Tuesday Thoughts

Places I love:

1. Libraries
2. Coffeeshops
3. Museums
4. Aquariums
5. Playgrounds
6. Serene Beaches
7. Flowering Meadows
8. Shady Groves

A Lesson in Godiva

The Lord just used a bowl of Godiva chocolate to teach me a lesson.  Isn't He awesome.   I came home after a long and wonderful day, concluded with some authentic and powerful worship with dear friends.  The Lord was so present.  It was amazing.  

Anyway,  I came home to see this beautiful bowl of candy.  I reached for a tantalizing Godiva caramel-filled milk chocolate candy, and then I remembered....

Today, I chose to indulge in a tootsie roll and a tootsie pop while at work. I wanted to satisfy my present desire.  The Tootsie Roll was easily accessible, it was right there in the library, while the Godiva was further away, in my dorm, on the other side of campus.  The back of my mind knew full well that this beautiful bowl of Godiva awaited, but I chose to exchange the valuable for the cheap.  

I realized how many times in my spiritual life I trade Godiva chocolate for Tootsie Rolls. Both have the same amount of calories, the same effect on my waistline; the quantity is the same, but the quality is FAR different.  So often I opt for second-best: an all right worship service, a mediocre devotional time, a satsifactory prayer life.  So often I turn to these earthly things to satisfy me, to fill me up.   As if watching a movie will actually make my life change.

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised." - Romans 1:25

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." - Jonah 2:8

"As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." -Psalm 42:1

 

and sometimes you just need to watch a funny youtube video

shoot christians say

#happylist

I have so much to be thankful for: 

• the obscene amount of incredible people I have in my life
• sunrises
• nature
• coffee
• peanut butter
• scholarships to college
• home
• family
• friends
• camp
• weekends
• beach retreat
• birds
• butterflies
• water
• dorm
• car
• joy that transcends circumstances
• hope as an anchor for the soul
• JESUS
• memory
• language
• taste buds
• hearing
• vision
• touch
• health
• legs
• feet
• pinkys
• Watson Odyssey
• conscience 
• brain
• kidney
• creation
• Sasha
• dogs
• squirrels
• cats
• books
• trampolines
• swing sets
• the Bible
• conversation
• long walks
•  ocean
• worship
• music
• lotion
• writing
• color
• VPC
• clarity
• sanctification
• pain
• anxiety
• depression
• medications
• lessons learned
• freedom
• education
• passion
• rest
• Sabbath
• InterVarsity
• Christ's righteousness 
•  time
• experience
• God's sovereignty 
• iphone
• singing
• piano
• laptop
• gps
• ipad 
• facetime
• texting
• letter-writing
• index cards
• organization
• peace
• post-prayer-peace
• small group
• healing
• prayer
• truth
• love
• faith
• photos
• art
• comfy beds
• cozy couches 
• homes
• God's economy
• sunshine
• rainstorms
• snow 
• lightening
• thunder
• rainbows
• sunsets
• God's provision
• wisdom
• discernment
• perspective
• friends of the heart
• friends of the road
• thankfulness

Unexpected Answers

I have been praying for a heart that will love and trust God no matter what the circumstances are -- a heart that will "extol* the Lord at all times" (Psalm 34:1 NIV).  When speaking on the phone with a dear friend of the heart, I realized that the Lord is providing me with an opportunity to do that today.  

*extol: to lift up, raise or elevate (OED)

This morning, I inscribed this prayer in my journal:

"Jesus, I want you to call me out of my comfort zone & give me an opportunity to RADICALLY depend upon you." 

  

Little did I expect this opportunity to manifest itself through waves of emotion, apathy, and listlessness.  But, the enemy knows how to attack.  He knows where we are vulnerable and targets each of our "Achilles' heels".   

But Jesus takes those pain points and transforms them into sanctification.  As Scripture says, "All things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 HCSB).  He takes the challenges, however those manifest themselves, and uses them to shape us into the people He wants us to be.  That is why James can write "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4 NIV).  

I learned this weekend that sanctification (the process of becoming more like Jesus) is not something that I can muscle my way through.  It is not about me sanctifying myself, it is about surrendering to the Lord's sanctifying work within me.   God is so good and faithful.   

All this to say that the Lord (through the wisdom of a dear friend) revealed to me how He is using this tumultuous season to shape me into the woman He wants me to be.  He is challenging me to praise Him, to elevate Him, to lift Him up at all times.  Despite how I feel, I am to praise Him.  

SO, my action of the day is to make a #happylist (s/o to http://katemcampbell.wordpress.com/), a "gratitude journal", a list of all of the things I am thankful to the Lord for.  Rather than wallowing, I will praise and extol my Jesus.