Choosing

“The truth about the choices we make is plain. We don’t
consistently choose the Lord because we don’t really desire Him … and we don’t
really desire Him because we’re not convinced that choosing Him will result in
our happiness.” ~ Elyse Fitzpatrick

Trusting God

Carolyn Mahaney was asked: “If you could parent your daughters all over again what would you do differently?” Her answer was:

“I wish I had trusted God more. For every fearful peek into the future, I wish I had looked to Christ instead. For each imaginary trouble conjured up, I wish I had recalled the specific, unfailing faithfulness of God. In place of dismay and dread, I wish I had exhibited hope and joy.”

While I am not faced with raising children at present, I was encouraged by this quote. Each of us, no matter what our season of life, has times when we look at the future and wonder what it holds. We often have fears and what if’s. It’s good to be reminded to trust God. And,

For every fearful peek into the future, look to Christ instead.
For each imaginary trouble, recall the specific, unfailing faithfulness of God.
And replace dismay and dread with hope and joy.
Trust God.

No Vacancies!

“A heart that is truly guarded must have no vacancies -- no empty spaces that need to be filled, no voids that leave open places and room for the enemy to get in. When God asks for our heart, He asks for all of it. He wants to fill every part with Himself. He completes us. Only when we are satisfied in Him will we be able to selflessly give our lives for others. We need to put up a sign that says ‘No Vacancies’. Except we don’t need a sign - others will notice simply by our lives. They can see if our heart has voids and is unfulfilled, seeking attention from others, or if we are filled with Jesus, overflowing with love and joy, and seeking to spread His light everywhere we go.” ~ Sarah Mally

The Cost of Salvation

Salvation is not easy. It cost God everything, even His own Son, and it costs you the same, even yourself. - John MacArthur

Good Friday 2010

“Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.”

“My sin, o the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole
is nailed to the cross and I bare it no more. Praise the Lord!”

The Word of God

There is nothing like the Word of God. There will never be anything like it. We live and die spiritually in proportion to how seriously we take this book. Those who take it as the Word of God will forever stand in awe of every jot and tittle and be transformed by its incredible power. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness. In other words, it will teach you, touch you, turn you, and transform you. It will put back the missing pieces in your soul and make you new. - Russell Kelfer

God's Love for Me

February 14th means different things to different people. Generally, it is recognized as a day to express your love for a certain person. But, I have found that many singles, especially ladies, find it one of the worst days of the year. I have heard of it being renamed “Singles Awareness Day”, a day when singles remind themselves and everyone around them that they are single. However, I find that viewing the day in this way causes a slight, or severe, case of self-pity and discouragement. So, I decided to see the holiday in a different light this year. Instead of looking at the love two humans have for each other, I looked at the love God has for me. I searched for verses in the Bible, songs, and quotes that tell me of God’s love for me. As I studied and read, I again realized that I am loved by the God of the universe with the greatest love of all time, and found myself falling deeper in love with Him. I would like to share with you some of the things I found, and invite you, whether single or married, to join with me in celebrating God’s love for us this Valentine’s Day.

The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me
and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
John 16:27

God’s steadfast, sure love for us is:
Unbelievable - so worship!
Unwarranted - so rejoice!
Unshakable - so love!

God’s steadfast, sure love is unshaken by:
Death - when you die God’s love keeps going.
Time - God’s love never wears out.
Sin - sin does not break God’s eternal love for you.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Romans 8:35a

The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell,
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest Hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure,
How measureless and strong.
It shall forever more endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss.
The Father turns His face away.
As wounds which mare the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there.
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we would be called children of God; and such we are.
1 John 3:1a

Contentment & Our Promised Land

I came across the following paragraph in the book Emotional Purity. It was a great encouragement to me as I read it.

“You’ve heard “hind-sight is twenty-twenty”. I think the children of Israel must have coined that phrase. Did they understand what God was going to do when they stood at the Red Sea with their enemies behind them? No. Did they understand or know where their food, water, and provision for their basic needs would come from? No. Did they understand what God did when He said the land He gave to them was filled with giants? No. They continued in their discontentment and the cost became deadly. The Israelites rebelled against God over and over in the desert, and often we do the same thing. The correlation between the children of Israel and us is clear: they were in bondage to the Egyptians, we are in bondage to believing that marriage is going to save us from this state of discontented singleness. God performed a grand exodus to save the Israelites from slavery; God sent His Son to save us from slavery. He led the Israelites through the desert of testing to worship and serve Him there; He wants us to come through the desert of testing to see if we trust Him. Then He allowed the Israelites to enter the Promised Land; and, if you allow God to take you through the arid desert of trials, you will come through trusting and obeying Him. The promised land is not marriage, but rather a place of knowing that you are in the Father’s hands and that you will not be single a day longer than He plans for you.” ~ Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart, By Heather Arnel Paulsen, p.92

I love the comparison Heather makes between us as singles, and the children of Israel. It is so important that we gain contentment before marriage. As I have heard repeatedly, “If you’re not content before marriage, you won’t be content after you’re married”. I think the Israelites are a good example of this. Even when they got the freedom they wanted, they still weren’t content. I also love the last sentence in this paragraph. Ladies, marriage is not our promised land. It is so good to be reminded where our focus is supposed to be and what our promised land is and in Whom it can be found.

The Teacup

The Teacup
Author Unknown

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques, pottery, and especially teacups. This was their 25th wedding anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, “May we see that? We’ve never seen one quite so beautiful.” As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. “You don’t understand,” it said. “I haven’t always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over, and I yelled out, ‘Let me alone,’ but he only smiled, ‘Not yet.’

“Then I was placed on a spinning wheel,” the teacup said, “And suddenly I was spun around and around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m getting dizzy!’ I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, ‘Not yet.’

“Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening, and I could read his lips as he shook his head, ‘Not yet.’

“Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. ‘There, that’s better,’ I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. ‘Stop it, stop it!’ I cried. He only nodded, ‘Not yet.’

“Then suddenly he put me back in the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening, nodding his head and saying, ‘Not yet.’

“Then I knew there wasn’t any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, ‘Look at yourself.’ And I did. I said, ‘That’s not me; that couldn’t be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful.’

“ ‘I want you to remember, then,’ he said, ‘I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had let you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn’t put you in there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn’t done that, you never would have hardened; you wouldn’t have had any color in your life. And if I hadn’t put you back in the second oven, you wouldn’t have survived very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began you.’”

God knows what He’s doing for all of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker --

an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!

Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’

or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
Isaiah 45:9

The Enthusiastic Attitude

Fervent in spirit.

Romans 12:11

“One of humanity’s most chronic shortcomings is the lack of individual enthusiasm. Often our failures to achieve what we ought result directly from apathy and lack of commitment. But that should not be true if you’re a Christian.
Enthusiasm requires Spirit-assisted resolve and persistence, not just human-guided good intentions. Henry Martyn, the tireless missionary to India, conducted his ministry with scriptural enthusiasm and fervency. It was his desire to “burn out for God.” And the apostle Paul admonishes us to “not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9).”

Taken from: Truth for Today, by John MacArthur, page 216

A Daily Prayer

I found this quote/prayer in Elisabeth Elliot’s book Secure in the Everlasting Arms.

“Almighty God, we bless and praise Thee that we have wakened to the light of another day; and now we will think of what a day should be. Our days are Thine, let them be spent for Thee. Our days are few, let them be spent with care. There are dark days behind us, forgive their sinfulness; there may be dark days before us, strengthen us for their trials. We pray Thee to shine on this day -- the day which we may call our own. Lord, we go to our daily work; help us to take pleasure therein. Show us clearly what our duty is; help us to be faithful in doing it. Let all we do be well done, fit for Thine eye to see. Give us strength to do, patience to bear; let our courage never fail. When we cannot love our work, let us think of it as Thy task; and by our true love to Thee, make unlovely things shine in the light of Thy great love. Amen.” ~ George Dawson, 1821-1876

For You

The life of Jesus given for you.

“For you” two of the most precious words in the New Testament.

May we each take time today to remember the price Jesus paid so that we could live eternally and thank Him for His precious gift to us.

Two Cups

“Christ drank the cup of wrath so that we could drink the cup of remembrance.”

Tonight is the night Jesus had what we call the last supper. At that last meal He had before going to the cross, Jesus passed around some bread to His disciples and said “This is My body”. He then passed around a cup of wine saying, “This is my blood, poured out for forgiveness of sins.” That night, Christ instituted communion. Later that evening, Jesus prayed to His Father asking Him to take the cup of His wrath from Him. However, Jesus held onto the cup and went to the cross. Today, we partake of communion to remind us of the sacrifice Christ paid so we could have our sins forgiven.

He is like Me II

I love to collect quotes that inspire and cause contemplation. After writing the post He is like Me, I was reading through my collection and came across the following ones. They fit so well with the previous post that I wanted to share them.

If you are of God, it will show through your love and service to others.


Ambassadors do not speak for themselves,
they merely deliver the message entrusted to them by their king.


The best book you can give to an unbeliever is your life. What are they reading in you?


Others will see your Redeemer through your redeemed life.


You are writing a Gospel, a chapter each day,

by the deeds that you do, and the words that you say.

Men read what you write, whether faithful or true,

just what is the Gospel according to you?
~ Anonymous

He is like Me

I recently read this short story:

Pastor Mishki was imprisoned in a Communist prison for 22 years, not even knowing of the welfare of his wife and six little children. A Communist was in the prison cell with him. One day, the Communist asked Pastor Mishki “Tell me in one sentence, what is Jesus like?” The pastor thought for a moment and replied, “You wish to know what Jesus is like? He is like me.” The Communist considered this and said, “Then I will love Him and respect Him.”

The word “Christian” means “little Christ”. We identify ourselves with our Savior by using His name. We are to be like Him. People are to see Him in us. If we call ourselves Christians but don’t act Christ-like, it is like identity theft. None of us wants a stranger using our name, signature, etc. to do illegal activities, so why would we attach Christ’s name to ourselves if we are going to act in a manner that is not pleasing to God? We are to strive toward godliness and being more like Jesus Christ. If an unbeliever were to ask you to tell them in one sentence what Jesus is like, would you be able to give the same answer Pastor Mishki gave? While we will never be perfect this side of Heaven, “He is like me” is the answer we should be striving for. Even if no one ever verbally asks us what Jesus is like, our lives should be a testimony of what He is like. Unbelievers should be attracted to Christianity just by watching our daily lives. Your life, and mine, could mean the difference between someone rejecting Christ or “loving and respecting Him” forever.

Friendships with Young Men

“Friendships [with young men] should not be intimate, but good-naturedly distant. Would you be able to maintain the friendship on an equal footing if you were married? If not, it is probably an inappropriate friendship. Women should have the kind of friendships with young men that are characterized by purity and propriety. If you have to alter your behavior after you are married, you have probably been behaving in an unwise or ungodly manner.” ~ Nancy Wilson

I have several friends who are young men (they all happen to be my brother’s friends too). I often think of them as brothers and enjoy my friendship with them. I am careful about how I talk to them, how often I talk to them, and how I treat them. However, it is easy to start to let my guard down and not be as cautious as I should be. When I read the above statement, I began thinking of the friendships I have with various young men. With each one, I asked myself if my behavior toward them would change if I were a married woman. While I would like to believe it wouldn’t, it is a sobering thought. I was also reminded of another statement I have heard, “Every young man you meet is more than likely someone else’s husband”. Keeping pure friendships with young men is not easy, but I wholeheartedly believe it is worth it. By applying these two statements to my friendships with young men, I will not only have no regrets about these friendships, but I will be able to continue them for years to come.

My Exchange

Away from the World and hidden from public view, I exchange …

My weariness for His strength,

My weakness for His power,

My darkness for His light,

My problems for His solutions,

My burdens for His freedom,

My frustrations for His peace,

My turmoil for His calm,

My hopes for His promises,

My afflictions for His balm of comfort,

My questions for His answers,

My confusion for His knowledge,

My doubt for His assurance,

My nothingness for His awesomeness,

The temporal for the eternal, and

The impossible for the possible!

~ Liz George

I love this quote by Elizabeth George. There have been times in my life when God has brought me to the place where I have admitted that I could not go on without His help. I remember sitting on my bed one morning praying through this list, crying to Him for help and surrendering everything to Him. Whatever your struggle may be right now or in the future, may this quote bring you strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. :)