Jan 27th, 2012

Through the Flames

 


 

Psalm 5

I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend.

There is something raw and beautiful about exposing it all to God. Even though God knows our thoughts, our actions before we do them, and our hearts, there is something liberating about bearing it all to Him. It’s stepping out of fear and into faith when we are able to say,  ”God, here I am. Here is everything in my life that is holding me back from You, take it and let it burn.”

We don’t realize how much we bury inside until we reach a point when we pour our lives at God’s feet.  There are no words to describe that feeling. It’s almost as if our soul has a voice that we never knew existed.

Our thoughts have the power to deceive and so do our hearts. When our hearts are truly rooted in the Word of God, there is no room for deception, but maybe that’s the problem. If our hearts were truly planted in the Word God, why would we doubt? It’s because our souls haven’t truly reached the point of connection, and they don’t know God.

Reaching the point when we are willing to expose it all without fear is coming alive all over again. It’s watching the things we are too scared to admit and bottle up instead, fall at the feet of God’s grace and we’re free. It’s that moment that we take everything that has ever held us back and kept us planted in our lies, anything that has ever prohibited our growth and trust in Him, every single broken piece, throwing it into the fire and watching our life disappear.

Through the flames, the infliction of who we were will burn.  It’s a new beginning and allows us to embrace eternity.

Let it burn

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 Posted by Julie under Spiritual Growth
Jan 25th, 2012

These Times Are Hard


Sometimes words fail me.  

Someone who is so used to speaking her mind and letting it out, just to have a release, most of the time it fails.

Lately, words fail me.

When the words inside me are screaming for an out, I choose to bottle them up instead. The only person that knows what’s going on inside of me is God. While that truth should bring me comfort and that things will inevitably be “okay,” sometimes it’s not as easy to swallow as it should be. I tell others often to let it out. Whatever they are going through, to get it out. Maybe that makes me hypocritical and not really authentic.  I choose to believe that it makes me human.

For the past week, I have failed me.

It’s hard trying to be strong all the time, the one holding it all together. It’s what Jesus would do, right? He did. He knows I’m trying, He knows my heart and that brings me peace.

Yet, I fail miserably.

These times will try hard to define me
And I’ll try to hold my head up high
But I’ve seen despair here from the inside
And it’s got a one track mind

And I have this feeling in my gut now
And I don’t know what it is I’ll find
Does anybody ever feel like
You’re always one step behind

And I know there’s someone out there somewhere
Who has it much worse than I do
But I have a dream inside, a perfect life
I’d give anything just to work
It’s like I’m only trying to dig my way out
Of all these things I can’t

And I am sitting alone here in my bed
I’m waiting for an answer I don’t know that I’ll get
I cannot stand to look in the mirror, I’m failing
I’m telling you these times are hard
But they will pass

Sometimes when words fail, when I fail, a song can say everything I can’t.  The lyrics above are from “Safetysuit” and their new album “These Times.” When I heard the song, I had to stop what I was doing and really take them in. These lyrics speak volumes to how I am feeling right now. I feel like God heard my pleading, the crying voice inside my soul and knew what I needed in that moment.

Life, Satan, and the things going on around me are trying to define me. I try and keep my head up high because I know God is in my corner, but regardless of how high I hold it, something inside me feels discouraged. Regardless of how far ahead I think I am, I always feel one step behind. No matter how far I think I am growing in my relationship with God and how the Spirit moves in my life daily, I still feel like I am not doing ”enough.”  Then I remind myself that it’s not about what we do, God wants us to trust Him.  

I’m trying.

I know there are people out there that have it much worse than I do. So, yeah I feel a bit guilty for being in my funk. Sometimes when we least expect it, life attacks and it attacks hard. In the quiet moments in my mind, I remind myself that God is working. I know that regardless of my circumstances He is moving and this is just a temporary lapse in my season of growth.

Through every trial, there is no burden of ours that God will not carry.  That is the truth that resonates the most with me, because I know I am not alone.  We are not alone. In the midst of our despair, God is working and has our best interest at heart.

These times are hard, but they will pass

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

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 Posted by Julie under Personal, Videos
Jan 16th, 2012

Martin Luther King Jr. & His Dream Defined

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream.

Today we celebrate his life and the legacy he left behind. It is no question that  he was taken from this life way too soon.  Jesus was too.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an advocate for love.  He had a dream that he hoped would change the face of society.  He envisioned a world where people could live and breathe together in unity and peace. He wanted people to rise above their differences and embrace each other in love. The way Jesus loved us.

Martin Luther King Jr’s dream should have never been ignored.  His vision should never be swept under the rug only to be brought out every year on this day.

His dream is our lives as Christians defined.

Martin Luther King Jr. wanted Men, Women, Children to live and be better people. He wanted them to humble themselves before God and realize that God’s plans and purpose were larger than our own.

We are disciples of Christ and our purpose in life is more than a dream, it’s our destiny.  It is what we are put here on this Earth to do. We are to love others the way Christ loved and died for us.

We are His dream defined.  Everyday we are given opportunities to love more, help others in need, and be a voice in a crowd of many. We are given the opportunity to live the way God wanted us too. A life that is built on the foundation of Christ and imitate Him in everything we do.

There is a hole in this world that Martin Luther King Jr. left behind. However, his truth is still evident in how we need to do more and be better people of faith.

There is a hole in our hearts that can only be filled with the love of Christ.  This truth is evident in how we live and face the challenges of each day. Martin Luther King Jr. faced adversity and died for what he believed.  As Christians, we face persecution and criticism for what we believe.

Martin Luther King Jr’s ideal society was one that was built on love. God’s promise to us was Jesus. He is love.

Jesus is Martin Luther King Jr’s dream defined.

As disciples of Christ, we are his dream defined.  It’s time we stop dreaming and make his dream a reality. It’s time for us to make Jesus a reality.

Are you still dreaming?

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 Posted by Julie under Christian Insight
Jan 15th, 2012

The Drive-Thru Christian

 

Our relationship with God and faith are a lot like a fast food drive-thru.  We want everything in our life “fast, fresh, and friendly.”  We want life our way and our prayers made to order.

We are the “Fast Food Nation of Faith.”  We “pull up” to our Bibles or sit quietly in prayer and ask God for more happiness. Maybe for some of us, just a little happiness.  More money, a better job, a better marriage, or an “extra value” meal with all of the above. Every prayer is an order we place before God thinking that He will fill our order correctly and quickly.

We order food from a drive-thru because it’s quick and convenient. We don’t feel like taking the time to cook a meal at home. We want our food and we want it now. The same can be said about our faith and our prayers to God.

God doesn’t work on fast and convenient.

We may like things our way and want our prayers answered quickly, but what would we learn? Where would we find strength?  Our strength and hope lies in Christ and in Him alone.

Life may be fast, but it certainly isn’t friendly.  

Life is at times inconsiderate and inconvenient and that’s the harsh reality of living in a broken world. Our faith in God is more than that. It’s more than fast and convenient. Our faith in Christ should be consistent.

If we spent less time in a drive-thru and more time in the kitchen, less time in wanting and more time needing God, maybe then we’d realize our purpose.  Maybe we’d learn to be a little more patient.

God doesn’t take our orders. He works everything in our life for our good and for our intended purpose. He works on His terms. While this realization and reality may be hard for us to come to terms with, it’s important as we grow in our faith and relationship with Him.

Life isn’t made to order our way. It’s God’s way, all day, everyday.  

What was the last thing you “ordered” from God?

Romans 12:12

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

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 Posted by Julie under Christian Insight, Spiritual Growth
Jan 14th, 2012

Death of a Cat and Dying to Self

 

photo credit: Andre Bohrer

It was like any ordinary morning. I woke up, had my morning coffee, showered, and got ready for work.

And then my Dad asked “Have you seen the cat?”

A little background story. My Dad and I, for the past six months have housed a mother and her kitten. One of her kittens disappeared and one was left, which quickly became “ours.” It stayed outdoors because my Mom is not a pet fan and for most of my life I have not been a fan of cats. But, like with any pet, I got attached.

While I was drying my hair, my Dad left to see if maybe the cat had wandered off into the neighborhood and when he came back, the next thing he said made my heart sink. “Look, when you go outside, don’t look at the road.”

I knew the inevitable had happened.  He was dead.

As I headed out the door, I saw his lifeless body lying on the gravel and gazing ahead, I saw a part of myself lying there too. When someone says, ”Die to self daily,” what does that mean to you? It didn’t resonate with me until that moment.

My cat in the last seconds of his life didn’t realize what was happening and he didn’t and couldn’t move quick enough to avoid the inevitable. Honestly, neither can we.

Dying to self is not optional for us.  

 Romans 6:8-10

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

It is imperative that we die to self to understand the purpose God has planned for our life. That is not possible if we are still attached to our old nature, our old way of life, and our sinful selves. When I saw my cat lying there in the middle of the road, I saw the part of my life that was still attached, the part of my life that I still haven’t let go.

Galatians 2:20

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Dying to self is the realization that perfect security and peace can only be found in Christ.

Less of self, more of Christ.

There may be things about our old selves we are still attached to, things we are unable to let go of. Regardless of how strong we are in our faith, it doesn’t matter.  When we die to self, we literally die.

God has plans for our life, whether we believe it at times or not.  The irony, is sometimes we don’t realize our purpose until tragedy happens.  My cat died Monday and so did I.   Rest in Peace

When was the last time you “died”?

When is the last time you realized your purpose through death?

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 Posted by Julie under Spiritual Growth
Jan 10th, 2012

Redemption from Reflection

 

Today’s post is written by Jason North.  Jason is a follower in Christ who seeks to spread the gospel through not only words, but action. Prior to turning his life to Christ, like many of us, Jason lived a life of rebellion, hypocrisy, and self-seeking pleasures.  However, through Christ he has been redeemed and transformed to a Man that not only follows Christ, but seeks to serve him in all areas of his life. Jason currently resides in Texas and in his spare time enjoys playing the drums, listening to music, and reading the Bible.

You can follow Jason on Twitter via @jasonbnorth.

 

Do you know your value? Do you see you for who and what you are?

 Do you recognize yourself in the scope of eternity?

 Are you resting your eyes and thoughts on what mankind has created?

 Buildings. Gadgets. Music. Worldly ideas and ‘wisdom’; what are they?

 We have created much, but what have you created within yourself?

 Are you aware of how you affect the world around you; your family and friends?

 Are you living for yourself, separated from what’s bigger than you?

 

Have you asked yourself these questions before?

If not, it’s time to ask these questions.

If you have, then you know there’s only one answer.

It’s interesting, isn’t it? This whole faith thing. This whole forgiveness thing. We try to describe it. We try to make it a concept that people can swallow and understand.

We try to tell people that they need to die to self, setting it aside so that they can be born anew and we try reflect in our deeds what’s rooted in our hearts.

We attempt to put into words what can only be experienced.

The unbeliever can strive for ‘salvation’, but doesn’t feel or experience anything different, even after years of searching…

… because the responsibility lies in the heart of the individual. And we are inherently broken and fallen things. To become renewed from that brokenness is to know Christ. To know Christ to be renewed.

This is the bottom line. The Big Kahuna.

Once the individual knows she’s been forgiven…

…that the old has become pure and new…

… that she didn’t have to work for it…

…that Jesus, by God, went the extra mile for humanity, that He provided the raw stuff needed for us to become all that God has called us to be from before time…

…that in the end all people from all religions, belief systems and philosophies, will bow at the feet of Jesus…

…then she can come from the pain and brokenness and transform to be in His likeness and to be co-creators with God himself, instruments of His creative power.

What else is needed? Nothing.

Have you known a person that was living in sin, but was saved by the knowledge of Christ?

I wish some of you could have known me before I re-dedicated my life to Christ a couple years ago.

If you’ve ever wanted to get mad at a perfect example of a hypocrite, I was him.

My self-serving ambitions were pale in comparison only by my rebellion; to my family, friends, and God foremost. Worst of all, I could still put on a lying front like I was squeaky-clean. But, everybody could see through it, except for me.

If you’ve ever had questions about your purpose; questions about what this “Jesus thing” is really about [without the mega-churches, judgment and shallow-mindedness], then ask questions to a Christ-follower that has a testimony.

Seek out the experience of someone that’s wholeheartedly surrendered to Jesus.

Ask him where he came from, where he’s going, and who he credits for propelling him there. His response should simply be – Jesus. Perhaps then you’ll know your real value in Christ’s eyes [the only ones that matter]. Perhaps then you’ll understand what Jesus did for you.

If you don’t know God, then start to pursue Him today. When you’re ready, after you’ve recognized how broken you are, how fallen you are in God’s eyes, but how much He expects of you, then surrender to Him.  Your life depends on it.

Titus 2:14

Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

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 Posted by Julie under Guest Post, Spiritual Growth
Jan 8th, 2012

When Faith & Forgiveness Collide



Luke 17

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

There is a lot that I can say about faith and there is a lot that can be said about forgiveness. Apart, both are separate and are fine on their own because they do different things in our lives.

 Together, when faith and forgiveness collide, it’s beautiful.

Seven months ago I began my journey with faith. I spent days and hours reading the Bible, listening to sermon after sermon and reading blog after blog, book after book trying to understand what it meant to have faith. I learned what it meant to deny ourselves and live purposely by the Spirit. However, even when I was growing in my knowledge and growing in faith, something still felt “off.” It was as if one part of me was so on fire for God’s Word and trying to understand what faith looked like and what it really meant, but there was still something missing.

As we grow in our faith, we begin to realize that there are things from our past that prevent us from moving forward and truly living by the Spirit. For me, there was no big moment or thing that happened, but it became apparent to me what was missing when I was contacted by someone from my past.

Then it hit me.

Even though I had faith, I was struggling internally with forgiveness.  It is only until we truly learn the power of forgiveness and what that word means in its entirety, that we can be set free and step into faith.

Some of us swear that our faith is enough and that it’s sufficient. However, faith is not sufficient and cannot truly sustain us when we are unable to let go of ourselves and learn to forgive.

Forgiveness means different things to us and it’s easier to say, a lot harder to do.  We’re human and we hold grudges. We become bitter and tainted by the lies we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel better. To make up for it, we hold on to our faith instead to sustain us and think that if we hold on tight enough, that we will somehow forget and that is what it means to forgive.  Forgiveness is more than forgetting. It’s more than “water under the bridge.”

Forgiveness is faith amplified.

When the person from my past contacted me I learned what it meant to forgive. The emotional and mental abuse by this person no longer mattered. This person’s hateful and rude remarks about me to people in my life close to me, didn’t matter. What mattered in that moment was knowing that God was working. He was working in my life. Allowing me to face my past and let go. The amazing thing about it is, I realized I already had. As I had grew in my faith and was confronted with my past in that single moment, I realized that I had inevitably “let go.”

That is when faith and forgiveness collided.

Apart, faith and forgiveness are fine on their own and they mean different things to each person. Depending on where we are in our faith resonates a lot with how we learn to forgive and what forgiveness means with our faith strong. Both are powerful words with different meaning. Together, faith and forgiveness are complete and so are we.

When was the last time faith and forgiveness collided in your life? 

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 Posted by Julie under Spiritual Growth
Dec 25th, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

 

 

Today is not about a Mac, iPhone, Nook, Kindle, or X-Box. It is not about the quantity of gifts under the tree or the Christmas cookies and meal. Today is about life, it’s about a person.  It’s about a little boy’s birth that changed humanity.

Today is about Jesus.

While you’re unwrapping gifts and enjoying the flare of Christmas, take time to understand the “reason for the season.”  

Jesus is Christmas.  Our life, all of this, everything we are is thanks to Him.

Merry Christmas!!!

John 3:16-17

“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

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 Posted by Julie under Christian Insight
Dec 24th, 2011

Progression, Process

 

Progression all around me

Hope of what might be

Progression in every facet of  life

A smile and a humbled heart

… in awe

Progression towards a new start

Love, Happiness

You freely gave

Life

A process that can only happen through

You.

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 Posted by Julie under Personal, Spiritual Growth
Dec 21st, 2011

A Man of Second Chances

 

 

“You decide every moment of every day: Who you are and what you believe in. You get a second chance, every second.”

Job 33:28-30

 He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit,
and my life shall look upon the light.’

29 “Behold, God does all these things,
twice, three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with the light of life.

God is the Man of Second Chances. 

Look around you and see the many lives in the world who have been changed and transformed by His grace and love alone. When I think about the People of the Second Chance movement and every life that has been given a second chance, I know that wouldn’t be possible without God and the incomparable way He forgives without fail. Regardless of what we do, how far we stray away from Him, or how badly we believe we have hurt Him, He is there patientily waiting for us.

How many people in your life would do the same?  The truth is, no one else will. Not because they aren’t capable, but because they won’t.

We are broken. Yet, some how and in some way, God takes our broken pieces and makes us whole. He makes us new.

 God gives us a second chance at life.

 Having been a person who effortlessly, without fail, have given people from my past  a second chance, it doesn’t compare to the second chance that God has given me. No other person can or will love and forgive us the way He loves and forgives, they can’t. He has given me a chance to get things right and to set a path in my life that matters now.  Not that my path prior didn’t matter, but this path now has a purpose. God is the Man of second chances and there is no greater truth than that.

How has God given you a second chance?

Note: This post was inspired by the People of the Second Chance movement. Take a moment and look at the many lives who have been changed and given a second chance to get it right.

 

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 Posted by Julie under Christian Insight, Popular Culture