Great is the Mystery...

If you're in leadership, the best way you can help those under you is to be a servant.

Jesus is the best example: Though he had the highest seat at the last supper, he took on the role of the servant and washed His disciples feet, even the feet of Judas. That's a hard pill to swallow while walking out your life, but if we're to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, we need to be willing to serve even those who will betray us. ESPECIALLY when we view the whole foot washing as an example of what He did spiritually. Let me explain...

What He did when He stepped into time, space, and matter to save us is something that none of us will be able to fully comprehend while still on this earth. But I'd imagine it's something akin to if we, as a human, saw the lives of maggots, and how vile, filthy, and worthless they are...and yet loved them enough to become that small, disgusting, and pitiful ourselves so that we might save them. I wouldn't do that. Yet, God, who CREATED us, loved us so much, that He entered this fallen world to redeem us. What's even more mind boggling is how He would do this knowing that some of us would STILL reject Him. If that isn't the most real example of lowering yourself to the role of servant, I don't know what is.

How great is the mystery...and yet I choose to embrace it.
(1 Timothy 3:16)

Speaking like Jesus...

I may have written about this before, and if so, I ask that you simply bear with me! Although, I suppose you could simply choose to not read this. Haha...

There are times in my time in the Word that the Lord leads me to re-read Proverbs 31 for what seems the millionth time. However, each time I read it, something different stands out to me. Today it was verse 26: "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Let me just say that I WANT that to be true about me...but it's not. Or, I should say, a lot of the time it's not. I'm so quick to speak! Which, of course, doesn't always lead to the most glorifying or edifying sentences or conversations. I'm so thankful for the Lord's grace and mercy in this area!

So my prayer today was that I would slow down and really think things over and decide if they're worth saying.

Well, I'd say that I (note: with the Lord's reminders...) did pretty well for the majority of the day, but there were a couple of times that I just wanted to kick myself.

One time in particular I spoke harshly to someone that I love. I realized my error as soon as I finished speaking, but it took me a full 15 minutes to be obedient to the Holy Spirit's prompting to apologize.

Isn't that so crazy?! Why do I do that?? Ugh.

Anyway, I went to the person and actually referenced Proverbs 31:26 in my apology.

(By the way, I'm not quite sure why I'm posting this... Maybe someone needs encouragement in this area.)

I guess I'd just like to remind the reader of what is said at the beginning of 2 Corinthians 7: "Having therefore these promises (2 Cor. 6:18), dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Some people may look at the word "perfect" and see it as meaning "flawless" or "complete", but I believe that it would be rightly translated here as "mature". So, with that in mind, that verse COULD read like this:

Since we have these promises (that the Lord will be our Father, and we will be His children if we seperate ourselves from unrighteousness, darkness, etc.), dearly beloved, let us wash ourselves clean from ALL filthiness of the flesh AND spirit, maturing in holiness in the fear of God.

So, while it's technically true to say, "Well, Christians aren't perfect! Just forgiven!", most people use it as a cop-out for living in sin! Jesus is the only one who lived a perfect (flawless) life here on this earth, BUT! we should be growing to be more and more like Him as each day goes by!

You know how with friends you gradually start to use the same phrases, enunciate words the same way, or even have similar laughs? THAT is how it should be with the Lord! By spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer, we pick up His attributes.

So...as I follow my steps back to where this blog post began...I should be growing more like Him.
Which gives me hope as far as Proverbs 31:26 goes!

There was never a word spoken by Jesus that shouldn't have been.

My prayer is that, as I continue to walk with Him, I'll pick up His way of speaking.

May your day be blessed and may you walk closer to Him today...

1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.


1. We are a proud people.
2. We must choose to humble ourselves.
3. God has a due time planned for exalting us if we choose to be humble.
4. We have a lot of concerns in this world.
5. God wants to strip us of those concerns, because He loves us.
6. We have a tendency to NOT be sober and diligent.
7. We have an enemy.
8. He is hungry for our souls.
9. We must continually resist our enemy, and the only way to do this is through faith in God.
10. This enemy is after the entire family of God.
11. God is all gracious towards us.
12. God used Christ to CALL us to His eternal glory!
13. We will suffer for a while. Plain and simple.
14. God will use that time of suffering to perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle. (Making all things work together for the good of those that love Him...)
15. He's the only one who deserves glory and has dominion!

Thoughts on being selfless...

1. The flesh must die continually in order to live a selfless life... It's a daily/hourly/moment-to-moment battle.
2. Do you keep giving and giving when you see need, regardless of what your own needs may be? Is that being foolish or is it trusting God to take care of you while you are acting as His hands and feet?
3. Selflessness is not only an action, but a way of thinking. If you're giving/serving/what-have-you, but you're not doing so cheerfully, it no longer is being selfless, but rather being prideful. (Yikes! I've definitely been guilty of that in the past...)
4. I wish that I was more selfless in the things that I say/do/think, but I've been a rather selfish person for the majority of my life. God's been working on that, but my goodness, how the sinful human nature loves to rear its ugly head! I'm so thankful that He continues the work that He's begun in us!
5. Praise God for HIS selflessness, in giving us His Son, Christ Jesus. Without Him, we wouldn't have a chance to even be COUNTED as righteous!

I don't know where exactly I was going with these points, other than the fact that I've been made more and more aware of the choice between selfishness and selflessness. Kicking my flesh to the curb is something that must happen continually, and I thank God that He's helping me every step of the way!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this..."

So here's a photo that's been hanging in our hallway for the past couple of years...

It's become such a fixture that, quite honestly, I sometimes walk by it without realizing that it's there...even though it's right next to my bedroom door.

I "re-noticed" it last night and it just grabbed my heart, so I thought that I'd share it with all of you...

It's a picture of my friend Ben and one of the little boys that he met while he was in Uganda over Christmas of 2007. But it's not so much who the picture is of specifically, as what the picture says.

I'd say this one contains more than a thousand words.



"...to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." - James 1:27

Priced far above rubies...

So right now God and I are on this adventure... I honestly don't know where we're going or how long it's going to take to get there, but we're having a grand time simply on the journey. On our ride, He and I are taking more time to get to know each other. Well, He already knows everything about me, so I guess you could say that I'm getting to know Him (and myself) better.

I'm encouraged by our time together, and I'm glad that I decided to let Him drive instead of just calling Him from time to time to get directions.

Some of the most real talks we've had have taken place in just the last few weeks. I'm really learning what it means to be a woman of God...and how to be the woman (and future wife & mother) that Proverbs 31 speaks so highly of. No, I'm not married, or even engaged, but He's been trying to teach me that I should be that woman even while I'm single! So anyway, I've always found that kind of womanhood to be unattainable, but lately He's been showing me how it is possible and not unrealistic!

Lately I've felt Him so close that I just want to hug Him. I wish that He were physically here so that I could have coffee time with Him...haha.

I know this has been a really random post, mostly filled with my rambling, but I just had to write out some of my thoughts. I'd ask you to forgive me, but then, it was your choice to stop by my blog, now wasn't it...? ;-)

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness...

To my Lord, Father, Savior, and Friend...

I just wanted to say that I am so grateful to know that I am the apple of Your eye...

Love,
Your kiddo...