Friday, September 14, 2012

Scripture Memory Verse 18

Goodness!  This month is flying by. I'm posting a day early here since the Bulldogs play tomorrow.  I will be completely and utterly distracted by that.  So, here is my verse for mid-September...

Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand - when I awake, I am still with you.  Psalm 139:18 (NIV)

In case you're just now reading this blog, a group of friends and I have committed to memorizing Scripture twice a month for the entire 2012.  I am memorizing Psalm 139.  It's perfect because it has exactly 24 verses which will provide for me for the entire year.  Please feel free to join us even though we are already to September.  This isn't a competition or about following any rules.  We just want to encourage one another in our walk with the Lord. 

If you're interested, simply comment to this blog post with the verse you are memorizing, its address and the translation you're memorizing from.  You definitely don't have to comment, but I always love reading the verses you have chosen. 

Enjoy your weekend.  And GO DAWGS!!
Linds

Thursday, September 13, 2012

What A Song And A Near-Death Experience Have In Common

Recently, I heard a song on the radio where the lyrics matched my life so closely, it actually scared me.  I quickly downloaded the song when I got home and have been listening to it ever since.  But before I share anymore with you about the song, you must know a little something extra beforehand.

After my dear mother-in-law passed away, I found myself in my very first Faith Crisis.  For my entire life, I've been able to list facts about Christ and Heaven and Creation and so on.  But it wasn't until I became a young adult where the facts about Christ made a connection with my heart.  In fact, I hadn't been a wife or a mother very long until I realized how much the Lord loved me and what and why the sacrifice He made on the Cross was so significant.

But when my mother-in-law died, I found myself gripped with fear about eternity and what happens to us when we pass from this life.  I started questioning everything I knew about God.  Facts I had learned when I was a small child suddenly seemed like facts one would read in a fairy tale.  I started wondering if all of this "stuff" I had banked on for my entire life was really legitimately true.  Nothing will make you question (and perhaps even fear) death more than losing a loved one.  Truly, my feelings were a beautiful demonic mix of fear, humiliation and frustration.

Since coming to know the Lord authentically as a young adult, my husband and I have been called to serve in various forms of ministry.  I remember telling the Lord one day, "How can I be an effective witness for Christ when I'm not even sure if I believe all of this, myself."  These new-found feelings had me questioning my very own experiences with the Lord.  I was questioning whether He really did, in fact, bring me out of a sinful life, whether He had really mended my broken heart, whether His Son really loved me enough to die for me.  Really?  Did He really do that?  I thought, how am I going to be able to continue in ministry when I wasn't even convinced myself. 

And then my husband and I took a trip to Canada in July.  Many of you know of our traumatic experience there.  If not, you can read about it here.  But just to quickly recap, my husband and I decided to go white water rafting with some friends.  Of course, we knew the risks, but still thought it would be worth the trouble and the fun.  We found ourselves facing death square in the face when our raft turned upside down and we were both caught in the frightening rapids of the Kicking Horse River.  I met my biggest fear as I was trapped underneath the overturned raft for what we later learned was over a half mile of the river.  Minutes felt like hours as I was given only two opportunities to gasp for air.  After breathing in a few breaths from my last air bubble, I was back underwater for a significant amount of time. 

My mind was racing during that moment.  My brain was all over the place.  I was telling myself to not panic while having flashes of my three children's faces.  I asked the Lord to please not take both my husband and me. I couldn't bare the thought of my children being orphans.  But as I was having this inner dialogue with myself and the Lord, I found myself surprisingly at peace about my next destination.  I was freakishly calm about the fact that IF the Lord chose to end my life at that very moment, I knew EXACTLY where I was headed.  I was waiting to lose consciousness as I felt my lungs filling with water and I even remember thinking to myself, "When you wake up, you will be looking in the eyes of Jesus."  It was alarmingly comfortable.

The Lord gives and takes away.  He chose to allow me to live.  Of course, I realize I was given the gift of life and I bless His name for that.  But I was also given a gift to share with you.  The enemy preys on our thoughts.  He knows that if he can't get us with addiction or materialism or things of the sort...he knows he can at least get us to question our faith and our salvation.  I feel certain God allowed me to almost drown in that river just so He could bring me out with a story to tell. 

Friends, my story today is this...

Don't let the enemy deceive you.  If you have chosen to live your life for the Lord, then go and do just that while believing that you belong to Him.  Nothing can take that away from you.    Once you get that, receive it and then share it with others. 

This brings me back to the original reason for this post.  The song I mentioned earlier speaks of this struggle that we sometimes have when we start to question our beliefs, our faith.  I pray the lyrics will speak to you like they have to me.  You'll see just in the few lines of the song why it got my attention. 

(I'm just not sure if I'll ever be able to look at a natural body of water the same.)

   You Lead
   By: Jamie Grace

I've got waves that are tossin' me,
Crashin' all over my beliefs,
And in all sincerity, Lord,
I wanna be yours,
So pull me out of this mess I'm in,
Cause I know I'm wanderin'
Lead my soul back home again,
I've always been yours,

And this world may push, may pull,
But your love it never fails,

You lead, I'll follow, Your hands hold my tomorrow,
Your grip, Your grace, You know the way,
You guide me tenderly,
When you lead, I'll follow,
Just light the way and I'll go,
Cause I know what you got for me is more than I can see,
So lead me on, on, on and on,
Just lead me on, on, on and on,

As a child I heard your voice,
But as a girl I made my choice,
There is no other way for me,
I'm devoted to you,
You're my peace on the heavy days,
You're the warmth of an autumn blaze,
Your love carries me away,
And it's never too soon, no...

And this world may push, may pull,
But your mercy never fails,

You lead, I'll follow, Your hands hold my tomorrow,
Your grip, Your grace, You know the way,
You guide me tenderly, yeah,
When you lead, I'll follow,
Just light the way and I'll go,
Cause I know what you got for me is more than I can see,
So lead me on, on, on and on,
Just lead me on, on, on and on,

Sometimes when I wake up, I don't wanna rise up, Out of my bed, too many thoughts in my head,
Don't wanna be who I used to be,
Gonna take the back seat and let you lead,
And I...
Need to stop, need to stop,
Cause I'm going too fast,
And I...
Know my God is still God, And you got my back,

You lead, I'll follow, Your hands hold my tomorrow,
Your grip, Your grace, You know the way,
You guide me tenderly, yeah,
When you lead, I'll follow,
Just light the way and I'll go,
Cause I know what you got for me is more then I can see,
So lead me on...
Lead me on...

And I...
Need to stop, need to stop,
Cause I'm going too fast,
And I...
Know my God is still God, And you got my back,
You got my back,
I know ya got me, I know ya got me,
I know ya got me, Lead me on...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Trust, Faith, Blah, Blah, Blah

So here's the deal...

God spoke.  I argued.  God spoke again.  I said, "We'll see."  God felt the need to speak a little louder through some unusual events.  I said, "Yes Sir.  All clear, Sir."

However...

When God speaks and you listen and you even decide to obey, it doesn't necessarily mean that trusting Him becomes easier.  In fact, the opposite can be true.  The closer and closer it gets to the pivotal moment in which He has called you to trust Him, the harder it is to trust.  And to do that other thing.  What's it called?  Oh yea.  Have faith.

And then I'm reminded of what faith is...

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Oh, is that all?

So, I'm there.  So sure.  So hopeful.  Yet, I see nothing.

But then I realize...

When there's nothing in the way of my view, there He is.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Eternal.  That's a small word that holds a big punch.  Since everything about this world is temporary, then what am I doing about the eternal side of it all?    And then I'm reminded of that thing I mentioned earlier.  That thing I first argued with God about and then said, "We'll see," only to get the message again loud and clear. 

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." -Jesus 

It's not complex but it's not easy to do.  The question still remains...

Since He's called me to be a worker, will I do it?  Will I trust Him?  Or perhaps the real question is...

What will happen if I don't?

I'm not sure if I want to wait around and find out.  So, hello trust.  Nice to see you again, faith. Good thing we've become so acquainted with one another. 

Following Christ, trusting Him, and having faith in His direction...is it easy?  Not always.  But He never promised it would. 

Following Christ, trusting Him, and having faith in His direction...is it worth it?  I'll let you decide. 

But before you make your decision, remember...you were worth Him dying for.

And that really should be enough.
Linds

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Scripture Memory Verse 17

It's Verse Day!!

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalm 139:17 (NIV)

Keep memorizing!  His Word is what gives us LIFE!!
Linds