Happy New Year!

As I sit and think back over this year, I reflect on the goodness of God.  Even through all the bad that occurred, I can still see God's hand on my life.  When I doubted Him, didn't have faith in Him, or simply didn't even want anything to do with Him because I was angry with Him, He still proved faithful to me.  Isn't that amazing?!?  I did absolutely everything to make Him want to drop me as His child, and yet He had the desire to redeem our relationship.  I just am overwhelmed at the goodness and love of such an awesome God.  There were times when I told Him to leave my life, when I would rather have walked away, but He was there pursuing me relentlessly.  If that isn't love, then I don't know what is.  

Now, is life all good and "peachy" right now?  Absolutely not!  Life is filled with heartache, disappointment, anger, frustration, unfairness, sickness, death.  BUT, we can still have hope in the one, true Living Savior of the world!  Does this mean that I don't still have hard days, where I want to give up and give in?  No, I'm human, and Satan is real!  The thing I am trying to get a grasp on is that no matter the circumstances going on in my life, God is still God, and He is still good.  This is a daily discipline for me.  There are days when I can barely pull myself from the bed as I think about some of the events that have happened in my life.  Then there are days when I know that the Lord God is with me, and He gives me extra strength for the day ahead.  For that, I’m thankful!

For the year ahead, it’s my desire to focus on Christ, to make Him the desire of my heart, to focus on His goodness.  I don’t want to be a bitter person, always looking at the bad, not remembering that in spite of the bad there was still good.  I want to focus on the good, so that when the bad comes (notice I didn’t say “if”), I will have a heart of gratitude and a proper perspective.  So, bring on 2014.  I’m ready to leave 2013 in the past!

At His Feet

This past week the puppy and the baby (I really shouldn't call him that as he is not really a baby anymore) have been sitting at my feet taking in the warmth of the heater that I like to run.  We don't have heat in the house, and well, even if we did, I'm sure that I would still like to have the heater going on my feet because I don't like to be cold.  For me, this is a comfort.  I enjoy warmth, and well, I guess that Corban and Buddy do, too.  They will sit there (at least the dog does) for as long as I have the heater going.  This has started me thinking about sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Why do we - uh hm - I so often run around in a rush and forget to take time at our Lord's feet?  He is sitting there, offering us all the warmth we could ever need, and yet we are too busy to take it.  I am so guilty of this.  Very rarely do I just sit and enjoy the presence of the Lord.  Very rarely do I take the time to just sit and enjoy his company.  It's not that I don't spend time with him, but it's not often that I just sit there, not expecting anything in return other than to be near him and his warmth.  My prayer is that I will begin to have a great longing just to sit at his feet.  That I won't have to utter a word, that I won't expect anything in return, but that I will just sit and enjoy him.

Louisville

This past weekend we finally made the long awaited trip back to the Ville.  We have tried to plan trips before, but for some reason or other they just never worked out.  This time, I was sure to make it happen.  I cannot tell you how WONDERFUL it was to be ... get ready for this ... home.  Yep, I said it, "home!"  I never imagined when we moved there in January 2009 in the snow and ice that I would call that place home.  Yet, that's what it truly became.  Louisville is my home.  I love my friends there.  I love the places there.  I honestly can't wait to go back.  Aaron and I have talked many times in the last two years about moving back to Louisville one day.  I really think it's a possibility, if the Lord wills.  Because I love it so much, I thought I would list some of the things I miss about Louisville, KY:

• the parks
• the river front
• Highview Baptist Church/La Respuesta 
• the city itself (yes, this country, southern girl misses the city!)
• The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Kroger (crazy, I know, but I really did like shopping there)
• Havana Rumba
• FRIENDS

The list could probably go on and on.  I hope we can make the trip again soon!

1 Corinthians 13

We've all read 1 Corinthians 13.  It was most likely somewhere in your wedding ceremony.  It is the popular verse from the Bible that is written on anniversary cards, Valentine's cards ... you see it everywhere.  I ran across it this morning in a facebook post.  It made me start thinking.  Not about the love part itself.  Loving is easy.  What I began thinking about is the "it keeps no record of wrongs" part.  Ouch!  That, my friend, is NOT easy.  Let me tell you that each of us are really self-centered persons.  We are more concerned with ourselves. I've come to the conclusion that the root of ALL sin is nothing more than PRIDE.  Our pride keeps us from truly loving, and it also keeps us from letting go of the wrongs against us.  If I am to love as Christ loved me, then I must DIE to that pride - daily, almost second by second.  As prideful human beings, it is hard to do each of the things on this "to do list" of love.  The way we can, however, is to submit daily to Christ.  We must humble ourselves.  We must die to ourselves.  Luke 9:23 tells us to deny ourselves and take up Christ's cross DAILY and follow him.  If we practice that, we will move that innate pride out of the way.  We will better be able to love the way that we are supposed to, the way God designed us to.  I'm learning each and every day and trying to put this into practice in my own life.  How about you?

If I give all I possess ... but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 

1 Corinthians 13:3-8 NIV

If I give everything ... but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies.

1 Corinthians 13:3-8 MSG

BE The Church!

I'm not sure I have any readers of this blog anymore.  It has been some time since I have posted or posted on a regular basis.  This has been on my heart for a little while, so I decided to put it out there.  It will probably step on some toes, and it is as much for me as anybody.  Writing is very soothing for me so it may only be for my purpose alone, but maybe some of you will agree.  So here goes ....

Lately I have thought A LOT about being the church.  I've heard some sermons where the pastor has talked about being the church, and Aaron and I have talked about it.  What exactly does being the church mean?  I'm certainly no scholar and will never claim to be, but this is my best shot at describing what I think being the church means.  We, as Christians, go to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights.  We go to church for choir practice, kid's church, drama practice, etc.  We go to church to play basketball or write cards to people who have recently visited.  We go to church to sing and to hear a sermon.  We go to church to fellowship with other believers.  All of these things are NOT bad.  I'm certainly not saying that at all.  What I'm saying is that it seems like so many times we are going to church instead of being the church.  We are good at being the church when a member has a baby or a death in the family.  Most of the time, the church provides meals for the families in these situations.  What I'm talking about is being the church to single mothers.  Why are we not providing meals for her family when she is out working late trying to make ends meet?  I'm talking about being the church to families going through the adoption process.  Are we walking beside them on their journey or is that out of our comfort zone?  I'm talking about being the church to those families in crisis.  Have we assembled a prayer night to pray for specific families in our congregation that are facing financial issues or divorce?  What about our communities?  Are we being the church to the homeless?  Are we going to them and inviting them to find the hope we have in Jesus?  What about the waitress that spilled your drink all over your brand new shoes?  Are we being the church and showing grace and forgiveness?  I dare say that most of us are not.  We have gotten good at going to church and doing church, but I believe we have absolutely lost sight of  being the church.

Is the church a place people feel comfortable sharing their problems?  So many people today keep their troubles or problems to themselves when we should be sharing them so that we can have the support of the people around us and be the support that someone else might need.  So many times the experiences we have are meant to better us, but they can also prove to be beneficial for others as well.  If you have experienced the pain of losing a child, find the person in your congregation who is experiencing that NOW and share your story of hope with them.  Or better yet, find the lady who is walking out of the abortion clinic in tears over what has just happened and share with her.  I'm sure there are some of the same feelings that the two of you would share.  I'm not saying I've gotten this figured out or am good at it, but I know that God definitely "has my number" when it comes to being the church.  It is time for the church to stand up and "visit orphans and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27b), and care for single mothers, homosexuals, the homeless, sinners ... this list could go on and on because we are an imperfect people living in an imperfect world.  The point here is this:  BE THE CHURCH and stop just going.

Have planned to update this blog MANY times, but several things have kept me from doing so.  One of which is that someone tried to hack my facebook account so I had to reset all passwords for all accounts.  Each time I would sit to type a new post, I couldn't remember the log-in and couldn't find the paper where I had written it!

So many things to update, but not sure how much to say on here, how to say it, etc.,  so instead I leave the blog with this verse:

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is all you need.  My power is strongest when you are weak."  So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am.  Then Christ's power can rest on me.