A word I use often is "sure"... it may be because what my dad says for "yes" but I just like it better than yes or the outrageously popular "yeah". I want to say what i mean and mean what i say. I want to do what I say I will do and be where I say I will be. I trust that this is the Lord in me, making me more like Jesus. In Christ I am trustworthy, dependable, giving, and genuine. I pray he takes this weak soul and manifests His character in my life.

"Sure" is like "yes" with emotion, conviction, and comfort in it. I want to REALLY mean it! And I do, to the best extent that I possibly can. Not joking. Not indifferent. Not wavering. Now without thought. Now without confidence.

JUST. SURE.

The Lord brought to my mind the word "guarantee" as I was wrestling with some UN-surety in my own life... which reminded me of the following verses, as I NEED, as His child, to KNOW, that HE is sure even when nothing else is. I heard it said once that moving frequently as a child can be as traumatic if not more so than the death of a parent. Children need a sure thing, a constant, if you will. I often find I am caught in the tension of living on earth with my only hope in heaven. It's not always easy... At the risk of sounding cheesy, I am going to have to mention the TV show Lost, because it really illustrated this. Desmond, in his conscious mind, was able to be in the past and the future, but this caused a great amount on confusion and disorientation. The physicist told him he must find a constant to connect the 2 worlds, thus uniting the past and the future. Wow. How much MORE, INFINITELY MORE, does Christ not only connect our two worlds, but give them PURPOSE and MEANING!? THEN we have peace in the reality of His holding ALL things together.

Eph. 1:11In him we have obtained (already!) an inheritance, having been predestined (that's definitely already!) according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believedsealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

That's SURE - words like promised, and guarantee... it's already done, but not yet fully in our possession, also stated, we live our new life in Christ on this earth only because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and when that does not seem enough we are reminded that He did not leave is with nothing, He left us, at the point of salvation, WITH HIS SPIRIT, a GUARANTEE (something that assures a particular outcome or condition) of our inheritance. We have it, but it's not fully ours.

What an anchor to my soul that is so prone to search to find something stable in a quickly crumbling world. I wrestle with this balance: how to live in the "already but not yet" that this passage describes:

2 Cor 5:
1For we know (sure!) that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed,

so that (phrase of purpose coming up here!!)

what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (wow! It is HIS LIFE in the Spirit that conquers the flesh/mortality in us!)

(and the "how"- )

5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a
guarantee.

6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7for we walk by faith, not by sight.

8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

I pray that my groaning stops at longing to be fully with Christ and does not progress into complaining or pessimism. I don't want the enemy to steal my joy. This joy is found in delighting in the glorious supremacy of Jesus Christ. The One that is the same: yesterday, today, and forever.

2 Cor 1:18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Our being established in Christ is guaranteed by the fact that we HAVE His Spirit!

16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace (God giving, us receiving) and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,... Paul in Romans...

In faith we have the Spirit of Christ, our HELPER, that He left for us to testify to our being new creations. The Spirit IS our assurance, our testifier, our helper. When we feel stuck in the middle there is a SURE, constant Person who is Christ Jesus, guaranteed for eternity by His Spirit.

a little christmas fun... hope the reality of God in flesh in the form of Christ is powerful and humbling to you as it is to me.  Emmanuel - GOD is with us and in us!  

there's never going to be a day in the history of days that God's kingdom doesn't go forward...there's not really anything else that does that in life. - a conversation between louie giglio and matt redman

that's it. that is my confidence in these days. it lines up with who God is: He CAN'T stop loving His people - that's who He is. and LOVE CHANGES PEOPLE. It's the power that causes change in our lives - because we realize we are valuable to Him. our worth is caught up in the cross and we cannot deny His love, which is actively pursuing us.

the kingdom redemption and rescue is all around. it's all the places and events where Christ is reconciling hearts and situations to himself. His truth and life WILL prove faithful and real if we will take it by faith. i hope and pray i am an instrument in His hands. i trust i carry His life in me to communicate the gospel to whoever He places before me, and i am so glad that His life is the force and it's not all up to me.

God, move your kingdom forward before our eyes like never before.

i have gotten this question a lot from girls so i figured it was worth posting...

Christ is ALL and in ALL...

Hey! glad you wrote- it's means so much to me that you would even ask... this is something the Lord taught me this past year a lot about... I think the phrase 'guard your heart' comes from this:

Prov. 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
This is the NASB version which i like b/c it shows the word guard to mean "watch over" the AMP version says be diligent over...
This is indeed important but i agree w/ you in that it has really been thrown around to the point that no one knows what it means anymore. anytime you make a theology out of one verse you usually end up frustrated or lost! I think it's very important to watch over your heart- to take care of it by renewing it to truth and asking the Lord to search and know it and change it when it's out of line... i think, especially with women, our temptation is to live by feelings and those feelings (i.e. having a crush on a guy or thinking there is something there when he has said nothing to you about it) and feelings move to a false reality. then you are totally on this roller coaster because you were not renewing your heart and mind to truth, but to your human feelings. (see romans 12:1-2)

I think we need to pick that Proverbs 4:23 verse apart according to scripture:
if you read about what the heart is and how that word is used in scripture it's usually the seat of our desire, it is "deceitful above all" and "God is greater than our heart" It's the part of us that is often what we feel and may not ALWAYS be in line w/ truth- that's why I John 3 says 16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

so you see - people in their sin(flesh/self effort) can close their hearts (that's why we much be in touch with what God is doing in us individually, praying and asking Him to reveal any sin in our lives). When their heart, the container of the wellspring of life, is closed, they miss the gospel in their lives, and their hearts can even condemn them (this is one way we are deceived into believing lies), but we must REASSURE our hearts of what it true: (Remember when David tells is own soul: "Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul"?) that HE laid His life down for us, and His love is complete, perfect, abounding -

So we may often FEEL condemned, unworthy, unacceptable, or needy but TRUTH is what GOD says, regardless of how I feel.

All of our worth, significance, and acceptability comes totally 100% from Christ - and we must often (as I am choosing to do even today) cast our entire heart, all that we are, onto the love of Christ. That's why he said in John 15, "Abide in my love, remain in my love..." We throw ourselves in total trust and abandon into the life and love of Christ that He gives freely.

To NOT guard your heart is to allow those needs for love, acceptance, worth, security, etc... that only Christ can meet... to consume you instead of letting Christ meet them. It can be so subtle and that's why Proverbs reminds us to "be diligent" over our heart. When you look to ANY other source (whether guy or girl friends or family or school, etc...) above or outside of Christ you are not guarding your heart because your "wellspring of Life" will be dry if you are drinking from THE Living water.

Specifically, in relationships, it is to live in the reality of that relationship, not an imagined fantasy. (this is where the heart can deceive you into thinking it's more, or moving further along, etc, than what it actually is, and this is where the heartbreak often happens) It is to always look to Christ first and not to a person. When they disappoint you (they will) you look to Christ. When they ask too much of you (and you know when they do this) you don't give in because you find acceptance in Christ and not what you do for them. And when your heart is broken, you can survive that because all along your have cast your hope in Christ, not making that person an idol, or one from whom you receive your primary acceptance and love from. God is your primary provide for that need!

Here's a little more on the heart for you/ How you can practically guard your heart:

Phil 4:5 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Eph 1:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

So, REJOICE, offer up your requests to Him, THANK HIM in faith for His deep love and acceptance towards you, know the Love of Christ (pursue intimacy with Him)... that you may be at peace (accepting His gift of Life to you) and full (complete, not lacking in anything) in Christ.

We, as children of God and believers in His power that lives and dwells in us, are called to live out of our fullness and Christ- the full heart, confident in Him alone, is the guarded heart.
Or at least that's the first step... when the wellspring of live isn't flowing... you'll know what to do. And it will always be a journey but it's a journey to intimacy with Christ that He is overjoyed to walk with you in.

Hope this helps,
and let me know if I could help you any further! If I can do anything at all for you (get together or whatever) let me know!
love
katie b

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V78mEMTB-tY

part 1 of a video from our trip to hong kong!

I feel like the Lord is definitely shouting through my circumstances and what's been going on:
2 weddings of couples where the pursuit of the bride we long distance yet totally consistent and committed (Orlando-Birmingham, and North Carolina - China!!) remind me of how He pursues us. The gospel really is too good to be true. It really is! Then I watched Diary of a Mad Black woman... on TBS... some hard stuff in there and pretty funny but there is definitely sacrificial love... LOVE is what breaks down walls... and it takes force to break down walls and love is the perfect power to do that! And then, I have heard the stories of people being in close relationship with friends where their Christ like love for one another- their effort in being intentional and not backing up brought about the love and life of Christ in such life changing ways that people are ruined for the present!! Lastly I watched my granddad weep at the foot of his wife of 64 years' bed as he has done for the last month and a half as he watches her slip more each day into the throws of dementia. Even when she pushes and cuts at him in her conscious moments, he comes everyday to the nursing home and looks for the good things about the day yet mourns the loss of the love of his life and his best friend as he's known her, dreaming of the day they can return home.

To sit and think that He takes pleasure in us because we are His- not because of what we do or accomplish- really it is a gift of grace! Even when we ignore the fact that He is pouring out to us! He has given it ALL! It is that grace that changes my life! It is so powerful that even though I have heard this before it's like I have heard it for the first time--that is the GOSPEL!

Do not despair or be discouraged- the Lord your God loves YOU for YOU and He is so committed to you knowing that. WE just have to open our eyes and see- He may be whispering or he may be screaming, but step back and look- He is in ALL things, declaring His glory and offering all He has that you may know Him.

This hymn just sealed it for me...

O LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO
(arr. by Jason Sears, orig. by George Matheson...)

1. O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
May richer, fuller be!

2. O light that follows all my way,
I yield my flickering flame
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
May brighter, fairer be.

O Love (that will not let me go)
That will not let me go
O love (that holds my trembling soul)
That holds my trembling soul
O Love (that will not let me go)
That will not let me go
O love (that heals and makes me whole)
That heals and makes me whole
O love love that will not let me go



-------------------------------
3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

here is an amazing group of folks who are having a great time teaching english in hong kong. we are really blessed to have a team that enjoys each other and works so well together!!

Jeremiah 33
3I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
12They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD



There is a certain value to getting away. The Lord has set His creation before us to point us to Himself. You can't ignore it. It only exists to call us into deeper fellowship with Him. It's interesting that the tabernacle of worship to the Lord in the Old Testament start's with outer courts, which are lit by natural light. Worship begins in the natural, stirring our senses, opening our physical eyes. He's grabbed our attention and invites us to MORE...



Then our soul begins to sing- in the holy place the light source was from a lamp. IN our sould His word brings light and clarity to our hearts and minds. This is where we are transformed and changed.



And finally, through the veil to the holy of holies, the only source of light is the glory of God- outshining all that we have ever seen. Our spirit engages in union with Him: the ultimate act of worship. There is nothing that brings perspective more than true worship by the Spirit. THAT is when we taste the glory of God. In His very presence is the fullness of joy! (Psalm 16:11)



Psalm 96
8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;[a]
tremble before him, all the earth!
10Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved

“The question is, can we say,

simply, honestly, not because we feel that as evangelicals we ought to,

but because it is a plain matter of fact, that we have known God, and that

because we have known God the unpleasantness we have had, or the

pleasantness we have not had, through being Christians does not matter

to us? If we really knew God, this is what we would be saying, and if we

are not saying it, that is a sign that we need to face ourselves more

sharply with the difference between knowing God and merely knowing about him.”

-J.I. Packer in Knowing God


What would it be like to no longer complain, to quit fixing our eyes on “stuff” and weld them to Him? Knowing Him fully (and you can never know all of Him) makes those things so much smaller…


I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE how creative and just plain smart the Lord is. I love how He can make many seemingly seperate truths all come together. I love how he takes those truths and makes them experience, illuminating and revolutionizing how I see things and do things and understand things.


“The word of the Lord is LIVING and ACTIVE, sharper than any double edged sword…”


His Word is not still. His Word is not void. It’s not just an idea, it is a PERSON! A person who is living and active in us. His LIFE is in us and causes us to not be the same. This gift of grace is not just love and acceptance unconditionally, but it is the gift of TRANSFORMING POWER!


John 1: 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


When the Word abides in us we cannot help but be changed. The little pleasures or lack thereof become smaller as we see Him in all this glory- as we KNOW him. (In HIS presence is the fullness of joy)


Fixing our eyes not on that which is seen but that which is UNSEEN:

2 Cor 4: 17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.


We think that the tangible, touchable things are so real yet it is all over scripture that He is what’s real. The spiritual is true reality. There is a certain CERTAIN freedom in that- My eyes have truly been opened as I have had the privilege of studying some about prophecy and end times and how God works and how we experience Him in these days:


Basically, HE IS UNSHAKEABLE the rest is SHAKEABLE, unreliable, pointless, you name it. The things that consume us (or should I say we allow to consume us and tempt us and imprison us) are not what knowing Him is about. Knowing Him is saying I consider all this rubbish that I may gain Christ… That I may know Him (Phil 3:7-8) Heb 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29for our God is a consuming fire.


When we know Him we hold things loosely, because the things we usually grasp with our very life are “shakeable things”- people, our daily comforts, our “way”, our plans. He is so faithful to shake things a bit because He knows Life is better when we know Him as Life and when we know what/who is lasting, life-giving, and better than all we could ask or imagine.


Hopefully this will be our Word that sums up the truths: He is enough, He is BETTER…

Jeremiah 9:23Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”


I am glad to delight in Him.

“Learn to love to be alone with the words of God- that’s when crazy things happen in your own life- that’s when you hear the calling of God on your life!” -Francis Chan


The calling of God on your life = “until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you…” Gal 4:19, happens when we seek Him out for everything and in everything.


Hebrews 13-amplified version

5Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]


6So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?


This is the only freedom I have-


I am convicted by this but praise the Lord - I heard this weekend that conviction, ,which leads to confession and repentance is a sign of growth! I know one thing and that is I do not want to just stay the same, getting more and more stagnant. I welcome this “hardship as discipline” (Hebrews 12:7) and trust God to do the rest. So that all that comes from my life is nothing but His life, He IS good to keep me on my face, especially on the days when I fight it. Then real repentance, growth, and revival happens. My prayer is that my personal revival will spark it in those who know me. My heart is revived by the gospel- the whole gospel from start to finish. THEN I experience the JOY of my salvation. Then I realize, in the midst of my sin/old thought patterns, how He conquers (actually has conquered already!) it more than I can ask or imagine, and He refines more and more of me. He and I are close and intimate in our conversations as I let Him in (haha, whatever it is to “let” God in…) on what I’m really thinking… and He lets me in on what HE is thinking. It’s amazing. HE IS AMAZING!


Lord-


in the moment i was afraid- i thought i was alone. “but though i feel alone, i am NEVER alone- you are with me” thank you for this Word that you will not in any degree leave me helpless or forsaken. I am not an orphan but your well-provided for daughter. Lord it is my joy to know you in this intentional and intimate way. I could not ask for any more than that!

Hebrews 4:14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


“But the claim made for Jesus is that he has passed through the heavens, he has passed outside the limits of time and space. He is no longer contained within, limited by, those boundaries that hold us within physical limits. He is outside, above, beyond, over all, therefore there are no limits to his power.

It is wrong to think of this relationship in terms of space. Growing up as children there is a tendency to think of heaven as “out there” in space somewhere, on one of the stars, perhaps, some great distance removed from earth. Because of the figurative language employed in Scripture we think of going “up” to heaven and “down” to hell. … But surely the idea that is conveyed to us by the figurative language of the Scriptures is that heaven is outside time and space, therefore it can be within us as well as around us, above us, and beyond us. The throne of grace is not in remote space; it is right in the heart of a believer in whom Jesus Christ dwells. To come to the throne of grace does not mean to go into a prayer closet and shut the door and address an appeal across the reaches of space to some distant point in heaven. It means to reckon upon the One who indwells us. The throne of grace is that close to us, that available to us. (R. Stedman)”


Wow. I believe this with all I am as I sense the Lord moving and changing our community. I know without a doubt that He is doing great things in me! Tony Evans said with great excitement this morning, “He doesn’t come just to change our lives but to EXCHANGE our lives!” He gives us His very life. He is the only thing being that is eternal, so He IS eternal life and that is offered to us today! That is more real than anything!


Christ is all-sufficient! There are places in us that ONLY His word can affect. He gives grace to change and bring life to our flesh: our weakness. That is where HIS LIFE is seen most! All that which we depend on outside of Him: our pride manifested in self-strength and self- protection, performance to gain acceptance, self-deprecation and other acts of the flesh where we try to do what only God can do, are only hurting us. God SEES right through those. He is not surprised or unable to wield a sword that brings death to this flesh and life all in the same blow. THAT is why we must RUN (Heb. 4:14-16 - this run is evidence of faith) to the throne (a place of power and authority) of grace and receive that which is already ours by the sacrifice Christ has made.


I have never been more blessed. I have never felt more rich in Him. There is not a doubt in my mind that He is able to accomplish more than we could ever dream and imagine. He is more available than I could have dreamed. That is truth and anything less is a full out lie. It’s amazing the power of the TRUTH of the indwelling word: the power of Christ living in me.

God has a unique PLAN for every believer:

He, since the beginning of time, has pursued and romanced a people that He loves unconditionally. When we still were His unbelieving enemy He died for us. We died with Him. He took our sin upon Himself to romance us once again and to buy us back. We are raised to new life, reborn if you will, and we MUST continue to live! By finding fellowship and understanding in Him, He has won our hearts! So we invite Him in to dwell in us. Renewing our minds to truth and becoming a LIVING sacrifice allows His purpose to happen in our lives: we begin to reflect Him as we go on to maturity through healing and refining.

You dwellings of Jesus! Allow Him to build you up into Himself! Make more room for Him in your life by living out of your fullness and completeness (salvation) that He offers. Your whole life’s purpose is wrapped up in Him: He has bestowed GIFTS on us (namely Himself- shining through our unique personalities)! We must build up CHRIST’S body using our unique gifts, and He WILL be glorified in and through us! May we stand in awe of Christ’s compelling love and walk forward into the advancing kingdom before us.

Take the time to start anew
Maybe it's in front of you
Take the time to walk down your street
And heaven knows who you might meet
Take the time to be okay
And laugh a bit along the way
You could take me for a ride, we could just drive all day

chorus:
And we could breathe again
Step outside our front door
And gaze upon the stars
And know we're not alone
So run into the fields
Scream louder than you can
It's good to be alive
And breathing air again

Take the time to stop and stare
Heaven's beauty everywhere
Take the time to think about
Someone else besides yourself
Take the time to be okay
And laugh a bit along the way
You could take me for a ride
We could just drive all day
-robbie seay

Is 33: 5The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion(me) with justice and righteousness,
6and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion's(my) treasure.

That pretty much sums it up... my life in a couple pics and sentences...

http://www.gracecampus.net/katie

after the visit to the vet, we have come to see that she is a he... but boy names are much easier to come up with anyway. so here's moses. a sweet spirited kitty who is gender confused... or at least we are.

after a few days of rain the sun has come up and it is cooler here in auburn- the fall is here!!! and it's not a coincidence that the Lord has done the same in me. It is NEVER too late for Him to do a fresh work in you or me! The past several weeks have been somewhat dark, uncomfortable but He is always faithful to bring new life- isn't that just in his character to restore what the locusts have eaten, to bring life to a discouraged heart, to pour out victory in the midst of defeat. Wow. God is bigger than all our stuff. HE can come in and throw out the old just to replace it with the new: with Himself! And just like the rain it's nothing that I can manufacture but what He has to give- outside of ourselves- in His perfect timing. Just by looking to Him and allowing Him to have our problems- they are nothing to Him because He sees the big picture. And He knows what He is doing.

Joel 2:23"Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God,for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.

24"The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.

26"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.And my people shall never again be put to shame.

The LORD Will Pour Out His Spirit 28[d] "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30"And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls

the famous question- and what else?
well if you care to know visit

www.gracecampus.net/katie

that's what else.

www.gracecampus.net/staff.html

Susan and I went skydiving finally! Boy am I glad I have the pictures to prove it! Do you see the look of pure bliss on my face? It was so much fun!
Yes, we just rolled out of the side of the plane... Jeff, my instructor tagged along...
A thumbs up and I believe i was just dancing for the camera as a fell at 120 mph. I highly recommend it!

Good Bye Scrubs....(i washed them and put them away for the time-being)
Hello Gracecampus! (this is my new office!)

Just wanted to share a few pictures to show where I am at now- I cannot believe I am here in Auburn and this is my job. I have a real desk and I don't have to report at 0-630. That was tough but this is a whole new kind of tough. It's one I am challenged by and anxious to see what the Lord will do in and through me as I don't have the answers but He does!

I hope and pray and ask you to join me in asking the Lord to open and change hearts and move us to the place where HE is all we need and His GLORY is all that matters, in all that we do. I sense that happening as it feels like I am being attacked with every insecurity and doubt, yet just turning my eyes to Him allows the truth to fall afresh.

"i will not leave you as orphans"

"i will never leave you nor forsake you"

"you are Mine"

'you have the mind of Christ"

"for when He is weak then I am strong"

Come visit and come see what God is doing here!!

princess jelly bracelets














hiking shoes and glaciers














we finally made it!














Susan Dennis :) 

Grinnell Glacier trail and chain lakes were amazing!

ready for the 11.4 mile hike!

our campsite and our awesome tent making skills

we had many moments to 'soak it in' we couldn't get enough of them actually...

waterfalls were everywhere... from the melting ice, yet it was still very warm!

billy goats.. baaaahh

glooorrious mountains!

some glacial lake somewhere on the Sun Road... That's our friend monkey in the background.

at Brownies Grocery Hostel posing with the awkward family pics

we were always on a moose hunt...

aww arthur...

meet West Henry, and montana native and his shetland pony Mocha

wildflowers were everywhere (don't pick them in the national park, though)

saw a "picture of Jesus" sunrise

hung out at an amazing ranch...

saw some great sunsets...

We drove almost 2000 miles!!

There were random wild animals everywhere!

My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
Getting There
"Master, where dwellest Thou? . . Come and see."
John 1:39
"They abode with Him that day." That is about all some of us ever do, then we wake up to actualities, self-interest arises and the abiding is passed. There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

"Thou art Simon, thou shalt be called Cephas." God writes the new name on those places only in our lives where He has erased the pride and self-sufficiency and self-interest. Some of us have the new name in spots only, like spiritual measles. In sections we look all right. When we have our best spiritual mood on, you would think we were very high-toned saints; but don't look at us when we are not in that mood. The disciple is one who has the new name written all over him; self-interest and pride and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the deification of self, and this to-day in some of us is not of the order of the Pharisee, but of the publican. To say "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable to human pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. It literally means that you defy God to make you a saint, "I am much too weak and hopeless, I am outside the reach of the Atonement." Humility before men may be unconscious blasphemy before God. Why are you not a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe God can make you one. It would be all right, you say, if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is just what He will do! "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Make no conditions, let Jesus be everything, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for ever.


-may we never deny the fullness of the cross! I am overwhelmed at the totality of it, the passion of it, the power of it. The Wonderful Cross! It changes me and saves me DAILY- It makes life possible and I would be dead without it.
-kb

...And it's official. Everyone knows. I told work today and had an amazingly positive response. I am moving to Auburn and this is where I will live. My home for at least 2 years... 2 years in the same place? Wow. Who woulda' thunk it? :)

...My prayer:

YOUR Kingdom come! Lord I trust you are bringing me here for your greatest good and glory. Great are you and faithful are you! I am so amazed, but not suprised. You are God and you do amazing things. Always.

YOUR kingdom come. Not my will but yours. I know you will accomplish this in your power and your timing.

Your KINGDOM come- that is, one of love and one of servant's hearts- A kingdom whose hearts beat together for the KING- a kingdom where true freedom in Christ and true love received from Him alone compel us. One where your glory shines around and you are molding and shaping your precious people, and they are manifesting your glory.

Your kingdom COME- Move in power- Be active in the hearts of your people. YOU ARE "BE" and you are not passive but moving and changing by your grace. From this point on nothing will stay the same but move and breathe in and through you.

YOUR KINGDOM COME: May the body of Christ, that is the church, be strengthened as each individual abides in your power Lord- YOU are our common ground and YOU are the center of our lives. Bring your kingdom- As we start in this little corner of earth we look forward to joining with your body in the rest of the world: the power to move and change the world rests in You and You alone.

Let this home be a corner of your Kingdom- it's yours!

As we cry out to You, oh Lord make us one

Let the whole earth see through us what You've done

May our hands find reach for what our words can't preach

Oh Lord make us one...Jason Morant

Hope whoever sees this gets a good laugh out of our goofy selves...

so often we find ourselves looking to fill the spaces in our heart.
we become deceived one of 2 ways:
deceit #1: something on this earth can satisfy/is better than christ
deceit #2: christ won't satisfy me until i reach heaven so all i can do is sit around a wait for that blessed day.
i want to address #2: I have talked about #1 a ton of times.

I saw a poster in the doctor's office talking about "I AM" not I will be or I used to be "I AM"

He is all you need for today! Seeking answers to problems, waiting on people to change or do what suits us are things that may never happen.

HE is our HOPE (that implies waiting, yes, but I think Hoping is for now too: it just involves faith) and our DELIVERER! FOR TODAY! TODAY is a blessed day because He is here andHe is in it, and we are in Him. Do you know the Bible states that we are "in Christ" way more than He is in us?!

As believers we are joined to His life- THAT is the good life. Participate in it. Rejoice in it. BELIEVE it! For today.

And we can continue to be excited for Heaven, but there's a little (or a lot) of Heaven in each day- IN Christ.

...A curious look filled her grandma's features. "You know what the problem is with the world today?"
Mary smiled. She loved when her grandma was like this, when she was able to sum up all the godly wisdom of a lifetime and put it into a sentence or two. "what's the problem, Grandma?"
"People want to make Jesus into some Gandhi orRambo figure. A good teacher or a strong leader." She shook her head, and her eyes shone as they hadn't in years. "you know why Jesus had the power to resucue you, Mary Madison?"
Mary grinned. She knew, but she waited for her grandma's answer anyway.
"Because--" Grandma Peggy jabbed her bony finger in the air for emphasis--"Jesus is God Almighty. He is divine. " Her energy dropped off a bit. "The world can only be rescued by a divine power."
(from Karen Kingsbury's Divine)

Jesus is real! He is all powerful and the implications of the cross are priceless. May we never be so deceived as to think we can live life on our own, heal ourselves, make decisions in life, apart from Him.

THIS IS OUR HOPE! There is life and freedom in hoping and trusting in a divine Saviour. That which we cannot see with our eyes- His God-ness, His power, His life living in and through us by faith. We can so sense it- something in me that drives me- something that falls on me and changes me- what is it? Not my power, but HIS! Somehow it's real because I would not be in the place today without HIM.

Jesus is DIVINE!

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Life is good because HE makes it that way... HE illuminates... He puts the majesty into creation and the created (us) by His power! THAT's what stirs our hearts.

And somehow an indescribable joy that I could NEVER manufacture on my own comes over me. I might explode or I might just simply praise my Savior. It's not the things that make life good, it's LIFE, the person of Jesus, that IS good!

Psalm 8
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise [b] because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (how in the world do we get to enjoy the things of you, or hear and understand them???!!! only by your grace. only because of what you've done on our behalf)
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c] and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The Bible is full of exchanges...
Darkness for light.
Death for life.
Jesus endured terrible suffering and became our sin for us to be free from wrath and the penalty of sin.
Not only that, but we died with Him and are given new life!

As Aslan says in Narnia when He resurrects, death is working itself backwards. And He, being the Christ figure in the story, starts the ball rolling when He, a blameless victim, is killed but comes alive in due time and returns to His people to redeem them for His kingdom. He had to experience death before the resurrection.

I feel like life is so similar as we grow and change, and as we are exposed to death so He can heal us by bringing life into that place...I like to think that redemption is not a cycle but something that is CONSTANTLY happening! We have no idea the volume of our "old man"/fleshy thinking patterns, but they are there nonetheless and He is faithful to expose and redeem them!

If we were to be 100% transformed, all at once, we would never know what hit us! So he does this process gently- layer by layer. Changing us and allowing our lives to move and change at HIS pace to sanctify us but ultimately because this is how he can love us best. One way to know the depths of His love is to come face to face with the depths of my need.

Disappointment and bruised expectations bring death, unbelief and fear expose the death that He is wanting to free us from. If we don't make the exchange we are at great risk to spiral down.

Whether I feel it or not, I have no option but to chose life! HE did, and He did so on our behalf! He values our lives so much so that he took on the worst for our best! When the lies creep in, when that discontentment tugs at your feelings you can place them at the foot of the cross, knowing that He has overcome all of this for the glory of His name and so that we may have victory in knowing He has our best interests at heart.

Feeling alone? Father knows best- He wants to be your companion- He wants to be THE companion. It may be that the loneliness is a deeper cry to receive Him to yourself. The truth is, He IS better and HE DOES care and He allows this to open your eyes to the fact that real companionship first comes from being in Christ.

THIS is the FINISHED work of the CROSS!!!! ( I am saying this to myself right now)
How can we ever truly believe, truly hope, if we don't see the need? If we don't see the need, what or who are we hoping in?

"As you truly hope more deeply in the evidence of the finished work of the cross for you, that releases supernatural holy spirit power in your life." -bob flayhart

Even when all evidence and feelings point to the opposite, this is the HOPE we have- this is our victory! The life of Christ- living, moving, breathing in and through us. How else will we go on? HE IS OUR HOPE!

...and sometimes He removes that which we hold on to, knowing that the end result will be my seeing HE is BETTER than that which I was clinging to. I have to learn to tap into His supernatural, resurrection power! He removes my ideas so I will simply stop and hear HIS. He allows me to have less than I had hoped for so that He can prove Himself worthy of every bit of my hope and trust. (because I often hope for less than He wants to give me)

Who better to give yourself, your whole heart to, than the most trustworthy one of all?!
He is NOT witholding good things from you for any reason but to give you His best for you- and that is Himself. Today it looks like one thing tomorrow it will be another.
You are learning to trust Him from every angle and depth.

I choose to praise you Lord because you are worth it. You have been nothing but faithful and you will be nothing but faithful! Thank you for taking me on the adventure of knowing you and challenging me to believe you. You are my source of life, the rest is just... well, the rest.

The Bible is full of exchanges...
Darkness for light.
Death for life.
Jesus endured terrible suffering and became our sin for us to be free from wrath and the penalty of sin. Not only that, but we died with Him and are given new life!

As Aslan says in Chronicles of Narnia when He resurrects, death is working itself backwards. And He, being the Christ figure in the story, starts the ball rolling when He, a blameless victim, is killed but comes alive in due time and returns to His people to redeem them for His kingdom. He had to experience death before the resurrection.

I feel like life is so similar as we grow and change, and as we are exposed to death so He can heal us by bringing life into that place...I like to think that redemption is not a cycle but something that is CONSTANTLY happening! We have no idea the volume of our "old man"/fleshy thinking patterns, but they are there nonetheless and He is faithful to expose and redeem them!

If we were to be 100% transformed, all at once, we would never know what hit us! So he does this process gently- layer by layer. Changing us and allowing our lives to move and change at HIS pace to sanctify us but ultimately because this is how he can love us best. One way to know the depths of His love is to come face to face with the depths of my need.

Disappointment and bruised expectations bring death, unbelief and fear expose the death that He is wanting to free us from. If we don't make the exchange we are at great risk to spiral down.

Whether I feel it or not, I have no option but to chose life! HE did, and He did so on our behalf! He values our lives so much so that he took on the worst for our best! When the lies creep in, when that discontentment tugs at your feelings you can place them at the foot of the cross, knowing that He has overcome all of this for the glory of His name and so that we may have victory in knowing He has our best interests at heart.

Feeling alone? Father knows best- He wants to be your companion- He wants to be THE companion. It may be that the loneliness is a deeper cry to receive Him to yourself. The truth is, He IS better and HE DOES care and He allows this to open your eyes to the fact that real companionship first comes from being in Christ. THIS is the FINISHED work of the CROSS!!!! ( I am saying this to myself right now) How can we ever truly believe, truly hope, if we don't see the need? If we don't see the need, what or who are we hoping in?

"As you truly hope more deeply in the evidence of the finished work of the cross for you, that releases supernatural holy spirit power in your life." -bob flayhart

Even when all evidence and feelings point to the opposite, this is the HOPE we have- this is our victory! The life of Christ- living, moving, breathing in and through us. How else will we go on? HE IS OUR HOPE! ...and sometimes He removes that which we hold on to, knowing that the end result will be my seeing HE is BETTER than that which I was clinging to.

I have to learn to tap into His supernatural, resurrection power! He removes my ideas so I will simply stop and hear HIS. He allows me to have less than I had hoped for so that He can prove Himself worthy of every bit of my hope and trust. (because I often hope for less than He wants to give me) Who better to give yourself, your whole heart to, than the most trustworthy one of all?!

He is NOT witholding good things from you for any reason but to give you His best for you- and that is Himself. Today it looks like one thing tomorrow it will be another. You are learning to trust Him from every angle and depth.

I choose to praise you Lord because you are worth it. You have been nothing but faithful and you will be nothing but faithful! Thank you for taking me on the adventure of knowing you and challenging me to believe you. You are my source of life, the rest is just... well, the rest.

The Bible is full of exchanges...
Darkness for light.
Death for life.
Jesus endured terrible suffering and became our sin for us to be free from wrath and the penalty of sin.
Not only that, but we died with Him and are given new life!

As Aslan says in Narnia when He resurrects, death is working itself backwards. And He, being the Christ figure in the story, starts the ball rolling when He, a blameless victim, is killed but comes alive in due time and returns to His people to redeem them for His kingdom He had to experience death before the resurrection.

I feel like life is so similar as we grow and change, and as we are exposed so He can heal...

If we were to be 100% transformed, all at once, we would never know what hit us! So he does this process gently- layer by layer. Changing us and allowing our lives to move and change at HIS pace to sanctify us but ultimately because this is how he can love us best. One way to know the depths of His love is to come face to face with the depths of my need.

Disappointment and bruised expectations bring death, unbelief and fear expose the death that He is wanting to free us from. If we don't make the exchange we are at great risk to spiral down.

Whether I feel it or not, I have no option but to chose life! HE did, and He did so on our behalf! He values our lives so much so that he took on the worst for our best! When the lies creep in, when that discontentment tugs at your feelings you can place them at the foot of the cross, knowing that He has overcome all of this for the glory of His name and so that we may have victory in knowing He has our best interests at heart.

feeling alone? Father knows best- He wants to be your companion- He wants to be THE companion. It may be that the loneliness is a deeper cry to receive Him to yourself. The truth is, He IS better and HE DOES care and He allows this to open your eyes to the fact that real companionship first comes from being in Christ.
THIS is the FINISHED work of the CROSS!!!! ( I am saying this to myself right now)
How can we ever truly believe, truly hope, if we don't see the need? If we don't see the need, what or who are we hoping in?

"As you truly hope more deeply in the evidence of the finished work of the cross for you, that releases supernatural holy spirit power in your life." -bob flayhart

Even when all evidence and feelings point to the opposite, this is the HOPE we have- this is our victory! The life of Christ- living, moving, breathing in and through us. How else will we go on? HE IS OUR HOPE!

...and sometimes He removes that which we hold on to, knowing that the end result will be my seeing HE is BETTER than that which I was clinging to. I have to learn to tap into His supernatural, resurrection power! He removes my ideas so I will simply stop and hear HIS. He allows me to have less than I had hoped for so that He can prove Himself worthy of every bit of my hope and trust. (because I often hope for less than He wants to give me)

Who better to give yourself, your whole heart to, than the most trustworthy one of all?!
He is NOT witholding good things from you for any reason but to give you His best for you- and that is Himself. Today it looks like one thing tomorrow it will be another.
You are learning to trust Him from every angle and depth.

I choose to praise you Lord because you are worth it. You have been nothing but faithful and you will be nothing but faithful! Thank you for taking me on the adventure of knowing you and challenging me to believe you. You are my source of life, the rest is just... well, the rest.

driving home from montgomery i couldn't get enough of these words:

my HOPE is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus name

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!

What powerful, rich words! It's amazing how quickly perspective can change when we recognize the object of our hope: Jesus. With my eyes fixed on Him life holds together, it makes sense, and I can walk forward in my purpose: to glorify Him!! He is reality and even when all around me is so unsure, so jumbled up, so unclear I find rest in knowing
there's no HOPE in these things but in HIM only!
No wonder it's frustrating trying to 'figure it out,' since there are no answers there!
HE is the answer, and HE will give us what we need, exactly what we need, when we need it.

6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you...10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 peter 5)

Heb 12:2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I went to a wonderful service at church tonight where we participated in the passover seder meal (the same meal, the same foods, the same prayers that Jesus prayed on the last night with His disciples). There are volumes of symbolism from the service itself and then from the fact that Jesus would have led the disciples through it so reading the text of the last supper is even more powerful!

One thing that stood out:

We had to dip the unleavened bread in horseradish! Now it only takes a drop of that stuff to season a whole dish and we took that in our own mouth. Wow was it terrible. It was sour and burning and bitter all at the same time. You could hardly forget it. That was to remember the forefathers who were slaves, whose lives were very bitter under slavery.

Can we all agree about the bitterness that comes when we act like slaves? When we believe we are still under the law, condemned to slavery. (I can't/won't love this person. I'll never find joy, I don't believe I am righteous, I am worthless) I know I personally have tasted this and HATE it! Yet for some reason Father allows me to experience it- He allowed Israel to experience it and they were His chosen ones.

But that's not the end of the story...

In the midst of slavery He brings new life
(We dip the parsley in salt water becuase it reminds us of green spring time)
Is that not like Jesus to bring new life in the midst of sin and despair? Is he not the one that trades beauty for ashes? Is that not what happened after the cross in His resurrection? (And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give LIFE to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you Rom 8:11)

(We dip the bitter herbs in sweet Charoses(apples) to remind us that our fathers were able to withstand bitter slavery, because it was sweetened by the hope of freedom.)
In this bite of unleavened bread with a hint of bitterness but an overwhelming taste of sweetness, the sweet becomes even more precious because we know the disgusting taste of the bitter herbs- or should I say the slavery that sin brings. Sin brings death, but the goodness of the gospel powerfully and quickly eclipses that. (Though the sorrow may last for a night, his Joy comes in the morning) And in light of that the freedom we have in Christ is all the more sweet-

-As He reveals our need for Him, our bankruptcy before Him, our total dependence on Him...
His sweet freedom, His precious life in us accomplished a rest and confidence like never before. Each time sin happens and we turn to Him, He grows our roots deeper into His sufficiency instead of our own.

The next part is really neat. Now that we have been restored by the life of Christ what do we do:
(...we recline at the table...The first Pasover was celebrated by an enslaved people. the children of Israel were instructed to eat in haste, standing packed and ready to leave the bondage of Egypt. Today we all may recline to show we are at rest.)

Lord thank you for the rest you so freely give. We are no longer slaves having to fear for provision. Thank you for the rest that flows from your life in us- Thank you for your sweetness towards us. You truly are better than all the world has to offer. Even though we still experience slavery here in this body of flesh, thank you that you have conquered that- for your glory- we would not know how sweet you are, how huge you are if we didn't know what you had done on our behalf, if we did not see our despair.

WE have ALL we need for life and godliness in you Jesus. Bring me to total dependence on that!

The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome...religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference. Dr. Timothy Keller

His name, His word- one in the same. We bank on the Character of our Lord- We live by what He says is true and Who He says we are. That's our measure and guide for Life.

absolutely accepted. (the implications are infinite- that's the Gospel)

I had a patient today...
She had her left leg amputated. The other is covered with ulcers because of poor circulation and infection, to be amputated this week. She stays in bed, dependent on her caregiver for most things:
To eat.
To drink.
To clean up.
She has high blood pressure...A failing heart...Diabetes... Kidney Damage
She's 60 years old.
She called the ambulance because she stayed on the floor at home for 2 days after falling there... no one could help her up. She was dehydrated, sick, had a fever, and today...

Today she glorified the LORD because He has taken care of her. He has been good to her all her life. She said HE knows her and HE KNOWS just what she needs. She has done nothing but overflow joy... contentment... She knows that that's her Lord. He's all she needs. I did not hear one complaint, one request for pity... Her spirit is overjoyed to be right where she is...

That's a life of joy, peace, patience, kindness. . . THAT is life in Christ. To her, life is good. Not because of what's going on in her life but because Jesus Christ IS her life.

He takes care of you. He knows just what you need.
HE is ALL we need!





4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
(philippians 4)

A thing about grace that I have found is essential to understand but yet so hard to live by:

GOD DOES IT.
GOD changes, GOD gives, (i receive), GOD moves, (i respond) GOD brings about brokenness and repentance (i surrender)

So when you are looking at the outer activities of a person, they are most likely the result of something that's going on inside:
example: I feel guilty about something, so I am trying to cover it up by how nice I am to people. I try to earn the guilt away. I push it deep inside, trying my best to do everything but take it to the cross so God can deal with it. The world sees a really nice person, I see a 'bad, dirty person' God sees the heart. He sees the pain and frustration and conflice between my inner and outer life. I see chaos- He sees His child and He heart goes out to me. Finally I am so miserable I give up. I stop trying and admit what I am guilty for. GOD removes the guilt because He says- JESUS paid it all. there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I believe this so I waltz along, no longer a slave to the guilt- it accomplished what it was supposed to accomplish: It brought me to GOD... to the cross... into Love and Acceptance and I no longer have to earn that but have it in FULL in Christ. What freedom! I no longer have to earn it from every other outlet... GOD is enough!

Yet for some, we believe the lie that we can't escape the "fake" outer life. We live in shame. WE pile it on hoping that will change things. We allow the guilt to grow until we no longer even know why we feel guilty or ashamed in the first place. Then we dig deeper, thinking we are too far gone. And that becomes our twisted gospel. But that's not what changes us. GOD DOES IT! GOD"S GREAT GRACE does it! BEING with HIM, understanding His character does it.

ONLY BY GRACE (the free gift of God Himself) are we truly changed! Shame leads to sorrow but grace to great JOY! If only we believe the fullness of what grace does!! Isaiah 40 commands us to "behold your God" (that does not say behold yourself) but behold your Father God who loves you and wants to deliver you from this body of death! We ARE united with Him. and He could not unite Himself with something unclean. Well aren't we dirty?, you ask? Yes we mess up and sin, but that does not define us. that is not your identity- Jesus has ALREADY paid the price for that- He bought us, adopted us, and calls us His own. Nothing can change that. Shame and guilt does not change us (those are things generated out of our own thinking) GRACE changes us!! (paraphrased from Bob Flayhart)

When we apply the gospel of GRACE to our thinking that this the power to change- GOD DOES IT! (and hopefully we will surrender and let him!) So acknowledge that you failed, but at the same time BEHOLD GOD- Apply the gospel to your wounds. Let it do its work. You are totally accepted.

"Paul wasn't concerned about the abuse of grace- He trusted the Lord to change people"-flayhart

It's God's job: today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In your life and the lives of those around you- YOU are not God, and certainly neither am I, thank goodness. It's the gospel that works miracles in hearts and we get to be a part of that by pointing others to HIM- (since HE does it!)

He heals...
He restores...
He disciplines...
He brings about change...
He refreshes...
He loves...

You.

LIVE in Christ, Live in LOVE
BE in Christ, BE IN LOVE!

Let your head and your heart swim in it.
Stop, cease striving, give up and receive it.
The infinite and all powerful love of God- it's the only thing that can satisfy the infinite need for love that we have within us (engineered by God for God to fill, of course!) Victorious over all powers of the world, it supercedes our worries and our selfishness because it's the absolute opposite: an OVERFLOW. He loves because He IS Love!

God/Jesus/Holy Spirit = LOVE

I desperately want to BE in Love, and I AM in Love, engrafted into a person. Baptised into the life of Christ, into His eternal life, somehow, someway... that's my reality! I am new! I am a partker in His life! That life is my source and my food and my breath- not the tangible things.

This world has nothing for me (I will follow You...) This world has nothing for me.

BE in Love! Let 'er rip! For the LOVE of Christ COMPELS us! It's our life force.

Do you now know? You've had a heart transplant! From the heart of Christ himself- and now it beats in you: The driving force of your life- You CANNOT function without a heart! And it's all yours! Well, it's His but it's yours. yours. yours. yours. His. His. HIS. heart beating in You to move in and through you. And if the stars show the glory of God- how much more will you??
You, oh precious one, who thinks, feels, acts and has many more dimensions than the stars... you exist to glorify God! You exist to show forth your Maker! Not to achieve all these things, but to BE WHO HE CREATED YOU TO BE!

IN
LOVE

your GLORY endures FOREVER
your BEAUTY outshines the heavens
and we will declare your WONDERS, your splendors, your majesty

GLORY AND HONOR and PRAISE!

After looking in the face of God and into His glory and wonder it frees you up to BE. Worship our God.

...In the reality of who Christ is and who HE says I am. Everything else is an idol. Counterfeit. The praise of man is good, but it does not compare to hearing Father say "you are mine." And He's saying it-in a gentle whisper at the center of my being. He lives inside of His children. He made us to receive our value and worth and acceptance from an outside source- and how endearing is it when someone communicates that to you? Well the word is full of these instances how Father shows and tells His people what they mean to him. It's a love relationship- Tim Keller talks about Jeremiah and how when they would worship other idols it was like "cheating" on Him! They had united their hearts with Him and then ran to the idols because they wanted to worship them??? What??

It's so subtle and it puts chains on us when our worship goes to our friends, our family, our grades, and our performance. It's when all those have the power to determine our lives and our dispositions, because they DO NOT!! Only when we give them that power are we slaves to them. (to what others think, etc)

JESUS is all powerful.
HE is in control.
HE sings over us! HE LOVES us! He is ENOUGH for us!
HE is reality and this life is but a vapor in the grand scheme of things.

The Kingdom is coming here on earth and He moves our hearts to Himself. When those things that 'bother' us or those people 'hurt our feelings' I pray that this will continue to move us to the heart of God and it will move us to receive and LIVE by what HE says about us! "You are a saint, dearly beloved, child of Mine! In me you have ALL you NEED for life and godliness. I love you more than you know"
And He should know- He did make us. He knows all our thoughts and ways and still loves us. He is the perfect source for life. Christ is ALL and is in ALL. Amen and Amen.

Your reality is that you share in the greatest relationship ever: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are aboe, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-2) You are one with the creator of the universe! Do not receive unto yourself what the world throws at you- HE is better. Do not run yourself ragged trying to earn the approval of others, for this is impossible. He finds you approved because of what Christ has already done. You owe Him nothing- you are righteous according to Him. That is who you are, and if that is who you are then that is how you live- by your identity. Let Him convict you of your righteousness, for that is your name!

Go and be free in Christ. Enjoy Him and receive all He is offering you : wholeness, completeness, HIMSELF.