tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732238628738680942024-03-13T08:08:08.237-07:00the hope of glorythe hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-16760701724185635572015-12-04T17:25:00.001-08:002015-12-04T17:25:54.362-08:00Money: Blessing or a Curse?<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
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I recognize that I am young, but God has begun to take me on a journey in understanding how money can either</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> </span>enrich my life or deplete it<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;">.</span></div>
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I have learned the joy of being generous and the lack of joy when I am greedy with money. There is a real struggle between</div>
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generosity and greed.<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> </span></div>
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On the outside, it seems more enjoyable to receive and save money than it does to give; however, I am realizing there is far more </div>
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lasting joy in giving!</div>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "arial";">At a young age, I was a money saver, almost to a fault. For any birthday, Christmas or other holiday when I would receive money I would store it away and refuse to spend it. My parents would even try to force me to buy things for myself, and I often refused. I was so frugal with money that by age 24, I had saved close to $35,000 in my savings account. I'm not sure why I was fearful of spending money to the point where I saved that much but I do see now how God used this to later sanctify me in the area of generosity.</span></div>
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When I graduated from college, my siblings and I had a humorous deal with my dad. If we graduated with a 3.5 GPA or higher, did not get a tattoo or piercing (other than in the ears), we were given a new car after college. What a deal! I was pretty oblivious to how much the price of a car even was, and I guess I have expensive taste because I chose a brand-new LTZ Tahoe without realizing it was a higher end SUV. Now if you're like me, you don't know what the "LTZ "even means. That means it has everything you could possibly want in a car: leather seat heaters, remote starter, TV, automatic start-up, all the bells and whistles. Let's just say that I confess to allowing my dad to spoil me big time on this one.<br />
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So, when I married my God-fearing, wonderful, husband Garrett, he didn't realize he was marrying a girl who had a lot of money hidden in her bank account and an SUV worth more than what she knew. I can't take credit for these things because they were blessings from God, to my dad, to me. I recognize that I did nothing to receive or deserve them. However, in my selfish pride, the money and car felt like they were mine to do whatever I wanted with them.</div>
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This is where the struggle between selfishness and generosity really hit home for me. Little did I know that I was going to be marrying a man with $85,000 of medical school debt and have to make the decision on if I was going to partner with him in paying it off when we got married. So, because we came together in our finances when we got married, all the money I had saved up for 20 years was all going to be gone in the blink of an eye...towards this monster called </div>
<i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-family: "kokonor"; line-height: normal;">debt</span>.</u></span></i><br />
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(My husband was worth every last penny:) )</div>
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So, the sanctifying process began and God, in His patient and steadfast love, began convicting my heart in the area of greed and selfishness. I began to recognize that this money was never mine in the first place, it was always the Lord's. God used these verses below to change my heart.<br />
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"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For</div>
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<span style="color: #0061ff; font-kerning: none;"> </span>we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.<span style="color: #0061ff; font-kerning: none;"> </span></div>
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But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. </div>
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For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.<span style="color: #0061ff; font-kerning: none;"> </span></div>
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Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant <span style="color: #e63b7a; font-kerning: none;">nor to put their hope in wealth,</span> which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.</div>
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In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."</div>
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-1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17, 19-</div>
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Reading the Word won't change you unless you actually apply it and live it out in your life. My first application to the Truth I was reading was to willingly pay off half of Garrett's debt. It was so hard for me because it felt like it disappeared into hands of people I didn't even know! My love for God and Garrett enabled me to<br />
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Step number two in paying off Garrett's debt was selling the Tahoe. I never realized how much a possession could</div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> </span>make me feel valued, mainly in a worldly sense. <span style="color: #232323; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> </span></div>
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When I was driving the Tahoe, I secretly loved the looks I would get from people assuming I was important because of what I drove. It was so materialistic for me to love the attention and value I received from the world simply because of this fancy SUV. However, I was blind to the identity I found in it until I felt like God asked me to surrender the Tahoe to Him. My heart battled between simply accepting God's unconditional value, or the love and attention I was receiving from the world.</div>
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“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.</div>
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<span style="color: #0061ff; font-kerning: none;"> </span>You cannot serve both God and money."</div>
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Matthew 6:24</div>
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However, when our heart's idols are laid before God, He is able to bless us with something greater:</div>
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True JOY in the LORD. </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: x-large; text-decoration: underline;"><b>'The Pearl Necklace Story'</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Below is a story of a girl who gets to experience the </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">JOY OF SURRENDERING<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">to God and how He blessing our sacrifice:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">“The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Then give me your pearls."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Daddy, you know I love you."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Then give me your pearls."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver,she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.</span></div>
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God knew what He was doing when he put two sinners in a covenant relationship to glorify Himself, because one of my husband's spiritual gifts is giving generously. A struggle for me is one of my husband's greatest spiritual strengths. I am grateful that God placed him in my life to draw me out of my comfort and idols so that I could experience more of His love. </div>
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My challenge for you, who are reading this, is to </div>
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What is it that tells you </div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;"> </span>"I have value if I have <u><i>this</i></u> to present to the world"?</div>
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Let GO. Whether it's letting go of something physically (like my Tahoe experience) or emotionally, I challenge you to open your grip and allow God to tell you if it is His best "pearls" for you. If it's not, trust that He will replace it with something far greater than you can comprehend. If it is His will for you to have it in your life, worship the Lord with it in every way you can. <br />
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-35598732371352645392015-08-18T20:03:00.001-07:002015-08-18T20:43:41.629-07:00(head nod) we see you, Jesus...!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"The world rings with praise -- lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game -- praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. [...] Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible. Nor does it cease to be so when, through lack of skill, the forms of its expression are very uncouth or even ridiculous. Heaven knows, many poems of praise addressed to an earthly beloved are as bad as our hymns, and an anthology of love poems for public and perpetual use would probably be as sore a trial to literary taste as Hymns Ancient and Modern. I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join in praising it: 'Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?' The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight today, what we indeed can't help doing, about everything we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation." -- C.S. Lewis in Reflections from the Psalms</div>
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I've said this before, and I think it will be true until the day I die... Life, though so sweet, is never quite as picturesque as we often envision (or hope to portray with the most epic, yet most unassuming "I'm so chill and naturally only eat perfectly proportionate yogurt and granola or triple berry lemon galettes" insta). There are mornings when even three cups of coffee can't seem to get our brains functioning normally and afternoons when our greatest desire is to make it to 6:00 p.m. or throw our cell phones out to sea to be violently destroyed by sharks or minnows or anything that will ensure we don't receive one more call or text or update or email of any kind. There are nights we cry out to Jesus, begging Him to listen and attempting to cling with all our little faith to the promise that He hears. Sometimes we find ourselves in the pit of despair, questioning God's character, His goodness, and His grace. </div>
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But there are other days, when Jesus is so real to our hearts that they feel as though they might explode! They feel like they could burst at any second with joy and song and thanksgiving because He has made His home in our hearts, and His love is better than anything we've ever known or imagined. And despite any darkness or pain, <span style="font-size: x-large;">we know that we know that we know that He is the most valiant of warriors, the mightiest of kings, and the most glorious of saviors. </span></div>
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Oh to be loved by Jesus...! He alone changes our hearts and sets us free. Thank you, Lord, for moments like these that provide us with the sweetest foretaste of heaven. Thank you that your affections toward us do not waver based upon our feelings, performance, insecurities, sin, or shame. You are steadfast in your character and unrelenting in your love. Thank you that you have not left us as orphans but you came to us. Thank you for graciously adopting us into your family and giving us a seat at your table, which can never be taken away. Jesus, you are the great and glorious treasure, the light in the darkness, and our hope for today and for eternity. </div>
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There are moments in life when we pause, look back, and recognize <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>it was Him all along</i></span> -- moving, providing, protecting, caring, showing us mercy, love, and grace, filling our hearts with hope and life and joy. In the moments we thought we'd never feel again, He was there. In the moments we threw ourselves into our sin and ran headfirst away from Him, He was there. In the moments we sulked and threw ourselves pity parties and felt as though God had abandoned us or turned the other way, He stood beside us, not looking upon us in disgust or shame but with deep affection and delight. </div>
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He is in perfect control over our lives. He turns our mourning into dancing, loosens our sackcloth, and clothes us with gladness that we may sing of His praise forever. He is our healer, and He does not hide His face forever -- though, oh Jesus, how it sometimes feels like that... He is good! His plans for us are better than our own. He knows the plans He has for us -- plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us HOPE and a FUTURE. He sees beginning to end. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts! He reveals our insecurities and all that ought to distance us from Him, yet He simultaneously fills us with His Spirit not because of our goodness or lack thereof but because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.</div>
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He has given us the capacity to love others. He fills our lives with others -- people made in the image of God, so we might know and experience what it looks and feels like to enjoy others. And in our enjoyment of others, we get a taste of what it means to truly enjoy God Himself. He pours out grace upon grace upon grace on us. What He provides is FAR better than anything we could ever come up with in our own strength -- though I sure as heck think I'm the smartest and best planner EVER sometimes. I'm not... :)</div>
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Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sin, we will never again be separated from God. And yet there is this reality that when we are dwelling sin, we cannot experience intimacy with Him in the way He intends. But even still, He continues to pursue us. He continues to gently convict us of our sin and discipline us for our good, so we might know Him more deeply and be transformed into the image of Jesus. He speaks to us honestly. His truth sets us free. </div>
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Even when we don't feel like it, His "no(s)" toward us are full of compassion and love. In the midst of chaos, He is ever-present. Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. He is inordinately powerful -- even when we seem to have lost almost all faith and confidence in His ability to provide. He works miracles. </div>
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He doesn't demand we change ourselves before we come to Him, but instead He receives us as we are. He meets us in our brokenness, in our failures, in our shame, and joyfully invites us into His family. He changes lives. He's literally changed my life. He didn't stop redeeming lives when He died, rose again, and ascended to heaven. He's continuing to bring LIFE to the lifeless and hope to the hopeless. He is breaking every chain and setting all the captives free. Lord, we see you. but help us believe in your power constantly. Help us to constantly exalt your name, your goodness, your glory. </div>
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In Christ, the aim of our lives is no longer to be the best at everything we do (though I admittedly still wrestle with that regularly). The aim of our lives is not to be beautiful and highly revered by all or to hoard up glory for ourselves. The aim of our lives is not to be liked, adored, or seen by others. Nor is it our own successes or making our names great or being married with 2-6 kids in the perfect white house with a veranda and a picket fence. A beautiful house, marriage, children, sweet tea on the front porch -- none of them are bad in themselves. In fact, they're sweet and precious gifts from our Father that I hope and pray I get to receive one day by His grace! But in the end, that's not what our lives are about. They're sweet pieces. They're foretastes of heaven. But they barely make up 1/100th of the whole puzzle.</div>
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In Christ, the aim of our lives is to know and love Him with all that we are. The aim of our lives is to see His glory all around us and continually speak of His goodness. The aim of our lives is to delight in Jesus, to open our hearts to His grace, truth, and love. The aim of our lives is to treasure Him above all else, to revel in who He is, to find all satisfaction and joy in Him. The aim of our lives is to offer ourselves before Him each morning, surrendering all hat we are to His ways and His authority. The aim of our lives is to trust Him implicitly, to go wherever He would send us, to take His name to the nations, to walk with Him faithfully, and to love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds. </div>
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When we see Him... <br />
When we see you, Jesus, as you truly are... <br />
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Lord, by your grace, may we eat, drink, run, and play to the glory of God. May we know your glory and reflect your glory to the world. May we desire to be SO CLOSE to you that we live in a constant state of repentance and faith, confessing our sins, our failures, our deep inadequacies and receiving your grace and forgiveness with thanksgiving and joy. May we not be controlled by our flesh but the Spirit. May we surrender our ideas that we can fix or change on our own and depend fully on you, participating with the Spirit and following you wherever you would lead. May we let our roots grow down deep in your word, rejoice in your fullness, and receive all that you give us with thanksgiving, knowing your sovereign will governs all. May we love those around us with the same love you have loved us, Jesus. May we move toward others and initiate with others because you initiated with us. May we speak of your glory in the gospel in the face of Jesus and point others toward you -- as one beggar to another, simply sharing the way in which we found the true bread and river of life that never runs dry!</div>
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May we be vulnerable before others, helpless and needy before you. May we remember we are not above sin. We choose whether or not we want to live under the lordship of sin, which leads to death, or the lordship of Christ, which leads to LIFE and life abundantly. Jesus, help us always that we may CHOOSE you. May we rest in your righteousness, your protection, your provision. May we receive, by faith, the identity you purchased for us. May we simply be your children, believing that you delight in us deeply. May we let go of our innate desire for control and enjoy life as we enjoy you and trust you to provide for every one of our needs. May you set our hearts on fire with love for you now and forever. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever.</span></div>
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<br />the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-43329398045806665832015-03-27T11:33:00.001-07:002015-03-27T16:11:50.803-07:00SMS, y'all, SMS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Perhaps you, like me, occasionally find yourself plagued with a dreadful case of what I <b>lovingly</b> refer to as "SMS" -- sh*tty mood syndrome. Full disclosure... A piece of me somewhat hesitated as to whether or not I should actually write that word on social media. Call me a rule-follower, I know. It's true. But to alter SMS to CMS (crummy or crappy mood syndrome, if you will) just doesn't seem to do the actual SMS sentiments/symptoms justice. Also, I would technically be lying and attempting to make myself seem better than I really am, because let's face it... I don't call it CMS. I call it SMS because that's precisely what it is -- shitty mood syndrome. </div>
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Sometimes SMS is caused by my circumstances. You know those days. You're running late, you forgot to make your lunch, you're kind of feelin' like a whale in that outfit, you try to get a million things done and yet you feel like you've accomplished nothing... You planned to bake a cake for your friend's birthday, but you forgot the sugar at the store. Head-throbbing. Heart-racing. Eyes stuck in an impenetrable stare at the stupid spoon in the stupid bowl because the stupid cake now won't have the stupid ingredient that apparently makes it taste good. The smoke alarm starts going off. You can't figure out how to make it stop. Your phone is ringing. You have 7 emails you haven't responded to and 21 text messages. All you want to do is close your eyes and magically wind up in your jammies in bed watching Parenthood or slowly melt into a puddle of tears on the floor because <span style="font-size: x-large;">everything that seems like a big, freaking deal actually isn't a big, freaking deal but it feels like such a big, freaking deal that it's making you be such a big, freaking mess.</span></div>
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Other times SMS more so has to do with my heart. It comes about when I feel as though my rights have been infringed upon, or I'm mad or sad or irritated or resentful or bitter or confused or a combination of them all. And no matter if the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, nothing seems to shake the displeased, discontent, weary, ungrateful sentiments deep within my bones. Almost always, however, SMS reveals one of two things. My eyes have either been fixed on <b>myself</b> or what seems to be <b>the <i>lack </i>within my circumstances</b>. In my most recent case, I think it has been a combination of the two.</div>
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I've felt sad, envious, jealous, and honestly lustful in desiring things I simply don't have. Instead of giving thanks for what God has graciously given me, I'm often envious because I wish I made more money or had more free time or my body looked perfect in dresses, jeans, shorts, and bathing suits alike. But recently I've noticed, my sin has been rearing its ugly head in jealousy and lust in regard to desiring a boyfriend, husband, marriage, whatever you want to call it. Understand when I say there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a boyfriend or to be married one day. I truly believe it is a holy desire! And I'm so thankful Jesus gave me that desire to be married to a godly man one day! But because of my sinful condition, my good desires regularly become tainted with unholiness. Thus while a part of me does hope to be married one day because of the way I will get to honor, respect, and serve him, I also want to be married because a part of me really believes when I have a boyfriend or get married <b>I will feel more valuable, approved of, and loved</b> -- even though I know I cannot be any more loved than I already am in my relationship with Jesus. </div>
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Truth be told, I hate even admitting this. I wish you could see my eyes right now. I'm so prideful and don't want to be that girl. I don't want to admit how self-centered I can be. And I definitely don't want to admit I struggle with discontentment in my singleness. I even hate the word <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">singleness</span></i> -- it makes it sound like some dreadful condition that is the result of being bitten by a wretched fly from the heart of the Sahara desert. I think I'd rather call it <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Plenty</span></i> or <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Table for Two.</span></i> Because let's face it. For one, I really do have plenty -- more than I deserve. I just kind of also want something else... And two, it's not really like I'm alone. Jesus always sits with me at the table, in fact, He technically invited me to sit at the table with Him. In Christ it's never a table for one, but I'd just prefer a table for 3 -- or maybe 7 one day?! ;)</div>
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So often think that if I really loved Jesus, I'd be totally fine. I wouldn't care. I'd spend my days without a single passing thought about that cute guy or that cute guy or that one and whether or not he liked my stupid Instagram photo or invited me to coffee. (Not gonna lie, this is so honest it makes me cringe juuuust a little bit... haha)</div>
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But honestly, I think that's a lie. I really love Jesus. Do I want to love Him more? Absolutely. Do I forget about Him? Yes. Do I regularly choose my sin over Him? Yes. But I love Him deeply, and by His grace, He has surrounded and crowned me with His steadfast love that lasts forever. Just because we walk with Jesus doesn't mean we won't be disappointed or jealous or sad. One. We're sinful. Two. We live in a fallen world. Our broken tendency is to survey the world around us, fixate on the one or two things we lack, believe that if God was good, if He really loved us, if He really cared, then He would give us those things. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">We look over, under, up, down, sideways, and all around with grace upon grace upon grace on every side and simply miss each one because we're so consumed by what we don't have and what we think will ultimately satisfy our hearts</span>.</div>
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Guess what it leads to every time? SMS, y'all, lemme tell ya. Because even if and when we get those things,<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">they're never enough.</span></div>
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Jesus reminded me yesterday that this condition of SMS is a reflection of what's happening in my heart. Sometimes we just have icky moods. But more often than not, when I really stop to examine what's going on, I'm experiencing the emotions that come from my sinful condition of wanting things not necessarily for the glory of God but for the pleasure and satisfaction it will give me. This isn't new or unique to me. It all began in the garden. </div>
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God had given Adam and Eve absolutely everything they needed for abundant life. Every tree, every flower, every animal was theirs to enjoy -- except the one tree. They had everything. Everything. Yet which one did they want? The one He had withheld from them in His divine wisdom and love. They assumed that tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the fruit from that tree was better than living in obedience to God's commands. They assumed partaking in what had been withheld from them would truly be the answer to satisfaction and joy, when all satisfaction and joy had already been given to them. </div>
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I think of my own life and how often instead of rejoicing and giving thanks for all the Lord has given me, I find the one thing (at that moment) I feel like He's withheld from me, and I grumble or despair. <span style="font-size: x-large;">But the garden reveals His no toward us may seem painful in the moment but is always gracious and for our ultimate good and His glory. </span> </div>
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I can either spend my days pouting and throwing myself pity parties or I can run to Jesus. I can spend my days in fits of jealousy and deep drudgery, or I can, by God's grace, turn my eyes toward Jesus. I can be completely honest before Him about my disappointment and my hope that one day the table will not only be for two but for three. I can share with Him my insecurities, my irritation, my anger, my shame. He knows. He is not disappointed. He is our Father who always, always, always welcomes us with open arms. I can walk by the flesh or I can choose to believe, by faith, that the abundant life is possible here on earth. Yet it isn't found in the perfect circumstances, the most fabulous home, or the most daring adventure. Abundant life is found in Jesus, and we experience it by faith, giving thanks for who the Lord is and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. The choice is mine. The choice is yours. We can wallow in our sorrows. We can despair about all the things we wish were ours. We can throw up our hands in rage... And sometimes we should. We should be transparent and open with the Lord about how we're feeling and what we're thinking. Life isn't all daisies and everything we see in Southern Living -- though I do thoroughly enjoy them both. Life is full of suffering, hardship, pain, and sometimes nos we desperately wish were yeses. But the truth is, <span style="font-size: x-large;">God's story never ends with ashes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesus, help us to always, always, always remember that your story never ends with mourning. Your story never ends with despair.</span></div>
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The truth is that one day, in the blink of an eye, this earth will pass away, and He will establish a new heaven and a new earth, where we will delight in loving and worshipping Him with all that we are. Our dying bodies will be swallowed up in life. There will be a day! There will be a day when all that we see and partake in that is good and glorious will fill our hearts with joy an gladness and delight -- not only in the mountains and cappuccinos and novels and seashores and conversations themselves, but in the Creator of all good things. There will come a day when all our worship will no longer be divided among the things of this world but will culminate and overflow onto our Lord and King. <span style="font-size: x-large;">We were made to worship, to give glory and praise to God, to enjoy all He has made, with a deep understanding that all the created order -- in its beauty and majesty and goodness and kindness is merely a shadow of the one who made it all. </span></div>
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Thus for today... For today I want to rejoice. For today, I want to give thanks that my name is written in heaven. For today I want to run outside, take a long bike ride, eat a spinach salad for lunch, and have a picnic as the sun is setting. For today I want to believe that Jesus' love is better than life. I want to see Him all around me and delight in His songs as I hear them being sung by the birds or Sons of the East on Spotify. For today, I want to say no to the cake, the second glass of wine, and the fourth cup of coffee -- not because there is anything inherently sinful or wrong about any of them. They're good gifts from our good Father in heaven! But in my own heart, I see that so often in those things, I'm looking for something only Jesus can give. <span style="font-size: x-large;">And ultimately, He is more than enough for me.</span></div>
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I want to plan the road trip to Charleston and say no to the new dress from Anthro because I want to be a good steward of my finances and because life isn't found in the abundance of possessions or instant gratification. (Though let's be real, I love a new Anthro or J. Crew purchase just as much as the next girl...) For today, I want to refrain from getting on the scale and finding my value in how much I weigh. I want to taste and see that the Lord is good. I want to take my eyes off myself and pray for the eyes of Christ. I want to slow down long enough to see, pray, share, and be with those around me. I want to be still in the silence and listen. I want to breathe deeply, to not take myself so seriously, and to live in a continual state of repentance and faith. I want the goodness and greatness of my Lord Jesus to be both explicit and implicit in my words and actions. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">But most of all...</span> I want to come before Him in honesty and humility and confess that my tendency is to sulk and wallow in my shitty moods. My tendency is to complain and have eyes that are fixated only on myself and what I don't have. My tendency is to throw myself a pity party and harbor jealousy and bitterness in my heart when I ought to be rejoicing with those around me. My tendency is to believe that all joy, all hope, all love is or will be found in marriage or the future, better version of myself orrrr as soon as I lose 10 pounds or finally get my life and schedule under control... The list goes on. But that's not the truth. They're lies that lead to bondage and ultimately death. </div>
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I want to rejoice that thanks be to God that Jesus is full of grace and truth, and that His truth sets us free. The truth is that He came to give LIFE and LIFE abundantly. All joy, all hope, all love, all victory, all freedom, all peace is found in relationship with Him. The Lord is acquainted with all of our ways. And yet knowing every intimate detail of our thoughts, actions, and motivations, He does not deal with us according to what we deserve. He relates to us on the basis of His unending grace -- because of the perfect life Jesus lived on our behalf. Jesus took on all our punishment, all our guilt, all our shame and condemnation upon himself, died, and rose again, that we might have a relationship with Him that lasts for eternity. <span style="font-size: x-large;">In relationship with Him, we're never alone. </span></div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-19908449512193722352015-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:002015-02-13T09:17:02.251-08:00"There is in Christ Jesus provision for the full satisfaction and contentment..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">"There is in Christ Jesus provision for the full satisfaction and contentment of the needy and thirsty soul. [...]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">First. The excellency of Christ is such, that the discovery of it is exceedingly contenting and satisfying to the soul. The inquiry of the soul is after that which is most excellent. The carnal soul imagines that earthly things are excellent; one thinks riches most excellent, another has the highest esteem of honour, and to another carnal pleasure appears the most excellent; but the soul cannot find contentment in any of these things, because it soon finds an end to their excellency. Worldly men imagine, that there is true excellency and true happiness in those things which they are pursuing. They think that if they could but obtain them, they should be happy; and when they obtain them, and cannot find happiness, they look for happiness in something else, and are still upon the pursuit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But Christ Jesus has true excellency, and so great excellency, that when they come to see it they look no further, but the mind rests there. It sees a transcendent glory and an ineffable sweetness in him; it sees that till now it has been pursuing shadows, but that now it has found the substance; that before it had been seeking happiness in the stream, but that now it has found the ocean.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill the capacity. It is an infinite excellency, such an one as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds; and the more the mind is used to it, the more excellent it appears. Every new discovery makes this beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind sees no end; here is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to the bottom. The soul is exceedingly ravished when it first looks on this beauty, and it is never weary of it. The mind never has any satiety, but Christ's excellency is always fresh and new, and tends as much to delight, after it has been seen a thousand or ten thousand years, as when it was seen the first moment. The excellency of Christ is an object suited to the superior faculties of man, it is suited to entertain the faculty of reason and understanding, and there is nothing so worthy about which the understanding can be employed as this excellency; </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">no other object is so great, noble, and exalted.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">This excellency of Jesus Christ is the suitable food of the rational soul. The soul that comes to Christ, feeds upon this, and lives upon it; it is that bread which came down from heaven, of which he that eats shall not die; it is angels' food, it is that wine and milk that is given without money, and without price. This is that fatness in which the believing soul delights itself; here the longing soul may be satisfied, and the hungry soul may be filled with goodness. The delight and contentment that is to be found here, passeth understanding, and is unspeakable and full of glory. It is impossible for those who have tasted of this fountain, and know the sweetness of it, ever to forsake it. The soul has found the river of water of life, and it desires no other drink; it has found the tree of life, and it desires no other fruit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Secondly. The manifestation of the love of Christ gives the soul abundant contentment. This love of Christ is exceedingly sweet and satisfying, it is better than life, because it is the love of a person of such dignity and excellency. The sweetness of his love depends very much upon the greatness of his excellency; so much the more lovely the person, so much the more desirable is his love. How sweet must the love of that person be, who is the eternal Son of God, who is of equal dignity with the Father! <span style="font-size: x-large;">How great a happiness must it be to be the object of the love of him who is the Creator of the world, and by whom all things consist, and who is exalted at God's right hand, and made head over principalities and powers in heavenly places, who has all things put under his feet, and is King of kings and Lord of lords, and is the brightness of the Father's glory! Surely to be beloved by him, is enough to satisfy the soul of a worm of the dust."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">-Jonathan Edwards in<a href="http://www.sounddoctrine.net/Classic_Sermons/Jonathan%20Edwards/sweet_refreshment_Christ.htm"> Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ</a></span></div>
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Lord Jesus, I'm so convicted by those words. I'm so convicted because they're so definitive of who I am -- so regularly discontent, ungrateful, desiring more, rather than joyfully worshipping you with all that I am and continually thanking you for all that you are. I readily confess that we are so quick to place such a high value on the things we think will bring us utmost joy and happiness. We seek our own pleasure and are continuously in search of the things we believe will fill our hearts with the fullness of life. Instead of looking to you, we look to the things of this world. Father, we find ourselves enthralled by ideas of success and adventure and endless pursuits of love. We place our hope in relationships, friendships, and marriage. Even if we are unwilling to admit it, our minds are so often convinced that our joy will increase if only we obtain the next best thing... Whether it is worldly materials or a new job or stability within our circumstances or control over our desires or even the perfectly decorated home and a long, relaxing weekend. Yet time and time again, we find ourselves disappointed. <i> We find our souls continually seeking more, discontent, weary, and exhausted. </i></div>
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Jesus, we don't want to be this way. When we're really honest with ourselves, we know that these "things" and "dreams" and "ideas" won't satisfy our deepest desires, but yet we continue to crave them. We crave what we think they will provide us. We crave what we think we want, what we think is best for us. I often fear that I will always struggle with desiring the perfect circumstances or marriage or control over my life or comfort more than I desire you. The lies are all around us that these things are better than you, they're more immediate, they'll satisfy us. Many of them are good gifts, but they're not you. And when we exalt them above you, we become enslaved to their dark sides, their lies, their deception. Jesus, the truth is, we are enticed by sin. Our flesh is so willing to believe that the things of this world will provide for us freedom, but it's always an illusion. What we think will set us free ultimately enslaves and leads to death.</div>
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Father, thank you that you did not leave us to wrestle with and attempt to defeat sin on our own because we couldn't have done it. We are utterly helpless apart from you. Thank you that you sent Jesus to defeat sin on our behalf. Thank you that when we place our faith and trust in you as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are covered by your death and resurrection and identified as your own. Thank you that you give us victory over sin and death. Thank you that there is fullness of life in you, fullness of joy, fullness of love. Thank you that you offer us yourself. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Help our unbelief, God. Fill us with the Spirit that we might trust that you are better than anything the world has to offer us. May we love you more deeply than anyone or anything else. </span> Change us, Lord. May we see you all around us and continually seek to be drawn in more deeply to your presence. Change us that we may hold fast to the truth that you are good and you are sovereign. Your plans are better, your ways are better, and a relationship with you is the sweetest, most pleasurable, enjoyable, delightful gift we could ever receive. I'm so sorry that we so often live as though we don't believe that to be true.</div>
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Jesus, all we are is yours. Thank you that you have committed to us. Thank you that you have promised that you will be with us until the very end of the age. Thank you that you are committed to conforming us into your image and presenting us blameless before our Father one day in heaven. Thank you for letting us be a part of your family. Thank you that in you we find safety, fullness, contentment, joy, and sweet refreshment for our souls -- even though we are the most undeserving. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">May we desire you and love you not because of the gifts you give us but because of who you are. And when we recognize your good gifts, may they not lead us to worship the gifts themselves but to worship you -- the Creator and Giver of life, breath, and every good thing. </span></div>
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Thank you for your grace. Thank you that in Christ there is hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity. May we long for more of you always. Let us not forsake you as our first love. Your Word says that your love is better than life. Please fill us with faith to believe and walk in that truth. Because your love is better than life, may our lips glorify your name.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” -Jeremiah 31:25</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"You make known to me the path of life;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> in your presence there is fullness of joy;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">-Psalm 16:11</span></div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-32433389911814647852015-02-12T20:52:00.003-08:002015-09-18T14:25:20.702-07:00Counting Sheep, Unable to Sleep, Exhaustion, and True Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"Sleep</i></span>, I already said, is a necessity. But it is also a relinquishment. It is self-abandonment: of control, of power, of consciousness, of identity. We direct nothing in our sleep. We master nothing. We lose ourselves and are carried like children or prisoners into a netherworld alternately grotesque and idyllic, canivalesque and elysian. In sleep we become infants again: utterly vulnerable, completely defenseless, totally dependent. Out of control. [...]</div>
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So sleep, besides being a necessity, is also an act of faith. 'O Lord, how many are my foes! / How many rise up against me!' David begins Psalm 3. But then he declares: 'I lie down and sleep; / I wake again because the Lord sustains me.' Or the next psalm: 'I will lie down and sleep in peace, / for you alone, O Lord, / make me dwell in safety' (Ps 4:8). Every time we sleep we place ourselves again in this position of vulnerability, of defenselessness of dependency. We enter again this infant like unguardedness. And we do this well only under one of two conditions: utter exhaustion, where we can't help ourselves, or complete confidence, where we stop trying to help ourselves. Then we sleep because we know from whence our help comes. We sleep because we know in whom we have believed and are confident that he is able to keep that which we have entrusted to him. We give ourselves, regardless of our unfinished business into God's care We sleep simply because we believe God will look after us.</div>
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It's the same with Sabbath rest. Real Sabbath, the kind that empties and fills us, depends on the second condition, on complete confidence and trust. And confidence and trust like that are rooted in a deep conviction that<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">God is good </span><br />
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There's no rest for those who don't believe that. If God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called to his purposes, you can relax. If he doesn't, start worrying. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">If God can take any mess, any mishap, any wastage, any wreckage, any anything, and choreograph beauty and meaning from it, then you can take a day off. If he can't, get busy. Either God's always at work, watching the city, building the house, or you need to try harder. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Either God is in control, or it all depends on you."</span></div>
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Lord Jesus, thank you that true rest is found in you alone. Thank you that we can rest because you are good and sovereign. The truth is, we were once incessantly enslaved to sin and the world around us, but because of your death and resurrection, Jesus, we can rest. We can rest in knowing that all our striving, all our fears, all our insecurities, all our anxieties can be given fully and completely to you. Thank you for being who you are. You don't tell us to trust you because you will give us precisely what we want but to trust you because of who you are. Thank you that your character has been revealed most clearly to us in the gospel -- in the fact that while we were still sinners and wanted nothing to do with you whatsoever, you created a way for us to be made right with you and enjoy you forever through giving up with life of your precious and perfect son Jesus. Thank you, Father, for loving us so much that we can surrender every detail of our lives before you, knowing that surely if you spared your only son for us, won't you also give us everything we could ever need? <br />
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I confess so often I finally rest out of utter exhaustion and not deep delight in a Lord who has everything under control. I run and play and work myself into the ground, unwilling to admit my limitations and neediness. But the truth is I am so needy. I am so dependent upon you. Help us to rejoice at our inabilities, that we may revel in your ability. We don't deserve you, Father. We pray you would fill us with your Spirit, that we might breathe deeply and fully entrust ourselves into your gracious, loving care and protection, trusting the very words of Christ Himself, "Surely I am with you always -- even unto the end of the age." </div>
the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-88159073247827201452015-01-27T04:57:00.000-08:002015-01-30T19:45:48.219-08:00Of First Importance... The Gospel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lord, may our hearts be refreshed and reminded this morning of the gospel -- the good news of Jesus. By the power of the Spirit, I pray you would remind us of who we were, what you've done for us, and how because of Christ, we're able to relate to you on the basis of your grace and truth -- not our performance. May we see you and treasure you in all of your glory. Your Word says the gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. Help us believe that. Help us believe that we are saved by JESUS, we are made new by JESUS, we are sanctified by JESUS. All of our human efforts to be good enough for you, all our human efforts to find value apart from you are in vain. You've ascribed to us all the value we could ever hope for in making us your own and adopting us into your family. </div>
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Thank you that you offer us <span style="font-size: x-large;">grace and peace</span> not as a far-off, distant greeting but as an invitation to your dearly loved children. You are our Shepherd. I pray that we would allow ourselves to be your sheep, weak and needy in your presence. Thank you that you are with us, that you've promised you will never leave us. Thank you that your approval of us does not rest on what we do or have done but upon the finished work of Jesus.</div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>a little snippet from</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>"A Gospel Primer" by Milton Vincent</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">"So this is my status and these are my flaws</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Apart from Christ Jesus and His saving cause:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">I carry sin's guilt and am gripped by sin's pow'r,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Held fast to its various lusts ev'ry hour,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Deserving of flames, both within and without,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And sliding t'ward Hell as I toss all about, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Too reprobate even to play a small part</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">In clearing my record or changing my heart</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">To pacify wrath and be worthy of grace,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">To make myself lovely and win God's embrace.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Completely condemned by God's Law in its whole,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">I've nothing to offer to ransom my soul.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">But wonder of wonders, so great to behold, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">My God chose to save me with method so bold.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">What I could not render, God fully has done,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">And doing, He rendered it all through His Son.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He sent Christ to die on the cross for my sin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">To suffer my anguish my pardon to win.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Amazing it is, when I stop to regard,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Surrend'ring His Son unto mayhem and death,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">To torturous writhing 'til His final breath.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">'Why does God forsake Me?' alone Jesus cried;</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Yet God left Him hanging until He had died.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">That Jesus was willing His life to lay down,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Be scourged and insulted and wear thorny crown</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">For one such as I who had spited God so,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Amazes and blesses and makes me to know</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">That greater a lover is no man than He,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Who laid down His life for a sinner like me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Now when my time came and to Jesus I cried,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He gave me the pardon for which I had sighed,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He cleansed me completely from wrongs I had done,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Released me from bondage to sins, ev'ry one.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He shattered sin's chains which had held me before,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And thus made me free not to sin anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A child of the Father He made me to be</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And gave me the Spirit as His guarantee</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">That, being God's child, I will one day obtain </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A heavenly treasure that never will wane.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">While in me, the Spirit gives power and love</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And sweet premonitions of glory above.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">In saving, God also did justify me,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Accounting me righteous by His own decree,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Declaring me guiltless of all of my sin,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And bringing His wrath against me to an end.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">This wrath Christ appeased in full brunt on the Tree,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">When, bearing my sin, He endured it for me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">So now God relates to me only with grace --</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">The former wrath banished without any trace!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And each day I'm made a bit more as I should,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">His grace using all things to render me good.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Yes, even in trials God's grace abounds too</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And does me the good He assigns it to do.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">And when I am sinning, God's grace does abound,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Insuring my justified status is sound.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">No wrath is awakened in God at my sin,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Because Christ appeased it -- to say so again.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">God's heart pulses only with passionate grace,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Which jealously wants me back in His embrace.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">God does not require even that I confess,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Before He desires His forgiveness to press.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Forgiveness has been in His heart all along;</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">And when I approach Him to make right my wrong,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">He runs up to greet me and draws to me near,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Embracing and kissing and ready to clear.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">God does see my sins and He grieves at them so,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">For when I am sinning, His love I don't know.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He even will send me some heart-rending pain,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">So I'll learn new ways and His holiness gain.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">His disciplines always are with love imbued,</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A love that seeks ever my ultimate good.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">So this is my story; ongoing it is.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">How shall I thank God for this gospel of His?</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A gift that keeps giving, the gospel confers</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The bounty of heaven each time I rehearse.</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Deserve it? I don't on my holiest day;</span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">But this is salvation, and herein I'll stay.</span></div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-67895288355224384472015-01-19T13:54:00.001-08:002015-01-30T19:46:46.407-08:00The Secret to Gospel-Centered Change According to Tim Chester<div style="text-align: center;">
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So it has definitely been a just a brief, little while since Linds and I last posted, and much has transpired over the course of the past few months! We have high hopes to finish our 7 F's series, but in the mean time... This is for those of you who have ever felt stuck or hopeless to overcome negative emotions or habitual sin patterns in your life. First and foremost, know you're not alone. I for one am right there with you. I often feel as though I'm frequently aware of my sin. Though at times it feels as though I'm being bombarded by my faults and shortcomings, the reality is my sin runs so much deeper than I could ever imagine. While it is often difficult to come to grips with our own darkness, it is truly such a mark of the Lord's love for us because as we are reminded of our sin, we're constantly reminded of our need for Jesus. That being said, I recently started reading a book that the Lord is already using to convict my heart and transform my mind about change and being conformed into the image of Jesus. Thus I'd love to share with y'all a few<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>excerpts from chapters one and two of </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"You Can Change" by Tim Chester</span></div>
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(It comes highly recommended, and two chapters in, I'm already loving it myself!)<br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;">"Jesus is the perfect person, the true image of God, the glory of the Father. And God's agenda for change is for us to become like Jesus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">In Romans 8, Paul says that God uses everything that happens to make us like Jesus, both the good and the bad. Indeed, the bad things become in some sense good for us because they make us like Jesus. In themselves they may be evil, but God uses them for the good of those who love him, and that good is that we become more like Jesus. This isn't a letdown. We shouldn't be disappointed that the promise of good things turns out to be conformity to Christ. It's not like offering a child a meal deal from McDonald's and then giving them a McSalad. We know salad is good for us, but we'd rather enjoy a Big Mac. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesus isn't just good for us -- he is good itself. He defines good. The secret of gospel change is being convinced that Jesus is the good life and the fountain of all joy. Any alternative we might choose would be the letdown.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">[...] God is in the business of change. He's interested in making us like Jesus. He's restoring his image in us so that we can know him, rule with him, and reflect his glory. [...]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Change takes place in our lives as we turn to see the glory of God in Jesus. We 'see' the glory of Christ as we 'hear' the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). Moral effort, fear of judgment, and sets of rules can't bring lasting change. But amazing things happen when we 'turn to the Lord.'</span><br />
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[...] You will cleanse no sin from your life that you have not first recognized as being pardoned through the cross. This is because holiness always starts in the heart. The essence of holiness is not new behavior, activity, or disciplines. Holiness is new affections, new desires, and new motives that then lead to new behavior. If you don't see your sin as completely pardoned, then your affections, desires, and motives will be wrong. You will aim to prove yourself. Your focus will be the consequences of your sin rather than hating the sin itself and desiring God in its place.</span><br />
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Many people change their behavior, but their motives and desires are still wrong; so their behavior is no more pleasing to God than their old behavior. Consider an alcoholic who gives up drink because he fears social stigma or wants to save his marriage or doesn't want to end up in the gutter. It's good that he's given up drink, but he isn't more holy in God's sight because he's still motivated by selfish desires that exclude God. Or consider a Christian who goes to a prayer meeting to impress people or feel good about herself or avoid a Christian friend's rebuke. Her behavior has changed, but her motives and desires and unchanged. This isn't holiness (though it may be that praying with other Christians contributes to a change of affections). John Piper says,<span style="font-size: x-large;"> 'Conversion is the creation of new desires, not just new duties; new delights, not just new deeds; new treasures, not just new tasks.</span></span><br />
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The great nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon illustrates this point with the story of a humble gardener who presents a bunch of carrots to his king because he so esteems and loves his sovereign. The king rewards his love with a plot of land so he can continue to bless his kingdom. A courtier sees this and thinks, 'An acre of land for a bunch of carrots -- what a deal!' So the next day the courtier presents the king with a magnificent horse. The wise king, discerning his heart, simply accepts the gift with a 'thank you.' When the courtier is disconsolate, the king explains, 'The gardener gave me the carrots, but you have given yourself the horse. You gave not for love of me but for love of yourself in the hope of a reward.' Are you feeding the hungry or are you feeding yourself? asks Spurgeon. Are you clothing the naked or are you seeking your own reward? Are you serving God or serving yourself? <span style="font-size: x-large;">The Bible talks often of reward, but that reward is God himself -- the joy of knowing and pleasing the God we love and in whom we delight.</span></span><br />
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We don't change so we can prove ourselves to God. We're accepted by God so we can change, God gives us a new identity, and this new identity is the motive and basis for our change."</span></div>
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Lord Jesus, as we embark on this new week, this new year, we are filled with both hope and fear. We want to believe you desire to change us, but so often we're are plagued with the weariness of our past faults and failures. We want to change, Lord, but so often we feel so trapped in our own inabilities to change. But thank you, Jesus, that you did not leave us to change ourselves, but you have committed to changing us until we are faultless, blameless, and fully transformed into the image of Christ. <br />
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It is my prayer that as we meet with you this year, we would be honest before you about the countless ways we fall short and the seemingly endless list of things we so often consider "better" than you. Holy Spirit, I pray that you would examine our hearts, and that by your grace, you would reveal to us our sin. I confess that I am so quick to treasure and idolize and just plain <span style="font-size: large;"><i>want</i></span> things more than I desire you -- consistency, stability, control, freedom, health, food, the perfect exercise regimen, the perfect body, perfection in general, my reputation, the approval and opinions of others, marriage, dating, my own effectiveness and productivity, the dream house, the Kendra Scott earrings, heck the list goes on... Gosh, Lord, to think that you love us while knowing full well the depth of depravity within our hearts... We admit that we don't fully understand how deeply our sin grieves your heart, but Lord, we pray that you would help us to comprehend that in our moments of sin, we are not receiving the fullness of your love for us. </div>
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Thank you for your forgiveness, Lord. Jesus, thank you that you were willing to bear the weight of our sin, so that we might know you and experience your love and plan for our lives. I pray that we would love you deeply and above all things --<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">that you would be our prized and priceless treasure.</span> </div>
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I pray that we would see you as the good life and the fountain of all joy! I pray that you would fill us with faith to believe that you created us for so much more than what we're often content to settle for. I pray that you would fill us with HOPE to believe that you not only can change us, but it is your will, <b>your delight</b> to conform us into the image of Jesus. May we believe that you are good, that you are at work, and that you are the one who changes us. Thank you that ultimately all our human, fleshly efforts to change and sanctify ourselves apart from you are in vain, as our efforts only further reveal that <span style="font-size: x-large;">you alone set free. You alone give life. You alone reconcile, redeem, restore, and fill our hearts with hope. </span></div>
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Father, truthfully, in the midst of pain, sin, despair, and difficulty, it can be almost impossible at times to believe you truly do desire to heal us, change us, and make all things new. But Lord, I pray that in our moments of doubt, you would remind us of Jesus, whose life was not free from pain or hardship, and yet He is your beloved -- the image of the invisible God and literally God in the flesh. Remind us of Jesus who bore all of your wrath, endured all of our shame, and went to the cross for your glory and our good. May we receive suffering and pain as your good and gracious gift for us, knowing that you work all things together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose. May we have hearts and minds that are humble, open, and willing to see each moment, each hour, and each day as an opportunity to grow in your likeness, to experience depth and intimacy with you, and to know you as the Father who loves us, the Father who did not leave us as orphans but came for us. </div>
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May our hearts continually sing your praises. May our songs not waver based upon the circumstances of our daily bread, but may they be as steadfast and constant as your character. For though our circumstances are constantly in flux, you never change. You are good and holy and true, and you deserve all the glory and praise forever and ever. Thank you for initiating with us when we wanted nothing to do with you, that we might know your love, love you back, and spend eternity delighting in, enjoying, and glorifying you. We love you, Jesus.</div>
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<b>2015, let's do this.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">-2 Corinthians 3:17-18</span></div>
<br />the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-79025862968500038202014-08-25T08:14:00.004-07:002014-08-25T09:00:17.814-07:00"Money On My Mind"<div style="text-align: center;">
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Lord Jesus, thank you for being the provider of all that we could ever ask or hope for in giving us Jesus. You have given us life, breath, the ability to run, move, dance, sing, and play outside. You continually fill our hearts with your peace, grace, and unconditional love. And yet you know us. You see us in our weakest hours. I confess that this week alone you have seen me when I have been literally unable to calm down because I've been so anxious about finances. You've seen me as I've spent money on things I don't need, and you've seen me as I've disdained money as something awful from the enemy -- neither of which was good...! And instead of looking at me with disappointment and disgust, you lovingly remind me that you are completely satisfied with me not because of my performance but because of Christ's perfect performance on my behalf. You are far too good to us, Lord. I ask that you would fill me with the Holy Spirit and speak through me. You know I lack so much wisdom and discipline in the area of finances, but I trust that you are all-powerful, Lord, and that somehow your power is made perfect in our weakness. I pray that I wouldn't write what I want to be true but that I would write what your Word says is true. May your glory and honor be manifest in my simple words this evening, Father. Amen.</div>
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A few months ago, I was driving through one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Oklahoma City with two of my best friends. I have driven through that area so many times, but this particular evening, the sun was setting so beautifully that everything from the trees to the rooftops seemed to sparkle. As we drove along, I envisioned each home with its perfect, little inhabitants -- wearing all J. Crew, praying over their meals, processing through their days as a family, lounging on beautiful Pottery Barn couches after dinner. Even though I know that is not reality, it's so easy to imagine, "They have everything they could ever want. They have to be happy." </div>
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I remember the thought running through my head, "Wow. If I ever get to live here one day...!" I pictured a life of peace, comfort, and ease -- five mile runs every morning, the perfect marriage, angelic children, cookies always in the oven, rocking chairs on the front porch, every room always clean, every piece of silver always shined and sparkling, the whole nine yards. Again definitely not reality, but you know how the imagination works.</div>
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About the time I was drifting far off into dreamland, one of my friends began to describe a John Piper sermon he had listened to in college. In the sermon, Piper spoke about how as humans, we are quick to desire for ourselves kingdoms here on earth and forget that our true kingdom -- our forever home -- is in heaven. So we do everything we can to fill our lives with peace and comfort and ease and security and beauty. Some days that looks like a new set of dishes from William Sonoma and other days it looks like a fabulous new outfit from Nordstrom Rack (I mean it was on sale, right?!). But the reality is that every single thing on this earth except for the souls of men will one day pass away completely. Every lamp, every pillow, every blouse, every iPhone, every candlestick will one day be gone.</div>
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Whether it is a big, white house with navy shutters and beautiful flowerbeds or the newest dress from Anthropologie, I see that my fleshly tendency is to lust after the things of this world, thinking that if and when I get those things, my heart will be more satisfied. I will be one step closer to the future, better version of myself I hope to become. I know that for me personally, my high (misplaced) value of money isn't so much about the money itself but about what it can buy, what I think it will give me.</div>
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For example, I find that when I'm struggling with deeply desiring the approval of others, I want others to think that I'm pretty and stylish. So I spend any extra money I get on new clothes or getting a manicure or pedicure. Are clothes and manicures bad? Absolutely not! In fact, I think that when done with the right motives and heart attitude, shopping and pedicures can be so relaxing and the sweetest treats! But admittedly, so often my motives are not pure. Usually I find that even my purest desires can be somewhat tainted with the desire to build a kingdom for myself. I want others to think highly of me. I want others to affirm and validate me. It's all about me. </div>
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Y'all there is this idol of image that I am so quick to serve. I want to be seen as the fashionable one. I want to be known as having expensive taste and good style. I enjoy eating at nice restaurants. I want to live in a beautiful, inviting home with fresh flowers on the kitchen counter and a volcano candle burning on the coffee table.</div>
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And honestly, sometimes there is absolutely nothing wrong with those things. There is nothing wrong with wanting to wear a cute outfit or buying a nice dress or going out for a fancy dinner. I truly don't see anything wrong with creating homey, beautiful spaces and environments where people feel comfortable, relaxed, and at ease. But I know that often my motives are mixed. A new dress can just be so fun and such a sweet blessing. Or it can become something I want to wear to impress other people or to be seen as the one who is "put-together" and pretty. An inviting home can be a wonderful place for people to come together in community and have fun and be known and safe, but I can also look to nice things to provide me with the comfort and security I should be looking for in Jesus. Our lives can be all about ourselves. Or they can be all about Jesus. We can use the things of this world to try and create heaven on earth, or the things of this world can point us to heaven.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." ~Hebrews 13:14</span></div>
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We can enjoy a great party, a beautiful dress, an inviting home and think to ourselves, "Wow. What a great day. My life rocks." Or we can enjoy those things with the perspective that no matter how enjoyable the things of this world may be, they are only a mere shadow of the kingdom that is to come -- the kingdom of heaven, where death will be no more. All the sad things will come undone. We will be perfectly united to our Father, worshipping and enjoying Him for all of our days. Our hearts will be fully and completely satisfied. We will have absolutely no lack, no desire, no want for anything more. </div>
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<span style="color: orange;">"Behold! I tell you a mystery. <span style="font-size: x-large;">We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. </span> For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ." ~1 Corinthians 15:51-57</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">"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, 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, <span style="font-size: x-large;">'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. </span> He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And He who is seated on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' Also 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 the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." ~Revelation 21:1-6</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">"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. <span style="font-size: x-large;"> For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also."</span> ~Matthew 6:19-21</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;">"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." ~Matthew 13:44</span></div>
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The things of this world can be so appealing, and they can seem as though they'll meet our deepest needs and desires. But the truth is, have you ever bought a new purse and thought, "I love this so much! I will never need a new purse again as long as I live!" Only to find that a few months later, the Kate Spade outlet is having an incredible sale and... "Oh my gosh. This bag is perfect. If I get this, I will never need another new bag again as long as I live." I'm laughing. I use that example because it's true, as in I've so been that person. The treasures we think we can store up for ourselves on this earth, which will make us more valuable or important or worthy of love, will be here today and gone tomorrow. And even if they're still here tomorrow, chances are we'll be tired of them and onto desiring something else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6E1wamR3JzqpGMjGFtXxevPA475kzpTUGUlnzGzD_TZy6FPpXt9pJ8-5_SgHNV7bGZ-8HzpPg8dqMGbEyRM9shLl1A7rJQ3K3FLOgjjNQ977AokO5gkXci1Cz6RnY-3uDn_avMpAZSU/s1600/9e9941204e2a04da18f67d7fb7dece91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6E1wamR3JzqpGMjGFtXxevPA475kzpTUGUlnzGzD_TZy6FPpXt9pJ8-5_SgHNV7bGZ-8HzpPg8dqMGbEyRM9shLl1A7rJQ3K3FLOgjjNQ977AokO5gkXci1Cz6RnY-3uDn_avMpAZSU/s1600/9e9941204e2a04da18f67d7fb7dece91.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">But there is a treasure that lasts forever.</span> <span style="font-size: x-large;">There is a gift that we can never lose, that will never end, and that is a relationship with Jesus.</span> It's incredible that God loved us so much that even when we wanted nothing to do with Him whatsoever, He made a way for us to know Him. He initiated with us. He pursued us in sending Jesus, who though He was the King of the universe came to earth with absolute humility, bravery, and love. He came so that we could know God, so that we could see what He is like -- hear His voice, see His actions, experience His love, grace, power, and healing. He came to restore us back into a relationship with God. In the beginning when sin entered the world, relationship between God and humans was destroyed -- not because God didn't love us, but because we chose to go our own way apart from Him. We chose sin instead of God. We chose our own kingdoms instead of God's kingdom. But God loved us so much that He didn't leave us to destroy ourselves. He sent Jesus, who came so that we might be saved from our sins. He came so that we might have LIFE and have it to the fullest!</div>
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Jesus lived the life we never could. Though He was perfect and didn't deserve death, He died in our place. And in doing so, He took on our sins and gave us His righteousness. Everything good Jesus ever did is now attributed to those who call upon Him as Savior and Lord. He forgives us of all of our sins -- past, present, and future. And He gives us the gift of salvation, of knowing God intimately and personally -- who though He sees the darkest things about us, loves us more than we could ever imagine. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesus is the true treasure, the lasting treasure who changes everything now and for eternity.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. </span>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 run and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." ~1 Timothy 6:6-10</span></div>
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Consider a few of these questions to help you process where you're at in your journey with Jesus in regard to money...</div>
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Every dollar in your bank account -- where did it come from?</div>
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I once heard that if you want to know where your treasure is, look at your bank statement. <br />
On what do you spend your money? Your heart will be close by.</div>
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Are you storing up your treasures on earth? Or in heaven?</div>
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How are you stewarding what God has given you?</div>
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For what purposes do you spend your money?</div>
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In what ways do you seek glory for yourself?</div>
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What does the idolized "future, better version of yourself" look like?</div>
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How are you using money to serve that idol?</div>
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Have you sat down and spent time working through your budget with the Lord?<br />
Would you consider sitting down with someone who is older and wiser and asking for help with your budgeting, giving, saving, and spending?<br />
Who could you ask?</div>
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Are you giving to the kingdom of heaven?</div>
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How can you trust the Lord with your finances?<br />
What is most valuable to you?</div>
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How does the fact that this world is not your permanent home affect how you spend your money?</div>
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I'm not going to lie. These questions are SO convicting to me. It is true that sometimes I can get so stressed out about the money itself. Do I have enough for gas this month? Am I putting enough in savings? Am I giving enough to the church? How much should I spend on coffee? Should I never have coffee again? Is it okay to buy flowers? When is it alright to buy a new pair of shoes? How much is too much to spend? <span style="font-size: x-large;">But amidst any anxiety, we can have peace because of who our God is! </span>When we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He gives us the Holy Spirit to come and live inside our hearts. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came, that He would guide us into all truth. We have the incredible blessing and privilege as believers to have direct access to the Lord through Christ and the Holy Spirit. God does not want us to be controlled by our finances or the things of this world, so I truly believe that when we ask Him for His wisdom and guidance in our spending, saving, and giving, He will lead us in the way He would have us go. I know that for me, however, so often I just don't ask Him. I am impatient and want an immediate answer. I often think I know best and choose what is right in my own eyes, rather than asking for the Lord's direction. But I know that He knows best, and so many times in life, things would be so much less painful in the long-term, if I would simply ask Jesus and wait for Him to answer in the short-term. </div>
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Just yesterday, the Lord reminded me of when He called Matthew (aka Levi) to come and be one of His disciples. Levi was sitting in his tax booth, working for the Roman government, basically cheating the Jewish people out of tons of money. Everyone hated him. He was despised by pretty much the whole of society. And while he was in the middle of his extortion, his loneliness, his shame, Jesus called to him and said, "Follow me." And leaving everything, Levi rose and followed Him. Jesus knows that we are far from perfect. He sees all of the ways we look to the things of this world to satisfy us instead of looking to Him. He sees us in the midst of our filth and sin and countless mistakes and invites us to follow Him. He loves us not because of what we've done or haven't done, but He loves us because He made us. And by His grace, when we trust Him to be the Lord of our lives, He is committed to us forever. He will never leave us or forsake us. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">He delights in us and will continue to show us mercy, grace, and unconditional love until we meet Him in the best embrace of our lives in the kingdom that is to come.</span></div>
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Lord, we just confess that we are quick to hoard and store up things on this earth that have no eternal value whatsoever. All of our stuff will one day be burned up, but what will last forever is our relationship with you. Help us to see you in your glory and desire you above all else. We cannot change on our own, Lord. We don't just need to revise our budgets. We need new hearts. And in order to receive new hearts, we need you. Lord, we place ourselves, our money, our misplaced desires for value and status, and all our stuff in your hands. All we have is yours. Help us to steward the money you have entrusted to us in such a way that is honoring to you. Help us to be cheerful givers. Help us to see all spending in this world in light of eternity. We need your wisdom, Lord. We need your grace. Help us to take steps of faith to trust you in the area of finances. You are our good and perfect provider, Lord. Thank you for convicting us of our sin and taking such good care of us. Thank you that because of Jesus, our identities are not found in the size of our homes or the things in our closets but in the fact that we are deeply loved by the Creator of the Universe. We don't deserve you, Jesus, but we are so thankful for you. We love you forever!</div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-28127439813194486272014-08-24T19:07:00.001-07:002014-08-24T19:08:40.720-07:00Bigger…Better…More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">We have constant access to MORE, BETTER & BIGGER things. No wonder so many people fall into the trap of making an idol out of possessions and wealth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">"I loved owning certain things even when I didn't actually need it. However, by me possessing it-it began to possess me."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">-(Organized Heart)</span></div>
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There have been times in my life where money and having excess have become an idol. Here is a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> Truth that is brought to my heart every time these things tend to come before God in my life:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;">"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24</span><span style="background-color: white;"> NIV)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">I have been learning how our relationship with our money and possessions have 3 phases:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">1. <u>Acquisition</u>: when we OBTAIN it</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">2. <u>Ownership</u>: when we USE or STORE things we have obtained</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">3. <u>Relinquishment</u>: when we get RID of the things we owned</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Now, each of these phases can have healthy and unhealthy manifestations.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-<u>UNHEALTHY</u>-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">We hoard money/things and we want more than we need. Our possessions become an idol.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-<u>HEALTHY</u>-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">We exhibit biblical stewardship.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> Now with our sinful, selfish nature it can be hard to give of our possessions and money with a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">cheerful heart.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> However, I have realized that one of the best ways to protect myself from the love of money and idolizing possessions is by </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">GIVING. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, how do we give and where do we give? My husband and I are currently learning about how to prioritize where our money is spent and here is what we are trying to implement:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.<u> Giving to OBLIGATIONS:</u></span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-take care of your family first</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-2nd, give to your teachers (church, pastors, mentors, etc.)</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">"Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor." (Galatians 6:6 NIV)</span></i></div>
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<i style="color: #45818e;">"Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8 NIV)</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.<u> Giving to OPPORTUNITIES:</u></span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-Give to opportunities that arise in your life where you feel God is wanting to use you.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-Give to those especially in the faith.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10</span><span style="background-color: white;"> NIV)</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;">"But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV)</span></span></i></div>
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A truth that enables me to give is that</div>
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WE DON'T ACTUALLY OWN WHAT WE OWN!</div>
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This reality keeps me from idolatry and finding happiness in money and possessions.</div>
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The more we love this life's rewards (leisure, power, popularity, financial security), the more we will discover</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>HOW EMPTY THEY REALLY ARE.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </div>
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The best way to enjoy life, therefore, is to loosen our greedy grasp on earthly rewards so that we can be free to follow Christ. In doing so, we will inherit eternal life and begin at once to experience the benefits of following Christ.</div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">(1 Timothy 6:7 NIV)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>So now that we know WHO to give to, let's explore HOW </u></span></span></span><u style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">giving should be:</u><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. Periodic:</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-regular intervals out of your income (e.g. tithing)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Personal:</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">-each person should give, no matter the finances of the church, because you are really giving to God, not to an organization.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Planned:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">-God loves a cheerful giver</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #45818e;">"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Progressive:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Plentiful</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">6. Private:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">-our Father sees our giving</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;">"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:3-4 NIV)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few things I have learned about God & money below...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">-Our dependence for anything should be on God. He gives and takes away and we are only stewards of what we have been given:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">"The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts."(1 Samuel 2:7 NIV)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">"The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers." (Leviticus 25:23 NIV)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">-God sets the terms for how we can use wealth:</span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> NIV</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;"><b>)</b></span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Tim-6-17" id="en-NIV-29806" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">"Command those who are rich<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29806A" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29806A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29806B" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29806B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29806C" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29806C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span> who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29806D" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29806D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text 1Tim-6-18" id="en-NIV-29807" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">18 </span>Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29807E" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29807E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span> and to be generous and willing to share.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29807F" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29807F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text 1Tim-6-19" id="en-NIV-29808" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">19 </span>In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29808G" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29808G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></span> as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29808H" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29808H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></span> the life that is truly life.</span><span class="text 1Tim-6-19" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">" (1 Timothy 6:17-19)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Invest in real, eternal value today!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19 </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">NIV)</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">"The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings ruin. Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil." (Proverbs 15:6, 16 NIV)</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." (Proverbs 8:10</span><span style="background-color: white;">, 11 NIV)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>YOU WORSHIP WHAT YOU WORRY ABOUT!!!</u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">The only thing that lasts into Heaven are God's Word and peoples' souls. Are you investing in these or things that will be left behind after you die?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Invest in eternity and not in this world where things do not last. Give in such a way that you honor God every time you spend your money. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13897423078250539783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-41486577217977664562014-07-18T07:20:00.003-07:002014-07-18T14:22:24.435-07:00Runnin' with Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lord Jesus, you are so good. I cannot thank you enough for who you are to me. In every season, you prove yourself faithful. You are so gracious to give me yourself each and every day. Father, I confess that I have so little to offer you today -- apart from some serious anxiety and stress. But thank you that you can take even the most broken of circumstances, hearts, and minds and make them new. I pray that you would use me in my brokenness today to make your truth plain to us. Holy Spirit, I pray that you would fill me. Exchange my heart for yours. Exchange my mind for yours. Exchange my words for yours. Exchange my eyes for yours. May I not walk or speak according to my flesh but according to your wisdom. May I look to you. You have taught me so much in the past few years about exercise, fitness, and walking with you. I pray that you would remind me of your truth and ask that your name would be glorified. I pray that you would use my broken words to make your name great and encourage others to run with you all the days of their lives. You're too good to us, Lord. Thank you in advance for teaching us more of who you are and how we can draw near to you in every situation.<br />
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A couple of years ago, I had the grandiose idea that I ought to run a marathon. Me. Caitlyn Kutch. Ya'll. I didn't run. Actually I'm quite confident that at the time I started dreaming all this up in my mind, I had run two or three miles max -- ever. Yet something within me decided it was time to try something seemingly impossible. I suppose I'm kind of one of those people at times -- those for whom <span style="font-size: x-large;">nothing seems impossible. </span></div>
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Like all endeavors, my motives in running the marathon were undoubtedly mixed. I wanted to learn how to depend on the Lord for everything -- even something as seemingly simplistic as running a mile. I wanted to learn how to trust the Lord for something I thought would be dreadfully difficult. Furthermore, I remember wanting to establish a pattern of discipline in my life. And naturally, I know I desired a fit, toned runner's body, which I was sure would inevitably lead to some hunky, dreamy, Jesus-lovin' fella falling in love with me. Ammiiiirighhhtt? Granted, I would have never admitted that. I may not have even been able to articulate those things at the time, but over the past few years, the Lord has graciously made me very aware of the sinful, selfish motivations which are intricately woven into all of my actions. Oh the sinful nature -- how exhausting it can be...!</div>
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All that being said, what began as a desire to run 26.2 miles became a glorious (and painful) adventure with Jesus that I will forever treasure. Quickly I found that as glamorous as anything like running a marathon may sound in theory, the tune is much lower and darker at 6 a.m. when it's 45 degrees outside, and you need to run 5 miles before a full day of class and work. Training for a marathon -- like any other athletic event, I'm sure -- is a commitment. Heck, life is a commitment. Eventually you have to decide -- I'm either in this or I'm not. I'm going to press on or I'm going to settle for defeat. </div>
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Eventually, however, I found that though I began with the greatest of intentions of commitment and discipline, my weeks were soon marked by series after series of faithfulness and unfaithfulness alike. There were weeks I would run every single day, and there were weeks it was a miracle if I ran twice. </div>
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As disciplined as I tried to be, the truth was I just wasn't disciplined enough. As much as I wanted to be faithful to train every day, inevitably something would come up. There were simply no worldly factors motivating enough to get me to the end -- or sometimes even the start. No amount of people telling me I looked good or encouraging my work ethic gave me the strength and endurance I needed to push me to the finish line. Instead I found that when I was working out of those desires, the path eventually just got longer and longer and longer with <span style="font-size: x-large;">no end in sight. </span></div>
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I desperately needed deeper motivation and greater strength than I possessed in my own rite. I remember the night before I was supposed to run 19 miles. It was one of our last long runs before the race. I was driving the route to map it all out for the next morning, and I had to pull over because I was physically sick. I remember saying, "Lord, there is no freaking way. There is NO WAY. I can't do this. I haven't trained well enough. I haven't been faithful. I know we've come a long way, but let's just call it good. It has been a fun adventure. You've taught me a lot. I've run 16 miles. That's a feat in itself. Don't you think?"</div>
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And the truth is, I am confident that I could have left it there, and the Lord would not have been any more or less pleased with me. I could have decided that evening I'd had enough, and God's approval of me would not have vacillated or changed in any way, shape, or form. In His abundant mercy and grace, His approval of us is not based upon our performance, our victories, our failures, or our motivations, but <span style="font-size: x-large;">His approval of us is based upon the life that Christ lived on our behalf. </span> </div>
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But yet, while I didn't have to run 19 miles that day for the Lord to love me or to prove my value or worth, I knew that in the stillness of my heart, <span style="font-size: x-large;">He was inviting me to trust Him.</span> </div>
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"Run in faith, CaitCait. Run in faith, believing I will provide for you, not because you did anything to deserve my provision. Not because you trained well or represented me well for the kingdom of heaven but because of who I am. I will be faithful to you ALWAYS. You are precious to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love. No, you didn't do anything to deserve my love or to win my affections, you simply have it -- always and forever. Put your full weight upon me. Lean into me, and believe that I am who I say I am. I will never leave you or forsake you. You allow me to be who I am when you allow me to care for you and supply you with everything you need. Fix your eyes on me. Your strength will come in settling down in complete dependence upon me. The truth is, you can't do this alone, but rely on me. Know that I am enough. I bore the weight of the sins of the world on my shoulders. I have defeated sin and death. Believe I will carry you through this. Trust me. I love you."</div>
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He was inviting me to let go of my pride, my fears, my inadequacies and lean into Him as the One who gives life, strength, joy, and peace to my soul and body alike. He was inviting me to run with Him. He was inviting me to depend not on myself or my own efforts but on <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">His sufficiency.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">He was inviting me to experience Himself.</span></div>
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All throughout the Bible, God was making a way for us to know Him and experience perfect unity with Him forever. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the birds, the lizards, and the lily pads alike. He created everything under the sun and called them good. Likewise He created man and woman (Adam and Eve), and He called them good too because they were. <span style="font-size: x-large;">They lived in perfect union with God, enjoying Him and delighting in Him and His creation every second of the day. </span>Until one day, the serpent Satan came to Eve and asked her, "Did God really say not to eat from that tree?" He made her question God's character and the validity of His word. And ultimately, she chose to reject God's truth for the lies the serpent was feeding her. Adam and Eve, thinking they could decide for themselves what was best, chose to go their own way apart from God. Sin, death, brokenness, pain, and evil then entered the world. Nothing was ever the same, and that is the world we have inherited. But God never intended to leave mankind in that wretched state forever. From the very beginning, He intended to send His one and only son Jesus to take our place and die the death we deserve, so that we might be able to experience Him and be one with Him for eternity. Jesus delighted in coming to earth to save us from our sins.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">God delighted in giving us Himself, so that we might know Him deeply and perfectly forever. We were made to know God. We were made to depend on Him. We were made to experience perfect unity with Him. And apart from Him, life just isn't as God intended it to be. </span>But when we place our faith in Christ, God not only saves us from our sins, He gives us even more of Himself in giving us the Holy Spirit. When we trust that Jesus is who He says He was -- the very Son of God -- and desire Him to be the Lord of our lives, He gives us the Holy Spirit, who comes to live inside our hearts and impart God's power to us daily. Thus for those who believe in and follow Jesus, the very love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of Jesus is living inside of us.</div>
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Not only has He offered me the forgiveness of my sins through Jesus, but through Christ, God has offered me a relationship with Himself. And daily He continues to offer me Himself -- in conversations with heart friends, in smiles and laughter, in the beautiful expanse of nature, in the simple joys of early morning cups of coffee, and even in running.</div>
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Running is something I have grown to love and value deeply because I've found that more often than not, when I'm running, I experience deep intimacy with the Lord. By God's grace, exercising has become an opportunity to completely depend upon the Lord. Every time I run or go workout, I have a choice to either work out of my own strength or to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and work out of the strength of the Lord. Every time I step outside to run, whether it's one mile or three or fifteen miles, <span style="font-size: x-large;">the Lord presents me with an opportunity to trust Him, to believe He's with me, to take a step of faith, and to worship Him. Every time I run, I get to tangibly experience God's goodness and grace lavished upon me in the way He sustains me until the very end.</span></div>
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Exercise is such a gift from the Lord! But like any good gift, I know I can quickly demonize it or idolize it. I can find all of my significance in how much I'm exercising or feel absolutely worthless when I haven't worked out in a couple of days. I can make it all about myself. I can use it as a way to manipulate my body to look a certain way to gain more approval and affection from others. But there have also been times when I've been battling depression, I've wanted more than anything to be able to get outside and exercise, but I literally couldn't move. I felt so paralyzed and found myself stuck in a place of idleness. But it was in one of those moments, the Lord impressed on my heart that the enemy wants us to be idle in every sense of the word. He wants to us to be idle in the way we pursue other people, in the way we share our faith and talk about Jesus, and in the way we live and move and exercise. But God has not called us to a life of idleness. He's called us to a life of engaging in activity and relationships with others and Himself. He's called us to walk with Him, to run with Him, to rest with Him, to dwell with Him and in Him all the days of our lives. He's called us to follow Him. And the best part is, He doesn't expect us to just suck it up, take a deep breath, and walk outside. He promises that with each step we take, He will empower us. He will give us His strength. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwyCscTQHDJHPjYSKKSdjijeRqb4_fFx6EIWqJKbB55z0n4B4pnM3_ydZ-Am9kmKWGT7pT6gChL3f3XkgQ6WDiqiROF3f80RygvPuduXyus5BglrkFHvHrJU8gk3C9fPW2nQMGs93yus/s1600/30ed05b579f722c0c0a1313cff6b17a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwyCscTQHDJHPjYSKKSdjijeRqb4_fFx6EIWqJKbB55z0n4B4pnM3_ydZ-Am9kmKWGT7pT6gChL3f3XkgQ6WDiqiROF3f80RygvPuduXyus5BglrkFHvHrJU8gk3C9fPW2nQMGs93yus/s1600/30ed05b579f722c0c0a1313cff6b17a8.jpg" height="640" width="432" /></a></div>
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If I could encourage ya'll in any way in this area of your lives, it would be to ask God what He would have you trust Him for today, this week, this month, this year. Maybe He's asking you to trust Him to supply you with the strength and energy to run 2 miles. Maybe He's asking you to trust Him that your value is not found in how many miles you run or don't run. Maybe He's asking you to look to worshipping Him as your sole source of motivation for exercising. Maybe He's asking you to rely on Him for the big things and the little things alike.<br />
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Whatever He is calling you to specifically today, I am confident that in every moment, He is offering Himself to you. God loves you. He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because that is what He is like. He knows our deepest needs will only ever be met in Him. He invites us to trust Him, to believe He is good, to depend on Him, and to run with Him for a lifetime. Though we don't see Him physically beside us today, we can know with certainty He's there. And one day, that sweet, glorious, precious day, we will see Him face to face at the finish line, where I'm confident we will have a greeting unlike any other greeting before. We could never make it there on our own, but by His grace, He will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up on us. Thank you, Jesus!</div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-34721320271346692232014-06-16T13:49:00.003-07:002014-06-29T19:26:26.344-07:00Fitness Fetish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYl06cutAZoBsi_pz3GDbYUZYDlK_AdG00IpSPJP0hzl9EXI2yJLU79uBEuo4fZZ7Baxy8H7lmxEt0qXAKdl6S8TdyTRpdqsCvZulG4qnBlOL3adT8GFF7HAxs1sW5j6PKeSORCAfYaBd/s1600/cecd8f73be503c41815291ed49c9ce10.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2373223862873868094" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">This phrase began a long, difficult, but </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><u>redeemed</u></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">journey through my fitness obsession.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF_FElsjdeM82e1Qpi340bUnrPk8YQuRs1_omhWRTphcXbxJY8DpSqE7QXwK_fRlABXLqVyByDs-Mn_jVIK0pIK1s9HHy-uzBLhl7ZWdlJna4YrJ5qkrk9eFnsE9n8GriXbTBJ-mSpyR6/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF_FElsjdeM82e1Qpi340bUnrPk8YQuRs1_omhWRTphcXbxJY8DpSqE7QXwK_fRlABXLqVyByDs-Mn_jVIK0pIK1s9HHy-uzBLhl7ZWdlJna4YrJ5qkrk9eFnsE9n8GriXbTBJ-mSpyR6/s1600/images.jpeg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">If I don't look like this girl, I need to work harder, right? Well I didn't want to be last so I guess I needed to work as hard I could in order to achieve this "perfect, fit bod".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This belief is where the </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">idol of</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">FITNESS</span></div>
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began to control my thoughts.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">Starting my sophomore year of high school, I knew I would be up against hundreds of other, very athletic women to try out for the high school volleyball teams. I was following behind the legend of my older brother who had not only been crowned 'Homecoming King' and 'Mr. MC' (Midland Christian) but was also the star athlete and quarterback for the football team. I walked into high school with pressure (I had placed on myself) to be the starting 'Libero' (back row specialist) for the Varsity team and be in the newspaper for any position I could claim for myself…only then, I thought, would I be <i><span style="font-size: large;">content and valued.</span></i></span></span></div>
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This goal was exciting and good at first until it became my ultimate purpose. My exercise addiction started with this goal and I would practice at 2-a-days for hours and come home and run or workout more. I thought I hadn't done enough unless my body had burned up every ounce of strength and energy I had that day.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">With the cycle of eating very healthy and working out anywhere between 1-5 hours each day for 2 years, my body began to eat itself. Without realizing it, I had gone from</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">127 lbs. to 103 lbs.</span></div>
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and was on the verge of destroying my body.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVJM3HRcxoimByen0vk5kI9CngIEACxVfEM-GTfsaCNg4U9jFAWWpJV1ttcBupSiL3j8TnwmAI26cTkpzRlQmGtwnUsmdsy3UzGi0GeUqM_vk8mYcTffL4XPZCtIMrfcQlTzQtGvWgywy/s1600/female-athlete-triad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVJM3HRcxoimByen0vk5kI9CngIEACxVfEM-GTfsaCNg4U9jFAWWpJV1ttcBupSiL3j8TnwmAI26cTkpzRlQmGtwnUsmdsy3UzGi0GeUqM_vk8mYcTffL4XPZCtIMrfcQlTzQtGvWgywy/s1600/female-athlete-triad.jpg" /></a></div>
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I am convinced I had what is called <u><i>Female Athlete Triad</i></u> where you can have:</div>
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<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Irregular or absent menstrual cycles</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Always feeling tired and fatigued</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Problems sleeping</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stress fractures and frequent or recurrent injuries</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Often restricting food intake</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Constantly striving to be thin</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Eating less than needed in an effort to improve performance or physical appearance</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/wp-content/themes/TriadTestRun/images/bullet.png); background-position: 10px 14px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cold hands and feet</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3SJaxsKqwoaHrPlaF1YUHNJ6mockFXx-WE3lFGZJGR_YcPe8byuaQ78IS3j6VOpsYfEc0LPzZazbzKAgw8ptT5j4ulAcQ98rQlPk0e6_54S1d_fswy6_YOhbv_-sRCwinX6JYCFWd_hz/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3SJaxsKqwoaHrPlaF1YUHNJ6mockFXx-WE3lFGZJGR_YcPe8byuaQ78IS3j6VOpsYfEc0LPzZazbzKAgw8ptT5j4ulAcQ98rQlPk0e6_54S1d_fswy6_YOhbv_-sRCwinX6JYCFWd_hz/s1600/images.jpeg" height="320" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I figured once I got to college "everything would go back to being balanced and happy again" because the high school pressures wouldn't be upon me anymore. However, the obsession with working out had become so much a part of my life that I believed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666;"> "if I miss a day I will be off, depressed or gain weight"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. So, the idol of fitness continued into my freshman year and if I ran less than 5 miles a day, I thought I had failed that day. One of my favorite things to hear was</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666;"> "Lindsay, you look SO GOOD and <u>FIT/SKINNY</u>"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. I know most, if not all girls, LOVE this compliment. The more I heard it, the more I accepted it as my identity. I was the </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"fit/skinny girl"</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">...so I had to keep this title or I felt like my identity was being taken from me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Later in college, however, I had a wake up call. From beating my body for years with under eating and over working out, my stomach decided it needed to riot and take over. I was burning so many calories that I started giving into the carbs I had seen as "poison" before. One handful of cereal...led to another...which led to another. I wish I was kidding, but I privately or publicly would down an <i><span style="font-size: large;">entire cereal box</span></i> in one sitting almost daily because my body got sick of me not giving it the nutrients it needed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I now thought I needed to work off MORE than this extra amount I was consuming. In God's goodness and grace, He sent a trial to help me realize</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I was slowly killing myself with my addiction to fitness.</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I needed to stop and slow down before it was too late.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I was in a 5K race for my sorority in college and decided I wanted to get the fastest time I possibly could. (If you haven't noticed, I am a </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><b>struggling perfectionist</b></i>, <i><b>and God is working on me daily</b></i>:) )</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I got close to the finish line and...."RIP"...I felt it send a tingle down my knee. I tore cartilage in my knee and soon found out I wouldn't be able to RUN, for months!</span></span></div>
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">My identity in being the:</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;">"fit/skinny girl" </span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: center;">
who ran a lot was no longer.<br />
I gained a some weight and in my skewed self-image, I saw myself as a failure. My emotions were everywhere...UP one day, DOWN the next. I hated what I looked like and hated that I was so controlled by my fitness plan, that now, when I could barely walk without pain, my life seemed to lack purpose.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Where did I go wrong?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> This is where I went wrong:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">I lived for a <u>created</u> thing </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(fit body, awards, achieved goals, positions, etc.) </span></span></span></div>
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9HZF739rR5T_FEIpUwKnmuW0X_FT5FnogPoYLpUjdi7RTD3GgpJxyEbbwbkPOW0yE7On0IqHBsvT6a-6qn39geQSu_JAOofo8AfdrJxNaZUuGbCbBnpDF5fAAWF4TDpl4tEicGKHm2Nj/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9HZF739rR5T_FEIpUwKnmuW0X_FT5FnogPoYLpUjdi7RTD3GgpJxyEbbwbkPOW0yE7On0IqHBsvT6a-6qn39geQSu_JAOofo8AfdrJxNaZUuGbCbBnpDF5fAAWF4TDpl4tEicGKHm2Nj/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;">instead of our </span><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Creator</span></u><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I moved from standing on a <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Firm Foundation</i></span> (God),</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> to<i><span style="font-size: large;"> rocky soil </span></i>(relying on working out for comfort).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2373223862873868094" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Cheesy but true:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> "with every <i>TEST</i> there is a <i><u>TESTIMONY</u></i>, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">and with every <i>MESS</i> there is a <i><u>MESSAGE.</u>"</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">My mess and trial of tearing cartilage in my knee ended up drawing me</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">CLOSER TO THE HEART OF GOD</span></i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> I experienced more internal joy and satisfaction once I learned to turn to God and not to fitness for my ultimate SOURCE and COMFORT.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 NIV)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">God soon taught me more about what it looks like to</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><i>seek balance</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> in my life. He gave me this </span><span style="background-color: white;">picture of <i>running a race</i> to help me understand what it looks like to have</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> idols in my life versus running toward Him in this life:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">What this looks like:</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u>-over-doing -</u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (Getting "off track")</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I run too far to the track by doing something too much and becoming obsessed with it. The idol becomes something I must do daily, or I feel like a failure. It becomes one of the first things I think about when I wake up and I would chose it over spending time with God or others.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><u>-under-doing-</u> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Getting "off track")</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">After I wear myself so thin (physically and emotionally) from <i>over-doing </i>for too long, I end up hating whatever it was I was seeking to satisfy me. So, I become apathetic, lose motivation and give up. Running in this direction, I start to struggle more with depression because whatever I thought would bring me joy (apart from Christ), sadly failed to satisfy me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u>-middle/balanced-</u></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Staying "on the track")</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> This is where God wants us, because this leads to life and peace! You aren't running off to the right/over-doing things or to the left/under-doing things but are fixing your eyes toward the end of the race. This is when we are fixing our eyes on Jesus and God's Truth and not toward the crowd who yell at us to "do more!" or "do nothing!".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i>run with perseverance the race marked out for us, </i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i>fixing our eyes on Jesus,</i> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">(Hebrews 12:1, 2 NIV)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God took my MESS and made it a MESSAGE. He redeemed fitness from being an <i>idol</i> in my life to becoming an <i>avenue</i> for me to worship Him and know Him deeper. I felt led to use my testimony to help other women who also struggling with finding balance in this area of fitness. So, I recently finished my Personal Trainer Certification and am looking to use it to help women understand how they can also link their spiritual life to physical exercise. Below are a few practical ideas of what this looks like for me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: #e06666;">WAYS I LINK MY SPIRITUAL LIFE TO PHYSICAL EXERCISE to PROTECT MYSELF FROM THE ADDICTION OF FITNESS:</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">1<i>. Remind myself WHY I workout</i>-</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -remember my "body is a temple"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -it boosts my energy to serve God and others</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> -it helps me sleep better</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -it can be super fun</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -it builds my realtionship with God and others</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -I grow stronger so I can serve and play with my husband & friends (and kids </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">2. While I workout out, I read/listen to something that BUILDS</span></i></span></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> my relationship with God-</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Listen to a sermon podcast (Mars Hills Church, Village Church, etc.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Listen to an audiobook about growing in your relationship with God</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-Listen to music without cussing/sexual impurity (aka I stopped listening to </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">secular rap while I exercised and 'Lecrae' Pandora became my jam)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">3. Memorize scripture-</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> -I write mine on index cards and put them on a ring to flip through them as I </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6 NIV)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>4. Set a limit on how much/often I would workout-</i></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-I committed to not working out more than 5 times a week</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- A healthy range is to at least workout about 30-45 minutes for 5 days or average about 150 minutes/week.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work. (Exodus 20:8-10 NIV)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><i>5. PRAY-</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">-Use this time to pray for the world, friends, family, others and yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">6. Build relationships with people -</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Use this time to meet for accountability with a trusted friend</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Train for a race with others in order to grow a friendship with them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>7. Know your BMI and stay in the HEALTHY range-</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">I've tried many paths (with over-doing or under-doing fitness), </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">and they did bring happiness<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>for a short season</i></span>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;">But, the "race" in any area of life (food, friendships, family, fitness, future plans, finances and having fun) is only satisfying if you are</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><i>running toward Christ.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Be like Paul:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-2 Timothy 4:7</span></span></div>
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Lord Jesus, you are good. You redeem even the darkest, dirtiest parts of our hearts. You are victorious, and you have proven your power over sin by defeating death. Thank you, thank you, thank you, that you care about us, Lord. Thank you that nothing is too small for you and nothing is too big. Thank you for the victory you've shown me in this area of my life. I confess that I am quick to think I've done everything on my own, but that could not be further from the truth. Victory comes from you alone. All glory be to you, Jesus. I admit that it is so difficult for me to talk about food and how I've both made it an idol and a demon in my life, when the truth that it is a good gift from you. You know that though you've provided for me and delivered me in countless ways in this area of my life, it continues to be something I must surrender to you regularly -- sometimes even numerous times throughout the day. Lord, I come before you humbly and ask that you would speak. There is no wisdom in me apart from you. I ask that you would make your truth plain to us about your good gifts and how we can enjoy them as a reflection of your goodness and who you are. I believe that you are the Maker of all things. I trust you, Lord, and ask that the Holy Spirit would fill me and write through me in this time. Amen.</div>
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Wellp ya'll where to begin? As women, it's hard enough for us to talk about the things we're struggling with such as loneliness and depression or perfectionism and performance, but rarely do any of us ever even want to admit to ourselves that we're struggling with body image issues and food. Particularly growing up in church, I remember thinking, "I always hear that we're fearfully and wonderfully made, so I guess girls who really love Jesus don't care at all about what they look like. I guess they just love the way the Lord made them and never feel insecure. So even though I feel insecure about my body all the time, I'm just never going to talk about it. No one can know. No one can know I am scared of food because of what it might do to my body. No one can know I look to food for comfort and security. That is repulsive. How could anyone ever love me in spite of those things?"</div>
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Wowza lemme tell ya, that is the ickiest thought process in the world because it is pushing darkness even deeper into the depths of the pit, but so often that is how we want to live. We are afraid to confess what we're struggling with because we think if other people find out, we will no longer be lovable or we'll lose all credibility with them. It is a horrible, awful lie from the pit of hell, but I will be the first one to admit, that is usually my first reaction when I'm struggling with something. I want to hide. I'm afraid. I want to pretend it isn't real. So I shut my mouth, put a smile on my face, and go about my days like everything is fine, when on the inside, my heart and mind feel as though they're slowly being destroyed. Maybe that's dramatic -- or maybe it's not.</div>
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I want ya'll to take a second and think about a few questions... Maybe spend time with the Lord processing through these things in prayer.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">When was the first time you remember feeling</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What were your exact thoughts?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Why do you think these things started filling your mind?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What did you do about it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have your insecurities ever really gone away?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How have you coped with your insecurities in the past?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How has your view of your body affected </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you ever felt enslaved to food? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">If so, what did/does that look like for you?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">What do you think Jesus would say to you </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How might He want to meet you in this place?</span></div>
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To spark your memories, venture with me back in time to first grade -- yep, first grade. I have this vivid memory of crying myself to sleep one night, which wasn't particularly a rarity, as I was always afraid to fall asleep back in the day (and even now sometimes too, admittedly). But this particular evening, it had nothing to do with my fears of dragons, small pox, malaria, death, fires, or bad guys. This particular evening, my heart was broken about my body -- particularly my calves, in fact. </div>
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My sweet momma came to check on me, and I distinctly remember asking her, "Do you think we could just cut off part of my calves?" I remember her shaking her head in shock, "Cait, what?! Why would you ever want to cut off part of your calves???"</div>
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"Well, Courtney and Jill's calves are so much smaller than mine... Theirs must be prettier than mine... But Mom, just think, it makes perfect sense... When you want something to be smaller, you just cut it, right?" Ahhh the simple minds of children...! "No, no, no, no, Cait!!!! That is not how it works!!! And your calves are beautiful!!!" I'm sure the conversation continued, but that is pretty much all that I remember. Looking back, I'm torn between loling and being filled with horror. At six years of age, my heart and mind were caught up in <span style="font-size: x-large;">the comparison game.</span></div>
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It's funny actually because at that age usually bigger is better -- sack lunches, Barbie collections, backyards, playgrounds, etc. Why didn't that same view carry over to our bodies?! But my mind was sinful from the beginning, so I suppose it only makes sense that I had a distorted view of beauty. All that being said, I've struggled with insecurities about my body and difficulty with food off and on for just about as long as I can remember. I've found myself at every point on the spectrum from demonizing food and resenting and fearing its affects on my body to worshipping it and looking to food for comfort, refuge, and security. I've used food as a means to manipulate what my body looks like and also attempted to find fulfillment in sweet treats to satisfy the emotional emptiness that ultimately only God can provide.</div>
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Though I can even now be shocked at how deeply I can find myself feeling enslaved to food and body image, it shouldn't come as a surprise to us that as women we struggle with all things related to food. Throwback to the garden...</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?' And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">-Genesis 3:1-7</span></div>
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This passage always amazes me because it reveals the fall of man and our struggle with sin so clearly. The serpent approached Eve and made her doubt the authority of both God's Word and His character. He lied to her, caused her to question the Lord, and deceived her into believing she knows what is best. "Does God really love me? Is He trying to withhold good from me? He doesn't want me to be wise. I can know what is best. If that is what I want, it must be best. I can be like God. Heck, I could probably do a better job than Him. I've lived for quite some time now. I'm basically all-knowing..."<span style="font-size: x-large;">From beginning to end, the Bible nails the human condition over and over and over again. </span></div>
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We question the Lord, fall captive to lies, and choose to put our trust in created things rather than the good, perfect, holy, loving Creator himself. We choose the serpent over the Sovereign Lord. How? How do we fall captive death? What is the method of his madness? Satan uses many things to cause us to fall into sin. But at the beginning, he used doubt, pride, and food. He used food, ya'll, which is an incredible, blessed, glorious gift to man from God. But the serpent used it to cause Eve to reject God and assert herself as the authority over her life. Thus we should not be surprised that he likes to use it even now as a way to distract us and draw us away from our perfect Father in heaven. </div>
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How often do we see this in our own life? I know for myself, countless times I have chosen what is delightful to the eyes -- food, fame, the approval of others, skinny arms, money, dresses, alcohol, success -- over the Lord. We think, "I know that technically the Lord is supposed to satisfy me, but even if the He really can satisfy the deep needs of my heart, this _____ will be immediate. It's right before my very eyes. I can be satisfied instantly."</div>
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But the reality is that we're never fully satisfied. We're always left wanting more. Think about it. Have you ever had just one, really great cookie and said to yourself, "Wow. That was so satisfying. I never need another cookie as long as I live." Heck no!!!!! I know for me personally, I can't ever have one cookie without wanting another. I'm never satisfied. The truth is there is absolutely nothing wrong with cookies! I love cookies. Actually, I'm more of an ice cream girl, myself. But I have found in my own heart that often times I am looking for something more in food than it can actually give me. I'm looking for my emotional emptiness to be filled. Lindsay once told me that when we look to food to fill our hearts with comfort, we're looking to something that is broken to fix something that is broken. That statement is filled with so much truth and carries over to just about every area of our lives. Similarly when we refuse to eat certain things, so our bodies will look a certain way in order to fill our need for approval (from ourselves or others), <span style="font-size: x-large;">we're looking to something that is broken to fix something that is broken.</span></div>
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Tim Chester, a writer and church-planter in the UK, has written some incredible articles on this topic, which the Lord has used to change my way of thinking about food and body image. Below is a little snippet from his book <u>A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission around the Table.</u></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">"Before the fall, food was the way we expressed our obedience and trust in God. We obeyed God by eating from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At the fall, food was the way we expressed our disobedience and mistrust of God. It was an attempt to live life without God (expressed through taking forbidden food). We are embodied persons, and so sin affects our bodies. No sooner did Adam and Eve rebel against God than they felt ashamed of their bodies. Sin distorts all of our relationships, including our relationships with food. Here are four ways:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">1. We use food for control instead of looking to God's greatness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">My Mexican friend Alejandro is horrified at the way Americans eat food on the move. We’re so busy trying to be in control that many of us treat food as fuel. As a result we strip food of its identity as a gift, its “gift-ness.” It becomes mere utility. We disregard its rich variety and amazing tastes. Denying that food is a gift allows us commune, and express gratitude is written out of our schedules so we can get on with achieving our own goals. We’re too busy proving ourselves or managing our lives without God to stop and express our dependence.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Food is meant to express our dependence on God, but we use food to express our independence from God. For my anorexic friend, food became a way of exercising control. In a scary world full of many things she couldn’t control, she could at least control what went in her mouth. But, as she herself put it, this practice quickly escalated and became out of control. Anorexia is for some a way to exercise self-sovereignty instead of trusting the sovereignty of God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">2. We use food for image instead of looking to God's glory.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Food became a means of salvation and deification now, just as it was in the garden of Eden. Satan tells Eve that she and Adam will become like God if they eat the forbidden fruit. Our concern for self-image is an attempt to be godlike. We want to be worshiped. We are concerned with our glory instead of living for God’s glory. We are controlled by the opinion of others instead of recognizing God as the glorious one whose opinion is the one that truly matters.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Today we still take the fruit—or deny ourselves the cake—to become godlike, people with bodies others will worship and serve. The tragic irony is that Adam and Eve were already like God, having been made in his image. But we attempt to remake ourselves through food into a form that others will worship.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">3. We use food for identity instead of looking to God's grace.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">For some food is aspirational. We use it to express the image or lifestyle to which we aspire. Organic and whole-food produce—these are the things that prove you’re enlightened and politically aware. Or maybe it’s steaks and burgers—they make you feel like a true man. Or maybe it’s pot roasts and home-baked apple pie like your grandmother made—they make you a traditional, all-American mom. Or maybe it’s cordon bleu and haute cuisine—they make you an urban and urbane sophisticate. Others manipulate food to prove themselves through their looks by obsessing about their calorie intake. We use or misuse food to form our identity instead of finding our identity in Christ. We use food to achieve identity instead of receiving it by grace.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">The first thing that happens when Adam and Eve eat the fruit is that they feel shame (Genesis 3:7). Still today our attempts at self-salvation through food lead to shame. They generate body-image problems. Slimming programs can offer a kind of points-based religion. Salvation comes through being accepted by others, and a beautiful body is the means by which we save ourselves. Food is rated, so your progress toward salvation can be scored. Your life is assessed when you stand on the scales. Weight loss equals righteousness; weight gain equals condemnation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">4. We use food for refuge instead of looking to God's goodness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">We often use food as an escape instead of finding refuge in God. We self-medicate with food. We become priests bringing offerings of chocolate to ourselves. We find comfort in sugar, salt, and fat instead of the living God. The result is ill-health and weight gain. Some people then try to manage this through dieting, bulimia, or anorexia.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Life without God is an empty life, and we cannot fill that emptiness with food. We miss the opportunity to turn to God. We want to live by bread alone. We find true refuge in the comfort of God and true satisfaction in the goodness of God. Neither eating to live (food as fuel) nor living to eat (food as salvation) is right. We’re to eat to the glory of God and live to the glory of God. We're to gratefully receive food in all its wonderful variety as a gift from God as eating continues to express our dependence on him and our submission to his good reign."</span></div>
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Wow. That is so convicting to me every time I read it -- every single category. I have used controlling what I eat or don't eat to exercise sovereignty and control over my life, instead of trusting in God's goodness. I have sought glory for myself in what I look like and used food -- or lack thereof -- to manipulate my body into looking a certain way. I have used food for an escape instead of finding refuge in the Lord. What is the hope in all of this?</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Our hope is always found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that God did not leave us alone to save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">"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 it is 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." -Ephesians 2:4-10</span></div>
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God, in His rich mercy, love, and grace made a way for us to be forgiven of all of our sins and free from sin's power over our lives forever. Our Father made a way for us to be made right with Him again through Jesus. He sent His one and only son to live a perfect life on earth. Jesus never sinned, always trusted God, always glorified God. He never looked to the things of this world to satisfy Himself. He didn't need the things of this world because He was perfectly united with the Father, who filled Him with everything He needed for life. He lived the perfect life we never could and took on the punishment for our sins. He took on the punishment I deserve for my idolatry. He took upon Himself all of my pain, all of my guilt, all of my shame. He took on every morning I've stood on the scale and sought my value in the number -- not in the Lord. He took on every night I've attempted to numb my feelings of depression in a plate of cookies and a tub of ice cream. He took on my fears and my anxiety, my anger and my bitterness. He took them all upon Himself because He knew we would never be able to bear the weight of it all. He loves us that much. He died in our place, and three days afterward, He rose from death. He endured the cross, disregarding its shame, shamed death and even the enemy himself. For nothing can withstand the power of God. <span style="font-size: x-large;"> Jesus made a way for us to have a perfect relationship with God. He made a way for us to experience life in the way that God intended. </span></div>
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When by His grace, we place our faith in Jesus, He forgives us of all of our sins -- past, present, and future. He clothes us in His very righteousness. He adopts us into His family and commits to us forever and ever. He makes us His own. He gives us life and life abundantly. He gives us victory over sin. He gives us the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside our hearts and fill us with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He imparts to us His power and life. He keeps us. He sanctifies us, and He will be with us forever. Thus whatever we're facing, there is power in the name of Jesus. He hears. He sees. He cares. He is not disgusted with us. He love us. He enjoys us. He is so good that He delights in us. He does not only want to forgive us of our sins, but He wants to set us free from any and all sin in our lives. He wants to make us like Christ. </div>
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We can be completely honest before the Lord about where we are at and with what precisely we are struggling. He already knows, and His grace abounds to us in all trials. The most intimate moments in my relationship with God are always when I am completely honest with Him about what is going in my heart. He always receives us with love. He is so true to His character. </div>
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"We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we also will live with Him. We know that death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." -Romans 6:6-11</div>
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Whether you're struggling with finding your value in what you look like or feeling like a slave to what you eat or don't eat, I want to encourage you to ask the Lord why it is you're finding yourself in that spot and how Christ can meet you there. For me, I know that when I'm seeking my value and worth in my appearance, I'm not believing that the Lord is a good maker. I'm not believing that God loves me so much that He would not only send His one and only Son for me, but He will also be with me and provide for me. By His grace, His standards are not my standards. Thank you, Jesus. He has made me lovable despite what the number on the scale says. He would love me whether I weighed 120 pounds or 200. He loves me whether or not I only eat salads or BigMacs and french fries. But likewise, He knows my heart. He knows my motives. Am I eating a certain way to add glory to myself? Or am I eating in a healthy manner to honor the Lord with the body He's given me? Am I delighting in food as the satisfaction of my soul? Or am I enjoying a good gift God has given me and is it causing me to worship the Giver?</div>
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The truth over our lives, by the grace of God is this, God has given us power over our choices. We have been blessed with both bodies and food. They are good gifts, but they are not meant to consume us. We were made for more than defeat. We were made to be united with the Lord and experience perfect unity and satisfaction in Him. We eat at least three times a day, am I right? Thus if the Lord has graciously allowed food and body image to be a part of our sanctification, at least three times throughout the day, <span style="font-size: x-large;">God has set aside time for us to surrender ourselves wholly to Him, to ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to believe His truth over our feelings, to rely on Him for victory in our lives, and to trust Him to be our source of comfort and security.</span></div>
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"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with in your body." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20</div>
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"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' 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." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10</div>
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"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." -John 14:15-18</div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-86151402466480212252014-06-12T14:22:00.001-07:002014-06-15T21:23:07.378-07:00Struggling with Food<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." -Liars</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">False.</span> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I've tried it, millions of women have,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> and nothing taste </span><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">worse</span></i><span style="color: #757366; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">than striving for a body type that isn't natural.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Did you know that<span style="color: #e06666;"> 80%</span> more women began having disordered eating or an eating disorder after media was introduced into their culture. I confess that<span style="color: #e06666;"> I was in this percentage</span>. My struggle with food has been a long, tiring, frustrating, defeating road that I have traveled since I was a Junior in high school. I am now almost 25 years old and look back at how this struggle has scarred me and how oblivious I was to the scary reality that </span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> food controlled my life.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It all started with the influence of </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">media</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in my life. Before reading "Shape" (or other popular health magazines) and becoming plugged into social media (tv, Facebook, movies, etc.) I had no idea my body wasn't what my culture decided was "</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">the standard of beauty"</span><span style="font-size: large;">. This standard demanded that I should look like the models on the cover of these magazines, be as skinny as possible, eat less than I burned that day and eat nothing with fat or carbs in it…Really? All this led to depression, loneliness, fear of being fat, losing hair, looking malnourished, losing friendships and </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">spiritual bondage</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I struggled with this for years, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">food was a means to <span style="color: #e06666;">control </span>painful feelings, my body, and unhealthy relationships with guys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I needed control and desired perfection in my life, I used food to attempt to get there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was scared of eating <span style="color: #e06666;">too much</span> because I feared feeling out of control or fat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I feared <span style="color: #e06666;">not eating enough</span> because I couldn't stay awake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I feared <span style="color: #e06666;">eating enough</span> because I wanted to be "better & more than average".</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">" You <span style="color: #e06666;">worship</span> whatever you <span style="color: #e06666;">worry</span> about…"</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do you find yourself worshiping food and/or body image?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My struggle was eating too little in the beginning; however, there is another side of this coin where food (rather than God) became a source of comfort and contentment for me. Both overeating and under-eating can become an idol and <i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">neither will</span></i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i> ever satisfy you.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Girls think guys want them to be skinny, but after discussing this topic with my husband, he assures me that quality <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>"men want to see women at a healthy weight"</i></span>. Super skinny, taken too far, is not attractive. In their minds, healthy weight and eating habits often represent confidence and discipline, two very attractive qualities to men. If you find yourself wanting to change your body so that men will notice you, you may want to rethink your motives. </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don't have many pictures documented in the brink of my struggle or I would show them; however, here this is the reality I was living for too many years:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Look happy, confident & popular on the <span style="color: #6aa84f;">OUTSIDE</span>….hide the depression, anxiety, control addiction on the <span style="color: #6aa84f;">INSIDE</span>." </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>-Self</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I had no idea I had manipulated my body with food to look as if I had 0% fat on my bones. That's what media told me was "beautiful"…media's definition of "beauty" was killing me slowly.</span></span></i><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></i><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /><br /></span></i><i style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333;">If you Google </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><u>“skinny definition”</u></span><span style="color: #333333;"> on Webster's what will pop up is the following:</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></i><i style="background-color: transparent;">Adjective: (of a person or part of their body) Unattractively thin.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">1. </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">resembling skin</span><span style="color: #333333;">: membranous</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #333333;">2a. lacking sufficient flesh: very thin: emaciated</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #333333;">2b. lacking usual or desirable bulk, quantity, qualities or significance.</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #333333;">So how did our </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">culture</span><span style="color: #333333;"> take this word and use it to represent a goal, or rather set </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">“skinny” </span><span style="color: #333333;">as a bar to be attained? Or more simply stated, why do millions of women and men want to be associated with the word “skinny”?</span></i></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">normal eating vs. disordered eating</span></div>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">normal- </span><span style="font-size: large;">eat because you're hungry, accept body shape/size, eat in response to hunger/satiety</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">dieting-</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">count calories, skip meals or types of foods (good and bad foods), follow diet plan. Dieting is a g</span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">ateway for eating disorder and is the m</span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">ost common behavior that will lead to an eating disorder.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">subclinical eating disorder</span><span style="font-size: large;">- occasionally taking diet pills, preoccupied with food/body, some loss of control around food (compulsive behavior) count calories strictly.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">clinical eating disorder</span><span style="font-size: large;">- anorexia nervosa, binge eating</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most liberating things I realized in the midst of my eating disorder was that I was</span><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">not alone</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> in this struggle with food. I later found out that </span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">90% of females battle with disordered eating and </span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">60-70% of people with eating disorders have anxiety disorders. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Experience freedom!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">God doesn't leave us stranded in figuring out how to find freedom in the battles we face. He clearly states in His Word to take up the<span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #e06666;">shield of FAITH</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">and the </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;">sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;">With these two pieces of armor, we are ready for the daily battle against disordered eating and unhealthy body image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">the armor of God:</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>10</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the<span style="color: #e06666;"> shield of faith</span>, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the <span style="color: #e06666;">sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God</span>. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> (Ephesians 6:10-17)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></i>Applying this Truth means that you apply the "R.E.E.D" acronym that I had talked about in the previous blog titled, "Desiring Worldly Fun".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Apply this simple acronym to your everyday life, and watch yourself find freedom in Christ through His powerful Word. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">R-ecognize</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Your Emotions! Ask God to show you what emotions you are feeling and why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">E-xpress</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Your Emotions to God! He already knows them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Example- "I am tired of drinking and messing up with my boyfriend. I feel so defeated by this, but Lord, I want to follow You and not my sin."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">E-valuate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Your emotions in Light of God's Word!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Are my emotions in charge? What do they reflect about my beliefs about God?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">D-ecide</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To replace your thinking and behavior with God's Truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">BEAUTY</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Lie</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">:</span></b></span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>"</b>We have to look a certain way to be beautiful and if we don’t look that way we won't be as valuable to others. We constantly need to worry about our appearance because that is what really matters. If I don't have a certain body type, I will be </span></i><i>unattractive and undesirable."</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Truth</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b style="color: #3d85c6;">:</b></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Psalm 139:14 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are God’s masterpieces. We were fashioned by him and absolutely beautiful because our Creator can NOT make mistakes.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">According to 1 Samuel 16:7 God does not care much about our outward appearance, He is concerned with our heart.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #011321; letter-spacing: 0px;">You are all together </span><span style="color: #e06666; letter-spacing: 0px;">BEAUTIFUL</span><span style="color: #011321; letter-spacing: 0px;">, my darling; there is</span><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">no flaw</span></span><span style="color: #011321; letter-spacing: 0px;"> in you. Song of Solomon 4:7 </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">Below is a video a few friends and I did for "Project Illuminate" to encourage women that they are not alone in their battle with unhealthy body image and insecurities. "Project Illuminate" is a call to value, worth and freedom. Women today live in a battle of insecurity from body image, but you're not alone and the battle is already won - walk in the Light.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyuX-sZ4Rkx7a3Mw59egriJvIRKV7LQuI4mg5H0zygMtG59Zop1vgm3JNR0D6H5BhZHznQUpZGnLM0z51nsHQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are looking for a tool to help you assess where you are on the spectrum with healthy vs. disordered eating, this website will help!:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>http://www.eat-26.com</u></span></i><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u> </u></span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">(The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)</strong><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"> is probably the most widely used standardized </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16px;">self-report measure of symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders.)</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M3BYtEnpiFrLy6la_LF-MZX1hr5MJODO5GVK-XArIEUxmiu5ikFFf9wzXfi2wvrTH14VHk20SOGrtUMTuLCC-LQDkhP5quao6vHF_tAzKBrVUtlV5tp4LxcqmkHCM-eRP1o2Fd0-1Zs/s1600/thisgirlisonfire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M3BYtEnpiFrLy6la_LF-MZX1hr5MJODO5GVK-XArIEUxmiu5ikFFf9wzXfi2wvrTH14VHk20SOGrtUMTuLCC-LQDkhP5quao6vHF_tAzKBrVUtlV5tp4LxcqmkHCM-eRP1o2Fd0-1Zs/s1600/thisgirlisonfire.jpg" height="640" width="496" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Father, thank you that you are near. You are good. You are light in whom there is no darkness at all. You made the trees and the birds and the flowers and every single one of us. You are Lord over the skies and the seas. You are Lord of all. Not even a bird can fall from the sky without your knowledge. You see us. You hear us. You are abounding in grace and love, when we have done nothing to deserve your kindness at all. Thank you that your character is not like our own. No one could ever love us more or better than you, Jesus. I confess that often while I know you see me and delight in me, I am so quick to act as though that isn't enough for me. I run to the opinions of others to find my value and significance. I'm so sorry for devaluing your approval of me so often. I ask that you would change me. Reveal to me, Lord, why I am so quick to look to busyness and fun and what others think of me to find myself valuable and worthy of love. Speak through me, Lord. Teach me. There is no wisdom in me apart from you. I trust you, Father, and I believe, by your grace, you will speak through me. Thank you for saving me and committing to me forever and ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So from what I hear, most people have their<span style="font-size: x-large;"> wild child</span> stages in high school or college, right? My wild child stage, however, was a bit postponed, in that it didn't take place until my first year out of college. I had moved to D.C. and was working for Teach for America. Initially when I moved there, I didn't really know anyone, to be honest. I had made a sweet friend from Louisiana from our little TFA Facebook group, and I had become friends with my roommate from one of our mutual friends from college. But that was about the extent of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thus as most people do after graduating college, I was forced to pretty much completely start over. I had to make all new friends, establish my identity, find a church, set up boundaries for myself, figure out how to be an adult, and more. Lemme just tell ya, from my experience, the learning curve for adulthood is huge. If you're not there yet, let me be the first to forewarn you. Get ready. They don't tell you these things when you're in college. Or at least to the best of my knowledge, no one told me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All that being said, let's let the fun begin, shall we? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Embarrassing story time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So my roommate, Chelsea, and I were just about to move into our new apartment. TFA Summer Institute was coming to a close, and we were ecstatic to finally have the chance to get everything together and start our little lives -- two blocks from the Capitol in a beautiful, quaint building with wood floors and creamy walls, which I will forever hold near and dear to my heart. We lived on the third floor in Apartment #5. The Supreme Court graced us with its presence morning and night just beyond the picture window in our living room. I remember standing in the middle of the apartment the first day I saw it, squealing and saying, "Lord Jesus, I can't believe you would do this for me!!!!!!" The joy is filling my heart again, even as we speak. It was so fun! I love that city more than I can say.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chels and I resolved to throw a little impromptu party at our apartment the night before we actually moved all of our things. We didn't really have any food to offer anyone, let alone any tables at which people could sit. So naturally we made a picnic consisting of chips and salsa on the apartment floor. I remember thinking, "Wow. This is so fun!!!! I'm an adult. I live in the freaking capitol city of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and I'm having people over to my house even though we have absolutely no furniture, nothing hung on the walls, and there isn't even a candle burning in the living room. This defies almost everything I know about being a Southern hostess, and I love it!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">cue Pitbull/Ke$ha... "Let's make a night you won't remember. I'll be the one, you won't forget."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lol... After that, however, I admit I don't remember much more because I had so much to drink that ... how shall I put this? My memory evades me... What I do remember -- quite vividly, in fact -- was waking up the next morning feeling as though a whirlpool of death was churning around in my stomach. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is where it gets good. So Chelsea and I had arranged to pick up a couch we had found on Craigslist that morning. Our plan was to metro to the closest Zipcar location, grab our little rental truck, pick up our new (to us) white couch, and begin settling into our new home! I had imagined that day would be filled with only the sweetest of memories -- new couches, laughter, maybe a little run around the National Mall afterwards. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What I did not quite envision was <span style="font-size: x-large;">the unforgettable moment in which I had to ask the Craigslister from whom we purchased our couch if I could use her bathroom to throw up because I was so sick.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel like everyone can agree when you pick something up you've purchased on Craigslist, it's a get-in and get-out scenario. You don't want to stick around, and they don't want you sticking around. But literally the last thing you want to do is spend more than 10 minutes in the Craiglister's bathroom -- throwing up for what seemed like an eternity. This is especially the case for germaphobe #1 here, but <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>desperate times call for desperate measures.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Such a shining hour in the life of Caitlyn Kutch. Quite a valiant, respectable, and lovely precedence I set for myself those first few weeks of life in the District... Heavens!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though I promised myself I would never do that again, this pattern continued quite regularly throughout the course of the fall. I can't tell you how many Friday nights I thought, "I just want to have fun!" and how many Saturday mornings I thought, "Was that really that fun? And was that fun really worth it because now I feel like death. I will NEVER do that again." Until next weekend. It's all for the sake of being fun, right? Being liked? Fitting in? Having fun? Feeling full of life? Even though I would have never admitted it, those were undoubtedly the thoughts running through my head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet while I was having <span style="font-size: x-large;">"more fun"</span> than I'd ever had, I'd never been more <span style="font-size: x-large;">miserable and depressed</span> in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you ever felt that way? "I'm supposed to be having so much fun. I'm living the high life. I have enough money to go out on the weekends and buy what I want, within reason. I have friends. I'm living in this glamorous city, doing all of these glamorous things. I should be so happy, but I'm actually miserable." The irony...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I remember one Sunday morning in November, feeling horribly sick and sorry for myself (just call me the pity party queen). I pulled myself out of bed and walked to the Starbucks closest to my house, ordered a cup of coffee, and sat down to spend time with the Lord. I slowly and quietly approached His throne that morning in a Starbucks on 3rd and Pennsylvania with a blue pen in my hand and my head hung low. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Father... Father, I never thought I would be in this place. Why? Why am I seeking after all of these things to satisfy me? Why do I so desperately want to have fun? Why do I so desperately want to be fun? Lord, when I'm really honest, this isn't fun! Maybe I have fun for an hour or two or maybe four, but it's never enough. It's as though there is this deep, insatiable hole inside of my heart that I'm trying to fill, and no matter what I do it's never enough. Whenever I go out, I am consumed with thinking about what others are thinking about me,<i> 'Do they like me? Am I fun enough? Am I being weird? I just want to be known and liked and loved and valued. I hope they like me. What can I do to be more likable? What can I do to be more fun?'</i> It's horrible, and all I can think about is myself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm so depressed that I end up throwing myself into these situations that I think are going to change the condition of my heart and fill me with joy, only to find that the next morning, I'm right back where I started -- if not worse. Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your daughter. I have looked to my job, this city, friends, beer, wine, boys, what others think of me, my reputation, how 'fun' I am, and more to find the satisfaction I'm so desperately searching for, when deep in my heart of hearts, I know that kind of satisfaction is found in you alone. What am I doing? <span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm scouring the world, hoping to find fulfillment, freedom, joy, value, significance, and love, when you've already offered it to me freely.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm so broken. I have been so ungrateful and hard-hearted. I've known you as my Lord and Savior and closest friend, and it's as though I've abandoned you for all the things of this world. I've exchanged you -- the one, true, holy, perfect, just, gracious, and loving Lord -- for the broken things of this world. I've looked to things that are broken to fix my brokenness. I have refused to receive your joy and your plan and sought to find and create it on my own, only to discover that I can't find true joy apart from you. I have spoken so many words of complaint. Oh Jesus, I'm so sorry. I don't -- "</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was almost as if He stopped me right there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was though in an instant everything has been forgiven and cast into the sea of forgetfulness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">"Quick!" He said with overflowing love and compassion, "Turn on some Christmas carols, and let's deck the halls with boughs of holly because my baby girl is home! Where's the dazzling radiant silk? Let's dress her in the finest. Let me look at you. Ohhh you're so beautiful. How I've missed you! Can I spin you? I know how you love to spin...! I love you. Oh I love you so much, little one."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It gives me chills to this day. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our Father receives us in our brokenness, in our wickedness, in our callousness, and He doesn't only open the door to let us in His home, He runs to us with open arms and abounding joy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Lord ran to me with deep gladness in His heart that morning, as He had done many times in the past, has done many days since, and by His grace, will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I continually find myself in sin, and somehow in He continually shows me His grace and steadfast love, which will never depart from me. Thank you, Jesus. Not only did the Lord receive me with gladness that day, but He was so gracious to teach me what was going in my heart -- something I have been learning and re-learning over the past two years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He began to teach me how and why "having fun" and "being fun" had become such an unhealthy idol in my life. In all honesty, there wasn't particularly anything wrong with the type of fun I was having. I don't think there is anything inherently evil about alcohol or dancing or staying up late or having a good time. A good drink, a fun dance, and a sassy dress can be so much fun. Heck, I'm all about those things! There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to have fun or being a fun person. I am convinced Jesus is more fun than anyone we know. Furthermore, I believe He created us to have fun -- to laugh, to play, to sing, to be filled with His joy -- so we could experience and worship Him. But the problem was that my "fun" was not leading me to praise, thank, and worship God. What I sought to receive from my "fun" was glory for myself and satisfaction for my soul that only God can provide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">I wanted to be fun, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">so other people would think I was fun, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">so then I could really have fun,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He showed me that "having fun" becomes destructive in my life when I'm using "fun" and the opinions of others as a source to supply me with a greater sense of worth. While I know that I have the complete approval of the Lord because of what Jesus has done on my behalf, I am quick to say,<span style="font-size: x-large;"> "That's not enough for me. Perhaps I have your approval and love, Lord, but what I really want is the love and approval of all of these people. I want them to think I'm fun and cool, and if they do, if they think highly of me, I will feel more significant, valuable, and worthy of love."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How messed up is that??!!!?!!?! Not only was I serving this idea of "fun" but I was serving the opinions of others and ultimately myself. The Holy Spirit helped me to realize that if I left an evening not feeling like I had the complete approval of everyone I was with, I didn't consider it to be a fun evening. And even if I did go to sleep feeling as though I was liked by everyone I had spent time with that night, I always woke up the next morning fearing, "What if they decide they don't really like me after all?" I had become a slave to the approval of others and finding fulfillment in my experiences and things apart from the Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And yet in His perfect wisdom and grace, He reminded me, <span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;">"Your value isn't found in what you do or in what other people think of you, but in who I say you are and what I think of you." </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your value isn't found in what you do, but in who you are. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your value -- for the good or the bad -- isn't found in what you do. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your value -- for the good or the bad -- isn't found in what others think of you. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your value isn't even found in what you think of yourself -- though your opinion of yourself does tend to have a huge affect on how you live. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Your value is found in who the Lord says you are and what He thinks of you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I first heard that, I distinctly remember thinking, "There's no way that's true. How could someone -- let alone God -- ever just love me because He loves me? How could His love for me and approval of me not be dependent upon what I'm doing and how I'm performing? That's literally impossible."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But what do you know, it isn't impossible, and it's completely true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God doesn't love you because of what you do or what you don't do. He doesn't love you because you're the good kid or you share the Gospel with hundreds of people or you feed the homeless or you have memorized the whole Bible. He doesn't love you because you come from a good family or you go to church or you work hard at your job. As much as sometimes I act as though my value is found my performance, it isn't. I am no more valuable when I'm work from 6 a.m. to midnight than when I don't work at all. I'm no more lovable when I wear a size 2 than when I wear a size 8. My worth does not increase when others think highly of me and tell me I'm worthy of love. His love for me does not decrease when I fail miserably, when I cry out in anger, when I harbor bitterness in my heart. Likewise my value and worth do not decrease when I'm spit upon, rejected, and considered ridiculous. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus, we have been given the very value and worth of Jesus Himself. Thus for those who are in Christ, when God looks upon us, He sees the very works of Jesus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's what theologians like to call <span style="font-size: x-large;">the great exchange.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And it is just that. It is the greatest exchange. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFk8fqPZegVEPGCzLzv1PZjqUc66OIDLro7jh9OEXv31MdZK2kJWHQjN0N60qE5dNmrizcsj-EXtj_DFediLR_4RaRmA6Xm75wvgJr71oaUayCWTJTYXV5lbnWQHDFiY3hkni_iCwy2Q/s1600/7cfb47cf981540e959b652a4d985732e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFk8fqPZegVEPGCzLzv1PZjqUc66OIDLro7jh9OEXv31MdZK2kJWHQjN0N60qE5dNmrizcsj-EXtj_DFediLR_4RaRmA6Xm75wvgJr71oaUayCWTJTYXV5lbnWQHDFiY3hkni_iCwy2Q/s1600/7cfb47cf981540e959b652a4d985732e.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God loved us so much that while we were still sinners and wanted nothing to do with Him whatsoever, He sent us Jesus, who came and lived a completely perfect life <b><i>for us.</i></b> The fact that we're sinful means that we've chosen other things over God. We've gone our own way and done what we thought was best in our own eyes. We've ignored God, and though He is Lord of all, we've tried to give ourselves that title -- controlling and manipulating countless circumstances to work out the way we see best fit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The punishment we deserve for our sin is death, but Jesus took on the punishment that we deserve and died in our place. Though He never once sinned, though He never so much as even thought an impure thought, He took on our sin on our behalf, so that we could be free. He knew we would never be able to free ourselves. We would never be able to fix ourselves. We would never be able to make ourselves clean or fill ourselves with joy and peace that lasts forever. But He loved us so much that He came. Knowing we would reject Him, He came. Knowing we would spit upon Him, He came. Knowing He would endure the most brutal suffering of all time, He came. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus was crucified, and He rose from death. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In His death, Jesus took on all of our sins, and He gave us His righteousness. It was the only way we would ever be able to have a perfect relationship with God. God is so perfect and so holy, that nothing but that which is perfect and holy can be in relationship with Him. Obviously we are far from perfect and holy in ourselves, and nothing we do can truly change the sinful condition of our hearts. <span style="font-size: x-large;">But Jesus made a way for us to be made right with God and have a relationship with Him forever. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMm45vMJwALsstng9471vdDqHwewhq04r-6PZesB58GhN__auQduUzXfgS-7qZND4Cr_lXDz9uZ3tzc5XRNLfrL8AtiS8POr4vvNe_TNZA4s4-_8K7XohojyYP-jQea1HASuDNLXNYmcM/s1600/0d177b087feca830f3ec42b18a91f850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMm45vMJwALsstng9471vdDqHwewhq04r-6PZesB58GhN__auQduUzXfgS-7qZND4Cr_lXDz9uZ3tzc5XRNLfrL8AtiS8POr4vvNe_TNZA4s4-_8K7XohojyYP-jQea1HASuDNLXNYmcM/s1600/0d177b087feca830f3ec42b18a91f850.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you place you faith in Jesus, God forgives and saves you from all of our sins. You are made new by His power, and every good thing Christ ever did is now attributed to you. Think about that. Every good thing Jesus ever did is now yours. <span style="font-size: x-large;">When God looks at you, He sees the very works of Christ.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we truly receive this identity, we no longer have to be consumed by whether or not others think we're fun or cool or likable or worthy of love. We have been shown the unconditional love of God through Christ, and our value is now found in Him. It no longer matters if we're the "fun" friends because we have nothing left to earn or prove. We have all of the value and significance we could ever hope for. <span style="font-size: large;">God loves us, delights in us, and enjoys us. He fills us with the Holy Spirit and satisfies the deep needs of our hearts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we truly believe that, when we look to Jesus to find our value and worth, we can enjoy things and people without crushing them. We can have fun without serving fun, constantly worrying what we ought to be doing or how we ought to be acting or how we hope others would perceive us. We can go backpacking through Europe and know that the adventure itself will never satisfy the deep desire for adventure in our hearts, but Jesus can. We can have a drink with friends, knowing that experience will not satisfy the deep needs of our hearts, but Jesus does. Furthermore, we can be confident that any good and pure adventure or great drink or fun experience is a reflection of our good, adventurous, and fun Father in heaven. Thus we are drawn into deeper intimacy with Him and desire to give Him glory and honor for how wonderful He is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I think about the most fun moments in my thus far, they've been moments in which I have felt safe, loved, secure, and free to really enjoy the situations around me. They've been moments in which I've been able to escape the idea that what other people think of me determines my value because my value is secure. I'm free from fear. I'm free from worry. It is in those moments that I am resting in who God has made me to be in Christ. <span style="font-size: x-large;">By God's grace, I wear the robes of righteousness, which I'm pretty sure will sparkle and shine for miles in heaven one day. He has not only called me His own, He has made me His own. He continuously fills me with His goodness and His life, and He is enough for me. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VEMDSUI4gJqMBzdde31IIs3tf04PZYQweQjUMP6IPK640Eu_yPY8W41IlNWUyW8kD5Uo-Q5uWGcFTcuAb8ixIGeV104PzbRvK2VsotYrpz2XjjIfnZEvmBQ34ek6c1p5fx-d73hpIaU/s1600/320d8048dbae3f220e92427bc5d4c4da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VEMDSUI4gJqMBzdde31IIs3tf04PZYQweQjUMP6IPK640Eu_yPY8W41IlNWUyW8kD5Uo-Q5uWGcFTcuAb8ixIGeV104PzbRvK2VsotYrpz2XjjIfnZEvmBQ34ek6c1p5fx-d73hpIaU/s1600/320d8048dbae3f220e92427bc5d4c4da.jpg" height="640" width="436" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but <span style="font-size: x-large;">whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.</span> The water I will give him will become in Him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" -John 4:13-14</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless your name as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied</span> as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." -Psalm 63:1-8</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; <span style="font-size: x-large;">great is your faithfulness.</span> 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore, I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Lamentations 3:22-25</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord, help us to draw near to you. Help us to believe that you are enough for us. Convict our hearts regarding areas of our lives which we are beginning to use for our own glory instead of allowing them to lift our hearts in praise to you. Thank you that you are so fun! Thank you that you've made us to be fun. Thank you that you satisfy our hearts. Thank you for settings us free from our enslavement to the approval of others. May we walk intimately with you today and truly receive the identity you've given us through Jesus. Thank you that you never give up on us, Lord. Thank you for making me your own. I love you forever.</span></div>
the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-37636540547386295712014-05-29T08:05:00.001-07:002014-06-05T20:32:54.514-07:00Desiring Worldly Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97Khj2gH_b3zcrdgzwoxfQLUA8l-CsZg6FEL_6BadAN5dtJ7a7WD-UJct4AtJmYBORlYscn5yDLm-GranS5fZ30KW9SzxTt4fZow7JicjGxgTsiuWO40hNRuwD8DQDuMqVDnspljodsg/s1600/c5c583ff66380c31f64ced11f3547715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97Khj2gH_b3zcrdgzwoxfQLUA8l-CsZg6FEL_6BadAN5dtJ7a7WD-UJct4AtJmYBORlYscn5yDLm-GranS5fZ30KW9SzxTt4fZow7JicjGxgTsiuWO40hNRuwD8DQDuMqVDnspljodsg/s1600/c5c583ff66380c31f64ced11f3547715.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I struggle with constantly looking for opportunities and ways to be entertained. Whether it's going out with friends, doing something new, breaking the rules a bit or just being busy with a buch of random tasks...it is so hard to be STILL. I don't know about you, but I feel guilty, alone or sad if I am not going somewhere or doing something.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">This isn't always a bad thing when it is stemmed out of a desire to please and worship God. However, most often it comes from my desire to please people, remain popular and just make sure everyone (including myself) knows that I am FUN, busy and worth investing time in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I was processing with God one day about my addiction to busyness and keeping up with the world around me, He blessed me with a vision that helped me to desire <span style="font-size: x-large;">intimacy with Him more than I desire to keep up with the busy world around me.</span> This picture involves a <span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">lazy river</span>...the ride we enjoyed as a kid and the ride we still enjoy as adults:) In this vision there were:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">three types of people:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">1. People moving in the SAME direction as the current</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">2. People standing STILL</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">3. People walking the OPPOSITE direction of the current</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Below is a description for each so you can know where you are in the pursuit of God versus <b><i>going along with the ways of this world.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">1. People moving in the SAME direction of the current</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-coasting down the lazy river in an inner tube (comfort)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-are enjoying the pleasures of this world more than the God Who made them-(sex, over consuming alcohol, seeking positions/friendships that will make them popular…etc.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-aren't concerned with their eternal destiny</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-heading in the direction of eternal separation from God</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpp0PQhv_eNAPWzdLOcvETeIsMK6zRfc9miwdtpn11uhKnqSpoBIXJywAdAzp82vGtVk4F55S-gvEkSMI1Yv4oOSBOaFsj_WpwhhmdKBLLQDbsDOD3DQRE_vU7a9aF1Kq-4PJq5NzitQZ/s1600/5632313420_18276420a5_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpp0PQhv_eNAPWzdLOcvETeIsMK6zRfc9miwdtpn11uhKnqSpoBIXJywAdAzp82vGtVk4F55S-gvEkSMI1Yv4oOSBOaFsj_WpwhhmdKBLLQDbsDOD3DQRE_vU7a9aF1Kq-4PJq5NzitQZ/s1600/5632313420_18276420a5_z.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>leads to...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXS_w6dxcsR2cn3zhkzdKfewx_iT8mjn2PzrZeEGFY9fsutqA2QcES-YAa_qR5kScT9LK2Tl5FoDFNE4p7MLJ-HnbNdZCUUSjbRXIokjjFoC0SE38TixflybSnW2xMDCMTAVOyHiIDa4/s1600/93334484a6e68a552430677ebe40594b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXS_w6dxcsR2cn3zhkzdKfewx_iT8mjn2PzrZeEGFY9fsutqA2QcES-YAa_qR5kScT9LK2Tl5FoDFNE4p7MLJ-HnbNdZCUUSjbRXIokjjFoC0SE38TixflybSnW2xMDCMTAVOyHiIDa4/s1600/93334484a6e68a552430677ebe40594b.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(This is what it looks like here on earth, but it actually leads toward eternal death.)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">2. People Standing STILL</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-see that they want a relationship with God more than a relationship with sin</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-get off their inner tube (comfort) but have not started going against the current yet</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObpBWnNEHRU04dbTx3D-JdOjyBKktwk_iN-1kxIjhUzaxBE_-MPErbXditGuGxEZ-IehN9hDrh_rDhWPKQwGOW1Bz3HrP5rRlVRGI3jKV65sqJ0CsS_1yXYqPH2L2whAAr8Z_HxBwvfj9/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObpBWnNEHRU04dbTx3D-JdOjyBKktwk_iN-1kxIjhUzaxBE_-MPErbXditGuGxEZ-IehN9hDrh_rDhWPKQwGOW1Bz3HrP5rRlVRGI3jKV65sqJ0CsS_1yXYqPH2L2whAAr8Z_HxBwvfj9/s1600/th.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a>leads to>>></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGW-HcDK4CIN5Rbwv7S7jCXhR_PbKfhyphenhyphenYNMyzXU0ix1iin8CeKc-NmCA82leexJOsbrPLFJyVVdEpKPCjWQf7aFFWwFYkt5eFtJQUywDel-LZbWJT1XsK08POgqeqZchNQr7Yh44nsCao/s1600/a745ba03f109d8f7c1d14dca43d116ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGW-HcDK4CIN5Rbwv7S7jCXhR_PbKfhyphenhyphenYNMyzXU0ix1iin8CeKc-NmCA82leexJOsbrPLFJyVVdEpKPCjWQf7aFFWwFYkt5eFtJQUywDel-LZbWJT1XsK08POgqeqZchNQr7Yh44nsCao/s1600/a745ba03f109d8f7c1d14dca43d116ad.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">3. People walking in the OPPOSITE direction of the current</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-begin walking toward God (opposite of the curent) and away from sin (with the current)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: start;">-building a relationship with God through reading His Word, talking to Him in prayer and are trusting Him with their life</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They are fighting against sin together because they have eternal HOPE with God in Christ.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WfoXWJ8EunDRNzfKZh7UNIxUIf9IJJEJQ1gmknP4NoS9zz6p_Mc8pZZfH7941V2yQtqSOZNNk904laK_VrI1Av1mfnw67-uGwkmZcF8ftBrUPPpEU9h-wVIJpJiycVdlGezyOLONg49O/s1600/dunnswalkup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WfoXWJ8EunDRNzfKZh7UNIxUIf9IJJEJQ1gmknP4NoS9zz6p_Mc8pZZfH7941V2yQtqSOZNNk904laK_VrI1Av1mfnw67-uGwkmZcF8ftBrUPPpEU9h-wVIJpJiycVdlGezyOLONg49O/s1600/dunnswalkup.jpg" height="331" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">eternal perspective and hope in heaven</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Apply this simple acronym to your everyday life, and watch yourself not just "float" down the river or "stand still", but have the COURAGE and STRENGTH to walk against the current. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">R.E.E.D.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">R-ecognize</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Your Emotions! Ask God to show you what emotions you are feeling and why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">E-xpress</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your Emotions to God! He already knows them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Example- "I am tired of drinking and messing up with my boyfriend. I feel so defeated by this, but Lord, I want to follow You and not my sin."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">E-valuate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your emotions in Light of God's Word!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Are my emotions in charge? What do they reflect about my beliefs about God?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To replace your thinking and behavior with God's Truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I got this acronym from a Bible study called "<u>Be Transformed</u>". Going through "R.E.E.D" brings freedom because you are bringing LIGHT into the dark places in your life that are not based on Truth. Here are a few verses that have specifically helped me fight wanting to conform to the world's ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">be transformed</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2 NIV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is<span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">true</span>, whatever is <span style="color: #e06666;">noble</span>, whatever is<span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">right</span>, whatever is<span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">pure</span>, whatever is <span style="color: #e06666;">lovely</span>, whatever is<span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">admirable</span>—if anything is<span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">excellent</span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span>or <span style="color: #e06666;">praiseworthy</span>—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #001320;">"We </span><span style="color: #e69138;">demolish </span><span style="color: #001320;">arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we</span><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138;">take captive every thought</span><span style="color: #001320;"> to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIcie83xj6dh0XKzJY2Mq7kdIRXY2DImWlxzTTJS46d-oQ-0LGg60dkyv8bB31Z37V2GldZm0OwSdRh5tOw5BW_M4J9XwbywioCTgfjAk5jjfyXBGR-0FxiGMjZY3ASQ_p1i6XnAFCaQ/s1600/intro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIcie83xj6dh0XKzJY2Mq7kdIRXY2DImWlxzTTJS46d-oQ-0LGg60dkyv8bB31Z37V2GldZm0OwSdRh5tOw5BW_M4J9XwbywioCTgfjAk5jjfyXBGR-0FxiGMjZY3ASQ_p1i6XnAFCaQ/s1600/intro.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am convinced that once God brought revelation to the power of these 7 topics in my life, I have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>never been the same.</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that these 7 words refer to the main </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">struggles,</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> obsessions</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">idols</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we face most in our American culture. These areas can be things we hold onto, <i>find value from</i>, and at times even desire much more than God. The amazing thing about these </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7 F's</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, however, is that while they can quickly become idols, they also have power to bring God tons of glory and draw us into closer fellowship with our Maker when we use them to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">worship</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">enjoy Him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are the 7F's along with some of the lies/fears we tend to believe and associate with them:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What job will I have? What if I never "make it to the top"? What if I don't get this position? How many children do I want? What if I can't have children? What if I never get married? What if I don't pass the test to actually be accepted for a job?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My value is in what I look like. My value is in how many calories I ate or didn't eat today I am obsessed with eating/snacking. I can't say no. I can't have self-control and stop myself from indulging. I am only happy when I am eating. I can't eat or I'll gain weight, be fat, and people won't like me as much. I can't eat carbs or fat because then I won't be thin enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I don't workout, I won't be thin/pretty enough. I hate what I look like when I am not thin. Working out makes me happy. I'm addicted to the feeling I get when I'm exercising. I have no motivation to exercise. I feel depressed because I can't get myself to workout. If I miss a day, I might not look good enough. I might gain the weight back. What if one pound turns to 22?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I don't go out/party, people will stop thinking I am fun/cool. I have to be entertained or I will feel depressed. If I don't have something fun to look forward to, I might feel lonely. I need to be around people or I won't have purpose. I have to be busy or I will not have value. Do they think I'm fun? Do I think I'm fun? I only feel secure when I drink. I am constantly fearful others think I'm weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I don't please people, they will stop hanging out with me as much. I need peoples' approval. I am a slave to what others think of me. I have to seek popularity, otherwise I will be lonely and not have value. My value is directly related to how others value me. I can't be alone or I will be sad. If I open up and am vulnerable, people won't accept me. If I don't give into temptation, they won't want to hang out with me anymore. If I don't agree with everything the say, they won't want to be friends with me anymore. Do they like me? Will they always like me?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What if my beloved family member dies? I believe I am unlovable because of how I was treated by a family member in the past. My dad loved my siblings more than me. I will never measure up to my parents' standards. I need to be PERFECT for my parents to love/notice me. I wish I could make them proud, but I'm not enough. My family would love me more if I was prettier. I am responsible for my family's decisions. I have to take care of everyone. I have no one to protect me, so I must protect myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I don't have a lot of money, I won't have value. I need money to succeed in life. If I don't give my money to others, I will have more money stored up for myself. I am scared of being poor because it will mean I will have failed in life. I need more money. There is no limit, and I won't stop until my name is well known and I am rich. I love things! There will always be enough money. I don't think about how much I spend. I am constantly checking my bank account. What if I don't make ends meet this month? How did I end up spending so much again? Where does all my money go?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are most of the fears and lies I have believed under each category. I have talked to countless people who have struggled with the same thoughts and have fought the same battle. This battle is a battle that the enemy, Satan, tries to put up against anyone who walks on this earth. Your battle in each of the "F's" might look a little different; however, <span style="font-size: x-large;">know you are not alone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And <span style="font-size: x-large;">God is faithful;</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; <span style="font-size: x-large;">I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. <span style="font-size: x-large;">Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, </span>that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need." </i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13897423078250539783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-81521977253473490262014-05-26T13:36:00.000-07:002014-05-27T21:32:03.495-07:00"But what if..." and Fearing the Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ya'll admittedly I'm not particularly excited about writing this post because I feel like I'm in the middle of the pit of learning it myself. Lord Jesus, you know how difficult it has been for me to process through everything in regard to the future lately. You know my so often jealous, bitter, negative heart. You know the lies I've been believing. You've stood beside me as I've found myself in a pool of discontentment. Yet instead of turning to you, I've turned my own ways. I've sought comfort in what I look like, my performance, food, relationships, work, and more. Jesus, thank you that you not only saved me by grace but that you daily sustain me and provide for me according to your grace. I ask for your wisdom on this topic. I ask for your divine guidance. Holy Spirit, I ask that you would write through me, that my words would be yours. May your words both pierce our hearts, comfort our souls, and cause us to lift our eyes from the pit of our circumstances and onto you -- the one, true Lord of lords and King of kings who loves us unconditionally. Jesus, help us to receive your love, your mercy, your grace, your truth, your freedom, and your life today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last year when I was teaching kindergarten, we regularly discussed what I lovingly call the,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I grow up, I want to be a good friend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I grow up, I want to have 25 kids and 57 pets and live on a farm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I grow up, I want to be a Barbie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I grow up, I want to make the monies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Massah wanted to be a teacher. Steven wanted to be an artist. Kevin wanted to be Batman. Angie wanted to be a princess. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is going to be entertaining. Take a second and think back to when you were FIVE years old -- missin' your two front teeth, playin' outside after school, drinkin' Kool-Aid in the front yard, spinnin' in circles until you fell over, singin' all the time, livin' the life. Wow. Sounds fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What did 5 year old, little you want out of life?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps you wanted to be a doctor or a scientist. Some of us I'm sure wanted to be mommas or veterinarians. And at times, I'm sure our greatest desire for the future could be found at 7-11 in a Dr. Pepper Icee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I'm honest, it's a little hazy to me now exactly what I wanted my future to look like when I was five, but somewhere between 5 and 24, I know I've envisioned myself being an actress, the first woman President of the United States of America, a wife, mommy, an overwhelmingly successful business woman (naturally), a missionary, teacher, lawyer, writer, entrepreneur, fashion designer, professor, gardener, world traveller, the list goes on. I would venture to say most all of us dreamt big dreams from young ages. Those were the days when anything was possible. For many of us, the realities of finances, education, family structures, and more were not on the forefront of our minds. We were free to go to school, learn, play with our friends, eat our snacks, and get tucked into bed with a hug and a kiss every evening. We were innocent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now of course innocence is not synonymous with faultlessness or sinlessness. We were all undoubtedly born as sinful beings. When I say innocence, I mean our untapped awareness of the brokenness, pain, and evil in the world both around us and even in ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A childhood filled with innocence, however, was not the case for everyone. Unfortunately, many precious, little ones haven't had a mommy to tuck them into bed or a daddy to kiss their foreheads and tell them they're beautiful. Whether they've gone to bed hungry or been forced to support their parents on their own, my heart aches for the countless little munchkins who have been forced to grow up far more quickly than they should have. Yet even for those who didn't experience losing their innocent, carefree, fearless hearts in one of those ways, sooner or later, the loss set in for all of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Suddenly our outlooks on life became less rose-colored and much more murky. We began to believe lies about ourselves, our world, and even God himself. <span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Instead of viewing the future through a lens of hope, we eventually began filtering the future through a lens marked by the brokenness of our past.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I was in love with him, but he didn't like me. There must be something wrong with me. I think I'm sweet and fun, so maybe he just didn't think I was pretty? That's it. I must not be beautiful or desirable."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I experienced such pain in that situation. I felt so alone. I felt like I had to protect myself. I have to protect myself. I can never open myself up to that kind of pain again."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Why did that have to happen? I don't understand. Jesus, where were you? Where are you? A cloud of dread must dwell over my head. I can't expect good things, because I don't want to be disappointed. So I suppose I will just always expect the worst, and hopefully I will occasionally be pleasantly surprised."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's funny though because on the surface, I don't think we even notice lies such as these tainting our vision of the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If someone asked me this afternoon what I hoped my life would look like in 15 years, I would say, "I obviously want to be walking intimately with the Lord. I hope that my relationship with Him would be characterized by intimacy, vulnerability, grace, love, trust, and joy. I want to be free from fear, anxiety, and bitterness. I would love to be married to a man who loves the Lord whole-heartedly. I hope to be a wife who respects, honors, loves, celebrates, and encourages my husband with joy in my heart. I hope to be a woman who truly believes that God delights in me and continuously draws me into His love daily. I'd love to be a mommy and raising our little babes to be fearless, compassionate adventurers who know Jesus, love Him, and want to be like Him. I hope that we're fostering or adopting children who don't have mommies and daddies to hug them and tell them they're beautiful and valuable. I'd love to be working in whatever capacity the Lord would have me, writing, and sharing the Gospel with people who are best friends with Jesus and people who've never met Him before. And hey, I mean if we're being honest, I wouldn't hate living in a beautiful home, running 4 miles a day, lookin' like I'm 29, growing hydrangeas and peonies in our garden, and wearing cute, floral, peplum dresses."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet when we get just below the surface, all of those hopes and dreams for the future are muddled and mixed and combined with fear and doubts and lies such as: "God is going to give me the opposite of what I want. God isn't really going to protect me. Could He ever really give me good things? Is God really good? Will He really be committed to me forever? Will He really love me no matter what?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And if we aren't aware of it, sooner or later, though the hopes and dreams we speak of and tell others about may look and sound like the hope depicted above, but we doubt with all seriousness whether or not they could ever come to pass. Instead, in the back of our minds, we can begin to view our futures in terms of drudgery after drudgery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I hope to get married, but what if it turns out he's a maniac? He'll probably be deceptive and lazy, and I will end up having to provide for us completely. We'll live in a shack, and I will never again be able to cut my hair or get a pedicure. Or honestly, no man may ever ask me on another date. Yep, this is it. No more dates ever. I'll never be married. I will probably just throw myself into my work and come home sit in this dark house in despair all the days of my life. Or maybe I will fall in love one day. Of course, he'll really love Jesus! But then he'll probably get cancer and die, and I will wind up alone again. Perhaps we'll have kids, but I'm sure they'll be a wreck. I'll end up being so stressed all the time that I will inevitably eat away all my feelings and gain 300 pounds. My legs will stop working. All the bills will be turned off. No one will ever visit me, and eventually, I'll probably die of a heart attack or cancer or diabetes."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Saddest face ever. Yuck! I hate that my mind can so quickly go there. It's a desert land that is dark and scary. When I step back and survey that icky vision of the future, it's clearly full of sorrow and suffering, but it's also completely devoid of my heavenly Father. I can't help but say to myself, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"No wonder it's horrible and terrifying, Cait, in that version of the future, Jesus isn't there." And even though those things haven't happened and probably never will, they can <b>seem </b>so possible and unbearable at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">But the truth is that no matter what happens in the future, our perfect Father not only will be there, He already is there. In His goodness and His glory, in His love and sovereignty, He is there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The truth is that no matter how depressed or anxious I'm feeling on your average Wednesday morning, my feelings have absolutely no affect on who God is. He is not any less good because I am sad and feel like He's withholding good from me. God is good. Lord, help us to believe this. Help us to sing the truth of your goodness in our hearts, in our minds, and over our lives. God is good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is he who takes refuge in Him."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"For the Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Our Father is wholly and completely good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Think about your nearest and dearest friends. Think of your favorite place in the world. Think of grace. Think of the sunshine, picnics, new dresses, flowers, camp, bike rides, the ocean, feeling known and loved, sharing the Gospel, pedicures, traveling, dark chocolate, dark beer, carrot cake, music, babies, puppies, coffee, water, airplanes, the Bible, learning, reading, weddings, chalkboards, a job well done... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my opinion, these things are GOOD. They're some of my favorites. Yet think about the God who created the world. He made the stars and the skies. He measured the entire universe with merely the span of His hand. Every breath, every heartbeat, every function of every organ in our bodies is a gift from His loving hands to us. Every animal, every tree, every story, every life -- He knows them all because He made them all. The things of this world are sweet gifts from our Father. They are wonderful and enjoyable, but they're merely a teeny, tiny reflection of the goodness of our God -- even BETTER is our God. He is better than our mind could ever begin to comprehend. And His Word says, <span style="font-size: x-large;">"No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This doesn't mean that everything that I want I will receive. This doesn't mean that God loves me more if I see financial gain at work or experience peace within my family. This doesn't mean that God will shower nothing but butterflies and rainbows upon me every day for the rest of my life. The truth is that sometimes the most loving of gifts come in the most difficult packages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While I'm not entitled to a husband, chances are I'll probably get married one day. I am convinced I heard once that that 9 out of 10 women end up getting married at some point in their lives. While I could be in the 10%, admittedly, I like that statistically speaking, the odds are on my side. I am not entitled to have a family, but there is a huge possibility that by God's grace I will be able to have or adopt some babies one day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though simultaneously it is possible that I will never get married, and if that is the case, God is still good. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is possible that one day I will receive a tragic phone call that shatters the entire world around me, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but if and when that happens, I have to believe that God is still good.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If one day I survey my life and see everything I'd ever wanted, there is a chance that the next morning, a massive storm could destroy it all in an instant. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Yet even still, God will still be good.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">He cannot change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years I thought that if God really loved me, my circumstances in life would look differently. I often prayed, "Lord, how could you allow such suffering and sorrow?" </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And even now in moments of deep loneliness and despair, depression and hurt, that question can again well up in my heart. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But in those moments of frustration, anger, doubt, and despair, He takes me back to a garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He takes me back to a garden, where just over 2000 years ago, He watched His Son kneel in anguish. Jesus, who never sinned and lived a completely perfect life, was about to die. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though Jesus knew in a few short hours He would be bruised, beaten, tortured, and eventually crucified, He said, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How could He do that? How could Jesus have given up all of His rights as the perfect God of the universe? How could He have surrendered His glory for such a painful death? How could He have endured so bravely in such humble submission to God in such dire circumstances, knowing He was about to die?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Jesus believed His Father was good, faithful, completely loving, and absolutely trustworthy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knew that all of His suffering would be light and momentary in comparison with the joy that awaited Him when He was again united with His Father in heaven. He knew that did He not undergo the most brutal suffering of all time, we would never be able to know God personally. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that the punishment for our sin (death) could be completely atoned for by the only true, spotless Lamb. He took on our sin and suffered the wrath of God on our behalf, so we would not have to. He died and rose again, conquering sin and death. He died to set us free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus made a way for us to be made right with God because when we place our faith and trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior, God forgives us of all of our sins -- past, present, and future -- and gives us the very righteousness of Jesus. Thus, by God's grace, every good thing Jesus ever did is now attributed to us. Because of what Christ has done for us, God adopts us into His family and makes us His children. He fills us with the Holy Spirit, who imparts God's power to us in all circumstances. Furthermore and most importantly, because we are made right with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we get to know God personally and intimately. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">The most important thing we'll ever get from God is God Himself. When we get God, we get Him forever and ever.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianhc4vRK8HbQbxksqbgpu05Xq11XHwS7G-Gg3CXCXNUt4ZuJFyWsIW2PybPmg2-y3Pacf3-XjDe5-xbb_ny0A2dHSXvHxrWuv3YWDnnvrWQ1eermDEbuh_5-5WfxkVkLVOKHP7d6sSBY/s1600/cheers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianhc4vRK8HbQbxksqbgpu05Xq11XHwS7G-Gg3CXCXNUt4ZuJFyWsIW2PybPmg2-y3Pacf3-XjDe5-xbb_ny0A2dHSXvHxrWuv3YWDnnvrWQ1eermDEbuh_5-5WfxkVkLVOKHP7d6sSBY/s1600/cheers.jpg" height="640" width="468" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus was able to trust His father in the midst of His sufferings because He knew and believed in the goodness and faithfulness of God's character. But not only that, Jesus knew the end of the story. Death does not get the final word. Despair will not rule in eternity. God's kingdom is not one of heaviness but of deep, abundant joy that lasts forever. The best party you've ever attended, the best meal you've ever eaten, the greatest music you've ever heard, far greater than that is the kingdom of heaven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While we are not promised or entitled to the future of our dreams, we are promised that God is completely and wholly good. Not only is He good, but for those of us who have placed our trust in Christ, He works all things together for our good and His glory. For believers in Christ, He subjugates every trial and forces it to do good unto them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..." -Genesis 50:20</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"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, 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 away from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be any 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.'" -Revelation 21:1-4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thus whatever we receive in life -- no's we desperately want to be yeses, a promotion at work, an incredible husband, the death of a loved one, situations of deep pain and heartache -- we can be sure that God is using those things to sanctify us and make us more like Himself. Even if we cannot see it, we have a promise that is more sure than the rising of the sun, that He is working all things together for our good and His glory. <span style="font-size: x-large;">And we can be absolutely confident that there will come a day when all the sad things come undone. We will be perfectly and completely safe with our Father in heaven. </span>The former things will have passed away, and death will be no more. There won't be any crying or hurting or pain anymore. We will be completely glorified, like-Christ, and perfectly united with the One who knows us to the bottom and loves us to the skies. We will be with Jesus forever. Every need, every want will be completely satisfied in Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thus though I have no idea what my future may look like, I know that life isn't going to be drudgery after drudgery because God will be with me. He will fight for me. He will protect me. He will keep me, by His grace, near to Him until I embrace Him with the best hug of my life in heaven one day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"God does not want to damn us to our poor, stinking, miserable selves. He wants to deliver us. But how can we appreciate the joy of the Father's house unless we've tasted the pig's food? [...] And if the Lord gives as my daily bread sorrow and pain, it is to lift me above my selfishness and to rescue me from that pit and to furnish me with what will ultimately be transformed or transfigured into joy. <span style="font-size: x-large;">He gives me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for my spirit of heaviness.</span> But He doesn't just drop it into my lap. I have to give Him the ashes. I have to give Him my mourning. I have to surrender my spirit of heaviness, and the exchange takes place. When I come to the cross, I have to give Him my sins, and what does He give me? His righteousness. I give Him my losses, He gives me gain. I give Him my sorrows, He gives me His joy. This is the exchanged life -- the crucified life." -Elisabeth Elliott</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord Jesus, help us to receive, by faith, whatever you would have for us in terms of the future. Help us not to be afraid to make decisions but to walk in faith and trust that you will guide us as you see best fit. Help us to receive whatever you would have for us with joy in our hearts and with firm conviction that you are good and your sovereign will governs all. Help us to believe that you love us -- no matter what our circumstances or the lies in our heads try to tell us. Help us cling to Jesus. We know we receive Christ by faith alone. Help us to continue to live by faith. Help us to persevere and stay the course, knowing that one day the trump shall sound, and Christ shall descend with His armies to take us home forever. We can't wait to see you, Jesus! </span></div>
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the hope of gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13353462012385753558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373223862873868094.post-76832691346513774562014-05-20T17:48:00.001-07:002014-05-27T18:54:10.666-07:00Future Desires/Decisions<div style="font-family: 'LiSong Pro Light'; min-height: 16px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">I have found myself climbing an invisible ladder toward what I thought would lead me to success. We feel this sense that "as long as I make it to the ‘top’ I will be happy, successful and satisfied…finally! But goodness, I have realized over and over, mainly when I fall off of this ‘invisible ladder of </span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">success’, that the top has NOTHING worth working towards. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #606060; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I struggle, strive, strain to</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">do</span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">better,</span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;"> be</span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">better, </span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">live</span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">better and be the </span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">best</span></span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> at whatever I am doing. Why Lord, do I struggle toward perfection? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have finally realized how vain my work is apart from doing it to connect with God and His people. Every time it's about me and my personal success I feel depressed, anxious, lonely, fearful and like God is a million miles away. He never is but when I am living for ME I see how JOYLESS life becomes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">JOY defined</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">1. Jesus - first</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2. Others -second</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">3. You - last</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; letter-spacing: 0px;">I so often twist and turn it into:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">a self-centered life</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Y.O.J. (you, others, Jesus),</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">a people pleasing life</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">O.Y.J. (others, you, Jesus),</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;">a life focused on impressions and wanting to look good in front of others</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">O.J.Y. (others, Jesus, you).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #606060;">Real </span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">JOY</span><span style="color: #606060;"> is always found in putting Jesus on the throne of our lives. When He is first, everything else comes into it's place and we don’t feel like we have to perfect or control and manipulate situations in order for them to work out for our favor. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">This Truth below has brought so much freedom in both Caitlyn’s and my life over the past few years. I praise God for practical tools to come back to Truth and this is something I have to come back to each month to remind myself of the Truth that <span style="font-size: x-large;">He wants me to be an </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #e63b7a; letter-spacing: 0px;">abiding</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #606060;"> woman…not a </span><span style="color: #e63b7a;">super</span></span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;"> woman.</span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">WE </span><span style="color: #93c47d; letter-spacing: 0px;">NO LONGER</span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;"> HAVE TO BE </span><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">PERFECT</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">WHEN WE ARE </span><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">PARTNERED WITH PERFECTION</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,</span></span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;"> AND </span><span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">PERFECTLY </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">LOVED</span></span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;"> BY OUR </span><span style="color: #93c47d; letter-spacing: 0px;">CREATOR</span><span style="color: #606060; letter-spacing: 0px;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So, we encourage you who are reading this…</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Stop climbing the ladder!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Rest, </span><span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">relax, </span><span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">go on a walk.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Enjoy the Lord!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Don't fear missing out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Don't seek success.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; </span><span style="color: #e63b7a; letter-spacing: 0px;">apart from me you can do nothing</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">.” (John 15:5)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your </span><span style="color: #e63b7a; letter-spacing: 0px;">labor in the Lord is not in vain</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">.(1 Corinthians 15:58)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; letter-spacing: 0px;">In CHRIST You Are...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>I am faithful</b> (Ephesians 1:1)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am God’s child</b> (John 1:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been justified</b> (Romans 5:1)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am Christ’s friend</b> (John 15:15)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I belong to God</b> (1 Corinthians 6:20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a member of Christ’s Body</b> (1 Corinthians 12:27)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am assured all things work together for good</b> (Romans 8:28)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been established, anointed and sealed by God</b> (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me</b> (Philippians 1:6)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a citizen of heaven</b> (Philippians 3:20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am hidden with Christ in God</b> (Colossians 3:3)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline</b> (2 Timothy 1:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me</b> (1 John 5:18)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing</b> (Ephesians 1:3)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am chosen before the creation of the world</b> (Ephesians 1:4, 11)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am holy and blameless</b> (Ephesians 1:4)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am adopted as his child</b> (Ephesians 1:5)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am given God’s glorious grace lavishly and without restriction</b> (Ephesians 1:5,8)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am in Him</b> (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have redemption</b> (Ephesians 1:8)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am forgiven</b> (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have purpose</b> (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have hope</b> (Ephesians 1:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am included</b> (Ephesians 1:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit</b> (Ephesians 1:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a saint</b> (Ephesians 1:18)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am salt and light of the earth</b> (Matthew 5:13-14)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit</b> (John 15:1,5)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ</b> (Acts 1:8)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am God’s coworker</b> (2 Corinthians 6:1)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a minister of reconciliation</b> (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am alive with Christ</b> (Ephesians 2:5)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am raised up with Christ</b> (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms</b> (Ephesians 2:6)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been shown the incomparable riches of God’s grace</b> (Ephesians 2:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>God has expressed His kindness to me</b> (Ephesians 2:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am God’s workmanship</b> (Ephesians 2:10)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been brought near to God through Christ’s blood</b> (Ephesians 2:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have peace</b> (Ephesians 2:14)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have access to the Father</b> (Ephesians 2:18)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a member of God’s household</b> (Ephesians 2:19)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am secure</b> (Ephesians 2:20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a holy temple</b> (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit</b> (Ephesians 2:22)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I share in the promise of Christ Jesus</b> (Ephesians 3:6)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>God’s power works through me</b> (Ephesians 3:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can approach God with freedom and confidence</b> (Ephesians 3:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I know there is a purpose for my sufferings</b> (Ephesians 3:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ’s love is</b> (Ephesians 3:18)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am completed by God</b> (Ephesians 3:19)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can bring glory to God</b> (Ephesians 3:21)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have been called</b> (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can be humble, gentle, patient and lovingly tolerant of others</b> (Ephesians 4:2)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can mature spiritually</b> (Ephesians 4:15)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can be certain of God’s truths and the lifestyle which He has called me to</b> (Ephesians 4:17)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle</b> (Ephesians 4:21-32)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can be kind and compassionate to others</b> (Ephesians 4:32)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can forgive others</b> (Ephesians 4:32)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a light to others, and can exhibit goodness, righteousness and truth</b> (Ephesians 5:8-9)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can understand what God’s will is</b> (Ephesians 5:17)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can give thanks for everything</b> (Ephesians 5:20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I don’t have to always have my own agenda</b> (Ephesians 5:21)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can honor God through marriage</b> (Ephesians 5:22-33)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can parent my children with composure</b> (Ephesians 6:4)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can be strong</b> (Ephesians 6:10)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I have God’s power</b> (Ephesians 6:10)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I can stand firm in the day of evil</b> (Ephesians 6:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am dead to sin</b> (Romans 1:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am not alone</b> (Hebrews 13:5)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am growing</b> (Colossians 2:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am His disciple</b> (John 13:15)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am prayed for by Jesus Christ</b> (John 17:20-23)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am united with other believers</b> (John 17:20-23)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am not in want</b> (Philippians 4:19)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I possess the mind of Christ</b> (I Corinthians 2:16)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am promised eternal life</b> (John 6:47)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am promised a full life</b> (John 10:10)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am victorious</b> (I John 5:4)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>My heart and mind is protected with God’s peace</b> (Philippians 4:7)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am chosen and dearly loved</b> (Colossians 3:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am blameless</b> (I Corinthians 1:8)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am set free</b> (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am crucified with Christ</b> (Galatians 2:20)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a light in the world</b> (Matthew 5:14)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am more than a conqueror</b> (Romans 8:37)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am the righteousness of God</b> (2 Corinthians 5:21)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am safe</b> (I John 5:18)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am part of God’s kingdom</b> (Revelation 1:6)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am healed from sin</b> (I Peter 2:24)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am no longer condemned</b> (Romans 8:1, 2)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am not helpless</b> (Philippians 4:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am overcoming</b> (I John 4:4)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am persevering</b> (Philippians 3:14)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am protected</b> (John 10:28)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am born again</b> (I Peter 1:23)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am a new creation</b> (2 Corinthians 5:17)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am delivered</b> (Colossians 1:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am redeemed from the curse of the Law</b> (Galatians 3:13)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am qualified to share in His inheritance</b> (Colossians 1:12)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>I am victorious</b> (1 Corinthians 15:57)</span></div>
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