Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the Lord:"Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
Jeremiah 10:10
"But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
these quotes must be glued to the heart....
"God gives us the cross, and then the cross gives us God."
~Jeanne Guyon
"As soon as anything comes to you in the form of suffering, at that very moment a natural resistance will well up somewhere inside of you. When that moment comes, immediately resign yourself to God. Accept the matter. In that moment give yourself up to Him as a sacrifice."
~Jeanne Guyon
~Jeanne Guyon
"As soon as anything comes to you in the form of suffering, at that very moment a natural resistance will well up somewhere inside of you. When that moment comes, immediately resign yourself to God. Accept the matter. In that moment give yourself up to Him as a sacrifice."
~Jeanne Guyon
Sunday, May 8, 2011
It's 2am...
It's 2am and I sit here awake with eyes burning from all the tears shed from a broken and bitter heart.
For far too long I have carried bitterness and hurt.
For far too long I have tried to fight a battle that is not mine to fight.
For far too long I have kept the Love that has been given freely to self; so afraid of how others would respond resulting in another traumatic heartbreak.
How dare I? Truly?
If I have learned anything in the past 7 years of my life, it is the recurring theme on pain and love.
They both go hand in hand and one cannot be without the other.
We hear songs such as 'love is a battlefield', 'bleeding love', 'break your heart'.. ecetera , ecetera.
Why does love cause so much pain and what is the root of it, I question often.
I think I have found an answer.
God is love. He sent Jesus as an expression of love.
But what did Jesus allow the Father to do?
Anything and everything to and through him.
He was surrendered..
He gave the Father the power to do whatever He pleased.
When we enter into any relationship, whether it be courtship or friendship, we are looking for depth with that individual.
We search to know everything about them, which ultimately puts us on the path to intimacy. Once we reach this intimacy, we also reach our most vulnerable state of being, which in turn gives power to the other individual. The power to crush us. The power to run off and make fools of us. The power to absolutely destroy us.
Love requires pain, but the question is will that person rise above? We trust so. Since human-beings are flawed, heartbreak and pain are inevitable. But what is reassuring is if we truly want to become like Jesus, we keep trusting, we keep loving, and we keep returning to the one who breaks our hearts, and yet heals our heart at the very same moment.
Never grow weary of being vulnerable.
Keep the walls down, and love with all the power the Lord has given you through His Holy Spirit.
It will always be worth it in the end.
Brokenness and humble hearts are pleasing to the Father.
These attributes keep us away from pride and fleshly tendencies, but ultimately that teach us a little of what Jesus felt.
I want to love like Jesus even if it requires pain and suffering.
For far too long I have carried bitterness and hurt.
For far too long I have tried to fight a battle that is not mine to fight.
For far too long I have kept the Love that has been given freely to self; so afraid of how others would respond resulting in another traumatic heartbreak.
How dare I? Truly?
If I have learned anything in the past 7 years of my life, it is the recurring theme on pain and love.
They both go hand in hand and one cannot be without the other.
We hear songs such as 'love is a battlefield', 'bleeding love', 'break your heart'.. ecetera , ecetera.
Why does love cause so much pain and what is the root of it, I question often.
I think I have found an answer.
God is love. He sent Jesus as an expression of love.
But what did Jesus allow the Father to do?
Anything and everything to and through him.
He was surrendered..
He gave the Father the power to do whatever He pleased.
When we enter into any relationship, whether it be courtship or friendship, we are looking for depth with that individual.
We search to know everything about them, which ultimately puts us on the path to intimacy. Once we reach this intimacy, we also reach our most vulnerable state of being, which in turn gives power to the other individual. The power to crush us. The power to run off and make fools of us. The power to absolutely destroy us.
Love requires pain, but the question is will that person rise above? We trust so. Since human-beings are flawed, heartbreak and pain are inevitable. But what is reassuring is if we truly want to become like Jesus, we keep trusting, we keep loving, and we keep returning to the one who breaks our hearts, and yet heals our heart at the very same moment.
Never grow weary of being vulnerable.
Keep the walls down, and love with all the power the Lord has given you through His Holy Spirit.
It will always be worth it in the end.
Brokenness and humble hearts are pleasing to the Father.
These attributes keep us away from pride and fleshly tendencies, but ultimately that teach us a little of what Jesus felt.
I want to love like Jesus even if it requires pain and suffering.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tears. Trust. Patience.
I went home a couple of days ago.
While it was haunting to see some of the devastation of the small town in which I have been born and raised, peace and solitude found me. Fate found me. The words of Jesus were spoken to my heart. I found hope again.
As I pulled up to the driveway, I found my Papa frolicking in the fields on a bike with three wheels. I went up to greet him, and he kissed me on the cheek with his warm and tender love radiating from the depths of his heart. The most joyous moment of my visit was to see his child-like faith put into action.
See, my Papa is madly in love with this wonderful lady named Dollie. She compliments him well and I am quite fond of her myself.
Seeing them together encourages me, and helps me hold on to the hope of which the Father placed in me long ago. The fire has been rekindled and I trust that He knows what He is doing in all
areas of the life that is His alone.
As I returned from my ventures that evening, Mrs. Dollie was waiting for me at the kitchen table. I quickly pulled up a chair to express to her what an awful state my heart was in. She listened. She listens well.
She went on to tell me her and Papa's love story. A story of heartache, trust, patience, and endurance. She watched the very man that God promised her three years prior marry another woman, but she trusted and she waited. Along with many tears and questions, she pressed forward. She continued to wait on the Lord and trust in His promises. He remembered her, and it all worked out for her and Papa's good.
What is the point of this story you may wonder?
The point is some of us know promises the Lord has made to us long ago.
Some of us are struggling, and that is okay. In the midst of the struggle, we grow stronger in our faith.
Why?
Because we realize that we need the Lord in every small detail and we can truly do nothing without Him. We are each broken and weak vessels who need a Savior to fix us and make us strong. He makes us strong only through our weaknesses. It is okay to be weak and vulnerable, despite of what the world says.
The Lord teaches and uses us most when we realize these truths about ourselves, and He shines brighter than the sun through us when we allow Him to be made strong in the midst of our sufferings.
My soul will continually wait on the Lord. I will not give in to 'meantime' individuals who attempt to satisfy what was only meant for One to fulfill. The Lord has our best interest at heart. The question is , will we go before Him, admitting our struggle; pouring out our hearts to Him so He may fill us up beyond the brim? The Lord knows what each individual is called to, whether is be marriage or singleness. Will we settle? Will we go with what we think is best or will we allow the Lord to give us His best for us?
Lord,
I come before you admitting that this heart grows lonely and that I question. I know You have my best interest in mind and I know that You are preparing and raising up that special individual just for me. Thank You for the satisfaction and fulfillment You bring to my life. Forgive me for the times I have stumbled and chosen to walk my own path. I need You Lord. I realize that the end of the day, it will be just me and You, face to face. There is nothing more satisfying than being in Your Presence. Thank You.
I love You and I praise You for what You are doing in my heart. I praise You for teaching me and growing me in the midst of the storm.
You are good.
I love You and ask all of these things in Jesus' name,
Amen
While it was haunting to see some of the devastation of the small town in which I have been born and raised, peace and solitude found me. Fate found me. The words of Jesus were spoken to my heart. I found hope again.
As I pulled up to the driveway, I found my Papa frolicking in the fields on a bike with three wheels. I went up to greet him, and he kissed me on the cheek with his warm and tender love radiating from the depths of his heart. The most joyous moment of my visit was to see his child-like faith put into action.
See, my Papa is madly in love with this wonderful lady named Dollie. She compliments him well and I am quite fond of her myself.
Seeing them together encourages me, and helps me hold on to the hope of which the Father placed in me long ago. The fire has been rekindled and I trust that He knows what He is doing in all
areas of the life that is His alone.
As I returned from my ventures that evening, Mrs. Dollie was waiting for me at the kitchen table. I quickly pulled up a chair to express to her what an awful state my heart was in. She listened. She listens well.
She went on to tell me her and Papa's love story. A story of heartache, trust, patience, and endurance. She watched the very man that God promised her three years prior marry another woman, but she trusted and she waited. Along with many tears and questions, she pressed forward. She continued to wait on the Lord and trust in His promises. He remembered her, and it all worked out for her and Papa's good.
What is the point of this story you may wonder?
The point is some of us know promises the Lord has made to us long ago.
Some of us are struggling, and that is okay. In the midst of the struggle, we grow stronger in our faith.
Why?
Because we realize that we need the Lord in every small detail and we can truly do nothing without Him. We are each broken and weak vessels who need a Savior to fix us and make us strong. He makes us strong only through our weaknesses. It is okay to be weak and vulnerable, despite of what the world says.
The Lord teaches and uses us most when we realize these truths about ourselves, and He shines brighter than the sun through us when we allow Him to be made strong in the midst of our sufferings.
My soul will continually wait on the Lord. I will not give in to 'meantime' individuals who attempt to satisfy what was only meant for One to fulfill. The Lord has our best interest at heart. The question is , will we go before Him, admitting our struggle; pouring out our hearts to Him so He may fill us up beyond the brim? The Lord knows what each individual is called to, whether is be marriage or singleness. Will we settle? Will we go with what we think is best or will we allow the Lord to give us His best for us?
Lord,
I come before you admitting that this heart grows lonely and that I question. I know You have my best interest in mind and I know that You are preparing and raising up that special individual just for me. Thank You for the satisfaction and fulfillment You bring to my life. Forgive me for the times I have stumbled and chosen to walk my own path. I need You Lord. I realize that the end of the day, it will be just me and You, face to face. There is nothing more satisfying than being in Your Presence. Thank You.
I love You and I praise You for what You are doing in my heart. I praise You for teaching me and growing me in the midst of the storm.
You are good.
I love You and ask all of these things in Jesus' name,
Amen
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