Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts

Monday, November 1, 2010

giving thanks. day 1. november 1.

Day 1 | Salvation
Because of Him- I am abundantly free.

Okay. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here to share 25 days of what I am thankful for. :) Such a healthy thing to do.

To start things off- I'm first and foremost thankful for salvation through Jesus's death and resurrection for me and you. Because of Him, I live each day with hope and purpose.

Psalm 103:3-5, 10
"He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs."

My heart is forever grateful.

Monday, July 12, 2010

the "roundabout" way.

Even though we may know and believe that God speaks to us through His Word- we are often still surprised when He actually does. This morning as I spent some time praying, I really felt like I needed to hear something from God. As I opened my Bible to Psalm 105 in The Message version (part of my daily reading for today), I read something new. I would encourage you to do so as well.

At times I wonder if I should continue my involvement with worship team and choir because of my time commitment to youth. As I read that God instructs me to give Him praise and tell everyone of His goodness, it said one of the ways is through song. Even when we feel like we aren't doing something of eternal impact or significance, we actually may be. When people see me singing on the stage, I pray that they will see how much I love God... and that every word I sing is telling of His goodness. What a neat opportunity!

God also commands us to keep our eyes open to see God at work and His miracles. He has been true to His Word for generations. This SO goes against the grain in our culture. We have become so "Me" centered that throughout the day- that may be all that we think about... leaving no room or "margin" in our day to see that God is in fact working on our behalf or a reminder of how near He is... because we simply keep blinders on our eyes.

No matter who we are, He can choose to use us for His purposes. When His hand is upon our lives, there is no limit to what He can do. God sent Joseph ahead to prepare the way for the Israelites. Humble and hard beginnings led him to a place of honor and ultimately being used to carry out God's greater plan. God then used Moses and Aaron to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. He worked many miracles as they were on their way and provided for their every need: cool for the day, light for the night, food and water to sustain them- in ways that only He could provide.

In the end- God's people were singing for joy. Every single step of the journey was so that they could accomplish all that He had told them and promised. This goes to show that God's ways are not our ways. Sometimes it truly is the roundabout way. Yes, His people had moments of doubt, complaining, and frustration, but they continued to follow Him.

As long as I'm committed to following God, I can trust that He will provide for my every need, equip me regardless of my inadequacies, and use every step of my journey to accomplish His purpose. That's the most important thing. The tough part is when the steps of the journey seem so contrary to the direction we feel like we should be going... the "roundabout" way. But, I'm okay with that... makes for one great adventure. :) His ideas are definitely best.

{kinda vague- but how I felt God was speaking to me today}

Thursday, April 22, 2010

stop. play. fast forward. rewind. pause.

This post might be kind of vague... but, maybe that's how life seems sometimes. Today has been a little strange... and I feel like a blog post is in order. Life is busy to be sure... but, the question is... the right kind of busy? Are you pursuing things of purpose and eternal significance? Do you make time to invest in people? Do you have time to dream and process life? Are you doing what you are passionate about? Is there margin in your life for rest? I think that sometimes we find ourselves at a self-imposed "stand-still"... oh, yes... we may be "busy" in the hustle and bustle of life... but, that doesn't mean we are being purposeful and fulfilling God's call on our lives. Or, maybe we forget that we have the ability to make choices and to extravagantly trust God. Life does not have to be the same forever... with God, the possibilities are endless. But, sometimes we might limit God's "doing a new thing" in our lives... because we simply forget that there is and could be more. (or different) I also believe that many times we allow ourselves to be limited by the lives of those most dear to us. And, tonight, I feel God stirring something new in my heart... change may be in order. Every life has a different story with different passions to go different places and to impact different people. This is nothing to be afraid of... but rather something to embrace. We have one life to live... are you living it?