This is a commercial I saw today. It really encouraged me.
Peace
Liz
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Lately
I have been so distracted and have been feeling very dis-connected, lately.
It's not because God is distant or isn't there...of course He is there. He's reaching out for my hand...
It's me that is the problem. I always try to do things on my own and then when everything falls apart, I become angry at God, building this wall around my heart.
I have the hardest time with surrender. I don't know if it's because I'm afraid, or if I don't understand it... or if I'm just more content and satisfied in holding onto everything. Like, I don't trust that God will help me or take on my burdens, even though He said He would. I'm not sure why I have a hard time with surrender, but I know that that is the only way things will begin to make sense again.
I'm not waiting on the Lord...I am HOPING in Him.
He knows what He is doing. He knows exactly how I feel. He cares...I/We need to trust completely in that.
Peace
Liz
It's not because God is distant or isn't there...of course He is there. He's reaching out for my hand...
It's me that is the problem. I always try to do things on my own and then when everything falls apart, I become angry at God, building this wall around my heart.
I have the hardest time with surrender. I don't know if it's because I'm afraid, or if I don't understand it... or if I'm just more content and satisfied in holding onto everything. Like, I don't trust that God will help me or take on my burdens, even though He said He would. I'm not sure why I have a hard time with surrender, but I know that that is the only way things will begin to make sense again.
I'm not waiting on the Lord...I am HOPING in Him.
He knows what He is doing. He knows exactly how I feel. He cares...I/We need to trust completely in that.
Peace
Liz
Friday, October 17, 2008
Questions
Why?
Why is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately...and I never seem to have the answer, but I think that's a good thing actually.
I've been told my whole life that "Why" is such a bad question (and even questions in general), but WHY is "why" such a bad question??
I've been reading "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell and I am in LOVE with the first chapter, because of what he says about questions: "A Christian doesn't avoid the questions; a Christian embraces them. In fact, to truly pursue the living God, we have to see the need for questions. Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any."
Then he talks about this night he hosted at his church when people could anonymously ask any questions they want...and some where VERY deep and hard.
He goes onto say, "It wasn't the information that helped them--it was simply being in an environment in which they were free to voice what was inside. And this is why questions are so central to faith."
Asking questions means that we know we don't have all the answers. If we did then we wouldn't need God...and OF COURSE we all need God.
God wants us to ask questions! We need the questions to keep the pursuit of Him and to keep us longing for more of our mysterious, but very present God.
And sometimes, we don't even need the answer. Like, we just need to get SOMETHING out there in the open and be vulnerable.
I have found that some of my most vulnerable and intimate moments with God are when I am asking Him questions, even some out of anger. Asking things like "Why are you doing this God? Can you show me a sign? Where are you?"
Of course we need to trust God (which can be HARD, I know), but sometimes it's hard to trust without questions...does that make sense?
Like, we can ask God a question and He will reveal the answer...which BUILDS trust.
So, NEVER hold back from asking a question...from trying to understand God a little better or from pursuing Him.
Peace
Liz
"Questions produce learning." -Freddy Williams
(You got another quote, Freds!)
Why is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately...and I never seem to have the answer, but I think that's a good thing actually.
I've been told my whole life that "Why" is such a bad question (and even questions in general), but WHY is "why" such a bad question??
I've been reading "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell and I am in LOVE with the first chapter, because of what he says about questions: "A Christian doesn't avoid the questions; a Christian embraces them. In fact, to truly pursue the living God, we have to see the need for questions. Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any."
Then he talks about this night he hosted at his church when people could anonymously ask any questions they want...and some where VERY deep and hard.
He goes onto say, "It wasn't the information that helped them--it was simply being in an environment in which they were free to voice what was inside. And this is why questions are so central to faith."
Asking questions means that we know we don't have all the answers. If we did then we wouldn't need God...and OF COURSE we all need God.
God wants us to ask questions! We need the questions to keep the pursuit of Him and to keep us longing for more of our mysterious, but very present God.
And sometimes, we don't even need the answer. Like, we just need to get SOMETHING out there in the open and be vulnerable.
I have found that some of my most vulnerable and intimate moments with God are when I am asking Him questions, even some out of anger. Asking things like "Why are you doing this God? Can you show me a sign? Where are you?"
Of course we need to trust God (which can be HARD, I know), but sometimes it's hard to trust without questions...does that make sense?
Like, we can ask God a question and He will reveal the answer...which BUILDS trust.
So, NEVER hold back from asking a question...from trying to understand God a little better or from pursuing Him.
Peace
Liz
"Questions produce learning." -Freddy Williams
(You got another quote, Freds!)
Monday, October 13, 2008
"Now show me your Glory."
I was reading Exodus 33 and Moses was talking to God about God's decision to have Moses lead his people out of Egypt. I won't go into the whole scripture (Although I encourage you to read it sometime!) But there is a part where Moses is asking God what will make him and his people different from everyone else and God says, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." And then Moses says something that I find to be personally just amazing: "Now show me your glory." WOW. Can you even imagine what our lives could be like if we prayed that to God? Because after Moses says this God says to him, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." And then God SHOW MOSES HIS GLORY.
Try and put yourself in Moses shoes at this very moment...
I have seen and experienced some pretty crazy things in my life, but I really don't think anything could compare to this. Not only is Moses literally talking to God, God reveals Himself to Him. The God who's glory is more that we can comprehend and more than we can handle!
What would happen if we told God, "Now show me your glory." ?
We have the opportunity to experience God. He's always there. He WANTS to reveal Himself to us! But we just aren't asking...we aren't pursuing.
"God wants to do some crazy things! He's just looking for people to do crazy things with him." -Freddy Williams
Peace
Liz
Try and put yourself in Moses shoes at this very moment...
I have seen and experienced some pretty crazy things in my life, but I really don't think anything could compare to this. Not only is Moses literally talking to God, God reveals Himself to Him. The God who's glory is more that we can comprehend and more than we can handle!
What would happen if we told God, "Now show me your glory." ?
We have the opportunity to experience God. He's always there. He WANTS to reveal Himself to us! But we just aren't asking...we aren't pursuing.
"God wants to do some crazy things! He's just looking for people to do crazy things with him." -Freddy Williams
Peace
Liz
Friday, October 10, 2008
Phil Wickham
Josh told me about him the other day. I really really enjoy him.
You can download his album for free off his website: www.philwickham.com
I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You’re beautiful
I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who you are
You’re beautiful
I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful
I see Your face, I see Your face, I see Your face
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
You can download his album for free off his website: www.philwickham.com
I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You’re beautiful
I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who you are
You’re beautiful
I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful
I see Your face, I see Your face, I see Your face
You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful, You’re beautiful
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
My Friends Are Incredible.
Ryan:
"Stop. You have lost NOTHING.
Intmacy with God is something that you didnt lose, God is still right there. Dont lose sight of him
You may have hurt yourself today, and you may feel like you are sabotaging yourself, but thats where Satan wants you.
But dont think for one second that God does not see your desperation, and that it hurts him to see you hurt. He is reaching. reach for him and grab his hand. Just because you may have failed this time & failed today, doesnt mean that your intamcy wasnt STRONG. God is just teaching you something new to help strengthen you for tomorrow. But dont miss this moment of desperation, of failure, of upset, because its when we rejoice in the pain of Christ that we are renewed
2 Corinthians 12:9-10"
Seriously. The best friends in the ENTIRE world.
But I also have the best GOD ever. I really really really do...words cannot describe.
Today may have been horrible. A little bit of my spirit may have been crushed, but that just allows my spirit to be renewed even more so than it was alive before. It allows God to move in me in ways I never imagined. It allows my intimacy to grow and to flurish and to mature like never before.
"Don't run from suffering. Embrace it." -Luke 9:23
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3
I need you Jesus
To come to my rescue.
Where else can I go?
Capture me with grace.
I will follow you.
Peace
Liz
"Stop. You have lost NOTHING.
Intmacy with God is something that you didnt lose, God is still right there. Dont lose sight of him
You may have hurt yourself today, and you may feel like you are sabotaging yourself, but thats where Satan wants you.
But dont think for one second that God does not see your desperation, and that it hurts him to see you hurt. He is reaching. reach for him and grab his hand. Just because you may have failed this time & failed today, doesnt mean that your intamcy wasnt STRONG. God is just teaching you something new to help strengthen you for tomorrow. But dont miss this moment of desperation, of failure, of upset, because its when we rejoice in the pain of Christ that we are renewed
2 Corinthians 12:9-10"
Seriously. The best friends in the ENTIRE world.
But I also have the best GOD ever. I really really really do...words cannot describe.
Today may have been horrible. A little bit of my spirit may have been crushed, but that just allows my spirit to be renewed even more so than it was alive before. It allows God to move in me in ways I never imagined. It allows my intimacy to grow and to flurish and to mature like never before.
"Don't run from suffering. Embrace it." -Luke 9:23
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3
I need you Jesus
To come to my rescue.
Where else can I go?
Capture me with grace.
I will follow you.
Peace
Liz
Monday, October 6, 2008
Moments
Driving home tonight, I was listening to "None But Jesus" byt Hillsong. It was absolutely GORGEOUS outside so I had the windows down, just feeling the breeze run through my hair and across my skin, belting those lyrics as loud as I can and just living in THAT moment. Nothing else was going on. It was just me and God and that song and that MOMENT.
Right now I am really focussed on simply just right now to live every moment, in the moment. Sometimes the craziness of life can get to us. We worry about the test next week, or our future or the girl/boy we like or...whatever. We often forget about God and that He is there because we are so beyond just THAT moment. The moment that God has given us. We can take that moment and do what we want with it...but I wanna do what God wants me to do with it. Every moment in our life is for a reason...I wanna live like I have a reason, a purpose, an INFLUENCE...I just wanna LIVE!
I needed tonight to remind me of the moments God is always giving me. To remind me also, that God is who He says He is. He's all that I need.
"All my delight is in you, Lord. All of my hope. All of my strength."
Live and be aware. God can so some crazy things!
Peace
Liz
Right now I am really focussed on simply just right now to live every moment, in the moment. Sometimes the craziness of life can get to us. We worry about the test next week, or our future or the girl/boy we like or...whatever. We often forget about God and that He is there because we are so beyond just THAT moment. The moment that God has given us. We can take that moment and do what we want with it...but I wanna do what God wants me to do with it. Every moment in our life is for a reason...I wanna live like I have a reason, a purpose, an INFLUENCE...I just wanna LIVE!
I needed tonight to remind me of the moments God is always giving me. To remind me also, that God is who He says He is. He's all that I need.
"All my delight is in you, Lord. All of my hope. All of my strength."
Live and be aware. God can so some crazy things!
Peace
Liz
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