A Cold East Wind

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

I heard a story of a man who was a missionary in Africa, where the land was so fertile that anything planted in the earth would grow abundantly. He went home to Ireland for a visit and was amazed at the beauty and delightful fragrance of the roses that grew on the Irish east coast. The missionary decided to take some of those roses and plant them in Africa. They grew and grew, but for some reason held not the wonderful fragrance that they had in Ireland.

When the missionary went back to Ireland he asked why the roses there had such a potent smell, and he got his answer.

It was the cold east wind.

Living in Ireland I can understand what this east wind is like. It comes from the Celtic sea and blows a damp, cold and harsh wind that you have no choice but to brace yourself for.

The roses that grew in Ireland held a pressure that the ones in Africa did not have to endure, and the results were astonishing. They became more vibrant and beautiful, and without that harshness, would never have held those beautiful characteristics.

As believers there are trials and hardships that we sometimes face. There are times I am so burdened with struggles that I even forget the Lord’s presence, but I found this story to be so encouraging. Yes, life can be difficult, but what is the Lord doing with it? He is using these trials to grow us and the result is a life that will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

I once walked past a flower shop in Ireland on a cold, windy, rainy day and the smell was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I wonder, through the difficult circumstances and hurdles I face, is my life a pleasing aroma to the Lord? He is using the pressures we face to purify and mold and shape us. He is doing a work that we cannot see and through the pain, and the struggle, and the trial He is forming a beautiful you.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing,” (James 1:2-4).

Captivity and Blessings

Have you ever stopped and wondered why God let His people be captured by the Egyptians? Sure, there’s sin in the world and we know there is corruption because of that. But God is all powerful, He could have rescued them far earlier than He did, or even prevented the entire ordeal from happening.

I can spot a few reasons why He allowed it, and it comforts me.

1. God wanted to refine and grow them.

Throughout scripture we see the example of God purifying His people through heat and uncomfortable situations. This is not because He is evil. There are many examples of God letting His people, people who have a high calling, go through difficult situations, and it has always resulted in their growth. The example of Joseph during his time in prison, is one example. God used that time to cause him to rely on Him alone and trust Him for His promises.

 “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is my people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God,’” (Zechariah 13:9).

“For You, O God, have tested us; you have refined us as silver is refined… You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but you brought us out to rich fulfillment,” (Psalm 66:10 & 12, emphasis added).

 2. He wanted to unite them.

God uses this pressure to unite them as a nation in a foreign land.

I believe that God wants His children to be united. In fact, Hebrews tells us we should be coming together with other believers.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching,” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

And even Jesus prays that we will be one.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me,” (John 17:20-21). 

3. He wanted to use the time to reveal Himself to them.

I have noticed that when I am in a difficult situation, and the pressure is on, and it seems too much to bear, all I can do is pray and listen. Often I only pray and don’t sit down long enough to hear the Lord speak. When I am going through something difficult, I want to get into the word and it’s during those times that He has seemed to reveal Himself to me the most.  

I’m sure there is more that God is doing in His people that I cannot see. He is constantly working. It’s my prayer that God will be doing a work in me and you. I hope He will take the pressure we are facing to grow us, refine us, and unite us with other believers and with Him. I pray He will draw us closer to Him and reveal Himself to us.

“Just as the wise sailor can use a head wind to carry him forward by tacking and taking advantage of its impelling force; so it is possible for us in our spiritual life through the victorious grace of God to turn to account the things that seem most unfriendly and unfavorable, and to be able to say continually, ‘The things that were against me have happened to the furtherance of the Gospel,’” (Life More Abundantly).

I Know Enough

There are many of you that may be going to school, perhaps college, and taking some very intellectually draining classes. Some of these classes are difficult and may cause a bit of discouragement.

I know throughout high school I often felt that I wasn't very smart. And it's true. I don't know very much. But as I prayed about going to Bible College last year, the Lord showed me something very important about what I do and don't know and I thought perhaps it may encourage you as it did me.

I wrote this a few months back when I was praying about going to school.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I knew that I didn't have much.

But I had enough. 

I lost everything and I was over a 1,000 dollars in debt. And really I didn't know very much about the bible. But I knew enough. I knew that Christ died on the cross for my sins and he rose again so that I may have the hope of life. And that's all a girl's got to know. 

But after knowing that and learning more about the God I love, the desire, and even somewhat childish excitement I felt to know him more was very great. 

Some days I felt discouraged to know that I was uneducated and unequipped to lead and pour into His children the way He's called me to. But other days my heart was filled with awe and anticipation as I thought of all the wonders and mysteries of my sovereign God that I have yet to discover. 

There's a big world out there, I had to remind myself. It's filled with God's creation, and His children. He loves His creation but it was His children that He made in His own image. His love for millions of people that I will never have the chance to encounter on this earth is unending. And my desire to encounter as many as possible and make a difference, if even just a small one, is great. 

No, I don't know very much. Not about the world, or about God. Ask me my times tables and I'd have a hard time at it. But as I look at the cross I am reminded of one very important thing. 

I know enough. 

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:10-11 ESV).

The Irish and Honesty

I arrived in Waterford, Ireland just a few days ago and have already learned a very important lesson.

There are a lot of different words and lingos that I am still learning, like what NOT to say and what TO say so I am not rude. There’s also certain people I need to learn to avoid like Gypsies and Travelers who often steal or beg. I still need to learn all the nooks and crannies of this town so I don’t get lost when I’m walking to class or the store.

But most importantly, I think we can all learn a thing or two from the Irish.

The thing with them is that when the Irish get saved here, they get saved. They don’t pretend or put on a façade. They’re honest about their sin and the church doesn’t judge them because they know that only the Holy Spirit can sanctify them.

In America, this isn’t really they case. Nobody is honest about their sin and it’s more hindering than anything. Everyone is fearful of judgment and so we’re not honest and don’t get the help that we may need. Often times we are not even honest with ourselves.

In ways it’s also selfish because we think that we need to have this perfect and good image and we don’t want OUR VERY OWN MISTAKES (which prove we are not good) to ruin that image. We say that our opinion of ourselves is a righteous one. This is very dangerous.

I’ve decided that if I don’t learn another thing while I’m here I will be okay with that. This hypocrisy and dishonesty is something I will choose to fight when I get home. We have the greatest blessing of getting to come to Christ just as we are. Be you. And be honest about who you are. The only opinion that matters anyway is God’s. And only because of Christ have you been made righteous before Him. 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (Romans 3:23-24).

 … but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, (Romans 5:20).

There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, (Romans 8:1)

Thank You for Snickerdoodles

I wake up. Grab some coffee. Slap on some make up and head out the door. Then I turn around to grab something I forgot. Then I head out the door again. I hop in my car and struggle with which radio station I should listen to or what CD I could play. When I can't make up my mind I just don't play anything. Huh, that's what you get for indecisiveness. And because of this mental struggle, I miss my turn and have to find a light that will let me do a U-turn. But there's none. So I just keep driving till I find one.

I finally show up to church and I'm late. As I hold too many items walking through the hall, my coffee (in slow motion) begins to fall. I catch it. But I catch it upside down. My relieved mind doesn't realize its pouring down all my clothes. And then, because spilling on myself was not embarrassing enough, everybody and their grandma sticks their head out a door to come and see what happened. And life keeps going.

I mention this typical day of mine because this is truly what it tends to be like. I live in imperfection, and a day like this could, if I let it, be the worst day ever.

But it's in the daily grind of life that we truly live, grow, and thrive. Life is not always full of snickerdoodles but rather, the tough, prolonged baking and spilling and adding new ingredients. God is good that He allows for snickerdoodles in our life, but He is even better that He cares enough to teach us and grow us during the baking process.

And we can thank Him also for real actual snickerdoodles, especially when they're fresh.

"... but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us," (Romans 5:3-5).

Original photo via

Hey Ya'll

So, here we are. Almost three months later and I'm finally writing again. I've missed you.

It wasn't for a lack of words, I had plenty to tell you, but more of a lack of time. Maybe passion. I've heard it once said that vision leaks, and a simple cure to lack of passion is this: talk about it.

When you get together with people who have similar passions as you and you talk about it, beautiful things take place. You remember again why you once loved it- why you ever began in the first place.

Now, question.

Have you ever felt a lack of passion?

I feel like I continue to hear messages and sermons in which a pastor declares that Christians all have joy, fire, continuous fellowship with Christ.

Hearing things like this causes me to wonder what I'm doing wrong.

I don't always have joy.

My fire is always being puffed out.

And sometimes, my relationship with Christ can feel all but nonexistent.

I know He is always with me but I don't always feel Him. To be honest I think this is normal. Not good, but normal. In Romans 8 it says that the earth is longing for the day of redemption. And so am I.

We have to stop comparing our walk with Christ with other people's walk with Christ. The only person we should ever compare ourselves to is Jesus Christ. And with that, I believe, much will change.

In The Midst of Tragic

Why is it that it usually takes some tragic event taking place to draw us closer to God?

I've noticed that when life is ay-okay, I'm doing my own thing- praying, but not so intimately and then soon enough, less and less.

And then BAM. The next minute we hear some bad news and we're on our knees crawling back to the safety of His embrace.

The Lord says in 2 Corinthians 12, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

It's when we're at rock bottom that we realize He's all we've got. That He's the only one capable of pulling us out. It's in the midst of the tragic that His power is made perfect, and where all facades are set aside in complete surrender to the King.

What I've come to learn through God's word and my own experiences is that the Lord is not one to look over the edge, see how deep of a pit we've fallen into, and then throw a rope so we can climb out on our own. He is going to hear our cry for help, jump in there with us and pull us out Himself.

Luke 5:12-13 says this:

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged Him, "Lord if you are willing, You can make me clean."
Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said, "Be clean!"

 He didn't see the man and run away so that He wouldn't get the disease, and call for the man to be healed from far away, but He reached down and touched the man who had probably not known human contact or love since he got the disease. What great love he must have known in that moment.

And that's what God does for you and for me. In our pain, in our hurt, He is the one who pulls us through.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need  only to be still," (Exodus 14:14)

Original Photo Via

Grab That Ax and Let's Get Chopping

I can't do that.

I'm not smart enough.

I'm too busy.

What if I go and never get married?

My past is to dark.

You know, we come up with a lot of excuses. God calls, and we become afraid, so we hide behind the shrubs of these lies. We find comfort in the state we are in because it involves no pain, no confusion, and no fear.

It also includes no growth, no impact, no victory, no revival. 

So how's that going for you? Are you willing to look at the cross, see lost souls dying, only to crawl your way back, right behind the shrubs of those lies? Because I know I have done it. It's nice back here. There is shade and I think if I can stretch out my arm far enough I can probably reach some grapes or something.

So God calls.

Will you go? Will you hide? In all reality, God's not on His knees begging you to do it, as if you're the only one. 

No.

If you don't do it, He'll send someone else. But He called you. He called you because He not only wants to make an impact in those lost souls- He wants to make an impact in you. 

So maybe you're not qualified to do the one thing He's called you to. I am certain the reason He does this is so that it can be known among all that it was not you who did this great thing, but God Almighty. 

And I'm about to tell you something, so hold onto your socks because this leaves room for no more excuses.

"God is not looking for ability, but availability," (Holly Wagner).

Where He's calling you will stir up some fear. It will make you cry, and your heart will pound a thousand miles a minute. But when you are at your weakest, that is when God shows up and shows off. 

So I am raising my hand. Send me, God. I am pulling out my largest ax and chopping down these shrubs of condemning lies. (because I own a variety of axes). Shoot, I'm grabbing the shovel and digging out those roots too, because I will not let these lies exist in my life any longer.

God is calling me and He is calling you. 

So look around. Where is God already working in your life? Join Him there. It's not about what great thing you can do, but what great thing He's already doing. That's where we need to be. 

You need to love, because the scowl on your face is not becoming on you.

You need to sing, because your life-song is leading others into the throne room of God.

You need to speak, because when you open up your mouth diamonds come rolling out.

You need to lead, because there is an army rising up, and someone needs to go first.

You need to listen, because no one has ever taken the time to listen to that young lady's story.

You need to fight, because we are on the winning team and we are about to take that land. 

And you need to go. Because He has called you.

He has called you. 

"For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you," (1 Thessalonians 1: 4 NIV).

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life- not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace..." (2 Timothy 1: 9 NIV) 

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told," (Habakkuk 1: 5 NIV). 

Original Photo Via

The kid two doors down

One morning, a man in his kitchen began pouring a few bowls of cereal for his two son's and himself. One son waited patiently at the table for him to bring him his bowl and the other stood close by in order to give his approval.

He stood on his tippy-toes and looked to see the job his father did. With a face of disgust he said, "Daddy, you gave him more and that's not fair!"

This got his father's attention. Crouching down to his son's level he said, "Not fair? Let me tell you something, son. Time and again you will learn that life is not fair, but you can not live constantly comparing yourself with others, always making sure that you have more or better. The only reason you should ever look into someone else's bowl is to make sure they have enough."

-----------------------

We are selfish people, you and me. We look out for number one. We make sure that we get the corner piece of the cake. We want shotgun and it's always our turn to pick the movie on movie night.

As Christians we are still selfish. I do believe that there are times where we are genuinely selfless, but I also think that there are times when we give only for self gain.

And we compare.

The only person we should ever compare ourselves to is Jesus Christ, the most selfless, giving man to ever walk the face of this earth.

God has placed you right where He wants you. He gave you the family you have, the home you live in. The car that you drive (or don't drive). He gave you your trials and hardships. He gave you your gifts and talents. He smiles upon the way He created you and writes out the days of your life.

Your are no mistake, my friend. And though you may desire more or even a different direction for your life to go, you are where you are for a reason. So, please, do us all a favor and bloom where you're planted. You have a lot of beauty to show this world.

And like the father of that boy was saying, we are no better than the kid two doors down. The only reason we should ever look into someone else's bowl is to make sure they have enough.

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10).

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14). 

Original photo Via