Only Trust Him

Last May I shared our struggles with infertility. Well, almost another year has come and gone and the struggle is still there. 3 years of struggling.

The disappointment of seeing "negative" is still there.

The jealousy of seeing friends and family sharing their happy news.

The awkwardness of being asked if we have children and if we want children.

It's all still there. In fact, the more time that passes, the stronger the pain, the deeper the desire to be parents.

We still don't know what God's plans are, but we are still trusting in His perfect timing.

I wrote this last year:



"...But, it's not up to us. It's up to our all powerful, all knowing God.

And, that's honestly the only thing that's keeping us going. He knows all things. He knows our future. He is faithful. He knows how many children we will have - or won't have. He knows if they will be by birth or adoption. 

For those of you who are in the same waiting game - you are not alone. If you ever want to talk or cry. I'm here. God is also there. He knows your pleas for parenthood. He knows the deepest desires of your heart. He is the ultimate Comforter. 

I'm going to end with some requests. 

Will you pray for us? Offer encouragement? Be sensitive in your questions - or don't ask."


All of this holds true.

But, instead of ending there, I want to share some exciting news!

Stephen and I have talked and prayed and have decided that we are going to begin the process of fostering with the intent to adopt! It's not the route we originally planned, but it's the route that we trust God wants us on.

We have a pre-class this Friday evening. Followed by 10 weekly classes, 2-3 home studies, and approval. The whole process will take 4-6 months.

We have talked with several friends and family who have gone through this journey, but we are still a little overwhelmed! If you have any tips, suggestions, resources, let us know!

And, please! Please pray for us! Pray for the process, the approval, the child/children that we pray will enter into our home. Pray for our hearts. Pray for patience. Pray for financial peace.

I will do my best to update you all through here, but if not here, most definitely Facebook.

We are so excited for this journey that is about to begin! We have no idea where it is going to take us, but we are fully trusting in our great and loving Father.

God Knows the Deepest Desires of Your Heart

I haven't posted much lately. Mostly because I've been struggling on what to write. But, something has been on my mind, recently. 

In the past few weeks I've shared other blog posts about waiting on the Lord. Why? 

I want children. Simple as that. 

Stephen and I have been married 2 years and 7 months, today. We were ready for kids once we moved into our house....almost two years ago. Two years of trying and waiting. For whatever reason, God is having us wait.

And, that's what I'm struggling with.  

I don't know why. 

All of my life, the only thing I've ever wanted is to be a wife and mother. I don't have a fancy degree. I don't have a career path. I just want to be a mother. Likewise, Stephen has the same desire. It just seems we were made to be parents. 

Why are we having to wait on something we both desire so strongly? I don't know. 

I'm the type of person that wants to know the answer to everything right now. I hate waiting. But, everything else I've had to wait for is a piece of cake compared to this.

Especially when I get on social media and see everyone's posts about their pregnancies and births. 
Don't get me wrong. I am so thrilled for all of you with children! But, a part of me isn't. I'm jealous. When I see the announcements and the pictures, all I can think about is how it's not me. 

I know that's wrong. And, like I said, I am truly happy for those of you with little ones. But, until it happens for me, it's going to be hard. 

So, why am I being so personal and sharing my heart? 

Because I want you all to know what I'm feeling. So, if you feel tempted to ask, "when is it your turn?", or try to help by saying, "whenever you do decide to have children", don't.

We don't know what God's plans are. 

We have decided to have children. If it were up to us, I'd be holding a little baby right now. Maybe two.

But, it's not up to us. It's up to our all powerful, all knowing God.

And, that's honestly the only thing that's keeping us going. He knows all things. He knows our future. He is faithful. He knows how many children we will have - or won't have. He knows if they will be by birth or adoption. 

For those of you who are in the same waiting game - you are not alone. If you ever want to talk or cry. I'm here. God is also there. He knows your pleas for parenthood. He knows the deepest desires of your heart. He is the ultimate Comforter. 

I'm going to end with some requests. 

Will you pray for us? Offer encouragement? Be sensitive in your questions - or don't ask.

Thank you, friends.

He Will Wipe Every Tear....

Three weeks ago my family found out some devastating news: Gran (my dad's mother) had stage 4 cancer. Then, a week ago, she had a heart attack that ended her earthly life the next day.
A few days later we had a memorial service that my dear husband led as well as gave a powerful message. After we had a a time of sharing memories of Gran that brought tears and laughter.

Losing someone close whom you love dearly is never easy - it's not suppose to be. Death and grief are both part of the fall. It is evil. But as believers, we know that God has a reason for all things, the good and the bad. We also have a hope. A hope that we have an eternal home in heaven with the One who made this possible because He conquered sickness, death, sin.

I know Gran had this hope. I have full trust that, right now, she is worshipping her Father with unending joy. She is free of all her pain and suffering. She had been made new. Even though I am grieving on earth, this brings a peace and comfort.

Yes, it's difficult knowing that I will never be able to hear how proud she is of me (no matter how small of thing it was) feel her hugs, share in her love of butterflies, play games, receive birthday cards....the list goes on. Simply, I'm going to miss her beyond words.  I will always feel some guilt of not seeing her more, talking to her more, and telling her "I love you" more. But, I will always treasure the times that I spent with her.

Gran, I love you, I miss you, and I will forever long for the day that  I can join you in heaven so we can worship our Father together.


Revelation 21: 1-6

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'
And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and then end. To the thirsty I will from the spring of life without payment."

How Great is My God

You know what humbles and amazes me more than almost anything else in the Scriptures? 

That God chose me, for Him, even before I was born. 

He chose me.

BEFORE my mother, father, anyone  knew I was coming, God knew.

This shows two things:

1. God loves me. He's loved me since the beginning of time. He desires me to know Him, to love Him, to trust Him, to follow Him anywhere He leads....more so than any human being. 

That's the humbling part. Now, the amazing part.

2. God choosing me before anyone knew I would be born means He's been around since before I was born. God loving me since the beginning of time means He's been around since the beginning of time. 

All of this, means He's the one who created time and has orchestrated every event - birth, death, marriages, wars, holidays, everything. 

Wow.

Putting these two points together just brings me to my knees. Because, in the midst of every event that has ever happened on earth He still loves me so much and in such a way that no human can.

And, it's not just me. It's every true believer who has lived, lives, and will live. 

How great is my God? Beyond comprehension. 

Ephesians 1, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, 1 Peter 1, Psalm 139.

( These are not all the passages pertaining to this, by no means! But, they are a good start. Read. Ponder. Praise God from whom all truths and blessings flow. )

"If There is Anything Worthy, Think on These Things"

Last week was Halloween. This meant picture after picture of witches, ghosts, and goblins, and all other such creepy creatures. Decorations galore. This also meant, of course, an abundance of scary movies.

Now, typically I don't care for scary movies. I'll only watch them outside of my house. And, I can NOT do blood and guts (Texas Chainsaw, Walking Dead, etc). But, sometimes I get in a strange mood and want to watch one.

So, this past Halloween found Stephen and I, along with a couple friend, at the theater to watch Ouija. It was creepy, scary, and haunting. I have vowed never to watch a scary movie for quite some time. Maybe never.

After getting home that night, Stephen and I had a conversation about these type of movies: are we wrong in watching them? I've had this topic in my head ever since. One Scripture passage, in particular, stands out - Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Certainly scary movies seem not to fit any of these words. So, most Christians would probably adhere to the decision that scary movies are something we should not engage in. But, I want to go a little deeper. 

I want to consider several things. 

1. What is the point of scary movies?
2. Why do we put scary movies on the "do not watch" list, but not, say, romantic drama/comedy?
3. How does this apply to us?

First, what is the point of scary movies? Well, obviously, to be scary! But, going deeper, horror movies were originally intended to show good vs. evil. That has definitely expanded and some are scary just to be scary, but we can still see this in a few movies.
I wholeheartedly believe that demons exist. Some Christians may not agree/forget/not think about it. But, hearing stories from the other side of the world, and even some here, I do believe they are real. Satan is most definitely real and will do anything to scare us and lead us away from God. 
Horror movies about demons can serve as reminder that they exist since many of them are based on true stories. 

Second (and third) why do we single out scary movies? I've heard people say that the Bible doesn't tell us to watch scary movies or subject ourselves to the like. The Bible doesn't tell us to do many things that we do. Staying on the topic of movies, romantic comedies and dramas. Ask any girl what she thinks about Nicholas Sparks, The Proposal, Valentine's Day, etc, and she'll likely say those are her favorite movies ever. Even though they include sex outside of marriage, approval of homosexual couples, and subjecting us to more of celebrities bodies than we should see. 
Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise. Do the above movies follow these guidelines? No. So, why are these different than scary movies? To truly be consistent, if you don't watch horror movies for those reasons, you shouldn't watch Nicholas Sparks or any romantic type movie. Or, almost any movie in general.
To truly be consistent on your reasonings, you can not focus on just one thing. You have to examine your whole life - for this post - every movie you watch. Once we do this, we'll find that there's not many options left. 

When Stephen and I were talking about this last week, he actually said that there was time period where he didn't watch too many movies. Partly for this reason. Maybe that's the point of this.
We didn't come to a conclusion. Although it seems like an obvious conclusion is getting rid of all our movies and never going to the theater again. It's one thing saying something, it's another doing it. 

It's hard for me to come to a conclusion. Sometimes I like scary movies. I love romantic movies of any type. I don't want to give these up...but, at some point I think I'm going to have to. To truly live a life that follows the verse above, we can subject ourselves to most of the filth that's in movies. Even the ones we love.

We can't just pick and choose want we want Scripture to mean and the implications it has for our life. We have to realize that there's more to this life than what we want to do and what we like. We are meant to do what God wants us to do - following His will and glorifying Him in ALL aspects.

So, if you think horror  movies are wrong to watch because they don't follow Philippians 4:8 (or any verse), then think through the other movies you watch. Think through all aspects of your life. Be consistent. 

*****this post may seem a little rambley. I apologize! I'm still working through the implications! I would love to hear your thoughts as well! Just leave a comment on here or facebook!****

Love and Marriage

Today, I am sicker than a dog. It is a cold, rainy day. The house is cluttered and I feel to sick to do anything about it.
Today is also our 2nd anniversary. Though it's not an ideal day to celebrate, it's still worth doing so.

2 years ago, at almost this exact time, I was walking down the isle to the love of my life. As I reflect on that day, spent with close friends and family, my heart bursts with thankfulness to God who has given me a husband who I am so unworthy of. I do not deserve to be loved by someone who looks through my faults, who doesn't care what I look like in the mornings, who doesn't care when the house isn't clean. Likewise, I look through Stephen's faults, I laugh at his antics when others might be annoyed, I don't care that he leaves a mess where ever he goes. Stephen loves me for who I am and I love him for who he is.

This is a beautifully perfect example of Christ's love for us - hence marriage is an example of Christ's love for the church - His redeemed people.

Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for us - dying on the cross for our sins. Though not anywhere close to the extent of this, marriage is a picture of sacrifice. As wives, we sacrifice our lives to provide a loving home for our husbands, and when the time comes, our children. Husbands sacrifice their lives through a job to provide for the family. We strive to make small, sacrificial choices for each other to show our love.

This morning I was up early with a bad cold. Stephen was up with me making sure I was comfortable. He sacrificed almost half his lunch break to stop at the store and get me medicine. Before he left to go back to to work he made sure I had everything I needed. This is a perfect example of sacrificial love.

In the end, marriage is a testimony - a testimony of Christ's covenant love for His people.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Letters and Papers from Prison,

“Marriage is more than your love for each other. It has a higher dignity and power, for it is God's holy ordinance, through which He wills to perpetuate the human race till the end of time. In your love you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of the generations, which God causes to come and to pass away to His glory, and calls into His kingdom. In your love, you see only the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed at a post of responsability towards the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal - it is a status, an office. Just as it is the crown, and not merely the will to rule, that makes the king, so it is marriage, and not merely your love for each other, that joins you together in the sight of God and man.” 

And, a few pages later says this:

“God makes your marriage indissoluble, and protects it from every danger that may threaten it from within and without; he will be the guarantor of its indissolubility. It is a blessed thing to know that no power on earth, no temptation, no human frailty can dissolve what God holds together; indeed, anyone who knows that may say confidently: What God has joined together, can no man put asunder. Free from all the anxiety that is always a characteristic of love, you can now say to each other with complete and confident assurance: We can never lose each other now; by the will of God we belong to each other till death.” 

I love Stephen. I know he loves me. I also know that without a doubt we will spend the rest of our lives together. 

I have no idea how long "the rest of our lives" is. It could be a day. It could be 50 years. No matter the length, I pray that our marriage will exalt Christ and all that He has done for us. I pray that through our marriage, unsaved friends and family will see Christ and enter into a saving relationship with Him. 

Here's to the rest of our lives, my love. :)

God Does Give Us More Than We Can Handle

"God never gives us more than we can handle."

This phrase is often used to comfort someone in their time of need. I've been guilty of using it myself. But, after a conversation with my sister-in-law this past weekend, I got me thinking, is this actually true?

The more I thought about it and read about it, I've come to the conclusion that this phrase is, without a doubt, false. Here's why.


Jon Bloom, an author for Desiring God Ministries, actually wrote a blog post on this earlier this year. He used the story, found in Judges 7, of Gideon. God told Gideon that he was going to fight an army of 100,000 men with an army of 300. Gideon can handle that, right? By the phrase's definition, this should be a piece of cake for Gideon thus, he feared nothing. On the contrary.

As any of us would (whether we would like to admit it or not), Gideon freaked out.  Basically that's 333 of the enemy to 1 of Gideon's men.

But, as we read on, God assures Gideon that this will work out. He reminded Gideon of the Red Sea and the wall of Jericho. It helped some, but later that night is Gideon was planning out the battle, he had his doubts, again. It seemed impossible, in fact, you might say, he couldn't handle it.

But, once again, God came to him. He assured Gideon, that his hands would be strengthened.

As it happened, God was right. Read the chapter to find out how. It's pretty cool. :)

In this story we see that Gideon could not have done this on his own. It was, literally, humanly impossible for the battle to be won. But, with God's mighty hand and power, it worked out.


Friends, this story shows us that God absolutely does gives us more than we can handle.

Parents are never prepared to lose a child. Children are never prepared to learn a parent has cancer. Couples are never prepared to find out they will never have children. A husband is never prepared to find he lost his job.

Even as believers, we can not handle any of this on our own. We are never prepared to handle anything that seems to mess with our lives.

But, God is. After all, in His sovereignty, He has ordained it to happen.

This is why, with His help, we can get through anything. When we place our unwavering trust in His all-powerful sovereignty, we can fight the battle. Romans 8:28 tells us all things will work out for the believers good.

There may be questions that go unanswered. Some doubts may creep back in, but Romans 8:31 tells us that "if God if for us, then who can be against us?" As one of my favorite hymns says, "when the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." (This is My Father's World)

In the end, we come out victorious. We come out stronger. We come out relying on God more because only with His help, can we can get through it.


Finally, friend, remember this: God sent His only Son to die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If He can do this, He most surely can get you through anything you go through.



 (Link for Jon Bloom's post)
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/why-god-gives-us-more-than-we-can-handle

God is Greater Than Our Struggle

Hello, friends! It's been well over a year since I last posted. And, quite a year it's been.

My husband got a new job. We moved into a house. Stephen was ordained.

There has also been some not so great things: loss of loved ones. Financial ups and downs. Loss of jobs, or jobs not gained. But, the one that has hit closest to my heart is cancer.


Last summer, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. In God's marvelous grace it wasn't too far along. She still had to have surgery and chemo, but it was not as bad as it could have been. It was still scary and difficult to see your own mom go through something so terrible as cancer. It was hard to see what it did to her physically: weakness, loss of hair. Spiritually, it was incredible. 
Her faith in Christ has been so evident in every step of the journey. She has been a testimony of God's grace for so many to see, including my dad. Though it is not evident he has accepted Christ, there's been small hints that he's been thinking through it which is a praise!

In a future post, I hope to go through this more and expound more on what I learned through this trial. 

For now,  I want to focus more on what all these trials have taught me.

In each of these difficulties, there has been one resounding theme that has been so hard to fully understand:

God is greater than the struggle.

What do I mean by this? 

In everything, sickness, money, death....God is greater. 
When it seems that these things take control of our lives, God is there and HE is greater. 

When everything is so overwhelming and falling apart, God IS greater. 

When it seems impossible for life to get better, God is GREATER. 

Psalm 9:9 says, 
" The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble."

When times are tough, God is there. As this verse says, He is our stronghold. When all else fails, he does NOT. 

Psalm 18 was written by David when the Lord rescued him for his enemies. At one of David's most fearful times, God delivers him. And, David praises him for this. This chapter is 50 verses, so instead of posting it all here, I'll share the first 3 verses. I urge you to go read the rest. 

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 
 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Another example, from Scripture, is Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11, he talks about how he was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, adrift at sea, in danger from his own people and enemies. He goes on about how he can not boast in himself, for he is weak. He can only boast in Christ. In chapter 12, he says this:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

In times of trial, when we are weak, God is greater. He is strong. When we lean on His grace, we will be strong. 
Paul continues, 

" Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God is greater than our struggles. Why? So we can lean on Him. So, we can see how great and how awesome He is. So, we can boast and proclaim this truth. 

God is greater than ANYTHING we are going through. He IS our stronghold. He is there when nothing else is. 

" Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." ~ James 1:12

When we realize God is greater, we will come out stronger. 

"Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and you won't start now..." ~ Oceans, by Hillsong.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m_sWJQm2fs

(click on the link to hear the whole song)

"Count Your Blessings"

There's an old hymn that we sometimes sing at church: 

"Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

There would be times where I would just say the words, not really thinking about their meaning. But, the circumstances that happened in the Kuehne household last week kept bringing this song to mind and made stop and think. 

Last Monday our sink stopped working. The water filled up in each sink and then leaked out from the U-curve below (it wasn't until the kitchen floor and rug were soaked that I realized what was happening.). And, of course Stephen was working until midnight and then 8am-4pm the next day. When we got hold of our landlord Tuesday night she said she would call a plumber the next morning...well, she tried, but couldn't get an answer until Thursday: the plumber couldn't come until 8:30am Saturday. Oh, joy! Almost a week with no sink, no cooking, and no dishes! 

On top of that, I found out Tuesday night that my job with H&R Block wasn't going to work out - the background check took too long to resolve (for those who don't know, the background check brought up my maiden name instead of Kuehne. It took 3 weeks to resolve, during which the whole time H&R assured me I would still have my job). This was a major letdown. Not only was I actually looking forward to working (getting out of the apartment), but we desperately needed the money. Stephen doesn't make that much and he hardly ever gets a 40hr work week. 

Through all this, you would think we have reasons to be annoyed and complain, right? I did. It wasn't until after we finally got the sink fixed that this song got stuck in my head and I realized how wrong I was to complain. Yes, no job and no sink were inconveniences, but at least Stephen has a job and we have family who helps out however they can! And, we had enough food to get us through the week, and my mom bought us paper plates and plastic cups as well as took our dirty dishes home and washed them for us! Talk about blessings! And, I started thinking, 5 days without a sink is really not all that long. Yes, it did seem like forever in the middle of it, but there are plenty of people who don't have sinks, or indoor plumbing, even. Many people on the other side of the world don't have this luxury. Hundreds of years ago none of the even existed! Can you imagine having to go outside to use the restroom? Or, carrying in buckets of water to do dishes, take a bath, and basically do anything that required water? 

There are so many, many things we take for granted that to a lot of people are luxuries. A place to live, cars, a job(s), fresh food, clothes that aren't tattered...the list goes on and on. And, we complain sooo much. We complain about being hungry when we have food in front of us. We complain about being cold when we have coats and heat to keep us warm. We complain about broken cars when, most of the time, God provides a way to fix them. We complain about having nothing to wear when we have drawers and closets stuffed with clothes. Why do we do this? Why is it so hard to realize that everything we have is a gift from God? (James 1) God does not have to give us anything...in fact, He has no reason to except that He loves us. Matthew 6 and Philippians 4 state this so clearly. 
So, how about instead of looking for reasons to complain, we look for reasons to "count our blessings"? I really do think you would be surprised and humbled at how much God does do for you! I know I am. 

My list of blessings:

1. A warm home.
2. A husband who puts Christ first, me second, him last.
3. A job for Stephen.
4. Too many clothes.
5. Cabinets filled with food.
6. Families willing to help out in whatever way they can.
7. A church family who encourages and prays for each other. and is always reaching out to help others.
8. This season of my life where I'm not working so I can enjoy every minute Stephen has off.
9. A Bible.
10. A car so Stephen can get to work.
11. Plumbing.
12. Friends who encourage and go out of their way to help out.
13. Books.
14. The ability to move.
15. Resources to help me in my walk with Christ.
16. The ability to pray.
17. The opportunities to worship God and hear His Word preached.
18. Opportunities to witness.  
19. A God who loves me so much in spite of my imperfections that He sent His only Son to die for those imperfections.
20. A Savior who obeyed His Father to die on a cross for my sins.
21. And eternity to worship my Father and Savior. 

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ~ Matthew 6: 25-34

A Small Collection of Helpful Quotes

 “There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

 “If God has shown us bad times ahead, it's enough for me that He knows about them. That's why He sometimes shows us things, you know - to tell us that this too is in His hands.”~ Corrie Ten Boom

“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength” ~ Charles Spurgeon


“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of; they just turn up some of the ill weeds on to the surface.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of their faith, but they are afflictions not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ. ~ C.S. Lewis

“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.”~ C.S. Lewis

“When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.”~ C.S. Lewis

I Will Rejoice, I Will Declare, God is my Victory and He is Here...

It is quite amazing how excited you can be for something and within the space of just a few minutes your whole attitude changes. The past few weeks are a prime example.

Christmas was perfect. We spent a couple of days with Stephen's family and a couple with mine. We were able to see all our family (including my nieces and nephew!). And, then, just a few days following the holiday, we learned of the death of a fellow Boyce College student through a horrible car accident. A couple of days after that, I get a call for a job interview through H&R Block. The next day I find I have the job. Earlier this week we find out Stephen is working a lot less hours than normal next week. Yesterday, I hear that training for my job is this Saturday. Within the hour, I get another call saying that my background check didn't go through so I can't be hired (for now). 

With all these events it's hard to even think about getting excited for the good things because you feel that just as soon as  you get excited, something happens and everything goes dark. It's almost a curse to get joyful.

And then, you read passages like Philippians 4 (I know, I wrote on it just a month ago, but it's just SO good and So timely!) where it says to rejoice....always. All the time. Not just when you land a job or have a good Christmas. But also when a good friend dies or when you lose( or almost lose) a job. Rejoice that the friend was a believer and is now praising God an worshiping Him - at His feet - for all eternity! Rejoice that there is time to do some needed things like cleaning or spending time with God and reading Scripture.


And, I have to admit, usually my first thought in reading this passage is how ridiculous that statement sounds. I mean, rejoicing at losing a job? Why in the world would you rejoice in that? But, you know, God has a reason for everything. For EVERYTHING. Not just the good, but the bad as well. He NEVER gives you anything you can't handle. On top of all that, EVERY event God brings you, He will get you out. The pain is not going to last forever. God is God....He is bigger than any and every trial. If anything, that's something to rejoice about! In every circumstance there is a lesson. I was talking to my mother-in-law a little while ago and she said when you get older almost everything you went through - good or bad- you will look back on and think what a good time that was. Because, through every circumstance - as a true believer - you will learn to rely and trust in God more. Your relationship with Him will be strengthened. Your knowledge of Scripture will be better as you read and meditate on it. 

In the end, in every bad circumstance, it will be extremely difficult to see the good and rejoice in it. You may cry and wallow in your misery for a little while. And, that's okay. I certainly have the past few weeks. And, I most likely will again. But, as long as you remember that God is in your circumstance and He will carry you through it, that's okay.

To close, I want to share one of my favorite songs as well as some of my favorite Scripture passages. In another post, I will share some of my favorite quotes. I will also post them on my "Favorite Quotes" tab. (:

Desert Song by Hillsong United:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MCwKdai51o

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ~ James 1: 2-4

1 Peter 1

 "This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Money, Contentment, and Provision

It has been exactly 11 months since I lasted posted. That's quite a while and so much has happened! I graduated college, got married, moved to Winchester, KY....and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I can't even begin to number the many lessons that have been learned, the laughs that have been laughed, the tears that have been shed...but, today I am going to share a lesson that I have been learning for most of this year.

Philippians 4 is one of my favorite chapters in Scripture. I could read it over and over and keep finding truths to learn and to apply to my life. One such lesson that seems to pop up a lot lately is that of contentment and provision. 

In this season of giving, contentment has to be one of the hardest things to overcome. We are constantly bombarded with things to by for either ourselves or for those that we know. A couple of examples: Stephen loves John Wayne...I have a desire to by anything I see related to him. My sister loves pandas. I also have a desire to by anything and everything with a panda. I'm pretty sure I could come up with a reason to buy just about everything for at least one person I know. 

I also have a love of Christmas decorations. Every time I go to Walmart, Target, or Cracker Barrel (oooohhhhh this is the worst of the bunch. They have just the cutest ornaments and figurines!)  I just want to buy every Christmas related thing I see. In fact, this past weekend, I'm pretty sure I spent waaaaay more than was in budget on Christmas things. If I did that every weekend of December, we'd be broke (or, at least more than we currently are...). 

Basically, when I see things for other people or trivial things for myself I can be easily convinced to buy it. But, when it comes to things we need, I worry and fret like nothing else.

Example: I am a huge Jimmy Stewart fan. Last year, I saw a collection of his movies. 6 for $20. Not bad. I couldn't afford it on my own though and I gave Stephen an unbelievably hard time about it (it's almost impossible for him to refuse me anything..). End in the end, I didn't get it. Then, last week I saw it again. And, again, I gave Stephen more of a hard time...and since we're married now, it didn't take much for him to give in and buy it for me. But, ever since buying it I have felt guilty...that could be $20 towards groceries or gas or bills. Things we worry about paying for all the time.

Why is this? For me, and most likely for just about everyone else, it stems through a contentment issue. If we would be satisfied with what we already have(content) there would be no temptation to buy things we don't need (Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, pandas). Now, don't get me wrong. There's nothing bad in giving (it's a lot better than buying things for yourself), but it's sort of unreasonable to buy three gifts for someone if it's going to cause you to go broke. Especially if they would be perfectly fine with one gift.

And, along with contentment, if we realize that God is our ultimate provider and will never leave us hanging on things vital to life, all worry would disappear (remember Matthew 5 where Jesus talks about the sparrow and how He provides for the little birds and such will He provide for us, whom He loves more?) Philippians 4 covers the provision part really well:

"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."..."And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." - Philippians 4:4-7, 19-20. 

One of the key parts of this verse is the opening word: rejoice. For, if we are rejoicing how can we worry or be disgruntled about our lives? Even in the hard times we have so much to be thankful for. And, we know that God will ALWAYS provide for us! How can you not rejoice in that? Once we can do that, the rest is easy. Our hearts and minds will be settled. All worry is gone and we are content. 1 Timothy has more to say on that:

 "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." 1 Timothy 6:6-10

According to this, all we need is clothing and food. Anything more is folly. Woah. Wait...you mean the jewelery and makeup we wear, the books we read, the movies we watch....we don't need any of that? Nope. You know why? Because, the more you want, the more you turn money and things into idols....which can cause anyone to wander from the truth. Even  theology books or documentaries of sorts can be turned into idols. If we entered into this world with nothing and leave the world with nothing, why do we want anything in the world?

All we should ever desire is a more perfect relationship with our Savior and to be more like Him in all things. Because, in the end, that is what is important. A true belief in our Savior is what will get us into heaven where all the true riches are. 


“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-20

A Year With George Herbert

I have never enjoyed poetry that much

But, this semester I am taking a 

Great Books class at Boyce and one

of the books we have to read is 

A Year With George Herbert

by my professor, Dr. Jim Orrick. 

I began it with much apprehension, but 

then found myself actually enjoying it!

Here is one of my favorites so far,  

The H Scriptures II: 

Oh that I knew how all thy lights combine,
 And the configurations of their glory!
Seeing not onely how each verse doth shine,
But all the constellations of the story.
 
This verse marks that, and both do make a motion
Unto a third, that ten leaves off doth lie:

Then as dispersed herbs do watch a potion,
These three make up some Christians destiny:

 
Such are thy secrets, which my life makes good,
And comments on thee: for in ev’ry thing
Thy words do find me out, & parallels bring,
And in another make me understood.
 
Stars are poor books, & oftentimes do miss:

This book of stars lights to eternal bliss.

I love the comparison between stars 

and the Scripture. Just as every star is 

placed perfectly to make a constellation 

and to point to each other, so the 

Scriptures make a story and point to 

Christ. Just as people will use the 

stars (astrology) to tell their future, 

so the Scripture tells us our 

future in Christ. 

In the second stanza, Herbert uses 

potions to describe Scriptures as 

well. Each individual ingredient 

required for a potion can not do 

anything on its own. But, combined, 

it can heal. The Scriptures are the 

same: one verse on its own may not 

make much sense, but put it with 

several others, a whole concept appears. 

Richard Baxter, one of the 

great theologians, wrote of Herbert: 

"I must confess, after all, that 

next the Scripture poems, 

there are none so savoury to me, as 

Mr. George Herbert’s . . . Herbert 

speaks to God like one 

that really believeth a God, 

and whose business in 

the world is most with God. 

Heart-work and Heaven-work 

make up his books.”

For by grace you have been saved

I love Ephesians 2. I know I say this often about chapters in the Bible, but I really do love this one; it might actually be one of my favorite chapters. From the first verse Paul just overwhelms you: 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Ick.  That was/ is us? So dirty, vile, unworthy of anything! But, wait . . . there's more . . .

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Wow. My mind can hardly comprehend these verses. After reading the preceding verses, how can we understand that God could have so much love and mercy to make us clean, new, and alive in Christ so that we can live for eternity with Him? 

We can't. 

But, it's true and we can revel in that glorious and beautiful truth and seek opportunities to share it with others.

 

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

This summer since Stephen and I have been away from each other we decided to go through a book of the Bible; a chapter a week. We chose Galatians and finished that a couple of weeks ago and decided to continue on through Ephesians and Philippians, and so forth. Now, we will be discussing Ephesians 2 and I am being reminding of how much I love this book. It's pretty close to being my favorite book in the Bible. So, I thought today I would share Ephesians 1 and give just a few thoughts of my own since this chapter is overflowing with beautiful truths.


"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

    To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Spiritual Blessings in Christ

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

See? I told you it's a lot! It's one sentence after another that is just filled with so much beautiful truth that it's almost to much to comprehend! For example, that first paragraph: we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, we were chosen before the earth was even created to be holy and blameless before Him. And, then, because of love and through grace, we are adopted as sons through Christ! It doesn't end there! Paul just keeps going. As you read, you can't help but praise the Father and rejoice in all that He has done for us. 

I urge you to do just that. Read this chapter and with all thankfulness and praise to our Father, contemplate on every spiritual blessing He has given us.

The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding

Philippians 4 is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Here's why:

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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you . . . Not that I am speaking of being in need, for 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 . . . And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. ~ Philippians 4:4-9,11-13, 19-20

 I love every aspect of this passage, especially verses 4-7 and 19-20. We have no need to be anxious or worried about what will come next; if we carry those worries to God, He will surely take of them. One of the most beautiful feelings is that in verse 7 - the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. 

Verses 19-20 are some of my favorite verses in all of Scripture:  "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." Isn't that so comforting? It goes with the beginning verses; when we let go of all the worries and anxieties this world brings and truly believe v. 19 - He will supply EVERY NEED - then we will have the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone, can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

I have one desire in this life: to see my dad and brother enter into saving relationships with Christ. 

I know I write on this often. But, it's always, constantly, on my mind. And, since I haven't posted in a few months, it is even more worthy of me writing.

I, recently, have read several books that have caused me to dwell on this more than usual: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer, Letters From a Skeptic by Dr. Gregory A. Boyd and Edward K. Boyd, and, currently, The Plight of Man and the Power of God by Dr. martin Lloyd - Jones.. All of these books make clear the urgency of salvation and the devastation of the passing of a non-believer. 

One of my favorites quotes by Packer is found in this book: 

"Thus the sovereignty of God in grace gave Paul hope of success as he preached in deaf ears, and held up Christ before blind eyes, and sought to move stony hearts. His confidence was that where Christ sends the gospel, there Christ has His people -fast bound at present in the chains of sin, but due for release at the appointed moment through a mighty renewing of their hearts as the light of the gospel shines in to their darkness, and the Saviour draws them to Himself." (pp.116-117)

This says so much. First, a believer is called to be Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5 calls us ambassadors; "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."). Wherever we go, so will Christ be. Second, believers are also sinners. We are not made perfect in Christ; only forgiven and called to be holy. Third, goes with the first, wherever we go Christ will shine and thus those in darkness will see the light. 

This is humbling, a calling, and encouraging all at once. Humbling in that I am a sinner, just like those who are not saved. A calling to be Christ, to be a witness for Him at all times. And, encouraging because since Christ is shining through me, lives can be saved; including those of my family.

Pages more can be said about this book but, I must move on. 

Letters From a Skeptic is the most encouraging of the trio. I happened to find it while browsing through the evangelism section of a Christian bookstore. I started reading. I couldn't be moved from it (I read the first 80 pages in the store) so, my boyfriend bought it for me. It did not take me long to finish. 

The basic premise of the book is that a professor at a theological school has an unsaved atheistic, 70-year-old dad. He decides to give his father the opportunity to ask questions about his faith. And, thus begins a 3 -year, 30 -letter correspondence that ends with the dad becoming saved. You can see why I was so transfixed with it.

One of the quotes that stood out to me ( I, unfortunately, do not have the book near me so this will be a poor paraphrase) was this:

the urgency of the situation (the lostness of the unsaved) required a drastic remedy (God sending His Son to die on the cross).  

Knowing this shows, even more, the urgency we need to have in sharing Christ, praying for the lost, and having them enter into salvation.

This is shown by the author. Dr. Boyd saw saw this urgency and took time out of busy schedule to answer his father's questions - most of which were no easy questions to answer. 

As I mentioned before, this book is incredibly encouraging. First, the author's father was in his 70's. My own father still has a few years yet before he reaches that age. There is still hope. You are never to old to believe in Christ. Second, it took 3 years of persistence, assurance, and true faith in God that He can save anyone - even the most hardened of hearts. Third, the Gospel alone has the power to save. You don't need anything extra. Dr. Boyd gives the straight Gospel in each letter. 

The last several letters had me in tears. tears of rejoicing that Dr. Boyd's father chose Christ and tears of hope that my own father, and brother, still can. His father has passed away but, he has the assurance of knowing where he is: in heaven rejoicing and praising our Almighty Savior. I yearn for the same assurance of my father is to pass away.  I urge anyone to read this book. 

The Plight of Man and the Power of God continues the urgency of salvation. I am about halfway but, it thus far has been convicting.

As I have requested many times before, I call you to pray for my dad and brother as well as the many, many, many others who are not saved. If you know someone who is not, I am praying for them. And, there is still hope.

I will end with a favorite verse from one of my favorite hymns:

Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone, can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Unstaggering Faith

 Another Spurgeon devotional I found especially encouraging:

"And, not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." ~ Romans 4:19-20

(Exodus 5:22-6:13)

"If your heart has been set upon any special object in prayer, if you have an express promise for it, you must not be staggered if the object of your desire be farther of now than when you first began to pray. If even after months of supplication the thing should seem more difficult now of attainment than ever it was, wait at the mercy seat in the full persuasion that although God may take His time, and that time may not be your time, yet He must and will redeem His promise when the fullness of time has come. If you have prayed for the salvation of your child, or husband, or friend, and that person has grown worse instead of better, do not cease praying. If that dear little one has become more obstinate, and that husband more profane even, still God must be held to His word; and if you have the faith to challenge His attributes of faithfulness and power, assuredly He never did and never will let your prayers fall fruitless to the ground; and I repeat the word. that you may be sure to bear that away with you, let not the fact that the answer seems farther off than ever be any discouragement to you. Remember that to trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark - that is faith. To rest upon God when everything witnesses to God - that is nothing; but to believe God when everything gives Him the lie - that is faith. To believe that all shall go well when outward providences blow softly is any fool's play, but to believe that it must and shall be well when storms and tempests are round about you - this is a work of grace."

`Spurgeon: A Happy Christian

And the LORD shall guide you continually
   and satisfy your desire in scorched places
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters do not fail. ~ Isaiah 58:11

"Jehovah shall guide you continually. Notice the word shall - "the Lord shall guide thee" How certain this makes it! How sure it is that God will not forsake us! His precious "shalls" and "wills" are better than man's oaths. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; I will never forsake thee." Then observe that adverb "continually". We are not to be guided only sometimes, but we are to have a perpetual monitor; not occasionally to be left to our own understanding, and so to wander, but we are continually to hear the guiding voice of the Great Shepard; and as we follow close at his heels we shall not err, but be led by a right way to a city to dwell in. You have been, perhaps, in a maze, and you know how difficult it is to find your way to the centre. But, sometimes there is one perched aloft who sees the whole of the maze spread out before like on a map, and he calls out to you to turn either to the right or to the left, and if you attend to his directions you soon find the way. Even so the maze of life is only a maze to us, but God can see it all. He rules over all, looks down upon it as men look down upon a map; and if we will but look to him, and if our communion be constantly kept up we shall never err, but we shall come to the goal of our hopes right speedily but following his voice."

This is another Spurgeon passage from my reading the other day. I had never fully thought upon this particular Scripture before but, it is a comforting one to meditate on. And, as always, Spurgeon adds his incredible insight causing even more of an impact on meaning.

"He shall guide you continually". Think on that and as Spurgeon urges, think specifically on that word, "shall". Is that not such a joy to know? Right here, we have this promise that God, the God of all creation and who placed the earth into existence, will be with us - each one of us that knows and follows Him - in every aspect and little detail of our lives. That, to me, is mind - blowing. After reading and digesting this glorious promise, let us move on.

" . . . and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail". Even in the driest times of our lives, God will still be there. We will still have His Word, His love, His promises. He will guide us through, satisfying us. When we are weak, He will be there to make us strong ( But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31). Again, a beautiful, beautiful promise that I cannot read and think upon without being humbled and amazed. 

Last night as I was preparing for bed I was thinking about my boyfriend. I love him and he loves me. We tell each other this all the time. We are constantly amazing at how much we love each other and even though we do, our love is going to continue to grow more and more everyday. But, then, you compare this with the love of Christ. Christ loves us so much - so much more than Stephen and I will ever, in our lifetime, love each other. This, to me,  is mind -blowing because I do love Stephen so much but, Christ loves infinitely more. And, this will never, never change. Christ will love us, unconditionally, for all eternally. Us. The ones who despised, mocked, hated His Name before repenting. Throw that into the mix! Stephen and I have never done anything to each other that would cause our love to waver. But, we, all people, have to Christ. And, yet, He suffered a horrible, painful, ghastly death on a cross just for us; for our sins. If that's not love, I don't know what it is!   

I could dwell and write on this for pages. And, I will . . . but, another post. (: For now, I will leave you with two quotes from C. S. Lewis and some passages of Scripture:

"Christ didn't die for us because we're worth dying for, but because He is intrinsically love, & loves infinitely."~ C.S. Lewis

"Jesus is not proud. He will have
us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him." ~ C.S. Lewis

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galations 2:20

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort as the firstfruitsyour hearts and establish them in every good work and word. ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17