hey there

it’s friday and i have only one week until i go to south america. talk about being prettty excited! i’ll be in dallas all day next saturday before i fly out so hopefully i’ll be able to see some friends down there that i haven’t seen in a while. things have been pretty busy this week but i think this weekend will be a little more relaxing. i’m really looking forward to some much needed time doing…nothing? yea, doing nothing is sometimes nice you know?

anyway, i’ve been thinking a lot about thankfulness. a lot about contentment. i was listening to a sermon by k.p. yohannan (founder of gospel for asia…very awesome) the other night and he said something that was so simple but really made me think. he said something like this… “i was complaining and murmuring about not having any shoes, until i saw someone who didn’t have any legs.” and of course i am thinking to myself as he is saying this….”that is not me! i never complain about not having any shoes!” because i have more than enough of them.

.. but that isn’t the point. the point is that sometimes, very often, i find myself complaining about some small thing in my life. i find myself discontented where God has placed me or my circumstances, etc. i find myself worried over something when in reality, the something is so small! there are millions around the world every day who labor and work for hours upon hours just to get a small meal for the day. there are some that are abused, mistreated, underestimated, and in circumstances where there seems to be no hope. there are some that are spending years in prison because of their faith in Jesus. and yet, i can sit and complain about the smallest things…the littlest of problems. thankfulness is something that is so beautiful, and the Lord honors a thankful heart. if i trust Him, and give Him thanks, He will ultimately take care of the rest…….just some thoughts.

 

…much love!

“Lord you are my light and my salvation

whom shall i fear if you are near

Lord you are my peace when there is war all around me

and even here inside me i will have no fear

oh Lord you’re my protection from my enemies

You set me high upon a rock and You defend my soul

and when their ways advance against me

i am confident that they cannot make me less, for you have made me whole

Lord, you are my stronghold

You are my stronghold…“

….only 2 1/2 weeks until i head off to argentina….

it is amazing how time goes by so fast. last week i went to get my vaccinations and am thankful to have that all over with. : ) i’m really excited to see what the Lord has in store! i moved into cincinnati christian this past weekend and all my classes start next monday. i’m very thankful! my window overlooks all of cincinnati and at night, it’s especially beautiful. (i’ll have to take a picture of it sometime and put it up here.) the city lights come through my window like a night light…..so lovely! i’m really excited to see what the Lord has in store for the future. it is so easy for me to forget to be thankful in knowing that even though i don’t know what is ahead, He is the one leading me and directing my steps.

anyway, i have some things to do so that’s all for now. here is something i read last night that’s really stuck with me this morning…

“there is a sacred claim upon each of our lives that makes us whole so that we can be poured out for Him. not once a year. not even two or three times a week. He has called us to be a living sacrifice of service for His kingdom..” (leslie ludy)

wow….. continually poured out.
not just on “missions trips.”
not just when we feel like it.
but continually, constantly…

abiding…loving…living..serving….

….i definitely have so much to learn.

“the Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you-your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or you anything- then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it.” (ian thomas)

what does it mean to be a Christian? truly. a true Christian. a Christ follower. not an american-westernized version of a Christian but a true, non-compromised “little Christ”? is it going nicely dressed to church every sunday, is it being in a small group or bible study, is it doing all the right “Christiany things”? is it being just like the rest of the world, with a hint of faith here and there? when Jesus said…

“when you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (luke 14:12-14)

…it’s what He truly meant, right? does being a Christian really mean that we are to step out and love the least of these? or is Christianity living in a materialized country and living just like every one else, with Christ added somewhere in your life? Jesus may be on the top of your list- but is He your life? your Everything? when Jesus said…

“if you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. then come back and follow Me..” (matthew 19)


….does that mean we sit back and watch the latest movie in our nice homes, while the majority of the world is with out Hope? does it mean that while millions of women and children are forced into prostitution every day, we sit comfortably in church every sunday, sing a little praise and worship song, then head home? i’m not saying that watching a movie or church is wrong, at all…but i have been so convicted in my own life that the way i life my life needs to match up to what is commanded in the Bible. i think so much of my time is wasted believing in what the Bible says to be true, but living it out becomes a whole other story. if Christ is my treasure, my first Love–ultimately my life should deeply reflect His love and goodness. is it any wonder that so many Christian marriages are torn apart, so many homes in shambles, so many lives of Christian men and women still seeking for more religion and fufillment when Christ isn’t their first Love?


following Christ is meant to be beautiful. it is not meant to be always easy, but it is our Hope. when we begin to focus on Christ alone and all that He is, these temporary things- earthly distractions, entertainment, etc.- begin to fade. our self-absorbed life becomes Christ-absorbed as we surrender our own wants and desires to Him. we become completely devoted to Him alone. then, we find the greatest contentment in knowing Jesus and the joy that flows from a life in love with Him is evident…we can be a city on a hill, and His joy and love is shared with others…

 

…just some thoughts i’ve been thinkin and learning. : ) have an amazing day….

love to live: live to love.

hope you are having a beautiful monday! ok, so this is pretty basic stuff, but i think it is really good. : ) and very true…

“ there’s no need for you to imitate anybody else; they
already exist. do you want to be just like your colleague? if the
Creator wanted two identical colleagues, then He would have created a
copy of the first. if the Creator needed another person just like your
neighbor, then He would have immediately created two of them. He never
cloned somebody, so why would you? every snowflake is different. creation is not duplication…

don’t
imitate others. observe them, learn from them, but don’t try to be like
them. learn their skills but then implement them in your own life and
move forward on your own road. because you are walking your own road,
you cannot follow the footsteps of somebody else, nor can someone else
walk your road for you. they have their road, you have yours…