We get very caught up in our own wills. I know I have. God gives us free will. He gives us the choice to choose. What a gracious gift! It really proclaims His ultimate love for us.
But sometimes, I often wish that He didn't give us free will. It can make it so much harder to follow Him completely.
Though God grants us free will, He beseeches us to die to self, die to our own will and follow His will.
1 Peter 4: 1-2 says,
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."
And the last verse in the same chapter, verse 19, says, "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful Creator."
There are so many other great verses on our will and God's will, that I could go on with them. But I think that might get a little overwhelming. :) Anyway.
The will of God should be our will too.
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count then as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." (Philippians 3: 7-10)
Pride often gets in the way of giving our will to our Lord; admitting to our Savior that we were wrong, and sinful in His eyes, and His will for us.
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide to spoil with the proud." (Proverbs 16: 18-19)
We want to have our own will, to have our own rights, because after all, "It's only fair!"
But when we think about it, in the grand scheme of things, what will it do for us when we die? When we come before our Lord, will He say to us, "Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matt. 25: 23)
Or did we let our pride and will get the better of us?
What does this life matter to us? Why do we care so much on how we look, who we are on our own, and how many friends we can have? Should not Christ be our main identity and our only? Wouldn't you rather be picked out of a crowd because of your identity of a obedient follower of our King?
"What is this life, if not for Me? What is it worth? I came that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly. Why do you quiver in fear and pain, when I Am the light, life, and salvation? What is your life to you, if it is not for Me? Where would your joy be, if not in Me? What is the worth of life, if not to bring glory to your King? What is this life to you, when it is not for you; but for Me? Live for Me My child, and grow in Me. I will strengthen you and uphold you with My righteous right hand. There is no fear in Me. There is no pain in Me. Run into My outstretched arms. They are always open to you, My dear one. Because, what is life to you, if it is not for Me? It is nothing."
(Words from God.)
How important will we let our own will and self-gain become to us?
We are in a battle; a spiritual one. And we cannot turn a blind eye to it any longer. Give up all to God, and He will give all to you.
Psalm Thoughs -- Guest Post
~ Psalm Thoughts ~
"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. " {Psalm 107:8-9}
Isn't this an amazing passage?! If it doesn't seem like much to you, let me just share a few thoughts I had, while reading it, with you.
The Psalmist obviously thought people didn't praise that Lord enough, because starting out a sentence with the word "Oh" is like starting out with an exclaimation point~ "Oh"! Read it with a strong emphasis on that word.
David wanted us to remember to praise the Lord, not simply because it's a good habit to get into (although it certainly is), but because the Lord is so good to us!! We should be praising Him because we are aware of His wonderful works and are grateful for them. If you are truly grateful for something, you will show your gratitude~ one of the ways to show gratitude is praise.
For example, when someone does something really nice for me, I will brag on them to other people~ I will say how say how sweet and considerate they are, or I will simply say how much I love them. Bragging on the Lord and telling others how much we love Him is a form of praise! How come it is that when a human being does something nice for us, we praise them, but, sadly, we lack in how often we praise the Lord for all the wonderful things He has done for us?!
The next verse reminds us that whatever we long for, can be found in the Lord. It doesn't say that "...he might satisfy the longing soul..."~ it says, "...he satisfieth the longing soul..."!!! If we long for something, turn to the Lord~ He will satisfy it!!! (It just might not be in the way you think He will! *smiles*)
The last part says the Lord fills the hungry soul. I like to think that if I am craving hope, joy, love, or faith, the Lord will satisfy that craving. Do any of you know what it's like to really, really crave a certain food?!?! And then what a satisfied feeling you have upon eating that food?!?! This is what the Lord desires to do for us...tell the Lord what you are hungering for, and then allow Him to fill it!
Lastly, our Father doesn't just fill that hunger with any old thing!!! In His amazing love and grace, He fills it with His goodness! Imagine being filled with His goodness for a minute...what comes to mind? For me, when I imagine such a thing, I am filled with all things lovely and desirable.
Are you still reading that verse in the same light?! *smiles*
~Bekah W. http://www.fsatatpress.webs.com/
~Bekah W. http://www.fsatatpress.webs.com/
Sister Sites~#3
RUBIES LIKE RUTH!
About Rubies Like Ruth: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 31:10, KJV) Today, there is a sad lack of young women who strive to become virtuous. God sees a virtuous woman as being of much greater value than rubies, yet few young women attempt to walk the path of purity that will help them to press towards this goal. Their desire is that “Rubies Like Ruth” will become a valuable resource to help young ladies as they allow God to shape them into precious rubies that will bring glory and honor to His name. Now head on over to http://www.rubieslikeruth.blogspot.com/
He is Risen!
Hallelujah! Today is a glorious day. One to be spent praising and glorifying our risen Savior!
I've been reading each gospel's account of the Passover, the crucifixion, the empty tomb and the resurrection, and I really want to encourage you all to do the same. Each passage is found in:
Matthew chapter 26 through chapter 28, Mark chapter 14 through chapter 16, Luke chapter 22 though chapter 24, and John chapter 18 through 21.
I also think it is neat, how that account ends each of those books.
I considered posting one of these accounts, telling of the magnificent story that never grows old, but there is so much to it, that I wouldn't be able to for various reasons.
One thing I do want to add, as you read through those books, is something that Jesus Christ 'told' me that made reading through them, even more fascinating, and...amazing.
"I didn't die on the cross that others might believe, but to die for the sins of the nation, to save them from eternal damnation. That is why I came. That you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly, free from sin that would plague you, if it were not for Me. I came to save you from sin."
I could continue on, posting my personal thoughts and words about this special holiday, but instead I am just going to let you read on your own, and form thoughts of your own.
May the Lord be ever present in your life, now and always!
He is risen indeed.
I've been reading each gospel's account of the Passover, the crucifixion, the empty tomb and the resurrection, and I really want to encourage you all to do the same. Each passage is found in:
Matthew chapter 26 through chapter 28, Mark chapter 14 through chapter 16, Luke chapter 22 though chapter 24, and John chapter 18 through 21.
I also think it is neat, how that account ends each of those books.
I considered posting one of these accounts, telling of the magnificent story that never grows old, but there is so much to it, that I wouldn't be able to for various reasons.
One thing I do want to add, as you read through those books, is something that Jesus Christ 'told' me that made reading through them, even more fascinating, and...amazing.
"I didn't die on the cross that others might believe, but to die for the sins of the nation, to save them from eternal damnation. That is why I came. That you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly, free from sin that would plague you, if it were not for Me. I came to save you from sin."
I could continue on, posting my personal thoughts and words about this special holiday, but instead I am just going to let you read on your own, and form thoughts of your own.
May the Lord be ever present in your life, now and always!
He is risen indeed.
The {Scientific} Death of Jesus
(not for the faint-hearted.)
At the age of 33,
Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.
At the time crucifixion was
the "worst" death. Only the worst
the "worst" death. Only the worst
criminals were condemned to be crucified.
Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus,
unlike other criminals condemned to death
by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to
the cross by His hands (wrist) and feet.
Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.
The nails were driven into His wrist. Not
into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There is
a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The
Roman guards knew that when the nails were being
hammered into the wrist, the tendon would tear and
brake, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to
support himself so that He could breath.
into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There is
a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The
Roman guards knew that when the nails were being
hammered into the wrist, the tendon would tear and
brake, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to
support himself so that He could breath.
Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He
was forced to support Himself on the single nail
that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could
not support himself with His legs because of the
pain. He was forced to alternate between arching
His back, then using his legs just to continue to
breath. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the
suffering, the courage.
was forced to support Himself on the single nail
that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could
not support himself with His legs because of the
pain. He was forced to alternate between arching
His back, then using his legs just to continue to
breath. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the
suffering, the courage.
Jesus endured this
reality for over 3 hours.
Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of
suffering? A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water
from his wounds.
suffering? A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water
from his wounds.
From common images
we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His
side... But do we realize His wounds
were actually made in his body. A hammer
driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped
and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard
piercing His side with a spear. But
before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and
beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the
flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His
face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The
crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men
would not have survived this torture.
we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His
side... But do we realize His wounds
were actually made in his body. A hammer
driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped
and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard
piercing His side with a spear. But
before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and
beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the
flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His
face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The
crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men
would not have survived this torture.
He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds.
The human adult bodycontains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.
The human adult bodycontains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.
Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered
into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a
Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His side..
into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a
Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His side..
All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying
His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face
and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its
higher part, where His hands were nailed).
His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face
and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its
higher part, where His hands were nailed).
Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can
have free access to God.
So that your sins could be "washed" away.
All of them, with no exception!
Don't ignore this situation.
Don't ignore this situation.
JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
Do not believe that He only died for others
He died for you!
(those who go to church or for pastors, bishops, etc).
Accept the reality, the truth that
JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.
God has plans for you, show all your friends what He experienced to save you.Now think about this!Have you thanked Him recently for what He has done for YOU?
P.S. feel free to post this on your own
blog or email it to friends! (just copy and paste it into a blank email or new post!)
blog or email it to friends! (just copy and paste it into a blank email or new post!)
Looking unto Jesus
This excerpt from Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon was so encouraging to me, and I want to share it with y'all in the hopes that you too will be encouraged.
..... ~ ..... ~ .....
"Looking unto Jesus." - Hebrews 12:2
It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort of assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self he tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee - is is Christ; is is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.
"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."
Have You Let Him In?
My heart is like a house
One day I let the Savior in
There are many rooms
Where we would visit now and then
But then one day He saw that door
I knew the day had come too soon
I said, “Jesus, I’m not ready
For us to visit in that room
‘Cuz that’s a place in my heart
Where even I don’t go
I have some things hidden there
That I want no one to know”
But He handed me the key
With tears of love on His face
He said, “I want to make you clean
Let me go in your secret place.”
So I opened up the door
And as the two of us walked in
I was so ashamed
His light revealed my hidden sin
But when I think about that room now
I’m not afraid any more
‘Cuz I know my hidden sin
No longer hides behind that door
That was a place in my heart
Where even I wouldn’t go
I had some things hidden there
That I wanted no one to know
But He handed me the key
With tears of love on His face
And He made me clean
I let Him in my secret place
Is there a place in your heart
Where even you won’t go
Do you have some things hidden there
That you want no one to know?
But He's handing you the key
With tears of love on His face
He'll make you clean....
Let Him go in your secret place.
"The Secret Place"
-by Michael Booth
Our final love.
How many times have we, as young ladies, dreamt about our future marriage and husbands? How many times have we thought of how perfect it would be, because it would be brought together by God? Even I have done it, and I don't wish to be married. But we do it just out of habit. It's what girls have been doing forever. The Lord showed me last night, that I may not ever be married. I wasn't too horribly sad, because I often would rather not be. But what else He showed me, made me cry out of amazement and complete adoration. I was to be His bride forever. He wants me completely to Himself. As He does with every young maiden. But He also understand the desire in us to be married, and many of us will be married, because the Lord delights in you and in the things you delight in. I think marriage is a splendid thing. The Bible talks about it a lot. It is sacred. I am so happy for those who have a wonderful, loving, God-foundation marriage. I am thrilled that my older sister will soon have that. But sometimes, the idea of marriage takes our minds off Christ. Off the main reason we live for. The Lord wants us to have Him as the center-attention, continual focus. Always. He wants to be our greatest love ever. I find that so amazing and comforting! The Lord also showed me some other neat things. As I was feeling a bit down, because I wanted flowers from someone - anyone. He showed me that He gives me flowers all the time. I just don't often take the time to realize it. The Lord is our first love, our lasting love, and our final love.
Truths of Jesus Triumphal Entry
29And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
30Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
34And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
36And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
(Luke 19:29-41, King James Version)
Truth 2).(verses38-40)The people were praising Jesus,and the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke them. Too often,we are like the Pharisses.We don't praise Him as we should. Next time you hear some birds chirping,join them in singing praises to the Creator to keep the rocks silent for one more day!
30Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.
31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.
33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
34And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
36And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
(Luke 19:29-41, King James Version)
(Now, if you are like me and tend to skip over Bible passages in blog posts, go back up and read it carefully.)
Truth 1).(verses 30-35)Imagine riding on an untrained horse or pony,that has never been ridden? I wouldn't try it! The people marveled at Jesus! I believe His riding of an untrained ass was a foreshadowing of his power over death. No one else would have dared to ride that donkey,but Jesus had power over the donkey,just as He has power over the grave! He has the power to help you through whatever you are facing,you just have to ask!Truth 2).(verses38-40)The people were praising Jesus,and the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke them. Too often,we are like the Pharisses.We don't praise Him as we should. Next time you hear some birds chirping,join them in singing praises to the Creator to keep the rocks silent for one more day!
{M.Q+A-3}...Favorite Quote(s)?
{Each month ,I will post a question and allow readers to give their answers in a comment.
Thanks for participating!!}
What is your favorite quote?
You may leave a link to your blog in the comment if you would like! This is open for any Christian female readers,so feel free to share! We'd love to hear from you!! Share as many quotes as you would like!
You may leave a link to your blog in the comment if you would like! This is open for any Christian female readers,so feel free to share! We'd love to hear from you!! Share as many quotes as you would like!
Mary or Martha?
The Lord brought this article, which I wrote a couple of summers ago, to mind this morning and I thought I'd share it with you ladies.
.....
My mornings are usually pretty busy. I try to do as much outdoor work in the cooler morning hours as I can, although I don't always succeed in getting out that early (I'm not a morning person:). Often times, I don't get around to reading my Bible until almost lunch time. I know there's no real set time when you have to read your Bible, but it seems like early morning is the best time for having quiet time with the Lord. The world's just waking up, and everything is still and peaceful. But I was letting my chores, busy work, computer, reading, etc. interfere with my quiet time. I was trying to justify it too, telling myself, "I have to get these things done. I'm sure God understands. He probably doesn't really mind when I do my Bible study, as long as I do it." I even thought several times, "He's probably really proud of me right now, doing all of these chores first thing!" But...I wasn't putting Him first. I was being a Martha, to concerned with my chores and duties to sit at Jesus' feet. To caught up in the warm fuzzies of getting my chores done first thing to spend the first part of my day with Him.
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Luke 10:38-42
There's nothing wrong with serving others and getting your chores done, but Jesus should always come first. My prayer is to be a Mary, instead of a Martha, sitting at the feet of Jesus.
This lovely hymn seems to sum it up best...
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day.
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows
And, when weary, find sweet rest.
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows
And, when weary, find sweet rest.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray,
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
There I love to weep and pray,
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
Bless me, O my Savior, bless me,
As I sit low at Thy feet.
Oh, look down in love upon me;
Let me see Thy face so sweet.
As I sit low at Thy feet.
Oh, look down in love upon me;
Let me see Thy face so sweet.
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus;
Make me holy as He is.
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
Make me holy as He is.
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
.....
Many blessings,
Hoping continually and Praising His name
I felt the need to post about hoping continually. So I found a verse that said that, and in the rest of the verses were so uplifting and praiseful. I want to share them here: Psalm 71:14-24 (New King James Version) "But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side. Also with the lute I will praise You— And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, For they are brought to shame Who seek my hurt. " Now think about these verses. Doesn't it just make you want to rejoice and praise Him? I love it! We need to be talking about His righteousness all the day long. You know that song "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.."ect.? Well I want to be known as a follower of Jesus Christ, by my actions, my words, and my love. I want to get to the point where all I speak about is my Lord. Where only praises come off my lips. Not gossip, or mean things. Or even worthless things. I want to hope continually and praise continually. Don't you?
Falling in Love {Part Two}
{Be sure to read Part One first.}
I believe that one of the biggest problems with the concept of purity is that it always goes hand-in-hand with waiting. So many times, when I am talking with friends on the subject, the term “I am waiting for my Prince…” is exchanged.
I too have used these words for a very long time, thinking it was a beautiful concept. But recently, the Lord has convicted me of what they really meant. What the word 'waiting' really meant. Here is one definition—
Waiting—
Do nothing expecting something to happen -- to stay in one place or do nothing for a period of time until something happens or in the expectation or hope that something will happen.
For so long, I was trapped in the mindset of thinking that waiting was the only road to purity. But in fact, waiting is the surest way to stumble on your journey of the heart. Each one of us is designed with feminine desires. Desires that must be filled. For so long, I thought that I could suppress these desires, assuming that I could wait. I kept on telling myself “I am going to wait for my Prince”. -- And each time I told myself that, I felt as if I was failing.
Failing because I still desired fulfillment, but I didn't know where to find it. All I had ever read on the subject of purity said that waiting was the only way.
One beautiful afternoon, a few weeks ago, I found that I had a few quiet moments to myself in our backyard. I was sitting on our swing, just swaying back and forth. And at that moment, I felt the need to open up in prayer – “Lord…. Why is this becoming so hard? All I have ever known is waiting. It seems that is what every Christian young woman {I know} is set on doing. Why am I finding it so hard to just wait?”
It was then, that I received the answer that I think so many young woman hunger for. It was at that very moment part one of ‘Falling in Love’ was inspired within my heart. It was at that very moment when I realized that the Lord didn't design us to wait. He didn't create us to “Do nothing, expecting something to happen.” He didn't design our hearts to be empty spaces. He designed us with the desire to be loved and cherished. And He designed us to fall in love.
Ladies, I believe that so many of us are so focused on waiting, that we are missing out on the bigger plans the Lord had for these single years. For so long, I thought waiting was what the Lord was calling all of His daughters to do. But, now I believe otherwise. I think it is so important to realize that He is not calling us the impossible task of waiting, rather, He is giving us the opportunity to experience the most fulfilling relationship, and the loveliest romance of all time – that of falling in love with Jesus Christ.
Dearest Sisters, He is asking each one of us for the first dance. He is pleading with you to know, love and trust in Him. He longs to love you, and to care for you. -- If you will only let Him. If you will only know Him as your heavenly Prince. Then, and only then, will your desires be truly filled too the utmost.
 |
| .... As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5 |
Ladies, let us never again say we are just waiting. Let us never again fall into the mindset of thinking we are to wait. Instead, let us use these years as a time to build up our love for Jesus. These are some of the most valuable years of our lives, let us use them to strengthen our convictions and faith in the Lord.
Don't think of these years as an endless wait....
but rather an endless romance with your Heavenly Prince.
*NEW* Forum Added!
We are excited to announce the new forum on LOV! 
Click HERE to sign up/sign in and join the fun!! We can't wait to have your voice in the community! Oh,and send your friends over! Thanks so much...
Click HERE to sign up/sign in and join the fun!! We can't wait to have your voice in the community! Oh,and send your friends over! Thanks so much...
Beautiful verse + freebie!
"Delight thyself also in the LORD:
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
(Psalm 37:4)
de-light :: [dih-lahyt]
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
(Psalm 37:4)
de-light :: [dih-lahyt]
–noun 1. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture 2. something that gives great pleasure verb (used with object) 3. to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; please highly: –verb(used without object) 4. to have great pleasure; take pleasure (followed by in or an infinitive)
And now,for you,in honor of our 2-month mark....
a button!
a button!
Do you like this verse? Feel free to grab the code and
put this free button-designed just for you!-on your blog!
(Or right click the picture and hit save picture as)
P.S.We'd love to know what you think of it!
One THOUSAND Gifts
One THOUSAND gifts.
One thousand GIFTS.
Yes,for YOU.
God gave you 1,000 gifts.
More than that.
Have you counted the ways He loves you?
About the book:
Drawing heartbreaking beauty out of the simplest of details, Ann Voskamp invites you into her grace-bathed life of farming, parenting, and writing---and deeper still into your own life. Here you will discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to thanksgiving, a way of living so you are not afraid to die, and a way of becoming present to God that brings you deep and lasting joy.Recommmended for ages 16+. Highly Recommended!!
To find out more,visit http://www.onethousandgifts.com/ and http://www.aholyexperience.com/
YOUR Rebelution
WARNING: This post is large.
Be sure to watch at least part of this video! It's worth it!
We’ve all heard people say that God wants us “on fire” for Him. Maybe your youth pastor has talked about being “sold out” for Jesus or a conference speaker has challenged you to serve God with “total abandon.”
We’re used to that kind of talk. It’s almost cliché.
But has anyone ever told you that God commands you to do hard things? For some reason that sounds more extreme. Being “on fire” or “sold out” for God sound like positive emotional states where nothing can really get to us. Even serving God with “total abandon” doesn’t make us feel uncomfortable as long as we leave it general and vague. But “do hard things” sounds so — well, hard.
We don’t like hard things in our society, especially as teens under the influence of the Myth of Adolescence. We avoid hard things as much as possible. Unfortunately (or should we say, fortunately), there’s no avoiding them in the Bible.
Hard Things in the Bible
All of God’s commands in Scripture are hard. Of course, our tendency is to just say that God’s commands aren’t “easy” or that it’s only by His grace that we can obey any of them — and both of those statements are 100 percent true — but why can’t we ever come out and say that God’s commands are hard? When Christ commands us to love our enemies, why can’t we just call it what it is?
Everything God commands is hard. Repenting is hard. Forgiving is hard. Turning the other cheek is hard. Overcoming sin in our lives is hard. Honoring our parents is hard. Sharing the gospel is hard. Reading our Bibles is hard. We could go on.
Part of our hesitation to call things hard can be that we’re afraid to come across as unspiritual. After all, if we’re truly “on fire” for Jesus, shouldn’t it be easy for us to read our Bibles every day, say no to sin, and share the gospel with others?
But when we think that way we’re missing something huge that God wants to teach us about personal growth — and that’s what we want to talk about in this post.... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
The Rebelution isn't ALL about doing big things,but,rather,HARD things
Just because you can't do something big like go to Africa on a missions trip or start a big fundraiser doesn't mean you aren't included! No,just the opposite. Doing things like keeping the house neat or your priotities straight are big things to God,because they are important things. In fact,if you can't keep after the little things,don't expect God to give you something even bigger to do! Go for it! Spend your life serving God,not yourself,and do whatever it takes to do it.
To see reviews of their two books,DO HARD THINGS and START HERE,visit the "Recommended Reads" page of this site.
We’re used to that kind of talk. It’s almost cliché.
But has anyone ever told you that God commands you to do hard things? For some reason that sounds more extreme. Being “on fire” or “sold out” for God sound like positive emotional states where nothing can really get to us. Even serving God with “total abandon” doesn’t make us feel uncomfortable as long as we leave it general and vague. But “do hard things” sounds so — well, hard.
We don’t like hard things in our society, especially as teens under the influence of the Myth of Adolescence. We avoid hard things as much as possible. Unfortunately (or should we say, fortunately), there’s no avoiding them in the Bible.
Hard Things in the Bible
All of God’s commands in Scripture are hard. Of course, our tendency is to just say that God’s commands aren’t “easy” or that it’s only by His grace that we can obey any of them — and both of those statements are 100 percent true — but why can’t we ever come out and say that God’s commands are hard? When Christ commands us to love our enemies, why can’t we just call it what it is?
Everything God commands is hard. Repenting is hard. Forgiving is hard. Turning the other cheek is hard. Overcoming sin in our lives is hard. Honoring our parents is hard. Sharing the gospel is hard. Reading our Bibles is hard. We could go on.
Part of our hesitation to call things hard can be that we’re afraid to come across as unspiritual. After all, if we’re truly “on fire” for Jesus, shouldn’t it be easy for us to read our Bibles every day, say no to sin, and share the gospel with others?
But when we think that way we’re missing something huge that God wants to teach us about personal growth — and that’s what we want to talk about in this post.... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
The Rebelution isn't ALL about doing big things,but,rather,HARD thingsJust because you can't do something big like go to Africa on a missions trip or start a big fundraiser doesn't mean you aren't included! No,just the opposite. Doing things like keeping the house neat or your priotities straight are big things to God,because they are important things. In fact,if you can't keep after the little things,don't expect God to give you something even bigger to do! Go for it! Spend your life serving God,not yourself,and do whatever it takes to do it.
To see reviews of their two books,DO HARD THINGS and START HERE,visit the "Recommended Reads" page of this site.