me back on course. He gives us peace in our hearts, indescribable peace even though our world is falling apart around us.. our hearts hold steadfast under His wing. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
<>< Blessings!
Friday, October 5, 2012
A Servant or a Slave?
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."- Matthew 6:12
As humans, we have all yearned for things we didn't necessarily need. That newer car, faster computer, new shoes etc. As imperfect and impatient humans, most of us have all fallen in to, at one point or another borrowing money or "charging it" or taking a loan from the bank. But what happens when we accumulate too much debt? We stress out, we over work and all in all we become consumed and obsessed with trying to keep up. Debt becomes our master, in turn making us slaves to it's every whim. It's weight wears us down, and it's image embeds itself in our minds keeping us from rest. There comes a time when we ask ourselves "Who/What is in charge of my life?"
The Lord asks us to not serve two masters, and does not want us to become slaves to self and in turn to worldly desires. Some times that's really, really hard; especially in this economy, where we feel like we have to fend for ourselves. But what does His word say about our needs?
Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’ The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things.- Matthew 6:31
There are many desires that we can fall in to serving. Many things we enjoy or we dream about, can slowly become Masters of our lives if we let them. It's okay to have dreams and desires, in fact the very desires of your heart were put there by none other than God, Himself! But it is in how we treat these desires that makes them blessings or nightmares. Does this mean He doesn't want us to dare to dream? Noway. Does this mean we are not to be consumers of the "in" things? Of course not. He wants us to enjoy life, but he wants us to be content first and foremost. He wants us free from worry and burdens. More than anything, He wants to be the ONLY Master of our lives! He calls us to serve Him, not as slaves, but as servants who have a choice.
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.- 1 Timothy 6:5-7
So ask yourself this, are you a slave to a temporary master; or a servant of the everlasting Lord?
As humans, we have all yearned for things we didn't necessarily need. That newer car, faster computer, new shoes etc. As imperfect and impatient humans, most of us have all fallen in to, at one point or another borrowing money or "charging it" or taking a loan from the bank. But what happens when we accumulate too much debt? We stress out, we over work and all in all we become consumed and obsessed with trying to keep up. Debt becomes our master, in turn making us slaves to it's every whim. It's weight wears us down, and it's image embeds itself in our minds keeping us from rest. There comes a time when we ask ourselves "Who/What is in charge of my life?"
The Lord asks us to not serve two masters, and does not want us to become slaves to self and in turn to worldly desires. Some times that's really, really hard; especially in this economy, where we feel like we have to fend for ourselves. But what does His word say about our needs?
Do not worry. Do not keep saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘What will we wear?’ The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things.- Matthew 6:31
There are many desires that we can fall in to serving. Many things we enjoy or we dream about, can slowly become Masters of our lives if we let them. It's okay to have dreams and desires, in fact the very desires of your heart were put there by none other than God, Himself! But it is in how we treat these desires that makes them blessings or nightmares. Does this mean He doesn't want us to dare to dream? Noway. Does this mean we are not to be consumers of the "in" things? Of course not. He wants us to enjoy life, but he wants us to be content first and foremost. He wants us free from worry and burdens. More than anything, He wants to be the ONLY Master of our lives! He calls us to serve Him, not as slaves, but as servants who have a choice.
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.- 1 Timothy 6:5-7
So ask yourself this, are you a slave to a temporary master; or a servant of the everlasting Lord?
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Salvation: a pardon, not a blanket.
**Warning: This may offend you.. some of it may offend me, even as the writer**
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.- Ephesians 4:14-16
What is sin? My dear friend, Webster gives several definitions but two I think, say it the best. Sin: a vitiated state of human nature in which self is estranged from God. Sin: an often serious shortcoming: fault. If there's one pet peeve I have about modern-day teaching, it's the outlook of "if I don't feel convicted, it's not a sin." Say what!? This is such a scary, and flawed way of thinking. Where in the bible does Jesus say, "do what you want, that's what I'm here for!"?? (Hmm.. there must be a hidden page that I missed.) Am I saying I am innocent of this frame of mind some times? Far from the truth. I think everyone at one point or another has selfishly allowed themselves to become "desensitized" from conviction. Our attitude of being saved, should be reflected to others by living in humility to our Savior, not making everything "ok". It seems as if we walk around bragging about our Salvation as if we deserved it and can do what we want with it, instead of sharing in humility what it can do for others. Jesus paid much too high a price, and we should be mindful of how we walk the walk.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.- Matthew 6:24 (mammon means: material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence)
What is Salvation? Salvation: deliverance from the power and effects of sin. If you risked your life to save someone who was drowning in a rushing river, and they turned around and jumped right back in, how angry would you be? Then why would you claim that because you are "saved", that it's ok for you to sin because you are forgiven? Is this not the voice of someone who is childish in their thinking? We should be begging for His mercy, and yet it is new every morning. When we are saved, we are receiving the greatest gift.. a pardon from sin, that we should not suffer the effects of sin. The wages of sin is death, and through salvation we are conquerors over the grave! When we receive Him, we die to ourselves.. we die to OUR desires, die to OUR wills and surrender them ALL to HIM. We are not perfect, and we will all fall short.. otherwise, salvation would be achieved through self and not Christ. But we need to make a stand.. to truly serve Him, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and ALL the time. We are privileged to have the honor of being called a Christian. The life we live, is no longer our own.
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!-Revelation 3:15-16
What is a Christian? We shouldn't need a dictionary for that one. A Christian is someone who has professed that Christ is Lord, and believes in His teachings. Some one who has been fully, and wonderfully washed by the blood of the Lamb. In essence, simply: a follower of Christ, to strive to be Christ-like. Does it mean you have to be sheltered and phony? Of course not. But be mindful of your actions, because the world is always watching and always waiting to call you out on it. I too have days where I feel so set apart from those around me who aren't saved. I fear living in these days, which I truly believe are the last days, the fact that we are set apart from the world will become more and more evident. But don't let it consume you, don't let it steer you away from surrendering to His perfect will. If anything, let it be your driving force, let it remind you that there are still so many lost. Pray for your loved ones, especially in those times you feel outcast.. there's a reason you feel that way, the enemy doesn't want you praying for them. Don't live your life trying to be with the "in-crowd", someday you may just find yourself stuck in the sea of people, unable to hear His voice clearly. Above all, live your life to glorify Him in all that you say and all that you do, until that great day comes!
“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief."- Revelation 3:1-3
Keep fighting the good fight in His name! <><
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Peace of God
This past week was one of those long, grueling weeks. The kind where you subconsciously numb yourself just to get through it. This one was a little different for me, as last week during a devotional with a group of friends we were challenged to make time with God a priority every day and keep the peace of Jesus in our hearts. Though I was feeling miserable in my mind, I had that blessed assurance, and tranquility. I didn't get depressed and feel defeated. (I had moments when I started to fall down) I kept my hands stretched out (Of course metaphorically! Otherwise, I think I would have some major circulation problems just about now!) and the peace remained in my heart, and when peace remains in your heart it functions somewhat the same, as when it pumps blood, and radiates it to your mind and soul.
Then came last night (Friday). Money is tight right now, it's stressful and frustrating when you have to juggle finances. I had that "this sucks" attitude, and just wanted bed time to come so I could sleep it all away. While I was cooking I popped on the iPod as usual, normally I shuffle it but this time I put on Chris Tomlin and "Our God" came on. My son Kai, was in and out of the kitchen until this point, when he stopped and just hung out. He made me play the song over again... and again.. and again. He began dancing in the kitchen singing along with the chorus "Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other", then he stopped and said "OH, I'll be right back!" A few moments later he came back in with his toy electric guitar, and even though the guitar plays it's own song, he said "Ok, let's rock out! Play it again!" It made me laugh, but during that time watching him strum along (to the rhythm, makes me proud! haha) I heard that still, small voice once again, how many times did I need to hear those words to realize their meaning. How many times did I sing along within that span of 20 mins, so completely focused on my circumstance, and completely block out the reason/meaning of those words?
I started to claim that for myself. MY GOD is GREATER, MY GOD is STRONGER, MY GOD is HIGHER than any other! It brought that peace back in to my heart. That assurance. Even though I don't always feel like things are going to be ok, there is a peace within me where I know He's got this. If He is with me, what can stand against??
By the time Jay arrived, Kai decided they needed to rock out together.. so Jay sat down and got out the guitar, and they played in the song over and over. The more they played, the more His peace consumed our household, and along with His peace came His joy! I prayed that this wouldn't be the last time our family entered in to worship together, and that there will always be spontaneous "Rock Out" sessions in our home. It makes my heart glad that my son, who is only 4.. is already being used to bring Him glory and pray it continues as he grows.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Phillipians 4:6-7
Then came last night (Friday). Money is tight right now, it's stressful and frustrating when you have to juggle finances. I had that "this sucks" attitude, and just wanted bed time to come so I could sleep it all away. While I was cooking I popped on the iPod as usual, normally I shuffle it but this time I put on Chris Tomlin and "Our God" came on. My son Kai, was in and out of the kitchen until this point, when he stopped and just hung out. He made me play the song over again... and again.. and again. He began dancing in the kitchen singing along with the chorus "Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other", then he stopped and said "OH, I'll be right back!" A few moments later he came back in with his toy electric guitar, and even though the guitar plays it's own song, he said "Ok, let's rock out! Play it again!" It made me laugh, but during that time watching him strum along (to the rhythm, makes me proud! haha) I heard that still, small voice once again, how many times did I need to hear those words to realize their meaning. How many times did I sing along within that span of 20 mins, so completely focused on my circumstance, and completely block out the reason/meaning of those words?
I started to claim that for myself. MY GOD is GREATER, MY GOD is STRONGER, MY GOD is HIGHER than any other! It brought that peace back in to my heart. That assurance. Even though I don't always feel like things are going to be ok, there is a peace within me where I know He's got this. If He is with me, what can stand against??
By the time Jay arrived, Kai decided they needed to rock out together.. so Jay sat down and got out the guitar, and they played in the song over and over. The more they played, the more His peace consumed our household, and along with His peace came His joy! I prayed that this wouldn't be the last time our family entered in to worship together, and that there will always be spontaneous "Rock Out" sessions in our home. It makes my heart glad that my son, who is only 4.. is already being used to bring Him glory and pray it continues as he grows.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Phillipians 4:6-7
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Love Them
People watching, it's always interesting! I think it's some thing we all enjoy doing and for many different reasons. Some enjoy fashion, some enjoy picking out the quirky things they see people doing.. it's fun to see how people react to each other and their environment. Some times we're just plain intrigued with an individual's choice of actions, or dress.. haha! In any case, it's enjoyable to some extent.
Lately I catch myself people watching a lot more than I used to. But it's not the surface things that concern me (although some can be .. interesting to say the least), I feel a tug to look at people closer. As I watch I can hear the words "Love them." Love them? I don't even know them. We are commanded by Christ himself to love. He doesn't ask us to love only those we know, but to also love those we don't know. I find myself more and more, asking Him to give me eyes like His.
Now, I am not a "crier", my tears don't flow easily. Yet, I find myself crying in other ways lately. Watching people living to die and dying to live.. it brings a huge sorrow, and sorrow is uncomfortable for me. Still, I watch and hear "Love them." I can't help but marvel at the wonder of His love.. does my definition of love even remotely match His? I look at these complete strangers and just see a deep deep sorrow, I can't fix that.. but I can offer love. What is love? Maybe it's doing the only thing you are capable of at that given moment.. a smile, a prayer (silent or out loud).. a simple "Hello!" to just acknowledge their existence. I believe by these gestures, we are in some small way allowing His love to shine through us, so that His compassion, His spirit, can reach out to their souls, even without their knowledge.
I know the Lord is speaking to my heart, burdening me to move forward in His plans for my life. I have slowly over the years seen answers to prayers for the friends and family of my hometown to know Him. This is just the next step. I truly believe to begin to love people as a whole, is the greatest step we can take in fulfilling our mission here on earth. To take God's word to the ends of the earth, or even the ends of your street.. you must first learn to love.
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ -Matthew 25:40
Lately I catch myself people watching a lot more than I used to. But it's not the surface things that concern me (although some can be .. interesting to say the least), I feel a tug to look at people closer. As I watch I can hear the words "Love them." Love them? I don't even know them. We are commanded by Christ himself to love. He doesn't ask us to love only those we know, but to also love those we don't know. I find myself more and more, asking Him to give me eyes like His.
Now, I am not a "crier", my tears don't flow easily. Yet, I find myself crying in other ways lately. Watching people living to die and dying to live.. it brings a huge sorrow, and sorrow is uncomfortable for me. Still, I watch and hear "Love them." I can't help but marvel at the wonder of His love.. does my definition of love even remotely match His? I look at these complete strangers and just see a deep deep sorrow, I can't fix that.. but I can offer love. What is love? Maybe it's doing the only thing you are capable of at that given moment.. a smile, a prayer (silent or out loud).. a simple "Hello!" to just acknowledge their existence. I believe by these gestures, we are in some small way allowing His love to shine through us, so that His compassion, His spirit, can reach out to their souls, even without their knowledge.
I know the Lord is speaking to my heart, burdening me to move forward in His plans for my life. I have slowly over the years seen answers to prayers for the friends and family of my hometown to know Him. This is just the next step. I truly believe to begin to love people as a whole, is the greatest step we can take in fulfilling our mission here on earth. To take God's word to the ends of the earth, or even the ends of your street.. you must first learn to love.
And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ -Matthew 25:40
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Beautiful Victory!
I love Easter time.. why? Because it's a time of the year that brings us to a state of reflection, and every year I seem to learn something new about His love for us.This past year has been an extreme stretch of faith and perseverance, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to walk away from the struggles and give up. But if there's anything I have learned, through struggle and hardship, comes a beautiful victory. This is the part of His love I have learned about this year. We will find beauty in pain, if we keep our eyes on Him. We see it in His sacrifice for us.. out of the struggles and sorrow Christ endured on the cross for us, came the most beautiful and perfect love story ever told! I believe through Him, and in Him we find the victory not just at Easter, but in every day situations. (and not so every day situations)
If you're in a struggle today, whether it be big or small.. I urge you to keep pushing through and keep fighting. It's not comfortable and it's not easy.. but I assure you to every hardship, there is a beautiful ending.. you just need to get through the ugly part first. The victory is already there on the other side waiting for us, we need only to claim it!
"Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand."- Psalm 20:5-7
If you're in a struggle today, whether it be big or small.. I urge you to keep pushing through and keep fighting. It's not comfortable and it's not easy.. but I assure you to every hardship, there is a beautiful ending.. you just need to get through the ugly part first. The victory is already there on the other side waiting for us, we need only to claim it!
"Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand."- Psalm 20:5-7
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