No Fear of Death

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. ~Romans 14:8 (KJV)

Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ~Philippians 1:20-21 (KJV)

Everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose. ~Philippians 1:20-21 (The Message)

   When we have Christ, death is no londer a foreboding uncertainty.  Because of Christ, we know that though our bodies die, we have eternal life with Him.  We are no longer scared.  Death has lost its sting.  We have no fear.
   When there is no fear of death, life is so much fuller.  We can concentrate on Jesus instead of trying to delaying our deaths at all costs.  Our focus is on Him, instead of ourselves.  Sharing the love of God suddenly has infinitely more value than our own lives.
   When we know the love of God, we look forward to seeing Him face-to-face.  We focus on building up treasure in Heaven instead of treasure here on Earth.  We cannot wait to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.  And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. ~Philippians 1:24-26 (KJV)

Misery Comes Regardless

   We were running behind, the snow had barely allowed us out of our driveway, and we were this close to getting to church when we met the train.  As it rolled ever so slowly by, I read the graffiti on the sides of the cars.  It said,
     "Misery comes regardless"
     "Screwed"
     "**** *******"
   Our world has become a public display of depression and hate.  We are drowning in despair, shrouded in darkness.  We are overwhelmed with oppression, submitted to hopelessness.
   But there is One who took all our suffering and shame.  He endured our pain and accepted the punishment that belonged to us.  By His wounds we are healed, and His rejection is the premise for our acceptance.  His brokenness has made us whole.
   If misery is what we expect, that's what we'll get.  But there is hope because of God.  He is waiting with arms wide open, ready to give us every good thing if we will only ask.  He will fill us with joy and peace unspeakable.  Insteading of accepting defeat, accept Jesus Christ.

via Google images

Peru

   54% of Peruvians live below the poverty line.  There are 600,000 orphans - just in Lima, the capital city.  3.8 million people are surviving in extreme poverty, two-thirds of whom are children.
   Sisterhood Magazine, with Never the Same Missions, is going to Peru this July, and I'm going with them.  I will spend two weeks presenting the gospel to Peruvians of all ages, serving them in the name of Jesus, and witnessing the work of God.  See what a day in Peru will look like here.
   To do this, I need to raise two thousand dollars.  I need your help.  Visit hopewear.com, buy a t-shirt, and type my name in at check-out.  Ten dollars from each shirt sold in my name will go towards my mission trip.  Ask me about other ways to support!
   And pray.  Pray, pray, pray.  Prayer works.  Pray for inspiration, eloquence, and passion as I fund-raise.  Pray for people's hearts to be moved.  Pray.
   Thank you so much!  I am ecstatic for what God is going to do in Peru.



hopewear.com "5 for 5"

God Uses Even Nasty Bananas

   This past Friday I gave the devotion at our FCA 5th Quarter.  It was last-minute orginization, but God had lain something on my heart two week ago.  By Friday at about 2:00, I knew exactly what I was going to share with 100 kids from my school.
   I started out by reading the story of the woman at the well.  Almost no one knew the story, but this was no where near the most exciting part of the night.  Read about the woman at the well for yourself in John chapter 4.

 

   Next I invited two friends to help me out - and they brought a banana.  As she unpeeled the banana, the first girl said, "We all have a protective outer layer that we try to use to cover up our screw-ups, stupidity, and sticky situations.  But it's still obvious that we aren't perfect." And then she slobbered on it.

 

   The banana was then passed to girl-in-the-middle, who talked about how God sees our messiness on the surface, but He still wants us to spill everything.  He isn't disgusted by us, and He still wants to go deeper into who we are.  And the saliva slid down the fruit in front of her, and she started to freak out a little, but she pulled herself together.  She took a bite off the already repulsive banana, and she spit it back out, and she put it into my hand.

 

   "God sees all of... this," I said, gesturing to the nastiness in my palm, "and still He doesn't reject us."  Father sees our lying, our cheating, and our disbelief.  He knows about every time we have hidden in the bathroom crying, every time we've said things we regret, and every time we've chosen someone else over Him.  I declared, "Even with all our grossness, God still accepts and forgives us.  He loves us anyway."  And I threw the banana in my mouth.  And the people lin the bleachers went crazy.  And it tasted nasty.  And it was all worth it to hear kids talking about Jesus for days after that. 

 

 

   To close out the night, I shared some of my story.  I told them about a month spent crying every day, a summer of hiding out in my room so that no one would know.  I worked so hard to make it seem that I was doing great, that I had no problems.  I tried so hard to fix myself, too ashamed to ask for help.  I couldn't do it.  I had to open up to the only One who could.  I had to tell Him that I wasn't perfect, that I couldn't live on my own.  I had to reveal my mushy, saliva-covered, revolting, true self.  I had to cry out to God, and ask for the living water.  God changed my life, transformed me, and made me a new creation.  To Him be the glory.

And this is me imitating how I felt with spit-infested banana in my mouth. :)

 

The Love of My Life

   It's Valentine's Day.  All about love, and hearts, and candy, and mushy-gushy stuff like that.  And here I am, sitting here with God, waiting for my future husband.  And I'm cool with that.  And I'm not supposed to start sentences with "and," but sometimes I make my own rules.
   God is the love of my life.  I am infatuated - captivated.  I am determined to focus on Him, and I will also remember this top-secret boy talk from about 11:00 last night:
     Mom: You're gonna have plenty saved up for your husband.
     Me: What if there was interest...
     Mom: Well, there are some bonuses along the way!
   That is how it goes down around here.  Until we realize what time it is, and then I go to bed, and fall asleep talking to God.  Talking to God about how thankful I am to have Him at my lonliest moments, and what kind of man I hope He's saving for me. 
   I am so looking forward to these next few years, just me and my awesome God.  He is the most important relationship I will ever have.  I'm waiting for a man like Him.  He is my model of love.  I strive to become a woman after His own heart.
   And happy Valentine's day! <3

 

P.S. I promise I wrote this yesterday, I just didn't get it posted!

Wordless Beautifulness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

via

letters. prayer.

   I decided on January 1st that I wasn't making any resolutions for the new year.  Words like "overrated," "pointless," and "ineffectual" ran through my brain.  But.  I feel like God's favorite thing is reminding me how much smarter He is than me.
   He told me to write one letter every week all year.  52 people.  52 letters.  52 messages from God.  2013 thus far has been - and will be - chock full of encouragement, listening, and larger comfort zones. 
   Pray for me.  For attentiveness, so my heart will be soft and open to hear His voice.  For willingness to do and say whatever He tell.  For eloquence and words to share.  For determination and perseverence to keep-on-keeping-on.  For an overabundance of love for God and people.
   Pray for me, as I pray for you.