http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOUaszMGvQ&feature=player_embedded
take a moment to watch this.
and then...
pause.
breathe in.
you're alive.
for another moment.
thank God for it.
and repeat....
over,
and over,
and over again...
This is what He is beckoning me to... what I am clumsily learning ... but desperately desiring.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
"You did not choose me, remmber; I chose you."
-John 15:16 (emphasis mine)
Today I woke up and faced a battle. I was tempted to give in to discouragement, doubt, failure. As I tried to get myself ready for the day I had this cloud of negative feelings surrounding me. But! God in His grace allowed me to stay back from class (it was an optional activity that we could do in class or on our own) and I went down to the prayer room to spend some time with him.
The first question I asked Him was
"What do you want from me, God?"
Even as I voiced this question I felt my relgious mask peeling off.
I got real before the Lord.
And do you know what His response was?
"Nothing."
At that moment, God allowed me to close my eyes and sleep on the couch in the prayer room.
He allowed me to simply rest in His presence.
When I woke up God lead me to Luke 11
As I sat reading the verses the morning light filtered through the window,
and a bird's melody made it's way to my ears.
and a bird's melody made it's way to my ears.
"Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description,
carefree in the care of God. And you count far more."
- Luke 11:24(MSG)
As I read these words and listened to the birds singing sweetly outside the prayer room all that discouragement, doubt, and depression melted away. I was reminded that I do not need to do anything in order to experience God's pleasure. Like a bird, I can sing Him praises and bask in the knowledge that He cares for me.
After all - He chose me.
. . . Not the other way around.
I love the way Josiah Conder puts it...
Receive His love today. Sing a song. Dance with joy. Smile to yourself, knowing God sees.
He chose you to be his beloved child, enjoy His love!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
God bought me coffee
Yesterday God bought me coffee.
It's okay, you can laugh. I did.
Lately God's been reminding me that He is an active and living God who speaks.
And that He desires to speak to me daily. That's part of abiding with Him - hearing from Him.
This past week He's been giving me some practice (I need it!).
I would share my stories but that would make this post quite lengthy.
Just trust me when I say He's has asked me do some "silly" things and showed up in crazy ways when I listen and obey His voice.
So yesterday I am walking to the Dining Hall and I sense the Holy Spirit nudging me to go to Johnny's, our cafe on campus. Now, I don't have much money on my account and so this seems like a silly thing to do. But both experiences earlier in the week where God asked me to do "silly" things involved bypassing the Dining Hall. So I obey - kinda. I assume God must want me to go to the other Dining Hall, not Johnny's (that would be silly). But when I get to the other Dining Hall I realize it is closed on Friday nights. So I remember God's nudge to go to Johnny's and even though I am confused I decide to make my way over. When I get to Johnny's I recognize the girl working the cash register (she was in a class of mine) and I instantly assume (*ding ding! me thinking here, not God speaking) that God must want me to buy something for this cashier. So I go up to her and ask her how much is left on my card. Two dollars and some cents. I tell her I'd like to buy her something. She refuses. She tells me to buy a Frappachino or something. I insist on buying her one. I go to what I think is the Frappachino machine (which really is the cappachino machine) and she says, "no, no -- a Frappachino, Trudy". She leads me to the fridge where there are some chilled Starbucks Frappachinos. When I tell her I've never had one she insists I buy one for myself. Begrudginly I agree. Turns out it's a little more than she thought I had on my card - but after she rung me up I still had 6 cents left over. Hmmm... we serve a God of abundance! So I walk to the dining hall wondering who I should give this frappachino too. God wouldn't have made me walk over to Johnny's to buy me a frappachino. Or would he? I tried offering the frappachino to two people - they both declined. This is when I finally realized it.
God bought me coffee.
Me.
He wanted to bless me.
I don't know if you're anything like me, but I have a hard time recieving.
I'd rather work for it. Do something. I have a hard time grasping that God would want to give me anything.
But that's the gospel - the good news.
That "while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
As one of my new favorite songs puts it,
God says to us:
"I will love you for you,
Not for what you have done,
or what you will become.
I will love you for you,
I will give you love,
the love that you never knew."
- "What Love Really Mean" by JJ Heller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGUKWiw7Wk
So next time God buys you coffee, or reveals His deep love for you - receive it & enjoy it.
He loves you simply because you are his child & He delights in You (Zephaniah 3:17)
It's okay, you can laugh. I did.
Lately God's been reminding me that He is an active and living God who speaks.
And that He desires to speak to me daily. That's part of abiding with Him - hearing from Him.
This past week He's been giving me some practice (I need it!).
I would share my stories but that would make this post quite lengthy.
Just trust me when I say He's has asked me do some "silly" things and showed up in crazy ways when I listen and obey His voice.
So yesterday I am walking to the Dining Hall and I sense the Holy Spirit nudging me to go to Johnny's, our cafe on campus. Now, I don't have much money on my account and so this seems like a silly thing to do. But both experiences earlier in the week where God asked me to do "silly" things involved bypassing the Dining Hall. So I obey - kinda. I assume God must want me to go to the other Dining Hall, not Johnny's (that would be silly). But when I get to the other Dining Hall I realize it is closed on Friday nights. So I remember God's nudge to go to Johnny's and even though I am confused I decide to make my way over. When I get to Johnny's I recognize the girl working the cash register (she was in a class of mine) and I instantly assume (*ding ding! me thinking here, not God speaking) that God must want me to buy something for this cashier. So I go up to her and ask her how much is left on my card. Two dollars and some cents. I tell her I'd like to buy her something. She refuses. She tells me to buy a Frappachino or something. I insist on buying her one. I go to what I think is the Frappachino machine (which really is the cappachino machine) and she says, "no, no -- a Frappachino, Trudy". She leads me to the fridge where there are some chilled Starbucks Frappachinos. When I tell her I've never had one she insists I buy one for myself. Begrudginly I agree. Turns out it's a little more than she thought I had on my card - but after she rung me up I still had 6 cents left over. Hmmm... we serve a God of abundance! So I walk to the dining hall wondering who I should give this frappachino too. God wouldn't have made me walk over to Johnny's to buy me a frappachino. Or would he? I tried offering the frappachino to two people - they both declined. This is when I finally realized it.
God bought me coffee.
Me.
He wanted to bless me.
I don't know if you're anything like me, but I have a hard time recieving.
I'd rather work for it. Do something. I have a hard time grasping that God would want to give me anything.
But that's the gospel - the good news.
That "while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
As one of my new favorite songs puts it,
God says to us:
"I will love you for you,
Not for what you have done,
or what you will become.
I will love you for you,
I will give you love,
the love that you never knew."
- "What Love Really Mean" by JJ Heller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGUKWiw7Wk
So next time God buys you coffee, or reveals His deep love for you - receive it & enjoy it.
He loves you simply because you are his child & He delights in You (Zephaniah 3:17)
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