Archive for the 'Following Jesus' Category

It’s a NEW YEAR! A fresh slate. A blank canvas. I love the coming of a new year…there is so much hope and excitement. And as we all know, a perfect time for setting goals. This year, I would like to:

• Draw closer to Jesus by spending time in intimate conversation with him DAILY.
  • I want to depend on Him to be my lifeline throughout the day…which means I need to pray a lot! Nothing is too small or too trivial for Him to be involved. His throne room is open to me 24/7. My desire is to meet with Him in the early morning hours, and I’ve committed to not getting on my computer or reading anything else until I have done that.
• Read through the Bible in one year.
  • I really love The One Year Bible…and have succeeded in reading every day so far. I love that there is a reading for each day, and I truly feel that the passage I read that day is specifically for me on THAT DAY. The format of the OYB (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs) is really nice. It’s also available online.
• Walk/run at least 30 minutes a day and to spend time outside daily.
  • There are so many benefits to working out every day, but it’s been at least 4 years since I did it regularly (before Bella). I’m 31 years old, and I’m starting to feel like it. I’m determined to get back in shape! I’m 3 days in…and I feel goooooood. Sore, but good.

If I am to succeed at these things, it will take a mindful effort and prayer. Not just “hoping” that I can follow through. I love how the Forerunner Commentary describes “self-mastery”:

Self-mastery is self-government, or self-control, the foundation of a strong godly life, growth, and producing fruit. If a person cannot govern himself, if he cannot master his passions, he will certainly not have a good relationship with his fellowman or God. His life will likely be marked by major excesses.

A person who has self-mastery is even-handed, and his passions are under control. He makes proper use of his drives and desires, and his manner of life is not one of extremes. A person reflecting this quality will be making steady progress in growing into the perfectly balanced character of Jesus Christ.

If I cannot “master” a certain area of my life, it will lead to excess in that area. Concerning my goals, if I do not spend time with God daily, my relationship with my family and friends suffer. My not-so-lovely traits slowly start to surface…and I am overcome with an “excess of self”. If I do not read and meditate on His word daily, my heart and mind become stagnant and indifferent. I start to display an excess of sarcasm, impatience, and worry. If I do not exercise, my BODY will be in excess of pounds and stress.

On the other hand, if I CAN master my “self” and follow through with these goals…it says I will have the “foundation for a strong godly life, growth, and produce fruit”. Yes!! Show me the FRUIT!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galations 5:22-23

I love how The Message has interpreted this verse:
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galations 5:22-23 (The Message)

Who wouldn’t want those things!? It’s amazing to me that God wants to give those things to us…all we need to do is ASK and follow hard after Him. On a side note, if you’re looking for an amazing Bible study on the fruit of the spirit, check out Beth Moore’s “Living Beyond Yourself“. It’s available online…complete with videos.

When you are passionate about something, it doesn’t have to automatically be a bad thing. However, there is a stronger possibility that your passions could become a problem in your life. For example…the Internet is a wonderful resource and networking tool…however, it’s so easy to get sucked into hours and hours of endless clicking. All of this clicking creates discontentment with our current life and slowly lures us away from our families and responsibilities. At that point, it becomes a “major excess” that needs to be mastered.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

I love this passage in Timothy…because it reminds me that although I want to get my body healthy this year, my spiritual health is infinitely more important. Not that eating healthy and maintaining an exercise regimen isn’t a good thing…it’s just not of eternal importance. I want to spend twice as much time exercising my mind in my relationship with Christ than I spend exercising my body.

I think it’s also a good idea to PRACTICE denying yourself of indulgences…to become better at mastering the “self”. Yes, you COULD have dessert after your meal…but why not consciously decide not to, and focus on thoughts of self-discipline instead? Yes, you COULD spend your money on a new X, Y, or Z…but why not fast from spending if for nothing else but to make your mind sharper…becoming the master of your passions.

Our culture screams the opposite of this to us every day. Buy now! You deserve it! Bigger and better! More, more, more! EXCESS is our country’s middle name. Walk the opposite direction of the world and focus on what Jesus said about these things:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ” Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” Mark 10:21
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ” Matthew 5:29, 30

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Off we go…a new year, renewed passions, and a self to be mastered. Weeeeee!

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons/monkeyc.net

Every year, my dear Grandmother gets everyone a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble. We all went out the day after Christmas and I browsed for quite some time until I found the perfect selections. I had two books in my hand as I walked towards the registers. In one hand, I held “Eat, Pray, Love” and in the other, “Three Cups of Tea”. For some unknown reason, I felt like I should put “Three Cups of Tea” back and just get the one book…which is very unlike me! I usually use up my gift cards in one trip

Fast forward to that evening…I am squatting in front of the book section at the Goodwill, looking through all of the castaways. Most are from the 1970s…parenting books, cookbooks, novels. And then I see a very familiar cover…one that I had in my hand earlier that day! There is was…”Three Cups of Tea”! It was marked a whopping 59 cents. I caught my breath as I pulled it off of the shelf and quickly tucked it under my arm. I simply could not believe that it was the very book I had almost purchased at full retail price earlier that day.

Fast forward to the next day. I had been telling Rebecca about “Eat, Pray, Love” and that it would be the perfect book for her to read on their airplane ride to Brazil. I had prayed earlier about just giving her my new book, but I quickly (and selfishly) brushed that idea aside. I told God that if I was supposed to give it to her, then He better make it obvious. As we were sitting at the cafe drinking our coffee, Rebecca says, “could I just borrow that book from you for now”? And of course I said “NO! You can just have it!” I knew that God had spoken clearly and I heard Him.

The best part about all of this…was that because I didn’t buy “Three Cups of Tea” at Barnes, I still had enough money to go back and buy another copy of “Eat, Pray, Love” for myself. God prepared the way in advance for me to bless Rebecca that day over coffee.

I don’t believe in coincidence. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in a sovereign God that weaves together every strand…every circumstance in our life…for good. Sometimes it may not feel “good” at the time, but when we look back years later or even at the end of our life, we can see that it was all working towards a purpose.

When I am abiding in Christ (spending time reading the Bible every day and regular time in prayer), I am so much more able to hear His gentle voice. My eyes are open and eagerly awaiting the amazing things that God has planned for my day.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him” Matthew 7:11

My mind always comes back to this verse when God does something that delights and surprises me. My earthly father loves to go out for coffee…and he blesses his kids by taking them with and buying them coffee too. It’s a sweet time a fellowship together and we love doing it. I’m always especially blessed because a Grande Soy Caramel Macchiato doesn’t usually fit into a tight traveling budget! A few days ago, I was out running errands and I really wanted to stop and get a “fancy coffee”, but I didn’t want to spend the money on it. A few stops later, I was at the Co-op getting some groceries, and they were offering hot cups of fair trade, organic coffee for FREE! I was giddy with joy…and my mind went immediately to Christ, who I KNOW had a hand in that. Coffee with your Father is a good thing

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t believe that our prayers should be “you give me this, and I’ll give you that” kind of prayers. I just know that when you walk with Him in a constant intimate relationship, He WILL bless you. He loves to bless you. And because you are in that close relationship, you will immediately recognize his touch.

Thank you God for good gifts!

“Infinite and yet an infant.
Eternal and yet born of a woman.
Almighty, and yet nursing at a woman’s breast.
Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms.
Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.”

–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Thank you Lord for coming to earth to save us. We give you praise and honor your name on this Christmas Day! Here are some photos of our Christmas. It was a day full of laughter and memories…I hope yours was the same!

Love,
Sara

Several people have asked me how I was able to get books on the road…since I have no library I always laugh and tell them that I have NO time for reading anyway! However…I have refocused my priorities a bit and have been reading again. And OH! How I missed it. Reading feeds my soul. I so LOVED one of the books, that I just knew had to share it with you. I found it on my dear friend Angela’s bookshelf when we stopped at her house in Tennessee and she was gracious enough to let me take it with me to finish.

The book is called “Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God” by Noel Piper (John Piper’s wife). She tells the stories of five women who have been used by God to do mighty things…some were missionaries, some were mothers, all were amazing. There was one paragraph in the book that really stuck out to me. It was the chapter on Lilias Trotter, an artist and missionary to the Muslims in Algeria.

I’ll give you the paragraph before for some context…

She was free now to throw herself wholeheartedly into her ministry in London. She remained Ruskin’s friend to the end of his life, though he never understood her decision. and she still loved art–how could she not when her soul was so tenderly vulnerable to beauty. But she enjoyed her art now as a gift, not a passion. Much later, she realized even more strongly the importance of focusing on Jesus, rather than on all the good things he gives us.

Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once…art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best. It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure if off during the day? Dare to have it out with God…and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory…

How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.

…excerpt from “A Passion for the Impossible” (Rockness)

…a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him. Wow. I need to repeat that again and again. How often do we search and endlessly for something to change our life? For something that we can ADD to our life to make it better…more fulfilling…more exciting…when all we really needed to do was to change our FOCUS? We don’t need to add anything…or even deliberately take things “away” from ourselves (unless they are causing sin in your life). We just need to “look and look”at Jesus…His words, His ways…and a “strange dimness” will come over all that is apart from him.

This has happened often in my life…and I know that many of you can relate. When I start to read my Bible more, I crave more and more of God’s word. Which, in turn, makes a strange dimness come over my desire to watch TV. When I spend more time with Bella and Matt…a strange dimness comes over surfing the web aimlessly for hours. Jesus is a “light” that washes out things that aren’t pleasing to Him.

Where is your focus right now? Are you “living in a half a dozen good harmless worlds at once”? As wives and mothers, we are prone to taking on too many extracurriculars…being involved with too many things outside the home…spending too much time on hobbies…all of these things are “good harmless” things, but when they draw your focus away from Christ and from your ministry to your family. You must reassess…and return to your first love. And if you’re like me, you need to continue to do it on a regular basis.

I’m not sure, but I wonder if Lilias Trotter was thinking of this beautiful hymn when she wrote the words above…my mom used to sing it to me when I was having a particularly bad day, and these words still comfort me in times of struggle:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

 

Amen.

One of my very favorite singing duos, Shane and Shane, have recently come out with a new album called Pages. The entire album is amazing, but one song in particular stuck out to me from the first time I heard it.

Beg

Here I am
One more day of not
Loving Him the way He asks
In fact my heart is singing praises to the things
that make me feel alright

So I’m sinking fast like a stone heart should
And on the way down
I’ve done what I could
To try and try to turn this stone to flesh

I’m haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

So I beg for you to move
I beg for you to move
I beg for you to break through

So here I am
Got my deeds for the day
All my cute little words about
How I am saved
Am I saved?

Could I love you with my mouth like a church kid should
At the end of the day
My words get burned as wood
Oh, but I was good.

I’m haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

These songs are noise
In your ears
A clanging drum
You want my love

Sometimes we just get stuck in a spot in our life where we are literally begging for God to move. For Him to show Himself mighty. To come out from behind the clouds. We get bogged down trying to DO the things we think we should do to make God happy with us…with our “cute little words”, when His main concern is for us to love Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul. If we are doing that…the days become brighter. Filled with hope for our future and a confidence that cannot be shaken even in our deepest trials.

Here is a clip of this song for you to check out. If Shane and Shane are in your area during this tour…you MUST go see them. They put on the most amazing worshipful concert I’ve ever been to. Their songs are so rooted in scripture…you’ll be mesmerized and blessed.

As I look back through my past prayer journals…I see a definite trend in things that I struggle with. One of those things is my mouth. It seems over and over throughout my life that my mouth has gotten me into trouble. Starting when I was a teenager Boy, was I sassy. And on into my 20’s, my mouth kind of stayed with me. I don’t think I thought I was ever hurting anyone directly with my words, but even the TONE of voice I may have used toward someone, or a bit of sarcasm falling on sensitive ears…they all have negative effects. It carries over into my relationship with my family as we discuss topics that we may not all agree on and I really want to get my point across. It carries over into my marriage…when I let my mouth speak to Matt before my mind/heart has caught up to it. It carries over into my relationship with Bella…when I can all too often get frustrated and use an impatient tone with her when I’m in a hurry to get something done.

I could make excuses all day about why I am the way I am. I’m “passionate”. I’m “outgoing”. I have “strong opinions”. But the truth is, Jesus doesn’t care about the excuses. His standard for our speech is so much higher than an explanation of “why I did it”. I’ve read that the “mark of a spiritually mature woman” is that she has tamed her tongue. Oh…LORD!! How I long to be spiritually mature. I want all of my words to be only WISE & KIND! I want my words to be GENTLE!

Words are powerful. They have the ability to tear families apart. But they also have the ability to mend broken hearts and relationships. They can completely rip away at someone’s self-esteem. But they can also be used to encourage and support. Jesus had MUCH to say about the words that come from our mouths.

Proverbs 17: 27
He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

James 3:2-12
For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.

For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord^, and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Just a quick glance through these verses is enough to make me fall to my knees! Our words CONTROL our lives, set the tone for our day, and give credibility to our faith. The last sentence of the last passage is so convicting…if my mouth is speaking from the abundance or “overflow” of my heart, what is truly in my heart? Have I let Jesus come completely in and wash away all of the negativity, anger, envy, impatience…?

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it?” How often have we been speaking harshly/”cursing” to someone in our immediate family and when a stranger or friend comes near, we start speaking “blessing”? When we switch back and forth like that, what does it say about our character? And about our relationship with God?

I know without a doubt that when I have neglected my spiritual life and my time in God’s word…my mouth starts to get sassy. I start to speak with negative words and with harsh tones. The inward “words” I allow myself to think are affected as well. When I am in God’s word consistently, HIS words fill my heart. HIS words come to mind in a hard situation. HIS words bring LIFE.

I want to start examining my speech with a fine-toothed comb…weeding out anything that is not pleasing to Him. I only want to say words that are wise and kind…and most of all, spoken with a gentle spirit. It’s not human nature to be those kind of things all the time…so it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I will be able to accomplish it. Sometimes I physically have to “bite my tongue” to stop from saying the first thing that comes to my mouth. It’s definitely an exercise in self-control….that’s why it’s called TAMING the tongue. A rule we try to live by at our house…”don’t ever say the first thing that comes to mind. Or the second. The third thing is usually the best.” And of course, you could just not say anything at all…and that’s ok. It gives your heart time to catch up.

Speak truth today. Speak wisdom today. Speak kindness today. Speak gentleness today. You’ll be amazed at the change in your family life/relationships and ALL of the situations you encounter.

I’ve been meaning to write about dumpster diving for awhile now, but Colin at No Impact Man beat me to it. Be sure to watch the video he posted from CNN and also all of the comments on his post…it’s a great eye opener. A fortune 500 executive dumpster diver? Who woulda thought?

I just cannot wrap my brain around the fact that we as a nation throw away and waste so much food every day…and yet there are people who go to bed hungry. Why on earth would a restaurant or grocery store taint food it throws out for the sole purpose of keeping people from eating it? They threw it out…it’s trash in their eyes. Why not let someone else make use of it? I just don’t get it. I can understand why they would be upset if someone was taking food from their dumpster and making a mess around the area, but one of the generally known rules of dumpster diving is to leave the area cleaner than you found it.

I have never gotten food from a dumpster (although I have found other lovely household items like this!), but I am certainly not opposed to it…and have been quite fascinated by it for awhile. What a brilliant form of activism…the ultimate in anti-consumerism. Freegan.info describes the activism side of it like this:

“Freeganism is a total boycott of an economic system where the profit motive has eclipsed ethical considerations and where massively complex systems of productions ensure that all the products we buy will have detrimental impacts most of which we may never even consider. Thus, instead of avoiding the purchase of products from one bad company only to support another, we avoid buying anything to the greatest degree we are able.”

I think this might be why people are so opposed to letting their trash go to whoever wants it. Food, trash, possessions….they are all highly political. The choices you make about these things reflect your values. And when you get your food from a dumpster, it makes others uncomfortable…like you are judging them for NOT getting their food from the dumpster. They don’t understand it, so they fight against it. They can’t imagine themselves doing it, so in their mind…it’s wrong/weird for anyone to do it. There seems to be feeling of “if I have to work hard for this…then you do too!”.

In the book Evasion, the anonymous author brings up the absurdity of it all:

“There is the odd paradox — the casualness with which they will throw something into the dumpster, and the lengths they go to protect it once it’s there. How an innocent and harmless act — dumpster diving — will be confronted by greedy shopkeepers, store managers, and employees with scathing words, rage, and violence. “

What would Jesus say about dumpster diving? I think he would hold weekly dumpster diving parties. He would be right there inside the dumpster with everyone else…exclaiming words of joy when he finds a sealed box of bread or a bright shining apple. He would take the food and feed those in the neighborhood…and then go fight for better processes when it comes to food waste!

I think one of the biggest reasons for people throwing things away, wasting food, etc. is pure laziness. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this….although I am much more mindful about my choices now. Household items that you could Freecyle get put in the trash because you’re in a hurry. Restaurants throw out food because it takes too much work in their mind to partner with a food bank or homeless shelter. There needs to be a greater network of people who are willing to be the liason and fill the gap. How about a restaurant with only dumpstered food? A health inspector’s worst nightmare, I’m sure…but what a wonderful thing for a community. And Jesus would be the general manager

More resources:
Everything you ever wanted to know about “freegans” and dumpster diving at Freegan.info
A friend of mine on MySpace documents her loot here.
How to Dumpster Dive

Photo credit: Flickr/toddmundt

I do not believe in being lucky or unlucky. Or in coincidences. I DO believe in a God that is sovereign and who knows all things and can control all things. He is in charge of the universe and yet still delights in me and the knows the details of my daily life. And if He knows those details AND He is in control, why would I waste one minute of my day worrying? Your life will be transformed when you can grasp this fully. It truly is amazing , and I don’t think our human minds can fathom His greatness.

I love to read the Psalms to be reminded of the characteristics of God…as the Psalmists pour out their love for Him. I long to understand whom I serve….and what I find is a loving, personal God who wants to be involved in every decision of our lives. He allows us to wake every morning…can He not handle the problems of our day?

John Piper had this to say in response to the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse and the sovereignty of God (see full response here):

“All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.”

Piper reminds us of our frail existence here on earth…and of a God who is POWERFUL beyond measure. Powerful, and yet He desires that none should perish. He has a gentle spirit. He longs speak with us all day. To be close to us. Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to forget who holds all things together? We walk away from His love and His plan so easily.

Elisabeth Elliot shares this:

I know of no greater simplifier for all of life. Whatever happens is assigned. Does the intellect balk at that? Can we say that there are things that happen to us that do not belong to our lovingly assigned “portion”(“This belongs to it, that does not”) Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? Every assignment is measured and controlled for my eternal good. As I accept the given portion, other options are canceled. Decisions become much easier, directions clearer, and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter. A quiet heart is content with what God gives.

Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? No! So why do we act as if they are? In every circumstance, God’s purpose can be found…although it may take years or even a lifetime. It’s ok to question God when you are in a difficult, painful situations…but we must never doubt His purpose in it and His desire to be glorified through it.

If you have never read the blog “Especially Heather”, you need to start. I have been reading Heather’s response to her brain cancer since she was diagnosed…and I am encouraged daily by this amazing woman’s understanding that God is sovereign. She is continually blessing others with her wisdom and giving God glory, despite the incredible pain she is going through right now. She has recently posted a couple of videos/lyrics that have really made me think about what it means to give God glory in ALL things. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did (the titles link to the videos).

Bring The Rain
MercyMe

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there’ll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than
my pain you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

And one of my favorites…

Shane and Shane
Psalm 145

great is the Lord, so worthy of praise
great is the Lord

one generation will
commend Your kingdom
to one another
they will speak of You
and i will meditate
on Your wonder
and they, they will speak
of Your glorious splendor
of Your majesty
everyday i’ll praise thee
forever and ever

everyday i will praise
for You open Your hand
and satisfy desires of all things
my God the King

the Lord is gracious
and slow to anger
He is rich in love
He is good to all

all who call on Him
in truth He is near to
and He hears their cry
and saves them

I’ve never been someone who just blends into the crowd. I am extremely outgoing. I’m confident. I talk to strangers…at length. I’m passionate about A LOT of things. I have a three-year-old who dances everywhere she goes while singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” at the top of her lungs. Pretty hard to go unnoticed with that last one. All of those things are fine with me. It’s who I am. But prior to dreading my hair, at least I LOOKED like everyone else on the outside, even if I was a little crazy on the inside.

These days, it’s pretty clear that I am not like the others. And when you look different, people seem to stare more. It’s very strange to go from being occasionally noticed, to having people blatantly gawking at you. I can understand it though…because before I had dreads, I would totally stare at people who had dreads. Because I WANTED dreads! Of course, it’s a little hard to determine what is in people’s minds when they are staring. Do they want dreads too? Do they know someone who has dreads? Are they wondering how a white girl got her hair to knot up like that? Were they judging me because I looked different?

Which brings me to my next point. Judgment. Picture yourself walking through the mall or the grocery store. You see someone who looks different than you or who may be acting different than you. Is your first reaction to comment out loud to your companions? Maybe a comment about how silly that person looks? Or how obnoxious they are acting? Maybe you’re not with anyone, but you still think it and you inwardly roll your eyes as that person walks by.

We’ve all been there. If you haven’t ever judged someone by their appearance…I really don’t think you’re human. Is it truly possible to just look at someone and acknowledge that they are different, but not judge them? Is it truly possible to just look at a person for WHO they are inside and not what they look like on the outside? Is it truly possible to see a SOUL instead of a BODY? I think so. But for me, it won’t happen without letting Christ control my mind.

When I see something or someone that is different…especially if they happen to be rubbing m the wrong way, the reaction of my flesh (a.k.a. sin nature) is to judge. My mind is usually not filled with loving, uplifting thoughts about that person. That can only come when I am abiding with Christ and HE is the one controlling my thought life. When He is in control of my thoughts, HIS thoughts come through first and mine get thrown away. When my thoughts align with Christ’s, I think first of how that person’s day has been, what kind of things they’ve had to deal with, and the kind of hurts they have experienced in their life. I look at them with a more gentle spirit and I recognize things in them that I myself have struggled with in the past or things I am still struggling with, but don’t want to address. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus offers a reminder in our dealings with others:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”.

Judgment has an entire industry. Just look around as you check out at the grocery store next time. Gossip magazines are a great tool to help you judge others. “Brittany shaves head!”. “Paris in jail!”. Is your first thought…”she deserved it…” or “what on earth was she thinking? She’s crazy”. Or did your heart hurt for Brittany as she struggled with the whole world watching? As Paris cried out for her mother…did you laugh at her or feel her pain with her? Jesus showed nothing but love and mercy to ALL people. He broke bread with prostitutes and tax collectors. He rebuked those who were judgmental in their thoughts toward others. It doesn’t mean that they won’t have to experience the consequences of their sins or that they should continue on that path. But He looked at them with LOVE first. Next time you want to pick up one of those magazines…think about the thoughts it causes you to have and what purpose they have in your life. Is an industry based on gossip and judgment one you want to support with your money?

It’s not always strangers that we judge…we judge those closest to us. Our friends, our family…those we love the most. Think of how different your group of friends could be or how different your family could be if the only words from your mouth to them were edifying and uplifting…only allowing thoughts of grace or forgiveness to come into your mind and out of your mouth as you speak about them or to them. I know that all of you have probably experienced deep hurts in your life…and they often come from someone close to you. It is possible to judge the situation apart from the person involved. It’s hard, but you can.

I had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Donnie last January and he had these things to say on his blog about learning to not judge others.

“…so i have developed an exercise. we’ll call it a spiritual discipline – that, if applied to my lifestyle every few days or weeks, will strengthen my ‘higher self’ or ‘new man’ or ‘bad a**’ or whatever it is that cooperates with the Spirit of God (i.e. unrelenting generosity & compassion). it’s called “people watching“. i know we all do it. some of us even watch people watching other people. but this is maybe a bit different because of the intention – in the same way one could eat a big mac for nourishment or only for entertainment. so the intention to cultivate is this: no partiality. meaning, that as i am watching big/small, dirty/clean, sober/stoned, rich/poor, pretty/ugly people… i am doing so with the intention of seeing value in each one that i focus on. breaking subconscious habits of finding people less than. i am confronting automatic response patterns and prejudices that come up, for example, when i see an anarchist and just want to write him off as an angry lost soul. first, i have to acknowledge that i really do feel this way and then try to move into projecting/thinking/praying only good things for this person – as well as asking the Great Spirit to help me out with my crusty, impatient tendencies to be closed jerk. basically, asking for help as i work towards becoming a more merciful, understanding person. and we all know that life is a lot better when you are hanging out with someone like that. things feel on time and you feel as though you are actually a unique and interesting person.”

When those judgmental thoughts enter your mind…”capture” them and submit them to Christ. When you let negative thoughts run rampant in your mind…the outcome is always bitterness and a hardened heart.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8).”

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).”

You will be amazed at how different your entire life can be if your thoughts are focused on the GOOD things, not the bad…in people, in situations, everywhere. This is not just a Christian philosophy…people of all faiths can embrace this concept and choose not to judge. Set your mind…and have eyes of mercy.

 

I’ve always loved the feeling of a “fresh” journal…the smooth pages, the crisp binding, and the way the pen glides. I’m normally a very “tech-obsessed” girl. I switched from a paper planner to an electronic one as soon as they came out, and I love the convenience of it. My computer is one of my best friends. However, eventually I found that I really missed writing on REAL paper (I know, I know, not too ec0-friendly, but I just found about 20 brand new composition journals in the dumpster, so I think I’m good for awhile!). Just as I LOVE getting mail that is written out by hand, I also love writing and pouring my heart out to God on the pages of my prayer journal.

 

In 2001, I read the book Let Prayer Change Your Life by Becky Tirabassi and she turned me onto the idea of journalling my prayers every day. I have found it to be so rewarding and life-changing for many reasons. First, when I write out my prayers, there is a record of what I have asked God for and I can “track” His answers. It’s been amazing to watch him answer requests so clearly…and if I hadn’t written it down, I would have forgotten and probably taken the credit for it myself! It’s also much easier to pray for friends this way…I write down their requests as I get them so I don’t forget. Secondly, I am better able to process my feelings about a situation or an emotion that I have having when I take the time to write it out. It takes much longer to write something than just say it or think it…so it helps me to process though things. Many times, God will speak to my heart and reveal things as I am writing them. It’s fun to go back and see Him working through things with me. Lastly, I love to write out scripture as I pray. God’s word is so powerful…and it’s also easier to memorize verses when I write them down (memorization is a discipline I want to work on more….I’d love to hear from people who are doing it as well).

 

I’ve had a few different styles of journals…but the one I come back to most often is one that is divided into sections:

• Praise: I usually work my way through Psalms, doing 2-3 a day and writing verses down that really pop for me that day. Sometimes I will write my own Psalm to God…or write out all of the names I can think of for God.
• Requests: I pray for a lot of things because I know I have a big God. I pray for myself, Matt, Bella, my family and friends. I like writing it all out once and then just referring back to it…adding things as needed. I go back and highlight the request when God answers.
• Admitting: This section is always difficult. If I have been neglecting my time with God for awhile, this one takes a long time! I just ask God to show me anything in my heart/life that is not glorifying Him…that He would show me what areas I need to work on. It’s interesting to go back through my journals and see certain “themes” of struggles I have…weaknesses, etc. and how I am in desperate need of a Savior!
• Thanks: I am so blessed and always want to thank God for the abundance in my life. Just writing down that I am thankful for the “little things” in my life like electricity, running water, and food reminds me that there are other people who consider those “big things” and who are struggling right now.
• Scripture and misc: I use this to write down any “random” scriptures I come across. Not necessarily during my quiet time…but anytime (sermons, quotes from books, etc).

I’ve never journalled much about daily life in general (i.e. I went here…I did this…etc.). After a few incidents in junior high, I learned not to write too many details down (remember Heth?) But I’ve been thinking about starting up again. Sometimes I feel like my head might just explode if I don’t write all my thoughts out and process them. Perhaps I will incorporate it into my prayer journal. I’ve been completely inspired by these groups that I found on Flickr (thanks Mrs. Pivec!). The pages are so beautiful…like an heirloom to be passed down through generations.

• Paper Journal 07
• Journals and Letters
• Molskine: One page at a time
• Molskinerie
• Calendar Journals

 

I would love to hear from all you journal junkies out there…prayer journals, life journals, visual journals, homemaking journals…anything at all. What do you love about it? Why did you start? Share the journal love!

Photo credit: Flickr/mills1983