Innocence in childhood is hard to find, hard to protect and getting only harder.
Children have such a beautiful gift in the way they experience life, in their opportunities, their energy, their small joys. It is a pleasure to see a child live, to play with a child, to hear a child's questions and to see the delight on their faces in discovering something new. Often, you can see personality in a child that sticks with them all throughout their life, their passions begin to show even at such a young age.
Protecting the beauty and innocence of a child's learning experience is so important in these days, crucial as the news becomes so accessible through social media and internet, as the impurities and lusts of this world threaten to overtake the internet, values are lost and even the value of simply going for a crisp walk or playing basketball in the courtyard with your friends.
Whatever happened to this type of healthy play that has been traded for video games, and going over to just sit in front of a screen to be entertained?
Childhood innocence is so beautiful and tears fall when I think of childhood innocence lost. When we see death, war, starvation, abuse, separation, fear, all around us, how do we preserve joyful bliss of a child's discovery of life. Are we celebrating all the beauty that surrounds us as well, or do we see only the suffering?
This is a personal challenge. I want to not get overwhelmed by the sorrowful things going on, but to also remember the goodness of the Lord in the times of sorrow. To remember the crisp feeling of fall leaves as they crunch beneath your feet, to run in the crisp autumn air and feel its chill as it escapes your lungs, to see the beauty of the bright blue sky and sunshine, to play.
God is able to take the tears and turn them into laughter, to take the sorrows of the night and bring joy in the morning.
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or clothing what you will wear. See how God takes care of the lilies of the field that they are clothed more brilliantly than King Solomon...and not one sparrow falls to the ground without His attention. If he cares such for the flowers of the field, which are here today, and gone tomorrow, How much more, then, will He care for you?" (Rough Joanna paraphrase)
Friday, October 9, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Chasing God…A Heartcry
Truly,
My desire is after God's heart, to have His love unconditionally surround me, to know that He has purified my heart that He is pleased with me.
and SO OFTEN I FAIL. I fail to meet His standards and then it dawns on me how ridiculous it is to think that I am going to meet His standards? ha. I could laugh at the thought of it. Being able to meet God's standard of holiness of purity??? NEVER POSSIBLE. Although Impossible with man, although impossibly my heart breaks by my own inability to attain His standard of purity, He has cleansed and called me pure before the Father in Heaven.
Jesus did take it all, He is pure, He did live sinless. He did live spotless. He did what I could never do…
I confess my own limitations. My failure to meet the bar. The dreams in my heart are impossible if not for Him. I confess that I need Him so much, every hour.
Jesus, please cleanse me and make me white at snow. Make me pure before you. My desire is to glorify the Father, to please Him. I'm like an 8 yr old child, smilingly coming before her Papa with a crayon colored picture of her family and presenting it like prized possession to Him, asking him to accept the gift that I made with everything I had just for him. Papa takes this and holds it to his heart like a prized possession, pleased with my offering.
I offer you my life, Father, as it is, with all its imperfections. I give it my VERY BEST. my VERY BEST for you. I want nothing else like I want you. In everything….in everything.
Whether I come with tears or laughter, let these be tears that honor you, that were shed in the earnestness of my heart after you, or laughter due to joy in You at Your hand.
You alone are worthy Abba.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
My heart aches
You have taught me O Father that the ways of the heart are deceiving, don't be led by your emotions. So forgive me when this has lead my decisions rather than solid truth. Lead me, According to your ways that I might be a reflection of Jesus. Not a reflection of some "super spiritual or righteous" person, no but a reflection of Jesus.
Jesus was humble.
Luke 18:19 "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."
Jesus did not take up his own agenda but was busy doing the agenda of the Father.
Matthew 26:42b "My Father if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."
Matthew 11:27 "All things were handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Saturday, February 4, 2012
When hope dims...I will hold on!
I love Hebrews 11. It speaks of amazing men and women of God, saints if you will, who held tightly to their convictions even to the death. They died not seeing the fulfilment, yet fully trusted God to fulfill his promise.
What of all those thousands who died not seeing the birth of the Messiah? So many examples in Scripture of courageous and faithful men and women who believed, though not seeing, and held on to their convictions to the death.
I also believe for something special, though I do not see it. I am holding fast to my convictions in spite of all. Even though I believe, I wont lie about my temptation to fear. I choose not to dwell on fears that attack, but to trust that God does know and have perfect timing! My romantic heart waits patiently for my God, to see his fulfillment of dreams long ago planted in my heart, of things he continues to shape and fashion with love and care. His grace sustains me, and should I die, I will die believing him.
Above all,
My heart yearns to be free of this earthly vessel, but when I come to the throne of grace, I do not want to come empty handed. I want my spirit to be overflowing with the goodness of God, the salvations of tens of thousands, the fruits of love, joy peace patience kindness goodness and self control.
I know that I can never NEVER EVER measure up to this call. If not for the grace of God, I would never feel peace to die, because I know that death means assured judgment for how much I have fallen short of his glory. What do I have to offer the King of Kings? Rather I am as insignificant as dust, and smaller than a white blood cell before him. Just to be near him, His fragrance will overwhelm me and I imagine swooning and fainting before His Majesty. He is so kind and so good.
God's love for me is enough.
What of all those thousands who died not seeing the birth of the Messiah? So many examples in Scripture of courageous and faithful men and women who believed, though not seeing, and held on to their convictions to the death.
I also believe for something special, though I do not see it. I am holding fast to my convictions in spite of all. Even though I believe, I wont lie about my temptation to fear. I choose not to dwell on fears that attack, but to trust that God does know and have perfect timing! My romantic heart waits patiently for my God, to see his fulfillment of dreams long ago planted in my heart, of things he continues to shape and fashion with love and care. His grace sustains me, and should I die, I will die believing him.
Above all,
My heart yearns to be free of this earthly vessel, but when I come to the throne of grace, I do not want to come empty handed. I want my spirit to be overflowing with the goodness of God, the salvations of tens of thousands, the fruits of love, joy peace patience kindness goodness and self control.
I know that I can never NEVER EVER measure up to this call. If not for the grace of God, I would never feel peace to die, because I know that death means assured judgment for how much I have fallen short of his glory. What do I have to offer the King of Kings? Rather I am as insignificant as dust, and smaller than a white blood cell before him. Just to be near him, His fragrance will overwhelm me and I imagine swooning and fainting before His Majesty. He is so kind and so good.
God's love for me is enough.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The story of the living dead
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:23
Eternity was within our grasp, but we passed it.
We ignored it.
We hunger and thirst after God, but its too late.
The dry heat and thirst aches. We cannot swallow. We do not see each other, we long for companionship. We are itchy, we are burning. We cannot feel anything. We long to just feel, warmth, air, coolness, joy or even sorrow. Our bones gnaw against one another, the worms cannot die within us. It is too late. Despair is the only definable emotion for our miserable state.
____________________________________________________________________________
Eternity is within your grasp.
A loving Father paved the way for a relationship with all humankind. Adopting us into His family and rescuing from the grasp of an abusive and delirious parent, who would only pull us into a pit of suffering, enslaving us in our sins. Yahshua ha Mashiah willingly laid down his life, becoming a sinless sacrifice, he through his guiltless death, defied death forevermore. He brought back to life many from their captivity to death. He brought victory forevermore, but we must believe.
We must choose to be in relationship with him.
He will come back for His Bride, those who have clothed themselves with garments of righteousness, with the clothing of the bridegroom, who have traded chains for truth. We are freed. We worship Yahwah. Adonai has redeemed us. It is a narrow road, our praises bring the victory.
Eternity with our without Adonai. This is your choice.
__________________________________________________________________
We filled our lamps with joy, and our wineskins are overflowing.
Romans 6:23
Eternity was within our grasp, but we passed it.
We allowed it to slip through our fingers while we still had a chance. We followed after our own passions and greed. We served ourselves but could not save ourselves. We were led to deeper and deeper depravity, til our eyes were completely blinded from the truth, til our hearts would not soften at the still and constant calling to change.
Eternity was within our grasp, but we chose death.We thirsted after wine and parties. We indulged in every earthly delight. We starved ourselves from food in order to gain a better image, to gain more status here on earth,to be fuller. Our emptiness grew stronger. We heard softly a voice saying, turn to me, I will heal, deliver, I will give you the fullness you long after.
We ignored it.
We turned our eyes to another man. After we had seduced him and he finally proposed. We thought children would ease our pain. To have a child would surely fill us. He left us embittered, realizing that we were selfish and only wanted to fulfill our own lusts through him.
We hunger and thirst after God, but its too late.
The dry heat and thirst aches. We cannot swallow. We do not see each other, we long for companionship. We are itchy, we are burning. We cannot feel anything. We long to just feel, warmth, air, coolness, joy or even sorrow. Our bones gnaw against one another, the worms cannot die within us. It is too late. Despair is the only definable emotion for our miserable state.
____________________________________________________________________________
Eternity is within your grasp.
A loving Father paved the way for a relationship with all humankind. Adopting us into His family and rescuing from the grasp of an abusive and delirious parent, who would only pull us into a pit of suffering, enslaving us in our sins. Yahshua ha Mashiah willingly laid down his life, becoming a sinless sacrifice, he through his guiltless death, defied death forevermore. He brought back to life many from their captivity to death. He brought victory forevermore, but we must believe.
We must choose to be in relationship with him.
He will come back for His Bride, those who have clothed themselves with garments of righteousness, with the clothing of the bridegroom, who have traded chains for truth. We are freed. We worship Yahwah. Adonai has redeemed us. It is a narrow road, our praises bring the victory.
Eternity with our without Adonai. This is your choice.
The only true light and joy comes in faith. We must believe on the saving and redeeming work of Jesus Christ... that we may live forever with him. Without him...eternity will be hell itself. literally.
You choose.
__________________________________________________________________
We filled our lamps with joy, and our wineskins are overflowing.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What is it like to fall in love?
SO, ...
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it instant in a moment of bliss? Or is it like a marshmallow, only perfected with patience?
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it all I have dreamed for? Or is it only a child's fantasy?
What is it like to fall in love?
Does love blow past me continuously? or, is it only slow in arriving, softly on the wind?
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it only like the cheap glimpses found in romance novels or in a chic flic?
Is it ever true, faithful to comittment, empty of low compromises?
What is it like to fall in love?
A cup of coffee, jolting you with energy--yet quickly needing its next fix? or A tablespoon of peanut butter, slowly eaten from a spoon and enjoyed and satisfied at its finish?
What is it like to fall in love?
___________________________________________________________________________
Sometimes my heart grows so deep with longing for love. Not just like a quick fix kind of love or anything. But for children to raise of my own, for someone to grow old with, for a God to pursue and a mission to adventure on with together.
I know that I am still not too old, and I know that God has heard my prayers, but there are times where it is difficult to be patient, to hold on to belief...it can become something that I doubt, whether or not I have heard my dear Father correctly.
I exhort you other girls, young and old, to hold on to your dreams. Keep everything in your hearts true, keep your eyes on your faith. He is able to hold you still, even when our hope grows dim. "He is faithful even when we are faithless," Paul writes in the book of James, and I believe it.
I'm glad that I have the truest and dearest love that ever matters. With him I will spend eternal bliss and happiness, and in Him all my dreams come true. I love Jesus so much.
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it instant in a moment of bliss? Or is it like a marshmallow, only perfected with patience?
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it all I have dreamed for? Or is it only a child's fantasy?
What is it like to fall in love?
Does love blow past me continuously? or, is it only slow in arriving, softly on the wind?
What is it like to fall in love?
Is it only like the cheap glimpses found in romance novels or in a chic flic?
Is it ever true, faithful to comittment, empty of low compromises?
What is it like to fall in love?
A cup of coffee, jolting you with energy--yet quickly needing its next fix? or A tablespoon of peanut butter, slowly eaten from a spoon and enjoyed and satisfied at its finish?
What is it like to fall in love?
___________________________________________________________________________
Sometimes my heart grows so deep with longing for love. Not just like a quick fix kind of love or anything. But for children to raise of my own, for someone to grow old with, for a God to pursue and a mission to adventure on with together.
I know that I am still not too old, and I know that God has heard my prayers, but there are times where it is difficult to be patient, to hold on to belief...it can become something that I doubt, whether or not I have heard my dear Father correctly.
I exhort you other girls, young and old, to hold on to your dreams. Keep everything in your hearts true, keep your eyes on your faith. He is able to hold you still, even when our hope grows dim. "He is faithful even when we are faithless," Paul writes in the book of James, and I believe it.
I'm glad that I have the truest and dearest love that ever matters. With him I will spend eternal bliss and happiness, and in Him all my dreams come true. I love Jesus so much.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
battle towards purity
Dear girlfriends, (and other male visitors...)
This is not a blog saying, "I have accomplished..." or stating that "I am pure," rather that together we are in the pursual of purity. The pursual of a character so refined by God, so full of truth, that the darkness and the enemy of our pursuit disintegrates.
I cannot do this alone, but it is in that very recognition that my Father is honored. It is our dependance upon Him for everything that makes us become more and more beautiful every day.
One of the battles that I have encountered endlessly in this life is the battlefield in the mind. Battled by having a continual prayer life
The Mind is a Battle
As 2 Thessalonians 5 says, we are to "pray without ceasing." This is not a meaningless exercise that the Scriptures are burdening us with or putting as an added thing on the "to do" list, rather it is purposeful so that we are focused on our Rock and Deliverer at all times.
Phillipians 4:8 ... encourages us to take all our concerns and anxieties before God in prayer and to BELIEVE that He will answer. It says to offer our cares to Him, to simply ask Him to take care of it, and then to thank Him for doing it! The Messiah is one who the Scriptures teach is close to our suffering, He understands, and it also teaches us to cast all our cares upon Him. We stumble and fall in this area MOST when we try to work it out in our own minds, or when we worry and fret about something turning it over in our heads, the Bible teaches us that this is SIN. This too must be removed from our lives, if we want to be pure before God.
If you need this too, join me in praying this:
Heavenly Father, I surrender to you all that I am worried about. My life, relationships, friends, people who are in pain, family members, the bed ridden, ill, lonely, people who are estranged from you, Lord send your Spirit. Heal our land. I surrender it into your hands. They are not mine. I am not able, but YOU ARE. You looked down and saw all that was, all this that is occurring right now, and you said "I AM." Forgive me and purify my heart. Direct all of our prayers, let us remember to always come before you with all things, remembering you as our very best friend, and the closest one. I ask you for your PEACE. THANK YOU FATHER. You are Great and Mighty, and the One who sets before us open doors.
Thank you. Amen.
I only post this very personal prayer in the efforts that you too will benefit from it, and that your prayers will turn to heaven, that you will cultivate a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Yahshua Mashiach, who suffered a common criminal's death and worse, and who conquered death in His ressurection. He is mighty to save and to all who call upon His name, who cry out to Him for their help and for their healing, HE LONGS to be VERY close to you and He invites you into His kingdom. He invites us to be in His presence, even today, and will restore us into correct position under His Father in Heaven, to whom belongs all glory honor and praise.
Come Lord Jesus. My King.
This is not a blog saying, "I have accomplished..." or stating that "I am pure," rather that together we are in the pursual of purity. The pursual of a character so refined by God, so full of truth, that the darkness and the enemy of our pursuit disintegrates.
I cannot do this alone, but it is in that very recognition that my Father is honored. It is our dependance upon Him for everything that makes us become more and more beautiful every day.
One of the battles that I have encountered endlessly in this life is the battlefield in the mind. Battled by having a continual prayer life
The Mind is a Battle
As 2 Thessalonians 5 says, we are to "pray without ceasing." This is not a meaningless exercise that the Scriptures are burdening us with or putting as an added thing on the "to do" list, rather it is purposeful so that we are focused on our Rock and Deliverer at all times.
Phillipians 4:8 ... encourages us to take all our concerns and anxieties before God in prayer and to BELIEVE that He will answer. It says to offer our cares to Him, to simply ask Him to take care of it, and then to thank Him for doing it! The Messiah is one who the Scriptures teach is close to our suffering, He understands, and it also teaches us to cast all our cares upon Him. We stumble and fall in this area MOST when we try to work it out in our own minds, or when we worry and fret about something turning it over in our heads, the Bible teaches us that this is SIN. This too must be removed from our lives, if we want to be pure before God.
If you need this too, join me in praying this:
Heavenly Father, I surrender to you all that I am worried about. My life, relationships, friends, people who are in pain, family members, the bed ridden, ill, lonely, people who are estranged from you, Lord send your Spirit. Heal our land. I surrender it into your hands. They are not mine. I am not able, but YOU ARE. You looked down and saw all that was, all this that is occurring right now, and you said "I AM." Forgive me and purify my heart. Direct all of our prayers, let us remember to always come before you with all things, remembering you as our very best friend, and the closest one. I ask you for your PEACE. THANK YOU FATHER. You are Great and Mighty, and the One who sets before us open doors.
Thank you. Amen.
I only post this very personal prayer in the efforts that you too will benefit from it, and that your prayers will turn to heaven, that you will cultivate a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Yahshua Mashiach, who suffered a common criminal's death and worse, and who conquered death in His ressurection. He is mighty to save and to all who call upon His name, who cry out to Him for their help and for their healing, HE LONGS to be VERY close to you and He invites you into His kingdom. He invites us to be in His presence, even today, and will restore us into correct position under His Father in Heaven, to whom belongs all glory honor and praise.
Come Lord Jesus. My King.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Physical touch
Hey all!
Its been a couple of months since I have written, but I wanted to touch for a moment with you on a very important aspect of relationships.
As all of you who know me or have been acquainted with this blog know, I believe that it is in your best interest as a young man or woman to guard carefully your emotions within a relationship. By now, you know that kissing is an intimate engagement that ideally should be saved for marriage. Although young people might just look at it as innocent romantic expression or even "fun" within the boundaries of a relationship, it is a part of you that you cannot take back again even if you wanted to.
You may at this point call me ridiculous. Ok, and that is fine with me if you do. However, like any thing that you give, remember that you are giving that and along with it, a piece of your heart.
I write today because I came across a letter I wrote to myself, reminding myself in a particular relationship of the boundaries that I needed to create between that male friend and myself. It was, perhaps, one of the most special relationships I have ever had, and I felt the weight of the responsibility to remain pure. It was a great friend, whom I had no desire to injure, and although the ending of the story was a sad one, He was perhaps the most gentle of men I have ever dated and a best friend.
That relationship was a good example. We did have physical expression in our relationship, but it did not exceed anything that I would be ashamed to share. In no moment, was I treated as less than a princess, and he made sure of that. We were perfectly able to have romance in our relationship, without unfair caresses being stolen from either individual.
That was a long intro for what I would like to say to you.
I challenge you (and myself) to set your standards higher than before.
Re-evaluate the commitments that you have already made and boundaries you have set for yourself and you may discover discrepancies in your previous evaluations.
A goodnight kiss .... WITHOUT a close hug, touching of the hair, caressing of the arms or legs, ... is a clean kiss. This is a typical gesture of affection that does not extend beyond natural affection you might show a family member when done correctly.
Holding hands ... is a great feeling, great and sweet gesture of a friendship that has moved into a budding and beautiful relationship. However, I advise you not to move far from here, because it is unnecessary.
Holding... When you are in a beautiful relationship, these are the things that make it feel "so nice" but ... beware. An arm around your shoulders is quite different than an arm around your waist... a quick warm embrace . . . is much different than a drawn out embrace. especially when your feelings for someone are great.
Hugs . . . Is this a hug that honors that personal space that still belongs to the other individual? How close is too close? ... This is an important question to ask each other in a relationship and you will know if it is too close because your heat rises and warns you.
Be respectful and honorable of one another and do not put your boyfriend in a position of compromise. This can cost you a future friendship with him and can cost you a friendship temporarily with yourself. To hug can be more dangerous than it seems, if you are not guarding your vulnerability in that embrace. Guys... treat her the way you would treat a sister. Girls, space yourself and say no when necessary, carry yourself in an honorable way, not a seductive one.
This is NOT an all inclusive list, but perhaps it will get each of us thinking and re-evaluating a very important part of boundaries. Being in a relationship can be a lot of fun, but it is also a great responsibility.
Remember that you are children of the greatest King over all, and that makes you princes and princesses. Act likewise.
With much love.
Its been a couple of months since I have written, but I wanted to touch for a moment with you on a very important aspect of relationships.
As all of you who know me or have been acquainted with this blog know, I believe that it is in your best interest as a young man or woman to guard carefully your emotions within a relationship. By now, you know that kissing is an intimate engagement that ideally should be saved for marriage. Although young people might just look at it as innocent romantic expression or even "fun" within the boundaries of a relationship, it is a part of you that you cannot take back again even if you wanted to.
You may at this point call me ridiculous. Ok, and that is fine with me if you do. However, like any thing that you give, remember that you are giving that and along with it, a piece of your heart.
I write today because I came across a letter I wrote to myself, reminding myself in a particular relationship of the boundaries that I needed to create between that male friend and myself. It was, perhaps, one of the most special relationships I have ever had, and I felt the weight of the responsibility to remain pure. It was a great friend, whom I had no desire to injure, and although the ending of the story was a sad one, He was perhaps the most gentle of men I have ever dated and a best friend.
That relationship was a good example. We did have physical expression in our relationship, but it did not exceed anything that I would be ashamed to share. In no moment, was I treated as less than a princess, and he made sure of that. We were perfectly able to have romance in our relationship, without unfair caresses being stolen from either individual.
That was a long intro for what I would like to say to you.
I challenge you (and myself) to set your standards higher than before.
Re-evaluate the commitments that you have already made and boundaries you have set for yourself and you may discover discrepancies in your previous evaluations.
A goodnight kiss .... WITHOUT a close hug, touching of the hair, caressing of the arms or legs, ... is a clean kiss. This is a typical gesture of affection that does not extend beyond natural affection you might show a family member when done correctly.
Holding hands ... is a great feeling, great and sweet gesture of a friendship that has moved into a budding and beautiful relationship. However, I advise you not to move far from here, because it is unnecessary.
Holding... When you are in a beautiful relationship, these are the things that make it feel "so nice" but ... beware. An arm around your shoulders is quite different than an arm around your waist... a quick warm embrace . . . is much different than a drawn out embrace. especially when your feelings for someone are great.
Hugs . . . Is this a hug that honors that personal space that still belongs to the other individual? How close is too close? ... This is an important question to ask each other in a relationship and you will know if it is too close because your heat rises and warns you.
Be respectful and honorable of one another and do not put your boyfriend in a position of compromise. This can cost you a future friendship with him and can cost you a friendship temporarily with yourself. To hug can be more dangerous than it seems, if you are not guarding your vulnerability in that embrace. Guys... treat her the way you would treat a sister. Girls, space yourself and say no when necessary, carry yourself in an honorable way, not a seductive one.
This is NOT an all inclusive list, but perhaps it will get each of us thinking and re-evaluating a very important part of boundaries. Being in a relationship can be a lot of fun, but it is also a great responsibility.
Remember that you are children of the greatest King over all, and that makes you princes and princesses. Act likewise.
With much love.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What do you long for?
Dear Friends,
I found this piece in my poetry collection, and felt that it was important to share it with you. These are words for all who long after a pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Mt. 5:8
Guidance for her troubled heart
by Joanna, 2009
Grow up...
Be the woman that God called her to be
Bear the fruit of the Spirit
Cast her cares upon God
Don't worry about tomorrow...
Stop repressing
Start expressing
Deal with it properly
Keep on believing
Believe some more
BELIEVE
Don't give up...
Be humble...
Be sincere...
Forgive others, that it may be forgiven her...
Forgive herself, that she may find peace and true joy
Live every day without regrets...
Rest...
Remember who she is in Christ (a new creation) and remember His everlasting love for her...
Reach for the stars...
Be a blessing. Serve...give...smile...share...touch...Care
"You saw me thirsty and gave me to drink...naked and clothed me, hungry and you did not turn me away."
Mt. 25:34-36
"Drink from the living water that you may never thirst again."
Jn 4:13-14
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Mt. 11:29-30
Beloved sisters, walk in these things and you will be blessed. The light of God will be with you because you are walking in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior.
I love you each dearly, and pray that you call upon Him who is able to mend our hearts.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Masquerade: What to make of images and flattery?
Will the real story please step forward?
How easy it is to get caught up in the false flattery of the world and to get stuck up on some "image." Its either I want to be like that, or I am like this.
Yet outside appearances are so shallow and so easily mistaken. Some become very good at putting on a smile even if they do feel like crap and this is called good "customer service." Some are very good at putting that same smile on their life, and this is called "trying to fit in with everyone else.'" Maybe they don't want to "inconvenience" others with their needs, when it is really pride keeping them from confiding in another. How many times have they confided in you? Yet sometimes it seems the needs are too great... People can only take so much. its true. and while God gave us relationships so that we can be an encouragement to each other and help lift the good out of people and be there for one another. Sometimes it is simply difficult to express such needs to others... the need that they should encourage you. Why, its one thing to be the one encouraging them, and it is good to do so actively, because we thrive from encouragement from one another, but sometimes, its difficult to ask for such encouragement from someone else.
Its truly a good thing to feel good about yourself... It is good to go forward and push ahead and reach for the stars and dreams. And BELIEVE that it will be done.
Sometimes life feels like a masquerade. When I feel down, I definitely don't want to take anyone down in that pit with me, so what happens?
I feel convicted from any people pleasing or falsehood that has corrupted my way. That has caused me to step outside of my limits for the sake of someone else. In this instance that would do them no good. It will not make the person feel good for causing you to step outside of your comfort. I don't know what this is that causes me to alejar from the people who could help me most, but when I am specifically feeling that i am failing in something, and if I need help, I feel instead that my "friends' will judge me, and I have a hard time asking for that help. I know that I can say no and should practice it more. I sometimes feel fine about something, but then go away and feel uneasy in my heart as if I am going beyond what I wanted to do.
I hope and pray that my love for God is not so back and forth. That I do not say to him, yes I will yes I will, while all the while my heart says, wait. stop. no. I do not want such a foolish naive and wimpy indefensive thing.
I know what I practiced as a child, and it had to do with submission. In my childlike understanding, it was important to put the needs of others on a pedestal. I do not know why this happened, but I felt that if I were to be like Christ, and "take up my cross" and follow him, then I would put to death any self will and serve others.
I do not say that I was not still the same little girl who loved to have my daddy's smile and pleasure, and intentionally put myself in a place to receive it. I think I thought that he would love me more if I was the best behaved, if I helped him to take care of the people in the family then it wouldn't be such a big burden for him. I wanted to help. I wanted to serve.
Perhaps in a way, my world was still all about me. Sure, I wanted to serve God with all my heart, and I loved him so much, well, He saved me out of my sins. What was there not to serve. I loved him, and beyond that, I felt his call to ministry on my life.
What if the very devil himself masquerades so well that his face appears like that so beautiful one would not recognize his countenance as evil. How many will he deceive?
I will not be among the deceived who receive his wicked way. For I follow the one and only true God, the great I AM who was is and will be.
This world is not my home and I know that I am an alien here. It has been my greatest comfort since I was young, that I would one day be with you, Yah. It is a beautiful thing.
How easy it is to get caught up in the false flattery of the world and to get stuck up on some "image." Its either I want to be like that, or I am like this.
Yet outside appearances are so shallow and so easily mistaken. Some become very good at putting on a smile even if they do feel like crap and this is called good "customer service." Some are very good at putting that same smile on their life, and this is called "trying to fit in with everyone else.'" Maybe they don't want to "inconvenience" others with their needs, when it is really pride keeping them from confiding in another. How many times have they confided in you? Yet sometimes it seems the needs are too great... People can only take so much. its true. and while God gave us relationships so that we can be an encouragement to each other and help lift the good out of people and be there for one another. Sometimes it is simply difficult to express such needs to others... the need that they should encourage you. Why, its one thing to be the one encouraging them, and it is good to do so actively, because we thrive from encouragement from one another, but sometimes, its difficult to ask for such encouragement from someone else.
Its truly a good thing to feel good about yourself... It is good to go forward and push ahead and reach for the stars and dreams. And BELIEVE that it will be done.
Sometimes life feels like a masquerade. When I feel down, I definitely don't want to take anyone down in that pit with me, so what happens?
I feel convicted from any people pleasing or falsehood that has corrupted my way. That has caused me to step outside of my limits for the sake of someone else. In this instance that would do them no good. It will not make the person feel good for causing you to step outside of your comfort. I don't know what this is that causes me to alejar from the people who could help me most, but when I am specifically feeling that i am failing in something, and if I need help, I feel instead that my "friends' will judge me, and I have a hard time asking for that help. I know that I can say no and should practice it more. I sometimes feel fine about something, but then go away and feel uneasy in my heart as if I am going beyond what I wanted to do.
I hope and pray that my love for God is not so back and forth. That I do not say to him, yes I will yes I will, while all the while my heart says, wait. stop. no. I do not want such a foolish naive and wimpy indefensive thing.
I know what I practiced as a child, and it had to do with submission. In my childlike understanding, it was important to put the needs of others on a pedestal. I do not know why this happened, but I felt that if I were to be like Christ, and "take up my cross" and follow him, then I would put to death any self will and serve others.
I do not say that I was not still the same little girl who loved to have my daddy's smile and pleasure, and intentionally put myself in a place to receive it. I think I thought that he would love me more if I was the best behaved, if I helped him to take care of the people in the family then it wouldn't be such a big burden for him. I wanted to help. I wanted to serve.
Perhaps in a way, my world was still all about me. Sure, I wanted to serve God with all my heart, and I loved him so much, well, He saved me out of my sins. What was there not to serve. I loved him, and beyond that, I felt his call to ministry on my life.
What if the very devil himself masquerades so well that his face appears like that so beautiful one would not recognize his countenance as evil. How many will he deceive?
I will not be among the deceived who receive his wicked way. For I follow the one and only true God, the great I AM who was is and will be.
This world is not my home and I know that I am an alien here. It has been my greatest comfort since I was young, that I would one day be with you, Yah. It is a beautiful thing.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Lagrimas
Las lagrimas salen de mis ojos
A pensar en lo que aprendÃ
Se vale mis palabras?
El ruego de mi corazon se oye?
La pureza cuesta, amor me cuesta
Mi garganta está seca, no puedo parar
Los imagenes son sus dioses
Toman lugar secreto de sus corazones
Imagenes vergonzosas y sensuales
Enemigos de Dios, ellas
Dios, por favor escucha mi oracion. Hay nadie que haya guardado? hay ninguna que no ha vuelto sus ojos?
Las trampas del diablo a mi tambien me han engañado. Si voy a juzgar, me juzgo primeramente a mi misma.
Pero, el dolor de mi corazon esta presente. Las palabras inexplicables ni quiero vocalizarlas.
Por favor Dios, ayudanos. Vuelvanos a su santo santuario. Mi corazon está rota.
Mi Dios, se me disilusiona la vida. Se derrite todo mi ser. Para que he esperado si no es en ti? Para que me he mantenido si no era para honrarte?
pero todavia una esperanza viene del profundo... si hay unas gotas de esperanza allÃ. Y dicen...
Señor, No hay por lo menos uno?
Me conoces desde mi profundo y de mi juventud. Por favor Señor, guardalo en sus brazos, protegelo de la tentación. Protege la pureza de su corazon y traelo sano.
Me conoces Señor. Y te pido en el nombre de su Hijo Jesus con gracias.
A pensar en lo que aprendÃ
Se vale mis palabras?
El ruego de mi corazon se oye?
La pureza cuesta, amor me cuesta
Mi garganta está seca, no puedo parar
Los imagenes son sus dioses
Toman lugar secreto de sus corazones
Imagenes vergonzosas y sensuales
Enemigos de Dios, ellas
Dios, por favor escucha mi oracion. Hay nadie que haya guardado? hay ninguna que no ha vuelto sus ojos?
Las trampas del diablo a mi tambien me han engañado. Si voy a juzgar, me juzgo primeramente a mi misma.
Pero, el dolor de mi corazon esta presente. Las palabras inexplicables ni quiero vocalizarlas.
Por favor Dios, ayudanos. Vuelvanos a su santo santuario. Mi corazon está rota.
Mi Dios, se me disilusiona la vida. Se derrite todo mi ser. Para que he esperado si no es en ti? Para que me he mantenido si no era para honrarte?
pero todavia una esperanza viene del profundo... si hay unas gotas de esperanza allÃ. Y dicen...
Señor, No hay por lo menos uno?
Me conoces desde mi profundo y de mi juventud. Por favor Señor, guardalo en sus brazos, protegelo de la tentación. Protege la pureza de su corazon y traelo sano.
Me conoces Señor. Y te pido en el nombre de su Hijo Jesus con gracias.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Make your best friend a priority
My dear friends,
It has been some time since I have written you. I wanted to share with you something that has been on my journey right now.
God has been opening my eyes to a weakness that has stopped me from receiving the fullness of His presence.
A pure heart must be protected and guarded. If we are really doing everything possible to raise up a standard of purity, we must "pull out all the stops."
I am doing a new challenge. I must start somewhere, and I will keep you posted as to how it goes. Since I really desire to have a pure heart, and that God should be the receptor and the giver of love to fill my soul, then I need to prioritize my relationships.
Prioritizing our relationships is not always an easy thing. Time can be easily swallowed on chat programs on the computer, or friendships that feed something in us, ...
I recognize that I must choose to be intentional. I have had poor boundaries with time. I have not listened always to what is most important and actually given food for the fire of unhealthy or inconsistent relationships.
I'm so thankful that God is so patient and doesn't give up on my slow learning.
My best friend, (God), should be my first priority. My other best friends should be girls... unless of course I am going to marry some guy.
I guess that is just the way I see it. So, I have had a couple of guy friends who I would consider best friends... but, the time and energy I give to those relationships can and does cause other feelings to develop. I am learning, and slowly I might add, that those friendships end up causing confusion.
Confusion is not of God.
It has been some time since I have written you. I wanted to share with you something that has been on my journey right now.
God has been opening my eyes to a weakness that has stopped me from receiving the fullness of His presence.
A pure heart must be protected and guarded. If we are really doing everything possible to raise up a standard of purity, we must "pull out all the stops."
I am doing a new challenge. I must start somewhere, and I will keep you posted as to how it goes. Since I really desire to have a pure heart, and that God should be the receptor and the giver of love to fill my soul, then I need to prioritize my relationships.
Prioritizing our relationships is not always an easy thing. Time can be easily swallowed on chat programs on the computer, or friendships that feed something in us, ...
I recognize that I must choose to be intentional. I have had poor boundaries with time. I have not listened always to what is most important and actually given food for the fire of unhealthy or inconsistent relationships.
I'm so thankful that God is so patient and doesn't give up on my slow learning.
My best friend, (God), should be my first priority. My other best friends should be girls... unless of course I am going to marry some guy.
I guess that is just the way I see it. So, I have had a couple of guy friends who I would consider best friends... but, the time and energy I give to those relationships can and does cause other feelings to develop. I am learning, and slowly I might add, that those friendships end up causing confusion.
Confusion is not of God.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Worth the wait
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f30S5KMJArI&feature=related
Watch this story!
This is an adorable story of two lovers. Who had their very first kiss on their wedding day.
"All things are possible for those who believe."
Psalms 37:23-24 says,
"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds his hand."
Be strong! X O X O
Watch this story!
This is an adorable story of two lovers. Who had their very first kiss on their wedding day.
"All things are possible for those who believe."
Psalms 37:23-24 says,
"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds his hand."
Be strong! X O X O
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Once upon a time
What does it really mean to maintain a standard of purity?
As I look out my window this morning, the playground was full of young teens and youth. There is a mentorship program right next to my house that meets on Sundays. Today, as I looked out, I observed a scene where two youth were playing in the grass and exchanged kisses. They were young, and I was stunned at the way that they embraced especially knowing that they came from that youth mentorship. They kissed without any shame, without a care that they were outdoors in public. A young girl nearby began to fight with this bigger guy... another guy pulled her away by putting his hand around her waist.
Some good friends (Christian friends at that)think that kissing a girl means that they are only good friends exploring their options of something more serious.
What is our world coming to? I had a great conversation with my mother today about purity. She was concerned about the seeming lack of holiness and protection that we are now living with.
What fashionable clothing do you wear that is causing men to sin? My friends,
The Bible says that a man who looks at a women and lusts after her has already committed the sin in his heart?
What are we doing? Isn't the church supposed to set an example for the unbelievers in speech, dress?
Thats what I read in my Bible.
As I look out my window this morning, the playground was full of young teens and youth. There is a mentorship program right next to my house that meets on Sundays. Today, as I looked out, I observed a scene where two youth were playing in the grass and exchanged kisses. They were young, and I was stunned at the way that they embraced especially knowing that they came from that youth mentorship. They kissed without any shame, without a care that they were outdoors in public. A young girl nearby began to fight with this bigger guy... another guy pulled her away by putting his hand around her waist.
Some good friends (Christian friends at that)think that kissing a girl means that they are only good friends exploring their options of something more serious.
What is our world coming to? I had a great conversation with my mother today about purity. She was concerned about the seeming lack of holiness and protection that we are now living with.
What fashionable clothing do you wear that is causing men to sin? My friends,
The Bible says that a man who looks at a women and lusts after her has already committed the sin in his heart?
What are we doing? Isn't the church supposed to set an example for the unbelievers in speech, dress?
Thats what I read in my Bible.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
When good wasn't good enough
Dear sisters,
Paul exhorts his mentor Timothy in his letter recognizing the weaknesses of youth, because of the passions in our hearts. He says
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith. love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 3:22
also the Psalmist writes,
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word!" Psalms 119:9
I have a confession to make to you all. All of my life I have concentrated on being the best. I felt so grateful because of the sacrifice that my LOVING SAVIOR Jesus Christ had made for me, and forever indebted myself to him. I wanted nothing else than to be indentured to him. Do you know what an indentured servant is?
Well,
An indentured servant is a slave that has been set free. They have already paid all of their debt to the master or they have been forgive their debt, and so they are set free to go. They no longer owe him anything. But this slave, for some reason, decides that he wants to continue on with his master. He (or she) chooses (of their own free will) to continue in the service of his or her master, and "indentures" him or herself to the master. This means that they are giving back the keys to him to work for him forever.
An indentured servant becomes like another member of the household. Perhaps this slave chose this life because they did not have anyone, perhaps it was because of a deep gratitude or love for the family.
Well, There was nothing I wanted more than to belong to my King> he was my best friend. I could cry and Jesus would hold me, and I could laugh for no reason, and Jesus didn't make fun of me. Jesus understood my jokes, listened when no one else would, and even shared letters, dinners and desserts with me, as well as beautiful nature and conversations.
He is the most romantic that I could ever meet, and I cherish His company more than anything.
Yet he is so ilusive and mysterious. I go looking for him sometimes and cannot find him. He keeps my interest in a crazy way, and when I least expect it surprises me with special gifts.
There is just NO ONE good enough to replace him. and I have quickly realized that all my intentions to love him, all my desire to give to him, was just never good enough. I could never give him enough,and I have broken things that I have promised him. Why, I am so enthralled and so delighted,
My friends, This God does not judge me, has not cast me away. I am not worthy of His love. He is my romantic lover and I have hurt him. Yet< He still loves me!!!
HE loves me and he is good!!!!! OUR GOOD CAN NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!
But He... EL SHADDAI... MIGHTY GOD... PROTECTOR . . . HeALER . . . FRIEND . . .
He is GOOD... HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS GOOD!!!
The most glorious experience you could ever have, you would find in my LOVER. He is not double minded like mankind. He will not leave you ever, even though He knows all about you. Run to Him and you will never be disappointed.
Other men will never satisfy you the way He does, and as you seek him, He will bring you into the right relationships with man. He does want you to be happy and fulfilled, and He wants to know you profoundly. He waits for you to discover Him.
Paul exhorts his mentor Timothy in his letter recognizing the weaknesses of youth, because of the passions in our hearts. He says
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith. love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 3:22
also the Psalmist writes,
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word!" Psalms 119:9
I have a confession to make to you all. All of my life I have concentrated on being the best. I felt so grateful because of the sacrifice that my LOVING SAVIOR Jesus Christ had made for me, and forever indebted myself to him. I wanted nothing else than to be indentured to him. Do you know what an indentured servant is?
Well,
An indentured servant is a slave that has been set free. They have already paid all of their debt to the master or they have been forgive their debt, and so they are set free to go. They no longer owe him anything. But this slave, for some reason, decides that he wants to continue on with his master. He (or she) chooses (of their own free will) to continue in the service of his or her master, and "indentures" him or herself to the master. This means that they are giving back the keys to him to work for him forever.
An indentured servant becomes like another member of the household. Perhaps this slave chose this life because they did not have anyone, perhaps it was because of a deep gratitude or love for the family.
Well, There was nothing I wanted more than to belong to my King> he was my best friend. I could cry and Jesus would hold me, and I could laugh for no reason, and Jesus didn't make fun of me. Jesus understood my jokes, listened when no one else would, and even shared letters, dinners and desserts with me, as well as beautiful nature and conversations.
He is the most romantic that I could ever meet, and I cherish His company more than anything.
Yet he is so ilusive and mysterious. I go looking for him sometimes and cannot find him. He keeps my interest in a crazy way, and when I least expect it surprises me with special gifts.
There is just NO ONE good enough to replace him. and I have quickly realized that all my intentions to love him, all my desire to give to him, was just never good enough. I could never give him enough,and I have broken things that I have promised him. Why, I am so enthralled and so delighted,
My friends, This God does not judge me, has not cast me away. I am not worthy of His love. He is my romantic lover and I have hurt him. Yet< He still loves me!!!
HE loves me and he is good!!!!! OUR GOOD CAN NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!
But He... EL SHADDAI... MIGHTY GOD... PROTECTOR . . . HeALER . . . FRIEND . . .
He is GOOD... HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS GOOD!!!
The most glorious experience you could ever have, you would find in my LOVER. He is not double minded like mankind. He will not leave you ever, even though He knows all about you. Run to Him and you will never be disappointed.
Other men will never satisfy you the way He does, and as you seek him, He will bring you into the right relationships with man. He does want you to be happy and fulfilled, and He wants to know you profoundly. He waits for you to discover Him.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The first kiss
The fairy tales show it as magical.
I think of it as a promise. A promise to always love you. A promise and commitment. A statement to all the witnesses. It is a statement of belonging.
Magical? Well, I am not practiced. But I am proud of that. I don't know that the first kiss I give away will be magical, but it will mean something significant.
There is something I have longed to give away, and more than once have naturally felt to do so, but the commitment in my heart that goes with it has held me back. My heart says no to giving that away.
Because there is one man only that I want to kiss.
I have made my mistakes. I have been in an intimate relationship with a guy before. We were very close emotionally and I have felt the warmth of a man's arms. I have felt some sort of love in my heart before, but PURE love is this...
Patient or long suffering: This means that a love that is pure will endure the hardship of the wait, and will be patient to the better of the other person.
I fulfil love in this way through enduring the harsh words of my loved ones, enduring my own errors, waiting when I feel like giving up and taking the time necessary when I'd rather just rush forward.
Kind: I love purely when I am kind to my neighbor, kind to my spouse or to my family member. A kind word or deed covers over wounds, and encourages the hearts of those I love.
Does not envy: If I am loving purely, I accept who I am and who my loved one is, without being jealous of the gifts God has given him or her. If I love my husband/boyfriend I will not envy the job they have, their taste, I will not try to possess them or be in control of them. I will be able to accept who they are without trying to be better than them.
Is not proud or boastful: If I have pure love, I will not try to put myself higher than my loved ones. Pure love is humble rather than boastful. If I love purely, I will esteem the other person instead of just singing my own praises to try to get attention. I will not need to try to get attention because my pure love generates love from the other person. Pure love gives of itself freely without requiring payment.
Is not selfish, easily provoked or full of vengeance: Pure love is based in a source that refills. A pure love is given not out of obligation which requires a response. Pure love does not get angry for a trivial reason, or a silly reason, and it does not think evil towards the other person.
PURE love Always hopes, always believes, always endures, and NEVER FAILS!
To find more about Pure love look in 1 Corinthians 13 of the Word of God. There is a great description. Pure love is not easily given but God gives that towards us. Pure love and perfect love does not have any fear, rather it causes fear to vanish!
A pure love is the kind of love that I want. I have it in Jesus Christ my Savior. Should He provide for me another love, a physical love, in this world, I want him to model this love, and that I would model the same for him.
My attempt to guard the first kiss for this man has been idealistic, magical and romantic.
But, that being said, I want my first kiss to make a statement to the world. This... this one... This is the man with which I want to spend the rest of my days.
You think I can make it until that day?
I think of it as a promise. A promise to always love you. A promise and commitment. A statement to all the witnesses. It is a statement of belonging.
Magical? Well, I am not practiced. But I am proud of that. I don't know that the first kiss I give away will be magical, but it will mean something significant.
There is something I have longed to give away, and more than once have naturally felt to do so, but the commitment in my heart that goes with it has held me back. My heart says no to giving that away.
Because there is one man only that I want to kiss.
I have made my mistakes. I have been in an intimate relationship with a guy before. We were very close emotionally and I have felt the warmth of a man's arms. I have felt some sort of love in my heart before, but PURE love is this...
Patient or long suffering: This means that a love that is pure will endure the hardship of the wait, and will be patient to the better of the other person.
I fulfil love in this way through enduring the harsh words of my loved ones, enduring my own errors, waiting when I feel like giving up and taking the time necessary when I'd rather just rush forward.
Kind: I love purely when I am kind to my neighbor, kind to my spouse or to my family member. A kind word or deed covers over wounds, and encourages the hearts of those I love.
Does not envy: If I am loving purely, I accept who I am and who my loved one is, without being jealous of the gifts God has given him or her. If I love my husband/boyfriend I will not envy the job they have, their taste, I will not try to possess them or be in control of them. I will be able to accept who they are without trying to be better than them.
Is not proud or boastful: If I have pure love, I will not try to put myself higher than my loved ones. Pure love is humble rather than boastful. If I love purely, I will esteem the other person instead of just singing my own praises to try to get attention. I will not need to try to get attention because my pure love generates love from the other person. Pure love gives of itself freely without requiring payment.
Is not selfish, easily provoked or full of vengeance: Pure love is based in a source that refills. A pure love is given not out of obligation which requires a response. Pure love does not get angry for a trivial reason, or a silly reason, and it does not think evil towards the other person.
PURE love Always hopes, always believes, always endures, and NEVER FAILS!
To find more about Pure love look in 1 Corinthians 13 of the Word of God. There is a great description. Pure love is not easily given but God gives that towards us. Pure love and perfect love does not have any fear, rather it causes fear to vanish!
A pure love is the kind of love that I want. I have it in Jesus Christ my Savior. Should He provide for me another love, a physical love, in this world, I want him to model this love, and that I would model the same for him.
My attempt to guard the first kiss for this man has been idealistic, magical and romantic.
But, that being said, I want my first kiss to make a statement to the world. This... this one... This is the man with which I want to spend the rest of my days.
You think I can make it until that day?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Waiting for Mr. Right...
While you have been waiting to be noticed by Mr. Right, Mr. Nice Guy finds you. And for the first time in a long time, you feel appreciated. You feel loved. You feel like a woman. Although He doesn’t have some of the qualities you are looking for, he is a gentleman. He pays attention to you and listens to you. He continuously pursues you and waits for you. All in all, he is high quality. Truly a great guy. And there is something in you that craves that relationship. And let’s be honest, the sexual tension. The joking. The playful banter. The excitement of getting to know someone… They all have the power to sway us. And perhaps, persuade us to settle for Mr. Nice and give up on the wait for Mr. Right. . . Mr. Nice is here.
It is so frustrating to try and keep yourself away from Mr. Nice… Those little things are so easily overlooked. Yet those little things can become huge problems.
I dated a Mr. Nice once. I told him up front, I wasn’t interested. He stuck around anyway. He pursued me through friendship. And eventually, I caved. Mr. Nice seemed pretty great and I just wanted to give it a try. Mr. Nice was great first… But eventually, after some agonizing months. .. I realized, Mr. Nice was Mr. Wrong for Me. And after I ended it with him, I faced some painful months and years.
So how is it, then, that Mr. Nice has found me again? In fact, I think he might be Mr. Wonderful. I just don’t think I can ignore a second time that little voice inside me that says… “He isn’t Mr. Right”. But that voice is so often quieted by the ones that point out how honest, and kind he is. And all of his other positive traits. No matter that He isn’t the man I’d always dreamed of…He pursues me… so why am I resisting again??
Dreams can be complex. See some dreams you can chase. And some you just have to wait for. Like, my dream has always been to be a wife and mother… over every other dream I’ve ever had… and that dream just likes to stay out of reach. Now, I could grab onto it by grabbing onto Mr. Nice… but then that dream may not be all that great, right? No. I’ve gotta wait for Mr. Right. And maybe someday that dream may come true…
Somehow, I must flee from all of the Mr. Nice Guys out there…and there are many… And wait for Mr. Right. Just because a relationship can be good, doesn’t mean it will be great…and great is what I’m praying for. Great is what I’m waiting for. Because good just isn’t good enough.
~Anonymous
It is so frustrating to try and keep yourself away from Mr. Nice… Those little things are so easily overlooked. Yet those little things can become huge problems.
I dated a Mr. Nice once. I told him up front, I wasn’t interested. He stuck around anyway. He pursued me through friendship. And eventually, I caved. Mr. Nice seemed pretty great and I just wanted to give it a try. Mr. Nice was great first… But eventually, after some agonizing months. .. I realized, Mr. Nice was Mr. Wrong for Me. And after I ended it with him, I faced some painful months and years.
So how is it, then, that Mr. Nice has found me again? In fact, I think he might be Mr. Wonderful. I just don’t think I can ignore a second time that little voice inside me that says… “He isn’t Mr. Right”. But that voice is so often quieted by the ones that point out how honest, and kind he is. And all of his other positive traits. No matter that He isn’t the man I’d always dreamed of…He pursues me… so why am I resisting again??
Dreams can be complex. See some dreams you can chase. And some you just have to wait for. Like, my dream has always been to be a wife and mother… over every other dream I’ve ever had… and that dream just likes to stay out of reach. Now, I could grab onto it by grabbing onto Mr. Nice… but then that dream may not be all that great, right? No. I’ve gotta wait for Mr. Right. And maybe someday that dream may come true…
Somehow, I must flee from all of the Mr. Nice Guys out there…and there are many… And wait for Mr. Right. Just because a relationship can be good, doesn’t mean it will be great…and great is what I’m praying for. Great is what I’m waiting for. Because good just isn’t good enough.
~Anonymous
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Longing
The longing for what is right should protect and keep us. It should be the thing that keeps you from evil but it is not enough to have the longing. You also need the power of God. He is the one who keeps you safe. The power of God gives you wisdom as well. :)
I believe I am falling in love. The standards of purity are taken even higher and my challenge is greater. The question is whether or not I am really in love. Or whether it is just a longing deeply hidden yet awakened in my soul.
A pure heart is the desire of my heart. It is my longing. Along with that desire, another fire is also alive.
The chance to be in a loving relationship is a beautiful thought. However, I surrender all of those desires to my maker. It is tough because he is beautiful. He is exactly what I want in a guy. It must be for this reason that the word of God tells us not to awaken love prematurely. IT is still premature. I am in awe of the love of God. I am humbled and amazed by His hand. If he has taken me this far, I have no doubt he can take me the rest of the way.
But we must wait on him. Rely on him. I have made mistakes along the way. Clearly I am an imperfect person. However, I have to trust God, its the only thing I have.
My Saviour sees into the depths of my heart.
I know that He knows the future. Today, I must live to what He has asked of me, and not overthink tomorrow.
I lay down my desires and longings, in a desperate pursual of my Maker.
I believe I am falling in love. The standards of purity are taken even higher and my challenge is greater. The question is whether or not I am really in love. Or whether it is just a longing deeply hidden yet awakened in my soul.
A pure heart is the desire of my heart. It is my longing. Along with that desire, another fire is also alive.
The chance to be in a loving relationship is a beautiful thought. However, I surrender all of those desires to my maker. It is tough because he is beautiful. He is exactly what I want in a guy. It must be for this reason that the word of God tells us not to awaken love prematurely. IT is still premature. I am in awe of the love of God. I am humbled and amazed by His hand. If he has taken me this far, I have no doubt he can take me the rest of the way.
But we must wait on him. Rely on him. I have made mistakes along the way. Clearly I am an imperfect person. However, I have to trust God, its the only thing I have.
My Saviour sees into the depths of my heart.
I know that He knows the future. Today, I must live to what He has asked of me, and not overthink tomorrow.
I lay down my desires and longings, in a desperate pursual of my Maker.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
About the danger of man
Girls,
I just want to tell you to be careful. The people who are around you do not always have your best in mind. Sometimes it takes experiencing something scary to realize the condition of man.
We as human kinds live under a curse. But Jesus did come to redeem us from that curse. However, we are not all the same, but there are many who do not live under this redemption.
A fight for purity requires recognition of who you are first. To know that you deserve honor, respect, and that you are a daughter of the Most High and only God. When you realize that the love of Yhwh caused your creation, and that in his great love and desire for relationship with you he formed you, You will be so encouraged!
Because your life is of so much value, you need to guard it, becuase this world is full of enemies of God who desire to see the downfall of his people. But God so loved us that He sent his son to redeem us and bring us back to right relation with him, and the enemies of this world are unable to steal that from us.
I want you to know that the value of a pure heart costs ALOT. You will have to give up your earthly and fleshly desires to obtain it and have patience in all your relationships.
I have made many mistakes by trusting a man who was not interested in anything except for winning me. It took me many mistakes and years to realize that all these guys were really motivated in their heart by sex. They, perhaps, did not realize it themselves (just to give them the benefit of the doubt) but they showed me by their actions a lack of respect and an impatience which meant they only wanted one thing which I was by no means gonna give them.
Men can often be ruled by this insatiable desire to win a women, even if that means, kissing her or getting something from her and being the "first."
Women can be just as bad sometimes. They fight for the most "desirable" man and try to get his attention from things that they say.
I know that I am speaking very directly with you, but if you can realize that even a GOOD guy will fail and sometimes seek you for WRONG ReASONS you will be ahead of the game.
There is a women spoken of by a famous king, Solomon, who is worth more than RUBIES! What kind of woman does he talk about? Is it the one with the best skin? The one with the prettiest eyes or body? NO!!!!! He says that the woman who is worth more than rubies depended upon her CHARACTER! This specific one I am talking about is a women who is of a gentle and quiet spirit. He says that a "quarrelsome" women (one that likes to fight alot) is VERY STINKY. (joanna paraphrase)
So... all that to say. I am going to share a poem with you that I wrote. I was deceived a few times and the year was 2005. I trusted when I should have not given trust. There is great wisdom in this verse,
"Be wise as serpents, but innocent as doves." It is good to be innocent, ladies, but do not be unwise. Use your mind that God gave you and RUN from temptation.
I love you guys SO much and hope that you realize the respect you deserve and DEMAND it because you are not weak, but God has given you the authority necessary, and he has protected me, he will also protect you!!!!
These are very personal poems, but I share them for your benefit and so that you can learn from me. LOVE TO YOU! BE CAREFUL!
February 11, 2009
4 yrs have past
3 yrs, 9 months and 26 days to be exact.
It was one night, climactical
Not a night I cherish
Nor one I like to think upon
The effects this has on my future?
My biggest failure
Led to an almost identical experience
Almost 7 months later
WHY?
Truly a good question
God is gracious
Of this I'm sure
He led me to safety
From the devil's lure
The thing I treasured most
He tried to steal
I will not give up
Although his stealing hands
Try to grasp what is mine
My Father's love for me
Stills the anxiety
The pain and the loss
I take my cross
________________________
A Kiss
A kiss
Denied & Won thru deception
A touch
Not willingly given but taken by force
The force
Of his arms and hands
His warmth
My strength cannot compare
A trick
Older men and younger
Take away
And do not give worth
.... These poems are very sad, perhaps more so for me, because I lived them. YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!!
Even though I lived these, I still came out strong and victorious because God protected me from the devil and what these men tried to steal they were UNABLE!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!
They did steal my pride and dignity, but the grace of God helped me not to guard bitterness and also to realize that I still came out victorious because I said no in the face of temptation. And even though I did not get 100 percent on these tests of my strength and actually saw my weakness instead, it gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of God's grace and love!!! He is so good and I love hiM!!!!
Girls, don't forget that the love of Jesus Christ for us is so much more beautiful than the false lust of an over eager boy. His love will lead us to that which is perfect and right if we WAIT!!!
LOTS OF HUGS! hope to hear from you!
I just want to tell you to be careful. The people who are around you do not always have your best in mind. Sometimes it takes experiencing something scary to realize the condition of man.
We as human kinds live under a curse. But Jesus did come to redeem us from that curse. However, we are not all the same, but there are many who do not live under this redemption.
A fight for purity requires recognition of who you are first. To know that you deserve honor, respect, and that you are a daughter of the Most High and only God. When you realize that the love of Yhwh caused your creation, and that in his great love and desire for relationship with you he formed you, You will be so encouraged!
Because your life is of so much value, you need to guard it, becuase this world is full of enemies of God who desire to see the downfall of his people. But God so loved us that He sent his son to redeem us and bring us back to right relation with him, and the enemies of this world are unable to steal that from us.
I want you to know that the value of a pure heart costs ALOT. You will have to give up your earthly and fleshly desires to obtain it and have patience in all your relationships.
I have made many mistakes by trusting a man who was not interested in anything except for winning me. It took me many mistakes and years to realize that all these guys were really motivated in their heart by sex. They, perhaps, did not realize it themselves (just to give them the benefit of the doubt) but they showed me by their actions a lack of respect and an impatience which meant they only wanted one thing which I was by no means gonna give them.
Men can often be ruled by this insatiable desire to win a women, even if that means, kissing her or getting something from her and being the "first."
Women can be just as bad sometimes. They fight for the most "desirable" man and try to get his attention from things that they say.
I know that I am speaking very directly with you, but if you can realize that even a GOOD guy will fail and sometimes seek you for WRONG ReASONS you will be ahead of the game.
There is a women spoken of by a famous king, Solomon, who is worth more than RUBIES! What kind of woman does he talk about? Is it the one with the best skin? The one with the prettiest eyes or body? NO!!!!! He says that the woman who is worth more than rubies depended upon her CHARACTER! This specific one I am talking about is a women who is of a gentle and quiet spirit. He says that a "quarrelsome" women (one that likes to fight alot) is VERY STINKY. (joanna paraphrase)
So... all that to say. I am going to share a poem with you that I wrote. I was deceived a few times and the year was 2005. I trusted when I should have not given trust. There is great wisdom in this verse,
"Be wise as serpents, but innocent as doves." It is good to be innocent, ladies, but do not be unwise. Use your mind that God gave you and RUN from temptation.
I love you guys SO much and hope that you realize the respect you deserve and DEMAND it because you are not weak, but God has given you the authority necessary, and he has protected me, he will also protect you!!!!
These are very personal poems, but I share them for your benefit and so that you can learn from me. LOVE TO YOU! BE CAREFUL!
February 11, 2009
4 yrs have past
3 yrs, 9 months and 26 days to be exact.
It was one night, climactical
Not a night I cherish
Nor one I like to think upon
The effects this has on my future?
My biggest failure
Led to an almost identical experience
Almost 7 months later
WHY?
Truly a good question
God is gracious
Of this I'm sure
He led me to safety
From the devil's lure
The thing I treasured most
He tried to steal
I will not give up
Although his stealing hands
Try to grasp what is mine
My Father's love for me
Stills the anxiety
The pain and the loss
I take my cross
________________________
A Kiss
A kiss
Denied & Won thru deception
A touch
Not willingly given but taken by force
The force
Of his arms and hands
His warmth
My strength cannot compare
A trick
Older men and younger
Take away
And do not give worth
.... These poems are very sad, perhaps more so for me, because I lived them. YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!!
Even though I lived these, I still came out strong and victorious because God protected me from the devil and what these men tried to steal they were UNABLE!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!
They did steal my pride and dignity, but the grace of God helped me not to guard bitterness and also to realize that I still came out victorious because I said no in the face of temptation. And even though I did not get 100 percent on these tests of my strength and actually saw my weakness instead, it gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of God's grace and love!!! He is so good and I love hiM!!!!
Girls, don't forget that the love of Jesus Christ for us is so much more beautiful than the false lust of an over eager boy. His love will lead us to that which is perfect and right if we WAIT!!!
LOTS OF HUGS! hope to hear from you!
Monday, February 9, 2009
A secret love
Just remember that there are no secrets before God. There was nothing hidden that will not be made known. :)
I have a secret.
There was this girl. Her name was _____________. you'll figure who. :) She always wanted to find love. She used to seek the love of her friends. She'd do her hair just a certain way to fit in with them.
She didn't have much money, but when she got to buy a new outfit, she always chose what would be most stylish, and proudly wore it every chance she could without it being "too often."
Then it happened.
One of her friends, with whom she always shared the most of her time and she loved her, suddenly started acting different to her. This friend stopped inviting her over to stay the night, and she noticed this friend was getting really close to another girl.
__________ felt sad. This girl didn't come to her house anymore. _________felt rejected.
Maybe you feel like you could fit in this this category. But I have a secret.
There is ONE who loves you more than you could imagine. He is the One and Only. He sent his son Jesus into the world as a human being. Jesus, although being in very nature God, left his position in the heavens and came to earth as a man. He made himself nothing. (Phillipians 2)
His love is the best kept secret of mankind. His awesome love breaks power of death, brings new life, heals from disease, restores brokenness. He gives all we need and promises to be with us always (Jsh 1:9)
May your love for him shine like the stars.
"What can mortal man do to you?" Trust in God! Psalms 56:4
Matthew 16:26 "What can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Don't forget this promise: NO ONE can steal away from you the FATHER's LOVE
Knowing this has transformed my life.
I have a secret.
There was this girl. Her name was _____________. you'll figure who. :) She always wanted to find love. She used to seek the love of her friends. She'd do her hair just a certain way to fit in with them.
She didn't have much money, but when she got to buy a new outfit, she always chose what would be most stylish, and proudly wore it every chance she could without it being "too often."
Then it happened.
One of her friends, with whom she always shared the most of her time and she loved her, suddenly started acting different to her. This friend stopped inviting her over to stay the night, and she noticed this friend was getting really close to another girl.
__________ felt sad. This girl didn't come to her house anymore. _________felt rejected.
Maybe you feel like you could fit in this this category. But I have a secret.
There is ONE who loves you more than you could imagine. He is the One and Only. He sent his son Jesus into the world as a human being. Jesus, although being in very nature God, left his position in the heavens and came to earth as a man. He made himself nothing. (Phillipians 2)
His love is the best kept secret of mankind. His awesome love breaks power of death, brings new life, heals from disease, restores brokenness. He gives all we need and promises to be with us always (Jsh 1:9)
May your love for him shine like the stars.
"What can mortal man do to you?" Trust in God! Psalms 56:4
Matthew 16:26 "What can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Don't forget this promise: NO ONE can steal away from you the FATHER's LOVE
Knowing this has transformed my life.
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