Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Things Are Not Okay Right Now


"There is coming a day when the Bridegroom is taken away

And in that day they will mourn; in that day they will fast



Things as they are are not okay

When Someone is missing, Someone is absent



I'll stay here and mourn for You,
I'll stay here and fast for You

I'll stay here and watch for You,
I'll stay here and wait for You



Things are not okay right now, things are not okay right now

Things are not okay right now, things are not okay right now


And they won't be till You come back

And they won't be till You come back



I will embrace the ache of a lovesick heart

I will embrace the ache of a lovesick heart"- John Thurlow, Mourning for the Bridegroom

I know this song is about eagerly awaiting Jesus’ return, but listening to these words broke my heart for people who do not know Jesus.  I really felt like Jesus was saying to me “Things are not ok… So many of my children are missing, they are absent, and that is not ok!  Fight for them!”  I strongly felt Him leading me to mourn over their absence.  Fast for them and contend for them through prayer.  I am not faithful in fasting, but I know that I need to start fasting regularly and praying for hearts to return to Jesus.  While listening to this song, the Lord really shared His heart for the lost with me. 

I also became overwhelmed with the desire to just be with Jesus, face to face with my Love!  Nothing in this world can satisfy my deepest desires, so things will not be ok until He returns for His bride.  I truly want to “embrace the ache of a lovesick heart”, a heart that eagerly awaits to be wrapped in His arms.  Lord I ask for the desire to fast and pray more for your return.  I want to watch diligently and wait for You to move in this world! Lord I want others to experience Your presence and love!  Lord draw Your children close to You and soften their hearts!! Lord I ask you to give me the courage and boldness to reach out to those around me.  Let Your love shine through me.  Lord, I need you to increase in me and decrease myself because I am weak and timid.  I do not have the courage to share my faith openly a lot of times, which honestly I think is ridiculous because Jesus is why I live.  Lord, I need you to break me from that and give me the words to say.  Help me reach out to those that you so dearly desire to know Your love!  This world needs You Jesus, come and overtake us with Your unfailing love! Things will not be okay until Your love consumes this world!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Walking Hand In Hand

I am soo thankful for A LOT and not just because it is Thanksgiving, but because I am Christ's BELOVED! This year I decided to stay at my house in College Station, which means it has been a quiet holiday (when I haven't been on the phone with family!).  After being around my house all day, I decided to go for a walk before it got dark out.  As I was walking through Central Park, I just asked Jesus to come and walk with me and show me something new about himself. As I was walking the song Closer, by Stefany Frizzell- Gretzinger came on my Ipod.  This is one of my favorite songs possibly ever.  As I was listening to the words: 
Your love has ravished my heart
And taken me over, taken me over
And all I want is to be
With You forever, with You forever


Pull me a little closer
Take me a little deeper
I want to know Your heart
I want to know Your heart
‘Cause Your love is so much sweeter
Than anything I’ve tasted
I want to know Your heart
I want to know Your heart


In that moment, I desired to know God's heart so much!  I think I can honestly say I wanted nothing more at that moment than to know Him, the Lover of my soul!  I continued walking, just basking in the glory that He was revealing to me!  He was showing me how much I truly love Him and how Jesus really is everything to me.  I felt Jesus romancing me so sweetly!

  By this point the sun was starting to set so I was going to head home but as I got close to the gate, I had the urge to keep walking toward an intersection that I pass daily, but never really walk there.  At this corner is a large open field,  toward the back of that land there are tons of trees that separates this land from the park.  As I was walking that way with no destination in mind, I asked the Lord to tell what is on His heart.  As I turned a corner, I noticed that some of the trees toward the back of the land had red leaves! RED LEAVES!  I know this may seem silly to anyone reading this, but I love fall! Everything about fall, especially when the leaves change! Leaves changing to bright reds, oranges, yellows, etc is one of my favorite things, its just so beautiful.  When I moved to Texas, a couple of friends informed me that the leaves here don't really change colors except brown, I was heart broken.  Sadly, I'm not exaggerating, my friends said that at that point they had never seen me look so disappointed before.  Anyways.... Not only did was I gazing at red leaves, but the sun was setting so it was huge and a brilliant red.  The way the sunlight hit those trees was breathtaking!  It looked like this row of trees was on fire, I have not seen that since I left Chicago.  I could do nothing else besides praise God, He knows my heart so well  Within a couple minutes of standing there in awe, the sun was almost set and it no longer shone on the trees like it was when I first got to that point.  Jesus orchestrated that perfectly! If it was a couple minutes earlier or later, I would not have seen the beauty that I miss so much!  As I walked home, the song Obsession by Jesus Culture came on and as I was listening to it, I so sweetly and gently heard Jesus saying, "You asked to know my heart, it burns for you!  I am obsessed with you and my heart burns with a deep passion for you!"  How incredible!  I am so overwhelmed right now I don't even know how to express the love that He has given me!  He has ravished my heart and filled me more than I ever thought possible!

Recently, I have been praying and processing through what it truly means to take on the identity of Christ's Beloved.  What would our lives look like if we truly took on that identity and lived it out.  A heart so madly in love with Jesus that all else fades into the background! How amazing would that be!  I feel like Jesus is slowly and gently teaching me who His Beloved is and how to find my identity solely in Him.  Jesus is so sweet!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Nurturing Hearts


Below is another article that I came across that spoke so sweetly into my desire and pursuit to becoming more of a godly woman.  Over the past two/three years, it has been strongly on my heart to truly become a woman of God and striving, in a way, to live a life described in Proverbs 31.  I have a lot to learn about what it looks like to be feminine to the core while  being able to display strength and courage within that. My desire is to be a woman that builds people up and encourages them, lets them know that they are Loved.  I want to nurture people's hearts and give them life through my words.  The Lord is patient with me and so sweet to reveal what true beauty within His beloved, His daughter look likes.    I just thought I would share this article.  I pray that the Lord speaks tenderly to your heart as well.

http://theresurgence.com/2012/11/02/4-ways-a-womans-words-can-give-life
Amanda Edmondson
"Whether or not you have ever birthed a baby, by God’s design all women are created to be life givers. God gave us a capacity in our bodies and in our spirits to give life, to nurture, to encourage, and to comfort with our words.
Here are four ways our words give life.

1. LISTENING

It’s a skill to know when to speak and when not to speak. Wives, are you taking time to listen to your husband when he comes home or are you quick to tell him all about your day and which child did what? Ladies, are you taking time to listen to your co-worker who’s had a rough week? We give life when we listen because it shows other people that we care for them and that we are willing to do life with them.
You won’t know how to begin giving life with your words if you aren’t listening to what people are saying.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

2. ENCOURAGING

Our words can give life or death. A bad word divides, deceives, and destroys:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
We fail to encourage others when we gossip. When you hear news that someone is dating someone else, do you feel the urge to run to your small group and tell everyone? Or when you hear bad news about someone else, do you find that you need to “process” it with other women? What are your motives in running to tell someone else?
If you have a hard time determining if something is gossip, ask yourself: Is this helpful for building others up according to their needs? Does it benefit those who are listening (Eph. 4:29)? We give life when we point people to the Lord with our words.
From our relationship with God, our heart overflows with words, as David’s did in Psalm 19:14:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD.”
We should desire for our words to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Not to capture the attention of those around us or to be the person in the know, but to speak words of life that point to Christ. When our lives aren’t found in Christ, our words aren’t rooted in the Lord but in Satan. Our struggle to give life with our words is a struggle of our hearts.

3. REBUKING

We aren’t giving life if we aren’t willing to love someone with a godly rebuke. Don’t sit in silence. Hate sin and fight for the purity of the community around you in light of eternity.
When rebuking someone, first we have to identify if the person is really in sin. We do this by going to Scripture and comparing our friend’s actions to what the Bible says.
Then, we pray for wisdom and grace, and for the power to speak in love. Pray for the one you are rebuking. Pray for a conviction of sin, that they would leave your conversation desiring to be more like Christ and seek repentance.

4. PRAISING

We are quick to give attention and praise to how others dress. Yet we are slow to give praise and honor to people for something they’ve done. Aren’t people more valuable than a cute outfit? We get to celebrate with one another and to celebrate each other. We give life by praising people: we give them honor and we affirm the work that the Lord is doing in them.
As women, we can live out the call to be life givers at any point in our life regardless of our marital status, number of children, or grandchildren. Be a woman who gives life to those around you in your homes, work places, and churches."

Above All Else, Guard Your Heart


I just finished reading the following article. I have heard all of this before.  This article wasn't anything ground breaking for me, however, it was definitely a good reminder that God is in control and His plans are so much greater than I can even dream of for myself.  I thought this was worth sharing!

http://theresurgence.com/2012/03/19/for-the-gals-8-principles-for-dating
"I recently came across a 20-year-old photo of Phil and me when we were dating. I started thinking about how very little I knew about relationships, men, and marriage then.
Formulating a list of what I would tell myself back then, my advice began with a stern warning to stay away from any man with a mullet . . . but then again, it was the ’90s—every man had a mullet!
On a more serious note, these are eight principles that would have taken much confusion and heartbreak out of those tumultuous dating years. I hope they help you:

1. REPEAT AFTER ME: “YOU ARE LOVED.” 

I am not kidding. Repeat. After. Me. Out loud, often, with conviction. These are such simple words to say, but they have the most deep and resounding impact on our souls if we would just believe.
God says to his daughters in Jeremiah: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Until you have tasted God’s eternal, steadfast, redeeming love, hold off on looking for a man. You may just end up settling for a quick love that cannot fill your core heart’s longing. Even if you are not currently being pursued by a man, you are constantly being pursued by Jesus.

2. YOU ARE LESS BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU THINK AND MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU BELIEVE.

Our sin makes us ugly. No amount of makeup, clothing, or confident, flirtatious façade can change that fact. It takes a humble, redeemed woman changed by God to admit the ugliness of her sin and rest in her beauty in Christ. We must repent of our pride, our shame, our obsession with our looks. We must believe and embrace who God made us to be: beautiful in his image.
True beauty emanates from a woman who boldly and unabashedly knows who she is in Christ.

3. CONSIDER WHAT CONTROLS YOU.

Is it fear, loneliness, demand for a man, seeking approval, career, money?
Let the love of Christ control you. Pay attention to what is controlling your heart as you wait for a date, are in a dating relationship, or even into marriage. We settle for lesser gods than the one who died for us and love us unconditionally.
“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who might live no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

4. ADDRESS YOUR DADDY ISSUES.

Most of us have them—wounds on our hearts from our earthly fathers and their shortcomings. Whether yours was absent and uninvolved or abusive and abandoning, don’t let him define who you believe your heavenly Father to be. Even if you have a godly and protective father, he is not God.
You are not looking for a dad-duplicate or a dad-replacement in a man. You have a perfect heavenly Father.
Let Scripture reveal to you who God is as Dad and what kind of care he gives his daughters.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13

5. CHARM AND BEAUTY ARE NOT A GOOD DATING PLAN.

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30
Often, our grand scheme for how to snag a date goes only skin-deep. We put massive pressure on ourselves to pour on the charm and look cute wherever we go, not realizing that a godly man will also be concerned about inner beauty. God certainly is.
"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4
A woman who fears the Lord is one who, despite her desire for a date, fears being far away from God more than she does missing out on a man who is easily fooled by her exterior.

6. REALIZE YOU ARE ALREADY SUBMITTING—OR ARE YOU?

Submission is not only for wives. God asks for a submitted heart now, one that trusts in his provision and plan for your life, including dating. Ultimately, dating, and all of life, is about submission—waiting and trusting God and saying as Jesus does, “Not my will but yours be done.”
This does not, however, leave you helpless, hopeless, and hamstrung in the relationship department. A godly woman can express friendly interest in a brother in Christ. 
  • It is OK to mingle—but don’t manipulate.
  • Peruse—but don’t pursue. Let him initiate.
  • Take notice of the godly men serving Jesus around you—but never stalk. It’s creepy.
  • Cross paths with a man who interests you—but don’t tackle him.

7. DRESS TO KILL . . .

. . . your evil desires and his. We all know what it’s like to be noticed for what we wear. Your desire to draw attention to yourself is vanity. Do not falsely advertise what is not available to anyone but your future husband. Don’t open the door for men to make assumptions about you by what you wear. Help your brothers in Christ by dressing modestly and appropriately (and by all means, neatly, cleanly, and fashionably!) Check your heart for your motives when you dress.

8. GUARD YOUR HEART.

Guarding one’s heart is still an issue even if no one is overtly vying for it.  Watch out for the “might be” snare, as in, "He 'might be' flirting with me and so I’m going to get carried away thinking about every possible place [read: marriage] that could lead."
It is entirely possible to honor God, yourself, and a brother in Christ on a date. Don’t elevate him or the relationship to the place that God alone should hold in your heart. Enjoy, don’t idolize . . . and for goodness sake, relax! A cup of coffee does not necessarily mean a diamond ring is soon to follow.
As a single woman, give your heart fully, wholly, unabashedly, and devotedly to Christ alone.
Be active, vigilant, and careful about how much of your heart you give to a man. Be able to walk away from a dating relationship with your whole heart intact so that your future husband is not robbed of part of it down the road. Prayerfully consider what, when, how much to give away.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)"