New Blog Site

sarisue.blogspot.com

"The Lord works in mysterious ways..."

Such a typical thing to say. It is such a common, overused phrase in my culture. Many times people say it and are completely sincere-they truly believe it. Other times, people say it to appease themselves or someone else-to provide comfort during a trial or struggle. But there a million reasons I could share with you to say that it is a phrase that is TRUE. The Lord of the universe, the King of all kings, does things that will just blow your mind. Sure does mine. He does things that will confound the wise but make the simplest person feel loved and valued and cherished. He does things that will knock your socks off. He will do things that make you feel completely overwhelmed with how huge He is, how mighty and majestic He is but at the very same time feel so completely humbled that He would care for a simple girl like you, or even realize that He could care so deeply about a simple, small part of a simple, small life. Wow. He truly works in mysterious, amazing, beautiful, unfathomable ways. I can't understand it most times. All I know is that I can lay my head down on my pillow and remember His promises.

• He will never EVER leave me or forsake me.
• His loves ENDURES forever.
• He truly is UNCHANGING.
• He is TRANSFORMING me into His perfect likeness even though I am still so far off.
• He is FAITHFUL and JUST.
• He made me for HIMSELF.
• He KNOWS it all.
• He LOVES me anyway.

I know this blog probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense because I am speaking in general, but I hope it reaches into your evening, into your heart and mind, and touches the deepest part of your soul-to remind you or maybe to tell you for the first time ever, that you are on His mind, on His heart and that He will "tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand" to show you how much He LOVES you and KNOWS you and WANTS you for Himself. Yes, in mysterious, magical, glorious ways.

Yes, it's true.

God has called me!

God has called me to this very thing and I need His strength to live it! It is His heart's desire for His people!

All Turned to Holiness
"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The LORD" (Zechariah 14:20).

Happy day when all things shall be consecrated, and the horses' bells shall ring out holiness to the LORD! That day has come to me. Do I not make all things holy to God? These garments, when I put them on or take them off, shall they not remind me of the righteousness of Christ Jesus my LORD? Shall not my work be done as unto the LORD? Oh, that today my clothes may be vestments, my meals sacraments, my house a temple, my table an altar, my speech incense, and myself a priest! LORD, fulfill Thy promise, and let nothing be to me common or unclean.

Let me in faith expect this. Believing it to be so, I shall be helped to make it so. As I myself am the property of Jesus, my LORD may take an inventory of all I have, for it is altogether His own; and I resolve to prove it to be so by the use to which I put it this day. From morning till evening I would order all things by a happy and holy rule. My bells shall ring -- why should they not? Even my horses shall have bells -- who has such a right to music as the saints have? But alt my bells, my music, my mirth, shall be turned to holiness and shall ring out the name of "the happy God."

-"Faith's Checkbook" Spurgeon

Regret

The Lord is showing me how I live each day in regret. I hate this! This is not the victorious, glorious, amazing life He has purchased for me...I know this. I had not realized how regretful I've been living until the past few days.

Let me back up..

Here is where I will be honest, as ashamed as I may be tempted to feel. I struggle. I fight to be obedient and disciplined with my time. There are multiple aspects to this struggle but one is that I can easily fall into laziness and apathy. Ugh. Days will pass and although I often feel busy, at the end of the day, I don't know what I accomplished. I don't know how to break out of this cycle. When I lay down to go to sleep at night and look at what I got done, I often feel that I did not get anything done! Part of it, as I mentioned, is laziness...but another part is that I feel like I get up in the morning and suddenly it is midnight or one a.m. and the day is gone. I have no idea how to use my time effectively. I have ALWAYS struggled with this. But in this constant struggle...I have began to see how I am now living in REGRET.

That end of the day reflection comes and I just feel horrible about myself and how I don't know how to live effectively. This is so normal that I have been blind to the fact that I am not giving my time to Him, I've just accepted this fast-paced-but-accomplishing-little lifestyle as normal. But in my heart and mind, I know that this is not right. This is not the way He would have a child of His live.

I could go on and on about my struggle with time...but to just face it is this: I've been living by the whims of my flesh. Which is not okay. On days when I have been busy with school or teaching, I rush through my day with little to no peace in His love...I don't even speak to Him. I know that if I did, He would fill me up (Phil 4:4-8) but I have just been existing..not living. However, the worst part is this: I do the same thing when I have a day of freedom in my time. If I have extra time, I STILL struggle to accomplish the things that I need or want to do! It is a little bit better but I get so distracted with things that do not matter.

So, ultimately, I know how to combat these issues...before the throne of grace. I have tons of practical tools to help me through this..but I need Christ. All parts of the human life need Christ..even time management and choosing how to organize tasks. Some would probably read this and think I am being crazy to feel so strongly and think so hard about something like this.. But to me, it is huge. It is a struggle that I have had for years and years. I desire for EVERY part of my life to reflect His holiness and purity...including time, tasks, free-time, and busyness. I need JESUS.

As I said before, there are more aspects and factors to this battle, but all of them need to be placed into His wonderful hands. So to begin today, I am going clean. Simple, right? But I desperately need His out-of-this-world strength to even get through this!

Shame wants to creep up to admit that I struggle with something that seems so mundane, but I will boast in my weaknesses so that His power will be glorified! Yes, this shows how VERY weak I am, but HE is my joy and my strength! His grace is enough..

If anyone has any advice, I am completely open!

Sometimes my Lord overwhelms my heart, my mind, and my soul....and even my body...so intensely that I feel like I might just explode! Into praise? Into song? Into a poem? I feel like so many words need to be expressed but I have no idea where to begin. I just know that He is FAITHFUL!!! Amazingly, wonderfully, warmly, cozily faithful! I am so psycho....totally unfaithful, inconsistent, chaotic, zooming a million miles an hour....and my God is there, totally calm, loving, understanding, loving, safe..holding me ever so tenderly, keeping me from totally going insane. I cannot explain this very well but just understand that His love is unchanging & irreplaceable! He has stolen my heart with just one glance of His eyes!

So many things have happened, are happening now. So many changes, new chapters in this "book of my life", difficulties, victories, bad choices, good choices... Yet He is the Author! The One who is scripting this story that has been written since before I was formed in the secret place. The One who makes my bad choices into good for His glory & holy purposes!

The one thing I want is to LOVE Him! I want to forsake all things of this world to KNOW Him, to WORSHIP Him, to HONOR Him! I'm horrible at it. But He continuously (without any waver whatsoever) loves me & accepts my filthy-as-rags attempts to be a lover of God! The thing I often forget is that I am no longer my own....I have been bought at a price and although my love is so so very imperfect, He lives in me, His Spirit teaches me how to love Him well! What He wants is surrender & not perfection. Trust not self-trust.

John 15:5-apart from me, you can do NOTHING.

His love is pure beauty, bliss, paradise, everything sacred, holy purity, the center of every God-made passion, my hope, my life...

Listening to His Voice

Listening to His Voice **Please read this quick blog :)

This is one of those things that the Spirit uses to wake me up (yet again) to the realities of God's heart for the people He lovingly made. I can get so dumb & blind...paying attention to the fleeting, unimportant things that flash before my eyes...all the while I am called to be a living, walking representation of Christ's heart. I can't do that on my own, but His Spirit will live through me.

I am just a few days away from starting my Practice Teaching...1 whole semester of spending day after day with sweet, little, loveable beauties in a Kindergarten class. (Not to mention all the amazing adults & other children I am sure to meet!) I am so blessed & I quickly forget. Pray that I will serve them with all my heart & be open to all that He has for me during this time!

:) I pray that He would open us all up, help us to understand, & that we would be willing to be lovers. To love with HIS love! His children, all of them!

The A21 Campaign and Human Trafficking

Here is a video put on youtube by one of my favorite people. Beckah Shae (on the left in the video) is a beautiful, mighty woman of God. I found her music a few years ago and she is my favorite artist! I listen to her music all the time and it draws me nearer to His truth in such a fun way! She has such a heart for people and in this video, we hear from Christine Caine. Just watch!

I love when they say: We can't do everything, but we each can do SOMETHING.

Jesus, show us how.

I Need to Learn This...

Title: The Weapon of Prayer

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

News came one day which indicated that a matter I had been praying about had deteriorated rather than improved. "What good are my prayers, anyway?" I was tempted to ask. "Why bother? It's becoming a mere charade." But the words of Jesus occurred in my Bible reading that very morning (and wasn't it a good thing I'd taken time to hear Him?): "If you, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him?" (Matthew 7:11, NEB).

Are you as often tempted as I am to doubt the effectiveness of prayer? But Jesus prayed. He told us to pray. We can be sure that the answer will come, and it will be good. If it is not exactly what we expected, chances are we were not asking for quite the right thing. Our heavenly Father hears the prayer, but wants to give us bread rather than stones.

Prayer is a weapon. Paul speaks of the "weapons we wield" in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. They are "not merely human, but divinely potent to demolish strongholds" (NEB). The source of my doubts about its potency that morning was certainly not the Holy Spirit. It was the unholy spirit, the Destroyer himself, urging me to quit using the weapon he fears so intensely.

Good Words by Mrs. Elisabeth Elliot

I just think this is a fun little passage!

Title: Will God Explain Why?

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

We sometimes imagine that God must eventually "sit us down" and "explain" his mysterious ways to our satisfaction. Let us suppose we have never seen a skyscraper. We discover a whole city block surrounded by a board fence. Finding a knothole, we peer inside. Huge earth movers are at work; hundreds of men in hard hats are busy at mysterious tasks; cranes are being moved into place; truckloads of pipes and cement are being unloaded. What on earth is happening? There is nobody around to answer our questions. If we wait long enough, nobody will need to. When we see the finished building, all the incomprehensible activity becomes comprehensible. "Oh! So this is what that was for."

"I shall be satisfied when I awake, with Thy likeness" (Ps 17: 15 AV).

The Gospel

This is my King, my Savior... and this is how He has changed my life! <3 It is a good, good Friday even though it once was the darkest day in creation..in 3 days, Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

Time, Schedules, and Surrender

Last night at bible study, we watched a video sermon by Andy Stanley. He was talking about our schedules and not leaving any "margins" for the important things. I was extremely blessed, encouraged, convicted, and I enjoyed this lesson!

He talked about how we so often (if not always) live unwisely. We act as though we will never run out of time and as if we can make up for time lost. This isn't true! He gave so many great points! First of all, all of our time is limited. Second, we are always doing something. Third, somebody will determine how you spend your time. We often think it is our "right" to choose, and we usually do choose how we will spend our time. Although if we don't, someone will. It might be our family, our boss, our teachers, etc. Andy said that God says to us, "Let me be in charge."

He said, why wouldn't we surrender our time to God? He is the One who gave it to us in the first place and He is the only One who knows how much of it we have left!

He then talked about how God is the only One who has the power to give and take days away! He is in control! We should feel safe and trust in His timing for things to come to pass. We should go to Him for wisdom about how to spend our days.

When we surrender our schedule to Him, He will form a schedule that includes margins. Margins that make time for the important things in life..primarily our relationship with HIM! :)

The first way to create margins is to recognize that our days are numbered by God. Psalm 90:12 says "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." Andy talked about how it is wise to surrender our schedules to Him. We have to have the right perspective that we are in a life that is limited by time. Andy gave this example: We would change the way we spend our time if the doctor told us we only have 6 months to live...1 month to live. We would change our schedules to do the important things! He said, God says, "You only have 1 life to live! You should rearrange your schedule."

The second way to create margins is to prioritize accordingly. Ephesians 5:15-17 also talks about being wise with our time, and to redeem our time! Paul equates this with the will of the Lord. "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Andy said when scheduling, we should ask the Father, "What is the wise thing to do?"

He said that most of us are fearful of what God will do with our time. (This is a lie from the enemy because His perfect love drives out fear!) We are afraid that if we let Him take control, we won't be as productive. This isn't true! God made us productive and will probably make us more productive. Our priorities determine our capacity, rather than the amount of things determine our capacity. He used the illustration of packing the car up for a long vacation. If you randomly throw everyone's bags in, you will fill up quickly, maybe even having to leave some things behind. There will not being any margins - any space to see through the rearview window. There would be a lot of wasted space (time). But if you prioritize the bags, and pack them wisely, they will fit together and in fact you will have more space! There will now be a margin at the top to see out the rearview window.

Lastly, the best way to utilize time, to create margins in our schedules is to make time alone with God our highest priority. I think this has to be done out of affection for Him! This will allow us to understand His will for our lives, help us to be more sensitive to the Spirit's leading, our capacity will be greater...there WILL BE a margin of peace and joy! Matthew 6:33-But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

This message was a blessing to me! I have always struggled with time management. Here is my answer! The same one as everything else.... SURRENDER!! <3

Materialism... Flesh vs Spirit

I have spent the last 1 hour and 15 minutes looking online at cars! That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for me, it is pure materialism. I have no need for a car, I simply got "new cars" into my head and began looking! Oh my goodness!

I have never been one to be tempted or taunted by the things of the world...yes, I enjoyed getting new stuff, but I never had to have the next best thing or anything. Until the last few months! I have been totally thinking (spending way too much time thinking about...) phones and today, cars. What is up with that? It can be a big deal for some people, especially here in America. But for me, the only thing I spend too much money on is music and books. If I ever bought anything else, I would buy once and not again for quite a while. But lately, when someone in my family has gotten a new phone, I missed having a "new" phone.. or lately my parents have been talking about possibly getting a new car, and I started thinking about a new car. ???? What is happening?!

People often think that idols are metal or wooden statues that people pray to, bow down to, or carry around.. but idols can be anything that we are worshipping. And in this world, especially a country like America, we are teased each day with images of the "next big thing"...and I mean constant attacks. Material things are valued so highly that you are not 'normal' if you don't have a Blackberry or iPhone, a Google TV or a Hi-def TV, an expensive car or big house. It isn't that those things are wrong in & of themselves...in fact, when used right, they can be awesome tools of love for the Kingdom, but valuing them so highly that you feel lost without them, or can't imagine not having them, that is an idol! My cell phone and computer are probably the 2 things that I have to watch myself on. For someone else it may be their car, their jewelry, or their house.

...This post was from a few days ago. I never finished writing it! I think that the truth shines through though.

Today, I just feel the need to write. My prayer is that the Lord would work through this post and would give me the topic(s) He wants me to speak about!

I have been going through a very tough season spiritually.. I have been up & down, in & out, 'round & 'round. My heart cries and feels sad, tired, lost, alone when I am without Him. I constantly remind myself that He has not left me but He has upheld me in His strong, righteous right hand! It is ME that turns my gaze from Him to something else, it is ME that tries to run and run (why? I don't know!) but the beautiful, wonderful, amazing, glorious thing is that when I turn from His face or lace up my shoes to run away from Him, I never get far until I look around a realize that I still am safe in the palm of His hand. I never get far! He does not let me leave..I don't know why. I am so unworthy of this amazing, glorious love. No matter how hard I try, I can't comprehend it.

In fact, I get so angry at myself sometimes, so frustrated! I just can't see why I can't stay in Him, why I can't keep my gaze locked into those piercing, beautiful eyes? Erg. I get so angry with myself sometimes! But then He reminds me... "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1) Then I start to think...isn't that what I am doing though? I am walking according to the flesh anytime my gaze is broken, anytime I am distracted or tempted to look to myself, someone else, or to the world. I sometimes can't understand why I go back and forth, and up and down. Then He again speaks to me... Paul once said, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." (Rom. 7:15) Erg! That is just it! In my head, I want to be a holy woman of God, but then I stumble, I fall. Oh my! Then He reminds me that Paul also once said, "I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against that law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom 7:21-24) Yes! That is exactly how it feels! That is how it seems to work! Wow. "So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Rom. 7:25b)

Man, so I understand a little better.. this is how it is going to be for every child of God. How wonderful that He is so faithful, patient, merciful, gracious, wanting us to know & love Him! He is so awesome! "I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 7:25a)

As I mentioned before, I have been going through a tough season, and I don't think it is over yet..but I will continue to fix my gaze upon Him (through HIS strength) when I find that I am so exhausted because I have been trying to run from Him... I will look up and realize that He is holding me, laughing at me even! Laughing that I think I can just run..He will never leave nor forsake me! No one (not even myself!) can pluck me from the palm of His hand!

:)

This or That

I decided to copy Ellerslie's Student Blog and do a this or that myself...just for fun! I am taking a break from reading for class :)

I think you, reader, should answer the questions also!

1. Ice Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt?
Ice Cream... haven't had frozen yogurt much! I bet it is delish though :)

2. Kindle vs. Book in Hand?
Book please! Kindle's are neat but I am a lover of books...smells, texture, :) Especially old ones where they pages are yellow-y.

3. Carpet vs. Hardwood?
Hm, hardwood is much more beautiful but carpet makes it warm. I think I will go with the Eric Ludy answer-hardwood with a beautiful, fluffy rug on top!

4. Camping vs. Hotel?
Oh man, that is a hard one..I LOVE camping, but hotel visits are fun. So it depends! Camping has a slight edge though :)

5. Car vs. Bike?
Car for sure! I haven't ridden a bike in a LOT of years! Plus I'm a chicken!

6. Hot chocolate or coffee?
I drink a lot of hot chocolate at Christmas time, but otherwise a coffee and tea drinker! I love both!

7. Sweater or sweatshirt?
Sweater! I used to be a sweatshirt-all-the-time girl, but I hardly wear them anymore..they aren't as comfy as I used to think.

8. Fallen leaves or fallen snow?
Hm, either! Beauty!

9. Sunny or Rainy?
Both! My favorite time is the summer when there is both at once! Gorgeous, refreshing, beautiful-smelling rain storms mixed with lightning and thunder and dark grey skies, then suddenly sunny sunlight with birds singing! Ah :)

10.Oceanside or Mountain Peak?
I'm a mountain girl... Ocean is beautiful but send me out to the pine trees with a pup, a book, journal and the smell of the forest, looking up through the branches to the blue skies...that is where I love to be, I belong there!

11.Food: Something New or Steady Favorites?
Steady favorites... I do try new stuff every so often though :)

12. Journal: Paper or Computer?
Paper all the way...tried to computer thing and it isn't for me. I love me some writing.

13.Scheduled or Spontaneous?
Probably a mixture of both... things that need to be scheduled...please keep them scheduled, thanks! Things that don't need to be, spontaneous is a good measure of adventure!

EXCITED!!

I think I have written and thought the word..."excited" more times than ever before in one hour! :) I just wrote a friend *wink wink-she knows who she is!* an email and have been thinking about stuff and I seriously said and thought...excited about a million times! Okay, not "seriously" but pretty much!

Today marks my first official day back to classes for this semester. My last one of just course work..next Fall-student teaching! Eeek! Tomorrow, God willing, is my first day back to see everyone at the BSU, haven't seen many of them for over a month..I miss them. I'm working on getting all my stuff organized. I just got a new study bible that I have cracked open to start falling more in love with the Word and the One who wrote it all! I am working on memorizing 2 Corinthians 10:3-5! I am going to restart Wrestling Prayer by Eric and Leslie. My classes are all going to be online this semester...except for one..so I am going to get this amazing gift of more time outside of class..more time to do things in a timely manner because I am free to choose how to use my time (pray for me please!) I may be doing some discipleship. I am going to start a bible study soon - Beth Moore I believe (awesome!)

So many exciting things...basically I see and know the provision, the favor of God Almighty in my life! He is GOOD! He is GREAT! He takes care of me like the little sparrows of the air :) He has called me much more valuable than they are!

May the God of my life get all the glory! I am just so excited :)

Quick note..

There are so many blessings... yet I struggle to die to my flesh..to crucify it completely. I live in this body of death, as Paul puts it. Yet I STILL BELIEVE that it is His indwelling Spirit that gives me strength...He leads and guides and loves and lives through me! He is gracious enough to dwell within this sinful vessel. Amazing! I asked Him to and I believe that He will...He is going to teach me how to be in a constant communion with Him, living and walking in His Spirit, because I do not know how to do it on my own! I can't do it on my own! Isn't that the point? He is so merciful and oh so faithful!

It is a new year! Well it is the 5th day of the new year and it is going to be beautiful! I say this not because I "choose" to see it as beautiful or because I have faith in myself or in any human in my life, but because I believe in His most precious and holy promises to be with me! In His presence is the FULLNESS of joy! (Ps. 16:11) He IS love and light..how can anything be "bad" when I truly belong to Him!?

Blog 1 Year Anniversary!

PS-I just realized that tomorrow will be my 1 year anniversary having this blog! :) Hopefully I will post more in 2011 :)

Squirrel!

Don't you love how He embraces us? I feel so dirty, yucky, ...totally unworthy. But every time, EVERY time, He swoops in..like that mighty Warrior on the White Steed that He is, and sweeps me off my feet! He holds me as if I never did anything to offend or hurt Him. It's so amazing. And I know that it is only by Christ's blood. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, thank you.

My brain needs to be overtaken.. I say this because if you hand me anything-this blog, age, school, family, friends, anything-all things seem to take me to this thought about the quickness of time. My brain becomes overwhelmed and I just can't understand or contain this knowledge. I feel that I can't commit or there is not time to commit to things, to people. Life just keeps running and I can't keep up. I need His mind, His knowledge, His discernment. Ultimately, I need His Spirit! The blessed gift is, I have it..I have HIM. Amazing. Now, the same struggle is to surrender..completely. To die to myself..not just in the spiritual-sounding way...no, I mean it. I am ready to die to self and all its hang ups and screw ups. I want Him. I want His life. And He is there...He is there.

My struggle these past 2 months has been DISTRACTION. Ug. I want to write about this because maybe some random soul might be led to this post and have some great perspective to share..iron sharpens iron.

I get easily distracted.. school, tv, future, worry, food, image,..._________add word. Tons of things distract me. The Lord has really challenged me to rid my life of many things that are obvious distractions for me... sometimes even these things are hard to let go of. School gets so busy that I spend all of my time not only doing things for school...but THINKING about it. That is where I take it back to needing the mind of Christ and the indwelling Spirit!

I desperately want Him.. I need Him. My Maker is my Husband (Is. 54:5) and it is NATURAL to desire Him. How do I so strongly desire Him and then turn and easily become unfaithful in my devotion? I get distracted by the first "shiny" thing that passes in front of me. I am like the dog on the movie "Up", I am totally in love with and consumed by my Master, and suddenly my whole focus and attention is turned to the "Squirrel!" that I sense. How do I become a woman so enraptured by my King that I couldn't care an ounce for the things of this world?

Any ideas?

On another note, how is 2011 to be spent? At the feet of Christ. <3

This is my prayer, I want this kind of trust LORD!

Evening Reading by Charles H. Spurgeon

Now on whom dost thou trust? ˜Isaiah 36:5


Reader, this is an important question. Listen to the Christian's answer, and see if it is yours. "On whom dost thou trust?" "I trust," says the Christian, "in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that He has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust Him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to His own house where the many mansions are. I trust the Son. Very God of very God is He—the man Christ Jesus. I trust in Him to take away all my sins by His own sacrifice, and to adorn me with His perfect righteousness. I trust Him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before His Father's throne, and I trust Him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust Him for what He is, for what He has done, and for what He has promised yet to do. And I trust the Holy Spirit—He has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust Him to drive them all out; I trust Him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness; I trust Him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light for ever."

Oh, blessed trust! To trust Him whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never wane, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never fail, whose wisdom will never be nonplussed, and whose perfect goodness can never know a diminution! Happy art thou, reader, if this trust is thine! So trusting, thou shalt enjoy sweet peace now, and glory hereafter, and the foundation of thy trust shall never be removed.

Some Good Words

This was the devotional that I got in my email today. I love it! It has such good words that I need.

July 23

Absolutely No Remembrance
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 10:17).

According to this gracious covenant the LORD treats His people as if they had never sinned. Practically, He forgets all their trespasses. Sins of all kinds He treats as if they had never been, as if they were quite erased from His memory. O miracle of grace! God here doth that which in certain aspects is impossible to Him. His mercy worketh miracles which far transcend all other miracles.

Our God ignores our sin now that the sacrifice of Jesus has ratified the covenant. We may rejoice in Him without fear that He will be provoked to anger against us because of our iniquities. See! He puts us among the children; He accepts us as righteous; He takes delight in us as if we were perfectly holy. He even puts us into places of trust; makes us guardians of His honor, trustees of the crown jewels, stewards of the gospel. He counts us worthy and gives us a ministry; this is the highest and most special proof that He does not remember our sins. Even when we forgive an enemy, we are very slow to trust him; we judge it to be imprudent so to do. But the LORD forgets our sins and treats us as if we had never erred. O my soul, what a promise is this! Believe it and be happy.

By C.H. Spurgeon

Beautiful, Important, Good Words from Elisabeth Elliot

I read Elisabeth Elliot's daily devotionals on her website. She has so many wonderful things to say..she is surely a godly woman. Many would probably call her old-fashioned in a lot of her opinions and I am all about that when it comes to the God-honoring life! I just enjoy her devotions! (**Note-I'm pretty sure they are all taken from past writings and such...I don't think she writes these currently.)

I just want to share a few that have been great!

This one is from June 14th. The Lord was really working FORGIVENESS into my heart, and still is. This came at a great time!

Title: The Arbiter is Peace
Author: Elisabeth Elliot

When there are disputes or differences of any sort between people, there are four possible results: estrangement, an armed truce, compromise, or reconciliation. The first of these is the reason for a good many divorces. The second accounts for many unhappy marriages. The third may seem the best that can be hoped for. The fourth is what Christians are called to, always. In marital disputes, or those between labor and management, an arbiter is sometimes called in, often after much wrangling and bitterness. An arbiter has absolute power to judge and decide.
There is another arbiter, too often forgotten. "Let Christ's peace be arbiter in your hearts; to this peace you were called" (Col 3:15 NEB).
Wouldn't it make an astonishing difference in our fellowship with one another if we would let that peace arbitrate, if we would remember the promised parting gift of Christ, "My peace I give you," and the command to live at peace with all?
But, we ask, how? How does it work? The context in Colossians shows us:
You are God's chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. (Col 3:12-14 JB)
Are we willing to follow Him here? He will help us if we are. He will calm the troubled waters.

This next one is from today's devotional... I just think it is wonderful because the King has really taught me about SURRENDER AND LAYING DOWN MY EVERYTHING. I have always been interested in His will.. Check it out!

Title: Discerning the Will of God

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

The primary condition for learning what God wants of us is putting ourselves wholly at his disposal. It is just here that we are often blocked. We hold certain reservations about how far we are willing to go, what we will or will not do, how much God can have of us or of what we treasure. Then we pray for guidance. It will not work. We must begin by laying it all down--ourselves, our treasures, our destiny. Then we are in a position to think with renewed minds and act with a transformed nature. The withholding of any part of ourselves is the same as saying, "Thy will be done up to a point, mine from there on."

Paul gives four important steps to discerning the will of God:

1. "Offer your very selves to Him,"

2. "Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world."

3. "Let your minds be remade."

4. "Your whole nature transformed."

"Then you will be able to discern the will of God" (Rom 12:1,2 NEB).

This leads me to share another one of my most favorite passages. I can't speak to you how much these couple of verses have meant to me recently.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

and especially this one

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

He is sovereign and holy and wonderful and cares about me and you!

Hope you enjoy!

Amazing Testimony

Wow, this video is so crazy. This video has some very uncomfortable moments...just to warn you. The Lord's glory is shown though!

♥

The Lord is moving in my life so much right now.. He brings me to tears so many times a day. It's wonderful! I always want to be with Him! :)

Summer Smiles

I changed my blogger look! Yay :) I was looking all over the place for the instructions about how to do this..it wasn't easy. Then I found this: just log in at http://draft.blogger.com/ and there is an awesome template maker! I've been really into the pretty designs in black and white, just an insignificant fact! Ha!

The fact that it is summer is starting to hit me.. I have been out of classes for 2 weeks already but I was still working and keeping busy so it didn't feel like it really. The very last day of work, I got sick with this icky stomach bug that has been floating around. So I felt pretty out of it for a few days..everything blurred together because I pretty much laid in bed and watched either law shows or Deadliest Catch. But I did feel good enough to go out and spend some time out in the country! :) We had a little picnic and bbq'd hotdogs. It was awesome!

These were some of the views I was admiring while trying to take a siesta! This is one of my favorite places to be, the Lord wired me that way! Under the pine trees and blue sky, with nothing but the Lover of my soul, my familia and the sweet, sweet sound of the wind blowing through the trees!











I also went today to work on the Curriculum Task Force! Cute and funny name :) My professor, Dr. Martini, invited me to be a part of this... we are editing some lesson plans that we developed. She is a sweet, cute lady with more spunk than I have seen in a long time! She is so motivated and driven :) It's really refreshing! She is funny-pretty much looking out for our futures by wanting us to present our work and always talking about publishing our work and stuff. She's a hoot! But seriously, I appreciate her faith in us, it is encouraging. :) Although I am not keen on presentations and such, I am enjoying working closely with her. She has a wealth of knowledge about children that I'd love to tap into! That little bit of time I saw her today got me a little more geared up to start my summer course tomorrow. I also received my 475 PAGE textbook! O_o Yikes! It's a 3 week class! Ha :)

So these are all little things that the Lord has taken me to... significant? I'd say so... He is behind it, I have faith that this is true. He is the only One who could orchestrate these things! Praise to You Jesus, I am not worthy. May people just see Him in me. That's my prayer.

And lastly, I shot this cute picture of 2 of our pups earlier today! Rhiley was given Lucy a sweet little bath and cuddling with her! :) I love them!

Open and Closed Doors

My Sweet Lord and King has been opening a lot of doors that He had previously closed. I mentioned this on one of my last posts... I guess He was closing them temporarily, not permanently. I pray that He would always step in the way of anything or anyone that I am allow to get in His way in my life.. He gives and takes away. Blessed be His name!

I so desire to have a gentle and quiet spirit.. to be a woman that honors, reveres, respects, loves, blesses, and rejoices in Him and His heart each day. I have SUCH a long way to go.. but that's the grace of His love, He is so very patient and faithful to me..He is conforming me into His image.. He walks with me through this dirty but beautiful world. I desire to moment by moment put to death my flesh, my sinful nature. I just want Him to live through me... to go to any lengths to speak His name and not my own. It's such a struggle sometimes...there are some moments where all I want to do is scream ME, MY, I... even for worthless, meaningless things. What is up with that? But that's the beauty of having the Holy Spirit, He gives me strength and self-control. He reminds me of how insignificant I am to this world, that my worth does not come from recognition...and that to Him, how SIGNIFICANT AND VALUABLE I am to Him! How blessed am I?! I can't fathom this love I get to enjoy!

I really like blogging but I sit down and feel that the same thing comes out...how much I need JESUS! Oh well, I pray someone will be blessed by reading this!

So Cute!!!

Poor guy, he is so concerned!