Tuesday, March 22, 2011

patience

Definition for Patient: Capable, willing to endure

Synonyms: meek, mild, calm, composed, understanding, tranquil.

Antonyms: agitated, frustrated, impatient, intolerant, unwilling

What God says about patience:

Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

Are you patient? Are you still? Do you wait for God? Or do you run ahead of Him, sometimes leaving Him behind?

Patience is the companion of wisdom.
~St. Augustine

Stop. Take a moment today sit in the gentleness of God's presence. In what area of your life is He trying to show you patience? In what area of your life are you being impatient?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

community

So over these past couple days, I have spent some time with some great people in community. Whether it was with family, friends, and students; it was all great.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:13-16

God calls us to be light and salt. He calls not only myself, but each of you in some way. I think that is why community is so important, it helps us be light and salt with others. When you are in community, true community, there is an authenticity between the people you are with. There is a vulnerability about struggle, faith, joy, and learning to wait for God together.

I love having conversations in the car. I believe some of the best conversations come out of a car ride. I had one of those conversations with a great friend last night. We shared our hearts, prayed, laughed, and poured our heart and soul into the conversation and each other. That right there is community...it may have been in a car, but we were definitely light and salt to one another.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

hobbies and hiding

I have been sick for the past five days, and when I get sick I do nothing but sleep, watch movies, and do nothing.

Well...not entirely nothing. I did start the dishwasher, and I showered. So that counts, right?

While sitting and resting, I have been able to think a lot about my life and what God expects me to do with it.

I came up with a list of things I would like to do, some things are silly, and some are just genius. And other things on my list I blame on my congested brain.

1. Become a really good cook.
2. Take a cooking class to become a REALLY good cook.
3. Finish a couple of scrapbooks I have abandoned.
4. Find the scrapbooks in a box in the garage that I have abandoned.
5. Make a cooking blog, strictly dedicated to recipes and concoctions I make in our kitchen.
6. Keep the cook, the cleaning lady, and the housewife healthier than she is right now.
7. Spend more time building into others.
8. Start packing for yet ANOTHER move.
9. FInd a house to move into so my packing is more productive.
10. Be the person God created me to be, the girl who loves horses, the color orange, and soup. And my goal is to try my hardest to not lose sight of who God created me to be even though I am messy, stubborn, silly girl with a slight anger streak.

I will not hide my flaws, or my weaknesses. Why do I want to put more energy into hiding character traits that God gave me?

What are you hiding from others? What are you hiding from God?

Sometimes I find myself hiding my confidence from God and others. I think sometimes I am not the best wife, best cook, best horse back rider, and best listener. I tear myself down and I don't even give God the chance to build me back up and remind me of the confident, loving person that I am whether I am good at many things or just a couple. Once I let that doubt into my head and heart, God cannot get to me.

But I have to stay open, vulnerable to the good and not so good things... similar to David in the Bible.

He embraced the good, and not so good things about himself...and let God meet him in his brokenness, and in his triumphs.

Because what good is a relationship with God, if you don't let him in ALL of your life, and just a little?

I encourage you to let God in even if it is hard, even if you might not want to. I promise you, it's worth it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Why

This past weekend I was at a retreat with some high school students in the Wisconsin Dells. It was so great to be able to spend time with them, challenge them, feed into them, pray with them, and love on them.

Time and time again I am always amazed that even though I went to serve, God served me.

I was talking with a student about her father and the struggle she is having with maintaining a healthy, Christ centered relationship with him.

I had laugh at how God brings people together, because earlier in the evening I was wrestling with God about that same struggle with my own dad.

If you have ever had an absent, abusive, non-healthy, sometimes even an ill parent, you know the effect it has on you, your heart, and your relationship with God and others. There are many different emotions that run through your body: anger, guilt, sadness, grief, numbness, and emptiness.

If you can relate, I am sure you have asked God why.
Why me?
Why now?
Why God, why aren't you intervening?
God if you love me, why are you putting me through this?
Why?

Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Trust God.
Why Me? Because God wants to love you. He wants to pour His grace on you like rain. He wants to scoop you up and hold you close.
Why now? Because He can heal your pain, He can redeem the broken, He can bring peace.
Trust Him. I know life isn't easy, I know pain is hard. But let God heal your wounds and make you whole.

Why?
Because I did and He changed my life.