Jeremiah 2:10-14

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."  Jeremiah 2:10-14

My challenge to myself and you: Are you seeking the Lord with all your heart?  Whether your week has been amazing or it's been worst week possible, our God wants us to cling to the hope that we'll have a good future.  When we seek Him, we will find Him.  Wherever He is, it is good.  If He is in our future, our fortunes are restored - there is nothing better than a Savior. 

How to Rake Leaves

Otherwise known as a make up for not posting. 


Step 1:
Go to the lawn with the least leaves (as to not discourage yourself too quickly) and become depressed that Autumn is already receding, although it's only the first week of October. 

Step 2:
Begin preparing your mind to tackle the worst job first.  There's no denying it.  

 

Just look at these prickly, sly monsters. 

 

Take a REALL good look so that rage and fury can enter your soul and fuel your inevitable victory.  

Step 3:  

Rake, hack and fling at these innumerable foes with your tenacious grip until you've gathered a pile.  (A few choice battle cries can help kick the smaller piles together)  

Note: Stomping on the pile discouraged, as it only disperses your hard work as you flatten it.   

Step 4: 

Despair at further dispersing of your enemies when piling onto a tarp.  Then, run into the woods while dragging the tarp to minimize your chances of being murdered or eaten, (clearly no time or hands for pictures in this step).

Step 5:  

Lastly, take a look at the leaves around that have already fallen that you (or a family member) must rake.  Notice more pine needles among the leaves.

Retreat to contemplate from inside how many more leaves and pine needles will fall. 

 

for Women (sorry, males)

A simple question.

Which is right? 

Is it best to be satisfied with who you are?  Or to know that you're beautiful (even at times you're fighting it)?  Which one has more integrity, more truth, more love? 

Women's Christian culture seems to be obsessed with either the first or the second ideal.  So many of the ideas within the whole are so intriguing, but the image of God in our brokenness is so wrapped in mystery, it seems to me that this quandary will take a lifetime. 

In the meantime, we cling to the perfect person of our God.

Psalm 24:8-11

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.


Edit: added wisdom from Harriet Beecher Stowe  
"Far, far away, the roars of strife fall silent,
And loving thoughts rise ever peacefully,
And no storm, however fierce or violent,
Disturbs the soul that dwells, O Lord, in Thee"

AiG: "Thank God you're wrong."

To all of my friends, 
    
     Answers in Genesis has started a radical billboard campaign in Times Square, LA, and a few other places.  NYC is receiving the most press.  Pictures are worth a thousand words so here's two. 

     I know that Answers in Genesis isn't always popular with many Christians, but I hope that you can respect my opinion about AiG;s choice and here's why.  Christians aren't called to be nice. We're in the middle of a war - not just a rhetorical battle, or the battle of the ads, but over souls.  Precious souls.  Souls that live for eternity, in extreme bliss or extreme torture in separation from God.  AiG's campaign is, "To all our atheist friends, thank God you're wrong."  There's no question whether this causes discomfort.  It's designed to prick consciences and consciouses.  It's very painful, but that's the point.  Should Christians care about momentary pain in this life or what happens in eternity?  I'll leave that as a personal question for you. 

Here's Ken Ham's explanations of his actions to fellow Christians and how he believes this billboard will advance the kingdom of God.  http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2013/10/11/billboard-big-bang

    I could go on and on but, like AiG, I wanted to begin a conversation to make a few readers think. 

-Sarah

Philippians 4

"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." 

-Psalm 119:28

          In this world, we feel like victims.  We're beaten down and just trying to figure out the world, or at least our part in it.  No matter how good we are or what we accomplish, the hole we're trying to fill is always empty.  Can you feel it right now?  Our God does not leave us in this condition!  He tells us how to live, really live, through Paul and Timothy. 
         

         "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me," (Philippians 4:11-13).  

           You are strong!  Christ is your strength!  No matter how big the hole inside of you is right now, God will not leave you that way, on this one condition: 

          "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:7).

        What you rejoice in will be your strength.  Ask Christ Jesus to be that.

-Sarah





P.S. While I was writing this, I listened to Good for Me by Audrey Assad.  I'd recommend a listen. :) 

Themes

I'm starting to see a theme in what's being posted... Can you?

Wisdom & Loving the Lord
It's what's been on my mind lately.  Hopefully I've brought it into yours too. 

Thanks for reading!

Psalm 14:1 & Psalms 15

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God."' - Psalm 14:1

 



                     What does it say about Christians when they live like the rest of the world?  They're playing the fool.  "They are corrupt, their deeds are vile," (Psalm 14:2).  If we stick our toe in the sin that everybody else is doing, we're letting ourselves being pulled into saying, "There is no God!  How could there possibly be a God?"  Isn't that scary?  It's terrifying how SO easy it is to be pulled into the mindset of the reset of the world.

"Oh LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
not takes up a reproach against his friend;
but who honors those who fear the LORD....
....He who does these things shall never be moved."

-Psalm 15





                   Doesn't that sound so good to your soul?  It's what our Father wants!  As you very well know, there's a problem in-between Psalm 15 and us.  We don't want to turn our agnostic culture.  When I choose the easy thing, I choose to say, "What God?"  And I almost never realize that. 

         "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour," (1 Peter 4:8). 

Psalm 139 (part 3)

Good evening!

                         Earlier in the year, I wrote, "to me, Psalm 139 is one of the most beautiful passages ever written.  It exhibits truth and beauty by exposing the reality in my own life and God's omniscient relationship with me."  In v. 1-6, we looked at how the Creator comes to us; He searches us and protects us.  In v. 1-7, He doesn't leave us, and He never stops leading us.    What else does our Father do for us in v.13-16? 

I'm going to take a detour for a moment (hopefully you'll agree later on that it was worth it).  I'm going to stick my toe into what I'd like to call, 'Learning What's Important.'  And how do we learn that?  Wisdom.  The book of Proverbs doesn't begin lightly. 

"20Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

- Proverbs 1:20-23

 

It takes infinite number of wrong decisions, and the decision to listen to wisdom and make a few, intentionally good ones.  Chances are that God directed what went right.  In fact, He tells us that He planned ALL of your life - ALL of it right in the end.   

 

              A beautiful baby was brought into the world last night by an incredible Christian woman who I admire greatly. Can you imagine that our Father planned alllllll of that baby's life, before that child was even conceived?  Before anyone even knew he was coming?  Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  Isn't 'setting you apart,' such a beautiful image of God choosing?  But He doesn't just plan out the lives of His prophets.  He made you and all people; He intricately plans and intervenes in the lives He made.

(finally we come to the Psalm)

^"13For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them."
-Psalm 139:13-16

           What an incredible God.

-Sarah

P.S. Lopez, this blogging is getting addicting.