Treasures

A co-worker of mine watched her house be ruined by a fire yesterday. Since she lives down the street from our school, many of us watched as well. My heart breaks for her and her family. I can't help but think of the many blessings in the midst of this situation- no one was home, the dog is fine, parents were arriving to pick up their children so they saw the smoke and called 911. There is so much pain, but also so much to be thankful for.

This has been on my heart since it happened. I am asking myself how I would feel if I lost everything I own. My wedding album, my computer, my clothes, everything. I am reminded how easy it is to replace things, and even if some things can not be replaced (wedding album etc.) it's OK. Because this life is short, and as another co-worker said, "The most important things in life are not things at all." Please join me in praying for peace for this sweet family.

Matthew 6:19-21

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Joy

Sometimes I find that I stop myself from experiencing joy because I am afraid something won't work out, I will be disappointed, etc. The fact is, though, that by not experiencing joy, even for a brief time, I am not fully allowing myself to understand the blessings God has been so loving to give me. So here goes, bring on the joy!


Job 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Least of These

Whenever I read Katie's blog I find myself amazed at her heart and obedience. I also find myself a bit jealous. "Why can't I be given those same opportunities to blindy follow the Lord with all I am?" I wonder. Or I think, "Well of course she can be so obedient. Look where she lives! Look what she is faced with!" I find myself wishing I could care for/give to Jesus (the orphan) or Jesus (the widow) or Jesus (the sick) and Jesus (the poor) like she can.

Well, you can probably tell where I am going with this...

It hit me today like a ton of bricks. As I was driving to work I suddenly realized, I can care for Jesus (the special needs child) just like Katie cares for who she cares for. I can serve Jesus (the homeless) or Jesus (the lonely neighbor) or Jesus (the co-worker)! How am I any different or at any disadvantage because of where I live or because of who is in front of my face on a daily basis? I can be just as obedient here as she is in Africa. It is my choice. I can not get in the habit of limiting myself because I don't feel like I am in the right situation. I am in the exact situation God wants me in, surrounded by the exact people the Lord wants me to be surrounded by. There is no excuse. I just need to be obedient to this:


40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:31-46

Distracted

I so easily fall into the comforts, routines and everyday happenings in life. I am so easily distracted. I so easily go one day, two days, three, without reading my Bible and meditating on how to apply it to my life and praying for it to change my heart. Why do I do this? How can I so easily forget the promises, the hope I have in Christ alone? He is all that matters. So I pick up my Bible and read it once again. I never regret the time I spend in His word and in His presence. I can't say the same for watching TV, surfing the internet and so on. Thankfully the Holy Spirit nudges me and reminds me of who I am living for!

Spoiled

She might be a little spoiled...

Answers

I am completely and totally touched by reading this post from an adoptive mother of 6 orphans from Ethiopia. I am spurred on to action. Sometimes answers to prayer come in the form of just reading scripture instead of just sitting around waiting for an answer. God answers prayer in many ways, but He's not going to e-mail me to say, "This is what I want you to spend your life doing." Or, "This is my will for you." Sometimes just reading scripture like this passage...

Matthew 25:44-46

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

...can be all the answer I will ever need. Here is the post that has so greatly impacted me tonight:
http://blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-wish-i-could-tell-you.html

Jesus is Coming Back!

Jesus is coming back!!!!

Wow... have you ever stopped to think about meeting Him face to face? I had the opportunity, no, the gift, of taking the time to stop and truly imagine being in the presence of God this past week. It makes everything else in life seem so trivial. I immediately became anxious at the thought of meeting the Lord face to face. I hated that I felt anxious, but I really did. I think the anxiety comes from knowing His word and His commands, and living differently. I think it comes from my disobedience and flat out just being lukewarm. Since I know I am not living my life as He commands, I become anxious. I have doubts. Satan creeps in and then it's just a mess. But when I open His Word, read His promises and seek Him once again, the doubts, fears and anxieties melt away. Peace takes over. Hope remains.

Jesus is coming back!!!!

I should be excited for this! This is what I am supposed to be living for! But again, fear creeps in. Fear of the unknown, fear of those I love being left behind, fear of not having done enough or believed enough or anythinged enough.

I know He is coming. I know Heaven will be the most amazing, incomparable place that I am not even capable of imagining. I know I am an "alien" on this earth and my true home is not here. It is with Him. My Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer.

If you have never done so before, I encourage you to take a few moments and imagine you are at the end of your life (which any of us could be at any second) or that Jesus is coming back (which He could be at any second). How do you feel when you think of leaving this temporary life and being suddenly in the presence of God? Wow... Does it make you think any differently of your priorities? Goals? Money? Time? If you do not believe in Him, does it make you worry about what will happen when that day comes?

So many thoughts... it is time for bed... so with a heavy and hopeful heart I will leave you with one last thought: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. All my love...

Entangled

"No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier."

2 Timothy 2:4

I get so easily entangled in this life. I care way too much about things I should not care about.

I am ashamed to tell you the cost of some of my jeans, so I won't.

Life can bring so much joy, but I can not forget I will face God someday, at the time of His choosing. If I am truly a "soldier" for Christ, my life should be a walking, talking reflection of that.

I love that God is teaching me so much right now!

Good

I might make you think I love the beach and that is why I changed my blog background to this peaceful scene. While this is true, it is not the only reason. I changed it because this peaceful scene of this peaceful beach is how I am feeling right now; peaceful.

I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. God really knows what He is doing. I have learned that God is good, no matter what my circumstances. He is good even though I had a miscarriage. He is good even if we take in a foster baby, love him/her, and have to give them back. He is good when we are hurting and He is good when we are laughing. He is good when my co-worker just lost her husband. He is good when another co-worker's daughter was just critically injured. He is good no matter what.

Many of you already figured this out for yourselves so you might be thinking, "Of course! We already knew that! What took you so long to figure it out?" Well, some of us are slow learners and God has to work with us a little more before we finally get it.

I am at peace because He loves me, I know Him, and He is good.

My Classroom In Pictures- January