The Testing of Quality. Is it worth the best?

^{1 Corithians 3}

8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

...

¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.

Maybe building on the rock takes more than you'd hoped. Is it not worth the whole cost? It is indeed. For HE has given enough to live and give and love. Show me where I can complain? May I complain no more. 

I'm HIS.

love grace

Pressing On

I am currently reading a book that was placed in my hands nearly three years ago. It's funny how God places something in your life with divine timing in mind. The book sat next to my bedside in Florida untouched all this time...only to be picked up and brought back to Texas with me on my last visit. (still with no intent to read anytime soon, feeling almost confused as to why I even grabbed it last minute and packed it into my carry-on bag) haha. God is cool. 

Now only two chapters in...I see once again that GOD'S PLAN IS NOT FAULTY! He really knows what he's doing with divine time and providence and all that jazz. He's good. period. 

What is the book? Yes...a woman's book, "Having a Mary Spirit." Why am I defining it as a "woman's book?" Well i suppose just because of the feminine cover and author...but hey, it really is incredible for anyone (if you dare gentlemen.) lol ...But hey, if you don't dare, I understand as well (since the cover is half the reason I wasn't interested in the first place.) I don't know... there is just something about cliche "women's books," sometimes, that really don't draw me in? But hey... "DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER!"... Great childhood lesson, I've obviously struggled to tackle. 

ANYWAYS...the book... woo...it-is-for-me! The concluding section of chapter two touches on something so important, "Pressing On!"

Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says, "but i press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Author Joanna Weaver says this: (straight out of the book) 

I press on. Those words echo in my heart, bringing me comfort and courage. No, I haven't achieved all my goals. I'm not yet perfect. I'm still a recovering Pharisee in many ways, still more eager to whitewash the outside of my life that to do the hard work of cooperating with God's inner renovation. But rather than giving in to the enemy's condemnation of my shortcomings, I am determined to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." 

My deepest fear is waking up twenty years from now still the same woman I am today. With the same annoying habits and petty attitudes; with the same besetting sins and false beliefs. I can't imagine anything more terrible that getting to the end of my life only to discover that God has so much more in mind for me-more freedom, more joy, more peace, more true effectiveness. And I missed it all, simply because I refused to change. 

So I press on, and I hope you will too. Believe me, dear sister, we can trust God. If we allow the spotlight of heaven to shine on the dark recesses of our souls, God will scrub off the old layers of whitewash. He'll remove those pockets of Martha drivenness and Pharisee pride. By the power of His Holy Spirit, He will transform us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV) 

Until one day, to our surprise, we'll wake up and realize that we look just like...Jesus! 

(Hm...isn't that from 1 John3:2?)

I'm not saying it will be easy. Or fully accomplished here on Earth. Even with God doing the real work, we'll have to cooperate. We will have to change, and change hurts. 

But i can promise you this. It hurts good. 

What is God doing in your life? It is okay that everything isn't all perfect at once. It is a process. But it is important that we keep pressing on. Don't get so discouraged that all your ducks aren't in a perfect row? :) Step by step...day by day. As Weaver said,  He knows I would be completely undone if He revealed all my sin at once. Like someone peeling an onion, the Lord reveals one layer of sin in my life at a time. He gently exposes my failings, my prejudice, and my pride. Then He invites me ot repent. To turn away from my destructive bent. TO take advantage of His grace and the new paths of life He shows me. 

And then, step by step, to move toward becoming what I was meant to be."

Leadership

Tonight marks one week left of my first year in Masters Commission USA. Wow. I can not believe the speed of time. But that is not what I want to talk about... I will enjoy to the fullest my last week of this stage of life and take the end as it comes! (ahh! denial? haha) 

But anyways...tonight... tonight was an awesome night. We met at my directors, Ben and Becky's, brand new home. They just closed on it and its their very first house since being married. I am so happy for them. The way God has blessed them blesses me. So tonight all of Master's and staff met in the empty living room of Ben and Becky's new home. We hung out/toured the house, discussed different things, we even made a time capsule to be opened in ten years, then the staff members began to one by one speak into Ben and Becky's lives and sincerely thank them for this year and all they've given and experienced together as a team. It was great. But what I want to talk about is this- 

Leadership.

My discipleship director, Ben McLennan, shows an incredible example of leadership. After everyone thanks him, an emotional time that brought him and his wife to tears. He gathered the entire team...the team of nearly 100 in which he loves and makes count for each individual...he calls us all into a huddle. And then, he just takes a knee. He kneels down before his team, and kinda just puts his head downward and quietly tells us that he is honored to be in the presence of such greatness. So honored, he must kneel before us all. 

The humility shown in that, broke me. Who am I, that my leader would kneel before me just because of who I am? Not even because of what any one of us has done. But because of who we are, Ben found it fit to kneel before us in honor. 

I am incredibly honored to be led by such humility. Through example of leadership like that, in addition to personal experiences of trial and error this year, and things God has personally spoken and revealed to me while leading or following... I see that the best leader is one who believes in his team 110%. Leading isn't just about confidence in you to stand up in front of the pack. It is about being confident enough in God, to be confident in the people He's given you. To be humble enough to believe that the team can and will win. You've been brought along to help but if you believe that YOU are giving the win, you're wrong. You have been given a winning team, but will you help them realize it?... or will you teach them to live in the doubt that leads to failure? 

Leadership requires sincere humility.

Simple Truth

Nothing in this life can even compare to a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Really, nothing. 

When I feel far, it's like nothin' else matters till we're back together...

It's been a while...

After a couple of very difficult months of refusing to pour out much of anything onto a computer screen... I am back! to say this- and to say it strong:

1 Corinthians 2:9...

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Do not worry about the future or wallow in the difficulties of today. :)

You have no idea what is about to come!

I missed you, bloggers. But hey, I'm back!

LOVE 

is what we need

Grace

We Do Need Each Other

James 5:15-16 says: And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 

Tonight I experienced something very liberating. With God's help and push, I was able to be honest with a close friend of mine and allow her to keep me accountable. I believe that is the purpose of verse 16. We need to be honest with our brothers and sisters in order to receive the kind of help we need from them. Tonight were able to put this very verse of confessing to one another and praying effectively for each other into action. 

God doesn't give us advice that might work. His word never returns void! (Isa. 55:11)  So...it's really a beautiful thing when it is put into action. Tonight, thanks be to God, I've found freedom in my mind, in my heart, and in this very important relationship.

Woo! I literally FEEL better. :)

Thank you Jesus.

Anything you've been trying to hold back? 

I know it's definitely not always easy, but as always said, I think honesty really is the best policy. I know I can't do this on my own. Let's help each other out the way we were intended.

"I'M IN LOVE! I'M IN LOVE! ...AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!"

I usually like to write in depth, kind of lengthy, at times-thought provoking blogs. haha But tonight- I am just dying to make one simple yet very complicated point...I AM IN LOVE!!!! I am so deeply, madly, crazy, passionately in love with a God that knows exactly the song of my heart. He sings over me and showers me in his love, leaving me with no choice but to retaliate. He uses the simplest of things to turn my world upside down. He literally paints the sky just to put a smile on my face. He aligns every step of my day so that I might just pass that sign at the right moment, or hear that song just when I begin to doubt. He is doing everything He can to show me how he feels. I want to sit and be with him, gaze into his eyes, listen to his voice and consume his every word...forever. Tonight, I laugh at every obstacle that may try and take this love away-I pray against it because you know what, its going no where. This love is a forever, eternal, never failing LOVE.

  

GOD, take me deeper. :)         

This morning I woke up with this thought...Why is it that when you're in love... I mean really in love...you feel so compelled to write a letter? And it's like you can't just type a letter, or speak to the person, or show them through actions how you feel. I mean, yes, that is all a part of the expression of love. But on top of all that, it's like this compelling urge that rises up out of a person-to WRITE about it. 

As this generation often does when looking for an opinion on a subject- i googled it. "Love letters"...found this quote-"Often letters are preferable to face-to-face contact because they can be written as the thoughts come to the author. This may allow feelings to be more easily expressed than if the writer were in the beloved's presence." Hm...interesting. I write my letters to my beloved, in his presence. He stays invisible enough for me to appear as if I'm alone but in reality he actually holds me as I pour out my heart. His presence actually helps pull the beauty and truth of how I feel for him out from the depths of my heart. I write and write and its a great release. But in the end, it's more than a feeling. It's more than I can express in words. I have to give him everything, all of me, all of my heart. He works everyday, softening my heart, melting me, to the point of complete surrender. My favorite part about writing to my beloved is that with every word, he has this way of making me love him more by the end of the letter.

Recommended read: 1 John 4

verse 16 says this: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 

As Paul prayed for the Ephesians- I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.