"Well, He is! Can't you see Him?"

My very best friend told me today that she loves that when I talk about God, I talk about Him as if He is right there next to me, talking to me like anyone else would. When she said that I responded somewhat cynically saying, "Well, He is! Can't you see Him?" I poitned to the empty seat to the right of me at our table. As I said it jokingly, I realized how true it is - I really do feel as if He is literally with me all the time. My friend went on to ask how I could know and feel with such confidence, and it took me a little while to describe it. I answered her in the best way I could, even though it's not something you can really understand until you've experienced it for yourself. As best as I could, I explained that it had taken a long time for me to get here; I definitely don't feel like I have arrived. For a more tangible example, I told her how I view God as if He's a real, tangible being instead of this far, out-there, untouchable Someone who we have to treat as this Lord over us all the time. I don't mean that we can disrespect Him and treat Him as if He is no different from us, but He does want us to be real with Him, show our raw emotions, even if it may mean yelling at Him or arguing with Him. As much as God is my Lord and I worship Him, He is also my Heavenly Father and the Lover who has caputured my heart so that it cannot escape. He desires my touch as much as I desire His, and He is so jealous for my heart. He wants all of me and I want nothing more than for Him to have all of me. That's a really hard thing to do sometimes - give your entire self over to God's control and have that kind of trust - but it's also something that is meant to take time.

Trust is a process. Some people are more quick to trust than others, but all in all, no one trusts someone completely the instant they meet them. In fact, more often than not that trust takes years to get ot that level of trusting someone with one's life, giving them complete control. Over the years of knowing God, it started out as a lot of talk with most of the action stemming from following the lead and expectations of others; but the more you say and act one way the more you start to believe that way, and the more you believe the more you start to really feel that way passionately. As I've spent my time discovering who God is the more I desire to know Him and feel Him close to me. It's similar to when you find that one person who is meant to be with you forever (not that I've experienced that yet, but this is how my friend explained it). As you first met that person you may have felt drawn to them or you "liked" them. Now as you've spent the time to really get to know them you start wanting to know them more. That is how I have come to feel this way about God. I kind of feel like the psalmist David in my pursuit for God's constant presence in my life.

There are many times that I feel God very tangibly. I've learned to distinguish His voice from all the rest and I have experienced Him walking right by my side and even taking my hand in His as we walk together. It's a little bit like God takes me on dates as a means of helping me get to know Him more.

Back to my comment of God being right next to me. Can't she see Him? Well, naturally, the answer is no; but think about that for a second. It's always said that Christians will be known by their love. So isn't it natural (or rather supernatural) to expect that she really can see His love in me so much that it is as if He is sitting right there?

You are my beloved....

"You are my beloved and I am pleased by what I have made in you and what I have found in your heart."
- Your Heavenly Father
Dearest Lord, Holy Father, I praise You alone for the adventures, enjoyment and relaxation I had today. You are the giver of all good gifts, and today, Father, was a truly splendid gift from You. Thank you for beginning to reveal your plans for me, Lord, and starting to use me for Your glory. I ask You to continue working in me and through me for the sake of Your glory alone. I find my pleasure in doing what delights You, my Father, so I thank You for teaching me what that is and for bringing me many opportunities to do just that. Thank You, Lord, for the new friends I have made that challenge me to grow in my relationship with You. I ask that You would continue to grow those relationships which are meant to be and to cut off those which are meant to end.
As I sleep tonight, Lord, I pray my sleep would be sweet and my dreams pleasant. Let my heart be constantly focused on You, even while my body is at rest, that I may be in prayer and conversation with my One true Lord at all times. Keep those who need prayer on my mind and heart so that I may lift them to You; and show me those I do not yet know of that are longing for a touch from Your heart to theirs. Let me be Your vessel, Lord, a constant outpouring of Your love overflowing in my life. I praise You, Lord, for the sole reason that You have been so good to me.
Love and Praise Forever and Always,
Your humbled and faithful servant
Amen

I Long for You

You, O Lord, are what the depths of my soul and the core of my being cry out in longing for. No matter how much time I spend with You, I cannot get enough. In You alone I find my strength and the meaning of my life. Your glory defines me.

Thankful for Suffering

Over time I am becoming more and more thankful for the suffering God has allowed me to endure because anytime I am suffering I have learned to stay strong in my faith in God. All the trials I have experienced have led me to a stronger faith in God and a closer relationship with Him. If I had not experienced the things I did, I would not have had the kind of faith in God that I do and I may not even be able to be used by Him for his glory in the way He so desires. My passion and longing and love for my Heavenly Father would maybe not be nearly as strong had I not experienced the need of it to sustain my own life.
Christ's body is my bread of life and His blood is what brings life to my spirit. I live by the nourishment that He alone can bring. Because I have experienced the fulfillment of what His nourishment can do in my body and spirit and soul, I long for Him and nothing else. My desires are slowly becoming what He desires for me; I am being transformed by the renewal of my mind and my desire for the things of the spirit. I am seeing a change in me and consequently in my life because God has been allowed to work on the parts of my life that require His careful hand.

Rejoice in the Lord Always: Not Just Another Cliche

"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!"

But what does it mean to rejoice? How can we rejoice ALWAYS?! God knows it's not easy for us to rejoice through every circumstance, but He encourages us to seek Him for the strength to do just that. Let's look first at what it means to rejoice.

According to Webster's Dictionary, rejoice means to feel or express great happiness. In this verse, the Greek word agalliao is used, which is the ACTIVE form of rejoicing - usually in response to what God has done. It means to feel an exuberant joy, the kind that overflows and affects everyone around you!

In the Old Testament, to rejoice was a short-lived event, but in Phil. 4:4 it is used with the commanding word of 'always' (Vine's Concise Dictionary). We tend to overuse this word 'always' and therefore forget what it really means. Again, Webster's Dictionary tells us that always means without exception, continuously, uninterruptedly, forever, in any event, at any time, perpetual continuance.

Let's take a closer look at this perpetual continuance. Perpetual means continuing without interruption or intermission, enduring forever. So the definition of always is redundant: perpetual continuance = continuing continuance that continues forever, without intermission. redundancy in literature (and the Bible is considered literature!) is used to emphasize a point of importance - meaning that God is emphasizing that we are to rejoice always no matter what the circumstances are, good or bad, promising or bleak.

Rejoicing is also active and meant to be seen by others (continue reading through verse 5). So when God tells us to rejoice in Him always, what He means is to express actively an exuberant joy in what the Lord has done with perpetual continuance!!

How great is that?!

~ The Lady Who Didn't Want My Stuff on Her Bench ~

This afternoon I ventured up to the YMCA in Hudson in hopes of swimming my heart out and burning lots of calories. Well, I was successful in my endeavor, and boy did it feel good!! But then, I got into the locker room, had finished showering and walked out to find 2 women with their stuff all over the bench in front of my locker. Now, I don't mind that at all, as long as I can get to my things. They let me get to my locker and all, but you will see where this plays in later. When those ladies left, I put some of my stuff on the bench to pack up.

I went to blow dry my hair because it's like -20 with wind chill outside here, and when I came back probably 20 minutes later, this lady was sitting on a bench a little past the one where I had left my stuff, waiting. As I was packing my bag she came over to me and asked, "Is all this stuff yours?" and I smiled and said, "Yes."
 
Her response was startling. "Don't do that again," she said harshly. Caught somewhat off-guard, I apologized politely and went back to packing. Really, my stuff didn't hinder her access to her locker at all. Then she turned to her own empty locker and opened it and shut it again to make a point. You see, she already had all her stuff in her hands; but after doing this, she turned back to me and said, "I didn't mean to get mad, but this was my locker and I couldn't get to it with all your stuff there."
 
Again I replied, "I'm sorry." But I added, "There were two other women here before me that took over most of the bench so I just had to fit my stuff in around theirs. I didn't mean to be in anyone's way." The lady said, "Ok," and gave me a look of disgust before turning to walk away.
 
Just as she was leaving I had the urge to give her a little piece of my mind. Something like, "You know, it's not going to do any good for you to just tell me not to do it again. I'm gonna keep putting my stuff on this bench just like everyone else does. But if you were to ask me politely to use less space or to allow you some room, I would gladly do so. But yelling at me only makes me angry with you and that causes me to be more stubborn than I am anyway."
 
BUT I didn't say any of that. I let her walk away and let some of the other women stare at me. And instead of saying all of those unnecessary things, I allowed myself to cool down and evaluate the situation, and later - on my drive home - I lifted that lady in prayer. You see, I have no idea what she might be going through in life. Maybe she just needed to feel like she had some control over a situation because she feels as if she has lost control of everything else. Perhaps she needed to see a young person respond in a decent way to help her realize that we aren't all as bad as a lot of people make us out to be. And really, maybe she just needed to see the love of God. Whatever her reason was for picking me out of the crowd of women in the locker room, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I didn't allow it to get to me and instead hopefully opened a door for God to work in her life by praying for her.
 
No, that lady isn't going to stop me from putting my stuff on the bench in the locker room, but I will be more conscientious about how much of the bench I take up. And next time my stubborn self wants to give an older adult a piece of my mind, I will remember this situation and think about whether what I am going to say is really important enough to show disrespect to someone older than me, even if they are disrespecting me first.
 
So, besides burning off a good number of calories and getting to do something I love, I got to meet a wonderful lady in the locker room who probably has no idea what's gonna hit her when God begins to work in her life.

I'll Leave You With This

If I could leave you with the one thing that has been the most influential thing in my life, the thing that has carried me through every storm and calm place, the thing that has proven its endless faithfulness, it would be this: to know, to love, and to rely on the One true God with everything that you are and all that you have. Let Him be your strength, your joy, your health, and your only desire.

Know what it is that He has taught you and remain firm and confident in that, knowing that you are guaranteed to face tribulations and persecution. But know, also, that the Lord is your strength and will guard what He has entrusted to you. Let the truth always dwell in your heart and do not be ashamed of it. Instead, proclaim it boldly, having confidence in the truth and love you’ve experienced in Him. Be ever-ready to give an answer for your faith, to correct or advise in love, and to build others up with the Word of Truth.

Know that there will be people, probably some of your own friends, that decide to turn and go an easier way; but I encourage you to find strength in the Lord and to stand in Him until it is your day to receive your eternal reward. When you remain in Him with your desires being all His desires, you will become pure and honorable in His eyes and He can prepare you to do anything He needs from you. I encourage you to spend time in His word and with Him so that you can be transformed and consumed by his truth and peace and love.

No matter what you do or what you have to give up in life, never let your relationship with God be something you sacrifice. Let your life be a reflection of everything that He is so that your life brings glory to Him alone. Be a servant, be a friend, be a light that others can follow to lead them out of darkness. Do the work of an evangelist, focusing on leading by example and showing the love of Christ. In all things, know God and make Him known to others.

Key Verses:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.     2 Corinthians 3:5
Entire phrases from 2 Timothy are used in this post. I recommend that you take the time to study out the entire book. 2 Timothy (NIV)