How fast time goes by. It's almost frightening how quickly January has passed. So much has happened in these past few weeks, it will be good to take a few moments to reflect. I encourage you to do the same. Pause, take a look back at what has unfolded this new year, and assess what it means for you now and how it will affect the rest of your year- or life.
I got a permanent job, which has been a tremendous blessing. It feels so great to have a stable job, to have one office I can invest in. I guess I didn't realize how temping at various offices was really wearing on me. I have recently made some new friends. They are all amazing people, I am beyond grateful for each new friend. One thing I seek in life is to surround myself with people that challenge me. I have some amazing people in my life, who all challenge me in various ways- intellectually, spiritually, and physically.
February will be a busy yet exciting month. I will turn 26 on the 6th. I will run my third half marathon. My sister and mother will both have birthdays. I will most likely celebrate Valentine's day by doing something quite unconventional and not so romantic. And last but certainly not least I head to Peru on the 27th. i will be hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while, so I am going. Why not? I hope to pick up some Spanish before I depart, thanks to my new friend from Columbia who is studying at Tulane this semester.
My life is never dull, I won't let it become dull. I seek adventure. I seek out people that will make it more interesting. This adventure called life will never be dull or meaningless for me. Sometimes I crack up laughing that I'm in New Orleans. I have no clue what I'm doing here. But, I am here and my life is pretty interesting. I am here and I know God is using me some how. I am here and I desire for God to use me. I have no clue what to do or how He wants to use me.
So, what do I do? I just LIVE.
I live with my eyes on things that last. Things that are not passing away, but on things eternal. I live humbly, hoping to shed light on the darkness. To bring a glimpse of hope to the broken. I desire to live life to the fullest, seizing each day. Taking time to look at my surroundings, at the people all around me, to stop and breathe in the air around me (forgetting about the pollution my nostrils are soaking in...ughh) To remember that people are worth getting to know. To continue to think outside the box of normal. To see past color, status, looks, religion, humor, intellect. To realize at the end of the day, we are all just people. People trying to figure out this thing called LIFE. I believe we were all created with a desire to know God. It's a common denominator in all human beings, a sense of a higher being must exist. I believe God pursues us, and He allows us to make a choice- to accept His pursuit of us or walk away. I hope to be a living testimony of one who, by God's grace, accepted His pursuit of me and has been changed from the inside out.
God is love.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Making much of... who?
Making much of God in my everyday life wherever I am. That is what God has shown me lately, and it has been so freeing. I feel as if He has lifted a weight off my shoulders. I'm reminded of a verse in Matthew, chapter 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
As a follower of Christ, sometimes I measure my closeness to God with my works. As if I can earn God's love by my actions. This is not what He intends. He loves me so much that I am compelled to love others. Period. I think I like to visibly see things happen, I like to get the credit and the glory for the things that I do. When I don't physically see things happen, I feel like I'm failing in God's eyes. This type of thinking glorifies self, and not God. It's not about me. It's about Him. This reminder has freed me from trying to please God and to just walk humbly in His love. As a result, my life will be fruitful and productive, impacting others around me. How fast I lose focus on my daily life, here in New Orleans. Practically, how can one live for Christ daily? Well, it's simple really: Accept God's Love that he freely offers to us, and in return I Love God, only because he first loved me. And if I truly love God and know that He loves me unconditionally, his love will flow out of me onto people I see each day and he will be made much of. Sure, it can be a struggle at times. I feel like I wanna do more, but I have learned something about myself. I selfishly want to see things being done so that I may feel better about my self. Wow. I realized how selfish I am. I am humbled. I never want to make much of God for myself. No, I make much of God for God to get glory- not self!
Thank you for your grace God, thank you that you love me enough to teach me things. Thank you for freeing me from the weight of trying to please self. Thank you for giving me rest. Thank you that your burden is light.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
As a follower of Christ, sometimes I measure my closeness to God with my works. As if I can earn God's love by my actions. This is not what He intends. He loves me so much that I am compelled to love others. Period. I think I like to visibly see things happen, I like to get the credit and the glory for the things that I do. When I don't physically see things happen, I feel like I'm failing in God's eyes. This type of thinking glorifies self, and not God. It's not about me. It's about Him. This reminder has freed me from trying to please God and to just walk humbly in His love. As a result, my life will be fruitful and productive, impacting others around me. How fast I lose focus on my daily life, here in New Orleans. Practically, how can one live for Christ daily? Well, it's simple really: Accept God's Love that he freely offers to us, and in return I Love God, only because he first loved me. And if I truly love God and know that He loves me unconditionally, his love will flow out of me onto people I see each day and he will be made much of. Sure, it can be a struggle at times. I feel like I wanna do more, but I have learned something about myself. I selfishly want to see things being done so that I may feel better about my self. Wow. I realized how selfish I am. I am humbled. I never want to make much of God for myself. No, I make much of God for God to get glory- not self!
Thank you for your grace God, thank you that you love me enough to teach me things. Thank you for freeing me from the weight of trying to please self. Thank you for giving me rest. Thank you that your burden is light.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Making Much of God
The New Year is always a time of reflection for me. This year has started out this way and has brought to my attention some very hard questions, some challenging thoughts and a burning desire for change.
What is at the core of my life. Am I the foundation of my life? No, at least I don't want to be the center, the core of who I am. Christ is my core, my foundation, my center. I desire this, I seek this out, may He be what my life is built on and for. He is All to me. This life exists so that we might make much of Christ. We make much of Him when we realize the grace offered to us through salvation. When we truly understand this, our lives give God glory and not self. Why would we want to live a life for ourselves? This is so empty.
I listened to Francis Chan speak the other night via the live feed from the Passion Conference. He brought up a point that has really challenged me and stirred me on the inside. His question was: Does your life make sense in light of the gospel. Does your life line up with the words of Christ in the gospel? Maybe you need to read the gospel to find out. That's what I am doing. I've read the gospel many times before, and I am pretty sure my life doesn't make sense in light of it. I want to learn more about the life Christ lived and the life of the first Christians. This is my burning desire- to live in light of the gospel. That my life would make sense- according to the word of God. And with that should come some things, like we see in the Bible what happened to believers- they were persecuted, they were not accepted by the "world". I must lose my life so that I may find it in Him, I must die to self and live for Him. I'm hoping to experience some of these things for the sake of the gospel. I want to suffer for him, I want to be persecuted for Him- only so that He may receive glory.
Francis Chan told a story about his recent visit to China. He visited some underground churches there. They have to meet underground because it is illegal to worship God together. They don't have churches on every street corner like we do. Francis asked them to tell stories of some ways they had been persecuted for being Christians in China. When he asked them this they were so confused. They said "Why do you want to hear these stories, aren't they normal? Doesn't this happen to every Christian?"
When people become Christians over there they risk it all. No one becomes a Christian and floats along in life sometimes attending a church but not really living for Christ. No, it doesn't happen. They have been transformed. They live each day for Him, and it's risky. But He's worth it to them. They would have it no other way- they have been saved from sin and death. They are truly alive and God is being made much of by the Christians in China!
What is at the core of my life. Am I the foundation of my life? No, at least I don't want to be the center, the core of who I am. Christ is my core, my foundation, my center. I desire this, I seek this out, may He be what my life is built on and for. He is All to me. This life exists so that we might make much of Christ. We make much of Him when we realize the grace offered to us through salvation. When we truly understand this, our lives give God glory and not self. Why would we want to live a life for ourselves? This is so empty.
I listened to Francis Chan speak the other night via the live feed from the Passion Conference. He brought up a point that has really challenged me and stirred me on the inside. His question was: Does your life make sense in light of the gospel. Does your life line up with the words of Christ in the gospel? Maybe you need to read the gospel to find out. That's what I am doing. I've read the gospel many times before, and I am pretty sure my life doesn't make sense in light of it. I want to learn more about the life Christ lived and the life of the first Christians. This is my burning desire- to live in light of the gospel. That my life would make sense- according to the word of God. And with that should come some things, like we see in the Bible what happened to believers- they were persecuted, they were not accepted by the "world". I must lose my life so that I may find it in Him, I must die to self and live for Him. I'm hoping to experience some of these things for the sake of the gospel. I want to suffer for him, I want to be persecuted for Him- only so that He may receive glory.
Francis Chan told a story about his recent visit to China. He visited some underground churches there. They have to meet underground because it is illegal to worship God together. They don't have churches on every street corner like we do. Francis asked them to tell stories of some ways they had been persecuted for being Christians in China. When he asked them this they were so confused. They said "Why do you want to hear these stories, aren't they normal? Doesn't this happen to every Christian?"
When people become Christians over there they risk it all. No one becomes a Christian and floats along in life sometimes attending a church but not really living for Christ. No, it doesn't happen. They have been transformed. They live each day for Him, and it's risky. But He's worth it to them. They would have it no other way- they have been saved from sin and death. They are truly alive and God is being made much of by the Christians in China!
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