Faithful

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, who his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Matthew 24:44-46


The vast majority of my waking hours are spent working and going about the daily demands of life.  It is here where I too (most) often forget to consciously and deliberately seek and reflect Jesus Christ.  Every single minute of everyday He is observing me.  Does he find me faithful in all of those times or do I compartmentalize my Christian walk and focus on God into segments of my day or life?  Far too much the latter.  Many of the teachings of Jesus are hard and unequivocal. As Christians we are not to live in fear and anxiety of not living up to God's standard.  But life in Christ cannot be found passively while we are just getting through the day.  It is found in a minute by minute, day by day pursuit of God.

My life is not my own.  This is in complete conflict with my human mind and spirit.  For me this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Great and eternal Lord, forgive me - a sinner - a man of flesh and bone.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I can die to self and serve you faithfully in all things and at all times.  Amen

The Jeers of a Clown

And when he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth... 

"...what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and defiles a person"

-Matthew 13:11, 18

What comes out of my mouth?  Reading this scripture I of course focus on what is not good.  And when I measure the total of it I am disappointed to see that too much of it demonstrates a heart and mind conditioned by the flesh, popular media/culture and the underlying desire to be a clown.  I suppose we all find our "niche" in life from an early age.  Mine was seeing early that I could make people laugh.  What comes along with that is a certain attraction to humor from what you see and hear around you.  In our society this humor is usually attached to subjects which are not pleasing to God.  It most often comes at the expense of others and pushes the boundaries (or just jumps across them) of appropriateness.

In my case, for everything that actually comes out of my mouth, my mind had formed another 20 responses that I was "wise" enough to hold back.  I have spent 45 years honing this "skill".  I would like to think I have matured over time and show more discretion than years past.  I have worked to not be so cruel with humor to not hurt other's feelings.  But at the heart of it all is too much which is unpleasing to God and unfortunately does reflect a hear that has been filled with too much compromise over time.  

Scripture tells me that the words of a fool are many and I am not supposed to make foolish talk. So is humor wrong? No.  However, Matthew 12:36 says that we will give account for every careless word we speak.  So we would do well to consider some filters in the use of humor:

• Am I building up or tearing down?
• Is the subject appropriate and reflective of Christ? Is he laughing?
• Why am I saying these things?  Am I relying on them to be accepted or liked?
• What does the humor, whether stated or not, say about what is in my heart.

Ouch, I could get very quiet moving through the day at this point. But as Christians we know that it is not just about removing the things that displease God - we must replace them with that which does please Him. Humor and laughter should come from a place that reflects the love of Christ as the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from the effects of sin.  

I can't think of a way to end today's blog - a little writer's block.  It seems a good joke might serve me well about right now.  But I think I will refrain and let God's Word just settle in my heart this morning.  I'll let Mark Twain have the last word instead.

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Inadequacy of words...

Lord God, greater than I can ever describe here - let me use my feeble words to give you praise as I am able.  You are mighty and with me.  You bring strength and comfort.  You set my feet on the right path and equip me to walk it.  You ARE an ever present help in times of need. You should not be tested and at the same time you are long-suffering. Thank you so much for that.  I give you praise Lord God.  I give you praise because there is no other response to your majesty.  When I see the perfect sunrise, Mt. Rainier on a clear day when the mountain seems to loom, my incredible Issac Lake view - they all inspire me and bring an ease to my soul- these things cannot be compared to you.  You are alive and you created every one of them.  All were created by the perfect and most beautiful.  The best of this creation around me only reflects a negligible infraction of you.  

I don’t understand you God and your mysteries are deep.  Yet as I follow the clouds begin to depart and I see the sun, the mountain, the lake - and then beyond them the great giver of all life! Oh Praise to you God!  Praise to you!  I want to switch this over to my typical asking of forgiveness - and I need it - but right now my eyes are on you and I keep them there.  I am nothing and everything.  I am lost and I am found.  I am blind and I see more clearly than those around me.  I have sinned and your mercies are new every morning.  And here we are in the dark hours before the dawn and I am knowing your mercy and majesty.   I am unable to express the depth of thankfulness for that and no doubt do not even fully appreciate it as much as I should.

I am forced to grasp at words I know, images I know, comparisons that try to convey who you are and how I see you - and they fall short.  My mouth opens and the Spirit speaks in words that cannot be understood by me.  In groaning that has more meaning than my most eloquent phrases.  Not only do you bless me so much, save my life and set me on a path - you give me the tools to praise you beyond my own vocabulary and emotion.  You are everything.  The great I am.  And I give you praise.  It is what I was created to do.  The creator is worthy of nothing less.

K.I.S.S.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

-Galations 5:16-17



Let me start with assuring you I am not about to provide you with a philosophical view of life from a 1970's rock band - though I have no doubt it is a few clicks away on Google.  That will lead you down a very different path from this one.  Since my boys are still too young to be able to read this I will feel more comfortable with the use of the "S" word this morning. For any who may be unfamiliar with this concept, the KISS principle is "Keep It Simple Stupid".  If you are more comfortable feel free to slip "Silly" as a substitute. 

Leaving that behind let's dive into in a simple truth (which I no doubt will make more complex...). The Spirit and your flesh are opposed to each other.  One leads you down a path which is pleasing to God. The other leads to death and destruction.  So, I for one want to live a life pleasing to God and deny my flesh.  Clearly, there is not a middle ground available to me as a Christian that is pleasing to God.  If I allow myself to be ruled by the flesh I will have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10).  So the stakes can't be bigger.  

Nice light stuff, huh? But isn't that the great thing about God and His Word?  It may be difficult to live out and sometimes challenging to understand - but the foundations for the Christian are quite straight forward. Here are a few of MY thoughts in summarizing my path to living a life controlled by the Spirit. 

1.  God is... (there are too many adjectives to put into one blog so I'll abbreviate for this morning)...God.  He is creator of all, perfect, is to be praised and adored, and cannot have fellowship with sin.

2. I am a sinner. God cannot have fellowship with sin.

3. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and is the only bridge between 1 and 2 above.

4. Your response to this should be profound and your only response should be "what do I need to do?"  (Acts 2:37-38).

5.  Repent and be baptized. Turn away from your rebellion from God and immerse yourself in Him. Enter the Holy Spirit to walk you through this Christian life in power to overcome the flesh.

So, why am I so challenged in living out the simple truth in Galations 5:16-17?  The steps are all there! I just speak for myself here, perhaps you will relate to some or all of this. Let me do it by the numbers above...

1.  I have to continue to press into the Word and relationship to God to begin to grasp the majesty of who He is.  I only understand it in part.  My life goal must be to know Him more!

2.  I think I have the sinner part down.

3.  The more insight I have into point 1 and 2 - the more I will latch onto the significance of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and my need for a savior.  It has to move from head knowledge to deeply embedded and saturated heart knowledge.

4.  This is the response of my heart.  But too often in my life that response has been weak.  It sometimes lasts no longer than a Sunday morning between summary of a good convicting sermon and the time I unlock my car in the church parking lot - moving on with my day.  This is a major problem! And without the proper response at this point - I cannot move onto #5.   However, as we grow in Christ that response becomes stronger and more desperate as each day we pick up our cross.  I want it to be the cry of my heart every morning. It IS the cry of my heart this morning.

5.  These steps are the only thing that will lead me to turn away from sin and put on the Holy Spirit who will become my guide and strength to live out this Christian life.

The cry of my heart is to be lead by the Spirit and not gratify the flesh.  I do not want to straddle this fence in ignorance of the reality of my condition.  

Lord God, you are almighty and greatly to be praised.  I am just a man of flesh.  Thank you for the gift of your Son.  I believe in the redemptive power of the blood of Christ and that he was raised from the dead and sits at your right hand.  Forgive me Lord as I choose this morning to turn from my sin and follow you.  Holy Spirit, be my guide and strength in this day in order for me to be pleasing to God in word, thought and deed.  Put my flesh to death and give me life through Christ. Thank you for loving me so much to provide this path!   - Amen

You can please some of the people some of the time...

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 - Galations 1:10

In considering this verse it did not take long for me to draw parallels to my work life.  I have responsibility over a large number of employees who are in place for the purpose of meeting the mission of my organization.  You are hard pressed today to pick up a book on leadership and not see the importance of caring for and development of your employees.  Part of that thinking is that "a happy workforce is a productive workforce" (I put it in quotes because I am sure someone said it - if not, I just did).  This certainly makes sense and today we see this played out in ways no one would have dreamed about 50 years ago.  

Google is a great example of this philosophy in action and is one of the most sought after places of employment today.  An employee at Google has access to breakfast through dinner at no cost - right there in the workplace.  They not only serve you the food, but they pick you up from home in their own bus to get you to work.  And don't forget your dog Skippy, he can come along and join you for the day.  Need a few months off to climb Mount Everest?  That can be accommodated.  Don't worry, when you get back to work you'll have a massage waiting for you to soothe those tired muscles!

Of course, this is not just one big free ride.  It all is intended to ultimately achieve the company's mission to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful".  Oh, and I would be remiss to leave out the $16 Billion they made along the way in 2013. 

Meeting the mission is the primary driver for any organization.  While a productive work force is key to achieving that, organizations frequently need to make decisions which do not always please all of their employees.  I personally have experienced this in an organization which has had to make significant changes due, in great part, to forces outside of our control.  I have found that I cannot prioritize pleasing people ahead of meeting the mission.  

When we focus back on Paul's mission in Galations, the stakes are much higher than any organization - they are eternal and driven by the ultimate CEO, God himself.  There is no room for compromise of scripture in order to please people.  How would Paul respond to the condition of the church in America today?  How does your life reflect on these truths?  As a servant of Christ I must be unwavering in my commitment to the mission laid out before me in scripture.   While I need to demonstrate the love of Christ to a dying world, this cannot come at the expense of watered down truth; and ultimately means I will find myself alienated from much of the world around me.  There is one Gospel.  There is one truth. The least loving thing I can do is hold the full truth of scripture from my unbelieving neighbor or even the brother sitting in the chair next to me at church.

We need to embrace a sense of urgency in our own lives to abide in Christ and commit to striving toward obedience to the fullness of scripture.  It is then that the Holy Spirit will be our guide to do all of these things beyond the limitations of our own wisdom and strength.  Because I find myself this morning falling far short of righteousness, I embrace the encouragement of Paul....

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   - Phillipians 3:14-17

I pray we will press on today in Christ to further our mission to a world in need of Him.

Whatchoo talkin' bout??

When I began working in my field 20 plus years ago we would begin the day (Monday in particular) in our office gathered around the phone.  We would call up a number that opened up a voice message from our Region manager where he conveyed whatever direction or information he felt was important for us.  It often seemed to go on and on as we all sat and often made snarky comments - of course I would never do this today!  Most of us never met the region manager - but only knew his voice; if I mention Charlie's Angels here do I only date myself more?  The other primary communication tool was a multi-copy paper form called an "Econogram".  This was the 1990 version of an email.  You would write your message, tear off a copy to keep, and send the other copy to the recipient.  All of this taking place over a matter of days through the US mail.

It was shortly after this that we were introduced to email.  Today, a majority of my time is spent in writing or responding to emails.  While emails have streamlined the amount of time it takes to communicate to others it has created its own layer of work that I am not convinced really existed 25 years ago.  

Though this has become the primary tool for communication in today's business world, it is also widely recognized as often being a problematic form of communication. We are unable to see the speaker and read body language, facial expressions and intensity or lack of.  We cannot hear the tone of voice or relative emphasis on syllables or certain words or phrases.  Less than 10% of the meaning of communication is thought to be conveyed through our actual words.  Unfortunately, as the sender of an email you know what it is you are trying to convey and typically feel you have done so adequately.  And worse, as the recipient we often believe we are fairly good at decoding what the person who wrote the email really meant and felt.  Too often both miss the mark, resulting in unnecessary frustration and communication breakdown.  Writing something as simple as "ASAP" in an email can be interpreted many ways.

It is not uncommon to encounter similar issues when reading scripture.  This morning I read Matthew 11 which got me thinking of this issue.  Here is my very quick breakdown of the chapter...

• John sends a message to Jesus asking if he is in fact the Messiah.
• Jesus responds with sending back of encouragement to consider what he (Jesus) has done.
• Jesus talks about John being the greatest man that has ever lived.
• Jesus warns that those who have heard His message and seen his works without responding are doomed.
• Jesus says he is gentle and lowly in heart.

That's a lot to reconcile!  Does it mean I can question God?  Is God harsh and ready to punish me or is he "easy" and loving?  It is easy for me to find myself thinking how helpful it would have been to be there when Jesus said these things.  To have heard his tone of voice and read his body language.  Maybe even ask a clarifying question or two.  So, how do I ensure that I am understanding what has been written in his Word?  There are a number of elements to that answer, but the most critical one is found within chapter 11 itself...

Matthew 11:27 says, "...no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him".

Unlike with my email at work, the Spirit of God living within me is there to reveal the meaning of the Word of God.  God does not intend for us to struggle with understanding.  It is His desire to reveal himself to those who are in Christ Jesus.  He delights in this.

Turn your eyes to the Lord today and ask him to reveal himself through his Word to you.  See what happens.  He will not disappoint.

God is our goal

My goal is God Himself, no joy, nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;

'Tis His to lead me there-no mine, but His-

At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

It is not uncommon to find ourselves singing words like in the hymn above.  So often I will wonder to myself... Who wrote this,  What were they thinking, Is it truly an overflow of their heart or just nice words to put together for a song?

It is a challenging truth in life that I cannot truly call something a value in my life and not have it reflected in my actions.  We live in a society that is on a never ending journey to find joy and peace.  We are part of the church in America that too often seems to be chasing this goal as well, where God becomes a means to an end when He is supposed to be the end, the goal. And inside this society, sitting among others in the church, there is me - is my value in God Himself?  

Am I asking God into my life to walk with me and bless me?  This misses the mark.  He is the one who calls.  He is the one who leads.  My role is to respond and to follow.  And following comes at not just a great cost - it comes at the cost of everything else.

Jesus said, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:27-28)

I do not want to be a person who is simply "dabbling" in Christianity.  This represents a lack of obedience to Christ which ultimately calls into question if I am truly following Him.  And there is an even deeper consequence when we start down this path and fail to follow Him with abandon to all else. Jesus goes on in Luke 14:29-30 to say, "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and in not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'."

The implication of "not finishing" is frightening in and of itself. But the one who ultimately is mocked is God.  What an unthinkable consequence to being a "casual Christian" is the mocking of the only true God.

God calls.  God leads.  God gives the power.  It is for us to choose. And if we choose to answer His call, to follow with all of our heart and not look back.

Lord God, in this society which is overwhelmed with depression and anxiety, let me not seek you for the purpose of gaining joy and peace.  I want to seek you for the purpose of finding you.  I want to find you to know you and be in your presence.  It is only through hearing your call and through the power of the Holy Spirit that I can even start this journey - and ultimately finish it.  Help me to be an example of your strength and not one more reason for people to choose not to follow you.  Give me the strength and will to not just say that I value you; but to demonstrate that value in what I do and say at all times.  At any cost.  Down any road.

 Amen

Love Suffers Long

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter. It talks all about what true love is and what true love does. The chapter is great, but I have a hard time letting it sink in and change me unless I have personal experience with it.

Have you ever had someone in your life that is hard to love, let alone get along with? I have. She is young, so I try to let her mature on her own and just keep learning, but it's tough. My family was asking for prayer about the situation at church on Sunday and that is when someone reminded us that "love suffers long". All of a sudden 1 Corinthians 13:4 clicked.. "Love suffers long...". That is exactly what God is trying to teach me right now. I wish I could just absorb knowledge from the Bible, but that doesn't seem to work for me or many others. We have to go through the testing. I am being tested on loving this child unconditionally because love is supposed to be long-suffering.

1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love suffers long..." Love everyone no matter how hard the challenge sometimes.

His Great Plan

It's been way too long since I last wrote on here. I guess that's because of insecurities. Stupid insecurities.

I almost always have something to say...something the Lord has put on my heart, but fear holds me back.

Fear that you won't be able to relate. 

Fear that I won't do justice to what The Lord wants me to say. 

It feels like it's a big responsibility to speak on behalf of The Lord...and it is! But if I let the fear of carrying that responsibility hold me back then I'm not being obedient to Gods call. 

After all, He did say,

"What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 

Matthew 10:27 

I've been learning the past year or so that life is this huge process. 

I'm sure most of us have heard someone say God has great plans for you life and it's true!

I think when we hear that, and see that truth in the Bible, we begin to want that and long to see what that great plan is.

We want to get to the final destination. 

We want to see how this whole plan unfolds.

And that's great because it motivates us. 

Occasionally though (if you're like me) the outcome becomes your focus. You've got your eye on the prize and you don't want any distractions. You want to get there ASAP...and you miss the whole point of this glorious plan.

Plan Definition

dictionary.search.yahoo.com

n. noun

An orderly or step-by-step conception or proposal for accomplishing an objective.

A plan is a step-by-step process and it's that way for a reason! God longs to reveal himself to us. He longs to teach us and see us grow in wisdom. The outcome isn't what will teach us...it's everything we did to get there.

It's those testing times where we are unsure of where we're supposed to go next.  

It's those times when everything is going smoothly and we learn to bless The Lord.

It's those times when nothing seems to go right and we have no choice but to lean on Jesus and seek His face...and we learn to bless Him through the hard times as well. 

And as much as we just want to run away from the process...we will never escape it. So we learn how to handle it. We learn how to grow in it because we know that "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame," 

We are built in the process. It's where our character is built. It's where we make relationships. It's where we fall more and more in love with our savior...and it's then that we realize just how important the process is.

        "We want everything right now, but faith is found in the process.” - Russell Evans

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:2-5

You're reaching out to me

Oh I can see

You've got something beautiful planned

So I'll take hold of You

I know You'll pull me through

No matter what happens

I will follow You

I love the fact that the Lord truly wants what is best for us, and the promise that He will work EVERYTHING together for good! What's better than having the one and only God loving you and looking out for you. Nothing.

I say that, but I lose sight of that so easily. The moment I stop spending time waiting on the Lord, and let whatever is going on in my life, or even in the world, get to me, I forget that God is in control.

When I wrote this song I had that in mind. At that time in my life I was seeing so much hurt around me and it was so heartbreaking, but I wanted to look at all of that brokenness and see that there is hope for all of these broken people and me. 

Thank you Lord

You've made a way

There is healing in Your name

God is good...ALL THE TIME!

There are times in life when you question why you are where you are. You question why God would put you there if it causes so much stress, or so little results or fill in the blank. I think the answer is clear, but sometimes very hard to accept.

The Lord wants your faith to grow.

In order to be rooted in the Lord and unwavering, our faith has to be put to the test. We cannot have strong faith unless it has been tested. It is in those times...in those places, that we must look to the Lord for peace and wisdom, and we must cast our cares upon him and let them go.

I want to learn to bless the Lord in all circumstances. I want to be refined by the hard times I go through...not knocked down or discouraged.

Lord it is pitiful how much I let hard times get to me. Your Word is supposed to bring life. Your Word is supposed to be an anchor for my soul. So Lord I pray that I and anyone else who struggles with discouragement would trust that you are in control. And that we would allow the hard times to refine us and make us more like you. All glory and honor to you Jesus!

Revive Our Souls

The law of The Lord is perfect! It revives the soul...

Remember that! I pray that you would not let yourself drown in guilt from the past. That you wouldn't become judgmental. That you wouldn't feel that you are past the Lords forgiveness. Jesus Christ gave his life for YOU and his law is meant to bring revival in your life. It is meant to revive your heart and soul...so let it! Accept the love and mercy God is pouring out on you right now! 

But don't miss the message God has revealed to us through His word...love The Lord your God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Do EVERYTHING you do to bring glory to the Creator of heaven and earth. The one true God!

Grace and peace to you! 

-Ally

Her new shoes, and the God moment

A couple nights ago God just decided to teach me a whole bunch of amazing things.

My sister got new shoes this week so she wants to wear them everywhere. She can't tie them on her own so before she went to kids church on Wednesday she was strictly told NOT to take her shoes off until she got home. It just so happened that at kids church that night the game was called "the shoe game" which requires taking off ones shoes. My sister was the only kid who did not play the game of the night.
It amazes me how young we are when God starts teaching us and testing us. My sis definitely passed her test of obedience. I can't easily remember any test I went through when I was young, but they must have been there. She was still joyful when she got home that night and told us that story.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." -James 1:2-3

The other thing God taught me happened while I was reading my devotional and Bible that same night.

"Then the king said to me, 'What do you request?' So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father's tombs, that I may rebuild it.'" -Nehemiah 2:4-5

Here is Nehemiah, a simple cupbearer of the king. The king notices Nehemiah's sad face and asks about it. Nehemiah explains that the city he loves lays in ruins, so how can he be happy. So the king grants Nehemiah's wish to go and rebuild the city wall and gate. But in verse four it states that Nehemiah prayed to God before he responded to king. In all of his stress and sorrows he remembered God. "...So I prayed to the God of heaven..." And then Nehemiah answered the king. Nehemiah found favor in the kings sight, therefore his request was granted. Also, notice that Nehemiah wasn't even worried about how he was going to rebuild the wall; he just knew that God was going to help him.
-Jocelyn

GODS NOT DEAD!

God is faithful and just. He is good, righteous, loving, patient...he is everything you and I need.

More than enough.

Never underestimate the amazing God we serve.

His word is true...And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Remember that his timing is different from ours. And remember Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

WOW! God is so good.

Last night I was thinking about the first time I got a glimpse of God's glory. It was absolutely amazing. This has happened a few times. Everything in me longs to stay in that place with God. A place where I am filled with an amazing peace and joy that only comes when you have been in the presence of God. I had this burning passion. I would bring my sister out into the garage for Bible study, planning on it taking half an hour, but every single time I would start talking I would lose myself and it would go on for hours. It was amazing. God was speaking to me and through me. After a few months things changed. It felt like God was testing my faith, and in that time I would get on my knees and pray. I would humble myself before Him and every time I did I could hear His voice so clearly. My heart lost that burning passion after a while. Last night was the first time in a long time that I spent time alone with God. I spent so much time praying. Praying that He would rekindle the flame within me. I prayed about every thing big and small that was holding me back from living in that wonderful place I talked about earlier. I asked the Lord for scripture and this is what he gave me...Psalms 51

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me...

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart...

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit...

It was exactly what I needed. The Lord is always faithful!

The sermon today was another answer to prayer. The Pastor talked about a few things, but the part that really hit me was when he talked about the transfiguration. 

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

You know when you get a glimpse of the glory of God you never want to leave. You want to stay there. You want to set up camp and stay there forever. But the pastor made a good point when he said we weren't made to spend our lives "on the mountaintop". We were made to live in the valley. When I first heard this I questioned it, but he went on to say, Yes, the mountaintop is the best, and He gives us those seasons, but you can't always stay on the mountaintop. He puts us in the valley for a reason. He puts us there to build our faith. He puts us there to help...to make disciples. The valley is a privilege. If we always stay up on the mountaintop how can those who don't know Jesus come to know Him? How can we bring hope to those hurting? We were made to live in the valley. So the encouragement I got is that whenever I go through a season that isn't exactly what I want and isn't a place that is comfortable it's not always a bad thing. And I have realized that I need to work on thriving in every place God puts me...not just on the mountaintop. So wherever I am I need to press in more, seek God more, and pray more. Bless the Lord in EVERY circumstance. On the mountaintop and in the valley.

I'll be seventeen in a few hours...

6,209 days old

I guess I am writing this to get my thoughts down. Not to get all Debby downer but I have wasted so much of my life being selfish and prideful. Yes I know I'm only seventeen, but still I wish my eyes had been on Jesus and only on Him from the beginning. On the bright side, looking back I can see how far I've come. How much I have grown. How much Jesus Christ has transformed me. I am overjoyed to know he is still transforming me even now.

Despite the pride that still wants to sneak up into my thoughts and actions, and despite my constant need for direction and forgiveness, God loves me unconditionally and he is faithful and gracious. I love Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As I start this new year I am coming to the reality that I am practically an adult who will need a job, probably be going to college, and eventually have my own place. This creeps me out, but I am also so excited because I have seen the amazing things Jesus does when we take a step of faith and fix our eyes on Jesus. I want to fix my eyes on Jesus now and for the rest of my life because I want to bring glory to him and I am willing and able to do whatever it is he wants me to do as long as I don't look down.

I'm so excited that I am able to see how God is using me now and even more excited to see how He will use me in the future.

I am crazy blessed with some amazing friends. People that encourage me to be obedient to God. People who genuinely love me and definitely show it. This past year has been interesting and eye opening. I'm so thankful that even though people will let you down God will never. ever. let you down. He is faithful and true and pure. He is love.

Lord God, may everything I do be pleasing to you. Here I am Lord, use me. I want to be your hands and feet. I want to show everyone I meet how much you love them. Thank you for the amazing people you have put in my life. Thank you for my new forever brothers! Thank you for my parents who are supportive, encouraging and loving. They are not just my parents but also my friends. Thank you for my sisters. Thank you for Dani and her passion for you. I pray her passion would only grow. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I love you Lord!

My eyes were opened this morning to the fact that we are never guaranteed a tomorrow...

You are never guaranteed a next breath...

How is it that all of us can take life for granted so easily? As Christians it is so dangerous to do that. Let us not forget that every single breath is a gift from God. Every moment of the day we have the chance to bring glory to God or not. We have the chance to show love or not. The chance to forgive and serve.

I don't want to waste my time here. It's selfishness that holds me back. It's pride. 

It's Monday morning and as we are headed to work, school or even just staying at home, I encourage you to think about it...really think about the fact that, as Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” Let us show love. Let us apologize and forgive. Let us encourage. Let us serve. Let us do everything we do to bring glory to God who is the giver of every breath you and I breath. And in doing so, let us pray that hearts would be changed and given to God. 

Grace and peace to you today and the rest of the week!

-Ally

Can I just say WOW! God is so good!

This valentines day has been great! Some of my friends and I went to a concert nearby and it was wonderful! My dad, being the amazing non-shy person he is, sent me a special voice message from two of the artists which was so encouraging! The thing that has made my heart so happy tonight is seeing the passion and love the girls on the worship team have for Jesus Christ and his people. We are team mates and close friends and the Lord has blessed us so much!

We had a worship meeting tonight to discuss just kind of where we are in our walk with God and identifying our strengths and weaknesses. I love hearing them talk about their passion to tell people the good news through song and speaking. I'm so excited to see them stepping up and letting God lead them wherever He wants.

I am looking forward to seeing where the Lord will lead us in the future!

Please pray for us as a worship team. Our hope and prayer is that people would respond to what God is trying to tell us...that when the music starts it would be a time where we all realize just how great and mighty God is and that we would become less and he would become greater! I want to see our youth grow as a church. I want to see us reaching out beyond our church building and family, and building a community. I believe with all my heart that is what the Lord wants too.

Good night :)

Keep Making Me

I love this song. When I heard the first words, "Make me broken," I kind of ignored the song just because I didn't want to be made broken right then. If that's what it takes to draw closer to God though, then so be it!

Food for Thought

I was reading a sermon this morning by David Platt, titled: Chapter 6: Where Glory Dwells.

There were a few things he said that really stuck out to me. I would greatly encourage you to listen to the sermon or read it here. Hope you have a wonderful day!!!

This church could have the least talented people and the least gifted people, the least amount of resources, and that kind of church under the power of the Holy Spirit of God can shake the nations for His glory. Do we believe this? Do we believe that we can accomplish more as a church in the next month with the power of the Holy Spirit than we could in the next 100 years apart from His power?

The purpose of our redemption is worship. 

And what this is pointing us to today is that the ultimate purpose of salvation is what? It’s worship. God saves us for worship. God delivers us for worship. 

Do you know almost 50 times – in these first 4 books of the Bible alone, almost 50 times we see the phrase, and you see it over and over again in your reading, “Either you or they will know that I am the Lord.”

We possess His presence. Oh, the wonder of this. The wonder of this and the seriousness of it. Brothers and sisters, do not play with sin. Brothers, stop looking at that on the Internet. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit of God. Brothers and sisters, watch what you fill your minds with, what you give your body to, what comes out of your mouth. In the same way that a High Priest would go into the holy of holies once a year in holy fear, help us God. Help us to realize what you have entrusted to us. Help us to guard your holiness, to realize the wonder and the seriousness of the fact we possess His presence.

Come aside, men and women, please, students, come aside from the trifling stuff in this world and see this eternal truth. Christ has died on a cross and risen from the grave that you might know God. That you might walk with God now and enjoy God for all eternity. So if you have not yet trusted in Christ, I urge you to do that now. Turn, turn, turn from yourself, turn from your sin and trust in Christ.

Do not waver in a moment, not live in pride or in pleasures in stuff of this world. Turn and trust in Him. And when you do, when you do, brothers and sisters, when you do, then seek His glory. Seek after Him and long for more and more and more of Him because you know there’s coming a day, you know there’s coming a day when you’re going to see Him in all His fullness. So do not be content now to be complacent before your God.

Hey everyone! Today I am just overwhelmed by how great our God is! Seriously He is amazing!

I've been struggling with knowing what to write. This always happens when I am not consistently spending time with God.  So please be praying that I would really submit myself before God and let him speak through me. So much of the time I get caught up in everything that is going on in my life when really it is supposed to be all about Him!

I hope you all are enjoying your week so far. I want to challenge whoever is reading this to find some way to step out of your comfort zone and show someone the love of Christ deliberately this week.

-Ally

Tonight I am reminded of a song I mentioned a while ago. The chorus goes,

Don't stop the madness 

Don't stop the chaos

Don't stop the pain surrounding me

Don't be afraid, Lord, to break my heart

Just bring me down to my knees

These words are such a good reminder of my need for God.  

It's funny how you can approach things from all kinds of different angles. Before, I approached this song with such enthusiasm because before I heard it I was literally on my knees seeking God. After hearing the songs I remember just thanking him for everything. 
We gladly take the blessing but most of the time we don't want the hardships. I think Job sets a fine example of how we should be in times of trouble. Man! I can't imagine going through everything he went through! But despite it all he blessed the Lord. He went to his knees before God. 

the Lord gives and the lord takes away...blessed be the name of the Lord.

I want to recognize the goodness of the Lord all the time. I hate to say it, but sometimes I need those hard times. Sometimes that is what it takes to get me on my knees seeking God rather than depending on myself. So this time I am not on my knees because of feeling defeated by the madness and chaos...actually it is almost the opposite. I am on my knees seeking the Lord and humbling myself before Him. I need more humility.  I need him all day everyday. I am so very glad his grace never runs out on me!
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Trust... with all your heart

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
This verse has come up numerous times in the past year. It came on Christmas presents, birthday gifts, and notes from loved ones. I didn't really think about it until I had run across it several times. Was it just a coincidence? Hmmm... maybe not. There really is a great meaning behind this verse and maybe it was time to take a look at it again.
Trust in the Lord, your Master, with your all. No self-reliance. Seek the right way, God's way, in everything you do (when you do school or your makeup, when you go shopping or you're bored, when you talk to your friends or post on Facebook, in EVERYTHING), and you'll be on the right track. This isn't just a good saying, it's a life-style. Don't take this verse for granted, but live it out. I've decided to really act on this verse, and when I hear it or see it somewhere to really think on it not just let it pass through my mind.
-Jocelyn

I'm blown away by the grace and love God lavishes upon me! He is good!

Oh to be like you give all I have just to know you… Jesus there’s no one bedside you forever the hope in my heart!

God is good no matter what! If there is anything you would like me to pray for please comment or send me an email at asformeandmyhouse8@gmail.com.

Grace and peace! 

-Ally

Today is a special day...I officially have over 1000 views on this blog.

Okay so maybe it isn't a huge deal, but it is kind of cool to know that people are seeing this!

I'd like to thank my parents for always believing in me, my cat...  just kidding ;)

Time to get serious :)


Man! God is good. I am so unworthy of His love, patience and all the other things he is constantly lavishing upon me! It's hard to grasp the fact that he loves me so much that he gave his life for me!

I want to share that good news with everyone!

Well of course I do have some resolutions for the new year.
1. Not to let a day go by without spending quality time with my Heavenly Father in the Word and through prayer. Let me clarify...not just reading the Bible, but really digging in and acting upon what I've read and what the Lord speaks to me.

2. To remember that every single person around me is facing, literally, a life or death situation...an ETERNAL life or death situation. I don't want to be okay with that. I don't want to let fear of having inadequate words or whatever hold me back from reaching out. I NEED to reach out!

A resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something.
So not only do I want to make a resolution, but I want to make an impact.

I submit myself over to God again this year...Here I am, use me God. I don't have much to give, but what I have is yours. I am not my own. I have been bought with a price and I want to serve you every day of my life!

My prayer for me and for you is that we would truly take the words of the Bible to heart and to act upon them. I pray that if you don't yet know the Lord, that you would because it is THE BEST thing that could ever happen to you! I pray that the Lord would strengthen you and strengthen me. That he would give us the confidence to share his love with everyone around us and that we would be faithful to his calling! We serve an amazing, just and loving God. He will never fail us. He is the greatest! And I desire to bring glory to him in everything I do!

No those views do not count my views I made it so it wouldn't count my views :) 

So don't try and burst my bubble! ;)

The Greatest