NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #5

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I don't think 2 Corinthians gets as much "play" as it's counterpart 1 Corinthians, but if you dig in, 2 Cor. is packed full of great stuff! This passage is definitely one of my favorites. It helps to keep me focused on eternity, rather than on the present life. It helps me remember that whatever I am going through - whether good or bad - it is only temporary. Whatever we are going through in our lives, it will all be worth it when we finally get to see God face to face in all His glory in heaven.

What a promise that inwardly we are being renewed every day! Every day we wake up, we are a new creation inside. I know that probably most of us do not like the way our bodies look on the outside, but this passage encourages the fact that it is only temporary. We are wasting away outside, but inside, we will live for eternity with God!

NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #4

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

I love, love, love these verses. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God. God's love is accessible to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and 365 days a year. Now, those of you who know me really well know that this verse is special to me because it is part of an old Mindset song called "Praise." At one point in the song, my friend Karl would read this passage from Romans, and when he got to this verse, he would always start getting louder, and then at the very end, he would shout "AMEN!" It always put a smile on my face, and it still does today.

NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #3

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12

Keeping in step with the whole marriage thing from yesterday's post, this verse also means a lot to me in terms of my relationship with God and with Evan. Evan and I together are stronger than we are as individuals, and we are even stronger with God at the head of our relationship.

When Evan and I were preparing to get married, we faced a lot of opposition. Not necessarily from people, but there were a lot of snags in our preparations - we almost didn't even get to go on our honeymoon! It was clear that "someone" did NOT want us to get married because together, we were even stronger. Evan and I have grown so much in the 5 years that we have been married, all while keeping God at the center. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it to know that not only do we have each other, but we always have God.

NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #2

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. " - Proverbs 31:10-12

This passage is particularly special to me because Evan's cousin Linda read it to me on my wedding day. We shared some tears (happy ones!), and a hug, and later that day, I married Evan with that passage ringing in my ears.

I still think of this passage from time to time when I look back on my relationship with Evan, and I know I have stayed true to it. I love how it says that the husband "has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." How wonderful it is for your husband to have full confidence in you as a wife!

Now, if any of you know my husband, you know that he didn't exactly have an "easy" life. Things were often hard for him, and he struggled with many things. When I met him, he said that he was born with a broken heart. Well, I set out to mend that broken heart, and 9 years later, it is mended and then some. It is my job to bring "good, not harm," all the days of my life.

It really meant a lot to me when Linda read this to me, and it still means a lot to me today!

NaBloPoMo - Blog Post #1

NaBloPoMo is short for "National Blog Posting Month," and November is the official month for it! I confess, I did not participate last year, but I am going to try my darndest to do it this year. So, without any further ado, here goes Blog Post #1!

I can't believe November is already here. There are 24 days left until Thanksgiving, and 54 days until Christmas. 2010 is flying by so fast, I barely even have time to blink!

I think I will use NaBloPoMo to share 30 of my most favorite verses/passages from the bible. I will give you the verse or passage, and then tell you a little bit about why it is a favorite of mine. Enjoy!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4

This is not only one of my favorite passages, but it also comes from my favorite book of the bible: James. I love this passage because it tells me that even though my life might be hard right now (and often it is!), that through it, I am developing perseverance and maturity in my faith and my relationship with God. And I love that it says that when I am mature, I am complete and not lacking anything. It's really hard to praise God in the midst of trial, but ultimately, that is what we should do. When we come out on the other side of our trials still praising God, we have persevered and we have matured. I just love that! It gives me that much more motivation to stay close to God and to thank Him not just for the good times, but the hard times as well because He is the creator of them all!

Why Worry?

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" - Matthew 6:25-27

I had a night all to myself, being that Evan was at school. So, I wanted to get out of my house for a little while since it was such a gorgeous night, so I decided to pack up my bible and a blanket and go to the park to have some quiet time with God. I sat myself down on a bench between two big shade trees, facing a pond. As I was sitting there reading through my bible, I looked up a noticed a little goldfinch sitting on the branch of a tree that had fallen into the pond.Every now and again, he would fly up into the air, flutter around, and land back down on the tree. It took me a minute to realize what he was doing, but I figured out that he was catching bugs in mid-air. Sometimes he would catch two or three in the same flight. I watched him for a good five minutes and was fascinated by what was happening right in front of me.

As I was watching this adorable little goldfinch catch his dinner, Matthew 6:26 came into my head. I started thinking, "Here is this little bird, who doesn't have any real purpose to his life, and yet God is providing food for him to stay alive." I had not eaten dinner yet, and I thought to myself, "I am going to go home shortly and I am not worried whether or not there will be food for me to eat when I get home. I know I have food at home. I know I also have clothes to wear, and a house to live in." I had to stop and say a thank you prayer to God. God takes care of my little goldfinch friend, and He takes care of me. I have nothing to worry about.

Just then, a beautiful blue heron swooped down out of the sky and flew across the pond. Blue herons are probably my favorite birds in the world because they are so majestic and beautiful.
The blue heron landed on the bank of the pond and out of my line of sight. A few moments later, he swooped back to the middle of the pond, right in front of where I was sitting and stood in the water, perfectly still. I could see him peering into the water and every once in a while he would move ever so slightly to get a better look. He was hunting for fish. So, now I had two completely different kinds of birds being fed by my Heavenly Father!

I was so moved by this seemingly ordinary scenario. I was so thankful to be sitting there witnessing all this. We have nothing to worry about because our Heavenly Father takes care of us, just as he takes care of the birds of the air. Thank you Jesus!

Jesus' Prayer for You and Me

John 17:20-26
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."