Is there some fear of loss? Some unwillingness to relinquish? Some determination to have it my way? Some insistence on what I “deserve”? May I, by Your strength, let it go, and thus find a greater freedom and a more fulfilling life. - Elisabeth Elliot, The Music of His Promises
March 03, 2012
February 13, 2012
Ephesians 1 & 2
Lord, please show me how You are building Mark and me into a dwelling place for Your Spirit. Show me what You are doing, and what my part is in it.
February 12, 2012
I am finding something out about myself. I am finding out that I seriously lack passion, and I lack even more discipline than passion. When I say I am going to do something, it usually doesn't happen. This is mostly evidenced by my blog posts promising rejuvination, my novel stagnant at chapter three, and the fact that my motivational jeans are at the bottom of a drawer, still a size too small.
Ever since New Year's day, I have had a feeling that 2012 was going to change some things, but first I need to change some things.
June 09, 2011
God in the Woods
A stand in the rain
A look the sky in the face
And throw your burdens at the clouds.
Everyone needs to run through the woods
To shed their skin
To breathe in. To breathe out.
To expel the poison in their bones.
My spirit is not found in steepled churches
My heart is not contained by those four walls
My confession is not boxed by wooden screens
Or by mere mortal men.
My heart dwells in the river bed
It lives in the stones
Wrapped, shaped, and smoothed by the rushing stream.
My spirit sits on the tallest of trees
Bathed by the sun, reaching uninhibited into the sky
My confessions are carried by the wind
I speak them, and they vanish to the east onto the west
And the length in between
My Jesus does not live in the temples of man.
My Lord is not contained by their four walls.
My God dwells with me.
My God is in the woods.
[and everywhere.]
May 25, 2011
Daughters of Sarah
In 1 Peter 3, this is addressed, specifically for women.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner-self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is how the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." (1 Peter 3:3-6)
I am not writing this as an anti-feminist expose', instead, I want to focus on the last sentence of this passage. "You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." What is so important about this? Why did Peter choose to write about Sarah, and not some other woman from Biblical history? Let's look at a different passage. Galatians 4 and 5.
This passage talks about the story of Sarah and Hagar. When Abraham and Sarah could not conceive a child, Sarah arranged for her maidservant, Hagar to have Abraham's child in order to make haste of the situation. In the end, Hagar and her child were banished, and Sarah conceived Abraham's son, Isaac by the hand of God. Despite Sarah's rash decision and lack of faith, she is still the one to give birth to the son of promise-- Isaac. Furthermore, she is the one referred to in Galatians 4 as the free woman, representing spiritual freedom under grace, as opposed to Hagar, who represents slavery and being bound to the law.
What is the lesson here? What is the importance? Sarah is barren, but God blesses her with a child. She is submissive to her husband (and ultimately to God), and she is the representation of freedom in Christ. So what does it mean to be her daughter? Galatians 4 says that it means to live by the Spirit, rather than by the flesh. In this way, we are children of the free woman (Sarah).
There is something to be said about the correlation between living by the Spirit, and not giving way to fear. Aside from the fact that both of these things make us daughters of Sarah, they are inseparable in our spiritual lives. In fact, the only way to be fearless in life is to walk by the direction of the Holy Spirit. When we do so, we relinquish all rights. We let go of our own expectations and allow God to have His way with us. If we do not do this, the result is a nagging woman who lives from crisis-to-crisis and never trusts God or anyone that God places around her. If we choose to walk in the Spirit, we become loved and loving women who are able to laugh at the days to come, who's arms are strong for our tasks (Proverbs 31), and who willingly and lovingly call God and our husbands our masters.
(PS- The things listed in the first paragraph of this entry are only examples of things that are commonly, though not always, a product of fear in American culture.)
April 12, 2011
What Does Your Art Express?
Over the past six months or so, Mark and I have been carried from the "newlywed" phase to a phase of exploring what God has called us specifically to do as a married couple- what is our ministry? What vision are we going to stake our lives in? What expression of the Kingdom do we see God building up around us and through us?
We know the overarching, big picture call on our lives- to reform the arts for the glory of God- but with a call like that, where on earth do you start?
It's easy to write fluff. It's easy to make something that sounds psuedo-spiritual, that ignites some sort of emotional reaction. It's easy to fulfill the worldly purpose of arts. It's easy to express yourself. But what if that isn't the purpose of art? What if our own egos and narcissism have overtaken something that God intended to change the world?
God's art isn't about us, because life isn't about us. God's art is difficult. It's difficult to create, and sometimes even more difficult to accept. It isn't just something to draw, write, paint, sing, or play. It's something you have to walk out. You can't write a song that declares "I was dead, now I'm alive," and continue to live as though you were dead.
Consecrated art doesn't express US. Consecrated art expresses GOD.
February 05, 2011
Desire of My Heart
"Yes, Lord, walking in Your ways, we eagerly seek You; for Your name and Your renown are the desires of our hearts." Isaiah 26:8
December 30, 2010
I Lack Titling Skills
He calls us to truly love one another, keeping no record of wrongs and delighting in only truth. Our practice of quarrelling over trivialities is revolting. Our habit of building up walls composed of the Bricks of Pointlessness is nothing short of abhorent. If we were true disciples of Christ, the world would know us by our love for each other. We would fulfill this notion of a city on a hill with such passion and dignity that none could doubt our commitment to our God or His Church.
"I hope I shall be forgiven a hard word if I call this a perfect cavil. I readily own there hath been an old custom, time out of mind, for people to assemble in the churches every Sunday, and that shops are still frequently shut, in order, as it is conceived, to preserve the memory of that ancient practice; but how this can prove a hindrance to business or pleasure is hard to imagine. What if the men of pleasure are forced, one day in the week, to game at home instead of the chocolate-house? Are not the taverns and coffee-houses open? Can there be a more convenient season for taking a dose of physic? Is not that the chief day for traders to sum up the accounts of the week, and for lawyers to prepare their briefs? But I would fain know how it can be pretended that the churches are misapplied? Where are more appointments and rendezvouses of gallantry? Where more care to appear in the foremost box, with greater advantage of dress? Where more meetings for business? Where more bargains driven of all sorts? And where so many conveniences or incitements to sleep?" - Jonathan Swift, On Abolishing Christianity
May 14, 2010
Renovation
Stay tuned.
February 07, 2009
Vanish
Something about freedom
To see where I was
And what I am walking into
And to see all the lies
Dissipate.
To know that it is not of me
To know that I could not have done this
And to know that everything
That is drawn out of me
Is burned and refined
Not for me,
But for Him.
December 30, 2008
Are you dead?
But here is the truth, and listen closely:
WE WERE NOT CREATED TO COPE.
Let me make a suggestion here.
What if we were created to be healthy, happy individuals?
What if the way we have been treated, or the way we have treated ourselves has distorted that original intent?
What if we have submitted to a voice-- no, an enemy-- that tells us (in our own voice) that we need to feel pain, That there is something within ourselves that haunts us and presses outward and begs us to tear ourselves open just so it can be free, something that tells us that the only way to silence our own minds is to harm our physical bodies.
What if this same enemy is the one that tells us that we can never be rid of this harm?
What if I told you... you can be free of this?
What if I told you that it isn't YOUR blood that will save you?
What are you willing to die for? SIMPLY "NOT LIVING" IS NOT A GOOD ENOUGH ANSWER.
I will state today... I will declare it to you:
You have nothing to live for if you live as though you were dead.
December 09, 2008
Sink'n'Swim
September 06, 2008
August 25, 2008
inspiration volume 1
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
COLOR - CONTRAST - PATTERN
August 15, 2008
July 26, 2008
Some things remind me of being a kid
by the name of J-E-S-U-S,
to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, I am F-R-Double-E,
You are mine, I call upon You,
because You look so very strong,
through C-H-R-I-S-T, through
Christ we are bound to win.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
Yeah hallelujah, I am saved!
Through Christ we are bound to win.
[the o.c. supertones]
July 19, 2008
Boylessness Alumna
I figured I would write about this now, so that the next time you hear about me, it won't be an engagement announcement. See, about a year ago, God told me that He was going to prepare me for marriage. It's strange... when you receive a word like that so clearly and so directly, it's almost as though you feel like you have to question it-- like you have to throw a fleece out just to make sure you heard Him right. I threw the fleece out a lot. I spent a lot of time asking who my future husband was, rather than becoming the future wife he would need. Finally, just before classes started in January, I realized that God was not going to oblige me in answering my question of "Who is he?" so I decided to change my prayers that sought my future husband's identity into prayers that sought out my future ministry. It was at that moment (yes.. moment, not time, but at that very moment) that God told me that I would know who my future husband was through my future ministry.
Still, there were a lot of things that held me in bondage. Because of past experiences with guys, Satan was able to feed me the magnificent lie that I would never actually be able to 1) correctly interpret signals from guys or 2) correctly discern words from God. Even when he would wait for me after class everyday, or when he started coming over every Tuesday and bringing me ice cream (my favorite!-- no chocolate... don't want a migraine), or when he randomly picked me a flower, or when he started calling me everyday, I still couldn't quite accept the fact that maybe this guy was falling for me. Maybe, just maybe, God was taking His time so that He could romance me along side this man.
Let me set up a time line for you:
May 2007: I thought I was going to be a nun. Seriously. My face is photo shopped into a habit.
June 2007: God spoke to me about preparation for marriage.
September 2007: My brother tells me his buddy, Mark is coming to church that evening. I jokingly ask "Is he my future husband?" Christopher responds with "He could be." I meet Mark. He's cute. I'm impressed. He's out of my league... like whoah. Out of my league = Off limits.
January 2008: I decide to pursue my future ministry instead of my future husband.
February 2008: My first real conversation with Mark. I find a kindred spirit. He's still cute, and still out of my league.
March 2008: He starts waiting for me after class. We start to contemplate a ministry together on our campus. I found someone with the same heartbeat as my own. God confirms my desires and discernment with a shooting star and a dentist appointment. I want to guard my heart, but find myself asking "What if he doesn't like meeeeeee?!"
April 2008: I spend a week in Kansas with the boy. I am tormented by this. Our marriage is prophesied over. That's all, really. I'm still asking "What if he doesn't like meeeeeee?!"
May 2008: He starts praying with me twice a week and bringing me ice cream. He picks me a flower and sends me an e-mail about my character being that of a noble wife. What on earth do I do with that?! I'm still asking "What if he doesn't like meeeeeee?!"
June 2008: It all comes out in the open. One Thursday morning in my living room, he admitted his affection for me.
July 2008: A week and a half later, he told me that he had made a commitment to God to pursue marriage with me. The next day, I found out that God had spoken to him at the beginning of the year to tell him that I am his future wife. We press onward toward marriage and our future ministry together.
What else is there to say? A LOT. I'm going to write a book.
July 14, 2008
Thinking Before Talking
Saturday, while I was at work, a customer bought her daughter a little stuffed dog that came with candy shaped as dog bones.
The little girl looked at the candies and said, "These are doggie bones!!"
The mom replied, "No they aren't! They're little girl bones!"
- SomethingMoreSophisticated (4/24/2006)
July 03, 2008
I'm in love.
I bet he never thought he'd find competition with a handbag.
But... he might definitely possibly have some.
Romance on an Index Card
And all Your glory could introduce itself to my heart
It would be an instant romancing
Your love would beckon me to trust
Though my heart would decline
Until You make Your proposal to my soul
And I run out of reasons to say no
Then You would take me in Your arms and
Dance me across this place I call home
In a split second, You could heal me
And watch all my fears fade away.
“Ima” (The Prodigal’s Mother)
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