Delayed Gratification

Two ugly words in today's society...delayed gratification.  We don't like it.  Our minds have been programmed and pampered by the world we live in today to get what we want fairly quickly!  Whether its a hot meal at the drive thru, or a huge loan (bad credit or NO credit!!).  Waiting... we hate it.  It's physically painful sometimes.  Waiting for the light to change, waiting for a page to load, waiting for our kids to get through the door safely, waiting for test results.


So I found it interesting when my pastor tonight said" waiting is exciting!!  We should be eager with anticipation ..!" 


What he meant was that waiting for what God has planned should be exciting...why?? Because it comes with a promise.  A promise that He will follow through.  That He loves us and has our best interest in mind, and that, as we wait, He is working out the details on our behalf. 


We serve a God that loves us and has our best interest in mind.  Does that mean there will never be difficulties? Or sorrow? Or grief?  No way.  We live in a world of imperfect people and a place where sinful nature abounds.  Will God's plan always be what we originally hoped for?  Thankfully, no.  His plan is better than yours.  When we accept that with humility and gratitude, we can't be disappointed. 


When we are waiting for a storm to pass so we can catch the next flight, there will always be a chance it's just not going to happen.  But not with God.  Are you in the middle of your own storm? Has something terrible and unexpected happened? Are you angry and wondering how God could possibly have your best interest in mind?  The answer is this...wait, and trust.  Only God is capable of making something beautiful grow in a dead, lifeless place.  Wait.


 Think of the water and sun, and years and YEARS required to see the seed of an oak tree grow up to be strong enough to hold a swinging child!


We can wait with confidence and assurance that His plan with reveal itself in due time, and that He is good, all the time. 


So, when God's plan involves a lot of waiting... don't fret!  "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.." (Psalm 37:7)  Instead of allowing worry to take over, or the determination of your own will to change the course of God's plan, just wait...with anticipation.

Worth Waiting For

Waiting.  It stinks.  Whether it's in line at the grocery store behind the sweet little lady with 147 coupons, or in the doctor's office, or in traffic, waiting is not my favorite. 

It's a part of life we just can't get around, and I think God uses it to remind me I'm not the only person on the planet for one, and two, why am I in such a hurry?

See, God isn't at all interested in getting us where we are going FAST.
He does promise, though, that He WILL get us where we are going, if the road we are on is His.
Psalm 37:7 reminds us to "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.."

Are you in a period of waiting? Praying? Watching? Hoping?  Are you restless as you wait, or are you hopeful that your waiting is exactly where He wants you, and a necessary part of the unfolding of His plan and purpose for you?  Because that's exactly what it is.  In fact, waiting can be a major faith and character builder.  And a lot of times, it's in the "waiting" period that God intends to mold us and better prepare and equip us for this thing we are waiting for.  Sometimes, we even discover that we were waiting and praying for the wrong thing altogether, and His answer is something else altogether.

The danger to our impatience is that we often are able to convince ourselves that He is moving too slowly, and we must make a move without His leading.  It's in these hasty moments that we justify choices led by our own selfish desires, our impulses, our emotions, and can make life changing choices that lead us out of His plan for us (and those following us!)...because we chose not to wait.  How scary!

I've been blessed to see God work in amazing ways for those who were willing to wait on Him.  HIS best for them.  HIS version of their life plan.  His story for you is far better than any you could write for yourself, and definately worth waiting for.

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!"  -Isaiah 30:18

Chasing God

FIRST and foremost, I need to clear the air (probably more for me than you) and apologize for being so lazy with this blog the last 6 months...couldnt have been any lazier actually...but the first step is admitting the problem, right?  For those of you who have ever taken a moment to read this blog, thank you, and I pray that God spoke to you in some way through it.  And for those who have stopped by to see if I'd finally posted again, I'm sorry for being a huge disapointment in that regard.  :)
But today is a new day, so I digress...

So my "plan" (those of you who know me well know I'm not much for structure) is not to blog on certain days of the week, or a certain number of times a week (we know where that concept got me) but to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and be obedient to sit and write as soon as He puts something on my heart to share...so here I am.

As I parused my favorite little book, My Utmost For His Highest, full of amazing spiritual insight from my good friend Oswald, this verse immediatly grabbed me tonight.  Words from our Creator, Savior, life giver, Counselor, Healer, Jesus...

"I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me."    -(John 5:30)

Wow.

I want to be able to say that. Every day.  Every year.  Through every chapter, trials and joys. 
Well into the first month of 2013, we are posed with the challenge of a "fresh start", a personal challenge, a resolution.  The word resolution comes from "resolve", which means to "make a firm decision about."  And that's exactly what Jesus did, every moment, every day, in every encounter with every person, in every situation, all the time.  He RESOLVED to follow and obey and trust the One who sent Him, and to dedicate his energy, his LIFE, solely to fulfill the purpose of God.

God is sending us too, every day that we wake up on this earth. 

Sending us into this broken, burting, sinful, selfish, God-rejecting world, and not for ourselves.  Not to gratify our flesh, or chase after our little (or big) ideas of happiness and fulfillment, but to chase after our Creator, daily...which will ultimately lead us right to the front door of our purpose.  Right to the center of HIS will.

So will you resolve to aim your feet in the direction of Him who is sending you?  Or will you aimlessly and recklessly blaze the path of your own ambitions, leaving God behind, as an after thought, hoping He's on board with your plan?

My prayer is that this new year you discover many blessings, unexpected ones, totally off your radar, not in your plans, as a result of listening to and following the leading of God. Maybe even some discomfort, some bending and stretching of your faith and your will, until you find yourself so wonderfully alligned with Him, so "In His Purpose" that you can't imagine how you ever lived any other way. 

Come As You Are

The whole message of Jesus' life, and death, was one of love...complete, unconditional, limitless love...the kind that, even the people who lived day-to-day with Him, wouldn't understand until He was gone.  The kind that we, no matter how many great sermons we hear on the subject, still have a hard time wrapping our human minds around. 


Why? Because it defies logic.  It doesn't make sense for one person to take upon himself the sins of the whole world, and die a gruesome, painful death, for love.  Maybe somewhere in the back of our minds, a small voice may still whisper, "you don't deserve it.  He died for others...but not you.  You aren't enough."

This is just one lie satan would have you believe to keep you from experiencing the fullness of God's love and the rest and peace that come from really believing it.

I love the lyrics of Broken and Beautiful, by Mark Schultz...

"There's a businessman
There's a widowed wife
There's a smiling face with a shattered life
There's a teenage girl with a choice to make
It's crowded here in church today
And the preacher says as the sermon ends
"Please close your eyes and bow your heads
Is there anyone in need of prayer
Jesus wants to meet you here"
'cause we ALL fall short
We all have sinned
But when you let
God's Grace break in…
It's beautiful
Beautiful..
Come as you are
Surrender your heart...cause there's nothing more beautiful to God than when his daughters and sons come broken.. broken and beautiful"

Remember this message, each and every day.  God did not come to save the sinless, or perfect.  (of which there are none..)  And in order to feel the fullness of His great love for you, His daughter, you must come to realize that He loves you just as you are, today! Satan would have us believe that we are too knee deep in guilt, sin, imperfection, and unworthiness, to ever approach God, but the truth is quite the opposite.  There is nothing you can ever do to deserve His sacrafice...it's a free gift, and it's for YOU!
   Just humble yourself...let Him in,  let Him pour out His love and healing on your heart.  Come to him just as you are, today.



^{"        
    "For} all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:23-24

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

NOTW

I see these stickers everywhere.  Anyone else?  In case you're not familiar with it, it stands for "Not of this world."   I love these stickers, and their popularity, because I appreciate the reminder as I'm driving around.  And it seems that the longer this earth keeps spinning, the harder it is to NOT be OF this world.


Everything around us constantly tries to invade us with a "me-centered" mentality.  And worse, the perversion of our culture is worse than ever- the temptation to justify and not just accept but embrace unbiblical behaviors and principles is an expected norm.  Satan has done a pretty good job at making any of us who choose to stand up for what is honorable and biblical appear to be unaccepting, weak, and prude. 


Take an honest assessment of what you allow into your mind, and into your home.  What have you slowly and steadily justified as acceptable just because we live in a "different time", a modern world.  What attitudes or behaviors have become comfortable for you over time? 


How are we  different than those who don't know the Truth, who don't have Jesus?  If you have chosen Him as your Savior, make sure He is also your Lord. Lord over every area of your life! Be a light,be fruitful, be different,make those who don't know Him yet wonder what you've got that they don't.  It's not just our duty, it's His command.






"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2


 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world it would love you as it's own.  As it is, you do NOT belong to the world, but I have CHOSEN you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you." -John 15:18-19


"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." -I John 2:16


 " Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father's love is not in him." -1 John 2:15






To check out the Not Of This World merchandise, visit www.notw.com

Everything matters

Steven Curtis Chapman has a great song titled "Do Everything."  Some of the lyrics:

"You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door, And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all?
We’ll let me remind you it all matters just as long as you
Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you.

Well maybe you’re sitting in math class
Maybe you're on a mission in the Congo
Maybe you’re working at the office
Singing along with the radio
Maybe you’re dining at a five star
Or feeding orphans in Myanmar
Anywhere and everywhere you are
Whatever you do it all matters
So do what you do and don’t ever forget
to do Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace..."

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  -Colossians 3:23-24

So here's your reminder, loud and clear, that whatever you're doing has significance.  Wherever you are in life, whatever you are doing, it all matters and can all be used for God's glory if we dedicate that work to Him.  Maybe you are not where you want to be right now.  Maybe you're hoping for something different.  Maybe your co-workers are nearly impossible to work with, maybe your boss is a jerk.  Maybe you are underpaid, and under appreciated.  
 This verse from Colossians serves as a refreshing reminder that we are working to serve and please the Lord, not man.  And whatever you do, put your heart and hands into it, and do it with all your might, so that those watching would see Him in you.  Anything we do with all our hearts, and with a cheerful spirit, will bring a smile to His face!  (and to ours)  :)

To Listen to "Do Everything" click here!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YLJCOKOzM


To hear Steven Curtis Chapman talk about his inspiration for writing this song, click here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NOMv90r9xM

...so submit to God!

"The devil is trying to steal from you and destroy you, and make it look like it was all your idea.  So, girlfriend, submit to God."  -Beth Moore


Have you cringed yet?  I have.
Submit.  Ugh, what a dirty little pesky word.  What good could come of it for us, really?  It sounds so weak, so innactive, so passive...(probably nothing that this prideful, independent minded woman wants anything to do with)  


But wait. Maybe the opposite is true.


What if submission meant giving yourself and your life the best chance?  What if it meant allowing God to do Exactly all He intends and hopes to do, IN you, and THROUGH you?


"Satan doesn't have to convince you and me to do his will for our life.  He only has to tempt us to demand our own.  God has something bigger for each of us than our human minds can hug.  Something eternal.  Something that will still matter when our bones have turned to heaps of dust."

*God is always looking out for your ultimate good and takes your hurts personally.  So submit to God.
* He knows when your motive was right but your mouth messed up.  So submit to God.
* He knows exactly how to work terrible into good.  So submit to God.
* He loves you completely and unconditionally and will never let you go.  So submit to God.
* He knows the well-deliberated plan for your life and how all things must fall into place for you to fulfill your destiny.  So submit to God.
*  He will never put to shame those who trust in Him.  So submit to God."  -Beth Moore


"But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." -James 4:6-8