Life is a Learning Process

Sometimes we grow stagnant in our lives and in our walks with Christ, and I wanted to take this chance to share some things that I am learning in my own life. Moving from high school, a single-parent home, a comfortable, safe place, to a two-parent home, a new house and city, and now to college, where I am making my own decisions and living my own life, God has been working. It's hurts, believe me, but it is worth it. God is burning away those things that are not of him, and prompting me to desire him more. Here are some of those lessons:

1. This is happening for a reason. And while I may be surprised by life's circumstances, God knows, and has planned, and is working out everything that happens for good. (Romans 8:28)
2. God is good. And he desires and plans and wants good in my life. His good is so much more extravagant and unbelievable than the "good" I think I want, or the "good" I see around me. If things don't work out the way I want them to, it means God has something better up his sleeve. (Matthew 7:11)
3. Not only is God allowing difficult situations in my life, but he is always with me, and walking through these situations with me. He's not leaving me to figure this out on my own. (Joshua 1:9)
4. My purpose is to be satisfied in God and to glorify God. And God may use certain situations or events to draw me closer to realizing my purpose and helping me achieve it.
5. Instead of worrying about me and my problems, I've got to spend more time with others, focused on their needs and showing Christ to them. I should be investing in the lives of those around me.
6. It all works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, it's not the end. :)

Temple Tuesday... Wednesday

I never got time to post a Temple Tuesday yesterday, because I had night class and a prayer meeting with some friends. So, today is going to be a Temple [Wednesday]! I've got some Bible verses and several quotes from friends of mine.

While you're reading, spend some time thinking about this: What if the tricky, difficult situations we're dealing with right now are actually good things? I'll say it differently: What if God has allowed the not-so-fun circumstances in our lives for a purpose? Namely, to draw us close to him, to instill in us a value or meaning or something important we've forgotten. Or even to prepare us for something significant in the future.

It's easier [to trust God] when you find out that all the crud that's been in your life is only behind you because of His help through.

Trusting in God is hard for the majority of us because when we trust in Him, we lose control over our kingdom. We begin to try to trust in God with some of our self and hold back other areas for us to control. Relationships are an area that we tend to hold on to, but they should be the first we give away. If we want to be blessed in our relationships, we have to trust in God to direct us in the way that we should go with them.

Wait.... hold up a minute. We have a better idea of how life should be than the Creator of the Heavens, Earth, and everything in it? We hold things back from the One who already knows all about us? I think we really have to work on this issue of surrender. God already knows everything... and I mean EVERYTHING! So doesn't it seem quite silly to keep parts of our lives out of God's reach?

God, give us a peace about things from you and terror about things from the enemy.

Growing with God can be very difficult but I love the feeling when you know what you were supposed to learn!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. Proverbs 29:11

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

To My Sisters in Christ

Dear Sisters,

I pray these things for us, as daughters of the King. Remember, you are valuable. And God has picked out a guy for you who values you. Don't settle for anything less.

Wait for the guy who makes you want to dive deeper into God. Wait for the guy who reminds you how incredible God is and how beautiful he's made his creation. Wait for the moment when God gives you his peace and his blessing about his gifts and his timing. Wait for the guy who is a gift from God, not a burden or an infatuation.

Wait for the guy who will wait, not only for you, but also for God's timing. Wait for the guy who will not let waiting become more awkward than it is. Wait for the guy who respects you. Wait for the guy who chases God with everything he is.

Wait for God's guy for you.

With love,

Your Sister In Christ

Faithfulness Begins Now

Married people are constantly urged to be faithful to their spouses. But what if we, as single high school and college kids, lived today with honor and respect and faithfulness for our future spouses? What if you considered the lasting effect your actions and words might have on not only the people around you, but also on the guy or girl you'll one day marry?

If God has a plan for your life and a purpose for your existence and circumstances, would it not also make sense that he has picked out a girl or guy for you to marry? Listen, the things that happen in life do not happen by chance; God has a plan. A wonderful, perfect, prosperous, giving-you-a-hope-and-a-future plan. Read Jeremiah 29:11. And I believe if that plan includes marriage, it also includes the specific girl or guy.

See, faithfulness begins now. Even before marriage, we are still called to be faithful to our future mate. We are also called to honor and respect the future spouses of our friends and people we know.

To help in this realization, here's some practice advice:

• No matter how you look at it, dating prepares us for marriage. Investing into one guy or girl for a while, then breaking up and jumping straight to the next one illustrates a life pattern of adultery and divorce. I'm not saying you shouldn't date. I'm saying dating should be something considered highly, and not for any random guy or girl who looks good.
• R-E-S-P-E-C-T! :) It's necessary! For example, girls, never wear that super-low cut shirt and show off everything. Be respectful to the guys in your life and don't set up stumbling blocks in their paths. Be mysterious. Guys, both you and the girls in your life should have boundaries and lines clearly drawn. As a guy, you're taking the initiative, but never set foot near that line. Your job is keep the daughter of the King from getting anywhere near the edge of the cliff. And be friendly, not a flirt.
• If you took pictures of everything you did with your friends of both genders to one day show to your grandma, your youth pastor, and your future spouse, would you be embarrassed by the pictures? Go ahead and enjoy friendship and enjoy dating, but keep it clean and honorable.
• Girls, get over this idea that the guy you've been dating for a month is the guy you're going to marry in 4 or 7 years. You don't know what could happen or where God will lead you. So when dating, consider the future wife of your boyfriend. What should you leave for her? Or, what would you like left for you? The book Dateable says, "It will not last." So, with that in mind, do not invest so much into this relationship that obviously will not last. Guys, this applies to you, too. Protect the girls in your life (and the girl you're dating) with the expectation that one day they'll get married - and maybe not to you.
• Finally, ask yourself, "How do I want to be remembered?" When this is over, how will the people I met and did life with remember me?

So go enjoy life! I'm not trying to be a party-pooper. But make sure you've got your head and heart in the right place.

Welcome to College

Since graduating high school and arriving at college, I have encountered many different experiences and learned quite a lot about myself, God, and life, and I hope to keep learning more.

On the funny side of things, college has changed my perceptions. For one, my daily routine now includes checking the shower for spiders. The library is not a scary place anymore. Walmart trips are considered a big deal and an important social function. Thursday is laundry day and it takes 86 minutes and $2.50 to wash and dry my clothes. And for Christmas I'm asking for quarters, Scantrons, pens, and Walmart giftcards.

On the other hand, it is wonderful to be experiencing the so-called "college" atmosphere, where no two days are exactly alike, there are so many chances to spend time with and invest into the lives of others, and not only am I learning about God and Christianity in the classroom, but I am getting the chance to explore his creation and his personality on this campus. For a while, when people asked how college was, I told them it was a challenge, but I was enjoying it. But now, having been here for a little over a month, I can say that I love college. It is such a fantastic experience that teaches you time management and a little more independence, as well as providing such a fun atmosphere to grow and experience God.

So, yeah, I love college! :)

Temple Tuesday

God, your love is amazing,

Your grace is outstanding,

My soul cannot comprehend.

God, your love brings me to my knees,

Your grace brings me to let go,

Your peace brings me to smile.

God, the gift of your son draws me to tears,

But the fact you redeem me breaks forth my joy.

God, your forgiveness prompts me to forgive others,

And your love prods me to love others.

And the way you welcome me, chief of sinners, into your arms,

Makes me desire to welcome even the worst into your kingdom.

How Seriously Am I Going to Trust God?

I am secretly terrified of the unknown. I've written before about how I like to plan everything in advance. I like to know exactly what's going to happen. The first day of school, summer camps, school dances, performances or presentations... all were terrifying to me in school, for the main reason that I couldn't control them.

Recently, something has popped up in my life, as unexpectedly as a Facebook chat message pops up on my computer screen. Something that, by all appearances, was good and well-meaning and completely innocent. I struggled with understanding if I felt like I should pursue this subject in my life because God wanted me to, or because I wanted me to. I spent long times in prayer, talking with Christians I look up to, and debating what to do.

I've realized that I have put way too much stock in my plan. I wrongly believed it was "God's plan" that "my plan" should happen. And why shouldn't it? I mean, to any adult, it looks like I have my head on straight. It looks like I have an appropriate plan, and that people would be wise to have a similar plan. But I was uncompromising in my plan. Uncompromising to the point where I wasn't listening to God at all. Even if this thing God had for me was something I might actually enjoy.

Don't worry, I'm still very cautious about everything I do and about being a representative of Christ. But I've learned that I can't control everything. I cannot know the future or even the end result, but that's not a reason to hide and give up. It's a reason to joyfully embrace what God puts in my life and maintain a close connection to him.

Eric Ludy writes that he heard God asking him, "How seriously are you going to trust me, Eric?" And when I read that, I immediately thought about God asking me the same question. "How seriously are you going to trust me, Alex?" I felt convicted. And I realized that I must trust God with everything.

It Already Belongs to Him

What if, instead of giving my life and problems and circumstances up to God, I was actually relinquishing my futile grasp on what already belongs to him?

1 Corinthians says, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

And not only with your body, but also with your life. Not with only your words and actions, but also with your relationship choices. Not only with the clothes you wear, but also with the attitudes you have about you. Honor God with both what people can see and with what people cannot see.

What if, instead of including God as a part of life, God was my life? And anything that didn't line with him was sacked, cast off, cut out, done away with? What if, instead of pretending I could have both selfishness and 'Savior-ness' in my life, I ran after God with everything I was and found myself in his arms - with no looking back?

What would it look like if my relationships radiated Christ with every word and motion? Would other people notice if I gave up what I wanted for what God wanted? Would the result of a life sold out to God have more impact on this world than a life lost in the patterns of this world?

What if I stopped, right now, in the middle of this path I'm pursuing a little too fast, and let go? Because it already belongs to him.

Well, I think I've answered my own question. God, give me peace.

How Vast is God's Love!

Francis Chan writes, "The irony is that while God doesn't need us, but still wants us, we desperately need God, but don't really want him most of the time."

Have you ever thought about God's love? I mean, we've experienced some human love. We have experienced love from our parents, other adult role models, best friends, some of us have experienced romantic love from a significant other or the joyous love of a child. But what about God's love? A term I like to use for God's love is vast, which means immense or huge. But the term also has two distinct connotations: "very great in number, quantity, amount" and "very great in degree, intensity" (dictionary.com). Think about God's love in those terms - not only a lot of love, but also a high intensity of love. Not only the fact that God always loves us, but that fact that he loves us to the nth degree. Unconditionally.

I just wanted to share some quotes from a group of students from my college who meet once a week. This semester, we're talking about "Crazy Love" by: Francis Chan.

"The love of God is the most exciting thing. Being fully consumed with God means that there is no stopping what God can do."

"People will tell you to conserve your energy and to not give all to God and to others. But love is an all-giving thing."

"It's really hard to love people who think they know God's love."

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

By: Stuart Townend

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 mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing 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

Letter of Life

Poetry Number Six

A Reluctant but Necessary Letter of Life for Many People

~~~---~~~---~~~---~~~---~~~---~~~

To the one who needs compassion and hope,

I am here with open arms.

To the one who hides the pain with joking, but hurts inside,

Let me show you my Creator.

To the one who wants to believe God's word, but isn't able,

See how He's changing my life.

To the one with unanswered questions and uncalmed fears,

Might I awaken you to God's healing.

To the one with broken promises, broken hearts, and empty souls,

Jesus's yoke is light and his burden is easy.

To the one with all the right answers and perfect responses, but who doesn't read beyond the lines,

Ask for peace.

To the one who desires to help, but without the capacity to do,

Just being available is the biggest help.

To the one with a deep desire for God and seeing things change here,

Do not neglect your Father's grace.

To the one with words beyond all measure,

Stop and Think.

To the one who already has an unfair advantage,

Press the brake and slide onto the back burner.

No Matter How Good It Is...

...if it's not from God, it's not for us. See, Satan is in the business of half-truths and little white lies. They seem fine to us if we aren't paying attention, but in reality, they are very destructive.

For example, God gave us the gift of marriage. But Satan likes to twist it, telling such lies like "But it's love", "God is love", and "God just wants you to be happy". And that is where we end up with all kinds of ridiculous distortions of marriage, like homosexuality and polygamy (and even living together before marriage), for example. God is very clear on the fact that marriage is for one man and one woman, but when you're listening to Satan, it doesn't always seem that way.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan twisted God's words when he tempted Eve. He asked her, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Gen 3:1). Well, we know that God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from "any tree in the garden" except "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen 2:16-17). See how Satan twisted God's words to suit himself?

Okay, so you probably fall into the category of lies from Satan on a much smaller scale than something like polygamy. Maybe you are considering whether to pursue a relationship with a girl or guy who isn't a Christian. And Satan's telling you that you should totally be a missionary to them and that a good way to do that is to date them. Dating and relationships are good things from God, but only in the right context. Or maybe you're wondering about something even simpler, like music, which is a gift from God. But let's say you like a certain song and it's not explicit, but it's not clean, either, if you know what I mean. Music is from God, but Satan often uses it in just horrible ways. Keep a lookout for things like that. Do you really want that song playing in your head, on your iPod, in your car?

Another example: There are times when we are vulnerable and need to keep a guard up for safety. I'll explain it a different way: My college has a guard shack at the front entrance. During the day, the guards will wave at whoever comes into the campus. But at dusk, when it starts getting dark and the college itself becomes vulnerable, the guards typically stop cars coming in to make sure they belong here. When are vulnerable to Satan's voice, maybe when we're alone, or around people of the opposite gender, or surrounded by people who seem to have it all together and look like they're models... We must guard our hearts.

Believe me, it's hard to distinguish God's voice from Satan's voice sometimes. But here's something my stepdad taught me: God wants what's best for me even when I don't. In sin, I typically desire what feels good or what makes me look better to others, but God, in his love, desires (and knows) what is the best not only for me and my life, but also for the lives of those around me. And, this is awesome, "the best thing" may not be the easiest thing. In fact, God often uses difficult situations to grow us and mold us to become more like Him. Trust God's timing and God's voice and make those difficult decisions he is leading you towards. You may or not may not see an immediate result, but you will feel peace. Peace from the Holy Spirit.

No matter how good it is, if it's not from God, it's not for us.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

- Ephesians 6:12

Temple Tuesday

Need some encouragement for the journey? When it seems like it's too difficult to live a pure life, keep this verse in mind.

This is from Romans chapter 16, verse 19 in the New Living Translation.

But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.

Going According to Plan

It took me longer than I thought to realize that life isn't about me. And still, I have moments where I get all confused and wonder why things are happening the way I want them to.

This reminds me of the Jews of the 1st century. They were anxiously awaiting a Messiah, a military leader to rescue them from Roman rule. They even celebrated Hanukkah in remembrance of not only the Menorah oil that lasted eight days, but also for what Judas Maccabeus had done in recapturing the temple (which was a military conquering).

This Military-ruler Messiah mindset is very prevalent to the Jewish people. We see this in John Chapter 10 at Hanukkah when Jesus is at the Temple. The Jewish people ask, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." So Jesus replies, "I have already told you, and you don’t believe me." He goes on to talk about his "sheep" and his father's name and eternal life and the Jews are left standing there with their mouths open.

Can you imagine the shock this must have caused? Suddenly, the Jews found that the guy they thought was probably their Messiah likes to talk about sheep. Verse 31 even says that the people picked up stones to kill him. What had happened to the idea of a military Messiah?

Life isn't always going to work out. Life is rarely, if ever, going to work out the way you've planned. I'm such a planner, that this realization really hurt. But see, God has better plans for me than I planned myself. I need to make the effort to trust him and depend on him and seek him above all else.

My Prayer Today

God,

I've made a mess of me. Like Switchfoot sings, I am my own affliction. Why do I mess up so much?

God, give me a desire to know you more, to yearn for you. Give me a desire to search for you, to seek you, to desire you above all else.

Nothing else fulfills me and rescues me like you.

Lord, I am your creation, pursued by you. Your child. Your friend. Your beloved. Throughout my busy, hectic, overwhelming life, I pray that you, loving you and your children, would be the focus of my life.

Christ be the center of our lives. Be the place we fix our eyes. Be the center of our lives.

God

Too often we make God too small. Or too distant. Or too absent. Or too dependent on the way we act.

But we can't "make" God anything. God exists outside of time and space. He doesn't need to be "made" by human hands.

However, there's something important to realize. No matter how great and awesome and powerful our God is, he loves us. For real, like completely. He loves us with the kind of love that would send his only son to die for us. And Jesus loves us with the kind of love that would willingly be tortured, brutally injured, and bloody and scarred and bruised and... It's not a pretty picture. It's awful. We wouldn't even be able to look at him. And he did this. He died for us. For you. For me.

Remember the most beautiful sights you have ever seen. The smile of a child. A sunset or sunrise. Natural landscaping. The ocean. Roll them all into one, and multiply that by 100 for all the beautiful sights of the world you haven't seen. Got that beautiful picture in your mind? Imagine if God created all of that just for you.

Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

And God would do it all the same way, wouldn't spare a single detail of beauty, if you were the only person alive.

So why do we live like God doesn't matter?

Why do we go through life ignoring God?

Why do we choose what we want over what he wants?

Yeah, we're sinful. But think about that for a minute. Think about God pursuing you with the beauty of his creation. Think about how he loves us. And give God the glory he deserves.

Temple Tuesday

God is never too busy to hear from us or too tired to listen to us. He never has something better to do. He is our friend, comforter, and provider.

Bring God your praise and your disappointments, your joys and your heartbreaks, your smooth-sailing moments and your frustrating times. He is listening.

Here me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me."
And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:7-8

Satisfied in God

What does it mean to be fully satisfied in God?

I've shared some quotes and verses here that I've been reading and praying over, specifically with regard to this idea of being satisfied in God.

"The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus" - John Piper

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" - John Piper

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

- Philippians 4:12

"To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid 'big' sins - is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?" - Francois Fenelon

"It confuses us when loving God is hard. Shouldn't it be easy to love a God so wonderful? When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is.... This dissatisfaction [of American advertising] transfers over to our thinking about God. We forget that we already have everything we need in Him. Because we don't often think about the reality of who God is, we quickly forget that He is worthy to be worshipped and loved. We are to fear Him."

- Francis Chan

"If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37-38

So, I ask my question again: What does it mean to be fully satisfied in God? Should I ever desire something beyond God? Will God supply my every need? And what is characterized as a "need"? What if what I desire isn't in God's plan for me - am I just supposed to ignore my desire?

Riddle me this: What does it mean to be fully satisfied in God?

Reminiscing about the Future

(aka Poetry No. 5)

~~

~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

I sit here reminiscing about the future

Memories of my home away from home

Recollections of the butterflies, matching steps, and hopeful glances

I sit here remembering what is yet to come

Flashbacks of anticipated anecdotes

My anamnesis of warm moments, when the world outside is chilly

My reflection of the future houses thoughtful gestures, thoughtless arguments

It holds harmonious hours and mistaken minutes

It harbors intimate identities and unrealized carelessness

But the thread that keeps my future memories together is selfless passion

Mine and Yours

Shaping My Emotions

This semester, I'm taking a class at college called "Foundations of Spiritual Formation", which introduces the student to the concept of Spiritual Formation, spiritual disciplines, and growth in the Christian life.

The first thing I learned in this class was that Spiritual Formation is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. It's what we mean when we talk about imitating Christ, becoming more like Christ, and being sanctified. It's a continual, nonlinear, ongoing process whereby God points out things in our lives that don't conform to Christ and works with us to turn those into Christlike things. These "things" may be specific sins, like cheating or lying, but often they are certain attitudes or behaviors.

For example, in Romans 12:2, Paul says that God can transform the way we think ("renewing of your mind") and in 2nd Corinthians 10:5, Paul explains that thoughts and emotions should also be part of our obedience to Christ. In The Message paraphrase, 2nd Corinthians 10:5 says, "[We use God's mighty weapons for] fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ."

I don't particularly like this verse. Because it seems that my emotions are something I cannot control and therefore it should not be wrong to have any number of various emotions, some of which may not be in line with Godliness. However, if I am being shaped and molded to look like Christ, my emotions, feelings, thoughts, and desires are essential parts to who I am and also need to look like Christ. It will take a long time, basically my entire lifetime, to reach my goal, which is to imitate Christ in all I do, but I still need to strive for Godliness and Christlikeness.

Let me give you an example. I have met a lot of new people and I have often had the chance to determine if I like them or not, to put it simply. I will subconsciously analyze their body language, how interested or distracted they are, or how loyal and kind they seem. This is all normal, and everyone does it to some extent. It's called first impressions. However, the problem comes the next week when I see that girl I met last Tuesday ignoring me. In my mind, I know she has other friends and she probably just didn't see me, but my emotions start going crazy with anger and frustration. Or I'll meet a guy and my first impression will be that he's nice and friendly and attractive, and no matter how innocent and pure my intentions were, if I see him later with his beautiful, popular girlfriend, I will get all jealous and emotional.

Emotions are normal. But my goal is to look more like Christ. So when I first experience that strong emotion, I should stop dwelling on it and start dwelling on Christ. I should think about what is pure and lovely and right, not about how to get back at that guy and his popular girlfriend.

One way to look at it is that God has given us emotions as a way to experience him. While emotions are not always a clear indicator of our spiritual journey, they are a way to perceive Christ (when taken with truth). So, rejoice that you can feel God's presence! And don't let your emotions get in the way of God's truth.