Since the book
is talking about friendship with God… let me explain a little to you of how
friendships with people in the Kingdom
of God are designed to
mirror our friendship with God.
To do this, I
must confess that God has placed the most amazing people in my life in recent
years.
People I know
are along for life’s journey through the hard times and fun times… friends I
can just hangout with at the movies, and the next moment we can be talking,
encouraging & exhorting eachother in our extreme love for an all powerful
God who never ggives up on our lives.
Because of Him,
life is incredible. And because of Him we are friends.
Jesus was the
truest friend who ever walked this earth.
He still is.
Even if we
can’t see him, he is still there for us.
I want to
encourage you to listen to this song tonight… it describes the love of Jesus in
such a way I can’t even describe what happens to my heart when I hear these
words.
His love
surpasses everything we can think or imagine.
Let me just
leave you with this thought. (since it is late and I must sleep soon)
What is causing
you to miss out on a relationship with this incredible and loving man named
Jesus?
What has
separated you from the love of God?
What must you
change in life to be closer to Him?
Think about it…
when we start a relationship with a human, we don’t automatically try and carve
out an hour each morning to spend time with him… we don’t say ok I’ll talk to
you today *if* I’m not working or *if* I’m not too busy with my friends… and we
certainly don’t have the audacity to tell them that we’re going to only talk to
him once a week on Sunday mornings…
So HOW is it
that we justify talking to One whose relationship is SO much more important in
one or all of those ways?
The man whose
love for you never ends and He knows everything about you.
Don’t live your
life not knowing this man who loves you perfectly and beyond your wildest
imaginations… there’s so much more to this than we know.
More tomorrow
on the amazing love of my life… Jesus. J
You must
worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who
is jealous about his relationship with you.
He’s jealous
for you.
Jealous of your
time, your thoughts, even your love.
In chapter 11,
we’re reading about how God wants a best friend relationship with us.
He wants to be
that close confidante we’ve always craved and never quite found completely in a
mere man or woman.
Oh we can have
some wonderful, rich relationships here on earth, but NOTHING compares to the
closeness of a relationship with God.
And it doesn’t
even have to be a specific time to “get away”!
In fact, my
days are often filled with just including him in my everyday life.
I wish I had
the life that allowed me an hour or two of studying my bible everyday, but that
is not the case.
One thing I’ve
had to learn the hard way is how to incorporate Him in my hectic schedule.
It’s pretty
simple actually.
I remember once
when I was an intern at my church… I was probably the hardest kid to get into
the habit of reading my bible everyday (thanks a MILLION to my pastors who kept
working on that with me!).
Then one day,
our youth pastor said something I’ll never forget.
He said:
Michelle, pray when you drive!
So simple… yet
changed my life.
Yeah. Why not?
How often do
you drive from point A to point B and just think about nothing… or maybe you
think about too many things.
If you look for
Him, Jesus will show up in your car and you can have a quick conversation with
him and feel so much better about your crazy life.
Another thing
that I’ve found on the falling in LOVE with Jesus thing… is make time for
special times in your week just to spend with Him.
I shared with
you the other day about how Jesus took me out for lunch on valentines day…
Well let me
share another special lunch date we once had.
There’s a bench
at the park across the street from my work that is so warm and sunny in the
summer. One day last summer I went over there to eat my sandwich and ended up
reading something in the bible that totally changed my life.
It felt like
Jesus was just sitting right there with me and we were just dialogueing about
life!
Then after my
half-hour break was up, I started heading back to work with a little pain in my
heart.
I didn’t want
to leave that lovely place!
I didn’t want
the conversation to end!
I felt like
Jesus just said to me, “don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. We can continue
this conversation as you work!”
See, he showed
me that day that you don’t need to say goodbye at the end of a Jesus date.
When I got back
to work I was so excited to find that He had gone with me that I texted my
friend Kayla and explained what had happened.
It’s like
having a boyfriend you never have to say goodbye to!
Someone who’s
always there that you can talk with whenever… and the cool part is, He’ll never
ever break my heart.
(Now ladies,
let me ask you… how cool is THAT??)
He’s always
there… don’t doubt it.
He sees
everything you’re going thru… what makes you laugh, what makes you cry and
everything in between.
Practicing remaining
in His presence throughout the day is something I pray that everyone who reads
this blog gets to experience.
He’s SO worth it!
Learning to do
this will completely change your perspective on everything you do in life.
It’s no
accident today’s chapter is on the heart of worship and details a life of
surrender.
Remember last
night’s post on obedience?
Yes, it was an
act of obedience to even write that.
Remember the
challenge I gave you earlier this week?
I also
challenged myself.
It was about
surrender…
I challenged
myself to be obedient in something I knew would be really hard.
Tonight I saw
God pull me thru that.
He asked me to
do something tonight that does not come naturally to me and took a lot of
courage.
Something that
I’ve done several times and was SO crazy fearful that – although it always
turned out alright – I often freaked out right in the middle of doing it. Which
slightly harmed the effect of my performance.
(I don’t want
to go into detail, cuz that’s not my point. But the “something” is public
speaking. FREAKS me OUT to speak in front of people! Yet it’s something God
asks me to do. Probably cuz I need to entirely rely on Him.)
Surrender…
It’s that
moment that you shove all your feelings deep down inside and learn to trust
God.
No matter what.
That moment
you’re faced with a choice.
Are you gonna
listen to the lies the enemy is throwing your way?
Or are you
going to tune in to a higher cry coming from the depths of your spirit?
God is calling
you out for such a time as this.
He has a
purpose.
But you MUST
surrender!
If I hadn’t
tuned out the liar who was telling me I wasn’t good enough today, I wouldn’t
have heard God’s wonderful truth washing over me.
If God is
asking you to do something hard for Him, chances are there’s something
fantastic about to come out of it.
You might not
see it yet. But think of it this way… you can’t see the spectacular view of the
summit while you’re still climbing the mountain.
Your challenges
now are so temporary compared to the Glory of His pleasure.
And remember,
when climbing this mountain, you can’t do anything without Him.
But you can do
ALL THINGS with Him! J
I have strength
for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to
anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient
in Christ's sufficiency].
Philippians
4:13 (AMP)
"Don't sacrifice your calling for comfort. This life isn't about being comfortable. If you're going thru a difficult season, keep going! Cuz it means something's about to come. Don't stop short of your destiny. Don't stop short of that breakthrough. Keep Going! God still has a plan and He's not done with you. So don't you be done with Him." - Alyssa Barlow.
Remembering a mountain I once climbed in Germany...
Is it when we
are totally absorbed in our own selfish lives?
Definitely not!
God s idea of a
great day is when you wake up and say “I love you” to Him first.
You live out
your day doing things to please Him and all through the hard times (and those
will come) you choose to worship Him first.
You choose to
Love Him NO matter what!
When you’re
being who He created you to be, that makes Him smile.
When you’re obedient
to God in everything, He smiles.
It’s the little
things in life.
Whether it’s
holding your tongue and showing grace to someone even when you don’t feel like
it, or giving something away to someone who needs it.
It’s obedience.
Living a life
of worship is simply living everyday with the perspective of “OK, God… what can
I do for you next?”
God loves
seeing His kids reach out to bless others.
The world is so
disillusioned by their image of a God who doesn’t care.
He does care.
And it is our
responsibility, as His kids to show that care.
What is
something God is calling you to be obedient in?
That is what
you need to be doing.
When you show
that you love Him by being obedient, there is no comparison to the peace in
your heart you will experience because you know that you are bringing a smile
to His face.
Think about
this in closing… Jesus loves people so
much that He died for them.
What are you
sacrificing to show God’s love to people?
Even tho my
last 2 blogs haven’t been about the book, I’ve still been reading it.
Great
foundational truth in day 6 & 7… so excited to dive in to the next week
with you though!
Purpose #1: You
were planned for God’s pleasure!
Worship… where
do I start with a topic so near to my heart?
I have been on
a journey of worship in the last year or 2.
I love that in
this book, Rick Warren describes how music is not the ONLY form of worship.
For a long time
I fell into the misconceptions of what worship really was.
It’s not just
merely going to church and singing songs with your church family… it must
consume your entire lifestyle.
Think of it
this way, if you were in love with
someone, would you really just tell him (or her if you’re a guy reading this)
for half an hour (if that) once a week??
NO WAY!
If you want to
keep a relationship going, you need to communicate love through actions, words,
not looking around at other things that might distract you from your love!
I guess that’s
why the Bible describes the human heart as wicked and adulterous.
So often we
forget that “worship” is not just a once a week deal… but it is an entire
lifestyle!
It’s as simple
as constantly thinking of ways you can show Jesus you love Him.
As I said
yesterday… HE LOVES YOU!
So why don’t we
actively love him back?
Think of ways
you can love him.
It could be
trusting him in a new area of your life.
Could be
selflessly giving of your time or resources to something (or someone) God has
placed on your heart.
Perhaps it’s as
simple as carving out some time in your day just to spend time with Him!
I mean, if
you’re really in a relationship with Jesus, wouldn’t it be great if he heard
from you once in a while? Or maybe you don’t have a problem taking your issues
to him… but maybe you need to just get quiet and listen for a while. He’ll talk
to you, I guarantee it!
It’s an
unconventional style of love he has called us to… but it really is simply
falling in Love with Jesus. J
We’re all
created to worship… it’s built in. hardwired into our very souls.
But as long as
we’re distracted our worship gets SO misdirected!
He’s done
everything for us… He is worthy.
And his favour,
grace, love, and unending pleasure will pour out on you as you find practical
ways to worship.
I am going to
challenge myself to find one new way to worship Him this week.
I challenge you
to do the same.
Psalm 147:11
Contemporary
English Version (CEV)
The LORD is
pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love.
Falling in Love
with Jesus all over again this week. ♥
OK. So tomorrow I promise I will write long and hard about The Purpose Driven Life...
But as for tonight a quick blog to fill you in on the LOVEly-est day of the year. :-)
Some say it's for lovers... others hate on the day... others insist it was meant to remind them they are single. (and then they get depressed and eat chocolate and watch chickflicks til their mascara runs down their faces into huge black puddles of misery)
To keep this brief (did you know I have 3 jobs? I just worked them all in a row. And I have to be up early for one in a few hours. crazy life? yes. love my life? absolutely.) let me just tell you a story.
A Valentines day in the life of Michelle.
perhaps it was the incredible message on love I heard last night at church... perhaps it's the fact that every year if I even start feeling a smidgen sorry for myself at being single (not the black puddles kind of sorry... just a little "when's my turn" kind of sorry), Jesus decides to change my mind and show up in very very very real ways.
Here's today's story.
Job number 1 went bad... I teach Korean kids English in an online classroom. (I know. My life is - AWESOME!) All the kids were late for class, it seemed.
Still, in this I was smiling... cuz I realized how awesome my life is.
(plus I got to text my best friend in the midst of it all... she works crazy hours too)
Also got a chance to pray for people I love who are also having a singular valentines day... I prayed that Jesus would show up and fill their hearts. (And, after my experience today, I have no doubt that He did!)
Getting ready for job #2, I found some spare change on my dresser and in a sweater pocket... Yeah! Coffee money! :)
Little did I know the surprises that were in store with that loose change.
Job #2 - I work at a small store downtown.
Today was actually busy enough to keep time going! Very good day.
Then I found a Toonie (for those of you who are not fellow Canadians, that is a $2. coin) in my jacket pocket!
At this point I distinctly heard the voice I love best...
Jesus shows up at times like this.
You know that still, small voice everyone talks about in the Bible or at church sometimes?
Yeah. He's real.
You just gotta get quiet enough to listen. :)
All He said was, "Go out for lunch with me? I'm paying."
uhmm... Ok. so who's gonna refuse Jesus. The guy who died for me, loves me more than anything, and has never broken my heart - but instead makes it more and more whole everyday.
Yeah.
So lunch we did... and it was. Beautiful. Indescribable. Irreplaceable.
I didn't understand how he "paid" for it until later... you know all that loose change was only about $2.55 in all.
And lunch (and coffee from my favorite little cafe) cost probably about $7.55...
I also got a gift from him... gift of words.
Isaiah is my favorite book in the bible lately... so much gold in there.
Got back to work after my break. Feeling very refreshed.
Sat down to read my Purpose Driven Life of the day... and GUESS WHAT fell out of my book!!?
Oh not much... just a $5 bill! :-D
(hey... that comes to $7.55, doesn't it?? Wow. I'm glad I thought this thru and wrote it all down... that's AMAZING!)
See... Jesus knows your heart.
He knows it better than ANYONE!
Uhmm he created it... so yeah.
Any little details in your life that you're worried about?
Jesus has got it taken care of.
Anything in your future that's uncertain?
Jesus has it planned out.
Anything on your path that you can't see clearly or wish you had an answer to?
The Bible says God has already planned your days before you were even concieved.
This basically just means that no matter what is worrying you...
Jesus has ALREADY walked it out for you!
He KNOWS what's ahead!
Even if it's just lunch money... or who you're gonna marry... or what kind of life you will have.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the worries of this world and what people will think AND even our own personal life goals (more on this later) that we forget to stop and drink in a little quality time with our Creator.
I mean... why don't we?
It's like Rick Warren has been saying in this book so far...
You can't know what the invention does until you ask it's Creator or consult the manual.
We have access to both on a daily basis!
So why are you waiting??
Get alone with God... ask HIM what He's saying about your life!
Get your nose in the word.
I promise the Holy Spirit will teach you something you didn't know about yourself. :-) You might even like it!
Ok... and then I got home and job #3 is taking care of my little brother, Danny.
Who is THE most amazing kid in the universe!
(even though he won't read my blogs... he's still cool)
But before that, I got thoroughly spoiled by my Daddy.
Mhmmm... I know. I have the best Dad in the world. All girls should be this lucky.
Women! I encourage you to STOP looking for love in all the wrong places!
There's a man who died for you who's desperately craving some time with you... a lifetime of lunch dates, if you wish.
Men! I exhort you to step up and be mighty men of courage and valor. Men who won't fall for the tricks of this world that tries to sell you on cheap love.
You're made of better stuff than that, children of the living God!
This Valentines, live with the knowledge that He LOVES you!
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
He Loves you.
.... Do I need to say it more before you get the hint?
You must remember this... A kiss is still a kiss... a sigh is just a sigh... the fundamental things apply... as time goes by.
OK. I'll be honest with you.
I read chapter #6 on my lunch break today and then had every intention to blog early.... but then ended up running straight from work to an all-girls Valentines party at church!
We had THE most incredible speaker there... and now my head is full of all that she shared on the topic of love, and I gotta admit. my tired brain can't remember a thing about what Day #6 was about.
So here's a scattered rendition of a little of what's in my heart tonight.
And considering it's the eve of Valentines day, I think it's appropriate.
Is a kiss still a kiss?
The world seems to have cheapened love.
We say the words "I love" about everything.
I love shoes... I love strawberries... I love "Insert-hot-celebrity-crush-here"... the list could go on.
Let me just help you think of it this way... what is real love?
Is it the cheap love that fades?
Is it the wal-mart version of love? The kind that wears out and stretches out of shape during the first wash?
Or is it the kind of love that's worth saving for... the kind that's worth scraping everything you own together and saving it for something that will truly last a lifetime.
How about the fast-food love ... you crave it. Only to be let down because it gives you heart-burn, stomach-ache, or just leaves you feeling empty and needing more substance.
Let me tell you.
There's a Love out there that's worth saving for.
A love that more than satisfies.
His name is Jesus.
He died for you already... but the truth is, He lives and is just waiting to hear you say "I Love you".
He sees everything that's happened in your life, and also everything that will happen.
and here's a fundamental thing that applies (As time goes by)...
He never changes.
He never EVER fails!
He never gives up.
His love never runs out.
He is the same. Always.
He won't break your heart, but will instead create it into a new thing.
He laid down His life so you might live yours in indescribable freedom and joy! starting now...
